In a weak field, Sharma and Ndengeyingoma best option
By the end of the week, MIT undergraduates will choose Andrew M. Acker ’15 and Grace E. O’Malley ’15, Shruti Sharma ’15 and Billy Ndengeyingoma ’15, or Jeffrey M. Sperling ’15 and Nathan H. Varady ’16 to be the next Undergraduate Association president and vice president. It is encouraging to see three tickets so eager to tackle the challenges facing undergraduates. But the leaders of the UA need not only detailed, specific proposals, but also the experience and tact to realize their visions.
On student leadership
MIT students often complain about the administration, a lack of student input, and inadequate representation. We often forget, however, that our decisions can directly impact these outcomes. The upcoming Undergraduate Association presidential elections remain the best way that we, the undergraduates, can voice our opinion.
Enhancing student impact on community decisions
After Bexley Hall closed last May, members of the dorm united to express a desire for students to have a meaningful voice throughout any remaining developments related to the dorm. Unfortunately, now, in Spring 2014, far too much time has passed without engaged student discourse on the future of the Bexley space. This void highlights a failure on the part of the administration, student leaders, and the entire student body to foster an open, proactive dialogue. Besides simply acknowledging this failure, let’s recognize the Undergraduate Association (UA) elections as a chance to remedy it.
Don’t Divest
Recently Fossil Free MIT (FFMIT), an MIT student group, has circulated a petition, now with over 2000 signatures, urging the Institute to cease the investment of its endowment in fossil fuel companies. FFMIT is one chapter of Fossil Free, a multinational organization that advocates this position to facilitate broader divestment among institutions that serve the public good. Their ultimate goal is to influence legislation that would implement measures to limit global temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius. While their aspirations are admirable, their strategy is unlikely to work, and their efforts would be better spent advocating clean energy in other ways. Worse, their misguided advocacy could have negative repercussions for MIT and others.
Wearing headphones while commuting is dangerous
I am biking down Vassar Street when suddenly a pedestrian hops on to the pavement, seemingly unaware he is obstructing the bike lane. Unable to brake due to bike traffic behind me, I ring my bell and yell “watch out!” to warn him of the dangerous situation. To my great confusion, these warnings are continuously ignored even as I approach closer and closer. All I can do next is take a sharp turn to avoid a crash, sending me flying into the fence. The pedestrian strolls blissfully away, forever unaware of the accident he has caused.
Rule of law at stake in Bitcoin wars
On Nov. 11, four MIT students, including Jeremy L. Rubin ’16, won the “Innovation” award at the online Node Knockout programming competition for their project, Tidbit. Tidbit would enable websites to monetize traffic by utilizing consumers’ computers to mine Bitcoin while they browse the site (presumably in lieu of advertising). Tidbit consequently attracted considerable attention for its potential to disrupt advertising markets. But, recognizing potential legal issues, our peers declined to make the code operative, although it is available for download on their website.
How the Institute can do better
Editor’s note: This article, which is part two of a two-part series, contains explicit references to sexual assault. Part one was published on Feb. 7.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Last week in the pages of The Tech, a young MIT graduate shared her anguished account of being raped as an undergraduate at MIT by someone she thought she could trust — her friend, coworker and research colleague, a man ten years her senior.
Addressing rape culture at the Institute
Editor’s note: This article, which is part one of a two-part series, contains explicit references to rape and sexual assault. Part two was published on Feb. 11.
Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct at MIT
Preventing and Addressing Sexual Misconduct at MIT
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I walk by Bexley many times a day and wonder when the action will start! Not just destructive action, but constructive learning action! By this I mean many students (and faculty!) were admitted to MIT because in their youth they took stuff apart and were innately curious about how things worked (and didn’t)! Hence since Bexley Hall has been found by experts to be structurally deficient to the point where it is less costly to tear it down and start over, it represents an invaluable learning experience for the MIT community!
Why the career fair is a disappointment
Editor’s Note: This column original ran on Sept. 20, 2013, the day of the Fall Career Fair.
An illusory trade-off
Editor’s Note: This column originally ran in the Sept. 24, 2013 issue of The Tech as a response to Madeline O’Grady’s column published in the previous issue.
The unquestioned assumption of online education
Editor’s Note: This column originally ran in the March 5, 2013 issue of The Tech.
Remembering Bexley
Editor’s Note: This letter was originally written in May 2013, following the announcement of Bexley Hall’s closing due to structural problems.
Zoidberg says
Editor’s Note: This column originally ran in the Friday, Oct. 4, 2013 issue of The Tech, following the U.S. government shutdown on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
OPINION IN REVIEW
As scientists and engineers, MIT students constantly balance harsh realism with eternal optimism. On the one hand, we must be machines — poring over facts, figures, and data, determining what is infeasible, and eliminating it. On the other, we must maintain unwavering faith in the possibilities of discovery and the limitless potential of imagination. While we’re here, one of the most important lessons we learn is how to grapple with this duality — how to keep the faith despite setbacks. We learn to be resilient.
CORRECTIONS
Due to an editing error, The Naturalist’s Notebook column in the Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013 issue neglected to specify the following in a quote: “ … Fiat Spider 850; you don’t often see those around anymore.”
Charm School — headed in the wrong direction?
People at MIT, like people anywhere, get together for a variety of reasons: to enjoy each other’s company, to work, to play, to serve the community. The concern that prompts my writing is that Charm School, first organized more than 20 years ago as an enjoyable, playful, service-oriented IAP activity, has, to its detriment, been transformed into an event focusing more than it needs to on job-seeking skills and other manners in the professional world. These include “dining etiquette and table conversation during business dinners” and “effective email in the business world.” Work is only one part of our lives where table manners and email messages are important.