Majority Vote on GIRs Isn’t Good Enough at Special Faculty Mtg.
The faculty defeated a motion to revise the General Institute Requirements on Wednesday. The vote, 81 to 69 in favor of the motion, lacked the three-fifths majority required to amend the rules and regulations of the faculty, which govern the current GIRs.
ATO Departs MacGregor, Repairs To Their House Not Yet Finished
The Alpha Tau Omega house, damaged last summer from a pipe leak, has completed repairs and is undergoing inspections. ATO plans to move into the house in late March to early April, pending housing approval by the Cambridge Licensing Commission.
MIT Senior Bartolotta, Star Basketball Player, Plans to Play Pro Ball
At first, Jimmy Bartolotta laughed at the thought of bringing his considerable basketball skills to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, envisioning a comical scene of ball-playing nerds, the rocket scientists of tomorrow, being stomped game after game by teams filled with dumb jocks. But he wound up there anyway, where he leads his team and his conference in scoring and now wants to destroy the myth that eggheads can’t play.
News Briefs
According to one of its owners, the popular Goosebeary’s food truck will return to its familiar location next to MIT Medical next week, ending an approximately 4-week hiatus. Members of the MIT community were baffled by the disappearance.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Oct. 24, 2008 and Jan. 15, 2009. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
Proportion of African- American Students Who Pass A.P. Exams Low
More than 15 percent of the three million students who graduated from public high schools last year passed at least one Advanced Placement exam, the College Board said Wednesday, but African-American students were still far less likely to have passed, or to even have taken, an A.P. exam than white, Hispanic or Asian students.
Curriculum Changes Proposed
MIT worked toward revamping its General Institute Requirements in 2008. Possible curriculum reforms would simplify the structure of the HASS requirement, add flavors to core science classes, and introduce pilot versions of broad-themed humanities classes geared towards freshman.
Students Ask for More Involvement
Several important events relating to changes in housing policies and hacking incidents affected students in the past year. Student perception of being omitted in several important decisions led to the creation of a student group voicing these concerns. A newly formed Task Force attempted to tackle some of these concerns and increase student involvement in the decision-making process.
From the Editor
As the next semester begins, <i>The Tech</i> looks back on the news stories of 2008 with this <i>Year in Review</i>. Take a moment to look back at the many news stories that affected MIT, and the handful of MIT events that impacted the nation.
MIT News in the World
So many important events have happened over the course of 2008 at MIT. With pioneering research, prominent awards, and influential visitors, MIT has enjoyed a prosperous year and has continued its history of excellence in science and technology.
Construction Abounds
For anyone on campus over the past year, one thing that’s been visibly changing is the landscape. Over 2008, buildings were constantly being renovated — Here are some of the larger construction projects of 2008.
Experts Teach MIT Students How To ‘Dress for Success’ Over IAP
I am not the fashionable type. Sure, I wear decent clothes that match, but there’s a difference between wearing clothes that match and wearing clothes that coordinate.
Faculty Will Vote on Plan to Change GIRs At Meeting This Week
The MIT faculty will vote on a proposal to change the General Institute Requirements at the faculty meeting this Wednesday. Professors’ opinions and concerns about the proposed changes vary widely, and many may never be discussed on the meeting room floor before the vote happens. Despite these concerns. most professors will probably vote in favor of the proposal because they support the plan’s general goals.
Etiquette, Flirting, and Clothes Take The Spotlight at IAP Charm School
Is it possible to earn a degree from MIT in a single afternoon? On Friday, close to 100 students, faculty, and alumni did just that during the 16th annual Charm School, held at the Stratton Student Center. And unlike MIT’s School of Engineering, Charm School boasted an admissions acceptance rate of 100 percent.
In the Closing of Brandeis Museum, Trustees Deliver a Statement of Its Priorities
Few things are more poignant than a gem of a museum whose days may be numbered. So it was at the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University on a visit Friday, days after the university’s trustees voted unanimously to trash the institution by closing it and auctioning off the 6,000 works in its collection. The action came without consulting either the museum’s own board of governors or its director, Michael Rush.
24 Broad Institute DNA Scientists Were Laid Off on Tuesday
Twenty-four MIT employees were fired yesterday morning from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Their jobs have been made redundant by new technology, the institute said in a press release.
Four Thousand Flock to MIT to Seek Jobs Overseas
The 13th European Career Fair was held at MIT this past Saturday, attracting candidates and employers from all over the world amidst a bleak economy. Over 4,000 candidates from more than 16 countries seeking internships and jobs sent their resumes in and attended the fair this year.