MIT’s The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: High of 51°F (11°C). Mostly sunny. Newspaper Tonight: Low of 35°F (2°C). Cloudy. Tomorrow: High of 43°F (6°C). Cloudy with wintry mix possible late at night. http://tech.mit.edu/ Details, Page 2 Volume 129, Number 58 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Friday, December 4, 2009 Kabelo Zwane ’12 Kabelo Zwane, a sophomore and his homeland, which has drawn in- MIT’s first student from Swaziland, ternational criticism for its king’s died in Bedford, Mass. on Saturday, lavish spending. But he felt that “I November 7, in an apparent suicide. will defend my culture, I will stand He was 21. for the value in it,” Mhlanga said. From a small village in a rural re- At MIT, he found new convic- gion of the landlocked country eight tions: He converted to Christianity thousand miles away, he came to a in October 2008. Reflecting on the foreign school and country. He is experience in this spring, he wrote: survived by his mother and a sister. “Since I arrived in September I have His quiet, inquisitive man- changed a great deal. I have found a ner made a big impression among faith that fills my life … I have also friends at the African Students As- gained 30 pounds, which is not too sociation, the Campus Crusade for bad.” Christ, and the Experimental Study He met with friends at the Cam- Group. Zwane was soft-spoken, pus Crusade for Christ for Bible spending his time building things studies and prayer times, and he and studying, but around close asked tough questions about modern friends and complete strangers, he faith. was eager to talk about his Christian If religion is so important, why faith and their lives and beliefs. don’t people talk about it more? he Friends remembered Zwane for asked. How could people of faith caring about others and sticking to help solve the world’s problems, like his principles. poverty and homelessness? How ERIC D. SCHmiedl—THE TECH Hackers installed a giant band-aid on MIT’s Great Dome on the night of November 30, right after “When he found something he could faith inform modern justice? the wrapping that had been protecting the Dome during repairs was removed. The band-aid was believed in, he held on to it no mat- And he thought about a fundamental presumably intended to symbolize that the “surgery” was complete. ter what happened,” said Harvard problem of Christianity — if God freshman Dalumuzi Mhlanga at a knew we would turn against him, memorial service on Wednesday. why would he make us? a CCC-Impact Movement Monday Mhlanga met Zwane while both Did his beliefs about equal rights Night Bible Study. were at the Waterford Kamhlaba for gay people conflict with any Abiy Tasissa ’12, who met ASA Releases Results United World College of Southern Christian tenets? Why were there so Zwane at the African Students As- Africa. Zwane joined the Swaziland many different kinds of Christians, sociation, said at a memorial service Gender Awareness Project, a group and how could he convince them to that Zwane loved to talk to strang- From Space Processes; which advocates equal rights for all work together? ers, even those whom others might gay people and women, in a country With friends and strangers alike, ignore. He talked to the homeless, to where homosexuality is illegal and he talked through the hard ques- cab drivers, and to people he didn’t not socially accepted, and where one tions, asking whatever was on his know at bus stations, just as easily as 39 Clubs Will Lose Out in four adults has HIV. mind and learning about how other he talked to his friends. “What are you doing? This is people thought about the world. He frequently talked to his fresh- By John A. Hawkinson (Category Y), and 9 groups “may lose against your culture,” people asked “He wanted to see what made man advisor, ESG co-director Holly NEWS EDITOR space.” him. But he stuck to it because he people tick, and connect it back to B. Sweet, about religion. “I appreci- The Association of Student Activi- Curiously, 39 groups that currently believed in it, Mhlanga said. Christianity, and share it with oth- ated that he cared about my spiritual ties released preliminary decisions in have space allocated failed to apply to At school in Swaziland, he found- er people,” said friend Clinton L. student group space allocations last retain their space, a surprisingly high ed a club celebrating the culture of Scroggins ’10, who met Zwane at Zwane, Page 13 night. The process, which happens ev- number, Meyer said. Approximately 7 ery two years, determines which student of those 39 are defunct or presumed- groups retain office space and which to-be-defunct. Some major groups that Ten Students Organize ‘Community Tour’; lose it, as well as which groups get stor- failed to apply include the Musical The- age space for equipment and supplies. atre Guild and WMBR Radio. The ASA is a 10-member board Rebecca A. Nicodemus G from MIT President Might Watch on TV—Later elected by representatives of all student WMBR said that WMBR had under- groups. The ASA is chaired by Rachel gone management changes recently, By John A. Hawkinson her executive assistant. copy in some form or fashion.” E. Meyer ’10, who has supervised this and the failure to apply was “surely a NEWS EDITOR Event organizers wrote to Hockfield Archimides C. Stuk ’10, another of year’s allocation process. mistake.” WMBR will be submitting an A group of MIT students are plan- on November 25 and again on December the organizers, said they had spoken to appeal. ning an event titled the “MIT Com- 2 seeking to schedule the event “to facili- Hockfield’s staff last week and that, as of Groups with existing space Rebecca M. Bianco ’12, MTG’s munity Tour 2009,” scheduled for next tate a unique opportunity for everyone in last week, she was free on the proposed Of the 81 groups with existing President, said that MTG’s board had Thursday, December 10. Labelled the community to learn more about each date. space, 46 will retain their existing space recently transitioned, and believed it “Show Susan Hockfield Anything!”, other.” Organizers have conducted interviews (Category X), though their roommates “possible” that “the application for ASA the event starts in front of Hockfield’s Organizers circulated an e-mail to with MIT community members over the might change. 26 of the 81 will “pos- residence, Gray House, at 10:00 a.m. students yesterday asking “What do you past few weeks to determine areas to fo- sibly move or otherwise change space” ASA Space, Page 12 and will visit locations “that reflect the want to show Susan Hockfield on a cam- cus the tour on, in addition to the e-mail inner workings of MIT that often go un- pus tour to help her understand YOUR survey. noticed,” the announcement said. MIT experience?” “We expect that Susan Hockfield In Short Unfortunately, President Hockfield Informed of Hockfield’s absence, or- will appreciate this gesture as an oppor- will not be present for the tour. She will be ganizer Nicholas J. Grabenstein ’10, said tunity to step back from the tough deci- ¶ Still waiting for the Planning author speaks today at 4 p.m. in out of town that day, said Leslie S. Price, “we plan on recording it and giving her a sions and bureaucratic meetings she is Task Force report? Us too. Robin 32-123 about her experience with forced to deal with and instead gain new C. Elices of the Vice President for endometriosis at the kickoff event perspectives from the individuals that Finance’s office says the adminis- for MIT’s Center for Gynepathol- Two Students Win makeup the community,” said organizer tration’s goal is to issue the report ogy Research. Adam B. Talsma ’10 in a statement. “before the term ends.” Marshall Scholarships Stuk said three locations that had The preliminary report, issued ¶ MIT Women’s Rugby took the received “a lot” of suggestions were 1) in August, ran to 74 pages and Division III Championship! On Two MIT students are winners of the United Kingdom’s prestigious Lindgren Library, the now-closed Library listed 200 ideas for the Institute Nov. 22, MIT placed first in Cherry to save money. The final report is Hill, NJ in the championship run by Marshall Scholarship, which funds 35 U.S. students in graduate studies in Bldg. 54; 2) the small “fishbowl” com- expected to narrow those ideas to the National Small College Rugby in the U.K. Seniors Tanya S. Goldhaber ’10 and Vinayak Muralidhar puter work areas in Bldg. 3 that are Me- the practicably feasible and provide Association. ’10 are this year’s winners from MIT. chanical Engineering lounge spaces, and substantially more data and insight Goldhaber will study Inclusive Design at the University of Cam- 3) Pritchett, the now-closed dining hall on into the thinking of the nine work- ¶ The Tech’s last issue of term is bridge, and also will study Experimental Consumer Research at the the second floor of Walker Memorial. ing groups that make up the task next week Tuesday. Try to make University of Wales. Tentative locations also include MIT force. sure everything newsworthy hap- Muralidhar will study Evidence-based Health Care at the Universi- Medical’s waiting room, the 2-225 Ath- The final report was originally pens before then. Check http://tech. ty of Oxford, as well as Public Health at the London School of Hygiene ena cluster, the MIT Electronics Research due in late October; the last day of mit.edu/ for late-breaking coverage and Tropical Medicine.