Good Luck on Finals!

MIT’s The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: Mostly cloudy, chance of thunderstorms. 60°F (16°C) Newspaper Tonight: Mostly cloudy, 45°F (7°C) Tomorrow: Partly cloudy, 65°F (18°C) Details, Page 2 http://tech.mit.edu/

Volume 129, Number 26 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Tuesday, May 12, 2009 ATO Completes Repair Crush, Push, Stack! 2.007 Robots To House; Expects CLC Compete in Junkyard Challenges By Sandhya Rawal ceived cash prizes and full licenses could score points by collecting Staff Reporter to SolidWorks. Grinnell received cans and crushing them, bring- Housing License Today Edward M. Grinnell ’11 won the the extra prize of being carried by ing crushed or pre-crushed cans 2009 2.007 design competition last 2.007 professor Daniel D. Frey PhD back home, or bringing bales of By Pearle Lipinski [the house] up to code, because ATO Thursday with a robot that stacked ’97 for a victory lap. trash (blocks) to their designated Associate News editor is now at the very top level of code bales of “trash.” Pablo J. Bello ’11 The theme of the competition location. Robots only had to be The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity it can be,” Brown said. “It is an old was the runner up, losing in the fi- was “WALL-E,” the robot from designed to accomplish one of the may regain the housing license to its building, there were a lot of repairs, nal round by two points. Grinnell the popular Disney/Pixar film. Ro- three main tasks to score points. house on Memorial Drive, depending and the initial time estimates were and the three other top finishers bots were supposed to be environ- They could also tussle over a plant on the results of tonight’s Cambridge inaccurate.” won a trip to Tokyo for the Inter- mentally friendly and perform the to bring it closer to their side of the License Commission meeting. All renovations for the house are national Design Contest, to be held same junkyard tasks that WALL-E ATO received a Certificate of now complete, and Brown expects in August. All top four finishers re- performed in the movie. The robots 2.007, Page 12 Occupancy from the Cambridge Li- that ATO will receive the housing li- censing Commission several weeks cense at tonight’s hearing. “We have ago, which allows three brothers to met everything the CLC had asked live in the house, according to presi- us to do at the last meeting, made the dent DeRon M. Brown ’10. necessary changes, upgraded to the The housing license would allow correct code … we don’t see why we all the members to move back into wouldn’t get the license,” he said. house. ATO expected to receive the Brown, ATO House Manager Jus- housing license in March, but the tin D. Myers ’11, and ATO Resident process was delayed by unanticipated Adviser Ovid C. Amadi G were per- repairs to bring the house up to code. mitted to move back into the house The fraternity remains splintered, its when ATO received the Certificate of members staying in various dorms Occupancy, which allows three resi- and apartments. dents to live in the house. Brown said ATO’s house was initially dam- that the three protect the house and aged when a pipe burst over the sum- use it to hold meetings. mer. But the house is so old that after Twenty-five ATO brothers are cur- one problem is fixed, another often crops up, Brown said. “We kept hav- ATO, Page 10 ing to redo a lot of things to bring Steve Howland—The Tech Four robots sprawl out onto the field during the 2.007 (Design and Manufacturing I) competition. Each contestant was allowed to have two drivers, so many created a secondary “bother bot” which would prevent their opponent from scoring. The winner of the competition, Edward M. Grinnell ’11, used two robots. One robot immediately went to prevent the opponent from scoring, while the other scored a single point and then also crossed the field to defend.

New Student Financial Services Director to Be Announced, Barkowitz Leaving for Columbia MIT will soon have a new director of Student said the decision to leave “wasn’t easy,” but “it was Financial Services, according to Dean for Under- time for another challenge.” graduate Education Daniel E. Hastings ’78. Hastings “I leave the department here in a position of will announce the new director “within the next few strength,” said Barkowitz. “We’ve had a great staff.” weeks,” he said. Citing the success of his admissions blog, Barkow- The previous director, Elizabeth M. Hicks, left for itz said he would like the department to do more elec- a similar position at Columbia University in the fall. tronically. He said that the department has been work- The new director will be responsible for finding a ing on a new financial aid calculator that is expected replacement for Daniel T. Barkowitz, the director of to be launched in the next month. financial aid, who is leaving at the end of the month, Barkowitz said his three associate directors; Leslie David M. Templeton—The Tech File Photo also for Columbia. He will be the next Dean of Finan- C. Bridson, Elizabeth M. Gorra, and Susan A. Wilson; Belfor Property Restoration trucks are seen in front of the Alpha Tau cial Aid at Columbia. will fill his post until a replacement is found. Omega fraternity midday on Saturday, July 26, 2008. Summer resi- Barkowitz, who has been at MIT for seven years, —Natasha Plotkin and Arkajit Dey dents of ATO had to be relocated after a water pipe burst, causing water damage to the interior structure of the building. Urban Studies and Planning Students In Short ¶¶Energy Secretary and Nobel ¶¶Veteran astronaut Michael J. Walk In on Dept. Committee Meeting Laureate Stephen Chu will be giv- Massimino PhD ’92 went up to ing the annual Karl Taylor Compton space yesterday on a final shuttle By Natasha Plotkin Amy K. Glasmeier, with creating Judith Layzer PhD ’98, the chair of lecture today in 10-250 at 4 p.m. mission to service the Hubble News editor an initial vision for the future of the DUSP 2015, “committed to convene Chu’s talk is titled “The Energy Space Telescope. STS-125 will re- Last Wednesday, a group of over Department of Urban Studies and a meeting between the students and Problem and the Interplay Between pair old equipment and install two 10 students in the Department of Ur- Planning. Amy [Glasmeier] in which a clear Basic and Applied Research.” new cameras into the ageing tele- ban Studies and Planning walked in Students presented meeting at- timeline for the future of student in- scope. Massimino has twittered on a faculty committee meeting at tendees with a document detailing put would be a topic.” ¶¶Students from the 2.00b Toy about the preparations for this mis- the Black Sheep Restaurant in Kend- their grievances and sat down at Jawaid said that while students Product Design class will be pre- sion and promised to post updates all Square to demand a clearer mech- another table at the restaurant while had submitted input to the depart- senting their final projects tonight in in space as much as he is able. anism for student input into future of the faculty conducted their meeting. ment in the form of memos and had 6-120 at 8 p.m. The toy prototypes Follow his updates on Twitter at the department and the handling of At the end of the meeting, accord- discussed budget and department include plush animals that can be hit http://twitter.com/Astro_Mike. budget cuts. ing to Naveen Jawaid G, one of the planning issues with Glasmeier and like bongos, a vibrating kangaroo- The committee they walked in, members of the group of students shaped easel, and a flower that danc- Send news information and tips to called DUSP 2015, had been charged and who serves on the DUSP Stu- DUSP, Page 12 es to music. [email protected]. by DUSP’s new department chair, dent Council, said that Professor

Comics Christine Yu: Op i n i o n World & Nation ��������������������������2 Why I stopped Stop ignoring us, administration. Opinion ����������������������������������������4 having sex with Page 5 Campus Life ��������������������������������6 other men. Science is fine, but bring back Arts ����������������������������������������������7 the liberal arts! Comics/Fun Pages ����������������������8 Page 8 Page 6 Page 5 Sports ����������������������������������������16 Page 2 The Tech May 12, 2009 Wo r l d & Na t i o n Russia Stockpiles Diamonds, Pentagon Replaces Top U.S. Awaiting the Return of Demand By Andrew E. Kramer The New York Times MOSCOW Commander in Afghanistan The global recession sapped demand for all kinds of commodities — like steel and grain — yet small burlap bags are still arriving by the By Elisabeth Bumiller Stanley A. McChrystal a former scribe Afghanistan as the military’s planeload at Russia’s state-owned diamond company. and Thom Shanker commander of the Joint Special Op- top priority, even more important Each day, the contents of the bags spill into the stainless steel hop- The New York Times erations Command who served in than the war in Iraq. President Ba- pers of the receiving room. The diamonds are washed and sorted by WASHINGTON Afghanistan as chief of staff of mil- rack Obama announced a major size, clarity, shape and quality; then, rather than being sent to be sold The top U.S. commander in Af- itary operations in 2001 and 2002 overhaul of U.S. strategy in Af- around the world, they are wrapped in paper and whisked away to a ghanistan, Gen. David D. McKier- and recently ran all commando op- ghanistan in March; planned troop vault — about 3 million carats worth of gems every month. nan, was forced out Monday in an erations in Iraq. levels of more than 60,000 Ameri- “Each one of them is so unusual,” said Irina V. Tkachuk, one of the abrupt shakeup intended to bring a Forces under McChrystal’s com- cans will be the highest than at any few hundred people, mostly women, employed to sort the diamonds, more aggressive and innovative ap- mand were credited with finding and time since U.S.-led forces toppled who sees thousands of them every day. proach to a worsening seven-year- capturing Saddam Hussein and with the Taliban leadership in late 2001, “I’m not a robot. I sometimes think to myself, ‘Wow, what a pretty old war. tracking and killing Abu Musab al- a triumph that has given way to a diamond. I would like that one.’ They are all so beautiful.” Defense Secretary Robert Gates Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in protracted counterinsurgency cam- It could be years before another woman admires that stone. announced the decision in terse Mesopotamia. McChrystal’s suc- paign. Russia quietly passed a milestone this year: surpassing De Beers as comments at the Pentagon, saying cess in using intelligence and fire- Pentagon officials said it ap- the world’s largest diamond producer. But the global market for dia- that “fresh eyes were needed” and power to track and kill insurgents, peared that McKiernan was the first monds is so dismal that the ALROSA diamond company, 90 percent that “a new approach was probably along with his training in uncon- general to be dismissed from com- owned by the Russian government, has not sold a rough stone on the in our best interest.” When asked ventional warfare that emphasizes mand of a theater of combat since open market since December, and has stockpiled them instead. if the dismissal ended the gener- the need to protect the population, Douglas MacArthur during the Ko- As a result, Russia has become the arbiter of global diamond prices. al’s military career, Gates replied: made him the best choice for the rean War. Its decisions on production and sales will determine the value of dia- “Probably.” command in Afghanistan, Pentagon At a Pentagon news conference monds on rings and in jewelry stores for years to come, in one of the The move reflects a belief that officials said. on Monday, Gates praised McKi- most surprising consequences of this recession. the war in Afghanistan, waged At the same time, he will be ernan for what he called his “long Largely because of the jewelry bear market, De Beers’s fortunes against an increasingly strong Tali- confronted with deep tensions over and distinguished” service, but said have sunk. Short of cash, the company had to raise $800 million from ban and its supporters across a rug- the conduct of special operations of Afghanistan: “Our mission there stockholders in just the last six months. ged, sprawling country, is growing forces in Afghanistan, whose ag- requires new thinking and new ap- ever more complex. Defense of- gressive tactics are seen by Afghan proaches by our military leaders.” ficials said that McKiernan, are- officials as directly responsible for McKiernan had served in his cur- Vitamins Found to Curb spected career armor officer, had many of the U.S. mistakes that have rent command for only 11 months, been removed primarily because he resulted in the deaths of Afghan ci- about half the length of such tours. Exercise Benefits had brought too conventional an ap- vilians. Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman By Nicholas Wade proach to the challenge. The announcement comes as of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joined The New York Times He is to be replaced by Lt. Gen. Pentagon officials have begun to de- Gates in making the announcement. If you exercise to improve your metabolism and prevent diabetes, you may want to avoid antioxidants like vitamins C and E. That is the message of a surprising new look at the body’s reac- tion to exercise, reported on Monday by researchers in Germany and Iran Frees American Reporter Boston. Exercise is known to have many beneficial effects on health, includ- ing on the body’s sensitivity to insulin. “Get more exercise” is often Jailed for Espionage among the first recommendations given by doctors to people at risk of diabetes. By Nazila Fathi reflects domestic politics a month credential and espionage. But exercise makes the muscle cells metabolize glucose, by com- and Mark Landler before Ahmadinejad faces a critical “We continue to take issue bining its carbon atoms with oxygen and extracting the energy that is The New York Times election, according to analysts. with the charges against her and released. In the process, some highly reactive oxygen molecules es- TEHRAN, Iran “Those who are trying to engage the verdicts rendered, but we are cape and make chemical attacks on anything in sight. An Iranian-American journalist the U.S. won out,” said a senior ad- very heartened that she has been These reactive oxygen compounds are known to damage the body’s sentenced to eight years in prison ministration official, who spoke on released,” said Clinton, who had tissues. The amount of oxidative damage increases with age. Accord- on charges of spying for the United condition of anonymity because he called for Saberi’s release. ing to one theory of aging, it is a major cause of the body’s decline. States was released Monday, a legal was not authorized to speak pub- Saberi’s father, Reza Saberi, who The body has its own defense system for combating oxidative dam- turnabout that removes an obstacle licly. “There wasn’t going to be any lives in Fargo, N.D., but was born in age, but it does not always do enough. So antioxidants, which mop up to President Barack Obama’s open- major new administration initiative Iran, told reporters outside his fam- the reactive oxygen compounds, may seem like a logical solution. ing to Iran but illustrates the volatil- toward Iran without this case re- ily home here that his daughter was The researchers, led by Dr. Michael Ristow, a nutritionist at the ity of the Iranian government. solved.” “exhausted but in good condition.” University of Jena in Germany, tested this proposition by having young The journalist, Roxana Saberi, Saberi, 32, who has lived in Iran Saberi did not talk to reporters men exercise, giving half of them moderate doses of vitamins C and E had been in jail since January, yet an since 2003 and worked as a freelance after leaving Evin prison, which is and measuring sensitivity to insulin as well as indicators of the body’s appeals court rejected the sentence, reporter for National Public Radio known for housing political prison- natural defenses to oxidative damage. a month after Iran’s president, Mah- and the BBC, was reunited with her ers. She had gone on a hunger strike The Jena team found that in the group taking the vitamins there moud Ahmadinejad, wrote a letter parents and will return to the United while in jail, but ended it after two was no improvement in insulin sensitivity and almost no activation urging the court to be fair in its re- States in the coming days, Secretary weeks because of health problems. of the body’s natural defense mechanism against oxidative damage. view. of State Hillary Rodham Clinton U.S. officials and outside ana- The reason, they suggest, is that the reactive oxygen compounds, in- U.S. officials said Iran’s han- said to reporters in Washington. lysts believe Saberi’s arrest was po- evitable byproducts of exercise, are a natural trigger for both of these dling of the Saberi case underlines She had originally been arrested for litically motivated, at a time when responses. The vitamins, by efficiently destroying the reactive oxygen, a deepening divide within its lead- buying a bottle of wine, which is il- the Obama administration is reach- short-circuit the body’s natural response to exercise. ership about how to respond to legal in Iran. The charges were later ing out to Iran after nearly three de- Obama’s recent overtures. It also elevated to working without a press cades of hostility. We a t h e r A Little Bit of Everything Situation for Noon Eastern Daylight Time, Tuesday, May 12, 2009

By Cegeon J. Chan 130°W 125°W 120°W 115°W 110°W 105°W 100°W 95°W 90°W 85°W 80°W 75°W 70°W 65°W 60°W Staff Meteorologist 40°N It’s becoming that time of year when terms like “pop up thunderstorms” or “hit-or-miss showers” are often found in the forecast. When one minute it is 992 sunny, the next it can be pouring rain. As we transition to the summer season, if there is sufficient convection, moisture, and lift, this can trigger thunder- storms. Today’s chance of thunderstorms may make you wonder how there 35°N can be thunderstorms when it’s not that hot. This is because the convection

from today’s scattered thunderstorms is “upside down.” Typically, convection 997 1024 is trigged from the strong heating at the surface. Instead, the instability here is from the cold air aloft. This too can drive buoyancy differences and help initiate thunderstorms. 30°N Most of the thunderstorm activity will likely develop and stay to the west of Boston. As the thunderstorms approach campus, they will likely dissipate, due to the proximity of the cold ocean waters and the resulting relatively stable column of air. This is the reason why Boston doesn’t receive as many 1006 thunderstorms as its suburban counterparts. 25°N

Extended Forecast Today: Mostly cloudy with a small chance of thunderstorms and an even smaller chance of hail. Highs near 60°F (16°C). Northeast winds 5 mph. Tonight: Mostly cloudy, lows in the mid 40s°F (7°C). East winds 10 mph. Tomorrow: Sunny, highs in the mid 60s°F (18°C). Thursday: Mostly cloudy, chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 60s°F Weather Systems Weather Fronts Precipitation Symbols Other Symbols (20°C). Snow Rain Fog High Pressure Trough Friday: Sunny, highs in the lower 70s°F (22°C). - - - Showers Thunderstorm

Saturday: Sunny, highs in the lower 70s°F (22°C). Q Q Q Q Warm Front Light Low Pressure Haze LLLLL Cold Front Moderate Compiled by MIT Hurricane Q Q Meteorology Staff L L Stationary Front Heavy and The Tech May 12, 2009 Wo r l d & Na t i o n The Tech Page 3

At Obama Health Care Senator Urges Inquiry into Bogus Auto Warranty Calls Meeting, Goals Not Shared By Karen Zraick The New York Times By Robert Pear keep it.” ing was an opportunity to showcase his Sen. Charles E. Schumer has never struggled to find a reason to The New York Times If history is a guide, their commit- consensus-building approach. He is not hold a news conference on a Sunday. But the inspiration for the one on WASHINGTON ments may not produce the promised cracking the whip on the health care in- Mother’s Day arrived unexpectedly, when the senator’s cell phone rang President Barack Obama engi- savings. Their proposals are vague — dustry so much as wooing it, just as he during a health care meeting on Capitol Hill last week. neered a political coup on Monday promising, for example, to reduce both said he would in the campaign. “You are still eligible to reactivate warranty coverage,” said the re- by bringing leaders of the health care “overuse and underuse of health care.” For the health care and insurance corded voice on the line. “This is the final call before we close the file. industry to the White House to build None of the proposals are enforceable, executives, the savings initiative helps Press 1 to speak to a representative now about your vehicle.” momentum for his ambitious health and none of the savings are guaranteed. them secure a seat at the table where Most people react with annoyance as soon as they hear the insistent care agenda. Without such a guarantee, budget rules many decisions about their future will — and all-too-familiar — voices and simply hang up. But, then, most Obama pronounced it “a historic would normally prevent Congress from be made in the next year. They also in- people cannot investigate who is behind the call and take the informa- day, a watershed event,” because doc- using the savings to pay for new initia- gratiated themselves with Democrats tion to the Federal Trade Commission. tors, hospitals, drug makers and insur- tives to cover the uninsured. At this in the White House and Congress who Schumer, D-N.Y., had received three or four similar calls. But the ance companies voluntarily offered $2 point, cost control is little more than a are moving swiftly to reshape the na- one on Wednesday was the last straw. trillion in cost reductions over 10 years. shared aspiration. tion’s health care system. “I’ve had enough,” Schumer said. “These are scam artists.” The savings, he said, “will help us take Still, the event was significant. “We came together in a serious way The calls are intended to extract credit card numbers by selling the next and most important step — There was something in it for Obama, a couple of weeks ago,” said David H. fraudulent car warranty renewals, Schumer said, and are “invading cell comprehensive health care reform.” and something for the industry — Nexon, senior executive vice president phones at a growing rate.” Robert Gibbs, the White House though not necessarily the same thing. of the Advanced Medical Technology The senator is calling on the trade commission to investigate the press secretary, said Obama had told Their interests overlap but do not coin- Association, one of the six health care outfits behind the calls. the health care executives, “You’ve cide. industry groups that promised to lower made a commitment; we expect you to For Obama, the White House meet- costs. Judge Sentenced to Prison for Lying About Harassment Book Publishers Face By James C. Mckinley Jr. The New York Times HOUSTON A federal judge who presided for nearly two decades in Galveston, Digital Piracy Problems Texas, was sentenced to 33 months in prison on Monday for lying to an investigative committee of judges about whether he had sexually By Motoko Rich can violate my copyright and get editions on Web sites like Scribd harassed his secretary. The New York Times away with it?” and Wattpad, and on file-sharing In a deal with prosecutors, the judge, Samuel B. Kent, pleaded Ursula K. Le Guin, the science This would all sound familiar services like RapidShare and Me- guilty to obstruction of justice in February just as his trial was getting fiction writer, was perusing the Web to filmmakers and musicians who diaFire. under away. In return, the government agreed to drop five charges that site Scribd last month when she fought similar battles — with vary- “It’s exponentially up,” said Da- he had repeatedly groped his secretary and his case manager, touching came across digital copies of some ing degrees of success — over the vid Young, chief executive of Ha- their genitals and breasts against their will. Both women have agreed books that seemed quite familiar to last decade. But to authors and their chette Book Group, whose Little, to be publicly identified. her. No wonder. She wrote them, publishers in the age of Kindle, it’s Brown division publishes the “Twi- Kent, 59, admitted in his plea that he had forced himself on the including a free-for-the-taking copy new and frightening territory. light” series by Stephenie Meyer, a two women, reversing his previous position that they had agreed to of one of her most enduring novels, For a while now, determined favorite among digital pirates. “Our his advances. Handing down the sentence, Judge Roger Vinson of U.S. “The Left Hand of Darkness.” readers have been able to sniff out legal department is spending an District Court said Kent’s conduct was “a stain on the judicial system Neither Le Guin nor her pub- errant digital copies of titles as ever-increasing time policing sites itself.” lisher had authorized the electronic varied as the “Harry Potter” series where copyrighted material is being Dick DeGuerin, a lawyer for Kent, said the judge suffered from editions. To Le Guin, it was a rude and best-sellers by Stephen King presented.” depression, alcoholism, diabetes and bipolar disease. Rather than re- introduction to the quietly prolifer- and John Grisham. But now, some John Wiley & Sons, a text- sign before he serves his time in prison, Kent has asked to be allowed ating problem of digital piracy in publishers say, the problem has bal- book publisher that also issues the to claim that he is disabled so he can continue to collect his salary of the literary world. “I thought, who looned in recent months as an ex- “Dummies” series, employs three $169,300 a year, DeGuerin said. do these people think they are?” Le panding appetite for e-books has full-time staff members to trawl for Guin said. “Why do they think they spawned a bumper crop of pirated unauthorized copies.

M it’S OWn raD i O S tatiO n at 88.1 fM S treaM ing right nOW at WMBr.O rg Listen up, join up! Offering eclectic programming including rock, jazz, world, talk, noise, electronic, hip-hop, reggae, and more. Want your own show? Join in! You will broadcast across Boston and around the world, learn about radio and media, and have access to a record library with tens of thousands of records and CDs. We’re located in the basement of the Walker Memorial Building (building 50). Stop down sometime and see how easy it is to get on the air. Submit a proposal by May 22 and you can be on the air this summer. Or email [email protected] for more info. Page 4 The Tech May 12, 2009 Op i n i o n

A “Stay Tuned…” feature which ran on the front page of the May 8 issue of The Tech incorrectly claimed that the Alpha Tau Omega chapter at MIT had lost its charter from the national fraternity. The article based the claim on minutes from a Cambridge License Com- Chairman mission meeting in January, which state that the chapter “lost their Parent Charter.” Accord- Austin Chu G ing to Wynn Smiley, chief executive officer of the national ATO organization, the chapter is Editor in Chief in good standing with the national fraternity. See article, page 1. Nick Bushak ’10 Corrections An explanation of weather mythology from May 1 conveyed a misleading impression about the weather radar atop building 54 by describing it as a “shell,” suggesting essential Business Manager components of the radar were missing, and stating the equipment had been transferred to Mark Thompson ’11 Lincoln Laboratory. The large white radome atop building 54 does indeed house a weather Managing Editor radar dish, and its transmitter is located on the 19th floor beneath; the physical equipment is Steve Howland ’11 still present and has not been removed to Lincoln Laboratory. Executive Editor Michael McGraw-Herdeg G

News Staff Letters To The Editor News and Features Director: Arkajit Dey ’11; Editors: John A. Hawkinson ’98, Jeff Guo ’11, PAW events have been organized and sponsored Other PAW activities included an information Natasha Plotkin ’11; Associate Editors: Emily Palestine Awareness by Palestine@MIT, the Arab Students’ Organiza- booth and two movie screenings. The first movie Prentice ’11, Elijah Jordan Turner ’11, Pearle tion, the Muslim Students Association, Amnesty (Occupation 101), which was indeed screened Lipinski ’12, Robert McQueen ’12; Staff: Week: Education and International (MIT Chapter), the Social Justice last year, is an award-winning documentary that Daniela Cako ’09, Ji Qi ’09, Yiwei Zhang ’09, Cooperative, and the Latino Cultural Center, as provides an accessible introduction to the Pales- Yuri Hanada ’10, JiHye Kim ’10, Joyce Kwan Dialogue well as members of the MIT faculty. tinian-Israeli conflict, with a focus on the situa- ’10, Jenny Liu ’10, Yan Huang ’11, Ryan Ko ’11, As organizers of the Palestine Awareness This year, PAW began with a lecture by MIT tion in the occupied territories. It discusses issues Lulu Wang ’11, Omar Abudayyeh ’12, Jessica Lin ’12, Meredith Lis ’12, Maggie Lloyd ’12, Week (PAW), we would like to clarify some Professor Noam Chomsky on the U.S., Israel, such as suicide bombings, the separation barrier, Sandhya Rawal ’12, Zeina Siam ’12, Aditi Verma of the issues and address the inaccuracies and and Palestine. While it is true that Chomsky the restriction of movement, and other problems ’12; Meteorologists: Cegeon Chan G, Garrett P. omissions in Stephen Fried’s May 8 opinion speaks frequently about the conflict in the Mid- that define the everyday life in Israel-Palestine. Marino G, Brian H. Tang G, Angela Zalucha G, piece (“The nth Annual Chomsky Rant in Bad dle East, this lecture focused on the role of the The second movie (Slingshot Hip Hop) Elizabeth Maroon ’10, Vince Agard ’11. Taste; Are We Moving Forward?”). The piece, Obama administration in the Israeli-Palestinian tells the stories of up-and-coming hip hop art- Production Staff which provides a good example of “ranting in conflict, and the prospects for peace and change ists living in Israel and the occupied territories. Staff: K. Nichole Treadway ’10, Alexander W. bad taste,” suggests that PAW and similar edu- in the Middle East. The high turnout for the lec- The movie explores underground aspect of Pal- Dehnert ’12. cational activities are counterproductive ob- ture seems to suggest great interest in the topic estinian youth culture such themes as gender stacles to dialogue. among members of the MIT community. expectations, racial divides, generational dif- Opinion Staff PAW is a week-long campaign to raise The second PAW lecture, which Fried fails ferences, as well as the struggles of living with Editors: Andrew T. Lukmann G, Ethan Solomon awareness on issues related to the Palestinian to mention, was given by Anat Biletzki, a pro- the Separation Wall, the blockade of the Gaza ’12; Staff: Florence Gallez G, Alejandro Rogers Question. PAW attempts to shed light on issues fessor at Tel Aviv University, and a research fel- Strip, and the lack of freedom of movement B. G, Gary Shu G, David Weinberg G, Keith A. Yost G, Josh Levinger ’07, Krishna Gupta ’09, that are rarely discussed by mainstream media low at the MIT Program for Human Rights and caused by military checkpoints. Aditya Kohli ’09, Jennifer Nelson ’09, Daniel in the United States. By doing this, the organiz- Justice. Biletzki has been active in the peace MIT Palestine Awareness Week 2009 ex- Yelin ’10. ers hope to provide the necessary background movement and in human rights projects in Is- pressed the organizers’ commitment to produc- for an informed dialogue, and an on-campus rael for over 25 years. She is highly regarded tive and educational discourse. Even more so Sports Staff venue for discussion. Lectures and movie among human rights activists and academics than in previous years, PAW 2009 included a Editors: Aaron Sampson ’10, David Zhu ’12; screenings are usually followed by discussions and was nominated among the “1000 Women diverse collection of events that covered differ- Staff: Michael Gerhardt ’12, Nydia Ruleman ’12. in which students (including both Arabs and Is- for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005.” ent aspects of the situation in Israel-Palestine. Arts Staff raelis) and community members participate. Biletzki spoke about the relationship be- The organizers of this year’s Palestine Aware- Editor: S. Balaji Mani ’10; Staff: Sudeep The week is organized by students of differ- tween human rights and politics and about hu- ness Week would like to emphasize that the Agarwala G, Bogdan Fedeles G, Joanne Y. Shih ent nationalities and student groups who believe man rights in the occupied territories, with a fo- events held during PAW are meant to provide ’10, Kevin Wang ’10, Sun K. Kim ’11, Maggie that ending the 42 year long illegal occupation of cus on the work of her organization, B’Tselem context and supplement, not replace, opportu- Liu ’12, Samuel Markson ’12. the West Bank and Gaza is necessary for lasting — the Israeli Information Center for Human nities for dialogue. Photography Staff peace and stability in the Middle East. The orga- Rights in the Occupied Territories, which she Ammar T. Ammar ’09 Editors: David M. Templeton ’08, Andrea nizers are involved in many on and off campus chaired from 2001 to 2006. The lecture was co- Hussam A. Busfar G Robles ’10, William Yee ’10, Rachel Fong ’12; initiatives and programs including OLPC Pal- sponsored by the Arab Students’ Organization, Zekeriyya Gemici G Associate Editor: Allison M. Alwan ’12; Staff: estine, MISTI Israel, and MEET (Middle-East the Muslim Students Association, and Amnesty Lorenzo B. Brown ’10 Vincent Auyeung G, David Da He G, Perry Education through Technology). Over the years, International (MIT Chapter). On behalf of the PAW organizers Hung G, Maksim Imakaev G, Arthur Petron G, David Reshef G, Martin Segado G, Noah Spies G, Scott Johnston ’03, Martha Angela Wilcox ’08, Chelsea Grimm ’09, Peter H. Rigano ’09, A Word on Palestinian Activism at MIT Eric D. Schmiedl ’09, Seth A. Villarreal ’09, during the recent brutal and disproportionately and Palestine in the most accurate and factual Diana Ye ’09, Biyeun Buczyk ’10, Arka P. Iman Kandil tragic assault by the Israeli Defense Forces was way. After all, isn’t that what we are taught to Dhar ’10, Helen Hou ’10, Monica Kahn ’10, met with scorn and contention by some. do at MIT: challenge conventional opinions by Diane Rak ’10, Jongu Shin ’10, Michael Yu In my four years at MIT, I have observed Contrary to the claims made by a few, Pal- examining weak arguments and base our argu- ’10, Dhaval Adjodah ’11, Monica Gallegos ’11, that every effort to present a viewpoint that is estinian activism at MIT is not limited to the ments upon facts? Vibin Kundukulam ’11, Michael Y. McCanna ’11, Michael Meyer ’11, Kari Williams ’11, somewhat critical of Israel or that is promot- annual Palestine Awareness Week. In the past MIT is a place where different thoughts and Yuanyu Chen ’12, Andrew Shum ’12, Meng ing a more fair-handed approach to achieving four years, several exhibitions of Palestinian ideas are allowed to be heard without fear of Heng Touch ’12. peace in the Middle East is met with negativity culture have been organized, including the facing intolerance from the surrounding com- and attempts to stifle expression. 2005 Simon Shaheen concert, the 2005 El Fu- munity (as it should be). PAW is integral to that Campus Life Staff As a Palestine Awareness Week (PAW) noun dance show, and the 2006 art exhibit, as notion, promoting discourse and voicing opin- Editor: Michael T. Lin ’11; Staff: Roberto 2007 organizer, I was deeply offended at the well as efforts to promote educational achieve- ions and ideas that might otherwise lie silent. Perez-Franco G, Danbee Kim ’09, Sarah C. Proehl ’09, Ben Shanks ’09, Christine Yu ’11; defamatory posters that replaced PAW public- ment among Palestinian youth by the Arab Stu- We live in a society where we have the freedom Cartoonists: Daniel Klein-Marcuschamer G, ity materials across campus. The posters de- dents Organization’s College Admissions Arab to hear and express diverse ideas. When people Jason Chan ’09, Michael Ciuffo ’11, Ben Peters picted images of suicide bombers and replaced Mentorship Program. start suppressing that speech through hateful ’11, Michael Benitez ’12. “MIT Palestine Awareness Week” with “MIT In response to the dire humanitarian situa- posters, disappearing exhibits and accusatory

Business Staff Ignore Hate Week” and “MIT Ignore Terror- tion in Gaza, MIT’s Muslim Students Associa- responses — that is a real cause for uproar. ism Week”. To express our surprise and regret tion hosted a successful inter-collegiate fund- Overlooking and suppressing painful truths Advertising Managers: Joseph Maurer ’12, Greg Steinbrecher ’12; Operations Manager: at the tasteless and hateful flyers, the organiz- raising dinner to benefit the people of Gaza. that make us uncomfortable does not bring us Sherry Yan ’11; Staff: Michael Kuo ’10, ers wrote a letter to The Tech on May 4, 2007 Of course, members of the Palestinian activist closer to a just and lasting peace and dismiss- Heymian Wong ’10, Nikhil Sud ’11, Connie (http://tech.mit.edu/V127/N23/letters.html). community at MIT, including Palestinians and ing honest efforts to promote understanding on Chan ’12, Mengjie Ding ’12, Eric Trac ’12. In early February of this year, an artistic dis- those of other nationalities, have also partici- such a widely misrepresented issue surely does

Technology Staff play featuring the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in pated in efforts like MEET and MISTI Israel. not serve to promote open dialogue. As Susan the MLK Exhibit in Lobby 10 mysteriously dis- It is incendiary and divisive to suggest that Hockfield said, “At MIT we accept many ways Director: Quentin Smith ’10. appeared (The Tech, March 3, 2009). When the PAW organizers promote hate or disunity by of voicing ideas and sharing dissenting opin- Editors at Large non-partisan Lecture Series Committee (LSC) hosting events that present information from a ions. However, the privilege of working and Contributing Editors: Ramya Sankar G, decided to screen the internationally acclaimed point of view that may not be palatable to some. studying here carries a concomitant obligation Shreyes Seshasai G, Nick Semenkovich ’09, film Paradise Now, it was met with harsh op- The Palestine Awareness Weeks at MIT do not to share our views respectfully.” We only ex- Caroline Huang ’10, Jessica Witchley ’10; position and wild accusations of supporting include hateful and inflammatory events. Or- pect respect and the chance to be heard. Senior Editors: Brian Hemond G, Charles Lin terrorism and suicide bombers. Additionally, ganizers aim to present the humanitarian and Iman Kandil is a member of the Class of G, Satwiksai Seshasai G, Benjamin P. Gleitzman ’09, Ricardo Ramirez ’09, Angeline Wang ’09, public show of support for the people of Gaza historical background of the conflict in Israel 2009. Praveen Rathinavelu ’10.

Advisory Board be given higher priority. Once submitted, all letters become property of Paul E. Schindler, Jr. ’74, V. Michael Bove ’83, Opinion Policy The Tech, and will not be returned. Letters, columns, and cartoons may Barry S. Surman ’84, Robert E. Malchman Editorials are the official opinion of The Tech. They are writ- also be posted on The Tech’s Web site and/or printed or published in any ’85, Deborah A. Levinson ’91, Jonathan E. D. Richmond PhD ’91, Karen Kaplan ’93, Saul ten by the editorial board, which consists of Chairman Austin Chu, other format or medium now known or later that becomes known. The Blumenthal ’98, Frank Dabek ’00, Daniel Ryan Editor in Chief Nick Bushak, Managing Editor Steve Howland, Ex- Tech makes no commitment to publish all the letters received. Bersak ’02, Eric J. Cholankeril ’02, Jordan ecutive Editor Michael McGraw-Herdeg, Opinion Editors Andrew T. Guest columns are opinion articles submitted by members of the Rubin ’02, Nathan Collins SM ’03, Keith J. Lukmann and Ethan Solomon, and Joseph Maurer. MIT or local community and have the author’s name in italics. Col- Winstein ’03, Akshay R. Patil ’04, Tiffany Dissents are the opinions of signed members of the editorial umns without italics are written by Tech staff. Dohzen ’06, Beckett W. Sterner ’06, Marissa board choosing to publish their disagreement with the editorial. Vogt ’06, Zachary Ozer ’07, Marie Y. Thibault Letters to the editor, columns, and editorial cartoons are writ- ’08, B. D. Colen. ten by individuals and represent the opinion of the author, not neces- To Reach Us Production Staff for This Issue sarily that of the newspaper. Electronic submissions are encouraged The Tech’s telephone number is (617) 253-1541. E-mail is the eas- Editors: Jessica Witchley ’10, Steve Howland and should be sent to [email protected]. Hard copy submissions iest way to reach any member of our staff. If you are unsure whom to ’11, Greg Steinbrecher ’12. should be addressed to The Tech, P.O. Box 397029, Cambridge, contact, send mail to [email protected], and it will be directed to

The Tech (ISSN 0148-9607) is published on Tuesdays and Fridays dur- Mass. 02139-7029, or sent by interdepartmental mail to Room W20- the appropriate person. You can reach the editor in chief by e-mailing ing the academic year (except during MIT vacations), Wednesdays during January, and monthly during the summer by The Tech, Room W20-483, 84 483. All submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. two days before the date [email protected]. Please send press releases, requests for coverage, Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Mass. 02139. Subscriptions are $50.00 of publication. and information about errors that call for correction to news@tech. per year (third class). Postmaster: Please send all address changes to our mailing address: The Tech, P.O. Box 397029, Cambridge, Mass. 02139- Letters, columns, and cartoons must bear the authors’ signatures, mit.edu. Letters to the editor should be sent to [email protected]. 7029. Telephone: Editorial: (617) 253-1541. Business: (617) 258-8324. Facsimile: (617) 258-8226. Advertising, subscription, and typesetting rates addresses, and phone numbers. Unsigned letters will not be accepted. The Tech can be found on the World Wide Web at http://tech.mit. available. Entire contents © 2009 The Tech. Printed on recycled paper by The Tech reserves the right to edit or condense letters; shorter letters will edu. Mass Web Printing Company. May 12, 2009 Op i n i o n The Tech Page 5 Re-Embracing the Institute’s Mission Administration’s Actions Belie Community Goals best serve the nation and the world in the 21st ministration sends a particular message to stu- trators tell the world that MIT students are in- century.” The statement additionally declares dents: “Yes, we want you to go out into the novative and driven. They’re right. The student Drew Altschul that MIT seeks “to develop in each member of world and make MIT look good, but we don’t unrest of this academic year and the entire his- the MIT community the ability and passion to want you messing with MIT, particularly if it tory of student activism at MIT is cogent proof The current MIT administration has made work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the would make more work for us.” that MIT students are just what the Institute a long series of inappropriate decisions on betterment of humankind.” This message is in juxtaposition to the core hopes to give back to the world. issues of student life and beyond which dis- Is trying to improve MIT not trying to im- message proudly touted by administrators at Here’s the bottom line: the MIT commu- mally fail to uphold the core values of MIT. prove the world? To have an effect on life at fund-raising and recruitment events each year, nity includes the Administration, and they are, One might ask, however, how can one define MIT is to have an effect on the thousands of as well as in the regular addresses to the MIT thus, subject to the expectations of the MIT those core values? Mightn’t administrators graduates yet to come, who will in turn im- community. In President Susan Hockfield’s mission. They too should learn to work wisely, just be doing their best but have a different prove the world through their own work. Is first welcoming message to the new academic creatively, and effectively, respecting other viewpoint? having passion to labor toward a creative solu- year of 2005, she stated that “there are op- members of the MIT community for expecting Yes, values are particularly subjective when tion to MIT’s problems not an attitude that this portunities for us to work together even more these qualities of themselves and others. If an there is no foundation. Fortunately, MIT has statement wishes to empower? productively than we do now… In addition to administrator is not interested in MIT as this just such a foundation: its mission statement. The Baker Dining Report is an excellent helping to solve the world’s problems through unique entity, then they should not be here. The most objective means of evaluating deci- example of a situation where students took our research, we must also rededicate our- Active, engaged and vocal students embody sions made at the Institute is by looking at the great initiative, spent hours analyzing data, selves to an education that prepares our stu- exactly what the Administration and our mis- official MIT mission statement and the history synthesized conclusions, and created a well dents to be the leaders of a world…” sion as a community calls for. which has grown up around that statement. constructed document which pointed out flaws If the MIT Administration wants to ease The MIT Mission Statement can be read in “The mission of MIT is to advance knowl- which the MIT dining office had missed. Yet, student unrest, then they need to realize that full at http://web.mit.edu/facts/mission.html edge and educate students in science, technol- the Baker Report was effectively ignored by the reason why students protest and complain Drew Altschul is a member of the Class of ogy, and other areas of scholarship that will the administration. This behavior by the ad- is because MIT told them to do so. Adminis- 2008. Fifty Years of ‘The Two Cultures’ C.P. Snow’s Landmark Lecture Is More Relevant Than Ever problem. After all, what was called “natural we have agreed upon. To wantonly ignore the — healthcare, the economy, energy, the envi- philosophy” is one of the only genuinely uni- urban history that produced a city like Boston ronment — we do little right in reproducing the Gary Shu versal forms of knowledge. or to tinker in the lab while neglecting the great past’s myopia through a balkanized education Like F = m·a or s = dQ/T, science’s endur- lineage of thought behind scientific enquiry are system. Interdisciplinary programs are poor May 7 marked the 50th anniversary of C.P. ing statements will be true whether we’re in a both types of ignorance similar to that of C.P. substitutes by providing too little of all. Higher Snow’s influential talk, “The Two Cultures.” In Bangladeshi jungle, on the bottom of the Pa- Snow’s partygoers. education should be laying a much firmer foun- his lecture and subsequent book, the English cific Ocean, or on the other side of a Galilean Promoters of the humanities argue that a dation of the breadth of human knowledge — writer and physicist described the widening moon. You can’t say the same about the aes- “learning for its own sake” liberal arts univer- the original intent of the classic university — gulf between the humanities and science. thetics of St. Peter’s Basilica without the bag- sity provides its students with critical thinking in both science and the humanities. For some reason, what people thought of as gage that Western civilization brings. skills that are widely applicable, regardless of The humanities guide our values, but we “intellectuals” ignored the contributions of sci- Scientific laws govern our existence and their later career choice. But if this is true, why need science to understand the world and what entists even though much of humanity’s knowl- technologies rely on our ability to understand don’t I trust a random sociology major to pro- remains possible. Technology gives us tools for edge marches along the path of the technical and manipulate the rules of nature. Without vide me an accurate balance sheet model? Con- solving problems, but we need the humanities arts. C.P. Snow succinctly expressed himself true scientific and technical scholarship, our versely, would I rely on a chemical engineering to understand which ones we want and how to with a story: world would not have steadily increasing life graduate to give me a one-sentence description apply them. Those that bridge the two cultures “A good many times I have been present at expectancies, 160-story buildings sprung from of “deconstructionism”? and understand the interaction at the link will gatherings of people who, by the standards of the middle of the desert, an ability to track While administrators and legislators have be best able to tackle tomorrow’s difficulties the traditional culture, are thought highly edu- our friends’ whims from across the world, or been promoting more professionalization in and lead us through the next century. cated and who have with considerable gusto machines in our pockets that would have been college education, the exact opposite should There are still unanswered questions though. been expressing their incredulity at the illit- considered supercomputers thirty years ago. be happening: we should argue for an authentic How do we fit our technical solutions into the eracy of scientists.” One could reasonably declare the war be- liberal arts education that encompasses the tra- other cultures of the world? Will we be able to “Once or twice I have been provoked and tween the two cultures won. The humanities dition humanities core curriculum with a broad guide tomorrow’s advances into an agreement have asked the company how many of them have slunk into a fifty-year morass from which and basic scientific background along the lines with our values and vice versa? could describe the Second Law of Thermo- they have yet to emerge from, while the vast of MIT’s General Institute Requirements. Most importantly: how do we continue to dynamics. The response was cold: it was also majority of the world’s recent progress has ad- Such a graduate would be equipped to han- bridge the gap between the humanities and sci- negative.” vanced through innovations in technology. Sci- dle any task that the modern world demands, ence so they not only start speaking to each “Yet I was asking something which is the ence is — and has been — ascendant. whether it’s to write a report for a policymaker other, but also inform and advance the other? scientific equivalent of: Have you read a work And yet, I would still claim an educated or to hunker down behind a microscope, be- In a world where tomorrow’s solutions re- of Shakespeare’s?” (American) person is someone who has read cause he or she would draw on the best of both quire exponentially more technical knowledge, As someone trained in science, when I first Shakespeare. traditions while avoiding their weaknesses. C.P. Snow’s fifty-year old lament remains as read of this exchange I was encouraged that this We live in a society of common values. We When the problems we’re confronted with fresh as ever. The Two Cultures continues to be was a historically recognized (albeit unsolved) built our institutions to support the principles require technical solutions to social problems a problem worth thinking about. Goldilocks and the Three Lessons from the Derivatives Market The Moral of the Story Is to Lock Your Damn House to the temperature (as measured by some repu- ten thousand dollars to their name, decided to sit when the bad assets came to surface, it turned out Keith Yost table agency). Then, you’ll sell this instrument down and make a $1 million bet with one an- that the risk was very well spread. Instead of one to Mama Bear. If the temperature goes up, you’ll other. Papa Bear’s idea was fantastic, but clearly or two banks taking the hit and leaving taxpayers Imagine for a moment that you are a com- pay Mama Bear some amount of money. And of some little blond-haired femme fatale has snuck with the tab, a whole slew of banks, from Asia to mercial bank called the Papa Bear Bank Com- course, with the money from this sale, you can buy in and used it to engage in some highly leveraged Europe to the U.S, took their share of the pain. pany. You accept deposits from large businesses a financial instrument from Mama Bear wherein speculation. Maybe Goldilocks had calculated The success of this risk management is due in and use the money to make loans to other busi- you get paid if the temperature goes down. By that 99.5% of the time she’d get away scott-free, part to the wonderful flexibility of derivatives. nesses and consumers. The interest on the money hedging each other’s losses in this manner, your but one has to wonder what her contingency plan The original moral of the Goldilocks tale was you loan out is a little bit higher than the interest banks can make the risk “just right.” was for the rare situation when the bears came to keep one’s nose out of other people’s houses. you pay to your depositors, and as a result you You decide to call this new financial instru- back. The main lesson from the derivatives market is make a tidy bit of revenue. You use this revenue ment a “derivative” because the value of the Indeed, if the children’s tale is any guide, somewhat the opposite: regulators should have to pay your workers, dole out dividends to your instrument is “derived” from some underlying banks are in for a very grisly reckoning when been overseeing derivatives just like any other shareholders, and host the occasional junket in item (in this case, temperature). You tell other they wake up from the bed they’ve made. The asset. Unchecked, derivatives pose a risk not only Yellowstone. banks about your brilliant idea, derivatives are problem with letting two bankers make a tril- to a bank’s ability to pay off its own creditors, All is well. hailed as the best new thing in risk management lion dollar bet with each other is that when one but also to the health of the financial system as But then you notice something unnerving. since bowls of porridge, and soon everybody is of them loses, they may simply go bankrupt a whole. Maybe the places you’ve chosen to lend to have using them to hedge all kinds of risk. rather than pay out. The “winner” of the bet can A second lesson is that derivatives are a pret- some common factor that affects them all. It At the end of 2000, commercial banks in the actually lose money in this way — we call this ty effective way to manage risk. The $175 trillion could be the interest rate set by the Fed, or the U.S. held derivatives with a total notional value “counterparty risk.” holdings of the U.S. commercial banks might be exchange rate with some foreign country, or of $40 trillion dollars. By the third quarter of In the euphoric days before the crash, coun- unjustifiably high, but the optimal size of the even weather conditions — whatever it is, if it 2008, the value had ballooned to more than $175 terparty risk was the distant concern of academ- market is clearly non-zero. moves, then the default rate on your entire port- trillion, representing nearly a third of the world- ics — today, when some banks may very well The third lesson, unappreciated by lawmak- folio goes up. wide derivatives market. 80 percent of these topple (even if for reasons unrelated to deriva- ers, is that now is not the time to lobotomize You still like where you loaned your money derivatives use interest rates as the underlying, tives), counterparty risk may be the mechanism bank leadership. In the aftermath of the financial and believe that, on average, this set of invest- another 10 percent are so-called “Credit Default by which banks fall like dominoes, each bank crisis, banks are unwinding their complicated in- ments will give you the highest rate of return, Swaps” which are insurance against the default failure leading to a growing number of devastated struments, a task made even more herculean by but you don’t like this idea that all your risk is of some enterprise, and the remaining 10 percent derivatives partners until the cascade fells them the absence of a liquid market to price these bets. correlated. You’d much rather have a consistent are tied to various odds and ends like the tem- all. Today, some banks find themselves in the odd Including an executive pay cap in the stimulus small number of businesses not paying you back perature or exchange rates or some such. Of this position that while derivatives are supposed to be bill as a punitive measure might have had popular than alternating between periods where everyone $175 trillion in bets, $162 trillion are held by the zero-sum games (one bank’s loss is another’s appeal, but these are not the right circumstances pays you back and no one does. three largest banks: JP Morgan Chase, Bank of gain), neither side in a bet is able to sell their to go bargain hunting for executives — this is a Then you come across another bank, the America, and Citibank. stake for more than they originally purchased it. time to break out the top-shelf brains. Anything Mama Bear Bank Association, which has a simi- Here’s where derivatives start to get a little The reason is simple: the market doubts that the less is tempting fate. lar, but opposite problem. Whereas you don’t disconcerting. The combined assets of these winning side will be able to collect. As the bank crisis abates, legislators are turn- like it when the weather is too cold, Mama Bear three banks are only $4.3 trillion. The sizes of Still, there are some reasons to praise de- ing their attention to the weighty task of chang- runs into trouble when the temperature is too hot. the derivative bets that have been taken are all rivatives. The housing bubble was colossal… all ing the regulatory structure that governs the fi- You strike upon a brilliant idea — you’ll create out of whack with the assets they are supposed things being equal, one would have expected more nancial system. Reining in derivatives must take a new financial instrument whose value is tied to insure — it’s as if two men, each with only bank failures than we’ve seen today. But instead, a place on the agenda. Page 6 The Tech May 12, 2009 Ca m p u s Li f e Brouhaha Rhythm Rass Brats

By Michael Lin tive will mistake me for a prefrosh. The famil- class. It makes me a little more like Terence bitter over being rejected by MIT and breaks Campus Life Editor iar giddiness of having something new to show Howard and Robert Downey, Jr. in Iron Man, down into tears at every mention of it. Like I I got my MIT class ring, or “Brass Rat,” last off to others — heck, I’d wear a floral bonnet if though. When I go home for the summer, I’ll said, I’m probably being paranoid. Friday, along with the other jewelry-inclined I’d just gotten it and thought it was pretty. Yet be constantly paranoid that doing anything Wearing a Brass Rat on my hand and a va- members of the class of 2011 who bought mingled among those feelings is a characteris- conspicuous with my right hand, like rubbing riety of hats on my head (sometimes simulta- them, and I have to be honest, it’s taking some tic self-consciousness. my face, scratching neously) is honestly as far as my ability/will- getting used to. I consider myself to be a non- Although I have a great my hose, or executing ingness to accessorize goes most of the time. aesthetically-minded sort of person (because deal of pride in my Sure, now I have my very own the subordinate under- I don’t wear much in the way of jewelry like it sounds nicer than “fashion-handicapped”), Brass Rat, it’s changed ling du jour via Force- rings or medallions, and I need a piercing like and an engraved beaver visible from orbit isn’t a great deal more than Brass Rat, but that hardly sets choke, will come off I need a hole in the head. Still, for the right what I usually think of as a digital accessory. how much time it takes as pretentious. I mean, outfit, one is prepared to make exceptions. Yet here I am, staring at the hunk of metal on me to wash my hands me apart from the rest of my I suppose now is as Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to do some my finger and twiddling it back and forth like or how readily I can classmates that got one. good a time as any to shopping today. After seeing a certain tiara- an indecisive electric screwdriver. pull my wallet out of develop ambidexter- rich operetta the other day, I’ve determined There’s a peculiar mixture of emotions asso- my pocket. ity — it’s been on my that the price of dignity just might be worth ciated with receiving my Brass Rat. A sense of Sure, now I have my very own Brass Rat, to-do list for years — but I don’t want to hide it, and there’s only one way to find out. Best of power that, I imagine, would make even Green but that hardly sets me apart from the rest of my Brass Rat, only not appear to drawing at- luck on finals to all, and remember — if noth- Lantern jealous. The feeling of relief in know- my classmates that got one and only slightly tention to it. The last thing I want to do is upset ing else, at least you got something shiny out ing that come next CPW, only the very inatten- apart from the ring-wearers of any preceding some hypothetical person who is vehemently of your time here. Talk Nerdy To Me Happily Ever After By Christine Yu healthy relationships from reading about them. ger get the same thrill from that lifestyle. I cess, I never intended it. Staff Columnist While I wouldn’t always refer to this affair as never imagined I would one day find a guy who And it’s not like I’m expecting a “happily When I run into people these days, I some- mature, it’s stable and supportive. actually cared about me, who would see every- ever after” from my current relationship. At times get asked, “Are you still writing your When we first started hanging out, I wanted thing I wrote — everything I used to be. When this point, I might not even deserve one. If column?” If you’ve been following, my arti- to chronicle “us,” by often blogging too much. I started writing, I was bitter and confused. I we break up (and come on, summer is around cles, this term, have been much more sporadic, After a few emotional had sexual encounters the corner), I don’t want to go back to whom and it’s not because I’m running low on ma- outbursts online, which in high school, but they I used to be. He’s showed me what it’s like terial. If anything, I’ve been having more sex ended up distributed At the start of this term, I were nowhere near as to care and to be cared about, and for that he rather than less. through his fraternity’s awkward and compli- will always be special. Our sex life will, to At the start of this term, I embraced mo- e-mail server, I learned embraced monogamy. It wasn’t cated as my experienc- a certain degree, always be off-limits in my nogamy. It wasn’t as easy for me as it sounds, my lesson. I even feel es at MIT. I wanted to writing. and I shouldn’t summarize it so lightly. Even slightly guilty writing as easy for me as it sounds, and I get all of these stories It’s easy for me to say, “Time heals all so, I don’t want to gush, either. We’re not this now (as it might shouldn’t summarize it so lightly. out of my system, and wounds,” or “There’s someone for everyone,” “young and in love,” and I wouldn’t even label end up on said serv- I might’ve hurt some when I’m happy. And, it’s not like I’ve been us as a “couple.” Honestly, I’ve just been hav- er). What’s important, guys in the process. I in a state of euphoria for this whole term, but ing sex with one guy this whole semester: one however, is that he’s made me into a better see my flaws and mistakes now. I don’t regret for the most part, I am happier. Maybe I won’t guy I care about, about whom I care too much person. my decision to start this column — it at least get a “happy ending,” but even if I don’t, I’ll to write every sordid detail of our intimate life. Looking back on my old articles, I still got the campus talking about sex from time to at least know of a time when I came close to When I started this column, I only knew about laugh at some of my encounters, but I no lon- time. However, if I hurt any feelings in the pro- one. May 12, 2009 The Tech Page 7 Ar t s Restaurant REVIEW The French-Cambodian Culinary Wedding Go Spicy, Meaty, or Vegan at Elephant Walk By Angela Wilcox recipes that still preserve the flavor of Cam- would be great for a group that has a diverse STAFF WRITER bodia. taste palate. I chose to try the Cambodian- Elephant Walk First impressions are everything, and be- themed tasting menu (a three-course menu for 900 Beacon St. & 2067 Massachusetts Ave. fore we had even reached our table, I was $29.95), which is a best buy given the quan- Boston & Porter Square already impressed with the quality of the tity of good food. I received the vegan chilled 617-247-1500 (Boston), service. We were greeted immediately by a avocado citrus soup as an appetizer, and my 617-492-6900 (Porter Square) cheerful hostess, and our waiter gave us just entrée was the crevettes amrita, a dish with the right amount of time before asking for our shrimp sautéed in a sweet sauce surrounded hough there were no elephants to be orders. He checked back with us frequently, by crisp, freshly chopped pears. Both were found at the Elephant Walk in Boston, and our water glasses were never empty. The very unique and not overly spicy, and the my date Eric and I were pleasantly space is rather large with 45 tables and huge emphasis on citrus paired perfectly with the T surprised to find a place that serves up windows looking out over Beacon Street, but warm temperatures in Boston as of late. elegant Cambodian cuisine as well as origi- even on a Wednesday night, the restaurant Eric ordered the French starter: the crepe nal French dishes. The extensive menu is a bit hardly felt empty; the atmosphere was very de canard aux poires, a savory crepe filled overwhelming at first, but it is well organized comfortable with some folks wearing khakis with duck, pears, scallions, and crème fra- into Cambodian, French, and even Vegetar- and others in more formal attire. iche ($12.95), and the Kobe beef et gratin ian and Gluten-Free (a rare find in the Boston The menu contains options for vegetar- de pommes de terre aux champignons, beef area). Chef and owner Nadsa De Monteiro, ians, vegans, those who want to play it safe, grilled with red wine reduction alongside originally from Cambodia, delivers traditional and those who feel adventurous. There’s cer- potato gratin with wild mushrooms ($27.95). meals but has also created her own inspired tainly something for everyone, so this place Though we had mixed feelings about the strength of the flavor of the sauce paired with the Kobe beef, the duck crepe starter was an impressive combination of sweet and Chilled Avocado Citrus Soup from Nadsa de Monteiro’s The Elephant Walk savory and extremely tender duck, an abso- Eric d. Schmiedl—The Tech 4 Servings lute must try! Because the kitchen was busy, The pastry chef at Elephant Walk pre- our waiter also brought us a complimentary pares a dessert called Mousse aux Fruits 1 small onion, chopped order of the rouleaux, Cambodian spring de Passion, a tart passion fruit mousse 1 tbsp salt rolls filled with pork, crushed peanut, and served in an almond lace cup, garnished 1 quart orange juice, freshly squeezed veggies ($8.95), which we covered in mint with fresh pineapple chunks, and mac- 1 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed leaves before hand-dipping into a delicious erated in dark rum, sugar, and citrus on 1 tbsp sugar tangy fish sauce, typical of the Cambodian Wednesday, April 29. 2 tsp salt culinary experience. 1/2 tsp black pepper For dessert as part of my three-course be a challenge to make on my own because of 1 tsp garlic, chopped menu, I selected the mousse aux fruits de the exceptional flavor combination, and the 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil passion, a creamy passionfruit mousse which duck crepe especially made me wish I could 3 avocados, cut into 1/2 inch cubes was presented in a crisp almond cookie and be so creative in the kitchen. Fortunately, the 2/3 cup button mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick garnished with fresh slices of pineapple. Eric restaurant offers reasonably-priced group 2 cups plum tomatoes, diced without pulp ordered le peche au chocolat, a beautifully- cooking classes (see their website for more 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped rich chocolate truffle cake swirled with a light details), and the chef was even kind enough raspberry sauce ($8). The presentation of to share with us the secret behind the citrus Cover the chopped onion with 1 tbsp salt for 20 to 30 minutes. Rinse the salt com- these treats was as finely-tuned as their deep soup that I had as my appetizer! I highly rec- pletely off the onion, then drain and squeeze off excess water. tastes, and though I was already satiated af- ommend the Elephant Walk as a restaurant to Mix remaining salt, black pepper, orange juice, lime juice, garlic, and sugar. Add ter my main meal, I savored every bite of my explore a new cuisine but also as a place that olive oil and mix well. Add the diced avocados, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onion. Stir mousse. will satisfy any taste preference. And, I will gently to mix. Let chill one hour before serving. Though the Kobe beef was only mediocre, personally be trying on my cooking hat and Directly before serving, add 1 tbsp cilantro to soup and stir to mix. the other dishes we ordered were really tasty attempting the Elephant Walk recipe shared to and exotic. I best enjoy food that I know would the left.

Concert Review MIT Symphony Orchestra Performs with MIT Chamber Chorus Groups Perform Works of Welcher, Stravinsky, Ravel, and Shostakovich essentially this: a study on how a chorale tune Shostakovich’s music, is riddled with neurotic anced in their articulation, bassoons played By Sudeep Agarwala by Bach can interact with itself in seemingly navel-gazing about his political leanings. each note in hair-raising runs as if they were STAFF WRITER endless possibilities. Or Maurice Ravel’s Tzi- Though this sort of discourse is an interesting pearls on a string. This was, in its own rite, the MIT Symphony Orchestra gane, performed with concerto competition academic exercise, it seems to scare people most impressive part about the performance MIT Chamber Chorus winner Tanya S. Goldhaber ’09 — a rhapsody off from the ultimate take home message of — the attention to detail in Shostakovich’s Adam Boyles, conductor on a Hungarian melody that becomes ex- it all: this is incredible music, and MITSO work spoke volumes not only about Boyles’s Kresge Auditorium pounded and elaborated upon throughout the responded in kind. In fact, the entire evening preparation of the orchestra, but also about May 8, 2009 entire composition. seemed to be twinged with fragments of Shos- the dedication of each student to reach a com- As easy as the concepts behind the music takovich; individual instrumentalists could be plete synthesis of the substantial work. aybe it’s glib to say, but I have a may seem, the music is almost impossibly heard rehearsing the all-encompassing theme There’s an argument that young musicians hypothesis that the volume knob complex. Performed with a partial orchestra prior to the performance and during inter- performing major works run into problems: has led to the destruction of clas- and the MIT Chamber chorus, Stravinsky’s ar- missions and even following Mr. Boyles’s there’s a need to develop a sense of musical M sical music. The fast-forward and rangement of Bach’s chorale lacks the ground- introductory remarks about Shostakovich’s maturity and development before attempting a the rewind button too, but the volume knob ing, stentorian cantus firmus we’re so used to symphony, an electrified silence seized both major work. But if that’s true, the way we hear more than anything else: Music can be pain- when we’re listening to the Baroque master, audience and orchestra. this music at one age is completely different fully loud or imperceptibly soft, but modulat- making the work difficult to perform. At times As with all the music performed on Friday from how we hear it after a week, a year, or ing volumes for the sake of homogeneity of the ensemble seemed somewhat imbalanced evening, Shostakovich’s work is not easy — much longer. Perhaps, that’s part of what’s so the listenable somehow disrupts the ultimate in confidence but also in instrumentation — certainly kudos are due to all the performers interesting about performing and hearing mu- message. Extremity in music makes a very brass and woodwinds sometimes obfuscated on stage, but Shostakovich, in particular, re- sic often and early. And, truth be told, why it’s important point, even if it’s uncomfortable to finer details of the string instrumentation and quires an almost-professional bass and wood- all the more valuable not just to hear, but to listen to. choral parts. But Stravinsky’s smaller settings wind section. Horns were impeccable yet nu- experience it earlier. The MIT Symphony Orchestra presented of Renaissance works often misses the atten- a very loud concert on last Friday, and for a tion of larger performance venues and profes- good purpose — a concert of Stravinsky, Rav- sional venues. To perform the work, at any el, and Shostakovich isn’t necessarily standard level, is to be able to explore the great mind fare for the concert hall, but all works were of a great thinker of music in finer detail than received and performed with an exhilarating the world cares to know. exuberance. Ravel’s Tzigane was arresting. Although The evening’s concert crackled with the intonation and articulation were at times im- opening of Welcher’s Spumante even before precise, what was particularly stunning about the initial applause had subsided. Originally Goldhaber’s performance was her ability to commissioned for the Boston Pops, Welcher’s interpret Ravel’s Hungarian reverie with a work was more accessible than many of the sense of ownership both musically and emo- pieces that were performed on Friday evening. tionally. Somehow, the solo opening changed This doesn’t translate into less nuanced mu- from stately recital to vigorous folk-melody. sic, however — an initial, fizzy pop followed Goldhaber performed with an authenticity and by a staid chorale creatively culminated in a fervor that indicated a deep relationship with satisfying conclusion. the music. This understanding was not lost on These are games that musicians have been an orchestra that exuded the excitement of a playing since the inception of Western mu- Gypsy folk troupe. sic, and the second work at Friday’s concert, To be honest, it seems silly to write about Chorale-Variations on Vom Himmel hoch da Shostakovich. The public perception of the komm’ ich her, composed by Stravinsky, was twelfth symphony, as it seems with all of May 12, 2009

Page 8

Steal My Comic by Michael Ciuffo

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that each column, row, and 3 by 3 grid contains exactly one of each of the digits 1 through 9. Crossword Puzzle Solution on page 14. Solution, page 12 ACROSS 1 Except that 4 Poking blows   8 Before hostilities 14 Kingston Trio hit 15 Soap additive     16 Break a promise 17 Armed conflict   18 Vitality 19 Classic tunes 20 Black Sabbath singer   23 Utah ski resort 25 Rips into 26 “I Love Lucy” role    31 Entrepreneurs’ org. 32 “Mama’s Family” role 33 Weeps uncontrollably   37 Bobby or Ben 38 Puzzle theme 42 Music genre    43 Zilch 45 Greek Cupid 46 Outer: pref.     47 Author of “Soft Pretzels with Mustard” 52 State police officer 5 Et __ (and others) 36 Germ cell   55 Bone dry 6 Skeleton part 39 Sphere 56 Underground Railroad 7 Desert lily 40 Clause negator 8 Investigator 41 Compass dir. Solution, tips, and computer program at http://www.sudoku.com conductor 61 More jittery 9 Pop in new film 44 Worshipful 62 Bruins of football 10 Motorcycle races 48 For each one 63 Forensic sampling 11 Temporary dams 49 Swerved 66 Groom-to-be 12 Upper-stage rocket 50 NYC subway line Royal Bengal 67 King David’s predecessor 13 Return to default 51 D.C. grp. Boston’s only authentic BengaliCuisine restaurant 68 German article 21 Ringo’s oldest son 52 Sneaky snatch 313Mass.Ave., Cambridge 69 Grabbed, as embers 22 RR stop 53 Wireless Open Daily Except Monday (617) 491-1988 70 Swiss artist 23 Fiery crime 54 Body part 11:30 am–11:30 pm T: Red Line, Bus#1–CentralSquare 71 LXXIII x VII 24 Zodiac scales 57 Walrus feature 27 Yang’s partner 58 Sch. with a Berkeley Lunch Buffet $7.95 10% Discount on $15 28 Future school? campus Reasonably Priced Dinners DOWN (or more) order with MIT ID. 1 Autobahn auto 29 Feeling peaked 59 Unhappy 2 Actress Hagen 30 Checked out 60 Masculine Free delivery for orders over $10. 3 Four of cups, e.g. 34 Not restrained by limits 64 Veto Take-out, platters, and catering available. 35 Sparring dog? 65 Singer DiFranco http://www.royalbengalrestaurant.com/ 4 Utah team May 12, 2009 The Tech Page 9

Dilbert® by Scott Adams



                                                                   

     

   

                      Page 10 The Tech May 12, 2009 ATO House Damage Caused Last Summer ATO, from Page 1 the house, they might not be ready by the time summer residents would rently living in on-campus housing, arrive. according to Brown. Several other During the fall semester and IAP, brothers rented apartments because the brothers lived in MacGregor they felt “dorm life was not ideal for House suite lounges. This arrange- them,” Brown said. Brown said that ment allowed the fraternity to stick those renting the apartments expect together. ATO moved out in Febru- to move back into the house when ary, dispersing to other dorms. the housing license is approved. ATO was re-accredited by the MIT Though the fraternity no longer Association of Independent Living lives under one roof, the brothers Groups (AILG) last Thursday, which worked to keep operations normal examined factors including alumni and hold fraternity-wide events. “It support and overall health of the fra- has been difficult at first, but we’ve ternity. This was informally required continued to say that the house does for ATO to be able to re-apply for the not make the fraternity,” Brown housing license, Brown said. said. The Tech incorrectly reported Fri- Having no house, he said, was not day that ATO had lost their national an excuse to lose the cohesiveness fraternity charter. The reporting was of the fraternity. No brother has de- based off of the January 20, 2009 affiliated from the fraternity because minutes of the CLC. Ms. Elizabeth of the housing issues. Lint, who commented in the minutes jESSICA lIN—The Tech Alejandro F. Arambula ’12, Kevin A. Rustagi ’11, and Thomas M. Cervantes ’11 of the student band Whether or not ATO will be that ATO had lost their parent char- The Guitar Knives perform covers and original songs at their debut concert in the Simmons Hall open for summer housing is unclear, ter, said that she may have confused Multipurpose Room on Saturday, May 9. Brown said. Though ATO has pur- losing the charter with ATO not hav- chased new pieces of furniture for ing AILG accreditation. Public Health Experts Tracked Harvard Swine Flu to MIT By Stephen Smith when reports filtered out of Mexico sions and student affairs. activities, including whom they’d coness Medical Center, and Barry The Boston Globe City last month that it was responsi- It was roughly 3:30 p.m., less had contact with. Each person was told the woman she needed to find Anita Barry, a veteran disease in- ble for the deaths of dozens of adults than two hours after the ominous summoned into one of two class- someone to replace her. vestigator for the city of Boston, was and children. In short order, the vi- test results were reported by the rooms and greeted by mask-wearing As darkness fell, Gunn took the at Logan International Airport, brief- rus made its US debut in California state lab. Inside the treatment bays health workers. questionnaires back to the dingy ing officials about a worrisome new and Texas, raising alarm across the where patients are seen at the dental In all, 117 people were inter- warren of offices where the commu- virus, when her cellphone jangled. country. school, the whir and hiss of machin- viewed during the next two to three nicable disease specialists work at We need you back in the office, On Monday evening, April 27, it ery continued. Ferrer wanted to im- hours. Five more students reported the health commission. She worked the caller said. Right now. Swine flu arrived at a Harvard after-hours clin- mediately empty all 69 dental chairs symptoms consistent with the flu and deep into the night, hoping to learn had landed in Boston. ic just off Harvard Square. A student at the school. Berg asked whether it were sent to the Longwood branch of how many people were sick or had Barry listened with growing ap- from the School of Dental Medicine would be possible to finish that day’s the student health service. been ill in previous days, and how far prehension. This new flu had taken walked in complaining of fever and appointments. Meanwhile, Harvard administra- the web of illness extended. root on Harvard University’s medi- cough. He was given a prescription “Actually, no. I need you to close tors - including university provost “It’s like a really good book, and cal campus, in the shadow of some for the antiviral medication Tamiflu the clinic today, now,” Ferrer replied, Steven E. Hyman, president Drew you’ve got all these characters,” of the world’s most-famous hos- and told to stay home and not attend and Berg readily agreed. Gilpin Faust’s second-in-command - Gunn said. “And it all came together pitals. A dental student involved classes. The next day, a specimen As the treatment bays emptied, moved toward an inescapable conclu- and just told you the story.” with treating patients was sick, and from the student was sent off for students, faculty, and staff were in- sion: It would not be enough to close That narrative pointed her, main- lab tests strongly suggested he was testing. structed to assemble in an auditori- the dental clinic and cancel classes at ly, toward two of the third-year so- infected with the mysterious virus Early on the afternoon of April um. The city health department was the dental school. Given the exten- cieties. “Within these groups, there that headlines that morning warned 30, the state laboratory in Jamaica on the way, they were told, because sive interaction among students on was more illness than in any other had killed more than 150 people in Plain called the city with startling at least two of their classmates were the Longwood medical campus, the groupings that I had seen throughout Mexico. news - the dental student had tested suspected of carrying swine flu. All decision was made to also suspend all 117 people,” she said. And he wasn’t the only one feel- positive for a probable case of swine 80 red upholstered seats were filled, classes at the schools of medicine That told investigators that the ing ill. flu. and about 50 more people stood and public health. virus appeared to be relatively con- “I thought, ‘This could be a real A health department nurse im- along the walls. And medical students - including tained, and it also helped the dental problem,”’ Barry recalled. “And mediately called the student. A “They were a little bit wondering third-years who were scheduled to school the next morning to quickly of all the places for this to happen, classmate was also feeling sick, the why they were there, and a little bit begin clinical rotations that Friday - compile a list of patients who had to have it happen in the Longwood student told the nurse. That woman’s confused, and a little bit like, ‘Let’s were ordered to stay out of hospitals contact with potentially infectious Medical Area, it was kind of the per- boyfriend, a student at MIT, had re- get going,”’ Kalenderian said. and clinics. students. fect storm.” turned from a trip to Mexico with Standing at the front of the room, “They were aggressive decisions,” About 40 letters were sent to Over the next 10 hours on that flu-like symptoms. Barry was determined to diffuse the said Dr. David Rosenthal, director of patients urging them to seek medi- Thursday a week ago, as afternoon And both of the dental school tension. Harvard University Health Services. cal attention if they experienced flu melted into evening, investigators students had gone to a party the “Well, Harvard is once again “We didn’t know the infectivity of symptoms - more urgent measures from the city and administrators previous Friday night at Vanderbilt number one and this time it’s in hav- the virus, we didn’t know the sever- were not deemed necessary because from Harvard embarked on a race to Hall, a dormitory across Longwood ing a case of the swine flu in the city ity, we didn’t know how contagious there was only a slight concern that stop the virus’s spread. Harvard is a Avenue from the quadrangle that is of Boston. Congratulations,” Barry this was.” patients had been exposed. temple of medical knowledge where the architectural signature of Har- recalled saying, evoking laughter. The consequences of the emerg- Neither the city nor the university ego and arrogance are not unknown, vard’s medical campus. The other The city disease trackers had ing cluster of cases rippled outward. has received any report of an infected but by all accounts, the university’s guests included third-year students drafted a questionnaire for the den- In one instance, a Harvard dental patient. In under 24 hours, the count top officials worked seamlessly with from both the dental and medical tal students and faculty to complete, faculty member was scheduled to of suspected swine flu cases at the Boston’s experienced disease detec- schools. asking about their health and their perform surgery at Beth Israel Dea- dental school had grown to nine. tives. Fertile ground for virus The Boston team had spent years Dental students at Harvard spend preparing for this moment, primed their first two years in classes with for action after the anthrax attacks of their medical school counterparts, 2001, and, more recently, the fears and some share the same dorm. Each of global epidemic fanned by avian class of about 35 dental students is flu. Barry, a physician, has devoted divided into what the school calls more than two decades of her life societies. There are four: Peabody, to tracking germs in Boston, from Holmes, Castle, and Cannon. measles to AIDS to tuberculosis. In “You’re in it from day one,” said a crisis, she is renowned for her se- Dr. Elsbeth Kalenderian, an assistant renity, her words measured and un- dean for clinical affairs at the dental flappable and direct. school. “You become really tight that Now, after all the dress rehears- way with your society classmates. als, there was no time to waste as in- It’s almost like a little frat thing.” vestigators dug for clues that would A flu virus, transmitted by a tell them where the virus had been handshake or an uncovered cough - and where it was headed. or sneeze, could find fertile ground ‘This is going to test us’ among students so tightly knit. It is a story of disease and disease So, in offices in Boston and hunters in the 21st century, when Cambridge, across telephone lines viruses migrate across the globe in left open for hours on end, repre- days and decisions about what to do sentatives of the city and university must be made in hours, often amid began making a series of quick-draw great uncertainty and grave conse- decisions. Even as Barry drove back quences. from Logan, Julia Gunn, who helped “I’m thinking, could we have direct the investigation, dispatched gotten a more complicated first case a rapid response team of nurses in Boston? This is going to test us,” and epidemiologists to the dental said Barbara Ferrer, Barry’s boss at school. the Boston Public Health Commis- Ferrer, sitting in her sixth-floor Eric D. Schmiedl—The Tech sion. corner office in the health commis- Meena L. Viswanath ’11 rides a water-pumping seesaw next to the MIT Chapel on Monday, May Swine flu, caused by the H1N1 sion’s headquarters, spoke with Har- 11. The seesaw was a final project for 1.102 (Introduction to Civil and Environmental Engineering virus, commanded the immediate vard officials, including Anne Berg, Design II) that Viswanath’s group built. attention of global health authorities the dental school’s director of admis- May 12, 2009 The Tech Page 11 Page 12 The Tech May 12, 2009

Meng Heng Touch—The Tech Master Winchell Woo and Nathan Li from the Shaolin Hung Gar Martial Arts Academy demonstrate using “Qi,” the body’s flow of internal energy, to defend against a spear attack during the “Channel- ing Qi” event hosted by the MIT Traditional Medicine Society in Lobdell last Friday, May 8.

Eric D. Schmiedl—The Tech An “Ideas To Be Processed” box styled in a fashion similar to DUSP Students Confront Profs. the “Domestic and International Mail To Be Processed” box next to it is seen at the intersection of MIT’s Building 3 and the Infinite Corridor on Monday, May 11. The “MIT Visual Arts Pro- gram” designation (in the same place as the “MIT Facilities” To Ask for More Student Input label on normal mailboxes) suggests the box is an art project. DUSP, from Page 1 G, another DUSP graduate student layers of investigation and consulta- and a member of the DUSP Student tion” and last six to eight months. other faculty members in two meet- Council. Layzer said that such a task ings during late April, no formal pro- “The DUSP Student Council couldn’t be accomplished in a year, cess for collecting student input had appreciates and applauds all that so instead she planned on having a Student Robots Crush been established. the DUSP administration and Amy brainstorming conversation with the Students were also concerned that Glasmeier have done in taking the faculty, but didn’t tell the students. the first time Glasmeier “formally initiative to solicit student input,” “[Layzer and I] knew we couldn’t Cans, Push and Stack approached” the DUSP students was Sklarsky said. “We respect the right take on the whole set of planning is- in late-April meetings, three months of the faculty to have their own meet- sues at once and that we had to do it after Glasmeier came to MIT to fill ing space.” in pieces,” Glasmeier said. the role of department chair. Much of the disparity between According to Jawaid, professors Bales in 2.007 Event Glasmeier, however, said she felt and within faculty and students never formally explained the pur- 2.007, from Page 1 points. Several machines attempted that her door had always been wide seems to stem from a lack of clarity pose of DUSP 2015, and students to prevent opponents from scoring, open to students, even though she about what exactly the DUSP 2015 only heard about the committee’s ex- battle arena, which would multiply which made matches more dra- had not come to them to arrange a committee was meant to accom- istence through faculty members. their score. matic. Frey’s narration during the time to talk: “Students can always plish. Layzer put herself at fault for In a new twist this year, the ro- runs added to the fun. He brought come speak to me, and I’ve met with Glasmeier originally wanted the miscommunication between the bots were on their own for the first his children to the match and intro- people all day every day since I’ve DUSP 2015 to map out far-reaching DUSP 2015 committee and the stu- ten seconds of every round, relying duced them to the crowd. Frey re- been here.” changes to the Urban Planning de- dents. The students still thought that only on their sensors and their pro- mained focused on his mission of Some students did not feel repre- partment. Glasmeier said the com- the Urban Planning department was gramming. This was also the first educating the children in the audi- sented by those who walked in on the mittee had been established to allow making huge changes behind their year that teamsHenisi. used compressedPat, cor sum ence nos throughout doloreet the elesseq event, and uatuera he esectem doloboreet, con heniscidunt at, quat dolobore diam, veliquisl el ut adip eraesto duis dolor sum ex exeros ea faci ea amcommo lorper adit nullaor at, commy nosto odolenim nostrud et laore feu facidunt alit lutetue modolor accum ea am, quamcon sequat wisl ullam, consequat. Iquat. Ut el iure feugait elit, quis adionsectet ex endre facip er accum zzrit lor sustis aut verit, sed modolor eraessim et dolore duis nisis ad minit in vendrem quatums andigna feuissed enim zzriusci tem nos dipsusto od magniat wismod tat, voluptat. Ut amcon volesequisl iure deliscillam quatetum dolorpe riusto del eriusto core facilit, qui tem nonsenim zzriustrud dolore conse molestrud modolore corpercilla feu faccum quisci blan volut iustrud minim ipsum ad magnibh esequatem qui bla con volor sectem zzrit eum nonum ese dolortisis amconullaore vulla feu feu feu feum duipsus tionsectem erci tet aci endreet lor si. DUSP 2015 meeting. Jawaid and her the faculty to “have an initial conver- backs. Layzer said that wasn’t true. air to crush the soda cans. periodically checked if they had group are “a marginal fraction of the sation with themselves” and “begin a “It was always our intent to get The robotsMagnim designed do to crushdoloreet, questions. conulput wisi ex ex eu facincilit alit iustissed eugue vel dolore vent student body,” said Joshua Sklarsky conversation that will include many input from everybody,” she said. cans were eliminated early because On the sidelines, audience mem- they could not crush enough cans to bers were able to drive an expres- score well. Most students, like Grin- sive robot built by Amy Qian ’11. LEGAL COUNSEL nell, made robots to push bales into The Electric Vehicle Team and the MIT students, family, employers and a designated area. Only one robot Formula SAE Team, both involved start-ups seeking U.S. legal counsel, was designed to bring pre-crushed with 2.007 this year, were on the campus or office consultation. Call: cans back home. sidelines to present their work to James Dennis Leary, Esq. A few robots were able to stack audience members. 321-544-0012 bales, which was worth more

Eating Disorder Treatment We like people. Do you? Treatment of Adults Suffering from [email protected] Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa Informed clinicians refer their clients to Laurel Hill Inn. LHI provides the most effective treatment and deploys the highest staff-to-client ratio in New England. We provide extensive programming in a highly structured and supervised non-institutional therapeutic setting. Evening, day, and residential treatment as well as weekly support groups in West Medford and West Somerville. Call Linda at 781 396-1116 or visit www.laurelhillinn.com.

Solution to Crossword from page 8 SPERM DONORS Up to ******CLOSEST FULL SERVICE SHIPPING STORE TO CAMPUS****** NEEDED $1100 a month!

EXTENDED HOURS BEGINNING MAY 18TH Monday-Friday: 8:30am - 7:30pm Healthy MEN in college or with a college degree wanted for our Saturday 9am – 6pm sperm donor program. Sunday May 17th & May 31st: 12pm – 4pm May 24th: 10am – 5pm Minimal time commitment

The UPS Store Help people fulfill their dreams of starting a family. 955 Massachusetts Avenue (Near Crate and Barrel) Receive free health and genetic screenings. 617- 868 – 5055 www.theupsstorelocal.com/0681 APPLY ONLINE: FREE PICK UP SERVICE AND FREE BOXES WITH STORAGE www.SPERMBANK.com !

May 12, 2009 The Tech Page 13 MIT Gilbert and Sullivan Players Perform ‘Iolanthe’

The MIT Gilbert and Sullivan Players performed “Iolanthe, or The Peer and the Peri,” a comic opera, over the past two weeks. These photos were taken at the Saturday, May 9 performance.

(top left) Fairies, played by members of the MIT Gilbert and Sullivan Play- ers, open the scene with the song “Tripping Hither, Tripping Thither.”

(bottom left) Phyllis, played by Kaila Deiorio-Haggar ’11, and Strephon, played by Mark Costello, perform during “Good Morrow, Good Lover.”

(right) The ensemble looks upon the law of the Fairies. From left to right are the Fairy Queen, played by Amanda Keil; the Lord Chancellor, played by Andrew Bobson Sweet; and Iolanthe, played by Roselin Osser SM ’07.

Photography by Sherry Yan

Sunday, May 17th Page 14 The Tech May 12, 2009 MIT Astronaut Returns to Space to Make Final Hubble Telescope Fixes By Dennis Overbye Andrew J. Feustel, Col. Michael commencement of a mission that The New York Times T. Good of the Air Force, John M. had been left for dead five years ago, KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. Grunsfeld, Michael J. Massimino when it was thought to be too risky. Seven astronauts blasted off PhD ’92 and K. Megan McArthur as “I’m glad I had sunglasses on,” Monday for one last dance with the mission specialists. said David Leckrone, the Hubble Hubble Space Telescope. The Atlantis astronauts will project scientist, from Goddard The space shuttle Atlantis, com- spend Tuesday examining the shut- Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, manded by Scott D. Altman, a retired tle with cameras, looking for any Md. Navy captain, bolted through the sky dings or nicks or holes caused by Ed Weiler, head of space sci- on a pillar of smoke and fire just af- flying debris during the launching. ence for NASA, who has worked on ter 2 p.m. The Atlantis is carrying The shuttle Columbia was doomed Hubble since the 1970s, called this 22,000 pounds of custom-designed in 2003 because a hunk of insulating launching “bittersweet,” since it was tools, replacement parts and new in- foam broke off the external fuel tank the last destined for the telescope. struments to slice and dice starlight and damaged the tiles that protected But if all goes well, he said, “I am and excite scientists and stargazers the spacecraft from the searing heat confident that we will have five, six, everywhere. of re-entering the atmosphere. eight more years of Hubble.” The shuttle is rushing toward “The sad thing is if we get to or- The repair mission comes as a Wednesday rendezvous with the bit and see something bad and get NASA is once again at a crossroads. telescope, which happened to be waved off and don’t get to fix Hub- The agency lacks a permanent ad- floating about 350 miles directly ble,” Grunsfeld said. “That would be ministrator; Christopher Scolese above Cape Canaveral at launching the saddest.” has been acting administrator since time. After a preliminary review of Michael D. Griffin stepped down in If all goes well in five spacewalks video after the launching, NASA January, and the White House is said starting Thursday morning, the crew engineers said there appeared to be to have been having trouble finding members will revamp and refresh little to be concerned about. a candidate. the telescope, which has dazzled the Changes to the design of the fuel The agency has begun laying off public and the science community tank have made it less likely to sus- workers as part of the decision to re- with its cosmic postcards. Then they tain major damage during launch- tire the shuttles next year. And last will say goodbye forever on behalf ing. The bigger risk this time around week, President Barack Obama or- of humanity. Sometime in the middle comes from micrometeoroids and dered a review of the agency’s plan of the next decade, the Hubble will space junk, which are more preva- to return humans to the moon and of run out of juice, and it will eventu- lent in Hubble’s orbit than at the the Constellation spacecraft that are ally be crashed into the ocean. space station’s lower one. There is to succeed the shuttle. Besides Altman, the crew in- about a 1 in 229 chance of a cata- So the flight Monday was not cludes Gregory C. Johnson, also a strophic collision, so the astronauts just the beginning of the last act for retired Navy captain, as pilot; and will take another close look at their the Hubble but also the beginning of craft at the end of the mission. the end for the space shuttle, whose The astronauts carry a tool kit greatest legacy might very well be for fixing small holes or cracks in the role it played in the repair and the fragile tiles. If there is some- maintenance of the Hubble. Altman thing they cannot fix, they will hun- recently called it “an incredible ex- ker down and await the shuttle En- ample of how humans and machines Word. deavour, which is sitting on another can work together.” launching pad, ready to blast off with Grunsfeld, who has earned the a four-man crew and retrieve the At- sobriquet “Hubble repairman” for lantis astronauts from danger. his previous exploits in space with As the plume left by the shuttle the telescope, said: “The only reason dissipated on Monday, engineers and Hubble works is because we have a [email protected] astronomers who had been working space shuttle. And of all things we W20-483, 617-253-1541 on the telescope, some of them their do, I think Hubble is probably the entire careers, shared high fives and best thing we use it for.” hugs and tears as they celebrated the As Mario Livio, an astronomer at HAYDEN LIBRARY the Space Telescope Science Insti- tute, put it, “It’s not just a telescope, Solution to Last Issue’s it’s the people’s telescope.” Crossword (the wrong solution was placed due to a Solution to Sudoku production error) from page 8                                                                                 

open 24 hours May 14 - May 22

The Humanities and Science libraries (Hayden Library) will be open 24 hours-a-day during finals week, beginning Thursday, May 14 at 8 a.m. through Friday, May 22 at 7 p.m.

For a complete list of libraries and their hours see: libraries.mit.edu/about/hours

Congratulations graduating seniors! Have a great summer. May 12, 2009 The Tech Page 15 Page 16 The Tech May 12, 2009 Sp o r t s Up c o m i n g Ho m e Ev e n t s None

Sc o r e b o a r d

Men’s Tennis Saturday, May 9, 2009 MIT 3 Skidmore College 5

Men’s Track Saturday, May 9, 2009 NEICAAA Championship MIT T-9th of 36

Women’s Track Saturday, May 9, 2009 Wan Yusof Wan Morshidi NEICAAA Championship Mona Santoso (left) and Chandra Kowi from California play in the final of mixed doubles, an event they MIT 19th of 36 won with scores of 21-19 and 21-17, at the Wilson MIT Boston Open badminton tournament in Rock- well Cage on May 10. The Boston Open is one of the largest badminton tournaments in the nation. Source: http://www.mitathletics.com

MIT Offi cial Sports GEAR including hats, t-shirts and more items with the name of your favorite team! THANK YOU M.I.T.

To purchase items go ON-LINE: www.mitathletics.com then ® click on “Athletics Merchandise” Bose® Wave® music system ON CAMPUS: DAPER Main Desk, W35 lobby

Your purchase supports MIT sports programming. -Thank you! ThankThank you you to to Students, Students, Faculty, Staff and EmployeesFaculty, Staff of M.I.T. and DAPER-merch-TechAd.indd 1 11/26/2008 1:20:24 PM

50 % OFF UPSTAIRS BoseEmployees Corporation was of M.I.T. founded and

builtBose by Corporation M.I.T. people. was Our successfounded in and QuietComfort ® 2 Acoustic Noise ® Cancelling Headphones built by M.I.T. people. Our success in research and in business is a result, in research and in business is a result, in no small part, of what M.I.T. hasdone no small part, of what M.I.T. has done

TM for us. As one measure of our apprecia- for us. As one measure of our apprecia-

20 % OFF DOWNSTAIRS tion,tion, we we are are extending extending special special purchase purchase privilegesprivileges to all to students all students and employees and employees 1971 Mass. Ave. ® Companion 3 multimedia of M.I.T. for their personal use. Porter Square Companion®speaker3 multimedia system of M.I.T. for their personal use. speaker system just in: 500+ titles advanced math, some computer, mostly Springer and Birkhauser Please direct all inquiries to the “M.I.T. Purchase Program.”

www.mcintyreandmoore.com Bose Corporation 1-800-444-BOSE

Good luck on Finals! ©2004 Bose Corporation. Patent rights issued and/or pending. Delivery is subject to product availability.