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Volume 126, Number 7 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Tuesday, February 28, 2006 Colleges File Briefs Backing MIT Admins In Shin Case Appeal By Kelley Rivoire might be advisable, the briefs and NEWS EDITOR petition argue. Backed by prominent colleges The two MIT administrators who and educational organizations from filed the petition are former Coun- across the state and nation, two MIT seling and Support Services Dean administrators filed a petition Fri- Arthur Henderson and Nina Davis- day in Massachusetts Appeals Court Millis, housemaster of Random Hall asking for the dismissal of charges where Shin lived and was found to against them in a lawsuit filed by have died by self-inflicted burns in the parents of Elizabeth H. Shin 2000. A list of the universities and ’02, who committed suicide in 2000 higher education groups filing briefs while at MIT. can be found on page 10. The administrators’ petition ar- The MIT administrators asked gues that the Massachusetts Supe- last August for McEvoy’s June 2005 rior Court made a significant error decision to be clarified and reconsid- in allowing charges against the them ered, a request that McEvoy denied OMARI STEPHENS—THE TECH to persist, an error that could have late January without issuing a writ- A sign points blood donors to La Sala de Puerto Rico, located on the second floor of the Stratton chilling repercussions for universi- ten discussion. If the appeal filed by Student Center. The blood drive will continue through 6 p.m. this Thursday, March 2. ties across the nation. The petition the administrators Friday is not suc- was supported by three amicus cur- cessful, the charges against adminis- iae (friend of the court) briefs from trators, along with other outstanding 15 Massachusetts colleges, eight charges against MIT Medical physi- Students Question Lack of Input prominent universities outside of cians, will proceed to a trial set for Massachusetts, and eight national May 1. The high-profile $27.65 mil- educational organizations. lion lawsuit was filed by Shin’s par- Massachusetts Superior Court ents in 2002. Charges against the In- Into Design of Future Grad Dorm Judge Christine McEvoy’s ruling stitute and MIT Police officers, also By Rosa Cao common space allocations. graduate students want lots of ame- last June that non-clinician admin- part of the lawsuit, as well as other CONTRIBUTING EDITOR At a town hall meeting held last nities. They don’t understand that a istrators could potentially be held charges against the administrators Two weeks after MIT announced Thursday evening at Ashdown, emo- lot of people can’t afford to live in accountable for Shin’s suicide con- and MIT clinicians, were dismissed its plan to build a new graduate dor- tions were running high. “Everything the new places.” tradicts Massachusetts law, and un- in the June 2005 ruling. mitory to replace Ashdown House, has been going on with no one being But in an e-mail message, Dean less reversed, the petition and briefs In their petition, Davis-Millis students and housemasters are ex- told that this is going on,” said Ash- for Student Life Larry G. Benedict state, would create a detrimental and and Henderson argue that McEvoy’s pressing dismay at the lack of trans- down Housemaster Terry P. Orlando. expressed confidence that “there is untenable environment in universi- decision to allow charges against parency during the administration’s “Basically there has been no student plenty of time for quality student ties across the nation. them to continue to trial violates decision-making process. input … We were all frozen out of input into the size and scope of com- If administrators are found poten- Massachusetts law, which states that A main point of friction has been this.” mon space … given that everyone is tially responsible in cases of students non-clinicians have responsibility to students’ apprehension that the rela- It seems as if “the administration familiar with the needs of the gradu- who might harm themselves, the prevent suicide only in cases where tively short timetable for finalizing hasn’t looked for student input,” said ate community.” natural outcome will be for them to they either caused the suicidal con- floor plans for the new dormitory Suddhasattwa Sinha G, Ashdown Undergraduates and graduate stu- shrink from liability by avoiding in- dition or the person involved was in will not allow for adequate student House Executive Committee presi- volvement in such cases or to recom- input into room configurations and dent, at the meeting. “They think that Ashdown, Page 11 mend stronger clinical action than Shin, Page 10 Departing VP Emphasizes Bruni Assumes Role of GSC President By Jenny Zhang Child Care Need, Diversity EDITOR IN CHIEF Following Emilie F. Slaby G’s By Gabriel Fouasnon During her time as MIT’s vice resignation last week from the po- After seven years as Vice Presi- president of human resources, Avaki- sition of Graduate Student Council dent for Human Resources, Laura an made substantial gains in improv- president, Sylvain Bruni G has as- Avakian will retire in May, leaving ing MIT’s child care system, created sumed her duties in addition to his her successor with the challenges an employee leadership program, existing ones as GSC vice presi- of managing MIT’s close to 15,000 and led the efforts for an upcoming dent. Bruni will occupy both po- employees. installation of an online database sitions until the 2006–2007 GSC Avakian’s planned May retire- system that will include online time officers are elected and take office ment, announced last week, follows cards and require direct deposit, in May, in accordance with normal closely on the heels of a number of streamlining the functions of human procedure. other departures by top administra- resources and payroll. Bruni indicated GSC activities, tors since the end of President Hock- But though child care has been such as the publication of the Gradu- field’s first year at MIT, a period for improved, more work remains; the ate Student News, graduate student which she asked administrators to Stata Center child care facility wait- ring ceremony, and joint party with remain in their positions. ing list has ballooned. “We need to Harvard, would continue as usual un- Avakian said her decision to re- have more space,” Avakian said, and der his leadership. tire was motivated by considerations MIT is committed to fulfilling that Slaby said she will be putting for her family. Although she was need. Toward that goal, the Insti- focus on her thesis, and has stepped concerned that leaving was “going to tute started a new backup child care back to let the GSC proceed on its look like piling on top of all the other system where MIT subsidizes child own. “I think I’ve had a great two retirements,” now that Hockfield has care provided by a backup compa- years of involvement” and “wish been in office for a full year, the ad- ny in the case of emergencies, she them the best,” she said. justment period is coming to an end, said. As for his increased responsibili- Avakian said. Avakian’s office is also seeking ties, Bruni joked that his advisor was The biggest challenge facing her to improve staff diversity. “It’s a big unhappy. successor will be learning how to priority, and I think all of us would While the major GSC focus in work in a complex, wide environ- say we have not had huge success to recent weeks has been the level of ment that lacks centralization. The date,” she said. But the system has to transparency and student input with successor, she said, will have to “re- ally understand the environment.” Avakian, Page 13 Slaby, Page 12

NEWS World & Nation...... 2 MIT Considers Collaboration With Opinion ...... 4 Portugal Campus Life ...... 7

Comics...... 8 OMARI STEPHENS—THE TECH Page 12 Sports ...... 16 Sylvain Bruni G, vice president of the Graduate Student Council, is now also GSC President after the resignation of former president Emilie F. Slaby G. Page 2 THE TECH February 28, 2006 WORLD & NATION Justices Take Up Campaign Finance, Violence in Darfur Spreading Redistricting Cases By Linda Greenhouse THE NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON Across the Border Into Chad The most pressing and unsettled questions in election law are those that concern the role of money, the role of race and the role of partisan- By Lydia Polgreen ing over the border, and civilians have Arab militias aligned with the govern- ship. The Supreme Court will take up all three this week. THE NEW YORK TIMES no protection from their attacks, in ment, in a campaign of terror that the Hearing arguments in a campaign finance case from Vermont on ADRE, CHAD Darfur or in Chad.” Bush administration has called geno- Tuesday and a congressional redistricting case from Texas on Wednesday, The chaos in Darfur, the war-rav- Indeed, the accounts of civilians in cide. the justices will venture onto a shifting landscape where the controlling aged region in Sudan where more than parts of eastern Chad are agonizingly The U.N Security Council has legal precedents are either unclear or unstable and the prospect for funda- 200,000 civilians have been killed, has familiar to those in western Sudan. agreed to send troops to protect civil- mental change looms on the horizon. spread across the border into Chad, One woman, Zahara Isaac Mahamat, ians, but they will take months to ar- On many of the questions, the new Roberts court will almost certainly deepening one of the world’s worst described how Arab men on camels rive. In the meantime, President Bush be as closely divided as was the Rehnquist court. Two years ago, for ex- refugee crises. and horses had raided her village in has said, NATO should help shore up ample, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who was succeeded last month by Arab gunmen from Darfur have Chad, stealing everything they could a failing African Union peacekeeping Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., cast the decisive fifth vote to uphold major pushed across the desert and entered find and slaughtering all who resisted. mission there, but a surge of violence provisions of a new federal campaign finance law. The justices were un- Chad, stealing cattle, burning crops The dead included her husband, Is- has chased tens of thousands of people able during that same term to agree on a majority opinion in a case from and killing anyone who resists. The mail Ibrahim, who tried to prevent the from their homes in recent weeks. Pennsylvania on whether the Constitution prohibits a partisan gerryman- lawlessness has driven at least 20,000 raiders from burning his sorghum and In Chad, the government is fight- der. Chadians from their homes, turning millet fields. Like so many others in ing its own war against rebels based While decisions in the new cases are not likely until June, the argu- them into refugees in their own coun- this desolate expanse of dust-choked in Sudan and bent on removing Chad’s ments this week could offer a hint of the court’s direction and appetite for try. earth, she fled west with her three chil- ailing president, Idriss Deby, from forging a new consensus. Hundreds of thousands more peo- dren, much as people in Darfur have power. ple in this area, along with 200,000 been forced to do in recent years. The rebels include disgruntled sol- Sudanese who fled here for safety, “I have lost everything but my chil- diers who defected and tribes tired of U.S. and Colombia Reach Trade Deal now find themselves caught up in a dren,” she said, her face looking much being ruled by members of the pres- growing conflict between Chad and older than her 20 years. She is now a ident’s tribe, the Zaghawa, who rep- After Two Years of Talks Sudan, two nations with a long his- refugee, with thousands of other dis- resent just a small percentage of the By Juan Forero tory of violence and meddling in each placed Chadians, in Kolloye, a village population but have long dominated THE NEW YORK TIMES BOGOTA, COLOMBIA other’s affairs. south of here. “We have three bowls politics and the military. After nearly two years of negotiations, the United States and Colom- “You may have thought the terrible of grain left,” she said. “When that is In a sign of how inseparable the bia agreed on Monday to a trade deal that would be the largest Washing- situation in Darfur couldn’t get worse, gone, only God can help us.” two conflicts have become, Deby has ton has concluded with a Latin American country since signing a free but it has,” Peter Takirambudde, exec- The spreading chaos is a result of accused Sudan of supporting the re- trade pact with Mexico in 1993. utive director of the Africa division of two closely connected conflicts in the bellion against his government, and “For the good of the country, we have completed this negotiation,” Human Rights Watch, said in a recent neighboring countries. Sudan has long suspected members Colombia’s commerce minister, Jorge Humberto Botero, said in Wash- statement. “Sudan’s policy of arming In Darfur, rebels have been battling of Deby’s family of supporting Za- ington after talks ended with an agreement at 4 a.m. on Monday. militias and letting them loose is spill- government forces and the janjaweed, ghawa-led rebels in Darfur. The pact was a rare victory in Latin America for the Bush adminis- tration, which in the last two years has had to redirect efforts away from fashioning a 34-country trade bloc to negotiating deals with individual countries. Big players like Brazil have balked at talks because of hurdles Government Will Pay $300,000 like American farm subsidies, while Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chavez, has led the charge against free trade on ideological grounds. President Bush signed a pact with Central America last summer, and To Settle Muslim Detainee Suit American negotiators concluded a trade deal with Peru in December. The United States is working on a pact with Ecuador, which is under pressure By Nina Bernstein ment officials must answer ques- Elmaghraby, who used to run a res- now that its two much larger neighbors have reached agreements. . THE NEW YORK TIMES tions under oath. Government law- taurant near Times Square, and the NEW YORK yers filed an appeal of that ruling on second plaintiff, a Pakistani who is The federal government has Friday. continuing to pursue the lawsuit, de- New Bill Aims to Cover Half agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a In the settlement, which requires scribed the outcome as significant. lawsuit brought by an Egyptian who approval by a federal judge in “This is a substantial settlement The Massachusetts Uninsured was among dozens of Muslim men Brooklyn, lawyers for the govern- and shows for the first time that the By Scott Helman and Scott S. Greenberger swept up in the New York area after ment asserted that the officials were government can be held accountable THE BOSTON GLOBE Sept. 11, held for months in a fed- not admitting any liability or fault. for the abuses that have occurred in The state Senate, in an 11th-hour bid to keep $385 million in an- eral detention center in Brooklyn, In court papers, they have said that Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay and nual federal Medicaid money coming into Massachusetts, will debate a and deported after being cleared of the Sept. 11 attacks created “special in prisons right here in the United slimmed-down healthcare bill Tuesday that aims to cover roughly half of links to terrorism. factors” — including the need to States,” said one of the lawyers, Al- the state’s uninsured residents through new subsidized insurance plans. The settlement, filed in federal deter future terrorism — that out- exander A. Reinert, of Koob & Ma- Senate President Robert E. Travaglini released the new plan after court late on Monday, is the first the weighed the plaintiffs’ right to sue. goolaghan. talks with the House over a more comprehensive healthcare measure government has made in a number It is unclear what the settlement The lawsuit accuses Ashcroft and deadlocked. The state, he said, faces an “emergency situation” because it of lawsuits charging that nonciti- may portend for the government’s the FBI director, Robert S. Mueller could lose the Medicaid money if the Legislature doesn’t act immediately zens were abused and their consti- stance in another lawsuit, brought III, of personally conspiring to vio- on a federal mandate: begin moving the 500,000 to 600,000 uninsured tutional rights violated in detentions as a class action on behalf of hun- late the rights of Muslim immigrant people into insurance plans. after the terror attacks. dreds of detainees, that is pending detainees on the basis of their race, Unlike House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi and Governor Mitt Rom- It removes one of two plaintiffs before the same judge. A spokes- religion and national origin, and ney, Travaglini has long advocated a gradual approach to covering the from a case in which a federal judge man for the Justice Department names a score of other defendants, uninsured, laying out a broader plan last year to cover about half of ruled last fall that former Attorney said officials would not comment including Bureau of Prison officials them. General John Ashcroft, the director on the agreement. But lawyers who and guards at the Metropolitan De- of the FBI, and other top govern- represent both the Egyptian, Ehab tention Center in Brooklyn. WEATHER The Olympics Are Over Situation for Noon Eastern Standard Time, Tuesday, February 28, 2006 By Scott M. Stransky 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 If you happened to watch any of the Olympics on TV, you saw a wide 40°N range of weather conditions. Many days it was snowy in the Alps, yet there

was little or no precipitation in the city of Torino. In fact, the average Febru- 996 ary precipitation in Torino is only about 2 inches, compared to over 3 inches in Boston. This is due to something we like to call an “orographic effect.” � � � 994 �� � �� As a storm system moves toward mountains, it has to rise into cooler air. � 997 �� �� � 35°N � � When the air cools, its moisture begins to condense, forming clouds. When ��� � � �� � � ���� �� enough moisture has condensed, the clouds cannot hold it any longer and pre- ���� �

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on the far side of the mountains (given the direction of the prevailing winds), � � � �� 30°N

such as Torino, are significantly drier than locations high in the mountains. � �

Closer to home, we can expect another chilly week (though not nearly as � 1016

� cold as the past few days), with a storm system threatening Boston on Thurs- �

day. The temperature will be right around freezing, so this weather event �

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might include both rain and snow, but snow is more likely. Until then, enjoy � 25°N

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the cold winter sun. �

� � Extended Forecast 1023 Today: Sunny. High 34 °F(1°C) Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 20 (-7°C) Wednesday: Sun and clouds. High 36°F (2°C) Wednesday Night: Light snow begins. Low 25 (-4°C) Weather Systems Weather Fronts Precipitation Symbols Other Symbols Thursday: Snow and/or rain likely. High mid 30’s (1°C) Snow Rain Fog ° High Pressure Trough Thursday Night: Precipitation diminishing. Low mid 20’s (-4 C) - - - Showers Thunderstorm

Friday: Some clouds. High mid 30’s (1°C) � � � � Warm Front Light Low Pressure Haze ����� Cold Front Moderate Compiled by MIT Hurricane � � Meteorology Staff � � Stationary Front Heavy and The Tech February 28, 2006 WORLD & NATION THE TECH Page 3 Short on Drivers, Atomic Agency Calling for Iran Trucking Firms Facing Crisis By Ian Urbina THE NEW YORK TIMES PHILADELPHIA To Disclose Nuclear Activities The men gathered in front of the BZ Ballaz Club barbershop in a gritty, By Elaine Sciolino but rather that the agency cannot Iran has the right to conduct re- mostly Hispanic section of north Philadelphia are listening intently as Kim- THE NEW YORK TIMES be sure that nothing is being hidden search and even to enrich uranium, berly Cromer makes her pitch for a career in long-haul trucking. The International Atomic En- unless Tehran adopts an attitude of although ElBaradei has called on “Why pull $7 an hour cutting hair when you can make $19 an hour ergy Agency released a report on “active cooperation,” the agency of- Tehran to resume its research mora- driving an 18-wheeler?” Cromer said, handing the men a pamphlet in Span- Monday saying that it cannot con- ficial said. torium as a confidence-building ish explaining the requirements for a federal commercial driver’s license. clude that Iran’s nuclear program Iran’s cooperation so far has been measure as the international com- “Seriously guys, don’t you want to get a job with a future and get out of this is intended for peaceful purposes “very limited,” said the official, who munity considers its case. neighborhood to see the country?” only, as Tehran insists, unless Iran spoke on condition of anonymity The report released Monday also Faced with what trucking experts describe as the worst labor shortage provides more information about because he was not authorized to stressed that theme, saying that to in the industry’s history, recruiters like Cromer are canvassing cities and its past activities, an agency official discuss the report publicly. dispel doubts about the program holding job fairs to entice new drivers. said. Iran acknowledged in 2003 that Iran needed to provide a level of co- Fueled mostly by retirements, the driver shortage grew dire, industry The report was sent to the 35 it had deceived international inspec- operation “that extends beyond the economists say, starting in 2000 when average wages in construction and nations that make up the agency’s tors for many years, but it said that formal legal requirements” of its other blue-collar jobs surpassed those of long-haul drivers. board of governors, who are to dis- its program was now meant solely to agreement with the agency. “Guys figured, why be out on the road for three weeks when they could cuss the looming showdown over develop reactors to meet its needs for Otherwise, it said, “the agency’s swing a hammer during the day, make more money, and sleep in their own Iran at a meeting next week in Mos- electricity. The United States, and ability to reconstruct the history of bed each night?” said Bob Costello, chief economist for the American cow. On Feb. 4, the board voted to more recently its European allies, Iran’s past program and verify the Trucking Assocation. refer Iran’s case to the U.N. Security have argued that Security Council correctness and completeness of the With predictions from the association that the current shortage of 20,000 Council, but it extended a grace pe- action is needed to block Iran from statements made by Iran, particular- drivers will grow nearly fivefold within a decade, trucking companies are riod of a month to allow for diplo- the road to nuclear weapons. ly with regard to its centrifuge (nu- offering generous 401(k), stock option, and health care packages to new re- matic efforts. While the United States had em- clear fuel) enrichment program, will cruits and cash bonuses and prizes to drivers who refer viable candidates. In the report, the agency’s direc- phasized the need to stop the pro- be limited, and questions about the tor, Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, wrote gram before Iran’s scientists master past and current direction of Iran’s that “it is regrettable and a matter of the techniques of nuclear enrich- nuclear program will continue to be Enron Figures Tell concern that the uncertainties relat- ment, ElBaradei and agency offi- raised.” ed to the scope and nature of Iran’s cials have focused in recent discus- The agency official said that full How Results Were Manipulated nuclear program have not been clar- sions on the need for “transparency” cooperation would include restoring By Alexei Barrionuevo ified after three years of intensive in clearing up unanswered questions an agreement that gave inspectors THE NEW YORK TIMES HOUSTON agency verification.” from the period of violations. the right to conduct unscheduled Two minor figures in the Enron story added on Monday to testimony The report did not conclude that They have noted that under the visits and actively working to make that the company padded earnings and shifted hundreds of millions in Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty documents and scientists available. losses from one division to another to disguise problems that might have concerned investors. The former chief accountant of Enron’s wholesale energy-trading unit, Wesley H. Colwell, testified that in 2000, the company dipped into reserve Germany Denies Prior Knowledge accounts set up for problem contracts to illegally pad earnings. And Wanda Curry, a former internal accountant, said she had led a project that uncov- ered problems with Enron Energy Services, the retail energy unit — prob- lems that were covered up in part, she said, by transferring more than $500 Of Hussein Baghdad Defense Plan million in losses to the wholesale energy unit. By Richard Bernstein was conceived at a meeting on Dec. qualified” on the matter of German Their testimony could be important in prosecution efforts to show that and Judy Dempsey 18, 2002, between Saddam and his involvement. Jeffrey K. Skilling, a former Enron chief executive, knowingly directed THE NEW YORK TIMES top military commanders, Wilhelm “It shows a picture of the sketch, manipulations of Enron earnings and financial results and then lied about BERLIN said that the BND was not aware that the one we reproduced in the paper to- Enron’s performance. The German government on Mon- such a meeting had taken place. day,” he said. “The sketch is identified Skilling is on trial in Federal District Court, along with the founder of day labeled as “false” a report in The Wilhelm was reacting to a report as a plan that was presented at a De- Enron, Kenneth L. Lay. Both men are accused of conspiring to defraud New York Times that two agents of in The Times and International Herald cember 18, 2002, meeting of Saddam Enron investors and face the possibility of spending the rest of their lives the BND, the German intelligence Tribune on Monday that the German and his top commanders. The study behind bars if convicted. agency, obtained Saddam Hussein’s government, which vehemently op- states that the sketch was acquired by Testifying in the trial’s fifth week, Colwell said he manipulated earnings plan for the defense of Baghdad be- posed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, had the U.S. Central Command in Febru- on two occasions after receiving directions from Enron corporate officers fore the U.S. invasion of Iraq and that provided greater assistance to the ary 2003, a month before the war.” that they wanted to beat analysts’ estimates for each quarter. In both cases, the information was passed along to United States than it had acknowl- The article was the latest of sev- he said, he dipped into a $70 million reserve that had been set aside for a the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency edged. The article in The Times was eral in both the U.S. and German contract settlement with a utility. Colwell and previous witnesses have testi- ahead of the war in early 2003. based on reporting for a forthcoming press indicating that the German in- fied that it is illegal to dip into reserves to achieve earnings targets. “The New York Times allegations book on the war. telligence agency cooperated with the Colwell has admitted to manipulating earnings and has been fined are wrong in all their details,” Ulrich The article was based largely on United States in its invasion of Iraq. $500,000 by the Securities and Exchange Commission. He has an agree- Wilhelm, the government spokesman, a classified study of Iraqi military The reports have kicked up a politi- ment with the Justice Department that requires him to testify to avoid crim- said at his daily briefing here on Mon- strategy prepared in 2005 by the Pen- cal storm in Germany, with opposi- inal prosecution. day morning. tagon’s Joint Forces Command and tion parties in particular demanding “The claim that the two BND of- includes a sketch of Baghdad illus- a formal investigation of whether the ficers had acquired Saddam Hussein’s trating Saddam’s defense plan. It says government deceived the public by Taiwan’s Leader Defies plan to defend the Iraqi capital and the sketch and the information about publicly proclaiming opposition to handed it to the USA one month be- the plan were provided by a German the war while privately helping in it. Beijing’s Warnings fore the war’s outbreak, as is stated in intelligence liaison officer to the U.S. Last week the Parliamentary Con- By Keith Bradsher The New York Times, is false,” Wil- Defense Intelligence Agency in Qatar trol Commission, which oversees THE NEW YORK TIMES TAIPEI, TAIWAN helm said. in February 2003. Germany’s intelligence agencies, re- President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan announced late on Monday after- “The BND, and with it the Ger- The executive editor of The Times, leased a report acknowledging that noon that he was scrapping the island’s unification council and guidelines man government, were unaware of Bill Keller, in a statement released on German intelligence agents did pro- for any political unification with mainland China, defying warnings from such a plan until now,” he said. Monday, strongly defended the ar- vide some information to the United both China and the United States. Referring to a portion of the report ticle, noting that the study on which States before and during the inva- While the move seemed intended to strengthen his political position at in The Times that the defense plan it was based was “explicit and un- sion of Iraq. home, he also hedged his remarks, saying in a televised address, “Taiwan has no intention of changing the status quo.” He also avoided using the Chi- nese word for “abolish” in describing his action and did not say he would revoke the 1990 executive decision that created the council, leaving open EU Will Give Palestinians Emergency the possibility that it could be reconstituted. The council has been moribund since he took office in 2000, but has considerable symbolic importance. Chen promised in his first inaugural Funding Before Hamas Takes Power address that as long as the mainland had no intention of using military By Steven Erlanger of the PA within two weeks,” refer- of necessary loan repayments, arrears force against Taiwan, he would not undertake certain moves toward inde- THE NEW YORK TIMES ring to the Palestinian Authority. The to private suppliers of energy and pendence, and specifically declared, “There is no question of abolishing JERUSALEM acting Palestinian finance minister, other goods and the Bush Administra- the Guidelines for National Unification and the National Unification Coun- The European Union on Monday Jihad al-Wazir, told him he needed tion’s decision to demand the return cil.” stepped forward to fill the immedi- “$60-80 million next week to begin to of $50 million provided last year for The mainland’s Taiwan Affairs Office had no immediate comment on ate funding gap for the Palestinian pay wages,” Wolfensohn wrote, warn- infrastructure improvements and used Monday night, but had issued increasing warnings over the last month Authority before a Hamas govern- ing of “wide-ranging consequences” as collateral for bank loans. against tampering with the council and guidelines. “The escalated seces- ment takes power, providing some for “security and stability for both the The money from the European sionist push of Chen Shui-bian will certainly trigger a serious crisis across $142 million (120 million euros) in Palestinians and the Israelis” should Union, while welcome, will not solve the Taiwan Straits and destroy peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific re- aid, much of which will be funneled the payroll not be met. the Palestinian money crunch for very gion,” the office said in a statement on Sunday. through the U.N. refugee agency. The financial situation of the Pal- long, especially since most of it is not About $47.5 million will go to estinian Authority has worsened, said in cash. It will, however, ease the pay energy bills the Palestinians owe Wolfensohn, the former director of burden of supplier repayments — a First Woman Elected to Israeli companies, $75.9 million the World Bank. With estimated in- large Israeli oil company, Dor Alon, will be channeled through the U.N. ternal tax revenues of $35 million a had said Monday it could no longer To Baseball Hall of Fame Relief and Works Agency for Pales- month, and the loss of Israeli-collect- supply fuel oil and natural gas to the By Jack Curry tinian refugees and $20.7 million is ed tax and customs receipts of some Palestinians because a check for some THE NEW YORK TIMES cash — direct budget support to help $50 million a month, the Palestinian $35 million from the Palestinian Au- Effa Manley, a savvy businesswoman whose gravestone reads, “She pay salaries. Authority faces a monthly shortfall thority bounced last week. The Euro- Loved Baseball,” became the first woman elected to the Baseball Hall of The European Union acted in of $130 million a month — $80 mil- pean money will presumably ensure Fame Monday when 17 people from the Negro leagues and the predecessor partial response to a dire letter from lion a month even if the Israelis were the flow of energy to the Palestinians era in black baseball were selected by a special committee. James D. Wolfensohn, the special handing over receipts, and likely in a chilly, wet winter. Manley, who co-owned the Newark Eagles with her husband, Abe, Middle East envoy of the grouping, more, since the Israelis deduct from Israeli public companies supply handled the daily business operations of the team and was considered an the quartet, that included the United those receipts the costs of electricity electricity and water to the Palestin- expert in marketing and advertising. She was also diligent in fighting for States, the European Union, Russia and water. ians, but deduct the cost from the better conditions for the players on the Eagles, who won the Negro leagues and the United Nations. For February and March, the pe- customs and tax revenues the Israelis World Series in 1946. Writing on Feb. 25, Wolfensohn riod before a Hamas government is collect for the Palestinian Authority, “While Abe had the money, she was really the one running the show,” warned the quartet’s foreign ministers likely to take over, he said, the Pales- but which Israel is now withholding said Leslie Heaphy, a Negro leagues historian and member of the voting that “unless a solution is found, we tinian Authority may need as much as because of the victory of Hamas in committee. may be facing the financial collapse $360 million in new funds — because the Jan. 25 legislative elections. Page 4 THE TECH February 28, 2006 OPINION

The Feb. 21 article “Westgate Fire Due to Broken Steam Coil” incompletely described MIT Housing involvement in assisting Westgate residents while they were evacuated from the high rise part of the building. Although residents bought food with their own cash, Hous- Chairman Corrections ing reimbursed them, as reported in Friday’s article “Westgate Will Receive Power Through Zachary Ozer ’07 Tieline Power to be Provided by Tang Hall Connection.” Editor in Chief Jenny Zhang ’06 Business Manager Jeffrey Chang ’08 Managing Editor Michael McGraw-Herdeg ’08

NEWS STAFF Editors: Kelley Rivoire ’06, Marissa Vogt ’06, Marie Y. Thibault ’08; Associate Editors: Ben- jamin P. Gleitzman ’09, Angeline Wang ’09; Staff: Curt Fischer G, John A. Hawkinson ’98, Brian Keegan ’06, Waseem S. Daher ’07, Ray C. He ’07, Tongyan Lin ’07, Hanhan Wang ’07, Michael Snella ’08, Jiao Wang ’08, Daniela Cako ’09, Mei-Hsin Cheng ’09, Hannah Hsieh ’09, Diana Jue ’09, Laura Nicholson ’09, Kir- tana Raja ’09; Meteorologists: Cegeon Chan G, Robert Korty G, Jon Moskaitis G, Michael J. Ring G, Roberto Rondanelli G, Brian H. Tang G, Tim Whitcomb G, Angela Zalucha G; Police Log Compiler: Marjan Rafat ’06.

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PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF Editors: Stephanie Lee ’06, Christina Kang ’08, Omari Stephens ’08, Ricardo Ramirez ’09; Associate Editor: Yun Wu ’06; Staff: Melanie Miller G, Stanley Hu ’00, Scott Johnston ’03, Liang Hong ’06, Grant Jordan ’06, Edward Platt ’06, Fred Gay ’07, Dmitry Kashlev ’07, Scot Frank ’08, Tiffany Iaconis ’08, Nicole Koulisis ’08, Mary-Irene Lang ’08, David M. Templeton ’08, Kenneth Yan ’08, Connie Yee ’08, Sally E. Peach ’09, Yalu Wu ’09.

CAMPUS LIFE STAFF Editor: Bill Andrews ’05; Staff: Kailas Naren- dran ’01, Sarah Buckley ’06, Nikhil S. Shenoy ’06, Elizabeth Zakszewski ’06, Victor Cabral ’07; Cartoonists: Jason Burns G, Brian M Loux G, John David Payne G, Emezie Okorafor ’03, Colin Dillard ’06, Juan Pablo Mendieta ’06, Josie Sung ’06, Jia Lou ’07, Ash Turza ’08.

BUSINESS STAFF Advertising Managers: Cokie Hu ’08, Tai Ho Kang ’08; Operations Manager: Jennifer Wong ’07; Staff: Fan Yu ’06, Julia Ye ’09.

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EDITORS AT LARGE Contributing Editors: Rosa Cao G, Brian He- mond G, Kevin G. Der ’06; Senior Editors: Keith J. Winstein G, Jina Kim ’06, Lucy Li ’06.

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Entire contents © 2005 The addresses, and phone numbers. Unsigned letters will not be accepted. Web at http://the-tech.mit.edu. Tech. Printed on recycled paper by Charles River Publishing. February 28, 2006 OPINION THE TECH Page 5 Killer Spotlight on Ashdown Coke Lost Trust and a Missed Designing Nakul Vyas The Coca-Cola Company has conspired with Opportunity A New Pub paramilitaries to intimidate, assault, and murder Columbian workers in a systematic effort to de- closer working relationships and marks the rep- stroy unions, slash wages, and eradicate worker Sanith Wijesinghe etition of another cycle of crying foul — the benefits. The company has a presence at MIT, likes of which we should have been able to avoid Will Take dispersing its products in campus vending ma- On April 6, 2005, at 5.30 p.m., I took a seat from lessons learned in the past. chines and soda fountains. These two issues — in 6-120 to participate in the closing round of However difficult it might seem at the onset Coca-Cola’s human rights violations and MIT’s debates for the 2005-2006 Graduate Student to open debate on a controversial topic, it is the contract with Coca-Cola — present MIT with an Council elections. I had only one question for ultimate sign of strong leadership to engage and Cooperation ethical predicament. Choices must be made, but the presidential candidates: “If the administra- bring to bare different points of view. By keep- let us take a closer look at the story first. tion announces Ashdown House will be con- ing plans of the new dormitory under wraps so In January of 2004, New York City Council- verted to undergraduate housing what would to speak until it is almost, if not completely too Michael Rinehart man Hirarm Monserrate led a fact-finding mis- be your response?” To be honest, I never really late to effect the design of room layouts, com- sion to investigate Columbian allegations of vio- received a convincing reply. From then I knew mon spaces, and rents, the administration has The reassignment of Ashdown House and lence and brutality. According to this report, nine the coming year would be a challenging one for made the bold statement that it knows what the relocation of its residents reaches well be- trade unionists have been murdered by Colum- the GSC — our leadership and our resolve to graduate students want and has made the best yond the understandable concerns of the Ash- bian paramilitaries with Coca-Cola’s complicity. represent a diverse constituency would be tested possible decision given the economic reality and down Community. The graduate student body Gunmen shot one man, Isidro Gil, seven times to its limits. investment climate. But how can one truly boast must now consider significant sacrifices to inside the Coca-Cola plant. A ten-foot iron fence Even though I had struggled a year ago to about enhancing graduate student community their campus community because of the lack of encloses the compound and a guarded gate is contemplate the implications of such a decision, by engaging in a practice that diverges from that graduate student input in the design for a new the only access point. The report concludes that it was still with great dismay and sadness that I ideal? Let me spell out this practice so there is graduate resident hall. paramilitaries must have had “company knowl- read news of the administration’s ultimatum that no ambiguity: administrators have consciously One such potential sacrifice is quite dear to edge and permission” to gain access to the plant. Ashdown will transi- kept the community in me, as well as to numerous graduate students The paramilitaries returned two days later, lined tion to an undergradu- the dark by making de- across the campus. The Thirsty Ear Pub, the up the workers, and at gunpoint forced them to ate dormitory in 2008 Let me spell out this practice cisions behind closed “Institution of the Institute,” has been a hall- sign letters forfeiting their union membership. following the build- doors. mark of Ashdown House for almost 25 years. The campaign of violence and intimidation has ing of a new dorm for so there is no ambiguity: MIT’s Student Life The basement space in Ashdown has been used had its intended effects. The number of union- graduate students. The Programs as a whole as both a pub and ice cream parlor for over 50 ized workers at Coca-Cola has fallen from 1,300 diffusion of the gradu- administrators have consciously prides itself in providing years. The Thirsty Ear was officially founded to 450 over eight years. The Columbian bottling ate community to the students a unique edu- in 1982, when a group of Ashdown residents plants are operated by a Coca-Cola subsidiary, north-west quadrant be- kept the community in the dark cational experience, one planned several events in the house that were FEMSA. Coca-Cola is FEMSA’s largest share- gan with the opening of by making decisions that helps them build legendary across campus. Seeing the success of holder, owning 46 percent of the company, and the Warehouse graduate skills not provided in their student-driven event planning, the Dean of therefore it bears responsibility for crimes com- dorm in the fall of 2001, behind closed doors. a traditional classroom Student Affairs approached this group of stu- mitted in FEMSA bottling plants. followed by the Sidney- setting. The message we dents about starting another campus pub, since In the Fall of 2003, Deval Patrick, Coke’s Pacific graduate dorm send our students with at the time the Muddy Charles only operated general counsel, offered to create an indepen- in the fall of 2002. The writing on the wall with the practice identified above is that when faced during the afternoon. The MIT administration dent body to investigate the allegations made regards to Ashdown’s fate appeared much be- with difficult situations, resort to deception to even provided $80,000 for equipment and reno- against Coca-Cola. Patrick made the offer at fore this however. Graduate students going back minimize damage. In a game theory perspective vations to help make this new campus business a dinner where he was being praised by Equal many generations all have stories of how the this is a local strategy that does indeed work in a success. Justice Works — a nonprofit group that mobi- administration tried to convert Ashdown House the short term — the important stakeholders, the During this period, it has emerged as a hub lizes law students to work for a more just society. to undergraduate housing. It seems 2008 will fi- students, turnover at such a high rate that while for social interaction at MIT and as a core Coke CEO Douglas Daft rejected the idea, and nally be the year to say goodbye. their outcry will be intense, it will be over soon. component of graduate student life. When the Patrick resigned. Since then, Daft has refused an I intended for my question to bring to bear on In the long-term however this approach causes Thirsty Ear’s charter was rewritten in 2004, it independent investigation, reiterating that “ob- the GSC the importance of building close ties more damage than its worth. Remember, these was decided that the pub should service the so- with administrators during the decision-making students will be your Alumni. process surrounding this transition. In addition, Speaking of which, I recently received an Until a legitimate investigation during discussions I had with Dean of Gradu- invitation to the Graduate Alumni Convocation ate Students Isaac M. Colbert on this topic, I on April 21–22 for the purpose of “reminiscing, The Thirsty’s long term is conducted, MIT should stressed how the unique graduate student com- sharing, learning and community updates.” My commitment is to the graduate munity at Ashdown would be at significant risk fellow alumni and I will most certainly be inter- terminate its relationship if the design of an alternative did not very close- ested in learning about the new dorm and how student body … When the with Coca-Cola as a matter ly incorporate the input of the current students. the administration has worked to incorporate in- Speaking to my colleagues at MIT, it seems that put from the current students. administration is ready of principle. both students and the administration have failed Sanith Wijesinghe PhD ’03 is a former Ash- to work hand-in-hand with us, to join together in discussions as required. This down resident, and was GSC president 2002– is yet another lost opportunity to build trust and 2003. we will be ready jective” investigations have already taken place. These investigations — inquiries by a Colom- to listen and cooperate. bian Court, by the Colombian Attorney General, by the U.S. District Court in Miami, and by the Students Build Cal Safety Compliance Corporation — allegedly cial-development aspects of MIT’s Educational prove that Coke has done nothing wrong. Triad in a way that no organization on campus None of these reports is convincing. The Co- provided at the time. lumbian judicial proceedings are undermined by Better Communities Those who attend the Thirsty Ear’s regular the fact that the Columbian government has only who lived elsewhere. While I was there, I con- events can easily attest to its contributions to prosecuted a trifling number of the thousands of Thomas Burbine sidered it my home and not just a building. the MIT graduate community. Weekly Trivia trade unionist deaths in recent years, according Throughout its history Ashdown has also Nights are one of the most populated and fre- to a U.S. State Department human rights report. After fifty years of trying, the MIT admin- been blessed to have some amazing housemas- quent trivia contests on the campus, and during A private monitoring corporation paid by other istration seems to have gotten what it always ters (Avery Ashdown, the Hulsizers, the In- Karaoke Nights it is typically difficult to find a corporations (like Coca-Cola) to conduct investi- wanted: Ashdown House (previously Graduate grams, the Orlandos) who have made sure the place to sit. Additionally, the Thirsty Ear is the gations, the Cal Safety Compliance Corporation House) will become an undergraduate dorm. community stayed strong. These faculty resi- only comedy and live music venue on the MIT can hardly be considered an independent organi- What is disconcerting to most former and cur- dents have jobs of their own during the day, but campus that features both MIT and Boston- zation. Methodological inadequacies plague the rent residents is that this decision seems to have during the night and weekends they make sure based entertainers each and every week. conduct of its investigations — Cal Safety does been made not to give graduate students a bet- the dorm is a fun place to live. Clearly, the Thirsty Ear cannot co-exist not release its inspection data to the public, con- ter place to live, but to allow MIT to increase The dorm has also evolved over time. Ash- with the undergraduate dormitory that is slated ducts interviews with workers inside the factory the size of the undergraduate population and down has gone from predominately male, with to overtake Ashdown House, and therefore it instead of at a neutral location, often informs the make more money. If the administration really most foreign students originating from Europe, seems logical to continue its success in the up- managers beforehand about the inspection, and cared about the Ashdown residents, it would to containing men and woman from all ends and-coming northwest region of campus that is completes investigations in under three hours have involved them in the process much earlier of the earth. Students from America, Canada, planned to become the new home of the gradu- whereas a Department of Labor investigation instead of telling them that they will have a China, India, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Russia, Bra- ate community. In fact, a number of graduate takes 20 hours. The report also only covers the new place to live in two and a half years in a zil, Mexico, France, Greece, Iceland, United student leaders representing the residents of current conditions, not what they were around dorm that MIT has already designed. The rea- Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Australia, South that region have over the years spoken in favor the time of the murders. As far as the U.S. Dis- son Ashdown has so much character is that it Africa, Italy, Egypt, Switzerland, Argentina, of establishing a similar pub in their commu- trict Court, Coca-Cola was cleared of responsi- was originally a hotel and not built by MIT. Columbia, Dominican Republic, etc. all live to- nity. After all, the Thirsty Ear provides a proven bility for control over the bottling operations, but What I would like to tell the administration gether under one roof. model for responsible alcohol service, com- litigation is proceeding against the Coke-owned is that graduate students are people and not Will the Ashdown community survive? I munity involvement, and graduate student gov- bottler, Coca-Cola FEMSA. commodities to be bought, sold, and traded. think it will in spite of the administration’s best ernance. Ideally, the graduate students of The Allegations from other parts of the world fur- What makes Ashdown House an amazing place efforts because graduate students want to have Thirsty Ear Executive Committee and the mem- ther undermine Coca-Cola’s credibility. In India, to live is that it is a community. Most graduate a community and not just a place to live. Ash- bers of Campus Dining, Graduate Housing, and Coke bottling facilities have drained the water students come to MIT not knowing anybody and down has previously withstood nine hundred Student Life should cooperate on a new pub de- table at an “alarming” rate, according to a report expecting their life just to be research and work. apprentice seamen replacing graduate students sign and venue format that best meets the needs from the Central Ground Water Board. The loss Ashdown is an oasis from that grind. Events during World War II, and I pray it can withstand of the residents in the NW community. of water has harmed the environment and is de- such as coffee hour, house dinners, and barbe- another upheaval. However, although plans to convert Ash- stroying the livelihood of local farmers. A BBC cues are thrown by residents and housemasters I hope the administration takes a step back report found that Coca-Cola has also been dis- to allow students to relax and make friends. and thinks about what it is doing. Most former Rinehart, Page 6 posing toxic waste products by distributing the This community is even more important to in- and current residents only ask that residents substances to local farmers as “fertilizer.” Analy- ternational students for whom Ashdown House be included in planning their future. If the ad- sis at the University of Exeter confirmed that the is a first exposure to American life. ministration chooses to impose its will on the For this spotlight, The Tech’s Opinion De- sludge was useless as a fertilizer and contained At least two Nobel Prize winners have lived graduate students, it may destroy a community partment solicited contributions from current dangerous levels of cadmium and lead. in Ashdown, but happiness is a much harder that has benefitted graduate students since the and former residents of Ashdown. We wel- Until a legitimate investigation is conducted, thing to quantify. Most former graduate stu- 1930s. come columns or letters on Ashdown’s future dents I know who lived in Ashdown seem to Thomas Burbine PhD ’00 is a former Ash- and the broader upcoming changes in MIT’s Vyas, Page 6 have much fonder memories of MIT than those down resident. housing system at [email protected]. Page 6 THE TECH OPINION February 28, 2006 MIT’s Help Beneficial to Thirsty Ear Rinehart, from Page 5 pendently. Student Life and Graduate Housing TEEC believes that cooperation in an hon- each offer significant experience and resources est, trusting, and open environment is the key to down are certain, neither Student Life nor Grad- that are necessary when establishing a business progress. After all, its long-term commitment is uate Housing has mentioned any concrete plans such as an on-campus pub. TEEC’s own coordi- to the graduate student body — we’re all volun- to construct a new pub to account for the loss nation with Campus Dining, for example, has teers anyway. When the administration is ready of the Thirsty Ear. Is the administration plan- been enormously beneficial in the successful to work hand-in-hand with TEEC, we will be ning to establish a pub in the NW area on its operation of the Thirsty Ear Pub. TEEC estab- ready to listen and cooperate. own terms, without graduate student influence lishes programs and overarching operational Let TEEC know how you feel about this is- in the process? I certainly hope not. The gradu- codes; Campus Dining, acting through the sue — please send us an e-mail at ear-info@mit. ate students are the ones who best understand pub’s part-time manager, provides the experi- edu. If you would like to learn more about the the needs of their community, and therefore it is ence and practical underpinning necessary to Thirsty Ear Pub, please visit us at http://web. in the best interests of MIT to include them in make these ideas a reality. Our experience is mit.edu/thirsty-ear. any such process. proof that, when working in cooperation, stu- Michael Rinehart is a graduate student and Of course, TEEC does not believe the gradu- dents and administrators can produce great ven- the chair of the Thirsty Ear Executive Commit- ate student body should try to create a pub inde- ues for building community. tee. He can be reached at [email protected]. Coca-Cola Doesn’t Belong On Campus Vyas, from Page 5 came the tenth U.S. college to end its relation- BevMark, a beverage industry consultancy, to ship with Coke, citing the fact that Coca-Cola the Financial Times. MIT should terminate its relationship with Coca- continues to refuse an independent investiga- If you would like to become more involved, Cola as a matter of principle. All Coke products tion of its human rights record. The Killer Coke speakers from SINALTRAINAL — a Columbi- — including Sprite, Fanta, Minute Maid, Nestea, campaign does not aim to cripple Coke finan- an union representing Coca-Cola workers — and Powerade, Odwalla, and Dasani water — should cially because campuses constitute a small share United Students Against Sweatshops will be giv- be removed from campus and replaced by rival of Coke’s market. Instead, the campaign targets ing a presentation on Wednesday, March 8th. In beverages. A product distilled in intimidation, Coke’s image. Coke spends over two billion dol- hopes that the MIT community will take action, pollution, and assassination, Coke tarnishes lars a year on advertising. “It is impossible to I end on this note — a sign hangs in a Colum- MIT’s reputation and taints the Institute’s integ- over-estimate the damage caused when a brand bian union office quoting Edmund Burke: “All rity. Coke has no place here. goes from being seen as something good to it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do Recently, the University of Michigan be- something bad,” said Tom Pirko, president of nothing.”

[email protected] February 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 7 CAMPUS LIFE Imminent Collapse Don’t Fear the Beard By Bill Andrews be mean or anything, so I’ll just state without quarters of those grown during IAP, were ish things (so to speak) behind us. I took some CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR naming names that not everyone can grow a unintentional, unplanned, and (in that loving pictures, played a final game of “shampoo my Like many of my fellow students, I saw beard — just ask my cousin Dave. Alas, what description typically reserved for children) face,” and bade it a fond farewell. this last IAP as a time of opportunity. Indeed, some men grow is not a beard, just some of accidents. But the memory of it lives on in me. For there was a plethora of options — should I take the component parts; they can still go on to I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t great having you see, my mental self-image (or as I call it, some cool job, some neato internship? Or per- live fruitful lives, of course, perhaps with a beard. Weeks without shaving, taking only my Matrix image) has changed. Before, my haps spend all my new and fleeting free time subtle variations on the beardly theme (like a minute or two to touch up, extra warmth in Matrix image was totally clean-shaven; thus, going to the gym, eating lite, and buffing up? mustaches, soul patch- the winter, the list goes the disparity between my expected reflection There’s the new 2-hour-a-day sleeping sched- es, goatees, mutton on and on. And for the and my actual reflection would alert me to ule I’ve heard so much about, entire seasons chops). But even with most part, I benefited; the need. Now, apparently, I’d always need a of great TV shows to watch, great literature … the true beards, things For you see, my mental self-image I suddenly looked old- shave in the Matrix, because I can never tell How’s a guy to choose? can get a little hairy if (or as I call it, my Matrix image) er, more sophisticated, when I need a shave in real life. Lucky for me, In the end, you’ll be happy to know that, you don’t watch out. more artistic, more though, I happen to know someone more than like so many of my classmates, I watched After all, there’s a has changed. collegiate. In fact, in willing to take over the task. daytime TV (don’t worry, it still sucks) and subtle but noticeable all my bearded glory, So, while my IAP may seem like wasted played video games. But I was left with a by- difference between only one person didn’t time to some, I say they are the ones who wast- product other than lowered intelligence and having a nicely cultivated, full fledged beard really like the change, and unfortunately (for ed their time (unless they also grew beards). better hand-eye coordination: a shiny new and a free-for-all growth that merely tries. It’s my beard), that one person was my fiancée. I mean, fellas, how much do you really know beard. (Well, actually, it was more fuzzy than a big decision to make, because up till that After our IAP-long separation, her first words about yourself if you don’t even know how shiny, but whatever.) moment you can go either way: “oh, uh, no were, “I don’t like it.” you look in a beard? Or even if you can grow Nor was I the only one. Upon my semi-tri- I’m not sporting a beard, it’s just been a while So off it went, as have so many of my one, should the need arise? The unexamined umphant return to mit.edu, I saw that many of since I’ve shaved, that’s all. But, y’know, may- beard’s friends since term began, presumably life is not worth living, says Socrates, but I say my brethren (and, alas, some sistren) had also be if I like how it looks …” In fact, I would to greener pastures, bigger faces, or whatever. the ungrown beard is not worth wearing. Or, adopted the shaggy look. Now, I don’t want to guess that at least half of all beards, and three After all, IAP’s over, and it’s time to put child- you know, the less gross equivalent. Fo’ the Shorties The Shopaholic Beaver Dear MIT hackers A Geek’s Search for Beauty By Chris C’abral, Wang Lei, guys, that would completely and utterly destroy By Elizabeth Zakszewski of the Galleria with clothing stores, we went and Nikhil Shenoy our hopes of going to class. STAFF COLUMNIST there thinking the odds would be better. Dear MIT Hackers, But even if you did somehow pull off some As a confessed shopaholic, I enjoy taking Boy, were we ever wrong. First, we tried Thank you for providing MIT with culture ingenious hack just to get back at us upstanding the occasional trip to the Cambridgeside Gal- Sears, and after wandering aimlessly we and rampant trichinosis (a disease transmitted by Boston frat guys for making fun of you guys all leria. I know a lot of people who feel the same asked a clerk where the dress department was. bare feet). We need your services to spice up our the time, it wouldn’t be original. We heard from way, some who even make the trip a weekly “Oh, we don’t sell formal dresses,” she said, lives, because we are uncreative ham-bone frat a reliable source that Susan Hockfield is directly excursion. And as a geek, I usually find shop- scoffing at our ignorance. A department store guys, feminist sorority babes, and normal/boring responsible for the daily, heartless torture known ping there a worthwhile effort. without dresses, what a world we live in! At west-campus students who are too busy copy- as Daytime Saferide. Good thing she doesn’t There’s Best Buy, which covers movies, Filene’s we found the right department, which ing your problem sets to come up with all those read The Tech. video games, and enough sexy gadgets (com- consisted of a whopping four racks of dresses. clever, ingenious little “hacks” of yours. (If per chance you are reading this, Susan, puters, cameras, etc.) to keep you ogling for For the males (or non-shopping women) in The days of police cars on the dome and pi- don’t take it the wrong way. Also, thought we’d some time. To expand your mind in a more the audience, let me explain that four racks geons in Harvard Stadium have been replaced by let you know, we love your new energy initia- literary fashion, go to Border’s, right on the present very poor odds of finding an appropri- a sinking boat — literally and figuratively. We be- tive.) second floor. There’s a good collection of spe- ate dress, especially for a woman with a non- lieve in you, and we want something spectacular. We know we’ve given you EC guys a lot of cialty electronics stores on the first floor, too: Twiggy figure. On top of that, approximately You East Campus freaks need to understand that grief, but are we frat guys really that different? Radioshack, Suncoast, Brookstone, Iris, that half of the dresses were black, and my poor dying your hair, building water rides, or smell- We watch “24” (according to www.thefacebook. place that sells Creative Zen players, and the friend didn’t think that would be the best color ing like Big Foot’s crotch, are not as important com, Jack Bauer lives in East Campus, and also Apple store. I’m not really an iPod girl, but I to wear to a wedding. as entertaining us. So put down that seven foot Really Hates Kim Bauer!). We like playing 8–bit hear the salesmen at the store are really hot, We then tried every women’s clothing unicycle you’re making and indulge us. Nintendo too. When we were eight years old, so it’s even possible to ogle non-electronic store at the Galleria (and there weren’t ter- Hackers: don’t take this the wrong way, we we all watched the same episodes of “Teenage things too. Yup, the Galleria is a trusted place ribly many), but none of them sold evening know you really live all over campus and not just Mutant Ninja Turtles” and wanted to bang Kelly to find gifts for your fellow beavers, and, if dresses. We saw little cocktail numbers with at EC, but blanket generalizations, false assump- Kapowski (skeet skeet skeet). your shopping willpower is weak, for yourself exorbitant price tags, separates, and a number tions, and illogical extrapolation are what make Like we always say, “in the final analysis, our as well. of other strange items that apparently lie in this Red country great. most basic common link is that we all inhabit Then just last week I was presented with the realm of “fashion.” Let’s get down to business. this small planet, we all breathe the same air, a shopping challenge: my good friend need- All in all, only one dress was tried. I Could you change the amount of time in a we all cherish our children’s futures, and we are ed to find a dress for a wedding. Like visit- learned several things during my shopping day or make the sky green? I personally don’t all mortal.” We can’t remember if we said this ing the bathroom, dress shopping is best at- research: 1.) There is a 75 percent off sale of know how to do this because I got a C in 8.033, or if it was the former United States President, tempted in groups, so she asked me to join winter clothes at Sears right now. My friend but I know that professor Max Tegmark said in the last great liberal, and our homeboy, JFK. But her. With our limited time, we had to choose got a really nice formal wrap that would look class it was definitely possible. I’m pretty sure it was us. JFK was unavailable carefully where to go. Back when I lived on great over her non-existent dress. There was How about a hack where you build an under- for comment. West Campus, I knew girls who had success- an unorthodoxly good women’s selection for a grad dorm with thousands of little windows and In conclusion, we implore you to give us fully found dresses (for these things they have clearance sale. 2.) If you need a skanky T-shirt call it art? Better yet, go into a frat house and pre- something to talk about. Something grand. called “semi-formals”) at Filene’s Basement. (why I needed one is a whole ’nother story tend to be college kids, then at the right moment Something inspirational. This is a call for a hack If my friend and I couldn’t find a dress there, I’m not gonna get into), you can’t go wrong reveal yourselves as undercover cops. (Aren’t to own all hacks. though, it would end our trip pretty quickly, with Wet Seal. 3.) If you find yourself in the there other crimes going on in Boston besides Regards, since I didn’t know of any other (reasonably unfortunate situation of being a poor beaver underaged drinking, such as gouging of college Wang ([email protected]), Chris (vcabral@mit. priced) stores in Downtown Crossing. And who needs to doll herself up in a dress, don’t students for tuition and serving of toxic waste in edu), and Nikhil ([email protected]) since there’s the whole second and third floors go to the Galleria. the student center?) Dre said, “f--k the police,” not us, but we don’t completely ��������������������������� disagree. ����������������������������� We’ve heard rumors that the reason for the long awesome-hack hiatus is be- cause you have been planning a ridicu- lously sick hack, targeting Boston frat

INNOVATING | MENTORING | BUILDING CAPACITY

Creative? Intelligent? Capable? Prove it! Join a team and enter MIT’s annual IDEAS Competition to design and strategize methods to benefit ������������������� communities around the ��������������������������������������������������������������� globe. It is applied innovation ����������������������������������������������������������������� ��������������������������������������������������������������� for a better world. ������������������������������������������������������

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Page 8

Trio by Emezie Okorafor

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. Solution on page 13. 6 1 3 7 2 9 5 1 8 4 3 9 6 5 1 3 2 4 6 9 7 7 1 2 Solution, tips, and computer program at http://www.sudoku.com

Dilbert® by Scott Adams February 28, 2006 The Tech Page 9

ACROSS 41 Hounds DOWN 31 Pairs 1 Magic Kingdom 42 Got it! 1 Guiding philoso- 32 Prevail upon neighbor 43 Long periods phy 33 Zoom by 6 Things with 44 Betters oneself 2 Madrid museum 34 Long poem scales 45 Passageway 3 Body of rules 35 To boot 10 TV’s Dr. __ 47 Dramatist Jon- 4 Curious 36 One who’s sorry 14 Line of work son 5 Hardens, as now 15 Brainstorm 48 Greek letter metal 37 Brand marker 16 First-class 49 Reluctant 6 Center 40 Branches out 17 Younger sibling’s 54 Accessory for 7 Flap 44 Official fashion stretching exer- 8 Church seats entanglements 19 Theater box cises 9 Authoritative 46 Belief system 20 Wedding declara- 58 PC key permission 47 Socket insert tion 59 Ref. set member 10 Fortuneteller’s 50 Sloping 21 Pops 60 Wrinkly citrus specialty walkways 22 Run about fruit 11 Dunker’s target 51 Clinging vines Solution, page 13 24 Festive fallout 61 Travel option 12 “Bus Stop” play- 52 Acknowledge, in 27 Rocky pinnacle 64 Gung-ho wright a way 28 Apr. collector 65 Holliday partner 13 Lecher’s look 53 Sparkle 29 Like a stored 66 Post-crucifixion 18 Gets some grub 54 Hearty laughs rope, often depiction 23 “You’ve got 55 Pointed arch 34 Merits 67 On its way mail” co. 56 Secluded valley 37 Apollo’s mother 68 Moral wrongs 25 Kindergartner’s 57 Siamese, now 38 Mystique 69 Type of salts medium 62 Big pot 39 Stopper 26 Maritime hazard 63 Criticize

Crossword Puzzle Crossword 40 Spring harbinger 30 Redding of soul Page 10 THE TECH February 28, 2006 Universities Claim Judge Erred in Ruling Non-Clinician Administrators Should Not Be Liable for Student Suicides, Groups Argue Shin, from Page 1 pear to be at risk to be hospitalized act at their peril because they do not been transmitted across the country, or withdraw from the university” know what they are required to do, and is affecting colleges even now, their custody, neither of which was or involve a students’ parents, even when they are required to do it, and the national universities write. true in the Shin case. Furthermore, though such measures might be det- for how long they must continue to Already, the educational organi- they write, McEvoy’s contention that rimental to the student. do it,” the Massachusetts colleges zations filing a brief write, the Shin a “special relationship” existed be- As a result of McEvoy’s ruling, write. case has been cited “as a major fac- tween Shin and the administrator and the eight national universities write The eight national educational tor” impeding the efforts of universi- in their brief, non-clinician student organizations filing a brief echoed ties to identify and counsel suicidal life staff members may be reluctant the Massachusetts colleges’ claims, students, as administrators fear lia- Universities worry the to identify troubled students or to co- arguing that the result will be “sub- bility that “they lack the expertise to ordinate treatment with clinical staff. jecting at-risk students to the inex- avoid.” Unless overturned, McEvoy’s Shin case may lead “The Superior Court’s ruling puts pert medical judgment of non-clini- ruling will also “signal colleges and We Have these caring student-life staff mem- cians and subjecting those university universities not to admit potentially student life staff to shy bers to an impossible choice: either administrators staff to the specter of unstable students,” the organizations assuming a duty they are not qualified enormous liability meted out by ju- write. away from helping identify to fulfill (i.e., preventing suicide), or ries acting in hindsight.” The full text of the petition and Computers troubled students. not offering the level of support they The high-profile Shin lawsuit briefs can be found at http://web.mit. are committed to providing,” the na- “does not exist in a vacuum,” has edu/newsoffice/2006/appeal.html tional universities write. made them potentially liable because And if administrators begin to they “could reasonably foresee that shy away from student suicide risks Groups Filing Amicus Briefs Elizabeth would hurt herself without or feel obligated to overreact, it may proper supervision,” is a “dramatic “drive the suicide problem under- Massachusetts Educational departure from Massachusetts law.” ground,” as students feel less com- You are But even beyond resolving the fortable communicating with the Universities Organizations questions of Massachusetts law, the administrators, 15 Massachusetts Amherst College American Association of Com- ruling has significant implications colleges write in their brief. Boston University munity Colleges Probably for colleges facing student mental On the other hand, if non-clini- Boston College American Association of health problems, cian administra- Brandeis University Collegiate Registrars and the administra- tors must take College of the Holy Cross Admissions Officers tors write in The effects of the Shin action to secure Emerson College American Association of State Course 6 their petition. If the short-term Lesley University Colleges and Universities McEvoy’s rul- lawsuit have already been safety of all sui- Massachusetts College of Phar- American Council on Education ing is sustained, felt by universities across the cidal students, macy and Health Sciences Association of American Univer- they write, it the Massachu- Northeastern University sities will create an country, as administrators setts colleges Simmons College National Association of Indepen- untenable situ- write, they may Smith College dent Colleges and Universities ation pitting question their involvement be forced to vi- Stonehill College National Association of State administrators with suicidal students. olate students’ Tufts University Universities and Land-Grant Join The and clinicians rights, going Wellesley College Colleges against each against the cur- Williams College National Association of Student other in a battle rent trends at Personnel Administrators to avoid liability, resulting in the universities to grant more privacy Tech sacrifice of the best interests of the and autonomy to students. More- students. Administrators will be left over, requiring an administrator to National Universities to choose from two damaging cours- prevent a student from committing Brown University Stanford University es of action to evade liability: first, suicide “would create an almost Cornell University University of Chicago to avoid being knowledgeable about unlimited number of situations that Dartmouth College University of Southern Califor- students’ problems, and second to would likely give rise to litigation.” Emory University nia [email protected] “take the most extreme approach As a result of McEvoy’s decision, Rice University by trying to force students who ap- “administrators have been left to February 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 11 Common Space, Timeliness of Input Are Concerns Ashdown, from Page 1 cussions “very general,” with noth- purposely misled … Anytime be- Cambridge to build the dormitory. ery building if it’s thought through ing “about common space or types tween ’04 and now they could have For the project to remain on carefully can encourage commu- dents joined in expressing the impor- of rooms, only a footprint.” With involved people in the process. Some schedule, those involved will have nity — or not,” Orlando said. “One tance of student input into decisions respect to Ashdown, “When I asked things do have to be kept secret, but until only March 31 to decide on fi- doesn’t want to be constrained to affecting student life in a UA/GSC at the time, explicitly, I was told no there are tons of things in that pro- nal floor plans specifying room con- this small amount of space to build resolution (page 11). The Undergrad- decision had been made about Ash- cess that could have had student in- figurations and allocation of com- a community.” uate Association unanimously passed down at that time.” put; they were constantly being of- mon space, Orlando said. That group In an interview, Nilsson said the resolution last night, and the GSC Former Ashdown resident and fered student input.” will reconvene tomorrow. that the proposed layout for the new will vote on it Wednesday evening. former GSC President Barun Singh GSC President Sylvain Bruni Bruni said “When they started to building would include two-bedroom Students have found troubling the said at the town hall meeting that commented, “There are great exam- have a good idea of what the dorm apartments and efficiencies. One administration’s failure to solicit in- administrators “just don’t want the ples of collaboration between grad would look like, that’s when our in- source of input into the room config- put since a 2004 housing feasibility same things we want.” students and the administration, and put was most valuable, not 30 days urations was “statistically, where are study, even from those who would In a later interview, Singh, who there are bad examples. We are ready before the deadline.” students living? We have the longest be most affected by the decisions. had been asked by AHEC to partici- to work with them, understand their Former GSC president Emilie waiting lists for” Sidney Pacific, ex- Orlando, who was included in the pate in the process, added, “We have constraints, to negotiate and compro- F. Slaby said in an e-mail that the cluding shared bedroom quads, she 2004 study committee, called its dis- every reason to believe that we were mise. It’s about time they included Council was surprised they were said. On the other hand, she added, students.” not asked for input sooner given the allocations for common space are Preliminary architectural plans compressed timetable. not yet written in stone. “We don’t were originally shown at an informal The Committee on Student Life, just build buildings, if that doesn’t meeting on Friday Feb. 17 to a group made up of faculty, undergraduates, work for students,” she said. of stakeholders, including the house- and graduate students has said that According to data compiled by masters of Ashdown, Sidney Pacific “they supported student involvement members of AHEC based on informa- graduate residence and NW30 (the in the design of the building, and tion from the Ashdown house man- Warehouse). The plans fueled anger hoped that the March 31 deadline ager and the preliminary plans, the during the town hall meeting the fol- would be extended,” Orlando said. new building, even including all of its lowing Thursday, when AHEC mem- But Benedict emphasized that as yet flexible space, will only have bers revealed that they were dated July March 31 will not mark the end of about half the common space current- 2005, indicating they had been created discussions. “We have two years of ly available to Ashdown residents, but long before graduate students and the work to do on other aspects of the with 140 percent as many residents. Orlandos were directly consulted. planning process which will also re- This is not the first time graduate But Director of Housing Karen quire and allow for quality student students have leveled charges against A. Nilsson said in an interview that input,” Benedict wrote in an e-mail. administrators, calling them reluctant making preliminary drawings was a A key concern about the new to seek student input. A GSC propos- necessary first step for MIT towards building is its apparent lack of com- al dated September 2000 regarding gaining approval from the City of mon space. “The architecture of ev- the early stages of designs for Sid- ney-Pacific outlines an almost identi- cal situation and student response. UA/GSC Resolution on Input “Since the proposed building is already very advanced in the design Regarding Physical Resources stages, we only discuss issues that Whereas, students are the primary users of student residences, and are can still be amended,” that proposal thus well positioned to provide input regarding the configuration of these states. “It should be noted that many residences; and of us would have proposed a differ- Whereas student residences are “existing or prospective physical re- ent design of the building, if we were sources” under Section II.C of the Statement of Government of Colleges involved from the early planning and Universities, as endorsed by the American Association of University stages.” Professors, the American Council on Education, and the Association of The proposal goes on to note that Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges; “the resident units seem too large, Be it resolved, by the Undergraduate Association assembled in and that there is not enough common Senate and the Graduate Student Council: space,” and provides suggestions to That input from both students and faculty should be solicited regard- address those concerns that repre- ing plans for construction or major renovation of student residences; and sented “minimum requirements for That this input should cover topics including but not limited to this dormitory to be consistent with (i) the total amount of common space in the residence, Institute positions on residential life.” (ii) the disposition of this common space, and AHEC has created a Web site to (iii) the type of residential rooms in the residence; and serve as a “discussion mechanism.” That this input should be solicited at a time when it is still feasible to Students can provide input to the make substantive changes to the architectural designs regarding the three process by blogging their experi- OMARI STEPHENS—THE TECH aforementioned topics. ences, and leave comments about Eric G. Weese ’G, Housing and Community Affairs Co-chair for the Resolution passed by the Undergraduate Association Senate at their opinions and concerns about Graduate Student Council, provides argument supporting the joint its meeting last night. The Graduate Student Council will vote on Ashdown and the design of the new Undergraduate Association and GSC resolution passed yesterday the resolution at its meeting on Wednesday evening. graduate dormitory at http://www. night during the UA Senate meeting. Ashdownhouse.org.

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MIT Blood Drive Sponsored by ARCTAN This space donated by The Tech Page 12 THE TECH February 28, 2006 Collaboration With Portugal Considered Reuters Article ‘Misleading’ and Premature By Curt Fischer share only mutual interest in explor- STAFF REPORTER ing possibilities for collaboration. MIT is considering entering into The level of consideration MIT is science and technology cooperation giving to the pairing with Portugal is with the nation of Portugal, but has not unusual. “We get invitations [for not made any final decisions regard- collaborations] every week,” Clay ing the issue, said Chancellor Phillip said. L. Clay PhD ’75. MIT first assesses possible areas Clay’s stance contrasted with a where collaboration could be mutu- Reuters report Saturday that said an ally beneficial. If sufficient interest accord had been signed. “The report arises from the faculty, typically a is misleading,” Clay said. “There small team of professors would then is not an accord,” and the Reuters meet officials from the foreign entity announcement was premature, he to flesh out the scope and nature of said. the collaboration. Over the next four to five months, Professor Daniel Roos ’61 of the MIT faculty will study the possibil- Engineering Systems Division will ity of the collaboration before reach- lead MIT’s assessment of possible STEPHANIE DUDZIC ing a final decision. Clay emphasized collaborations with Portugal, Clay Jay M. Turner ’08 (left), Adam V. Donovan ’06 (center), Tal Goldenberg ’09(center, obscured), and that currently, MIT and Portugal said. Courtney E. Lane ’09 (right) participate in MacGregor’s annual Entry Acts, performing a rendition of Ok Go’s “A Million Ways” last Friday, Feb. 24. Departing Slaby Cites Diversity, Future Dorm As Challenges for GSC Slaby, from Page 1 The GSC has “a lot of really dedicat- ed people” and works to make sure respect to plans to close Ashdown students “do not lose [their] voice on House and build a new graduate committees.” dormitory next to the Sidney Pacific Slaby said she was especially graduate residence, the GSC has proud of the Hurricane Katrina fund- taken on other initiatives as well. ing board, and feels that the biggest Bruni said the GSC is advocating en- issues the GSC faces are diversity hancement of graduate committees, and the new graduate student resi- and encouraging people to apply and dence. Reflecting on the past year participate. with the GSC, Slaby said, “I think Reflecting on his experiences this was a growth year for everyone working with Slaby, Bruni said, “all involved,” as many members were 204561 MIT Mntl Hlth_F 2/9/06 9:43 AM Page 1 GSC officers are thankful to Emilie” new, but that the organization has for her months and years of services. become more efficient.

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prompt appointments including evenings + walk-in hours for urgent matters, weekdays 2-4 PM + emergency care available 24 hours February 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 13 MIT Team Helps Disarm Bombs By Bryan Bender lieves the highly controlled experi- techniques to help thwart what has THE BOSTON GLOBE ments that 10 MIT researchers are become the single deadliest weapon The Pentagon is staking $3 mil- conducting with research partners US soldiers face in Iraq. lion on a small team of students at at Washington State University and And Defense Secretary Donald the MIT to help the military identify Michigan Technological University H. Rumsfeld established a high-lev- new ways of disarming the kind of hold great promise. el office headed by a retired general homemade bombs that insurgents The funding is part of a mili- to coordinate the military’s projects are using to kill and maim U.S. tary program called the Multidisci- addressing the IED problem. troops in Iraq, according to De- plinary University Research Initia- According to an Army report fense Department documents and tive, which is designed to support to Congress earlier this month, the researchers. technology advances and academic Pentagon’s work on roadside bombs Under the auspices of the Office work in subjects “representing ex- “has contributed to a 45 percent de- of Naval Research, the Pentagon will ceptional opportunities” for future crease in the rate of IED casualties fund a research project led by MIT military applications, according to a since April 2004.” chemistry professor Keith A. Nel- program description. Yet the military has a long way son that is analyzing the molecular Composed of leftover Iraqi Army to go before the weapon of choice of interaction of explosive materials. mortars, artillery shells, TNT, and a Iraqi insurgents and others targeting Holy Eucharist The goal of the three-year program, variety of other explosives available American forces is rendered a toler- with imposition of ashes Nelson said, is to study the physics in postwar Iraq, IEDs pose perhaps able threat, according to specialists. Wednesday,March 1 and chemistry of improvised ex- the most troublesome problem for With the help of Washington plosive devices — known as IEDs U.S. troops and commanders. The State’s Institute for Shock Phys- 5:15 pm MIT Chapel — and find techniques to detonate bombs, hidden along U.S. patrol and ics, which studies the physical and or short-circuit them before they convoy routes, are relatively cheap chemical changes in solids and Guest Preacher: The Very Rev. Jep Streit, Dean of cause harm. to make, yet have become increas- liquids under very rapid and large Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston “We are studying the micro- ingly sophisticated, more powerful, compressions, the MIT research scopic mechanisms that are char- and harder for the military to defend work will include laboratory experi- acteristic of the core materials that against. ments to “shock materials and study bad guys use in IEDS,” Nelson said Skilled insurgents have disguised in real time how they respond,” Nel- in an interview Monday. “There is IEDs as rocks or tucked them inside son said. a whole set of things that have to roadside debris and dead animals. Other research will include test- Sponsored by the happen to get [a detonation] and we The bomb detonators have ranged ing different ways that explosives Lutheran-Episcopal Ministry at MIT are studying the chemistry in small from remote-controlled devices can be stimulated, or triggered — http://web.mit.edu/lem/ amounts of energetic materials. activated by a nearby cellphone to such as through heat, radiation, or “There are two objectives: de- thin, nearly invisible trip wires and mechanics. veloping countermeasures and de- sensors the size of postage stamps The hope, said Nelson, is to use veloping safer and more reliable imbedded in the road. the knowledge gained to “make materials for our own use” to defend The Defense Department has IEDs on the side of the road more against them, he said. set aside $3 billion this year to de- vulnerable to stimuli we might The Defense Department be- velop new technologies and training launch at them.” Search For Next Free dinner on VP Begun Sunday nights. Avakian, from Page 1 be built, she said, and it will require the efforts of the entire administra- tion to start seeing the desired nu- merical results. As part of the efforts Royal Bengal to increase employee diversity, a Boston’s only authentic Bengali Cuisine restaurant Staff Diversity Council was created one year ago. 31 3 Mass . Ave ., Cambr idge Avakian has served MIT in hu- Open Daily Except Monday (617) 491-1988 man resources since 1999. Before 11:30 a m – 11:30 pm T: Red Line, Bus #1 – Ce ntra l Squar e coming to MIT, she had worked in Lunch Buffet $6.95 Unique Bengali fish dishes include human relations at the Beth Israel Reasonably Pr iced Dinners Paabda maachher jhol,Rui maachher Hospital for 20 years. kalia,Mochar ghanto, Shorshe Ilish The search for a replacement [email protected] for Avakian has already begun with Take-out, platters, and catering available.Delivery with minimum order. MIT’s interim executive vice presi- 10% Discount on $15 (or more) order with MIT ID. W20-483, 617-253-1541 dent Sherwin Greenblatt interview- http://www.royalbengalrestaurant.com ing several executive search firms last week, Avakian said. Once a search firm has been hired, it will work with a search advisory com- mittee headed by Sloan School Professor Thomas A. Kochan. Ava- kian said her role will be limited to advising Kochan and reviewing the job description prior to the search process. Solution to Sudoku from page 8 5 6 8 1 9 4 7 3 2 7 4 1 8 3 2 5 6 9 2 9 3 6 5 7 1 8 4 4 1 6 2 7 9 3 5 8 9 8 7 3 1 5 2 4 6 3 2 5 4 8 6 9 7 1 1 3 2 7 4 8 6 9 5 6 5 4 9 2 3 8 1 7 8 7 9 5 6 1 4 2 3 Solution to Crossword from page 9 Page 14 THE TECH February 28, 2006 Speculation Swirling About Summers Replacement By Michael Levenson faculty. Others said that rather than a right.” woman at the helm. College. A scholar of political phi- THE BOSTON GLOBE prominent figure, like Summers, the Many say the new president must “The Harvard of the 21st cen- losophy, she has written on France Everyone has a favorite. former Treasury secretary who occa- first soothe faculty anger if he or she tury needs to be setting an example and feminism. Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, presi- sionally autographed dollar bills for hopes to realize a vision of a bigger, for people different from its historic “People have respected Nan Keo- dent of George Washington Uni- admiring students, Harvard might be bolder Harvard. constituents,” she said. “This is a hane for 20 years,” Jones said. “She versity, recommends Shirley Ann well served by a longtime adminis- Peter C. Wendell, a California conversation that is important for would just be the perfect person.” Jackson ’68 who is a theoretical trator who rose quietly through the venture capitalist and member of the Harvard community itself to take He said he was not sure, however, physicist, president of Rensselaer ranks. the Princeton University board, said up.” whether she would want to serve Polytechnic Institute, and the first Still for some, it’s imperative that Harvard’s next president, no matter While some in academia shy from again as a university president. African-American woman to receive Harvard turn to a scientist to under- how much of an academic heavy- suggesting a specific person for the Though he said he could not name a doctorate from MIT. score a new direction, away from the weight, needs to listen well. job, others gleefully recommended a suitable scientist for Harvard’s top Donna E. Shalala, health and hu- campus culture wars of previous de- “The most important thing would candidates. Trachtenberg said Jack- job, Botstein said he was certain sci- man services secretary in the Clinton cades and toward a new era of scien- be someone who would have the re- son would be “the answer to every ence should be the new president’s administration, would be perfect, tific discovery. spect of the faculty and be able to complaint alleged about Summers.” discipline. suggests Paul S. Grogan, president of There was near unanimity that the lead them,” Wendell said, “so it would A past president of the American “It’s not about the culture wars the Boston Foundation, because she’s next leader must have more political have to be someone with a great in- Association for the Advancement of and the social sciences and the hu- “tough” and “politically savvy.” acumen and ease with outsized egos tellect, because Harvard faculty are Science and an insatiable intellectual, manities or the arts,” he said. “It’s Leon Botstein, president of Bard than Summers did, and a better un- bright people who expect a bright she has lectured on topics as diverse a question of the role of science in College in New York, wants a scien- derstanding of the megaphone effect leader — and also probably someone as Ethiopian art and opto-electronic society and democracy, and for that tist such as Shirley M. Tilghman, a that makes everything the Harvard with two ears and one mouth used in materials, and has established a bio- you need a scientist, it seems to molecular biologist and president president says and does reverberate that proportion.” technology center at Rensselaer, ded- me.” of Princeton University who would far beyond Cambridge. The Byzan- Also important is the president’s icated to combating what she calls a Grogan, who recommended Sha- push a bolder science curriculum. tine politics of the job encompass willingness to push professors in “quiet crisis” of too few American lala, now the president of the Uni- As some of the nation’s busi- everything from international issues powerful perches, to collaborate, engineers and scientists. versity of Miami, said she would ness, academic, and nonprofit lead- to inter-departmental tiffs. And the for instance, with junior colleagues “African-American. Woman. help tackle the politics of Harvard’s ers contemplate a new president for president must relish the challenge in other departments, said James A. Physicist. Proven university admin- expansion into Allston. “The whole Harvard University, they offer an ar- of engaging with demanding stu- Champy, chairman of Perot Systems istrator,” Trachtenberg said. “She Allston thing would be right up her ray of suggestions about who could dents, donors, a prying media, and Corp.’s consulting practice and a has the charm of being both right alley in terms of leading that process triumph where president Lawrence independent-minded professors. member of the MIT board. for the moment at Harvard, a radical and getting more of it executed,” he H. Summers ’75 stumbled, and suc- “You have to have the respect of “They’ve got to have the strength departure and answer to the critics said. cessfully lead the country’s oldest the faculty, and you have to demon- to force an openness and transpar- of the last five years, and simultane- Harvard’s 28th president will be and most influential university. The strate a high degree of respect for the ency between the schools and de- ously capable of doing the job. What selected, under no timeline, by Har- Harvard presidency demands almost faculty,” said Paul E. Gray ’54, a for- partments,” Champy said. “There’s a wonderful thing when two things vard’s board, known as the Corpora- superhuman abilities: brilliance, mer president of MIT. “That doesn’t going to be some forcing action in- like that come together in one person tion, with the support of the univer- worldliness, vision, charm, and tact, mean you can’t push.… It just means volved — a strong hand is still what’s at the right time.” sity’s Board of Overseers. The board to name a few. you have to go about it in a way that required.” Another Summers critic, Denice so far has been silent on its preferred While those interviewed in re- maintains a sense of being part of the After several prominent African- Denton, chancellor of the University candidates. That person will become cent days expressed a range of ideas, process.” American professors, including Cor- of California at Santa Cruz, called an instant force, Botstein said. some common themes emerged. “Upsetting people is not synony- nel West and K. Anthony Appiah, Jackson her top choice, saying, “It is indeed a presidency unlike There were numerous calls for a mous with good leadership,” said left during the Summers presidency, “She’s bold and she speaks out.” any other,” Botstein said. “It’s im- strong female or minority candidate, Nancy Hopkins, an MIT biology the new leader must build better rela- James F. Jones Jr., president of portant to all of us who the president someone bold like Summers but professor and critic of Summers. tions with people of different back- Trinity College, suggested Nannerl of Harvard is, even where we have more perceptive about people, with “You’ve got to somehow be both able grounds, said Beverly Daniel Ta- O. Keohane, a member of Harvard’s no relationship to Harvard, because a soothing manner and an ability to to lead and to serve — and I think tum, president of Spelman College. governing board and past president the job is so important, so visible,” inspire trust among a fragmented that’s hard — and to know and be Harvard has never had a minority or of Duke University and Wellesley he said.

Got News? Let The Tech know! E-mail [email protected] February 28, 2006 SPORTS THE TECH Page 15 Three Pt. Plays Put MIT Ahead For Good Basketball, from Page 16 back three point plays from D’Auria and Bartolotta and a sweet three pointer by Alexander G. Krull ’07, shooting with a hand in his face. MIT continued to roll in the sec- ond half by keeping the pressure on the Bears’ guards and finally getting some penetration, most spectacularly on no-look passes from Kanamori and D’Auria. Soumare added a three point play of his own, and when the Coast Guard fans chanted “OVER- RATED” during his extra point at- tempt, he sank it and wiggled his fingers at them while running back the other way. William D. Mroz ’08 got MIT fans cheering when he substituted in with nine minutes left in the game and immediately sank two three pointers, pushing the MIT lead up to 62-39 with under 8 minutes to go. After that point, Coast Guard got desperate, beginning to lose con- trol on offense and tossing up more off-balance shots. They also experi- mented with full-court pressure and double-teaming the MIT ball carrier when he crossed half court. MIT did only score seven points the rest of the way, but it’s questionable wheth- er this was because of Coast Guard’s defense or because MIT was trying to use the clock rather than worrying as much about scoring. Either way, Coast Guard was not able to capital- ize and could only watch as the sec- onds ticked away, leaving the team 12 points away from the advancing to championship game when the clock hit 0:00. D’Auria was MIT’s top scorer with 17 points on six field goals, two threes, and three free throws. Barto- lotta followed closely behind with 14. Soumare was Tech’s leading re- bounder with 7 (three of them offen- sive boards), followed by Bartolotta with 4. Coast Guard’s top scorer was Jeff Prebeck, with 23 points, nine of them free throws. MIT shot only 47 percent on the night to Coast Guard’s 50 percent, but took 27 more shots, as Coast Guard committed 21 turn- overs to Tech’s 10.

This space donated by The Tech Page 16 THE TECH February 28, 2006 SPORTS Men’s Hoops Makes Their First NEWMAC Title Game By Brian Chase and Daniel F. Kanamori ’06 should three rebounds and two steals. The pass and punched it up the court. with the cry of “DOUUUUUU.” SPORTS EDITOR get a lot of credit for hassling the second steal occurred with a little Running after the ball, he scooped MIT picked up the momentum MIT Men’s Basketball out- Coast Guard ball handlers and creat- under four minutes remaining in the it up and elevated for a thunderous from there and closed the half on an hustled, outplayed, and outstripped ing easy transition buckets. half and MIT up 25-24, as Soumare dunk. Flustered by the slam, Coast 11-6 run, helped along by back-to- Coast Guard in a 69-57 victory Sat- Hamidou Soumare ’08 helped (or “Dou” as the MIT fans were Guard’s Al Sowers sailed a pass out urday afternoon that MIT’s guards in the first half with chanting) leapt on a Coast Guard of bounds and the entire arena shook Basketball, Page 15 sent the Engineers to the NEWMAC Cham- pionship Tournament Final Sunday. Despite WPI Beats MIT 69-57 in Championship Game giving the edge to By Travis Johnson D’Auria ’06, ended his remarkable Coast Guard in shooting percentage, SPORTS EDITOR career with a forgettable night. He rebounds, and free throws, MIT led Cold outside shooting and a size shot a meager 4-18 from the field and by 20 with five minutes remaining, disadvantage cost MIT Men’s Bas- 1-6 from beyond the arch, reflecting thanks to 21 Coast Guard turnovers ketball Sunday, as the team fell to effective WPI defense as well as that limited their shots and allowed WPI 56-69 in its first poor accuracy on his part. He did hit MIT to cruise to victory in the clos- ever visit to the NEW- all four of his foul shots to boost his ing minutes. MAC Championship point total to 13. In the first two minutes, although Game. James M. Bartolotta ’09 picked MIT could not get good dribble or The game was up the slack for MIT, scoring 18 pass penetration in the paint, Coast close for the first fif- points on 7-13 shooting, and also Guard turned the ball over twice, teen minutes, as neither team could led the team with 11 rebounds. With once to Michael W. D’Auria ’06 get on track. MIT (20-8, 8-4) got D’Auria and co-captain Daniel F. and once to James M. Bartolotta their only lead of the match, a 20-19 Kanamori ’06 graduating, it’s clear ’09, leading to 3 MIT points. Coast advantage, with 5:29 to play in the that Bartolotta will be the new team Guard responded by getting passes first half. leader for next season. inside the paint on their next two WPI (22-3, 9-3) then went on a WPI’s key approach was a bal- possessions, resulting in four points run that proved to be decisive. They anced attack that included offense on a bucket and two free throws. controlled play from the next five from both perimeter and post play- The rest of the half progressed minutes and shot a high percentage ers. All five Worcester starters scored similarly — MIT had trouble getting to open up a 37-26 lead by half- 9 or more points, while MIT only near the basket, but managed to sink time. had three players attain that level of enough three-pointers and jumpers The second half resembled the production (D’Auria, Bartolotta, and to stay in the game. Coast Guard, for first fifteen minutes of the first half, Alexander G. Krull ’07). its part, turned the ball over twice as with WPI unable able to pull away As was the case in two ear- many times as MIT, but their inside and MIT unable to come back. WPI lier meetings this season, both won penetration helped them make the increased its lead by 2 points in the by WPI in dramatic fashion, the shots they did get. MIT’s perimeter second half to win 56-69. Worcester size advantage played a defense, led by D’Auria, Bartolotta, MIT’s leading scorer, Michael W. big factor. On Sunday that advantage STANLEY HU—THE TECH manifested itself in post scoring: Michael W. D’Auria ’06 goes up for a shot during MIT’s 56-69 loss to WPI outscored MIT 28-18 in points Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the NEWMAC championship game at Men’s Volleyball Wins 3-0 in the paint. WPI Sunday, Feb. 26. D’Auria, the team’s captain, scored 13 points. With a Balanced Attack By Travis Johnson in positions they liked, causing many SPORTS EDITOR hits to go too long. For MIT Men’s Volleyball, Sat- With the rest of the team strug- urday’s match against Milwaukee gling, Raiders offense turned to School of Engineering was all about Mocchi on nearly every play. MIT efficiency. Scoring on encouraged this because it made a remarkable 40 per- their opponents predicable. cent of their hits in the “We were putting them under first game, MIT started a lot of pressure with our serve so quickly and coasted to their setter was forced into a position a 3-0 win. where he could only set one hitter With both teams feeling confident (Mocchi),” Dill said after the game. after beating Wentworth earlier in MIT was able to defend well the afternoon, MIT coach Paul Dill down the stretch of the second game “tried to impress upon the team how and take a 30-25 victory. important it would be for us to set the The third game looked like it tone of the match early.” would be a blowout, with all the en- MIT (13-4, 5-1 NECVA) did just ergy and a 16-9 advantage on MIT’s that, taking a 19-9 lead on nearly mis- side. take-free volleyball. The digs went Freshmen hitter T. Scott Pollum straight to setter Jordan X. Wan ’06, had a good third game after sitting who passed it to the hitters in rhythm, out the second with a bloody nose. resulting in 14 kills in 25 attempts Unlike the Raiders, MIT used a va- and only 4 errors in the first game. riety of hitters throughout, includ- The MSOE (2-7) offense, by con- ing Pollum, Praveen Pamidimukkala DAVID TEMPLETON—THE TECH trast, was in disarray. With their usu- ’08, and Ryan G. Dean ’08. Dean Gary R. Atkins ’06 guards Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Antoine Coleman during the first period of al starting setter Adam Friedman not and Pamidimukkala lead MIT with the Engineers’ 56-69 loss in the NEWMAC championship game on Sunday, Feb. 26. playing, mistakes piled up early and 10 kills each on the day. the Raiders weren’t able to recover, Although the Engineers extend- giving MIT a 30-19 win. ed their lead to 24-16, some good The second game was much blocking by MSOE and a few MIT closer, as outside hitter Mike Mocchi mistakes brought the MCOE deficit played an excellent game both offen- to 4 at 28-24. sively and defensively, intimidating Wan finished the match from there MIT with his blocks and keeping with a tip over the net and a service MSOE in the game with powerful ace, making the final tally 30-26. hits. Dean had a productive day with However, other than Mocchi, hitting: he converted 10 kills on 18 at- the Raiders trouble with errors con- tempts with only one error, good for a tinued. Backup setter Kevin House 50 percent efficiency rating. He also could not get the ball to his hitters had 4 assists, second to Wan’s 36.

STEPHANIE LEE—THE TECH Richard Sinn ’06 spars against Cody Aguirre from City College of San Francisco during the 31st National Collegiate Taekwondo Association Championships, held on Saturday, Feb. 25 in Johnson Athletic Center.