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The Weather Today: Partly cloudy. High 82º F MIT’s (28º C) Tonight: Partly cloudy. Low 65º F Oldest and Largest (18º C) Newspaper Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High 87º F (31º C) Details, Page 2 Volume 126, Number 28 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Friday, June 16, 2006 Speakers Urge Grads to Help Community Parents By Shreyes Seshasai STAFF REPORTER Despite the ominous weather Reflect On forecast, barely a drizzle came down on the 2,109 students who received their degrees last Friday during the 140th commencement exercises at Students’ MIT. A crowd of an estimated 13,000 gathered in Killian Court as mem- MIT Years bers of the Class of 2006 reached a By Satwik Seshasai milestone in their academic careers. ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER The graduates were joined in Killian Last Friday’s commencement by the Class of 1956, celebrating ceremony was not just the culmina- their 50th reunion. tion of students’ experiences at MIT, Chairman of the Federal Reserve it was also a time for many proud Ben S. Bernanke PhD ’79 delivered parents to recount their four or more the keynote address to the gradu- years of association with the Insti- ates. Bernanke, who earned his PhD tute. Parents’ perspectives on MIT in Economics, was appointed to his were overwhelmingly positive, with position by President Bush earlier some offering advice for the parents this year. Also addressing the gradu- of incoming MIT students. ates were Graduate Student Council Regardless of the number of years President Sylvain Bruni G, Class of spent at MIT or whether they were 2006 President Kimberly W. Wu ’06, enrolled in graduate or undergradu- and President Susan Hockfield. All ate programs, graduates celebrated four speakers stressed using their with very positive reactions from skills to provide service to others parents and family. William Cooley, and society as a common theme. father of Jamie E. Cooley PhD ’06, Bernanke began his remarks by said that MIT “broadened his [son’s] reminding students of the “tradition skills significantly.” Donna Bevan, of collaboration at MIT between mother of M.B.A. Graduate Eric A. economics and the engineering Bevan ’99, said that her son first saw and scientific disciplines.” He fol- MIT at age 10 and knew then that lowed with a short history of how he wanted to attend. Eric Bevan has the teaching of economics has de- since received both undergraduate veloped at MIT over the years, cit- and graduate degrees from MIT. ing how its unique mathematical Paula Arfin was one of many par- approach to the field contributed to ents overwhelmed by MIT’s academ- “the foundation for economics as a ic excellence. Her son Scott Kenneth discipline in the second half of the Arfin S.M. ’06 worked with “people twentieth century.” who were number one in their coun- Bernanke focused much of his try,” she said. Ann D’Auria, mother speech on the impact technology BRIAN HEMOND—THE TECH of Michael W. D’Auria ’06, was im- can have on economic growth, how The MIT Campus Police Honor Guard proceeds down the center aisle to present the flags on the stage. pressed and appreciative that her son “the material benefits of innovation For more photos of the ceremony and transcripts of Hockfield’s and Bernanke’s speeches, see page 8. had the opportunity to compete in spring from complementarities be- international sports while at MIT, in- tween technology and economics.” the United States has been able to growth in the United States, he said, fits of recent technological changes cluding a basketball trip to Taiwan. He discussed how productivity in take advantage through its econom- citing Intel’s co-founder, the late have not yet been completely real- Bharti Venkatraman, mother of the United States has grown in the ic policies. Robert N. Noyce PhD ’53, as an ized.” Dheera Venkatraman ’06, noticed past decade through advances in The role of major research uni- example. However, Bernanke did information technologies, of which versities has benefited economic admit that “the full economic bene- Commencement, Page 11 Parents, Page 11 Proposal Calls for Change, Addition to Space in W20 By Angeline Wang learning center in the basement of an NEWS EDITOR expanded Student Center. This would As the design team for the pro- serve as a central location for the posed extension of the Student Cen- various construction-related student ter and addition of a “Do-It-Zone” groups on campus, such as the Hobby finished up their architectural plans Shop and Edgerton Center shops. during final exam week, a public The design extends the present meeting was held to spread the word building out into the grassy area on about the most recent version of the Massachusetts Ave. proposal and to address the concerns At this point, the project is only of various student groups. in its planning stages and is not yet Originally developed by a group funded by the Institute. “The only way of students two years ago under the this is going to get built is if money guidance of Professor Alex H. Slo- can be raised,” Slocum said. He is cum ’82 as part of an Independent looking toward possible donations Activities Period class, the Do-It- Zone is conceptualized as a hands-on Do-It-Zone, Page 11 MIT Issues Statement on Charges Filed by CPA MIT issued a statement earlier this week regarding the charges of OMARI STEPHENS—THE TECH unfair labor practice filed against them by the Campus Police Asso- Graduating senior Kaleb Killion of the Eureka Springs High School Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam dem- ciation. MIT CPA Vice President Joseph S. West said last week that onstrates a prototype of a portable, low-cost blood pressure monitor to Edgerton Center Assistant MIT has refused to renegotiate wages for the Director James W. Bales PhD ’91. campus police. The National Labor Relations News Board will investigate whether MIT has “en- gaged in trickery and threats at the bargaining table in violation of federal law,” according to NEWS World & Nation. 2 Briefs a flyer being handed out last week at 77 Mas- Faculty Women Still Lag at Harvard, Opinion . 4 sachusetts Avenue. Report Finds . 10 Comics. 5 According to the MIT statement, “MIT has bargained in good faith and will continue to do so in the hopes of resolving the outstanding Police Log . 11 issues in the current contract.” MIT Corporation Elects 10 New Sports . 12 West said last week that the base pay for campus police is $22.68 Members . 12 The Tech will next publish on Friday, July 7. News Briefs, Page 10 Page 2 THE TECH June 16, 2006 WORLD & NATION Microsoft’s Gates To Relinquish Congress Erupts in Partisan Day-To-Day Role By John Markoff and Steve Lohr THE NEW YORK TIMES Debate Over the War in Iraq REDMOND, WASH. Three decades after he started Microsoft with the dream of plac- By Robin Toner this year, although Democrats vowed cause is right and that we are proud ing a personal computer in every home and business, Bill Gates said and Kate Zernike to revisit the debate next week. of it.” Thursday that he would leave his day-to-day role there in two years. THE NEW YORK TIMES Both actions were carefully engi- Democrats, divided over the wis- He will shift his energies to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WASHINGTON neered by the Republicans in charge, dom of the war but more or less united which his Microsoft fortune has made the world’s largest philanthropic The House and the Senate en- and for the moment, at least, put in condemning Bush’s management organization, dedicated to health and education issues especially in gaged in angry, intensely partisan both chambers on a path to rejecting of it, countered that the Republican poor nations. debate on Thursday over the war in congressional timetables for with- resolution was a mere political ploy. At a news conference after the close of the stock market, Gates, Iraq as Republicans sought to rally drawal. They said it was an attempt to avoid 50, emphasized he was not leaving Microsoft altogether. He said he support for the Bush administration’s House Republicans asserted that a true debate on administration poli- planned to remain as chairman and maintain his large holding in the policies and exploit Democratic di- their resolution was essential to as- cies, “a press release for staying the company. visions in an election year shadowed sure U.S. troops and the world at course in Iraq,” as Rep. Jane Har- “I always see myself as being the largest shareholder in Microsoft,” by unease over the war. large that the United States was be- man, D-Calif., put it. “It does not Gates said. It was one of the sharpest legisla- hind the war in Iraq and the broader signal a change in policy, and thus I But the move, analysts said, points to the changes sweeping the tive clashes yet over the three-year- struggle against terrorism, conflicts cannot support it.” software industry. Probably more than any other person, Gates has old conflict, and it came after three they said were inextricably inter- For all the anger, there was sad- been identified with personal computer software, while computing is days in which President Bush and twined. Speaker Dennis Hastert of ness, too. At the start of the debate, increasingly shifting to the Internet. his aides sought to portray Iraq as Illinois, who rarely speaks from the Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., asked for moving gradually toward a stable, floor of the House, opened the for- a moment of silence to mark the functioning democracy, and to paint mal 10-hour debate.

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