MIT signs agreement to redevelop 14 acres in Kendall Square
MIT and the U.S. General Services Administration finalized a $750 million agreement on Wednesday that will give the Institute access to a 14-acre parcel of land near Kendall Square. In exchange, MIT will construct a federal building on the land.
Death and Mayhem wins Mystery Hunt
MIT’s annual Mystery Hunt, a puzzle-solving competition, took place over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend. Ninety-seven registered teams competed to solve puzzles in order to find a coin hidden on campus.
Attorney: no comment on judge’s reasons for ‘dangerousness’ ruling
Angel De La Cruz, a student in Course 6 and a resident of Senior House, was ordered held without bail Jan. 13 for allegedly possessing firearms in his dorm room.
Wet out West
Across the region, relatively mild conditions will persist, with partly cloudy skies and high temperatures in the mid to upper 40s through the weekend as high pressure settles across the region. This calm period will not last long, however, as a powerful storm system is forecast to develop across the deep south over the weekend and move toward the Northeast early next week. Across the west, heavy rain and snow continue to pound the region; only 65 percent of California remains in a drought, down from 100 percent just three months ago. Incredibly, only 2 percent remains in exceptional drought, down from 21 percent and 42 percent three months and one year ago respectively.
MIT student held without bail for allegedly keeping guns in his dorm room
Angel De La Cruz, a student in Course 6 and a resident of Senior House, has been ordered held without bail for allegedly possessing firearms in his dorm room. His hearing is scheduled for Feb. 13.
John Kerry urges climate action in MIT address
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged action on climate change at an address Monday morning at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, while voicing confidence in the economic potential of renewable energy to drive positive change.
MIT sees 7 percent reduction in campus greenhouse gas emissions
The Institute, which sees its campus as something of a test bed for climate action, announced in a release that greenhouse gas emissions on campus have dropped by 7 percent since 2014.
Mystery hunt, CEHS, Sandbox
The annual Mystery Hunt will take place this weekend. The kickoff is Friday, Jan. 13 at noon in Kresge Auditorium.
New House construction schedule accelerated by one year
New House renovations are expected to be complete in time for full occupancy for fall 2018, according Jennifer Hapgood-White, associate director of housing assignments, in an email sent to New House residents and residence hall house teams Jan. 5.
Colder temperatures and clear skies this weekend
Southwesterly flow will advect unseasonably warm air toward New England on Wednesday and Thursday. A low pressure system will pass to the west of Massachusetts on Thursday, and even though most of its associated precipitation will fall inland, there is a high chance of rain on Thursday morning and early afternoon. The winds will be strong at around 15 mph.
Nazi quote in Baker under investigation by MIT Police
MIT Campus Police and the Title IX Office are investigating an incident in which a phrase invoking the Holocaust was found written on a whiteboard in Baker House.
Facebook struggles to put out online fires in Israeli-Palestinian conflict
JERUSALEM — When fires raged across Israel last month, Anas Abudaabes began to type on his laptop. What came out would land him behind bars and ignite a debate over whether he had tried to fan the flames of hatred, in this case literally.
Tim Cook, Apple CEO, to be 2017 commencement speaker
Timothy D. Cook, chief executive officer of Apple, Inc., will be the commencement speaker for the Class of 2017.
In case of DACA repeal, MIT will fight for undocumented students
Undocumented students would be able to continue their studies at MIT even if DACA were repealed, Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart PhD ’88 said at a UA Council meeting on Nov. 30.
Winners of Hult Prize qualifiers present prototype of ‘evaporative toilets’ for refugee camps
Update: The article was updated Dec. 8 to correct the name of the winning team, change:WATER Labs.
Cambridge fire forces 7 MIT affiliates out of their homes
A massive fire engulfed a large swath of an East Cambridge residential area Saturday, Dec. 3. The fire damaged 16 buildings around Berkshire St. and displaced over 125 residents, a number of MIT students among them.
Subject evaluations, winter break shuttle, finals, happy holidays
The deadline to submit end-of-term subject evaluations is Friday, Dec. 16 at 12 p.m.
Wintry cold looms for weekend
An Arctic air mass will plunge into the northeastern United States this weekend, causing temperatures to plummet significantly below normal. The cold air will begin to make its way into our region tonight, as a stiff northwesterly breeze develops on the backside of a low pressure system currently passing eastward through Quebec. Cold air advection will continue through the day tomorrow, with the wintry wind transporting frigid Canadian air directly toward the Institute. By Saturday, the cold air mass will be firmly in place, causing both high and low temperatures to be around 15 degrees Fahrenheit lower than normal for this time of year.
Over 300 faculty sign statement opposing Trump’s cabinet picks
More than 340 MIT faculty members, as of yesterday afternoon, have signed a statement opposing President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet appointments and reaffirming their dedication to “principles at the core of MIT’s mission.”
Senior Gift boycott gains ground, sparks debate
Update: This article was updated on Dec. 6 to include an additional statement by Chancellor Cindy Barnhart.