New Admins Can’t Take Nerd Culture for Granted
I’ve often referred to MIT as a “nerd reservation,” or a place for the world’s extremely bizarre people to live and work together by their own system of rules and social norms.<i> </i>This beautiful society they created — one based on respect for logic and invention<i> </i>— is not coincidentally a mine of greatness. While churning out Nobel Laureates and top ranks, MIT garnered the reputation of being fun for those that appreciate spelunking, Smoots, and steer.
Quiet Victories for Student Initiatives
2007 represented a year of quiet victories for student-led initiatives. Two examples merit particular attention — the first for confirming that partnership between students and administrators is possible, the second for demonstrating that sustained student pressure can change even the most entrenched of Institute policies.
The Paradox of Institute Performance and Faculty Perceptions
During the last few months, as I served as the chair of the MIT faculty, I have been surprised by a phenomenon which I can only describe as a paradox. While all the indicators of MIT’s institutional performance look quite positive and convey clearly that MIT remains a leading research university in the world, the faculty — not all, but a sizeable number — seem to feel that the Institute is not moving in the right direction, that its institutional norms and practices are changing, moving away from MIT’s traditional culture of decentralized innovations towards a relatively centralized and somewhat corporate model of governance. This odd juxtaposition of success and alarm has been intriguing for me.
Not Just Another Ivy League
MIT is going through an identity crisis. Administrators frequently use Ivy League universities as a yardstick by which MIT’s student life is evaluated. MIT fundamentally differs from these other elite institutions in our dominance of science and engineering as well as our values of self-determination and independence in student life.
The Great Copyright Crackdown
2007 has been the year of the great copyright crackdown. While copyright has been part of the law for hundreds of years, protecting intellectual property so that those who create it are justly compensated is now even more important in an information economy, even as the prevalence of digital media makes it easier to violate copyright laws.
Retaining MIT’s Uniqueness
MIT competes intensively with the other top tier universities for the best and the brightest students, particularly in science and engineering. As in the past, this ever-increasing competition will always require us to adapt and change over time.
Letters to the Editor
Natasha Plotkin’s article (“RIAA Sends Institute 19 Settlement Letters Alleging Infringement,” Jan. 23, 2008) mentions that one of the 23 letters sent by the RIAA in May 2007 was unable to be tied to an individual student. This could be improved to 23 of 23 if Information Services & Technology purged DHCP logs frequently, quicker than the time required to execute a subpoena.
Letters to the Editor
I am writing in response to a letter appearing in the Jan. 16, 2008 issue from Miguel Valença Pires G (“Chaplain Position Is Affront to MIT Tradition”).
Corrections
A page 6 photograph in the Jan. 9, 2008 issue of <i>The Tech</i> incorrectly named a song performed by the MIT Logarhythms. The song was “Superlogs,” not “In Praise of MIT (Take Me Back to the Tech).”
Letters to the Editor
I was dismayed to read that MIT has decided, after a hundred years without, that it needs a chaplain.
Institute Wisdom Watch
<b>W1 (currently Ashdown House) will be fully renovated before it is opened to undergraduates in fall 2010.</b> — thumbs up
Letters to the Editor
Fixing childhood obesity by banning junk food from schools? Are you kidding? I’ll use good ol’ 14.01 (Principles of Microeconomics) to explain why I’ve got a problem with this.
Letters to the Editor
Friday’s news article about OLPC (“OLPC Sued for Allegedly Copying Keyboard Design,” Nov. 30, 2007) uses the term “intellectual property,” which is a tool of harmful vagueness. It lumps together copyright law and patent law (totally different) with other and disparate laws. Perhaps this term is why OLPC is unable to be sure whether the accusation concerns patents or copyrights. If we learn to recognize use of “intellectual property” as a sign that crucial information is missing, we can promote clear thinking about these various laws. See <i>http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/not-ipr.html</i>.
Appeasing the RIAA Is Getting Us Nowhere
In a now not so surprising move to avoid any entanglement in students’ affairs, Dean for Student Life Larry G. Benedict’s sole opinion of the Recording Industry Association of America in his last letter was, “We believe this campaign will continue and expand.” What follows is a tacit approval of the RIAA’s actions and a quick guide on how to easily appease the RIAA. MIT’s decision to kowtow to the RIAA is a mistake, both legally and principally.
Letters to the Editor
We are grateful to David Sheets ’09 for conveying his thoughts on the Undergraduate Association (“UA Needs Transparency,” Nov. 30, 2007). However, that he would take the time to criticize a body that he believes is “continu[ally]” and “consistent[ly]” irrelevant suggests that it is anything but.
Corrections
A photograph printed on page 11 of the Nov. 8, 1968 issue of <i>The Tech</i> misidentified semifinalist candidates for junior prom queen. The photograph labelled Jane Goodwin is actually of Barbara Siebert (now Barbara Siebert Titelbaum), according to Siebert. The photograph labelled with Siebert’s name is not of her. Attempts to reach Goodwin have been unsuccessful.
UA Needs Transparency
You cannot make an informed decision without accurate, accessible information. If we, as students, wish to guide and inform decisions of our student and Institute representatives, we need information. While the MIT administration needs to increase its operational transparency to be held accountable for its policies, decisions, and spending, the adoption of transparent practices must start with us.
Corrections
Because of an error in the MIT Police press log, James Hames was incorrectly listed as the person arrested on Oct. 25, 2007. Paul Gerrands of 50 Quincy St., Cambridge, Mass. was arrested for larceny of a bicycle.