MIT's The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: Sunny, windy, 30°f (-1°C) Tonight: Clear, cold, OaF (-l7°C) Newspaper Tomorrow: Cloudy, 20°F (-7°C) Details, Page 2 Volume 119, Number 42 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Friday, September 17, 1999 Council Candidates Speak at MIT Rally By Naveen Sunkavally Snowberg, who spoke a few NEWS EDITOR minutes after noon, said: "I'm try- With punk rock music playing ing to give students a reason to , ::~ in the backgr.ound and classes vote, Local government deals with notwithstanding, a small but vocal everything you deal with on a group of students held a noon-time daily basis," from transportation political rally on the Student and better bike lanes to affordable Center steps Tuesday. housing and keeping bars open The rally, sponsored by the stu- later. dent group Swass Distribution, Kathleen Born '77. currently an 'featured several Massachusetts incumbent and a candidate for politicians, including state repre- Cambridge City Council, said she sentative Paul Demakis and six was elected six years ago by a candidates for Cambridge City margin of only twelve votes. She ' .. Council, including current MIT said that Cambridge's proportional OMAR ROUSIiDY - THE TECII student Erik C. Snowberg '99, representation voting scheme is In preparation for the expected arrival of Hurricane Floyd, Department of Facilities workers "The purpose of the event was especially favorable to minority ~ l dropped the Tennis Bubble yesterday. ,The department also worked to address possible flooding to attract attention to student par- interests, issues throughout the week, according to an email sent to facilities staff by Manager For Repair ticipation in local government and Ken Reeves, another council and Maintenance Steve P. Mlscowski. Floyd caused minor disruptions across campus but MIT Is voter registration," said Eric J, incumbent running for re-election, expected to remain open today. Acting Vice President for Human Resources Phillip L. Clay said Plosky '99, master of ceremonies spoke about the extent of MlT stu- Thursday night that, based on reports at the time, the Institute would not close today. Boston for the event. Students walking by dent apathy, pointing out that only remained under a tropical storm warning last night ,as Floyd was expected. to arrive this morning the rally could also register to nine people from MIT voted at the packing 40-55 mph winds. Four to six inches of rain are predicted to fall on the area. vote. Johnson Athletic Center polling . ',t;? booth in a recent election . Students can make a difference At the conclusion of Tuesday's One of the central ideas at the rally, a few dozen people had reg- Hoicka Discusses Student Apathy rally was that students can have a istered to vote, said Plosky. Other substantial impact at the local level council candidates speaking at the By Sanjay Basu crowds. crowd and said, "Students today of government. A few dozen votes election were David Hoicka '77, ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR "I was living in Bexley, and 1 don't even vote. And students who could be enough to determine the Katherine, Triantafillou, and James k Few people were sitting on the remember one night when we were don't vote don't count.': outcome of an election, and stu- Williamson. steps of the Student Center on the roof staring down on a bunch , That message was echoed by all dents not voting in elections are~ Tuesday when Cambridge City of state policeman on Mass. Ave.," of the politicians who spoke that running the risk of having issues The fear factor Council Candidate David A. said Hoicka. "The Vietnam war had ,afternoon, including state represen- important to them ignored by "It's good that a lot of the can- Hoicka '77 approached the micro- been goiIig on, and the students had tative P~ul Demakis, Cambridge politicians. didates came..., A lot of them were •I phone. But.1ow.turnout appeared to - started a.riot.. .. I mean, civil dis- City Councilor Ken' 'Reeves, and "You, as students, can be repre- wisely showing up," Snowberg motivate this MIT 'alum-turned- ,obedience." " council candidate Erik C. Snowberg sented only if you represent your- said. politician to discuss the absence of "And 1 can remember having '99. ' self," said Chair of the Faculty Plosky, who is Snowberg's student interaction in Cambridge tear gas canisters thrown up on top But as an MIT alumnus, Hoicka Steven R. Lerman. "Vote early, . campaign manager, said that the city politics. of Bexley," he said. "Well, we just has a unique perspective on the vote often, once per election." presence of several council candi- Hoicka stared from the Student threw them right back at those sta- obstacles inhibiting MIT student "What you care about is dealt dates at the rally is a sign that peo- Center steps towards nearby Bexley ties ... Students today aren't like interaction in government and poli- with at not only a federal level but ple are taking students seriously. Hall, recalling the days when politi- that." also at a local level," Demakis cal rallies at MIT drew larger Hoicka then looked back to the Holcka, Page 28 said. Rally, Page 27 Frosh Meet Candidates At '03 Elections Forum " t.' By Jennifer Epplg thinks'that it is important to have Students discussed campus issues communication about how money is yesterday afternoon with candidates spent in the class, and would like to running for elective positions in their post that information on a website. class at a Coffeehouse forum. His slogan is "Just add milk and The candidates present expressed you're off to a wonderful start." their enthusiasm to become involved Ross ~. Benson '03, a student at in their class. Vice-Presidential can- the forum, is planning to vote didate Grace R. Kessenich '03 said because voting "is the basis of she believes housing is a priority. "I democracy." He thinks it is impor- know that other people have differ- tant for a candidate to have previous ent opinions than me but 1 want to experience with student govern- listen to them and make a compro- ment, but says, "I don't want it to be mise, make a plan." a popularity contest." Lipon feels Rebecca E. Lipon '03, a candi- that students should vote for a per- date for treasurer, believes the VA is son who will fight to make a better "really the only forum that has a living environment. voice with the administration." -In According ,to Election addition to the ubiquitous concern Commissioner Sarah L. McDougal over the housing -issue, Lipon feels '00, "The main purpose [of the VA] that students have little opportunity is to be a voice' for students." to bond as a class. She plans to orga- Members advocate for students and nize more class events to promote plan social and community activities. further interaction. "I think the thing Also present at the forum as of that makes life most worthwhile is 4:30 p.m. were Patrick D. Kane '03, the interaction with other people." running for President, Taraneh ./ KARISSA PA1TERSON / Chirag G. 'Cheerios' Shah '03, Sandy Zhang '03 signs a petition for Grace Kessenich '03 as she collects signatures to run for Vice running against Lipon for treasurer, Elections, Page 24 President of the freshman class. Eviction Free Zone rally draws Comics MITAUV World & Nation : 2 attention to rent control issues team wins Opinion _~_ " 4 in Cambridge. international Arts -.'. ; 6 competition. On The Town 12 Sports 36 Page 19 _ Page 14 Page 23 t I Page 2 THE TECH September 17, 1999 "l' WORLD & NATION Albright Says Aid to Russia Is Best Clinton Asserts Executive Defense Against Nuclear Weapons TilE 8 ../Ll'f.\IORE SUN WASHINGTON in Responding to attacks on the Clinton administration's Russia poli- Privilege Clemency Case cy, Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright urged continued aid for By Eric Lichtblau Puerto Ricans' prison records, FBI - more than 50 years each in Moscow Thursday as the best defense against nuclear proliferation LOS ANGELES TIMES threat assessments and tape-record- prison - were excessive. But when but warned Russia to crack down on corruption. WASHINGTON ingsof prison phone calls, which Clinton agreed to offer clemency "We have made clear that we will not support further multilateral In his latest tussle with reportedly included discussions last month - despite opposition assistance to Russia unless fully adequate safeguards are in place," Republicans in Congress, President about future terrorist activities, an from numerous law-enforcement .. Albright said. "Our message to Russian leaders has been to get tough Clinton asserted executive pri~ilege aide to the congressman said. officials in his own administration on corruption and to cooperate in full with investigations into it." Thursday and refused to turn over Burton asserted that these types of - the criticism was swift. Some Albright's speech, at the Carnegie Endowment for International documents that might shed light on records cannot be withheld under political opponents suggested that Peace, came as Congress debates new assistance for Russia and his much-maligned decision to offer executive privilege. Clinton was merely trying to curry investigates allegations that billions in Western aid got siphoned into clemency to 16 radical Puerto Rican Those offered clemency were favor with Latino voters in New private Russian pockets. nationalists. affiliated with a militant Puerto York to aid his wife's still-unofficial Republicans in Washington have grasped the growing Russian The move triggered an immedi- Rican independence group known campaIgn. banking scandal as a weapon against Democrats in the 2000 elec- ate firestorm from Clinton's as FALN, the Spanish acronym for Both houses of Congress have tions. Republican critics, who accused the Armed Forces of National voted to denounce Clinton for Reports that a huge amount of aid to Russia has been laundered president of coddling terrorists and Liberation, which was blamed for "deplorable" concessions to terror- through Western financial institutions "marks the effective end of the trying to boost the anticipated New 130 bombings in the late 1970s and ists.