The unnecessary cost of net neutrality
The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on new rules to enforce net neutrality on Feb. 26 since a federal court struck down its previous rules a year ago. However, the FCC may not get the chance if Congress preempts the vote.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Those who fear relentless pursuit by powerful men with troubling secrets can now rest easier: Peter Fisher wants to protect you. Last week, he explained that MIT removed Walter Lewin’s famous physics lectures from OpenCourseWare and edX, not to teach a lesson, but to protect potential future victims from coming into contact with the former professor. Clearly, removing his MIT office, phone, and email address would not suffice: after all, some determined but unsuspecting student might yet find a way to stalk him down. No, to shield the populace from Lewin’s possible predations, MIT must do everything in its power to purge all trace of his existence from the Earth (at least for as long as he lives).
MIT was right to remove Lewin’s videos
The outcry at MIT’s removal of Walter Lewin’s popular online physics lectures has been widespread, from online commenters to MIT professor Scott Aaronson.
Campus newspapers should be cautious when reporting accusations of cheating
Punishing cheating is not easy. Academic misconduct varies in severity, and accusations of it can be wrong. Purposeful leaders resolve these difficulties by trial and error. Over time, they cultivate a sense of fairness and a shame at unfair advantage. Fair ways of meting out punishment follow.
MIT’s alternative flavor of pride
On days when life at MIT seems particularly challenging, I sometimes find myself wondering whether my efforts are driven by pride or passion.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editor’s Note: This letter contains explicit references to sexual assault.
The future of books in Hayden Library
This fall, several articles have acquainted the MIT community with ongoing plans to redesign the library system. One effect of the planned changes will be a decrease in the space for print collections, requiring many books to be sent off-campus. We write for a group of linguists, faculty and students in Course 24, whose research and teaching relies on Hayden Library’s books, and on their immediate, on-the-shelf availability. We want to raise questions about how priorities are set and decisions made in planning the redesign of the libraries; how the community has been kept informed of these developments; and how library officials view the mission of the library in a research university like ours.
CORRECTIONS
An article about the suspension of Delta Upsilon in the Tuesday, Dec. 2 issue of The Tech incorrectly said Louis DeScioli was president of MIT DU in fall 2014. He was president of the chapter in fall 2013.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
In a letter to the editor in Tuesday’s issue of The Tech, graduate student Juliet Stanton makes several observations about the current planning process for renovating Hayden Library. On behalf of the MIT Libraries I can say that we wholeheartedly agree with her views on carefully considering the needs of the entire MIT community as we explore additional ways to meet our mission to create and sustain an environment that advances learning, research, and innovation at MIT. We are committed to supporting students like Juliet, as well as all MIT students, faculty, researchers and staff in the important work they do.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
On October 6 and October 14, MIT Libraries hosted sessions to solicit student input on the upcoming renovations of Hayden Library. I was present at the second session, and was alarmed by much of what I heard. More specifically, I believe that many of the proposed changes and renovations will result in a library that fails to adequately support researchers who rely on timely access to print materials.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I generally support the pro-disinvestment position taken in this column in Sunday’s New York Times, and in Karen Hao’s May 13, 2014 column in The Tech. MIT’s decision to divest would have exceptional impact because of the Institute’s global brand in science and technology. The decision to divest is not easy because the world still needs fossil fuels and because the companies that extract, process, and distribute them also fund clean energy research. But, for MIT, fossil fuel divestment would also be the first step in solving a problem that is unique to the Institute.
The right (and wrong) reasons to buy into Bitcoin
This past Sunday marked the launch of the MIT Bitcoin Project, a study conducted by faculty and students from the Media Lab, Sloan, and the MIT Bitcoin Club. The study aims to understand how the digital currency proliferates after being distributed to potential users.
Fighting sexual assault can’t be optional for MIT students
On Monday, MIT released detailed results of a survey designed to investigate the scope and nature of sexual misconduct in our community. The survey is a rare quantitative examination of sexual assault at colleges — in several ways the first of its kind among MIT’s peer institutions — and is a true example of bold leadership by the MIT administration and chancellor. And the data and resulting action plan were released with public honesty in a time when many colleges across the country seem to be primarily trying to avoid the issue.
Implementing Mens et Manus
On Tuesday, Sept. 30, The Tech’s “Snapshot of the First Year Survey results for Class of 2018” revealed a startling paradox that has gone unmentioned: The Class of 2018 most desires to “Contribute to Science and Innovation” and least cares about “Participating in Politics or Community Affairs.” But I ask: how one can expect his/her contributions to science and innovation to ever see the light of day (or the market) without understanding and participating in politics and community affairs? Let me be clear that I raise this not to fault the Class of 2018 (when we are 18 and fresh from high school there is much to learn in life), but to ask the greater MIT community, particularly our faculty, department heads, deans, and administrators: what does it mean to divorce scientific achievements from participation in public life?
Supplementing “All Doors Open”
Through the tragedies of last several months, we have often been reminded that MIT is a community that cares, that help is always available, and that seeking help is a sign of strength. And it is true that MIT has many excellent resources. However, it is also true that so many continue to see MIT as a place without a safety net.
Continuing the conversation
When I first heard about the All Doors Open event, I was a little uncertain. I knew from my work in Student Support Services (S3) that our community was struggling to come to terms with a string of bad news, most recently the on-campus death of Phoebe Wang. We were given fifteen unstructured minutes, time to use however we chose. What would we make of it? My colleagues and I heard that some found the thought and experience of this undefined time awkward, long and intolerable. Others saw it as exactly what they needed.
Looking back at the Hobby Lobby decision
On Monday, the Supreme Court refused to hear cases from five states seeking to keep their same-sex marriage bans in place, effectively handing a tacit victory to the gay rights movement. In keeping silent, the Court prevented the religious preferences of some from limiting the life choices of others.
How fraternities should move forward
Austin Hess’s column last Tuesday, “Can fraternities be feminist?” struck a chord with not just me but with many of my colleagues who volunteer for the Association of Independent Living Groups (AILG). Mr. Hess posed a number of questions to the MIT fraternity community that desperately need to be addressed. Although there has been discussion on the various AILG email lists, the column made us realize that there should be a more public statement from a fraternity man. As I am six years removed from undergrad — long enough to know the ropes of being an alum but still able to relate and connect to my active brothers and their experiences — I believe I have a relevant perspective to offer on this situation.
Please, don’t buy the Apple Watch
After the recent release of the Apple watch, the new wearable has been praised and criticized in a cascade of blogs and reviews. Despite the fact that the watch doesn’t seem to possess any new, helpful functionality, it is still on the wish lists of many MIT students.