Established 1881 WEATHER, p. 2 MIT’s Oldest and Fri: 57°F | 32°F Largest Newspaper Partly sunny sat: 53°F | 34°F Sunny tech.mit.edu SUN: 55°F | 45°F Cloudy Established 1881 Volume 133, Number 16 Friday, April 5, 2013 Labor dispute at Le Méridien No neutrality agreement reached, protest continues By Sara Hess ard, sophomores at Boston Univer- union organizers that traveled to STAFF REPORTER sity, were among the attendees at Connecticut last week to the head- yesterday’s protest. “The fight for quarters of HEI Hotels and Resorts, At 5 p.m. yesterday evening a equal rights is a fight for everyone,” the hotel investment group that crowd of approximately 200 gath- said Bowman. Talia concurred, owns Le Méridien on Sidney Street. ered at the steps of the Cambridge “These workers deserve to be treat- The group hoped to present senior Established 1881City Hall to demonstrate their sup- ed like human beings.” management with a petition for port for employees of Le Méridien Heather Nichols, a front desk neutrality signed by 70 percent of Hotel, located at 20 Sidney Street in associate at Le Méridien also in at- the hotel’s workers. Cambridge. At approximately 5:40, tendance yesterday evening, said “They would not meet with us,” the crowd marched from City Hall the Hotel’s management has made Boudreau said. According to Bou- to Le Méridien where the protest some attempts at improving work- dreau, eventually a member of HEI’s continued as hotel guests looked ing conditions in response to work- human resource department was on from their tables in the hotel ers’ complaints that they are under sent to speak with the group. The restaurant. compensated and overworked. “A HR representative said that while The workers and management couple of months ago we got raises, HEI would not accept a neutrality at Le Méridien have been engaged and they [the management] have agreement, they would agree not to in a labor dispute since March 2012 hired more people to work at the repeal the results of a free and open when the workers attempted to front desk. Their respect for us has vote. Boudreau says that the group present a formal request to manage- increased,” said Nichols; “But there was eventually escorted out of the ment that they agree to remain neu- is still a long way to go.” building by security staff. tral while employees debated the Bob Boudreau, a bartender at Yale students were among those possibility of joining UNITE HERE Le Méridien, who waved hello to that accompanied Boudreau to the Established 1881Local 26, the Massachusetts union his co-workers in the hotel restau- HEI headquarters last week. Yale of hospitality workers. Management rant yesterday as he marched by, University is one of several univer- refused to accept the request, which explained that employees have two sities that have agreed not to invest was later mailed to them. In the main demands: “We want the ho- additional endowment funds with months following, management has tel management to agree to remain HEI Hotels and Resorts following MELIssA RENÉE SCHUMACHER—THE TECH continued to deny the request for neutral while we consider joining pressure from students that high- Workers at the Le Meridien Hotel held a rally on Thursday, April 4, 2013 neutrality while Le Méridien work- the union and to agree not to ap- light a long history of labor com- in front of Cambridge City Hall, then marched to the hotel, located in Cen- ers have staged regular Thursday peal the results of a vote to join, if it plaints against the company. tral Square. They have been calling for a boycott for the hotel since Octo- evening picket lines at the Hotel’s should come to that.” Alex Chen, a first year student ber. Members of Unite Here Local 26, which include MIT cafeteria work- entrance. Boudreau was among a group ers, also participated in the rally. Declan Bowman and Talia Leon- of five hotel employees and student Le Méridien, Page 11 Mechanical Engineering head steps down effective July 1 Boyce to become dean Establishedof Columbia 1881 University’s School of Engineering & Applied Sciences Anthony Yu Course 2 will still have the same priorities. The knowledge is needed to bring to solve a problem. STAFF REPORTER department has always been “guided by princi- By that, I mean the very interdisciplinary envi- ples for pushing the frontiers of knowledge and ronment not only in research but also in the cur- The head of MIT’s Department of Mechanical new technology and preparing the next genera- riculum. Just because you’re a mechanical engi- Engineering (Course 2) Mary C. Boyce PhD ’87 tion of engineers,” said Boyce. Under her lead- neer doesn’t mean you don’t have to know about will be stepping down in order to become dean ership since 2008, Course 2 has seen a surge in biology or chemistry.” of Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School enrollment for graduate students, with a 25-per- Boyce graduated from Virginia Tech in 1981 of Engineering and Applied Science effective cent rise in graduate applications. and received her PhD in mechanical engineer- July 1, 2013. “Professor Boyce has distinguished herself ing from MIT in 1987. She joined MIT as an assis- “I’ve had an incredible experience here at throughout her academic career not only as a tant professor in 1987 and has remained at MIT MIT as a graduate student to junior faculty up scholar but also as a teacher and mentor driven since then. She was appointed as department through the tenured ranks, and eventually as de- by an abiding commitment to nurturing the next head of Mechanical Engineering in 2008. partment head,” said Boyce in an interview with generation of engineers,” said Columbia Presi- During her time at MIT, Boyce has garnered The Tech. “But, the opportunity at Columbia is an dent Lee C. Bollinger in a statement to the Co- many accolades. According to the Department opportunity to take their engineering school to lumbia News. of Mechanical Engineering, she has published new places and have an impact in a very differ- The most important things Boyce has learned over 150 publications, and mentored 36 SM the- ent environment. That really was the motivation. at MIT that will help her as dean are the sense sis students and 20 PhD students. In addition, They’re undergoing growth and the city of New of collaboration and the “we can solve this to- she has been honored with various distinctions York is really a growing hotspot for engineering.” gether” attitude. At MIT, she said, “there are no Regardless of her departure, said Boyce, boundaries that are in your way in regard to what Boyce, Page 12 ELIJAH MENA—THE TECH IN Short Course 20 launches BE-specific writing lab Who’s your best HASS teacher this semester? Nominate an instructor or TA by emailing Separate from MIT Writing Center, BE Writing Lab uses peer fellows to teach [email protected] by April 21, with their name, subject, and a detailed nomination. By Jessica J. Pourian ing fellows, who also each hold at least four didn’t improve at all throughout MIT. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR office hours every week. Interested sopho- “The most significant shortcoming from Commencement is coming up fast! Order mores can be assigned a fellow as a men- the students’ point of view seemed to be regalia at the Kendall Coop April 8–27, and at Biological Engineering students looking tor for the year to help them develop their that even though there was an emphasis on the Student Center Coop April 22–26. A rental to improve their writing now have a new skills. 76 percent of declared Course 20 communication, they didn’t feel like they or purchase receipt is needed to pick up Com- resource: the BE Writing Lab in 56-205. The sophomores are now using the Writing Lab were getting enough help in learning how mencement tickets. center, which opened last month, is geared for help with their classes, said Goldstein, to do it better,” said Lauffenburger. towards helping Course 20 students with and 35 students have visited the lab in the A task force was formed to combat the Entries are due today, April 5, for one of the lab reports, UROP proposals, grad school first month of operation. problem, and instructor/writing coordina- many Ilona Karmel Writing Prizes, includ- applications, and more. MIT has a Writing Center in Building tor Jaime Goldstein was brought onto the ing categories like poetry and technical writing. The Writing Lab is part of a push by 12 available to all students. So why does team in November. Goldstein worked ex- See the guidelines at http://writing.mit.edu/ Course 20 to improve its students’ writing Course 20 have its own? tensively with Course 20’s Eric J. Alm and initiatives/writing-prizes/guidelines. and communication skills. Walk-in hours Professor Douglas A. Lauffenburger, Agnieszka N. Stachowiak to bring the vision are from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Course 20 department head, cites the dis- for the Writing Lab together. The BE Writ- Send news information and tips to news@ Thursday, and students are encourage to appointing statistics on the senior exit ing Lab is not meant to replace the writing tech.mit.edu. make an appointment with one of the 10 survey over the past few years: 47 percent undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc writ- of students felt that their communication BE writing center, Page 13 MIT MUseUM: MAJor LeaGUE BaseBALL SO what’S A Boston BALLet: SECTIONS World & Nation .