Anonymous Benefactor’s Money Will Keep Empty W1 Looking Good
Partial renovations to the W1 residence hall, the former Ashdown, will begin this spring after all, thanks to a gift from an anonymous donor. Work will be limited to the exterior of the building, and will not impact the Institute’s plan to delay the opening of W1 until after 2010. The size of the gift was not disclosed.
MIT Dining Committee Releases Documents
Will next year’s incoming freshmen pay a mandatory fee for food? The “Blue Ribbon Committee” of students and administrators charged with determining the future of MIT dining has reported no new progress toward articulating a food policy since early December, when <i>The Tech</i> reported that a mandatory fee was among the committee’s proposals.
News Briefs
If you left your bicycle chained to the “NO BICYCLE PARKING” signs outside the Student Center on Tuesday morning, and you can’t find it, your bike might now be in NW62.
Architectural Terminology
<i>cupola</i> — a rounded vault resting on a usually circular base and forming a roof or a ceiling.
Apollo 17 Moon Rock Reveals Magnetic Beginnings
The lasting impression left by the Apollo missions is of a moon that is gray, dusty, desolate and dead. But instruments left behind by Apollo astronauts recorded moonquakes and wobbles in its rotation that gave hints of a still molten core.
‘Beginner’s Luck’ Wins 63-Hour Mystery Hunt
The 2009 Mystery Hunt concluded, after 63 hours, when the team Beginner’s Luck uncovered the coin, the traditional goal of the hunt, in the Building 13 basement on Monday at 3:03 a.m.
Big, Hopeful Crowds Gather to Watch Obama’s Inauguration
As President Barack Obama took the oath of office at yesterday’s inauguration, hundreds of members of the MIT community looked on from lecture halls and communal spaces. Students expressed a cautious optimism for the future.
News Briefs
Starting January 24th, the MIT Parking and Transportation Office will operate a shuttle to and from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market. The shuttle will run every Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2:47 p.m., leaving campus every 30 minutes and making its last pickup on campus at 1:47 p.m. A current schedule can be found online at <i>http://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/shuttles/grocery.html</i>.
Students’ Subway Security Talk Canceled by Court Order
Three MIT students will not be presenting their security research at the annual DEF CON hacker convention this weekend because of a temporary restraining order filed by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority on Friday afternoon. The students — legally represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit advocacy group — are appealing the order.
Public Documents Seem to Show Free T Fare
Documents made public by an MBTA lawsuit against MIT undergraduates show how anyone can get free T fare by copying an existing CharlieTicket or by making their own.
Recycling Tips
At Tuesday’s meeting, representatives from the Casella Waste Company gave tips to improve recycling efficiency:
Chomsky Condemns U.S. and Israel For Civilian Deaths in Gaza Strip
At a talk last night about the current situation in Gaza, Professor of Linguistics Noam A. Chomsky came down hard on Israel for its frequent violence against Palestinian civilians and chastised the United States for enabling the Jewish state to carry out these actions with impunity. He also used the opportunity to touch upon broader issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The talk, which took place at Sloan’s Wong Auditorium, was part of the Center of International Studies’ Starr Forum lecture series
An Interactive Lecture for Modern Times: TEAL Uses Tech. to Improve Education
For as long as anyone can remember, introductory physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was taught in a vast, windowless amphitheater known by its number, 26-100.
Vote to Reform GIRs Delayed by Two New Amendments in Dec.
The proposed changes to the General Institute Requirements, which would give students more latitude in the science classes they are required to take and do away with HASS-Ds, failed to reach a vote at the faculty meeting on December 17th. Two amendments were called to the floor, delaying the actual vote until the next faculty meeting scheduled for February.
New Commingled Recycling Program Will Be Rolled Out by End of Spring
Soon, recycling at the Institute could have a one-bin solution.
Overloaded Spam Filters Dropped Some Gmail E-mails Sent to MIT
If your friend swears he invited you to that party, but you never got the e-mail, he might just be telling the truth.
Patrick Proposes Ethics Reform to Curb Corrupt Politicians and Lobbyists
Responding to a rash of public corruption scandals in Massachusetts, Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday proposed steeper fines for ethics violations and other improvements to laws meant to keep government officials and lobbyists honest.
Dreamers and Doers: Many Innovators Get Started as Undergrads
Nicolas Naranjo knocked on Evan Kimbrell’s door at midnight.