MIT's The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: Partly cloudy, 40°F (4°C) Tonight: Cloudy, windy, 30°F (-\ °C) Newspaper Tomorrow: Clear, gusty, 35°F (2°C) Details, Page 2 Volume 122, Number 3 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Tuesday, Febru,ary 12, 2002 Elections Undernray With Focus on Rules Commission Seeks to Avoid Past Scandals By Jessica Zaman will speed up the tallying process and help fix previous problems. A meeting of prospective Under- Other steps have also been taken graduate Association officers set the to make encourage a spirit of stage for an election with a stronger "friendly competition," said Jaime focus on campaign rules. ' E. Devereaux '02, current VA Presi- Candidates commented on a dis- dent. tinct change of agenda in this year's meeting. "I noticed there was an New board to hear complaints increased focus on election rules The UA Judicial Board will no this time," said Reuben Cummings, longer be the first to hear of VA a candidate for Class of 2004 presi- election controversies. A new Rules dent. Board, composed of three members Previous election disasters have of the Election Commission, has prompted several reforms. Last been established to deal with this year's election controversy would area. surprise even Florida residents, "Two years ago, hearing duties Everything from bugs in the, elec- were passed.to the Judboard to help tronic voting system to campaign the commission out," when the JONATHAN WANG-TilE TECH controversies plagued the election. commission waS overwhelmed, said The Undergraduate Associati~n election meeting on Tuesday was packed with prospective candidates. In 2000, voting was conducted a Victoria K. Anderson '02, speaker Current UA officers described guidelines to ensure fair, friendly competition for the upcoming election. total of three times before results of the UA Council. "However, we were accepted to be valid. found that this was unfair, since "Past elections have obviously Judboard hearings carry formalities Weak Economy Claims ArsDigita, not run very smoothly," said Helen that are not appropriate to election H. Lee '02, current chair of the UA regulations and a greater number of Elections Commission. "We've appeals could not be made." Makes Arthur D. Little Bankrupt done a lot to change it this year." Steps to prevent regulation prob- New policy changes include lems themselves have also been By KevinR. Lang tected under Chapter II bankruptcy In addition, Lampe said that the revamping MIT's original voting taken. There has been a greater EDITOR IN Cf{fEF , laws while it restructures. Arthur D. company was restructuring its man- software, designed by Aaron M. emphasis on publicity this year, Lee Out with the old, out, with the Little filed voluntary petitions for agement consulting businesses, Ucko '00. Lee said the changes MJT said. ' new. Two companies with MIT reorganization und~r Chapter lion "which weren't as profitable as they students are' making in the software roots have fallen on hard times late- Feb. 5. could be." The company's technolo- Elections, Page 15 ly ---'-Arthur D. Little, Inc., founded' David R. Lampe SM '76, direc- gy divisions, however, "have actual- in 1886 by Arthur D. Little 1885, tor of marketing and communica- ly remained profitable throughout," and ArsDigita, co-founded in 1997 tions for Arthur D. Little, said that Lampe said. by MIT Affiliate Philip G. Green- "this whole reorganization means spun '82. that Arthur D. Little will be able to Arthur D. Little founded by alum Arthur D. Little announced on continue." Arthur D. Little has more than Feb. 5 that it ,signed an agreement, The company hit hard times in 2,000 employees in 30 countries subject to ba'nkruptcy court ,recent years when several initiatives worldw~de, including its world approval, to s'eIl the company's failed, including the planned spin- headquarters in Cambridge. The assets to an acquisition' company , off and initial public offering of its company laid off approximately 400 managed by Cerberus Capital Man- telecom consulting venture, C-quen- employees last year, but Lampe said agement for'approximately $71 mil- tial, which was withdrawn in late lion. The company is currently pro- 2000. MIT Companies, Page 19 Hearts, Homework Fill Breakfast Valentine's Day for MIT Celebrates By Qian Wang. Not surprisingly at MIT, she is MLK Dav STAFF REPORTER not alone in her plans to toil away at 'J The day of cupids, conversation a desk to complete her assignments. By Richa Maheshwari hearts, chocolate candies and furry "I'll be studying and working in the _ST._'AF_F_R_E_PO_R_T_ER _ stuffed animals is fast approaching. lab," said Herman L. Lelie '03 as Political commentator and Feb. 14: his friend laughed at his ~isfortune. author Tavis Smiley was greeted Pe'atu/}'Ie Valentirie's by a diverse crowd at the Twenty- r ~ , I Day, a day Showing your love' Eighth Annual Dr. Martin Luther -------- that makes Luckily for many of MIT stu- King, Jr. Celebration Friday mom-, lovers gush and others hurl, will dents and administrators, Val en- ing. soon be on everyone's mind, like it tine's Day means more than prob- As he approached the podium, or not. lem sets and study sessions. Kale D. Smiley humbly took a moment to McNaney '05 is flying to FI,oridato comment on the events which pre- Burning the midnight oil visit his girlfriend. Also to pamper ceded him. Some MIT students do not have his girl, McNaney has bought two "Everything's been said, it's Il).uch planned for this Thursday. tickets to The Phantom of the been sung. 1don't know how I was Complex differential equations, Opera, as well as rented a hotel expected to run in the grand slam fluid mechanics problem sets and room in New York for a night in after two or three choirs, Eric, and long-winded philosophical essays March. 45 minutes ,behind schedule," he , will be at the heart of many stu- "I just do a continuous stream of said. ERIKA BROWN-THE TECH dents' Valentines' Day. nice things," he joked. The presentations before Smiley The latest rage in Valentine's Day fashion adorns a' mannequin at. " "My so~ial psychology study , Many MIT administrators also spoke were impressive. South Cen- the Necco factory at Massachusetts Avenue ~nd Albany Street. The group might be meeting," said have events planned for Valentine's tral Mass and Cambridge Rindge New England Confectionery Company's Sweethearts Conversation Rachana D. Oia '04, looking non- Day. Daniel Trujillo, the associate ~d Latin High School Choirs start- Hearts, which were made Into the dress pictured here, have been a plussed about her evening on the, trademark Item since ~66. day of love. Valentine's Day, Page 17 MLK, Page 16 Seachange Comics OPINION, explores Guest columnist Kai-yuh Hsiao World & Nation 2 immigration discusses the implicati~ns of Opinion 4 . and America. self-policing at MIT. Arts 9 Events Calendar ; .14 Page 9 Page 12 Page 5 Sports 23 February 12,2002 Page 2 THE TECH WORLD & NATION Bush Makes a Case for His Rmnsfeld Seeks Investigation Brand Of Health Care Refonn I. OS ANGEI.ES TIMES MILWAUKEE Of Mistreatment Allegations America's health care system is "in need of urgent reform," Presi- dent Bush said Monday as he laid out an array of principles that he said By Esther Schrader officials say the situation in officials said. would provide greater patient choice, reduce costs and expand coverage. LOS ANGELES TIMES Afghanistan is increasingly murky, A report in The Washington Post WASHINGTON "We must reform health care in America," Bush said in a speech with former Taliban and al-Qaida on Monday said people killed in the at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "We must build a modern, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald fighters switching sides or seeking . strike had been peasants collecting innovative health-care system that gives patients more options and H. Rumsfeld has asked for an to blend into the general popula- scrap metal. U.S. officials have said fewer orders and strengthens the doctor-patient relationship." investigation into allegations that a tion. they believed the targets were al- But the president offered few new specific ideas. Instead, he group of Afghans mistakenly taken "To say that conditions in Qaida members, in part because of blamed lawyers for many of the ills in the system. prisoner by U.S. Special Forces Afghanistan are confusing is an their Arab-style dress. Most of the principles that he espoused here enjoy broad biparti- last month were beaten and mis- understatement, you know," said "We do not know who the indi- san support in Congress, including a patients' bill of rights, but opin- treated, but senior Pentagon offi- Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria viduals were at the strike site," ions diverge over how best to achieve those goals. cials said Monday that .so far there Clarke. "And it's impossible to say Stufflebeem said. "The indications Among those who leveled a blast at Bush on Monday was Sen. is no evidence that such abuse took these people are on this side and were there that there was something Edward ~. Kennedy, D-Mass., who was the president's key congres- place. these people are on that side. People untoward that we needed to make sional ally on education reform. At a news conference at the Pen- are on multiple sides, and they go away." "For senior citizens, the administration's budget is just another tagon, officials also defended a CIA switch sides. So there is a great deal Stufflebeem did not elaborate, broken promise. Its commitment to prescription drug coverage under missile strike last week near Zhawar of confusion about information in citing concerns about the secrecy of Medicare is less than for new tax breaks, less than the Republican Kili in eastern Afghanistan amid general.