Sodium Still Under Investigation
The Massachusetts State Police continue to investigate last week’s Charles River accident involving a block of sodium. No suspects have yet been named in the investigation, and MIT has only been associated with the event by Boston media sources who speculate that the traditional East Campus sodium drop caused the injuries.
UA President Tells of Goals, Daily Tasks
<i>This is the final interview in a seven-part series introducing incoming students to some of MIT’s faculty, staff, and student leaders. Today, </i>The Tech<i> interviews Martin F. Holmes ’08, president of the Undergraduate Association. Holmes talks about the UA and his goals for the upcoming year.</i>
Master’s Degree Programs Expanding Nationwide
The number of students in the University of Chicago program that bestows a Master of Arts degree in social sciences has quadrupled since 1989, jumping to 160 from 40, and despite a tuition price tag of $37,000, every year more students clamor for admittance.
Errors, Ambiguities Plague U.S. News Rankings; Data Uncertain
MIT’s fall from fourth to seventh place in this year’s <i>U.S. News and World Report</i> college ranking was driven in part by changes in how MIT defines and computes class sizes. Corrections in how MIT reports its entering class’s SAT scores also contributed to the drop.
D-Lab Research Center Targets Developing Countries
Beneath the bustling “infinite corridor” linking buildings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, just past a boiler room, an assemblage of tinkerers from 16 countries welded, stitched and hammered, working on rough-hewn inventions aimed at saving the world, one village at a time.
Bedbug Infestation Irks Ashdown House Students
A bedbug problem that has been plaguing Ashdown since last spring is close to being resolved. An exterminator contracted to MIT has been visiting rooms several times a week over the course of the summer, and sticky-trap style bug monitors newly installed in each room show no sign of new activity.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between Aug. 13 and Sept. 5, 2007. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, larcenies, or medical shuttles.</i>
Dartmouth Expands Board; Alumni Role Reduced by Change
Dartmouth College announced late on Saturday night that its board of trustees would expand to 24 members, two-thirds chosen by the college and one-third elected by the alumni.
Sodium Injures Five in Charles River Fire
Five burn injuries from a boat fire on the Charles River last Thursday, Sept. 6, appear to have been caused by sodium, said Jake Wark, spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Local media sources reported that the substance may have come from a sodium drop, a traditional MIT activity in which sodium is thrown into the Charles River so that students can watch its violent reaction with water.
BU Dental No Longer Available For MIT Students
The Boston University Student Dental Plan will not be available to members of the MIT community this academic year. The plan had been the least expensive of the options available to students in the area and remains open to those enrolled in a number of other local colleges and universities. The Housing and Community Affairs subcommittee of the Graduate Student Council is exploring replacement options.
Congress Passes Overhaul Of Loan Programs
Congress gave final approval to a broad overhaul of federal student loan programs Friday, sharply cutting subsidies to lenders and increasing grants to needy students.
Leeland B. Ekstrom G
<b>Education Background:</b> BS in Engineering Physics and BS in Life Sciences from Queen’s University in 2002 and 2003, respectively.
News Briefs
The new automatic door mechanism for Lobby 7 has had persistent problems since its installation on Aug. 21. The exit door seems to fail every few days. As of last week the door has been blockaded and disabled. The failure is a result of a thermal overload in a relay that operates the door mechanism, and Facilities has been investigating temperature issues in the room that houses the control equipment.