Lack of Water Closes Kresge Auditorium on Friday
A fault in Kresge Auditorium's water system occurred Friday, May 4, disrupting performances by the Festival Jazz Ensemble and the Musical Theatre Guild. The Campus Activities Complex shut down Kresge because of a failure in the fire sprinkler system related to a lack of running water. Water was restored at around 9:40 p.m.
Inca Leapt Canyons With Fiber Bridges
Conquistadors from Spain came, they saw, and they were astonished. They had never seen anything in Europe like the bridges of Peru. Chroniclers wrote that the Spanish soldiers stood in awe and fear before the spans of braided fiber cables suspended across deep gorges in the Andes, narrow walkways sagging and swaying and looking so frail.
RIAA Pre-Litigation Letters Sent to MIT
Twenty-three MIT students have been sent pre-litigation settlement letters after allegedly illegally downloading copyrighted audio recordings, according to a press release from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Students May Have Paid Cash to Change Grades, College Says
Prosecutors in California are investigating accusations that dozens of students paid hundreds of dollars to have grades changed at a Bay Area community college, college officials say.
No. of Pre-Litigation Letters Per School
These 13 universities were targeted in the fourth wave of pre-litigation letters from the RIAA. The letters, sent to these universities last week, are a new tactic in the RIAA's anti-piracy campaign and offer students a chance to settle at a reduced fee while avoiding civil action.
Summer Housing Results In, Some Rooms Still Available
The results of the undergraduate summer housing lottery were released this past Tuesday, with over 96 percent of students who applied for summer housing receiving their first choice of dormitory. In all, 685 students applied for summer housing, with 35 cancelling so far. Last year, 750 people applied for the lottery.
Marilee Jones Did Receive Degree
The mystery of Marilee Jones, the former MIT admissions dean who recently admitted to lying about her academic credentials, has deepened.
COOP Board Announces Student Election Is Void
An election to choose the eleven student members of the Coop’s board of directors was declared void by its stockholders, and a new election scheduled, after it emerged that a candidate had voted using the credentials of several of her supporters, with their consent. As the second election’s closing date loomed, it remained unclear whether the vote tally would reach the minimum number required for student input to be counted. It was additionally unclear whether the Coop’s governing body had nominated as many MIT students as it is required to.
DAPER to Charge $40 Fee For Summer Use
This summer, for the first time, the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation will charge students a $40 access fee to use its facilities. The new fee was listed in DAPER’s IAP/Spring Recreation Program Guide, published in January, but no attention was called to the change.
Congressman Tierney Advocates Plans For College Affordability
In early April, I sat down for a leisurely and candid conversation with Massachusetts Congressman John F. Tierney (D) in his Salem, Mass. office. Although our talk touched on topics as diverse as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the presidential candidates, students might breathe a sigh of relief when they hear that Tierney has plans to make college more affordable.
Police Log
<i>The following incidents were reported to the MIT Police between April 17 and April 23, 2007. This summary does not include incidents such as false alarms, general service calls, or medical shuttles.</i>
UA Elections Results
The following officers were elected by the Undergraduate Association Council during a UA meeting on Monday, April 23.
Biotech Outfits Scramble To Reduce Ethanol Costs
If the car of the future runs on old cornstalks and scraps of sugarcane, you might be able to thank a group of executives sitting eight stories above the Charles River.
Soil From Mars May Be Tested For Signs of Life
Since the completion of the human genome project, biologists have been fanning out to study the genetics of virtually every imaginable life form: armadillo, potato, slime mold, various fungi, and many, many others. To this list, Harvard biologist Gary Ruvkun would like to add extraterrestrial life.
DormCon Selects Incoming Officers
A small crowd of about 25 students attended the Dormitory Council elections meeting that selected Sarah C. Hopp ’08 and James T. Albrecht ’08 as president and executive vice president, respectively. The meeting was held last night at the East Campus Talbot lounge. Six other DormCon positions were also selected during the meeting (see the table on page 14 for final results). Bexley Hall and Next House were not represented at the elections.