Volume 130, Number 44 Tech.Mit.Edu Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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WEATHER, p. 2 TUE: 62°F | 43°F MIT’s Showers Oldest and Largest WED: 61°F | 43°F Newspaper Sunny THU: 60°F | 53°F Few showers Volume 130, Number 44 tech.mit.edu Tuesday, October 12, 2010 Beavers Dash to build Habitat for Humanity PBE hearing exposed, new details emerge Juror sheds light on JudComm failings By Joanna Kao STAFF REPORTER PBE’s initiation process included pouring beer on pledges, according to one of the jurors from PBE’s Sept. 6 Judicial Committee hearing. Though he did consider PBE’s actions hazing, the juror said he felt that expulsion was too harsh a pun- ishment given what PBE had done. At the hearing, ELIZABETH D’ARIENZo—THE TECH however, he was asked to focus on whether PBE had Jennifer DiMase ’01 bounds past the finish line during MIT Habitat for Humanity’s second annual Beaver Dash 5K race on Sun- hazed, not whether the punishment (which is rec- day. Proceeds from the more than 100 runners who participated will go towards sponsoring an MIT Habitat home in Boston. ommended in the Judicial Committee bylaws) was appropriate. He was not aware that the committee could issue an alternative punishment. Some Interfraternity Council presidents also dis- agreed with PBE’s harsh penalty, and have moved to Most students don’t support new modify the Judicial Bylaws. A juror speaks out Anthony D. Merriman ’12, one of the jurors in dining plan, survey by UA reveals PBE’s Judicial Committee hearing, said he does not agree with the punishment that PBE received as a re- sult of being found responsible for hazing. One-sixth of undergraduates respond to survey about student life “Did the process follow the rules that are set forth for Judcomm hearings? Yes it did. Is the conclusion By Robert McQueen don’t support,” said Samantha something that I think should have happened? No, I NEWS EDITOR “Sammi” G. Wyman ’11, Vice Most common student don’t believe so,” he said. President of the UA. Looking Merriman, who ended up voting against PBE, Students are strongly disin- at the survey data, Wyman concerns for the UA said that there was an initial vote of 2-to-2. He was terested in the proposed din- said that it is “not clear that Square area one of the jurors who felt that PBE should not be ex- ing plan, according to a survey affected students support the cooresponds pelled. He agreed that PBE hazed, but felt the pun- conducted by the Undergradu- plan.” to student ishment was too severe. Merriman later changed ate Association last week. Out President Vrajesh Y. Modi interest his vote when the jurors were told only to consider of 222 respondents who said ’11 and Wyman said that they whether or not PBE had hazed. they lived in a dining dorm, contacted Dean for Student Dining “The first vote was fairly informal. It was more of only 98 said they had heard Life Chris Colombo and are Shuttles a stance vote to see where people or how people felt or read specific details about hoping to meet with him to- Athletics about it. Garrett [The judicial committee chair] did the plan. Of those 98 students, day to discuss the results of not want to move forward with a 2-2 vote, so we con- Student 50 15 only 8 supported the new the survey. The Division for life tinued discussing,” Merriman said. Sustainability dining plan. Approximately Student Life has not yet re- 22 During the discussion, jurors were told to first 187 Prining one-sixth of undergraduates sponded to a query made by 18 focus on whether or not what PBE did was hazing. INSIDE scanning Administration participated in the one-page The Tech yesterday at 4:00 Housing They were told not to consider whether the violation More student computing upgrades 21 survey, which asked questions p.m. Social 14 merited the punishment (in this case, expulsion). responses 32 about student life issues. While the ultimate deci- Health events “As a JudComm member, you’re not supposed to “It is hard to defend a plan p. 14 16 consider the punishment or the consequence when 16 that a majority of the students UA survey, Page 14 PBE, Page 11 Apply for an Externship IN SHORT this IAP! The deadline is Professor Diamond wins Nobel Prize Register now to teach for Wednesday at 9 a.m. Com- ESP Splash! by midnight pany listings can be viewed Economics professor shares prize for work on market frictions Tuesday. Be a role model on the alumni website, http:// By Catherine Rampell Traditional economics, after all, would for incoming high school stu- alum.mit.edu/students/ex- THE NEW YORK TIMES predict that wages should simply drop, dents and host a class on any ternships helping the labor supply to meet labor subject you desire. To sign up, Peter A. Diamond PhD ’63, a nomi- demand automatically and sweeping visit http://esp.mit.edu/teach/ Change the world at the nee for a Federal Reserve Board po- jobless workers into whatever positions Splash/index.html IDEAS and Global Challenge sition, and two collaborators were were immediately open. Generator this Wednesday in awarded the 2010 Nobel Memorial These researchers’ explanation ad- Happy National Coming Walker Memorial, 7–9 p.m. Prize in Economic Science on Monday dresses the complications that come Out Week! On-campus activi- Listen to ideas or pitch your for their work on markets where buyers from searching for jobs and job can- ties are planned for every day own idea to improve the and sellers have difficulty finding each didates: It takes time for unemployed this week. For more informa- world. other. workers to be matched with the proper tion, see http://web.mit.edu/ The work of the winners, Diamond opening, since people are not identi- gamit/www/calendar/ The MIT Press Bookstore of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- cal, cookie-cutter units, and neither are Loading Dock Sale is this nology, Dale T. Mortensen of North- jobs. Balfour will be on campus Saturday and Sunday from 10 western University and Christopher A. While all this may seem intuitive, to take care of Brass Rat a.m.–6 p.m. at building E38. Pissarides of the London School of Eco- in the 1970s it was considered quite FENG Wu—THE TECH FILE PHOTO business on Tuesday and Books sell for up to 90 per- nomics, is best known for its applica- radical. The resulting insights about Institute Professor Peter A. Diamond Wednesday in Lobby 10 from cent off. Come on Saturday tions to the job market. The researchers how search costs can affect markets PhD ‘63 won the 2010 Nobel Prize 10 a.m.–3 p.m. A booth will for “no-book-dealers” day. spent decades trying to understand why also helped revolutionize not only la- for Economics yesterday, for his work be set up for new orders, re- it takes so long for people to find jobs, bor economics but fields like public fi- on modeling the friction in markets. sizings and questions. Send news information and even in good economic times, and why nance and housing economics as well. Diamond shares the prize with two tips to [email protected]. so many people can be unemployed co-winners, Dale T. Mortensen and even when many jobs are available. Diamond, Page 11 Christopher A. Pissarides. FORGET ABOUt O’DONNELL THE TECH VISITS NEW MLB POSTSEASON SECTIONS The Tea Party has outliers, but at its core YORK COMIC CON! ROUNDUP World & Nation . .2 it’s still a strong movement. OPN, p. 4 Opinion . .4 BAM! POW! Michael The Yankees, Rays, Campus Life . .8 LOST IN COMMON GROUND Lin takes a look at the Giants and Phillies Fun Pages . .6 weekend full of gaming, are favorites for the Sports . .15 Standardization is inevitable these days, costumes and of course, upcoming Championship but it’s also a peril. OPN, p. 5 comic books. CL, p. 8-9 Series. SPO, p. 16 2 The Tech Tuesday, October 12, 2010 Obama pushes transportation D spending Conservative group gives WASHINGTON — The Obama administration said Monday that it would ask the lame-duck Congress next month to approve donors secrecy, then attacks a $50 billion down payment on his long-range initiative to im- prove the nation’s roads, railways and air systems and to find sav- ings to offset that cost, suggesting a new urgency to create jobs By Jim Rutenberg, Don Van politicians on the American Future with the promise of anonymity — are WORL after last week’s disappointing unemployment report. Natta Jr. and Mike Mcintire Fund’s hit list. Most have seats on starting to come into view. President Barack Obama met at the White House with may- THE NEW YORK TImes a handful of legislative committees In part, political operatives have ors, governors and current and former transportation secretaries with a direct say in the ethanol in- reconstituted the vanguard of reli- N of both parties to promote the infrastructure initiative, which he The American Future Fund, a dustry. able Republican contributors who first proposed in September. Afterward, Ray LaHood, his trans- conservative organization based in Frequently speculated as a likely helped elect President George W. portation secretary and a former Republican congressman, told Iowa, has been one of the more ac- backer of the group, Rastetter has Bush and support Swift Boat Vet- reporters that the lame-duck session would present an “upfront tive players in this fall’s campaigns, now acknowledged through his erans for Truth, which attacked the opportunity” to pass the $50 billion measure.