Before looking at ‘gay marriage’, let’s examine marriage itself
The definition of marriage has changed drastically over time. While I obviously do not have space to write the entire history of the institution of marriage (you can read plenty of books that do, though), I’ll try to provide a brief summary.
The purpose of the theater is to present themes, not to teach lessons to the audience
Thank you for your response to our production of The Taming of the Shrew. Indeed, the text of The Taming of the Shrew can be challenging to audiences, sometimes troubling. It is a hilarious farce in places where it seems like it shouldn’t be. In response to your article, many members of the show have written responses. Below are anonymous excerpts. There are two common themes:
MIT’s growing relevance in a shrinking world
I’m sitting 11,000 meters above the Atlantic Ocean, hurtling at 800 kilometers per hour towards Boston after an exhilarating week at a conference focused on smart cities in Barcelona, Spain. After spending the past three days engaging in discussions with policymakers, researchers, and businesspeople about the future of technology in cities, it has become highly apparent to me that MIT’s recent efforts to expand our global education and outreach programs have truly paid off. At conferences, workshops, and business meetings around the world, MIT is globally regarded as a leader in innovative thought across a wide variety of disciplines. Faculty and graduate students are spending more time traveling than perhaps ever before, a testament to the growing international relevance of MIT in an increasingly complex and globalized world. Presenting novel ideas at conferences, teaching children in developing nations, and participating in internships in foreign countries are just samples of activities that the MIT community engage in on a daily basis to maintain our global prominence. But we must not take this reputation for granted, as it has resulted from the continued commitment of students, staff, and faculty to make MIT a truly global university. Nor can we rest on our laurels, as this dedication must continue with renewed vigor to keep MIT’s researchers and alumni competitive in a shrinking world.
IN DEFENSE OF DOMA :
This week, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case seeking to force states to permit gay marriage. Many expect the Court to force nationwide gay marriage, and in most of the US, gay marriage is indeed popularly supported. While many laud gay marriage as the natural consequence of homosexuality being normal, and many college students have a homosexual experience at some point, homosexual behavior and homosexual commitment are very different. Before encouraging gay marriage, we should examine the effects of homosexual commitments: even pro-gay-marriage scientific studies show that long-term homosexual commitment is very unusual, and strongly correlated with depression and suicidal tendencies, even with societal support.
A shrew tamed is no comedy
The Taming of the Shrew is a rape story. Barring discussion of its historical significance in a time when misogynistic thought was yet undifferentiated as an academic job, not an opining one, we need to ask how to react to the play today.
Problem-based education; changing the model
MIT loves hands-on learning. We see it everywhere, in lab classes, in the UROP programs, even in the motto itself, Mens et Manus. Many of the best classes at the Institute are centered around the union of hands-on learning and lecture-style learning, encouraging students to take the concepts and equations from lectures and apply them to different real world hands-on applications. This model has been tremendously successful and has helped propel MIT and its students to the place it is today.
Bring DOMA down
In 1996, Bill Clinton enacted the “Defense of Marriage Act” (DoMA), which federally denies the recognition of legal marriages between same-sex partners. But currently, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, District of Columbia, Maryland, Washington, and Maine, recognize gay marriage, directly contradicting DoMA, and challenging its constitutionality. Since 1996, state-by-state, a social injustice is being corrected; gay people and their allies everywhere are fighting for the legalization of gay marriage, and the 1,138 rights that come with them. With the coming event of the Supreme Court’s hearing of DoMA, gay people may finally marry their partners, and claim first-class status in a country that prides itself in allowing life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.
CORRECTIONS
The caption to the front page photo in last Tuesday’s issue stated that the MIT cogeneration plant supplies “only a fraction” of the electricity used on campus. While it typically does not supply all of the electricity used on campus, it usually supplies the majority of it. Just prior to the outage last week, it supplied 22 MW out of a total 27 MW.
Under Pressure
The Institute is a tough place. The classes are hard, the homework is hard, and the tests are hard. It’s difficult to step back and get any perspective, and when things are going bad, competition between peers makes things worse. If you dare lament the amount of work you have, chances are that your neighbor will challenge you and say that he has even more.
Take advantage of MIT’s strong mental health services
It is no secret that the Institute provides a wide variety of resources for students seeking emotional or mental health support. To name just a few, MIT offers Student Support Services (S ^ 3), Mental Health Counseling, and Community Wellness. These programs contribute to an extensive support network that has helped many students solve serious problems in their lives.
MIT is stressful, but students need to be more self-reliant
While the series of student suicides at MIT and other colleges in the Boston area is not the focus of this piece, it has inspired my reflection on how to cope in difficult times at the Institute. These events have prompted me to stretch my search for solutions to perhaps controversial lengths. In any case, I wish to express my condolences to these students’ families and loved ones.
You Are Not a Doctor; Don’t Pretend to Be
One scene from A Beautiful Mind, a movie which follows mathematician John Nash’s descent into schizophrenia, does a fine job of demonstrating why individuals cannot handle mental illness on their own. Nash is talking with his psychiatrist, contending that he does not need help because he can “reason his way” out of his illness. His psychiatrist points out that this is impossible, because “your mind is where the problem is in the first place.”
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Editors Note: We received the following letters in response to our advertisements calling for submissions, and in response to our survey.
CORRECTIONS
An article published on November 30, 2012 about the new director of digital learning Sanjay Sarma misspelled the name of physics professor John Belcher. The article also said that 8.02x would feature clips from Walter Lewin’s 8.02 course. 8.02x will actually feature his lectures in sequence along with other digital material.
CORRECTIONS
An article about USAID published on Nov. 13. failed to cite the MIT News Office as the main source for the article. All quotations are statements from sources to the MIT News Office.
Rocket fire in the Gaza strip hits close to home
I’m frightened. My younger sister, who will be a freshman at MIT next year, is currently hiding in a bomb shelter in Israel. My phone buzzes nonstop with worried calls from my mother, and texts from my sister with messages like “update: sirens went off, went to safe room, heard blast but out now,” and “wow that was loud … two more rockets fell near us, one was hit by iron dome and the other they say fell in the sea.” While my sister is handling the terrible situation well (she is mostly complaining that the rocket attacks are preventing her from seeing the new Twilight movie), the reality is that Israel has been thrown into turmoil by the constant barrage of rocket attacks from Gaza, which have made living everyday life impossible for millions of Israelis.