Chicago mayor Emanuel talks sustainability at MIT
A chance encounter in an elevator spurred the mayor’s visit, according to MIT President L. Rafael Reif.
Rain returns to the northeast
Cloudy skies today will lead to rain chances tomorrow as a low pressure system pushes east towards the region. Unlike other recent rain events, this system will prove too weak to displace the cool air over the region. As a result, no significant warm up will occur prior to its passage. Cool air became firmly entrenched in the Northeast over the last several days as a backdoor cold front slid inland from the coast. This airmass will persist for quite some time, since no significant system is poised to push it out anytime soon. Thus, highs in the 50s fahrenheit and lows in the 40s can be expected for the next several days as Spring’s gradual warming trend is slowly realized.
Error in voting system disrupts UA elections
Voting for class council and UA president and vice president was supposed to begin yesterday morning, but an error in the online voting system has thus far prevented voters from casting their ballots.
Pleasant weather ahead
The warm and dry weather we have experienced during the past few days (excluding Wednesday afternoon) will continue for the rest of the week.
New leave & return policies to be fully implemented by next year
Randall and Hughes provide leave and return data and address the issue of miscommunication; student faces poverty while on medical leave.
MIT pilots “Day Of Action” to encourage service
A hackathon-style service-oriented event called Day of Action will take place April 18 (a school holiday) with lectures and workshops running from 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
Regalia, taxes, and Patriot’s Day
Graduates can order commencement regalia Apr. 3–Apr. 22. All graduates participating in the commencement exercises must wear the appropriate academic regalia. More details are available at commencement.mit.edu/graduates/regalia.
CPW, advising, mayoral visit
The UA Committee on Education is hosting a meeting to hear students’ perspectives on advising Monday, April 10 at 4 p.m.
UA president and VP campaigns commence
Candidates for this year’s elections for UA president and vice president are Sarah Melvin ’18 & Alexa Martin ’19, Daysi Gomez ’18 & Liz Cox ’18, and Malte Ahrens ’18, whose VP candidate is set to be confirmed by the UA Election Commission next week.
Timeflies and Frenship to perform at 2017 SpringFest concert
The UA sought a change from the hip-hop artists who have performed in recent years, spurred by pop being the favored genre among students who took the UA’s SpringFest artist survey.
Former Secretary of Energy returns to MIT, plans to focus on energy and nuclear threats
Ernest Moniz, a nuclear physicist who served as Secretary of Energy under former President Obama from 2013 to 2017, has returned to MIT to continue his work in tackling energy challenges and nuclear security.
Sanders criticizes Trump, Kochs, media in fiery Kresge speech
Sanders told a receptive audience that “the future of this country is a progressive, not conservative vision” and asserted that “despair is not an option” in the face of the Trump presidency.
Spring Break != Spring Weather
Although Monday marked the official First Day of Spring, the Northeast appears to have a different idea about what that means than the rest of us. Get all the sun you need today because this weekend is going to be perpetually overcast with some rain and snow. If you're getting out of town for the break, try to bring some spring-like weather with you when you come back! For those staying in Beantown for the week, you can expect temperatures around 40°F (5°C) during the day and relatively low wind speeds.
New dorm on Vassar to open summer 2020 with dining hall and 450-bed capacity
The residence hall will house students relocated due to future renovations, and will have to balance, among other issues, sustainability goals with students’ need for kitchens.
DSL to search for new dining provider, seeks student input
The search for a new dining provider, guided by responses from the student survey and feedback from Envision, a consulting firm engaged by DSL, will begin in May. A new vendor is projected to be selected by fall 2018.
MIT admits Class of 2021, works to ensure students from travel ban-affected countries can attend
MIT released its regular action decisions for the Class of 2021 last Tuesday, bringing the total number of admitted students to 1,438 out of the 20,247 who applied, for an acceptance rate of 7.1 percent, down from 7.8 percent last year.
Chomsky lecture, airport shuttles, housing
Noam Chomsky will speak about climate change and President Trump today from 5-6:30 p.m. in 26-100 in a Starr Forum lecture entitled “Racing to the Precipice: Global Climate, Political Climate.” Seating is first-come, first-serve. Overflow seating will be available in 54-100, where there will be a live stream of the event.
MIT announces new administrative position to facilitate diversity
MIT has created the new position of Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Community Involvement. Gustavo Burkett, the current director of student involvement at Boston College, has been chosen for the role.