Volume 128, Number 35

Activities Midway in Johnson Today! MIT’s The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: Partly sunny, High 70s°F (24°C) Tonight: Mostly cloudy, Newspaper Low 60s°F (16°C) Tomorrow: Mostly cloudy, chance of Friday storms, High 80°F (27°C) http://tech.mit.edu/ Details, Page 2 Volume 128, Number 35 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Friday, August 29, 2008 Fraternities, Sororities Lower Percentage of Freshmen Kick-Off Recruitment Request Adjustment in Lottery By JiHye Kim Greek Griller Saturday STAFF REPORTER About the same percentage of By Keone Hon Recruitment will continue in this eligible freshmen entered the Hous- STAFF REPORTER way for the next few days; fraternity ing Adjustment Lottery this year as MIT’s week-long period of Greek recruitment lasts until Friday and is compared to last year, represent- recruitment commences tomorrow free-form, with prospectives (and ing more students entering the lot- as potential new members begin ex- women as well) free to spend as tery overall. More freshmen were ploring MIT’s twenty-seven fraterni- much or as little time as they wish eligible to enter the lottery this year ties and six sororities to try for a fit. at each house, while sorority recruit- because of the new policy allowing Both fraternity rush and sorority ment, which lasts until Wednesday, freshmen assigned to Next House to recruitment kick off at noon in Kil- is much more structured, with the switch to a different dorm. lian Court with the Greek Griller, a intent of ensuring fairness among A lower percentage of those en- barbecue meet-and-greet between sororities. tering the lottery were able to move Greeks and prospective members. “The goal of the whole process into a different dormitory as com- Immediately following the Greek is to make sure that the girls see pared to last year. Griller, men and women will part each chapter,” Panhellenic Associa- The lottery, which closed on ways, as prospective sorority mem- tion recruitment chair Yicong Liu Tuesday with the end of Residential bers attend an information session to ’09 said. “We want them to make an Exploration, required freshmen to learn about each sorority, while pro- informed choice, and this process confirm their temporary Summer spective fraternity members disperse allows them to efficiently see all the Housing Lottery assignment or rank throughout Boston and Cambridge chapters, to see all the options that up to four other dormitories they DAVID M. TEMPLETon—THE TECH to visit any of the organizations that would rather move to. Burton-Conner House’s head rooming chair James Torres ’10 ad- intrigue them. Recruitment, Page 13 A total of 256 students decided dresses the dorm’s freshmen before the start of floor rush in the to enter the Adjustment Lottery this Porter Room of Burton-Conner on Wednesday evening. year, which is an increase from last statistics, see the tables on page 12.) were eligible to enter the lottery. ATO Members Housed in year’s 209 freshmen. However, only Of the 1,049 freshmen, 989 were “The extra surge of students in 152 of the 256 students (59 percent) eligible to enter the lottery. The re- the Adjustment Lottery reflects our were able to successfully move to maining students were either placed new agreement with the Residen- a different dorm this year, which is in McCormick Hall (59 freshmen) tial-Based Advising office and the MacGregor as Fraternity lower than last year’s 74 percent (154 or live off campus (1 freshman). Bldg. Undergoes Repairs of 209 students). (For more housing Last year, 849 of 1,067 students Housing, Page 12 By Jenny Liu sure and causing the incident. Textbook Information Available On New STAFF REPORTER Summer residents of the frater- Most members of the Alpha Tau nity were placed in vacant rooms Omega fraternity are temporarily in Next House and a Boston-side Coop Web Site, But No ISBNs or Covers being housed in MacGregor House fraternity after the water damage By Ryan Ko such as the titles, authors, publishers, 2008 Undergraduate Association suite lounges while their house un- occurred. ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR and editions of textbooks for the up- President Martin F. Holmes ’08 dergoes repairs to reverse water Now that students are returning The Coop has introduced a Web coming Fall 2008 semester. Neither spearheaded the initiative, according damage caused by a burst pipe at the to campus, though, MIT Housing site which allows students to view the ISBN nor the textbook cover is to Elizabeth A. Reed, senior associ- end of July. has provided emergency accom- textbook information online with- accessible. Students may order their ate dean of undergraduate education. According to ATO President modations for the majority of ATO out physically going to its Kendall books online for in-store pick-up or He contacted the Coop shortly after Chisoanya O. Ibegbu ’09, trash and brothers by converting lounges in Square location. opt to have them shipped. his election in the spring of 2007. debris had accumulated over time on some of MacGregor’s suites into The site, http://mit.bncollege. Though the idea of a textbook Holmes first contacted the Coop ATO’s roof and found its way into the com, launched on Aug. 24 and al- Web site has been floating around drain pipe system, building up pres- ATO, Page 14 lows students to view information for approximately eight years, 2007- Textbooks, Page 13 MIT Students Prof. Bawendi Discuss Major Recalls Life as a Issues in This Student, Gives Advice to Frosh Year’s Election By Keone Hon By David M. Templeton STAFF REPORTER STAFF REPORTER This is the last interview in a MIT may be a science and en- five-part series introducing incom- gineering school, but its students ing students to some of MIT’s facul- still care about presidential politics, ty, staff, and student leaders. Today, if members of its political student The Tech features an interview with groups are any indication. Moungi G. Bawendi, a professor in The Tech asked the MIT Col- the Department of Chemistry who lege Republicans and MIT College teaches 5.112 (Principles of Chem- Democrats, both members of the ical Science), among other courses. Association of Student Activities, Bawendi discusses his background about their plans for the coming and research, and his experience election. advising students. Richard A. Kraus G, of the MIT The Tech: How long have you College Republicans, was the only been teaching at MIT? member of that group to respond to a KARI WILLIAMS—THE TECH Moungi Bawendi: I’ve been Tech inquiry. (Other members might The Baker (J. Michael Spencer) and Jack (Timothy Wilfong) discuss the sale of a cow during the teaching since 1990. 18 years. I have been away for the summer, he Music Theatre Guild’s presentation of Into the Woods, which is playing this weekend and through- started by teaching freshman chem., mentioned.) out September in the Little Kresge Theater. the small version second semester; The College Democrats directed I’ve also been teaching 5.60 for The Tech to MIT for Obama, a stu- many years, and I have also taught dent group which is not ASA-recog- 5.61 — Quantum Mechanics — nized, and is composed of the mem- and 5.73 — the graduate quantum OPINI O N World & Nation . 2 bers of the surrounding community The Tech’s regular mechanics course. They’re all very Our National Energy Opinion ��4 organized primarily through the Web Tuesday/Friday different in many ways; it’s a nice site of Democratic Party Presidential Policy: Does a carbon Comics / Fun Pages ��6 variety. nominee Senator Barack Obama (D- publication schedule And I have taught the regular trading system make Arts ��8 IL). The group’s leader, Catherine will resume next freshman chemistry in the fall … it Havasi G, spoke to The Tech, as did environmental sense? Daily Confusion ��10 is the big class for me. It’s really re- members Misha Leybovich G and Friday, Sept. 5. freshing because the students come Page 5 Sports . 16 Election, Page 13 Bawendi, Page 15 Page 2 THE TECH August 29, 2008 WORLD & NATIO N In One Texas Town, Guns Scorning Bush, Obama Are OK in the Classroom By James C. Mckinley Jr. THE NEW YORK TIMES HARROLD, TEXAS Takes Aim at McCain Students in this tiny town of grain silos and ranch-style houses spent much of the first couple of days in school this week trying to guess By Adam Nagourney McCain likes to talk about judgment, speech at a stadium. In this case, it which of their teachers were carrying pistols under their clothes. and Jeff Zeleny but really, what does it say about your was Invesco Field, set against the “We made fun of them,” said Eric Howard, a 16-year-old high THE NEW YORK TIMES judgment when you think George Rockies and about a mile from the school junior. “Everybody knows everybody here. We will find out.” DENVER Bush was right more than 90 percent arena where he had been nominated The school board in this impoverished rural hamlet in North Tex- Sen. Barack Obama accepted of the time? I don’t know about you, the night before. His aides chose the as has drawn national attention with its decision to let some teachers the Democratic Party presidential but I’m not ready to take a ten per- stadium to signal a break from typi- carry concealed weapons, a policy no other school in the country has nomination on Thursday, declaring cent chance on change.” cal politics and to permit thousands followed. The idea is to ward off a massacre along the lines of what that the “American promise has been “America, we are better than of his supporters from across the happened at Columbine High School in Colorado in 1999.

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