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.
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness
Florence Gallez calls on victims of mental illness to try something we already know doesn’t work, and is often dangerous to the individual: to tough it out, build up resilience, and get better on their own. Not only does this view run counter to virtually all research we have at our disposal today, but it is akin to asking victims with cancer to just try really hard to overcome it by themselves without seeking medical attention. Your body is just as incapable of getting rid of an illness like cancer as your mind is incapable of getting rid of an illness like depression. In fact, your body may even stand a better chance, as there’s no “immune system of the mind.” Gallez claims that we have everything we need inside of us, and by focusing on our needs and shutting out the noise of the world, we’ll get better. Gallez is wrong. Let’s take a look at what science has established with respect to mental illness.
A student perspective on MIT 2030
Over the past year, the Institute has been releasing “MIT 2030,” its framework for land use and renovation for the next 20 years, and it contains some interesting and ambitious ideas for commercial development on and around the MIT campus. However, behind flowery language of an “innovation district” lie major problems with MIT 2030. In effect, the plan neglects the central mission of the Institute: to “advance knowledge and educate students.”
RETHINKING MITX:
This past December MIT announced the launch of “MITx,” a new online learning initiative that will offer a large selection of MIT courses online and will allow those that demonstrate mastery of course material to earn a certificate of completion. The announcement has received much praise from both faculty and students as a mark of progress and a major step towards global education — but has the MIT community really considered the full impact of MITx?
OPINION IN REVIEW
2012 was marked by tumult and struggle. Thousands of Syrians were killed as an oppressive dictator clung to power. The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians was re-ignited. Europeans took to the streets to protest austerity measures. The devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy was bracketed by the shootings of innocents in Aurora and Newtown.
CORRECTIONS
The Mystery Hunt feature printed in the Jan. 23 issue incorrectly stated the name of Matt Lahut’s team as A Plate; the team’s proper name was Up-Late. The article also mistakenly identified Enigma Valley Investment & Loan (EVIL) as Enigma Valley Savings & Loan.
CORRECTIONS
The third paragraph Jan. 22’s web update on MIT’s DNS attack ambiguously states that “the hack and subsequent outages were due to a compromise at EDUCAUSE.” The hack and subsequent outages were due to a compromise of MIT’s account at EDUCAUSE, not EDUCAUSE’s databases.
CORRECTIONS
In last Wednesday’s issue, the alumni track meet photo caption incorrectly added the scores of the men’s and women’s teams. The women’s varsity team beat the women alumni 87.5-34.5, and the men’s varsity team beat the men alumni 87-35. The teams and competitions are distinct.
CORRECTIONS
In last Wednesday’s issue, a front-page caption mischaracterized the Mayan calendar hack as a dragon. However, dragons are mystical beings in Eastern mythology. In ancient Mesoamerica, mythological reptiles are believed to be feathered serpents, not dragons.
Tough questions for MIT
The death of Aaron Swartz hit MIT hard. The Institute suddenly finds itself confronted with deep and important questions: What kind of role did MIT play in the prosecution of the 26-year-old prodigy? Is there something MIT could have — or should have — done that would have averted such a tragic outcome?
‘Genius Asian Egg Donor’ ad is offensive
On Nov. 30, The Tech decided to publish an ad titled “GENIUS ASIAN EGG DONOR.” The ad sought a donor of the Asian race with an exceptional academic record. The ad reeks of privilege and ignorance, as a couple seeks to manufacture its dream baby by placing all hope on a stereotype. We wrote this letter to highlight the racist and sexist roots of the ad, to protest its placement in The Tech, and to expose the creator’s offensive posting.
CORRECTIONS
The caption to the front page photo in the Dec. 4 issue of The Tech 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 on Nov. 29, 2012, it supplied 22 MW out of a total 27 MW.
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: