Changes to draft of new UA structure
After a week of deliberation, the Undergraduate Association Ad-Hoc Committee on Restructuring presented several changes to bill 42 UAS 14.2, UA President Vrajesh Y. Modi ’11’s proposed overhaul of the UA governing structure. The most significant change is the expansion of the proposed Council of Representatives — which would replace the UA Senate should 14.2 be approved — from 16 to 20 members, adding three additional representatives from the Interfraternity Council (IFC) and one additional representative from the Panhellenic Association (Panhel). According to Committee Chair Timothy R. Jenks ’13, current senator of fraternities, the additional members were added in response to Committee concerns of underrepresentation of affiliated Greek students on the Council.
REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK Professors speak on worldviews at Veritas Forum
Life, the universe, and MIT — how do these relate? At this year’s annual MIT Veritas Forum, four MIT professors answered this question and shared their views on religion. Approximately 550 people gathered in Kresge Auditorium last Saturday to attend the event, jointly sponsored by the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, the Large Event Fund, and the MIT United Christian Organization. In welcoming the speakers and audience to the forum, Anna Fung ’11 — a member of the Veritas planning committee — said that the hope was to “hear more of a personal, philosophical side of professors.” Moderated by Rosalind W. Picard ScD ’91, founder and director of the Affective Computing Group at the Media Lab, the forum opened with each of the professors briefly sharing their views on life at MIT, religion, and life’s meaning.
City picks Kendall study firm
Cambridge City Council yesterday selected Goody Clancy & Associates, a Boston architecture and planning firm, as consultants for the forthcoming study on the future of urban development in the area between Kendall and Central Squares. The study will define processes and implement changes that account for “missed opportunities” between the squares and bring together the wide array of existing plans and zoning change proposals that are in progress in the area.
Big Screw nominations and Monday totals
The Institute Screw Contest, commonly known as the Big Screw, is an annual charity fundraiser hosted by Alpha Chi Omega that raises money for a variety of causes. Faculty or staff who “screw” over students can be nominated by anyone and select their favorite charity that students donate to as a “vote” for that particular professor. One cent is equal to one vote. So far, the Big Screw has received $235.79 total with Pavel Etingof, Professor of Mathematics, in the lead with $107.78 for the American Cancer Society.
Student center repairs to be finished by end of April
MIT Facilities Manager of Communications Ruth T. Davis said that renovation outside W20 is expected to be finished by the end of April. The project, which began in March and is scheduled to be completed in time for the MIT150 Open House on April 30, is repairing areas “damaged from storms and vehicular activity,” according to Davis. According to the MIT Facilities website (), construction will be taking place Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., with additional work on Saturdays.
Former security guard replies to lawsuit
Russell J. Novello, the former Next House security guard who is being sued by Wolfe B. Styke G, submitted his response to the lawsuit last week on Tuesday. Novello was the security guard who provided Anna L. Tang access to Styke’s room, which enabled her to stab Styke in his sleep in October 2007.
Novartis selects Maya Lin as architect for new complex
Novartis has selected Maya Lin, the designer of the Vietnam War Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., as the architect and designer of its new campus to be built on Massachusetts Avenue just north of MIT, at the former Analog Devices site, between Albany Street and Windsor Street.
Narrowing the gender divide
In 1999, a group of women faculty members came together to report on the experience of being a tenured female faculty member at MIT. According to the original report, women faculty “proved to be underpaid, to have unequal access to the resources of MIT, to be excluded from any substantive power within the University.”
Student leaders consider governance overhaul
At the Undergraduate Association (UA) Senate meeting on Monday, March 28, UA President Vrajesh Y. Modi ’11 proposed a total overhaul of the UA Constitution to address internal organizational issues, in conjunction with 42 UAS 14.2, the Bill to Unify the Undergraduate Student Voice at MIT. The UA passed a bill proposed by Senate Speaker Jonté M. Craighead ’13 — 42 UAS 14.1 — which formed an ad-hoc committee to review the current structure of the UA and to consider the changes proposed in 14.2. Together, the bills may mark the beginning of the end of the UA Senate.
McCormick refugees flee to MacG, BC
Sophomores and juniors at McCormick Hall have been given the option of moving to Burton Conner or MacGregor next fall due to dissatisfaction with the new dining plan. The former McCormick residents will be integrated as formal residents of their new houses, residing in non-dining communities that maintain the single-sex aspect of living in McCormick.
Disaster-struck Japan faces power gap for months
TOKYO — The term “rolling blackouts” has become shorthand for noting one way Japan is trying to cope with its national calamity.
Referendum exposes dining dislike
From March 16 to March 17, students cast ballots not only to elect the next Undergraduate Association’s (UA) president and vice president, but also to respond to the dining referendum sponsored by UA Senator Shuang Chen ’13 of Simmons Hall. A vast majority elected Allan E. Miramonti ’13 and Alec C. Lai ’13, the only official running ticket, to the presidency; likewise, a majority of students expressed mild to strong disapproval of both the new dining plan recommended by the House Dining Advisory Group (HDAG) as well as the process by which HDAG proposed recommendations for the plan.
Medical panelists may have financial conflicts of interest
Doctors with private financial conflicts of interest dominated some of the panels that wrote guidelines on cardiovascular health in recent years, according to a medical journal study released Monday.
Researcher’s post goes viral
As the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the Pacific brought the world’s third-largest economy to its knees, millions of people around the globe watched with baited breath to see whether Japan’s damaged nuclear reactor, Fukushima I, would be the next Chernobyl. Two days later, a blog post entitled “Why I am not worried about Japan’s nuclear reactors” went live on , a site which was registered that same day. Only hours later, Jim J. Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money called the post — after it was reproduced at — the “best piece on the nuke issue,” via Twitter. The original author of the post? Josef Oehmen, a researcher at MIT’s Lean Advancement Initiative (LAI).
Ethnic clashes fuel debate over US plan to leave Iraq
KIRKUK, Iraq — Many in this divided city want U.S. troops to stay longer than President Barack Obama’s administration has said they will, and a tense standoff last week showed why. Kurdish troops from the north were in positions on the outskirts of Arab neighborhoods.
CORRECTIONS
Due to editorial deadlines, a March 18 opinion column about the nuclear reactors at Fukushima includes a timeline of events only through March 15. Developments between March 15 and March 18 are not reflected in the column.
MIT dominates USNWR graduate science and engineering rankings
MIT took the top spot in nearly all science specialties and many engineering specialties in U.S. News and World Report’s (USNWR) recently-released 2012 graduate school rankings. MIT was ranked first in overall engineering and ranked third behind Stanford and Harvard for business.