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Welcome, Class of 2010!

MIT’s The Weather Today: Rainy, 75°F (24°C) Oldest and Largest Tonight: Mostly cloudy, 61°F (16°C) Tomorrow: Rainy, 70°F (21°C) Newspaper Details, Page 2

Volume 126, Number 31 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Monday, August 28, 2006 Students Embark On Institute ‘Road Trip’ Hockfield Welcomes Freshmen on Killian By Ji Qi administered on campus years ago, As summer winds down, new and the physics faculty chose to re- students from all over the country turn to that model this year. The re- and the world are beginning to ar- sults of the diagnostic will be used rive on campus for an event-filled to suggest student placement in the orientation. three versions of the required Me- The theme of this year’s under- chanics class. graduate orientation is “Road Trip.” This year, 17 Freshman Pre-ori- Freshman Orientation t-shirts depict entation Programs (FPOPs) provid- the steps to getting an MIT educa- ed opportunities to explore different tion as stops on the road of life, and activities before orientation began, theme related activities include last including four new programs: ar- Saturday’s showing of the movie chitecture, biking, electrical engi- “Road Trip” in Kresge Auditorium neering, and literature. Nearly 500 and Tuesday’s Boston “T” Party freshmen arrived early to participate along the Stata Center’s Student in FPOPs this year, Norman said. Street. The freshmen who participated Freshmen Orientation 2006 in the four outdoor pre-orientation kicked off yesterday morning with programs — sailing, kayaking, hik- OMARI STEPHENS—THE TECH the President’s Convocation held ing, and biking — are eligible to re- Manuel A. Esquivel Echeverria ’10, Isabel P. Mattos ’10, Alexandre S. Oliveira ’10, Lawrence L. at Killian Court. President Susan ceive physical education credit for Chan ’10, and Monica M. Hu ’10 (left to right) respond to the command “Left hand on freshman” Hockfield, Chancellor Phillip L. their participation, a difference from during MEGAtwister, held in the East Campus Talbot lounge last night at 8:08 p.m. Clay PhD ’75, and Dean for Student previous years. The Outward Bound Life Larry G. Benedict, all decked Program and Carrie S. Moore, di- in ceremonial robes, gave speeches. rector of physical education, were “MIT is not simply high school consulted to “ensure that the pro- REX Introduces Frosh to Dorms on steroids,” Hockfield said dur- grams met the standard and criteria ing her Benjamin Franklin-inspired to earn PE credit,” Norman said. Events End When the Housing Adjustment Lottery Closes Tomorrow speech. It is a “uniquely intense en- Also for the first time, parents By Harsha Wasalathanthri ing freshmen. Activities, including Most REX events are clustered vironment”. have been able to meet their child’s With exams, problem sets, and everything from free food events around two main days, yesterday There are several key differences orientation leader. Parents and ori- essays aplenty in the coming fall, to hair-dying to lessons in basic and today, with freshmen given the between this year’s orientation and entation leaders had an opportunity where they live at MIT is an impor- electronics assembly to medieval entirety of those days to explore those of past years. to interact yesterday morning before tant decision that incoming fresh- warfare, end on Tuesday with the their dormitories, Hopp said. This is Upperclassmen may remem- the President’s Convocation, Nor- men have to make. Residential Ex- closing of the Housing Adjustment similar to the way REX was struc- ber having the math diagnostic for man said. ploration (REX) is giving freshmen Lottery at 6:30 p.m. tured last year. In years prior, REX physics placement sent to them over Eliana Aude, mother of Diana P. the opportunity to explore the 11 REX is also “a time for freshmen was limited to a few hours each the summer, but this year’s fresh- Aude ’10, felt that the President’s undergraduate dormitories. to meet other freshmen and upper- day. men are taking it on campus. Convocation was “very inspiring.” REX events kicked off Friday classmen who will help them through This year, “the main change is According to associate dean of She said she felt MIT is a “great with almost every dormitory orga- their first year,” REX Chair Sarah C. Academic Resources and Program- nizing activities to welcome incom- Hopp ’08 said in an e-mail. REX, Page 12 ming Julie B. Norman, the test was Orientation, Page 13 Dean for Student Life Gives Mentor Program Gives International Advice, Support to Students Student Orientation a Personal Touch By Angeline Wang riety of the non-academic support By Valery K. Brobbey From as early as June, mentors in mentors start contacting their stu- NEWS EDITOR services on campus. That ranges from STAFF REPORTER the IFMP began exchanging e-mails dents and beginning some kind of The Tech: What is your role in the Housing and Dining to Student Life Staff reporter Valery K. Brobbey is with incoming freshmen. “I think in Institute? Programs (SLP), Residence Life Pro- an international student from Ghana some ways, orientation begins when International, Page 12 grams, Student Support Services, and and was a mentor in this year’s Inter- Larry Benedict: My title is Dean DAPER [Department of Athletics, national Fresh- for Student Life, and I oversee a va- Physical Education, and Recreation] Reporter’s man Mentor which includes athletics, recreation, Program. and intramurals. I oversee the campus Notebook A relatively In Short chaplains, the Office of Student Con- unknown product and Mediation, and the Student gram has left a smile of satisfaction ¶ This Wednesday, Aug. 30, is the Activities Office. Then, within SLP, in on the faces of many freshmen this deadline to register to vote in the addition to student activities, there is year. This year, 92 freshmen from Massachusetts state primaries. Ac- the Public Service Center. It is a large over 50 different foreign countries cording to the Cambridge Election organization. We have almost 400 arrived on campus to begin their four Commission webpage, voters can staff, and our primary goal is to help years of undergraduate study at MIT. register, mail or fill out a registra- students in all those various areas. We While these students had to attend all tion card at the Cambridge Elec- provide services for all students, un- the mandatory sessions of this year’s tion Commission Office. Voters dergraduate and graduate. International Student Orientation, can register as Republican, Demo- most of them also attended the other cratic, Unenrolled, or another po- TT: What services or support does optional — and generally more fun litical designation, but only voters your office offer for students, specifi- — events. registered as Republican, Demo- cally freshmen? International Student Orientation cratic, or Unenrolled can vote in a is entwined with the International Republican or Democratic primary, LB: We try to let students know, Freshman Mentor Program (IFMP), according to the MassVOTE web- freshmen especially, of the resources founded in 1997 by Kate Baty ’05, site. The primaries will be held on available to them for any kind of help the then organizer of the Host to VALERY K. BROBBEY—THE TECH Tuesday, Sept. 19th. they might need. As you look at the International Students Program and International students have breakfast on Wednesday, August 23, the The Massachusetts general Paulette Schwartz who is still active- final day of International Orientation, in the Lipschitz Courtyard in elections will be held on Tuesday, Benedict, Page 16 ly involved in the IFMP. building 14. Nov. 7. The deadline to register to vote in the general elections is Wednesday, Oct. 18. For more information on voter NEWS NEWS World & Nation ...... 2 registration, go to http://www. Orientation Photo Essay . . .Page 11 Housing Lottery ...... Page 17 Opinion ...... 4 massvote.org/Voter_Info.htm and http://www.cambridgema.gov/dep- Grocery Story Guide ...... Page 14 Saferide, Northwest Shuttle, Arts ...... 5 tann.cfm?story_id=693 Fun...... 6 Advocate Ranks Gay-Friendly Tech Shuttle Schedules . . . .Page 17 Campus Life ...... 8 Send news information and tips to Colleges; MIT Named...... Page 15 Daily Confusion ...... Page 18 [email protected]. Sports ...... 18 Page 2 THE TECH August 28, 2006 WORLD & NATION Red Cross Ferry Evacuates 161 Baghdad Newspaper Building In Sri Lanka as Supplies Fade By Shimali Senanayake THE NEW YORK TIMES COLOMBO, SRI LANKA Assaulted by Suicide Bomber A ferry for the International Committee of Red Cross evacuated 161 people, mostly citizens of other countries, trapped in heavy fight- By Paul Von Zielbauer sault rifles grew suspicious of the newspaper this month where the edi- ing in northern Jaffna peninsula on Sunday, as aid workers warned of a THE NEW YORK TIMES vehicle after it had been cleared to tors were to sign a “pledge of honor” dwindling supply of food, water and medicine in the area. BAGHDAD, IRAQ enter the newspaper’s parking lot, al- to respect the government’s recon- Jaffna, the strategic peninsula that the separatist Liberation Tigers of A suicide car bomber attacked Mishaal said in an interview. Before ciliation efforts and to avoid printing Tamil Eelam claim as the ethnic Tamil homeland, has been cut off by air, Iraq’s largest newspaper on Sunday, the bomber could be killed, he blew up or broadcasting inflammatory state- land and sea from the rest of the country for three weeks as the worst fight- detonating his vehicle inside its for- his vehicle, sending at least two parked ments or violent images. ing since a February 2002 cease-fire has raged between rebels and govern- tified compound in downtown Bagh- cars through the building’s wall. “This is an attack against all Iraqi ment forces. More than 200,000 people are estimated by the U.N. refugee dad and killing two people and injur- “Tomorrow we will return to media,” al-Mishaal said in a tele- agency to have been displaced by the last four months of fighting, and ing 20 others, the executive editor work again,” al-Mishaal said. phone interview. “It is a kind of chal- officials said on Sunday that food was in very short supply in the area. and government officials said. The attack was the second on Al- lenge and an attempt to get rid of all The ferry transported foreign aid workers to Trincomalee, an east- The bombing was part of a vio- Sabah — which means “morning” in free Iraqi media.” ern port city, said Davide Vignati, the aid group spokesman in Co- lent day across Iraq in which explo- Arabic — in three months. On May At least 16 journalists working for lombo. Most of those evacuated on the ferry were brought by bus here sions and gun battles killed at least 6, a suicide bomber in a car set off Al-Sabah and a government-run Bagh- to the capital. 52 people, including a U.S. soldier. an explosion at the newspaper’s main dad television station have been killed In Baghdad, a bomb planted in a vehicle checkpoint, killing one per- since 2003, media executives here said. commuter bus blew up near the pe- son and wounding several others, al- In a statement, Prime Minister Baghdad Museum Head Resigns, destrian entrance of a downtown ho- Mishaal said. Nuri Kamal al-Maliki “strongly de- tel, killing nine people and wounding He blamed the attacks on Iraqi in- nounced” the attack on Al-Sabah, Cites Political Threat 20 others, and a convoy ferrying a surgent and foreign terrorist groups, which he called “a pioneering me- By Edward Wong deputy defense minister came under including the successor group to dia organization confronting terror, THE NEW YORK TIMES BAGHDAD, IRAQ heavy gunfire that wounded two body- Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jorda- serving the truth and consolidating The director of the Baghdad Museum has resigned and moved to guards, government officials said. nian leader of al-Qaida in Iraq who unity and national coherence.” Fur- Syria because he felt under threat from fundamentalists with ties to the The bombing of Al-Sabah, a na- was killed in an American airstrike thermore, he vowed to capture the Shiite-led government, a Western diplomat said Sunday. The director, tional newspaper financed by the in June. people behind it. Donny George, is known as a prominent advocate for the preservation Shiite-led Iraqi government, also de- “We have received many threats And yet, in remarks closely fol- of antiquities in Iraq. stroyed more than a dozen vehicles from Zarqawi’s assistant,” al-Mishaal lowing similarly upbeat statements A spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, which is and caused the collapse of a quarter said. “We published them in the by U.S. military officials in Bagh- in charge of the museum, confirmed that George resigned earlier this of the building where journalists and newspaper.” dad, the prime minister also sought month and left Iraq a few days ago. “We think he left Iraq to eventually printing-press operators work, said the He said he believed that the bomb- to lend optimism to his government’s try to go to the United States or a European country,” said the spokes- executive editor, Falah al-Mishaal. ing on Sunday was also in retaliation efforts to bring security to Baghdad man, Abdul Zahra al-Talaqani. The attack occurred about 8:30 for a meeting of Iraqi television and and other parts of the country, and to The Western diplomat, who has some expertise in antiquities, said a.m. Guards carrying automatic as- newspaper editors organized by his rule out the possibility of civil war. in a telephone interview on Sunday evening that George had recently told people close to him that he felt threatened. George was a midlevel official in the Baath Party under Saddam Hussein’s government and may be the target of a revenge campaign by Shiites, said the diplomat, Online Vendors Shift to Target who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Violence Erupts After Rebel Tribal Back-To-School College Students Leader is Killed By Bob Tedeschi categories include ones that play to the process. Visitors are greeted with THE NEW YORK TIMES strengths of online retailers, like con- background music ranging from ret- By Carlotta Gall For years, older teenagers have been sumer electronics, computers and even ro rock to contemporary metal, and THE NEW YORK TIMES ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN the darlings of online marketers, who furniture, which is starting to gain mo- a screen that bristles with features Violent protests broke out in the southern Pakistani province of see these tech-savvy, free-spending le- mentum with online consumers. like idea lists and articles and videos Baluchistan and in the city of Karachi on Sunday after the killing of a gions as potential lifelong customers. Sears Holdings, which owns about surviving freshman year. prominent rebel tribal leader in a fierce battle with the army. So why has it taken them this long Sears, Lands’ End and Kmart, has Those offerings are backed, Anticipating unrest, the government put the army on alert on Satur- to discover college students? gone further than most other online meanwhile, by a rotating series of day night after the death of the leader, Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti, 79, The back-to-school shopping sea- retailers in appealing to college stu- oversize images of college students who had dominated the Baluch political scene for more than 50 years. son is nearing its culmination, but if dents this year by creating a Web site, and their gear. A fit young woman, The police closed the main highways from three provinces into the this month’s retail offerings are any SimplySearsCollege.com. Like other for example, smiles next to “Avoid- provincial capital, Quetta, and imposed a curfew at 1 a.m. indication, 2006 was more back-to- online executives, Lorna Sargent, ing the Freshman 15,” a teaser for But protesters defied the curfew, burning tires, ransacking shops college than anything else. director of e-commerce content for workout products. Those products and government buildings and setting fire to buses in the city. “It’s all about the college students Sears Holdings, struggled to explain include $20 Reebok running shoes, Gunfire broke out, and at least three people, including a police officer, this year,” said Brian Smith, an online why retailers chose this year to pur- a $161 SanDisk MP3 player and a were reported killed. A bomb exploded at a government registration office retail analyst and publisher of Com- sue college students with such zeal. $200 Schwinn bicycle. in Qalat, a town just south of Quetta, but no one was reported injured. parisonEngines.com, which covers “Everyone just kind of realized Sargent said SimplySearsCol- Violence broke out across the province during the day, and the po- shopping comparison sites. “They have there was this untapped market out lege.com, which was introduced late lice detained 450 people, news agencies reported. more disposable income than other stu- there,” Sargent said. last month and is featured as a link President Pervez Musharraf called a meeting of senior Cabinet min- dents, and a lot of times they’re looking Perhaps fittingly, the site is de- on Sears.com, also represents anoth- isters and law enforcement agencies, and his spokesman announced soon for that cool new tech product.” signed for visitors who might like to er first for the company, in that Sears after that Bugti’s body would be handed over to relatives for burial as According to the National Retail relax a bit, browsing articles and in- Holdings has never before integrated soon as it could be retrieved from the rubble of the cave where he died. Federation, an industry trade group, teracting with various features, rath- products from Lands’ End, Kmart the fastest-growing back-to-college er than rushing through the purchase and Sears on one site. WEATHER Situation for Noon Eastern Daylight Time, Monday, August 28, 2006 O-Rain-tation �

By Cegeon J. Chan 130°W 125°W 120°W� 115°W 110°W 105°W 100°W 95°W 90°W 85°W 80°W 75°W 70°W 65°W 60°W �� STAFF METEOROLOGIST � 1023 40°N � �� 1022 Besides getting oriented to MIT and meeting new people, don’t forget 1005 �

about Mother Nature. Remember, umbrellas are your friends, particularly in � � � - � � 1009

Boston. � � � �

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The ﬁrst batch of steady rainfall will move out by noon, but another storm � �

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threatens outdoor activities tomorrow as well. There’s (relatively) a lot of un- � 1011

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certainty to the second storm. It may stay south enough for the rain to just � �

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miss Boston. It may also slow down, in which case, rain will occur later in �

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the day. In any case, between now and Tuesday night, you will likely need an �

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Is Boston always cloudy and rainy like this? Boston receives about 42 � 30°N

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inches of precipitation a year. (For reference, about an inch and a half of rain - ��

will have fallen between yesterday and this morning.) It’s not uncommon to �

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it’s considered “cloudy.” However, there are also 98 days a year that are con- �

1006 � � � 1015 � � 25°N � sidered “sunny” and starting Wednesday, it will be sunny. In fact, the end of �� the week looks dry with temperatures in the 70s°F. So you’ll have to wait until � � Wednesday to get oriented with the sun.

Extended Forecast Today: Steady rain in the morning with rain showers in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 70s°F (24°C). Tonight: Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the lower 60s°F Weather Systems Weather Fronts Precipitation Symbols Other Symbols (16°C). Snow Rain Fog High Pressure Trough Tomorrow: Scattered showers in the morning and rain likely in the afternoon. - - - Showers Thunderstorm

Highs in around 70°F (21°C). � � � � Warm Front Light Low Pressure Haze Tomorrow Night: Mostly Cloudy. Lows in the upper 50s°F (15°C). �� Cold Front Moderate Compiled by MIT Wednesday: Mostly sunny. Highs in the upper 70s°F (26°C). Hurricane � � Meteorology Staff � � Stationary Front Heavy and The Tech August 28, 2006 WORLD & NATION THE TECH Page 3 Digital Tools Employed to Test Wireless Providers Poised To Win Spectrum Licenses By Ken Belson and Matt Richtel Response to Simulated Disaster THE NEW YORK TIMES By John Markoff Angel III, did little to dampen the en- San Diego airport. But a state-of-the- When the government’s multibillion-dollar auction of radio spec- THE NEW YORK TIMES thusiasm of the participants, a diverse art wireless network, intended to route trum licenses began two weeks ago, it looked as if newcomers might SAN DIEGO, CALIF. group of more than 800 “first re- video images, satellite map coordi- get the chance to buy their way into the mobile phone business, leading It began with a worldwide virus sponders,” military officers and soft- nates and other data — from an im- to more choices for consumers. outbreak that had cities under quaran- ware and wireless network experts pressive array of mobile computers, But now the country’s biggest cellular providers appear poised tine, emergency workers overwhelmed — some from rivals like Microsoft software analysis tools and command to win many of the 1,122 licenses up for auction, allowing them to and government agencies unable to and Google, working side by side. programs — failed to come to life. expand their reach and reducing the chance that a new entrant might cope. It was compounded by a wave of “My view is that the value of Strong “Finally I said, ‘Lights out! Ev- bring down prices. cyberterror attacks that cut off power, Angel is 70 percent in the social net- eryone turn everything off and let’s At the same time, cable companies like Time Warner and Comcast phones and Internet access. works that will be created,” said the start over,”’ said Brian D. Steckler, a have teamed up with Sprint Nextel to bid on chunks of spectrum to Such was the crisis that teams organizer, Eric Rasmussen, a Navy computer scientist at the Naval Post- expand their limited presence in the wireless business. Analysts said from the Pentagon, nongovernmental surgeon and veteran of relief efforts on graduate School in Monterey, Calif., the cable companies were likely to use the spectrum to offer wireless agencies and several dozen technol- several continents. “What we do is try who was in charge of more than a Web access, not necessarily phone service. ogy companies set out to resolve in a to bring people with disparate back- dozen interlocking networks at the Of the $13.3 billion in bids registered thus far, $2.2 billion has five-day simulation meant to show- grounds together and ensure that they heart of the command center. come from the cable providers, bidding together in a consortium with case and test a new set of digital are forced to enter into a conversation.” Hundreds of computers and even Sprint, the third-largest cellular carrier. But about 60 percent of the to- tools in responding to disaster. More than $35 million in equip- cell phones were shut down, and then tal bids have come from Cingular, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile, the The limitations of even the latest ment was assembled here as part the network was slowly turned back first-, second- and fourth-largest cell phone companies. T-Mobile has technology were in evidence when an of the event, aimed at preparing for on, segment by segment. Too many bid nearly $4 billion, mostly for licenses in major metropolitan areas, effort to restore communications by natural disasters, epidemics, terrorist high-bandwidth applications had while Cingular and Verizon have sought licenses that cover broader setting up ad hoc wireless networks re- attacks or the aftermath of war. clogged the network, including a pow- regions. sulted in a three-day data traffic jam. Last Monday, the group began to erful video camera and “rogue” trans- In throwing their financial weight around, the cell phone companies Yet the problems encountered assemble a makeshift command cen- mitters set up by participants intent on may have scared off DirecTV and EchoStar, the two largest satellite in the training effort, named Strong ter at an abandoned building near the creating their own mini-networks. television providers, which were expected to make a charge into the wireless arena but withdrew from the auction last week. Fox News Journalists Freed After Rivals Say Data Contradicts Forbes Web Site Claims By Peter Edmonston Declaring Conversion on Videotape THE NEW YORK TIMES By Steven Erlanger he said. “But it was something we immediate indication of a ransom If Forbes.com was looking to create some Internet buzz last week, THE NEW YORK TIMES felt we had to do because they had payment. The kidnappers demanded it succeeded. JERUSALEM the guns and we didn’t know what that the United States release all The Web site published an article called “Don’t Marry Career Two journalists kidnapped in the hell was going on.” Muslim prisoners, but they threat- Women,” which suggested that if a man did, he was more likely to be Gaza were released unharmed on Earlier on Sunday, their captors ened no particular consequences. cheated on, get divorced and have a dirty house. Sunday after being forced at gun- delivered a video showing the two In Gaza, there was speculation Responses on the Web were swift, with many blogs and sites like point to say on a videotape that they men in Arab robes reading from the that the group consisted of angry Salon.com attacking the posting as a sexist throwback. Forbes.com had converted to Islam. Quran to indicate their conversion. or disaffected members of various temporarily withdrew the article and later paired it with an opposing The two journalists for Fox News After their release, the two men militant groups trying to embarrass view titled “Don’t Marry A Lazy Man.” — Steve Centanni, 60, an American were brought to a hotel in Gaza to Haniya and President Mahmoud Forbes.com, the online sibling of Forbes magazine and part of Forbes correspondent, and Olaf Wiig, 36, be greeted by colleagues. They then Abbas of Fatah. Others suggested Inc., is more accustomed to delivering the news than being the news. And a freelance cameraman from New met with the prime minister of the a private grievance. In a brief news despite last week’s dust-up, it is adept at it. Even as Forbes magazine has Zealand — were held for 13 days Palestinian Authority, Ismail Haniya conference, Wiig said he hoped the declined in advertising in the last few years, Forbes.com has thrived. in an abandoned garage in the Gaza of Hamas, who had called for their kidnapping would not prevent for- Its own ads proclaim that “more people get their business news Strip as hostages of a previously un- captors to free them. eign journalists from covering Gaza. from Forbes.com than any other source in the world,” saying that its known group calling itself the Holy He dismissed suggestions that “That would be a great tragedy for sites drew about 15 million unique visitors in a single month earlier Jihad Brigades. any group associated with al-Qaida the people of Palestine and especial- this year. It was a well-heeled crowd, according to Forbes.com, which “I’m really fine, healthy, in good was in Gaza and said of the kidnap- ly for the people of Gaza,” he said. says that the average household income of its users is $149,601. shape and so happy to be free,” Cen- pers, “These are young men who Wiig’s wife, Anita McNaught, a Forbes’ Web prowess is a big reason Elevation Partners, a private tanni told Fox News. He said that the carried out the action out of private television journalist, thanked Pal- equity firm that counts Bono of U2 as a managing director, agreed on two had been forced at gunpoint to beliefs.” estinian officials and Fox News for Aug. 4 to buy a minority stake in Forbes’s publishing business. “Forbes say that they were converting to Is- But the identities of the kidnap- their efforts. The men refused to take has already won the first round” in the battle for Internet supremacy, an lam and had taken Muslim names. “I pers were a puzzle, and there were no questions. They traveled to the Erez Elevation founder, Roger McNamee, said then. have the highest respect for Islam,” immediate arrests. Nor was there any border crossing and entered Israel.

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�� Page 4 THE TECH August 28, 2006 OPINION

In the In Short section of the Aug. 4 issue of The Tech, Professor Steven R. Lerman ’72 was incorrectly identified as a housemaster of Sidney-Pacific graduate dorm. Lerman is actually the housemaster of The Warehouse graduate residence (bldg. NW30). Chairman Zachary Ozer ’07 In the Aug. 4 issue of The Tech, the table entitled “Comparing Class Demographics” incorrectly reported that two percent of the Class of 2007 identified their race as Other/No Editor in Chief Corrections Response. Ten percent of the class actually identified their race as Other/No Response. Marie Y. Thibault ’08 An August 4 article on IS&T’s spam efforts incorrectly identified the model of the device Business Manager deployed. It is a “Barracuda Spam Firewall Model 800,” not “BT-800.” Jeffrey Chang ’08 Managing Editor Michael McGraw-Herdeg ’08 Executive Editor Rosa Cao G

NEWS STAFF Editors: Marissa Vogt ’06, Benjamin P. Glei- tzman ’09, Angeline Wang ’09; Staff: Curt Fischer G, John A. Hawkinson ’98, Waseem S. Daher ’07, Ray C. He ’07, Tongyan Lin ’07, Hanhan Wang ’07, Michael Snella ’08, Jiao Wang ’08, Daniela Cako ’09, Mei-Hsin Cheng ’09, Gabriel Fouasnon ’09, Hannah Hsieh ’09, Diana Jue ’09, Laura Nicholson ’09, Yinuo Qian ’09, Kirtana Raja ’09, Yi Zhou ’09; Me- teorologists: Cegeon Chan G, Robert Korty G, Jon Moskaitis G, Michael J. Ring G, Roberto Rondanelli G, Brian H. Tang G, Tim Whitcomb G, Angela Zalucha G.

PRODUCTION STAFF Editors: Tiffany Dohzen G, Austin Chu ’08; Associate Editor: Rong Hu ’08; Staff: Sie Hendrata Dharmawan G, Valery K. Brobbey ’08, Emily Ko ’08.

OPINION STAFF Editor: Aditya Kohli ’09; Staff: Hector H. Hernandez G, Barun Singh G, Josh Levinger ’07, Justin Wong ’07, Ali S. Wyne ’08, Krishna Gupta ’09.

SPORTS STAFF Editor: Travis Johnson ’08; Staff: Chris Bet- tinger G, Albert Ni ’09.

ARTS STAFF Editor: Nivair H. Gabriel ’08; Staff: Bogdan Fedeles G, Kapil Amarnath ’07, Tony Hwang ’07, Andrew Lee ’07, Nikhil S. Nadkarni ’07, Mirat Shah ’08.

PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF Editors: Christina Kang ’08, Omari Stephens ’08, Ricardo Ramirez ’09; Staff: Melanie Mill- er G, Stanley Hu ’00, Scott Johnston ’03, Fred Gay ’07, Dmitry Kashlev ’07, Stephanie Dudzic ’08, Scot Frank ’08, Tiffany Iaconis ’08, Nicole Koulisis ’08, Mary-Irene Lang ’08, David M. Templeton ’08, Kenneth Yan ’08, Connie Yee ’08, Sally E. Peach ’09, Eric D. Schmiedl ’09, Yalu Wu ’09.

CAMPUS LIFE STAFF Editor: Bill Andrews ’05; Staff: Bruce Wu G, Kailas Narendran ’01, Victor Cabral ’07, Ruth Miller ’07; Cartoonists: John David Payne G, Emezie Okorafor ’03, Jia Lou ’07, Ash Turza ’08.

BUSINESS STAFF Advertising Managers: Cokie Hu ’08, Tai Ho Kang ’08; Operations Manager: Jennifer Wong ’07; Staff: Julia Ye ’09.

TECHNOLOGY STAFF Director: Shreyes Seshasai ’08.

EDITORS AT LARGE Contributing Editor: Brian Hemond G; Se- nior Editor: Keith J. Winstein G.

ADVISORY BOARD Paul E. Schindler, Jr. ’74, V. Michael Bove ’83, Barry Surman ’84, Robert E. Malchman ’85, Deborah A. Levinson ’91, Jonathan Richmond PhD ’91, Saul Blumenthal ’98, Frank Dabek ’00, Ryan Ochylski ’01, Satwiksai Seshasai ’01, Rima Arnaout ’02, Daniel Ryan Bersak The Tech reserves the right to edit or condense letters; shorter let- ’02, Eric J. Cholankeril ’02, Jordan Rubin ’02, Opinion Policy ters will be given higher priority. Once submitted, all letters become Nathan Collins SM ’03, Akshay R. Patil ’04, Editorials are the official opinion of The Tech. They are writ- property of The Tech, and will not be returned. The Tech makes no Jyoti Tibrewala ’04, B. D. Colen. ten by the editorial board, which consists of the chairman, editor in commitment to publish all the letters received. PRODUCTION STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE chief, managing editor, opinion editors, a senior editor, and an opin- Guest columns are opinion articles submitted by members of the Editors: Austin Chu ’08, Michael McGraw- ion staffer. MIT or local community and have the author’s name in italics. Col- Herdeg ’08; Staff: Ricardo Ramirez ’09, Jessica Dissents are the opinions of signed members of the editorial umns without italics are written by Tech staff. Witchley ’10. board choosing to publish their disagreement with the editorial. Letters to the editor, columns, and editorial cartoons are writ- The Tech (ISSN 0148-9607) is published on Tuesdays and Fridays during ten by individuals and represent the opinion of the author, not neces- To Reach Us the academic year (except during MIT vacations), Wednesdays during sarily that of the newspaper. Electronic submissions are encouraged The Tech’s telephone number is (617) 253-1541. 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Ad- vertising, subscription, and typesetting rates available. Entire contents © of publication. to [email protected]. Letters to the editor should be sent to 2006 The Tech. Printed on recycled paper by Charles River Publishing. Letters, columns, and cartoons must bear the authors’ signatures, [email protected]. The Tech can be found on the World Wide addresses, and phone numbers. Unsigned letters will not be accepted. Web at http://the-tech.mit.edu. August 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 5 ARTS CD REVIEW ‘1175 Boylston’ Impressive Debut for Berklee Student Levinson’s Lyrics Capture Complexities of Life By: Jillian Berry me wanting more. Maybe they’ll relate to it. I’m not looking to be music? ARTS EDITOR However, the strengths of the album eas- like huge, but if that happened, it’d be great. JL: My town is a good place to grow up “1175 Boylston” by Justin Levinson ily compensate for any weaknesses. Overall, in. It’s really small, and really pretty – a good Show at Thirsty Ear Pub, Aug. 29 @ 9pm “1175 Boylston” is a promising and impres- JB: How do you like performing live? place for nature – but it was really secluded. www.justinlevinson.com sive first record that gets better each time I JL: I love performing live. I just love even It definitely gave me the feeling that I wanted listen to it. before a show starts. I love just putting my to get out and spread my wings a bit. But it ustin Levinson’s debut album, “1175 equipment inside the van, even if it turns out was also another really supportive community. Boylston,” can best be described as Justin Levinson will be playing at the to be a dive, just loading up the equipment, In Vermont, people are mad friendly, and help “powerpop” with its perfectly blended Thirsty Ear Pub at MIT on Tuesday, August 29 I’m pumped. you out a lot. When I play shows up there, all J poppy tunes and lyrical depth. A song- @ 9pm. my friends come out and back me. writing student at the Berklee College of Mu- JB: When you write the song, do you have sic, Levinson is often compared to Ben Folds Recently, I was able to talk to Justin one- a method? Do you write the actual music first JB: You’re in your own fan club on Face- in sound and style – and with good reason. on-one. Here is the interview. or do you write the lyrics first? book. What’s up with that? Levinson’s piano skills, pure vocals, and JL: All writers tend to do it differently. Typ- JL: That’s so funny. Actually my buddy songwriting abilities are impressive, and they JB: What are the instruments you play on ically, I’ll start out with a chord progression, from Germany, he’s been a big supporter, his shine throughout the CD. In particular, his lyr- the album? and depending on what the vibe is – if it’s kind name is Lars, he loves my music. He sends me ics are insightful and diverse – ranging from JL: On the album I play piano and I sing of sad or happy, or if it’s slow or fast – I really postcards all the time. I met him in high school the war in Iraq to growing up in a small town and I do background harmonies, and I play the like chord changes, so when I get something I on an exchange. He’s been helping me out, do- to meeting a girl on a bus – yet simple and trumpet and trombone on it. My dad played like, I get really excited. ing anything he can, and he surprised me with centered on common experiences. In fact, the a bunch of instruments on it, he played gui- a Justin Levinson fan club. He sent me the in- songs are so easy to relate to that I began to tar and bass and drums on some tracks. And JB: Do your parents support you with the vitation for it, and I thought it was kinda lame wonder if he somehow took my thoughts and Adam Popick [Berklee student] played a lot of music? joining my own group, but I’ll take it anyway. wrote them down in verse. instruments on it. JL: Totally, 100%. My dad was a musician All the songs on the album are similar in back in the day in NYC. Since early on, he was JB: You have an interesting approach to quality, but a few outshine the rest. The open- JB: Did your parents push you into music? totally backing me. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to singing about the war in Iraq, often referring ing song, “Sunny Day,” (which was voted best JL: My dad when I was real young … I go to Berklee because I was intimidated by it, to it indirectly and focusing more on its effects song at Berklee last year) starts the album off would kind of misbehave when I was real I thought everyone will be so good, I’ll be the on individual lives, particularly in “Fireflies” with a bang. While the music is catchy and up- young, and I was in this program in first grade worst player here. I wanted to go to some small and “The Sky is Falling”. What inspired you to beat, with an equally cheery title (we could all and the teacher divided the day into three school in the middle of nowhere, but [my dad] address the situation in this way? use a sunny day living in Boston), the lyrics parts, and at the end of the day I would get a said no, I have the opportunity, so I should just JL: When you bring politics into music, you show Levinson’s range, as he sings “And it’s piece of paper with stamps on it for each part do it. And he helped me financially. To make can already split your fan base. I guess what true that I think you could use a sunny day/But I of the day, and if I got three stamps it meant I an album is huge money. He paid for the ma- inspired me the most was seeing my friends think it’s a thing that’s only up to you to make.” was good for every part of the day. So if I got jority of it. Both my mom and my dad are re- going overseas, and seeing them come back. He is able to create a mood of somberness this for a whole week, I would get a reward ally supportive people. without diminishing one’s sense of hope. Fur- [from my dad], and my reward was to get a JB: The CD is named after the address of thermore, in “Andria” and “If You Get Lost,” CD, and I got like Beatles, Elvis Presley, and JB: How do you like being in Boston and your first apartment? Levinson successfully describes his loneliness Everly Brothers CDs. I just ended up with this being at Berklee? JL: I think I was really not creative. I feel and confusion without sounding like a whiny huge collection. JL: I love Boston. It’s so nice. It reminds there was something cheesy about it at Berklee teenager. Furthermore, he demonstrates with me of Vermont where I’m from; the same type since everyone lives on Boylston Street. But I “Sophie” how his voice and a piano can be so JB: What musicians have inspired you? of vibe, it’s really New England-y, and I think just decided to name it that since I wrote all simple, yet still create a powerful response. JL: The Beatles are my favorite band. I love the people here are really open-minded and the songs in there. I took an entire year and just Although this album is very good, there are a Paul McCartney and John Lennon. I’m a big nice. With Boston, I can handle it, being from stayed in my room, just wrote tons of songs. I few minor flaws. Most notably, the songs often fan of Ellie Smith, and Ben Folds I like a lot. a small town in Vermont - when I go to NY was so not social, and out of the loop for a end abruptly. There were multiple times when A lot of people have compared me to him, but I’m like “Oh my God, this is too big, I’ll never while, but I just wanted to make a record. I wish the last note was carried out a little lon- I try not to sound exactly like him. The Beach survive it” – it’s livable. And I do like Berklee ger or he had sung an extra line. In particular, Boys, and it’s such a big list. a lot. JB: But you don’t live there anymore? in “All I Ever Wanted,” Levinson ends with a JL: I actually live at 1109 Boylston, which beautiful piano solo which would have been JB: What are your musical aspirations? JB: Based on your songs, it sounds like is just a little down the street. Everyone keeps that much more impressive if he had repeated JL: I’d like to just make a living playing you’re from a small town in Vermont. What was joking, are you going to name your next album the chorus one more time instead of leaving music. Hopefully, people will appreciate it. your town like, and how has it affected your 1109 Boylston? MOVIE REVIEW ★★★½ ‘The Illusionist’ Dazzles A Spellbinding Tale of Love and Magic By Bill Andrews nized with, the film’s dreary mood, and Norton as it is mostly told as a flashback with him nar- is happening and by the climax we are in such CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR threw himself into every last tortured moment. rating) and keeping things from becoming too breathless suspense that it seems it can’t possibly The Illusionist His illusions are so well performed that it’s dif- predictable. Uhl’s slow and subtle transforma- all work, all tie-in together. But it does, in one of Starring: Edward Norton, Paul Giamatti, ficult to tell whether they’re actual CG or just tion from craven lackey to honorable police- the most satisfying endings I’ve seen all year. Jessica Biel, and Rufus Sewell good ol’ sleight of hand magic. man is entirely realistic and believable, even if But then, ‘The Illusionist’ is a movie that Directed by: Neil Burger Next is the love interest, a surprisingly tal- a little predictable. satisfies on all levels. It’s visually dramatic, dark Now Playing ented Jessica Biel. Best known for her part in The story itself, however, is not quite so and creepy with a few colors and sentimental- 7th Heaven and showing her parts in various predicable. Though initially dismayed when ity added in via Vaseline blurring the edges of thought The Illusionist was an art house magazines, Biel was quite believable as the for- I realized it was, pretty much, a love story, the screen, lending shots the appearance of old film. Perhaps it was the Gothic nineteenth lorn beauty destined to marry not her true love I was happy to see it was not a conventional photographs. The score does just what a score century Viennese locale, perhaps it was (Eisenheim, in case you’ve never seen a movie one, even though it strayed dangerously close should do, intensifying your emotions without Ithe slightly pretentious word “illusionist,” before), but instead the evil crown prince Leo- at times. Beyond the simple love triangle is a distracting you. The sets evoke both the old or perhaps it was that the screening I saw was pold, heir to the emperorship. While Biel and web of deceit, treachery, and murder, some of world charm of a Europe long gone by, and the at the Museum of Fine Arts. What, I ask you, Rufus Sewell (as the prince) did well enough it apparently as logic-defying as Eisenheim’s danger and polite savagery that were so preva- could be more artsy than the MFA? Well, it with what they had, their characters were large- orange tree trick. Set against the backdrop of lent. If there is a flaw, it is only that so much turns out I was half right. The subject matter, ly flat, unchanging, and uncomplicated. That’s a society where electricity and moving pictures more could have been done. If this movie set style, and overall quality were up to tradition- not always a bad thing, and this movie works seem like magic tricks themselves, the sense out to be a masterpiece, a film of drama, sus- alist art house standards; the casting was not. just fine with only two complex characters, but of looking forward while being tied to the past pense, love, and violence, a tale of the redemp- Thank goodness it worked out anyway. it would’ve spiced things up to have more than comes through in the characters as well. Time tion of the corrupt and the inevitable failure of We begin with the title role, the Illusionist the stock ‘girl’ and ‘bad guy’. moves on, and no illusion can change the past. greed, it could have done so with only slightly (magician) himself, Eisenheim, played by Ed- The other complex character is Chief In- Or can it? As Eisenheim’s tricks become more effort. Instead it’s a movie that’s pretty ward Norton. I once heard someone say, “Ed spector Uhl, played by the always complex more and more flat-out-impossible, we’re left good, but not great. Of course, with the way Norton and Kevin Spacey should do a movie (and great) Paul Giamatti. I’m becoming in- questioning what else might be real or false, things are in Hollywood these days, taking a together called, We’re just normal guys...no creasingly convinced that, like Tom Hanks, what other tricks might be going on, what more risk and making a great film might just be ask- wait we’re Weird!” and this movie is no excep- there is no role Giamatti would not rock at. Uhl we don’t know. As time within the story starts to ing one magic trick too many. tion. The dark, brooding, ethereal characteriza- is the wild card in this story, keeping the action catch up to the beginning of the movie (when Uhl Take a chance, see ‘The Illusionist’. You’ll tion of Eisenheim established, and then harmo- moving (quite literally for most of the movie, begins narrating the flashback), more and more be amazed.

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Page 6 August 28, 2006 The Tech Page 7

Dilbert® by Scott Adams

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that each column, row, and 3 by 3 grid contains exactly one of each of the digits 1 through 9. Solution on page 16.

Solution, tips, and computer program at http://www.sudoku.com Page 8 THE TECH August 28, 2006 CAMPUS LIFE Making it Work Fashion@MIT By Ruth Miller food days. gene, and follow the stream of resulting effects Aero/Astro, and he has worked very hard to STAFF COLUMNIST to see what happens. Such is fashion. Take a bring back the look of the 1969 NASA engineer MIT Fashion is a funny thing. At few other Political Science/Economics – Every political complete outfit, tweak, and study the result. Bi- – boxy, pressed shirt and pants, pocket protec- places can one get away with, nay, win applause scientist/economist dreams of some day gain- ology students have an inherent ability to see the tor. How else will the fashionistas of the future for a duct tape tuxedo. ing one of the few coveted high profile spots in cause and effect in outfit assemblage. Expect to protect their shirt pockets from ink stains? If use- Generally, fashion isn’t a concern of the MIT the field. Expect to see a few ties, and a lot of see complex combinations. That, and close-toed less legwarmers can be popular (twice), it’s only student. Even the smallest heel will echo up and business wear. Realistically, almost all politi- shoes – safety first. a matter of time before pocket protectors hit the down the Infinite, and once the first cold snap cal scientists/economists must accept that they mainstream. hits, all the warm-weather freshmen pile on ev- will probably spend their days in libraries doing Chemistry/Chemical Engineering – The world ery single piece of clothing they own with aban- research. Hence, layers are good (those library is made of elements that can be combined into Physics/Math - How can anyone look at closed don. Weighting grooming over sleep is difficult, thermostats are fickle). You can’t study either compounds. Some compounds are good, while paths all day and not see futility in dressing up? and by your second year, MIT goggles will en- field without a brief mention of Europe, so irony others are bad. Much like fashion, chemistry They’re going to end up in the hamper at the end sure that you don’t care what anyone else looks provides a heavy dose of European style. requires knowing how to construct useful and of the day, so you might as well choose the sys- like anyway. attractive combinations. Unafraid of chemical tem that involves the least amount of work. Why buy shirts when tons of companies shell Urban Planning - The graduate students of hair dye, Chemists and Chemical Engineers also out big bucks to come to MIT and give them Urban Planning are probably the most trendy make good use of close-toed shoes. Computer Science – By Digital Death Lab, if to you for free? And is it necessary to change of any department. The undergrads, psychologi- you still care about how you look, you’re going clothes every time the sun rises or just when you cally stuck between 4 and 17, compromise with a Civil Engineering – Engineering, yes, but a field to be fine. wake up? steady commitment to business casual. of engineering that often involves a fair amount Questions like these plague the modern of government work. Government work implies There exists a realm beyond the physical MIT student. But for those who still strive for Architecture - Most architects distinguish their a slightly more formal dress code. world where being super-smart transcends the acceptance off-campus, or want to improve on profession by wearing a lot of black. Why black? rules of mortal clothing. If the purpose of fash- the cross-gender campus status quo of jeans and The better to accentuate their accessories. But at Materials/Mechanical Engineering – Engi- ion is to impress, wear a baggy black T-shirt and T-shirt, here’s a quick guide to fashion by major, MIT, Architecture students are likely to see so neers that can get by without seeing the light of pants into an electronics store and explain to the in handy decreasing order of fashion conscious- little sunlight, that it is in their best interest to day. Let’s say “casual.” clerks how their products work. Dressing well ness: remind themselves of the appearance of color as isn’t as important as knowing how to reason and best they can. 4.101 Introduction to Architecture Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences – think, and teachers and employers know that. But Management – Suits. Every management major is MIT’s closest approximation to Greenwich The most environmentally friendly of the majors it never hurts to put your best foot forward. And I know is always running around to interviews, Village: home sewn clothes, funky colors, and, is thus the most reminiscent of the 1960s. Crocs, after a week of drudgery, sometimes dressing to and owns at least one suit. Taking classes in the of course, lots of geometric lines and shapes. the dishwasher-safe shoes, are abundant. the 9’s and going out for Thai is a great way to Sloan building will make you feel like a slob, slough off the doldrums. so even if you aren’t a Sloanie, but take a class Biology – One of the major lessons of 7.012 is Aeronautics and Astronautics/Nuclear En- The only superlative rule of MIT Fashion: in their building, wear a suit. Especially on free gene regulation: take an organism, turn off one gineering – A very good friend of mine is in hygiene is your friend.

“Leaving Stanford” RAY C. HE—THE TECH

TED H. POWER Waseem and Ray.

Seattle (8/26) Road Trip 2006: Day 1 Olympia WAS HING R TO 90 N 15

O On Saturday, our photographer Ray C. He said goodbye to 95 Portland ri I Col ou iver umbia Missoula iss R E M Lake IN Salem C MO Grand Forks Su NTAN A per MA Helena NO RTH DAKOTA ior Bangor Seattle and his summer at Amazon.com and drove 850 miles Eugene Butte 94 Duluth K Fargo Augusta 84 Bismarck OREG M Montpelier O Billings G MINNE SOTA I Portland T down to Google (in Mountain View, Calif.) to pick up Was- N Y C La Burlington 5 k ERMON E photostats H 75 V HIR 35 e 87 S I H Boise R G NEW HAMP u ETT S ID Minneapolis A r Concord CHUS A n o i o SSA eem S. Daher. Feeling lucky, they snapped this picture Sun- H Green Bay n r 91 MA O S 94 a N t a E OUT n H DAKOTA St Paul g k e O Syracuse i La RK Boston Pierre WISCONSI N h YO c EW Albany Providence Rapid City 43 i N S A AN D When: Aug. 27, 3 p.m. PDT Pocatello W Sioux Falls 90 M Grand Buffalo Springfield SL day afternoon in Google’s academic backyard — Stanford YOMIN E I

G Milwaukee Rapids N Hartford RHOD e M k e T

Casper T i Scranton UT a r Where: Palo Alto, Calif. Madison Lansing Detroit E ECTIC

L ONN k e M 80 C 80 25 Sioux City Cedar a University — at the start of their long way back to MIT. L A New York O WA Rapids Chicago YLVANI Road: Palm Drive, Stanford Great 29 IO S Trenton SE Y G R Toledo Cleveland ENN JE R Reno Salt P Harrisburg NEW E A Salt Lake City Cheyenne NEBR ASKA NE V T Lak U Des Moines Fort Wayne Carson City AD e 80 Pittsburgh Philadelphia WGS84 coords: San FranciscoOakland A Provo Omaha IO r Sacramento Peoria 65 OH e E v Baltimore Dover AWAR Fort Collins i DEL N Lincoln A LIN OIS INDIAN R Annapolis 37.43245, -122.16893 UTAH 35 IL 70 Columbus The Tech: Any deep thoughts? It’s the beginning of your Palo Alto Denver T D WES DC Washington YLAN Springfield MA R T Indianapolis IA 70 Cincinnati VIRGIN 95 wt.mit.edu/roadtrip/aug27 (8/27) B A 55 URL: S I Kansas City Kansas City N IA 3,200-mile journey. Fresno A COL ORA D I IRGIN CA O Topeka MISS OUR St Louis Frankfort Charleston V Camera: Canon EOS 20D LI Ohio N Richmond Virginia Beach FORN Pueblo P KAN SAS Jefferson City Evansville Louisville Lexington I A 81 Norfolk 5 IA 15 85 Las Vegas Ar Y I Waseem: Not really. I’m just excited to start. I do have ka NTUCK Shutter speed: 1/800 sec L n Wichita KE Bakersfield er s H Riv N a s C Greensboro 44 Springfield Raleigh Distance traveled: A Knoxville A LIN A some remorse about the end of the summer, but we’re S Winston-Salem O Los Angeles 40 Nashville L CA R R Tulsa ORTH San Bernardino Flagstaff EE A N 40 I TENNESS Charlotte Ray: 883 miles Santa Fe OKL A 40 P HOMA River do AR IZ Amarillo 65 P Greenville Wilmington both antsy to get back to MIT for our senior years. Plus, a O Albuquerque N Oklahoma City Fort Smith 10 r NA Memphis Waseem: 20 miles o A l AN SAS Columbia San Diego o AR K i TH C p SOU N S 59 Phoenix EW M 27 Little Rock p EX IC i NA Nivair: 0 miles O s Atlanta ROLI I’ve never explored the middle of the country before. Red s CA i Birmingham 25 30 s 55 Charleston s GI A 95 i R Roswell Lubbock BAM A GEO Flat tires: 0 M ALA Tucson I Macon Fort Worth MISSISSIPP 85 We’re going to swim in the Great Salt Lake, exit the West Meridian Columbus Savannah 20 Dallas Shreveport Accidents: 0 El Paso Montgomery TEX R Jackson 75 AS iv through its gateway — St. Louis — and I’m going to a e 65 Times out of gas: 0 r 45 59 Jacksonville 10 Tallahassee Speed limit: 25 mph 10 LOUISI AN A Biloxi Mobile wedding and a funeral in Ohio. So beginnings and end- Rio Austin Baton Rouge Houston New Orleans Red lights: none in view Orlando P ings all around. Is that deep enough? A San Antonio C I A F I G C r 95 O R A N G a 35 Tampa C n A E A d 37 LORI D 0 N e F TT: On your way, could you ambush some interesting R Lake 0 hobee n Fairbanks Okeec ko u S K A Miami people and tell us all about them? Y L A A N G E R A Anchorage Waseem: We’ll see. BE RI NG SEA AL AS P A KA C I F I C O C E A N

U.S. Department of the Interior OR U.S. Geological Survey The National Atlas of the United States of America August 28, 2006 CAMPUS LIFE THE TECH Page 9 Imminent Collapse Welcome to Hell By Bill Andrews uber nerds, who know what capacitors are and people are so terrible they can’t make MIT’s the city can be immensely calming. CAMPUS LIFE EDITOR use words like uber. The only time people think sports teams). Some teams are actually really These are all things that should be made Welcome one and all to MIT. I’m sure of MIT and ‘partying’ in the same sentence is good, such as the Pistol Team, which regularly clear to you during the week, this magical time you’ve all worked hard to get here, and are pre- when fatalities are involved. Hey, I’m just tell- whips West Points’s collective butt. Now that’s known as orientation. Just so you know: this pared to work harder soon. Perhaps, like Luke ing it like it is. nerd pride. I mean, when a school’s mascot is is the best that it gets. At no other time will Skywalker, you’re thinking you’re not scared of But that’s no reason to get depressed. MIT the Beaver, you know it’s not entirely without you be as without responsibility or work as you a little hard work. But, like Yoda, I feel I must realizes it sucks, and does what it can to suck a sense of fun. are right now, so enjoy it. Don’t buy anything warn you: you will be. You will be. MIT is defi- less, even occasionally becoming fleetingly If that’s not enough to keep you entertained, (food, supplies, even text books) until classes nitely the ‘Empire Strikes Back’ of your aca- enjoyable. To start with, there are roughly 1.4 there are also these things called hacks that pop start, you never know who will be giving away demic career, and there aren’t even any chase billion student groups on campus that you can up every now and then. Nothing can brighten an what. Eventually orientation will end, and scenes (probably). I’m not going to sugarcoat be a part of. Theater groups, political, gaming, otherwise dull and dreary afternoon like look- you’ll find yourself in the midst of term. Then it for you: MIT sucks. You’ll hate this f…ore- film, musical, writing groups, we’ve even got a ing up at the big dome and seeing, say, a police you’ll see what this whole IHTFP thing you’ve saken place soon, mark my words. If you were marching band here; odds are whatever you’re car on top, or perhaps a telephone booth. heard of is all about. looking forward to college being the best years interested in, there’s a club for you, full of like- If all this isn’t enough for you, I hasten to Yes it’ll suck. But it has to suck. MIT is of your life, you’ve made a wrong turn, buddy. minded people who could possibly become point out that Boston is right across the river like baseball, if it were easy everyone would That’s not to say, of course, that it’s not your friends (and, in my case once, my fian- from us, and it’s a pretty cool place. Historical, do it. Luke suffered trials and tribulations in worth it to come here. I’m sure you people of cee). And, if you can’t find the right club, you trendy, urban, and lots more adjectives, you Dagobah, but it made him a Jedi Knight. You’ll froshness can quote to me a million and one could probably start one yourself and get some can have fun in Boston with relatively little go through some sleepless nights, some ad- reasons why MIT is the best school in the (modest) funding for it. hassle. I implore you to remember this when ministrative nonsense, and some hard times country (which it is), and I don’t doubt any of There’s even a wide array of athletic groups, term starts to get rough, and you do nothing but [email protected], don’t doubt it. But you’ll emerge them. But I do doubt that ‘it’s a fun place to be’ teams even, that would be happy to have you, eat, go to class, and maybe sleep (and please, an MIT graduate, which, I hear, is about as is in that list. We’re known for being hardcore, assuming you aren’t terrible (and very few God, shower too). Just taking a walk through close to becoming a Jedi as we can get.

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By The Student Information Processing Board (SIPB) age you to go out, and take part in the vast opportunities you 9:15am to 4:45pm M-F. You can also call 617-253-4435 or Welcome, especially to freshmen and new grad students! have during Orientation and Residence Exploration. Find the e-mail [email protected]. Online support is available 8:30am to Ask SIPB is a column published regularly by the Student dorm that’s right for you, and learn about and join the activi- 5:30pm. Consultants are also occasionally on duty on week- Information Processing Board (the volunteer student group ties that interest you. Talk to other freshmen and upperclass- ends or holidays. To see updated hours, type at an Athena concerned with computing at MIT), to help students like you men, and ask any questions you may have about anything. prompt: learn more about the computing resources MIT provides and Once you move to your room for the fall term on Thursday, athena% olc hours how to make effective use of them. This column is the first feel free to set up your computer. When you do, you should MIT IS&T staffs the Computing Help Desk, which pro- of 4 introductory columns meant to help you get started with apply any updates immediately. You can find more details at vides free support for Macintosh and Windows. The Help computing here at MIT. http://web.mit.edu/net-security/. If you are running Windows, Desk phone lines are open Monday-Friday from 8 am to 6 you also must follow the directions at http://web.mit.edu/net- pm; walk-ins are welcome in the office in N42 from 9:15 I don’t have a computer/printer/scanner. Where can I go? security/prevent-reinfection.html to avoid having your com- am to 5 pm. For help, call 617-253-1101, e-mail computing- MIT has a number of clusters sprinkled around campus, puter compromised, which would necessitate a format and [email protected], or drop by N42. containing Athena workstations and printers. You can access reinstall of the operating system. The Computing Help Desk also maintains a set of stock the software and your files from any Athena workstation. answers for common Macintosh and Windows questions en- These workstations run Unix, specifically Linux and Solaris, But I want my computer now. What do I do? countered by MIT community members, at http://itinfo.mit. and provide a common user interface regardless of where you You’ll need a network cable and settings. To set up DHCP, edu/answer. log in. The New Media Center is in 26-139, and provides the set your computer to get your IP address automatically (which If you are having trouble getting your computer onto your tools necessary to produce multimedia projects, such as digi- is often the default), and then go to any website. For more dorm network, you can ask an RCC for help. You can contact tal video, photo scanning and manipulation, web authoring, details on this, go to one of the “Getting Connected” sessions your local RCC by filling out a form at http://rcc.mit.edu/. and more. The NMC is a “do-it-yourself ” cluster of iMacs listed in your guide. and G5 Power Macs loaded with the latest multimedia soft- After you move to your permanent room, you can also What is 3-DOWN? ware. There are also two clusters of machines running Win- choose to ask an RCC for a static IP address, which will be 3-DOWN, which can be found at http://3down.mit.edu/, dows-Athena - one in the back room of the W20-575 cluster, tied to the dorm that you are in. Having one will not prevent provides information about both scheduled and unscheduled and one in 37-312 that you can access with your MIT ID. you from using DHCP elsewhere on campus. network and service outages. The same information can also You can find a list of Athena clusters on the back of the For a network cable, you can either ask an RCC or visit the be found via a recorded message at x3-DOWN (x3-3696). Be- Athena Pocket Reference you received when you checked in, OLC office in N42. RCC’s (or Residential Computing Con- fore reporting an outage, it is useful to check 3-DOWN to see or by typing: sultants) are students who get paid to assist other students, if it is already known. athena% cview usually residents of the same dorm. They can do everything from assigning IP addresses, to providing network cables, to How can I learn more about computing and computing at How do I get into the Athena clusters or New Media Center? helping you configure networking on your computer. To get in MIT? The Athena clusters and NMC are protected by push-but- contact with your RCC, ask around your dorm or visit http:// Throughout term, there are a number of ways you can ton combo locks. To find out the current cluster combo, on rcc.mit.edu/ to submit a request. learn more about computing or computing specifically at any Athena machine type: MIT. IS&T provides some documentation on various com- athena% tellme combo I forgot my password. What do I do? ponents of Athena at http://web.mit.edu/olh/; we’ll cover The combo changes annually on October 1. Shortly before You’ll need to visit the friendly folks at Accounts. Bring some of those topics in the next several issues. On Wednes- that time, you can use tellme combo again to learn the new your MIT ID to N42 during business hours and ask for a pass- day, September 6, SIPB will run our annual Computer Tours, combo. word reset. Alternatively, if you have personal certificates on which visit a number of machine rooms and cool labs around your computer, you can reset your password at: http://wserv. campus. SIPB will be offering weekly Cluedumps, a series Why are there couches and giant screens and whiteboards in mit.edu/cpw. of 30-45 minute informal technical talks on Monday nights corners of some of the clusters? at 8:30 PM in 3-133, starting September 11. The first few They are collaborative group spaces, deployed two years Help! Something broke! Who can help? talks will give a technical introduction to the MIT comput- ago. They were designed to make working in groups at MIT Depending on what broke and how, there are a number of ing environment, while later talks will cover a wide variety both easier and more powerful. To learn more or provide feed- groups that can assist you. of subjects. To receive announcements about Cluedumps, back, check out this website: http://edtech.mit.edu/times/ar- You can come ask SIPB in person or via email. Our office add yourself to the moira mailing list cluedump-announce. chives/000027.html. is W20-557 (right next to the Athena cluster). Anytime mem- If you do not know how, find out in tomorrow’s column bers are in the office, the office is open to answer questions. about mail at MIT. Also, during IAP (January), a number of Should I set up my personal computer now? You can also phone SIPB at x3-7788 or email [email protected]. classes are offered by several organizations (including IS&T If you are an undergrad, in general, it is best if you do OLC is Athena Online Consulting, MIT’s official support and SIPB). not set up your computer right away. Unless you live in Mc- group for Athena related questions. OLC has a set of stock Cormick, which has forced room squatting, you will almost answers for Athena related questions on the web at http://web. To ask us a question, send email to [email protected]. We’ll certainly be moving either to another dorm, or at least another mit.edu/answers/. To ask OLC a question, first make sure the try to answer quickly, and we might address your question in room. question isn’t already answered in the Stock Answers, then our next column. You can also stop by our office in W20-557 If you need to use a computer, the Athena clusters are eas- type at an Athena prompt: or call us at x3-7788 if you need help. Copies of each column ily accessible all over campus. Even though SIPB is a student athena% olc and pointers to additional information are posted on our web- group dedicated to improving computing at MIT, we encour- They have an office in N42, open for walk-in support site: http://www.mit.edu/~asksipb/

Jail = BAD Music = GOOD Listen to music for free on LAMP http://lamp.mit.edu Page 10 THE TECH August 28, 2006 August 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 11 Freshmen Rock Kresge Talent Show

Above: Sriniwasan B. Mani ’10 and Serdar Karatekin ’10 play an instrumental duet to a full house during Sunday Night’s Orientation Ceremonies in Kresge Auditorium. Below: Kresge goes wild at last night’s freshman talent show. Photography by Ricardo Ramirez This space donated by The Tech Page 12 THE TECH August 28, 2006 REX Schedule Better Upperclass Mentors Meet New Than Previous Years REX, from Page 1 the dorm that best suits them instead International Students at Logan of staying in a dorm which is good International, from Page 1 pickup. coordinator to prevent others from that instead of two big parties for the enough just because it is convenient “I had some problems with de- having to deal with the stress he went East and West dorms, there will be to remain there,” Hopp said. dialogue,” Schwartz said. layed baggage, and if I had to deal through. four parties,” Hopp said. “Random According to Hopp, this year’s About 45 freshmen signed up for with the situation alone it would have In all, he spent more than 20 Hall and Simmons are geographi- orientation and REX activities are the mentor program, which is not been very difficult,” wrote Iliya T. hours at the airport on the weekend cally isolated from other dorms. scheduled better than last year, mandatory, and about 27 upperclass Tsekov ’08 from Bulgaria, in his ap- of international student arrivals. A This change will allow them to pres- “thanks to advance communication international students volunteered to plication to be a mentor in this year’s total of 36 incoming international ent their dorm culture without any between the Academic Resource be mentors for this year’s program. program. freshmen requested to be picked up travel.” Center and Dormcon.” There were a total of seven men- I met fellow mentor Adelaide S. at the airport. Dormitory Council (Dormcon) One change was having CityDays tor groups, with on average four men- Calbry-Muzyka ’09 from Canada That Friday, as we stood chatting hopes that this year’s REX will be on Friday this year instead of early tors and six freshmen. I, along with and France at the Kendall “T” Stop and waiting for our freshmen to ar- even more successful than last year in the week as it has been scheduled the three other mentors in my group, August 18 at noon. She was equipped rive, a young man walked up to us when many freshmen entered the in the past. The change was made answered questions relating to course with a sign with “Arka Dhar” boldly and introduced himself as Arka. adjustment lottery. Last year, about because CityDays conflicted with selection, the Independent Activities printed on it. We arrived at Logan’s Arka P. Dhar ’10 from India had 16 percent of the Class of 2009 re- REX events. Period, dorms, dorm supplies, and Terminal B to find a handful of peo- just arrived in Boston on a connect- quested to move out of their tempo- “As a result, freshmen will not clothing. This advice is similar to that ple in the mentor program, including ing flight from Chicago. Along with rary dormitory assignments in the have scheduling conflicts to impede given on the admissions blogs but on Schwartz and Robert G. Leke ’07 Abdulaziz M. Albahar ’10 from Ku- adjustment lottery, as previously their dormitory exploration,” REX a much more personal level. from Cameroon. Leke, plagued by a wait who had also just arrived at the reported in The Tech. Assistant Chair Allison M. Jacobs Arguably, the most important part bad experience with his arrival fresh- airport, we began our journey back to “We hope that freshmen will find ’08 said. of the mentor program is the airport man year, wanted to be transportation campus. Calbry-Muzyka and I helped Dhar register and check in to his room. He was grateful to his mentors for “helping me carry my baggage to the fourth floor of East Campus.” We said goodbye to Dhar just in time to get back to the airport to pick up Joe Khoury ’10 from Lebanon. One of my favorite airport pickup moments was when two Turkish students, Cankutan Hasar ’10 and Serdar Karatekin ’10 arrived on separate flights that were moments apart. Neither they nor the mentors realized that they were both from Turkey until they introduced themselves and spontaneously started speaking in their native language. After a weekend of arrivals, In- ternational Student Orientation offi- cially began on the morning of Au- gust 21. “Something that I definitely liked was the free food,” said Christian B. Santoso ’10 from Indonesia. “Aside from that, I could gladly say that MIT people are friendly in general.” Adriana N. Ciccone ’09 from Canada, one of the coordinators of this year’s orientation, described it as a “great opportinity to introduce freshmen to U.S. culture.” Events included an information session at MIT Medical, a Duck Tour, a shopping trip, a campus tour, a party and quite a few breakfasts, bar- beque lunches, and dinners in Boston restaurants. Schwartz said that international students always tell her that they make their closest friends during In- ternational Student Orientation. Later in an interview, Dhar said that he feels he now knows more about MIT and Boston than some of his American friends. Maitagorri H. Schade ’10 from Germany admitted that International Orientation was more enjoyable than her Freshman Pre-Orientation Program. Perhaps the only event that was not very popular was the mandatory immigration session. When I was a freshman two years ago, I remember listening to tips about how to avoid violating immigration rules. “The immigration session was boring,” said Ana-Maria A. Piso ’10 from Ro- mania. The boring session did have one positive effect: helping the students bond. Soon the students were joking about what they knew they should avoid in any case. “Don’t get those American girls pregnant,” said Kel- las R. Cameron ’10 from the United Kingdom, with lots of laughter at the table. “It’s going to be difficult but I’ll try,” responded Styliani Gaitani ’10, a female student from Greece. Solution to Crossword from page 6 August 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 13 New Grad Students To Enjoy Cultural Activities Orientation, from Page 1 opportunity for my daughter to do whatever she wants and pursue her dreams.” Other notable changes includes the elimination of Playfair, and the replacement of Kate Koester’s speech with Sex Signals as the program to address sexual assault. Other student leaders from the Un- dergraduate Association, Dormi- tory Council, and the Fraternities, Sororities and Independent Living Groups will be a part of the opening event along with the orientation coordinators for the first time. This year’s student orientation coordinators are Edward G. Fagin ’08, Will J. Fotsch ’08, and Lara E. Kostun ’08, who declined to com- ment on the opening event. The Class of 2010 currently has 1,009 students and is approximately 45 percent female, Associate Direc- tor of Admissions Matt McGann said. This number is down from the 1,017 printed on the orientation t- shirts, though this decrease is common for all colleges and is referred to as “summer melt,” McGann said. The class is made up of students from 49 states, the District of Co- lumbia, two terrotories and 51 other countries, Hockfield said during her Convocation speech.

Grad orientation three weeks long Graduate Student Orientation also kicked off yesterday, but unlike Freshman Orientation, events will run for three weeks through Sept. 17. These events “aim to get the incoming students to become more aware of the campus, to get them informed, and to let them get to know each other,” Graduate Orientation Co-chair Johnna D. Powell G said. There are 1,384 new graduate ERIC D. SCHMIEDL—THE TECH students on campus this fall and a Kendra L. Pugh ’09 (left) and REX coordinator Sarah C. Hopp ’08 of East Campus attack deep in West Campus territory during Sunday’s East total of 1,585 including those who vs. West Water War on Kresge Oval. arrived over the summer, Gradu- ate Orientation Co-chair Lynne K. Waldman G said. This year’s Graduate Student Orientation features a variety of activities to “appeal to a broad range of people,” Powell said. Sev- eral dance parties are targeted at making new students more aware of different cultures. The Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? ANNOUNCING: orientation party, named after a geography-themed computer game and TV show, will showcase three The 2007 - 2008 Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowships rooms representing the culture, cuisine, and music of three different geographical regions, Waldman Learn the process of biomedical technology innovation through an intensive said. The Dance Fusion V party at Ashdown, featuring a Pirates of the fellowship at Stanford University. Caribbean theme, will also have separate rooms where students can take swing and salsa lessons, Wald- Fellows learn – by doing – the key stages of the biodesign process: man said. identification and verification of clinical needs, invention, prototyping, “Although last year’s orientation was spectacular, we are hop- patenting, early-stage testing, regulatory and reimbursement, planning and ing to make this year’s as good or financing. even better,” Powell said. The Car- men Sandiego Party, a trip to Six Flags, and apple picking trips are Application Deadline: all new this year. Cut from the traditional line up are the whale watch- Clinicians: September 30, 2006 ing trip, which were difficult to sell out, and the Red Sox game, which All Others: November 30, 2006 was dropped because tickets were too hard to come by, according to Powell. Apply Online http://innovation.stanford.edu/ The year’s program also expands on last year’s Grad School 101 by adding Grad School 102. While Further information contact: the former provides students with [email protected] advice on graduate school and resources, the latter will also introduce students to the MIT libraries, Tel: 650 736 1160 MIT Medical, and health insurance, Waldman said. Fax: 650 724 8696 Page 14 THE TECH August 28, 2006 20.102 (BE.102) Macroepidemiology Professor William G. Thilly Where to Buy Food: [email protected] Grocery Store Guide Prereq: -- By Ji Qi catch the dollar-a-bag sales. Units: 3-0-9 When you first arrive at MIT, the Be prepared for a loud and dining options on campus and numer- crowded experience, as vendors try Lecture: T3-4.30 (56-614) ous restaurants located in Cambridge to out-heckle each other as shoppers and Boston can make it easy to avoid ease themselves through packed al- the kitchens of your dorm or living leys. Quality can also be an issue, but Analyses of major causes of mortality in the US since 1900: group. you’ll still get the best deal in town. Sooner or later, though, budget Be sure to bring bags or packs to car- cancers, diabetes, vascular and infectious diseases. constraints, the urge to finally con- ry everything back. sume something healthy, or the long- Analytical models to derive estimates for historically variant ing for a home-cooked meal may C Mart Supermarket population risk factors and physiological rate parameters. cause you to look for the nearest gro- 692 Washington Street cery store. Boston, MA 02111 Analysis of familial and community data to separately Here are a few places to start: 617-338-1717 Take the red line subway to Down- estimate inherited and environmental risks. Basic population Star Market town Crossing, then take the orange 20 Sidney Street line one stop to Chinatown. genetics and technology to discover genes carrying risk for Cambridge, MA 02139 Located in Chinatown, C Mart is common diseases. New this fall: consideration of role of 617-494-5250 the classic example of an Asian su- Open daily, 7 a.m. to midnight permarket. Go here if you’re looking novel nuclear forms in human and mouse embryos that http://www.shaws.com/ for traditional Asian sauces and spe- Walk north on Mass. Ave. Take a cialty items. appear to act as “stem” cells for fetal organogenesis and left at the gas station, then a right on carcinogenesis. (Meets with graduate course, 20.215) the next street. Star is on the left. Super 88 The closest market to MIT, Star 1095 Commonwealth Ave is very similar to the traditional large Boston, MA 02215 grocery chains that you’re probably 617-787-2288 used to back home in terms of the http://www.super88market.com/ brands and items they carry. Prices Take the red line subway to the are probably higher than you’re used Park Street stop, then take the green to, as is true for most Boston super- line “B” branch (Boston College markets. This may be the only super- branch) to Packard’s Corner. market you can reach during the cold Super 88 is an Asian supermarket winter months. chain specializing in Asian produce THANK YOU . . . and seafood. MIT Trader Joe’s 748 Memorial Drive Other options Cambridge, MA 02139 If you prefer to have things deliv- 617-491-8582 ered, you can try Peapod by Stop & Open daily, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Shop (http://www.peapod.com/) and http://www.traderjoes.com/ arrange for delivery straight to your Walk west along Memorial Drive door. (along Dorm Row). Trader Joe’s is a Besides Trader Joe’s, the Harvest 20-minute walk from MIT. Co-op in Central Square (walk North A supermarket full of unique and on Mass. Ave. for about 10 minutes; local specialty items, Trader Joe’s Harvest is on the left at 581 Mass. will provide more adventurous eaters Ave.) and Whole Foods Market with treats that will last a while with- (turn right two streets past Harvest out breaking on Prospect the bank. St. and walk Although the three minutes selection is This is the first in a 5-part series to 115 Pros- ® less compre- of guides to living in Boston and pect St.) have hensive than organic foods Bose® Wave® music system Star’s, you’re Cambridge as an MIT student. or healthier sure to fall alternatives. in love with If you’re the foods you can only find at Trader looking for locally grown produce, Joe’s. 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©2004 Bose Corporation. Patent rights issued and/or pending. Delivery is subject to product availability. August 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 15 MIT Makes Magazine’s Top 100 List of Gay-Friendly Campuses By Sarah Schweitzer its standings in every school rank- more schools. THE BOSTON GLOBE ing, adding that it did not publicize But for now, “what matters is that In an age when colleges live and the US News & World Report or the schools are now going to compete die by their rankings, a new focus Princeton Review rankings, for in- to see who is the most gay-friendly,” for campus assessment is emerging: stance. he said. “They change because they gay-friendliness. She said the Advocate ranking have to keep up.” The Advocate, the national will be posted on the school’s e-mail newsmagazine for gays and lesbi- news service. “We certainly weren’t ans, published a 389-page book this keeping [the Advocate ranking] un- month listing the 100 schools that der a bushel,” she said. it says offer the best discrimination Gay and lesbian activists and protection, most friendly climate, student leaders said that the book and most extensive campus services is a welcome addition to the online for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans- rumor mill that has tended to inform gendered students. Sixteen of the high school students’ decisions schools are in New England, includ- about gay-friendliness. ing six in Massachusetts. “I would have definitely liked MIT, for one, made the top having a book like this,” said Abi- 100. The school is cited for hav- gail Francis, 29, project coordina- ing one of the nation’s oldest gay tor of MIT’s Lesbian Bisexual Gay and lesbian student groups and for and Transgender (LBGT) Services, early on including both sexual ori- a position the university funded for entation and gender identity in its the first time last year. nondiscrimination policy, yielding The rankings are calculated on what the book, The Advocate Col- a “gay point average,” which looks lege Guide, calls a high “gay point at 20 factors, including whether a average.” school offers a resource center for “It is a welcoming place,” said gay and lesbian students, a variety Natalija Jovanovic, a graduate en- of gay studies courses, scholarships gineering student at MIT and presi- specifically for gay and lesbian student of the Rainbow Coffee House, dents, gay and lesbian social events, a gay, lesbian, transgendered, and and procedures for reporting gay bisexual social group. “Because it’s and lesbian harassment. so technically oriented, if you are The rankings, educators said, good at what you do, nothing else might not have been possible to cal- matters. Transistors and chemical culate a decade ago, because fewer compounds don’t care what you do services for gay and lesbian students with your free time.” existed. The book arrives as surveys The AIDS crisis in the 1980s show that more gay and lesbian propelled the creation of more ser- students are coming out at younger vices, which then multiplied in the ages, often in high school, placing 1990s as more students came out at the climate of a college campus younger ages, said Dona Yarbrough, at the forefront of more students’ director of the LGBT Center at minds as they select schools. Tufts. But, she said that today less “A lot of high school kids have than 5 percent of colleges and uni- already dealt with the issue of com- versities have centers for gay and ing out by the time they get to col- lesbian students. lege,” said Bruce Steele, the editor The rankings of the top 100 of the Advocate, whose sister com- schools were not all obvious choic- pany, Alyson Books, published the es, some educators said. Smith Col- guide. Steele said the book’s aim lege, for example, is not on the list, is to help those students and their nor is Harvard University. parents make an informed college Steele said he wasn’t sure why choice. Smith didn’t make the list; Harvard The book does not assign indi- did not because at the time the Ad- vidual rankings, but identified a top vocate was surveying school offi- 20, including Tufts University and cials, Harvard’s antidiscrimination the University of Massachusetts at policy did not protect transgendered Amherst. students, though that has since Since 1992, The Princeton Re- changed, he said. view has ranked the 20 schools that Steele said he hopes to expand it considers the most and the least the list in coming years to include “gay community accepted.” This year, the review ranked New York University as most gay friendly and Notre Dame as most inhospitable. Steele points out that the Re- view’s gay-friendly rankings are based on student opinion, while his guide is based on quantifiable data. Harriet Brand, spokeswoman for the Review, said the survey of 115,000 students is more compel- ling because students offer a more accurate, ground-level gauge of a campus’s climate. For the Advocate, the rankings book is an entry point to a poten- tially lucrative niche market. The magazine is so eager to attach its name to reports about the guide that magazine officials insisted that Steele answer all questions about the book and refused to allow the author, Shane Windmeyer, to speak with a reporter. The publishing house has no sales figures yet for the book, which had a first run of 5,000 copies and is expected to be placed in stores’ college preparation sections, not their gay and lesbian sections. Officials at schools that made the top 100 expressed gratitude in interviews for being included. Bruce Reitman, dean of students at Tufts University said: “We know it’s a friendly, open campus. ... It is a nice statement for the community.” Yet last week Tufts alerted the press when Newsweek had named it one of the “New Ivies” and did not publicly announce its ranking within the Advocate’s top 20. Kim Thurler, the school spokeswoman, said that Tufts does not announce Page 16 THE TECH August 28, 2006 Dean Larry G. Benedict Lists Current Projects, Goals Benedict, from Page 1 students that are involved in some- a little bit. Don’t be overwhelmed. It thing else end up developing better will be tough; we know it’s going to be offices that I’m responsible for, you time management skills, which means tough, but that’s why we’re here. Larry G. Benedict can see the kinds of services available that you can be more effective with the Educational background: through those offices. time you study. TT: If there was one thing you B.A. in Modern European History at the So that is the advice that I give. I think new students should in their first University of Massachusetts at Amherst; TT: I know that you offer office know it sounds terribly old fogie-ish, semester here, what would it be? M.A. in Education and Curriculum In- hours during the school year. When but it’s important. struction at UMass at Amherst; and PhD will those be? LB: The very first thing I would in Educational Research and Evaluation at TT: What about incoming gradu- recommend is to get to know one of UMass at Amherst. LB: I myself have open office hours ate students? your faculty. Almost all faculty have Previous occupation (most recent at top): every Friday at 10 a.m. If you want to open hours, and if they don’t they’ll Dean for Student Life at Johns Hopkins; complain, if you need money, if you meet with you on appointment basis. Vice President for Student Affairs at Uni- want to tell me what life is like, you Almost all of our faculty really enjoy versity of Southern Maine; Associate Vice just want to say hello, stop on by. And if This is the first in a five-part series that. But I think as a freshman coming Chancellor for Student Affairs at Univer- you can’t do that, you can always make of interviews of administrators and in, you think, oh my gosh, there’s Mr. sity of Massachusetts at Amherst; has been an appointment with my assistant. My or Mrs. or Ms. big time Nobel-win- working in higher education for 32 years phone number is 3-4052. In addition, student leaders at MIT. ning, prize-winning faculty member, Age: 61 I check my e-mail every morning be- Tomorrow, The Tech interviews I can’t talk to that person, they don’t Hometown: Boston, Mass. and Portsmouth, N.H. fore 7:30 a.m. so I will get back to you Undergraduate Association want to talk to me. In fact, they do. I How long at MIT: Beginning his seventh year within the day if I’m not off campus. think one of the more enjoyable expe- E-mail: [email protected] Office: 4-110 President Andrew T. Lukmann ’07. riences those freshmen who do it have TT: What advice do you have for is meeting and talking with faculty. are having a very good experience grams and experiments we’re work- incoming freshmen based on your The other thing is that this is a here. They are enjoying MIT. They’re ing on this year. I want to see Pritchett own college experiences and what you LB: I have a different story for big place, and during the course of having all kinds of things they never Dining Hall that we renovated last know of MIT? them, because by now they’ve learned four years you’re going to see a lot dreamed would be possible for them. year become an integral part of the to deal with these kinds of things. MIT of people. You need to make contact It’s a wonderful environment in that east side of campus. We want to work LB: This is a very good question, has a wealth of things available. Bos- with some of them and let them get to MIT gives its students more autonomy with MacGregor, for example, to in- and it’s one that I get asked often. I ton and Cambridge have an enormous know you as a person, because down over more aspects of their education troduce a pilot dining program there. don’t want to sound paternalistic and I variety of opportunities and experi- the road you’re going to want recom- within the classroom and outside the We’re looking at experiments in the don’t want to sound authoritarian, but ences. Take advantage of them. This mendations. And if you start connect- classroom than any other school I know. other residence halls that have resi- my advice to freshmen is to make sure is one of the few times in your life ing with a faculty member early on, I think that’s wonderful. You’re going to dential dining. And then finally we are you live a balanced life, that you don’t where you’re going to get out and get then you see that you’re going to keep learn so much more here than at other looking to graduate students to try to just spend 24 hours a day, seven days a involved. And, as you know, the num- that connection for four years. schools because of that autonomy. get them more involved with our din- week studying. Studying is why you’re ber of student activities we have here One of the challenges I give to ing programs on campus. here, but you can’t do it forever. You is phenomenol, let alone the kinds of freshmen is to come talk to me. I have TT: Why did you want to be the We’re bringing in a new director need to get some sleep. I think fresh- opportunities that exist in Boston and open office hours. I have e-mail. I’d dean for student life? for the office of student mediation and men forget to sleep. And the less sleep Cambridge. So, get out, experience love to meet you. conduct, Veronica Mendoza [’96]. you get, the less well your mind func- our area, enjoy it. And we also have LB: MIT has a wonderful academic She was a student here, and she went tions just physiologically speaking. a lot of international students, and TT: What were your first impres- reputation, but at the time when I took to law school and has been out work- And related to sleep is that you we want them especially to get to un- sions of MIT? Have they changed at the job, it didn’t have such a wonderful ing in the legal profession. She’s going need to remember to eat and eat more derstand the variety of things that are all? reputation for the student life program. to be joining us Sept. 1. than just Ramen noodles and Mac & available to them here. And one of the things that I want to be The staff and myself have been Cheese. That sounds silly, but if you LB: Before I got here, I had a ste- able to do is be part of an organization working very closely with the talk to freshmen around the sixth to TT: What do you think will be the reotypical view of MIT. And that is that was beginning to invest heavily in Dormcon’s Judcomm to overhaul the eighth week of school, and I talk to a lot major challenges the freshmen will that we have a bunch of drudge people student life, to improve the quality of Judcomm rules. We’re going to be of them, they forget to sleep, they for- face? here who never do anything but work life outside the classroom, to provide phasing those rules in this fall. The get to eat, they get sick. And as a result, and study and who don’t have any fun, more opportunities and support for students have been working very hard their learning is negatively impacted. LB: The biggest challenge for who don’t have any life. Very shortly, students. It’s a wonderful time to be on that for several years now. So, that’s The other thing that I encourage in freshmen that first semester is learning within days of being here, I found out here. We’ve built new buildings, we a major improvement. We’re looking terms of the balanced life: every fresh- how to study, learning how to learn, quite the opposite. We have a very di- built the Z Center and residence halls. forward to that. men who arrives here was involved in and learning how to adjust to this in- verse student body that is very actively We’ve got new staff and new moneys We’ve got a whole new effort something in their secondary schools, credibly exciting but competitive envi- involved, that is very heavily engaged for student life programs. It’s been a called student leadership develop- some activity, sport, club, the student ronment. Getting through the first 8.01 in all kinds of activities, taking advan- great time, a lot fun. ment efforts. You know, residence paper. It’s important for you to get in- problem set and getting through the tage of all the various things MIT has hall retreats, training workshops for volved in something at MIT, even if first 8.01 exam. It’s very challenging. to offer. It is an incredibly dynamic TT: Since you’ve been dean of stu- various student leaders and things like it’s only one thing. And I know that, I think first semester can be very over- place. As I talk to students one on one dent life at so many other colleges, what that. We have a lot of initiatives we’re especially the first semester, freshmen whelming, but all of our students learn — they don’t want to admit it in public, would you say is different about MIT? planning to work on. The idea is to try feel that they don’t have the time. I’ve how to deal with it by the end of the but behind closed doors they will tell to give students lots of opportunities gotta study study study. In fact, those first semester. So I try to calm people you — most of the time most of them LB: Our students really are very during their careers here to try out dif- driven. In some ways, that’s really ferent kinds of experiences where they good, and it some ways I feel sorry play some kind of leadership role. sometimes because students get so ex- hasuted, so worn out, so frazzled. TT: What would you say are Another thing is the MIT educa- changes or differences in student life tion. It’s a very tough education, but in colleges in general since you were when I talk to students they say, oh a student? yeah it’s killing me but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Students say the LB: Students now are smarter. They one change they don’t want is to dumb work harder. They try to be more excel- down the academic experience here. lent at more things, especially at MIT. And I don’t blame them. But with that You want to do a thousand things and comes the price of a lot of hard work. do them excellently, which is a great goal, but sometimes it is a struggle. TT: What are you currently spend- Students struggle with more problems ing your time working on in terms of these days than we had when I was student life activities? back in school, whether it is the pressure of having too many things to do LB: There are several big things or if it’s the pressure of trying to get the this year. One is to continue our work ideal job or if it’s the pressure of try- on the new graduate residence hall ing to take three majors, two minors NW35. We began that last year; we’ve and a specialty. We have students here got a full blown planning effort under- like that. We’re also dealing with things way for that. The new graduate hall like eating disorders, that whether they will open up near Sidney-Pacific and existed at the time we don’t know, rang- Albany Street. Related to that, we’re ing to things like downloading music, going to begin the planning this fall for problems with the RIAA and MPAA. the transition for Ashdown into an un- The opportunities available today dergraduate residence hall. That’s go- are phenomenol. When I was in school, ing to take about 18 months to 2 years nobody I knew studied abroad, nobody of planning and renovation. We’ll be I knew traveled abroad, no undergradu- looking to put a committee together at ate I knew had a research project with the beginning of the semester. a professor. Those are critical pieces of We have a variety of dining pro- people’s education now. Lots of new opportunities, lots of new expectations, Solution to Sudoku and lots of new challenges. It’s a tough from page 7 world. And it’s a lot to try to balance.

TT: When you’re not in your of- ﬁce, how do you spend your time?

LB: I like to go walking around Boston, I like to cook, and I like to read contemporary ﬁction. I don’t have time for a lot of any of that, because when school starts I’m in the ofﬁce a lot, including many evenings and many weekends. But those are the things I enjoy doing most. My wife and I used to go walk on the beach, walk in the woods of New Hampshire and Maine. August 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 17 Shuttle Schedules Saferide: Saferide: Saferide: Saferide: Tech Shuttle Northwest Shuttle Cambridge West Cambridge East Boston West Boston East

1. 84 Mass. Ave. 1. 77 Mass. Ave. 1. 84 Mass. Ave. 1. 84 Mass. Ave. 1. Kendall Square T 1. Kendall Square T 2. McCormick Hall 2. Edgerton 2. Mass. Ave. 2. Mass. Ave. 2. Amherst/Wadsworth 2. Amherst/Wadsworth and Beacon and Beacon 3. Burton Hall 3. NW30 (224 Albany) 3. 528 Beacon (TC) 3. 478 Commonwealth 3. Building 39 3. 77 Mass. Ave. 4. New House 4. NW86 (70 Pacific) 4. 487 Commonwealth 4. Vanderbilt Hall 4. 84 Mass. Ave. 4. NW10 (Edgerton) (PSK) (on request only) 5. Tang/Westgate 5. Random Hall 5. 64 Bay State 5. 28 The Fenway (SN) 5. Burton House 5. NW30 (The (TXI) Warehouse) 6. West Garage 6. 790 Main 6. 111 Bay State 6. Prudential Center 6. Audrey St. 6. NW86 (70 Pacific) (on request only) (on request only) (SH) 7. Simmons Hall 7. Plymouth/Webster 7. 155 Bay State 7. 229 Commonwealth 7. Simmons Hall 7. Random Hall Ave. (PKT) 8. WW15 8. 638 Cambridge St. 8. 58 Manchester 8. 253 Commonwealth 8. Vassar/Mass. Ave. 8. Vassar/Mass. Ave. (on request only) (ZBT) Ave. (TEP) 9. 69 Chestnut (PIKA) 9. Sciarappa/Charles 9. 259 St. Paul (ET) 9. 32 Hereford St. (CP) 9. Stata 9. Stata 10. Chestnut/Magazine 10. 6th/Charles 10. 550 Memorial Dr. 10. 450 Beacon St. 10. Hotel@MIT (Tang) (PLP) (on request only) 11. Magazine/Erie 11. Tech Square 11. Simmons Hall 11. Beacon and Mass. Ave. 12. 22 Magazine 12. Kendall “T” Stop Saferide: The MIT Saferide Boston and Cambridge vehicles will operate simultaneously seven days a week, 13. 129 Franklin 13. E40/Wadsworth every day of the year from 6 p.m. until 2:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday). Each route leaves 14. Star Market 14. E23 Medical Ramp its Mass. Ave. starting location every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. and five minutes after every half hour from 10 p.m. onwards from Sunday to Wednesday. From Thursday to Saturday, each route leaves its 15. NW86 (70 Pacific) 15. East Campus Mass. Ave. starting location every 30 minutes from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and five minutes after every half 16. NW30 hour from 11 p.m. onwards. 17. NW10 Edgerton Tech Shuttle: The Tech Shuttle operates weekdays from 7:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. Tech Shuttle routes start at the Kendall Square T stop every 20 minutes with extra morning service (shuttles every 10 minutes that leave 18. Building N51 the Kendall Square T stop from 8:05 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.) from September through May. 19. Albany Garage/N10 Northwest Shuttle: The Northwest Shuttle operates from 7:25 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. on weekdays. Routes start Lot (on request only) at the Kendall Square T stop every 20 minutes with extra morning service (shuttles every 10 minutes that leave the Kendall Square T stop from 7:25 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.) from September through May. 20. Building 56/66 SOURCE: ParkingGG275ME/MIT and Transportation Tech Test Leader Office, http://web.mit.edu/facilities/transportation/shuttles/index.html8/4/06 11:01 AM Page 1 Ken Bickel Brown Disk 74.5:GG275ME/MI 21. Building 34

Entire Class of ’10 Placed in Top Three Dorm Choices

The Housing Lottery placed everyone in the Class of 2010 in their top three dormitory choices. 70 percent received their first choice, 23 percent received their second, and 7 percent received their third. These numbers are comparable to last year’s, with 70 percent, 26 percent, and 4 percent of the Class of 2009 receiving their first, second, and third choice dormitories, respectively. The Housing Office partners with Information Services & Technol- ogy on an algorithm that achieves the “highest rate of satisfaction” for freshmen, Robin Smedick, assistant director of undergraduate housing said. The goal is to place students in their top three choices, which has been done for the past two years. Baker was the most popular choice, with 293 students selecting it as their first choice dorm. MacGregor House with 155 students, Burton-Conner with 130, and Simmons Hall with 113 followed for first-choice requests. MacGregor saw more requests this year than in previous years, Smedick said, as all of the slots in the dorm were filled with those who requested it as their first choice. Last year, only 57 percent of available spaces were filled with students requesting Mac- Gregor first. According to Smedick, the survey given to students after the lottery indicated that “size or style of room” was the most common contributing factor for those who chose MacGregor. It is likely that MacGregor was chosen because it is the most likely place to receive a single room, Smedick said. The Adjustment Lottery opened Thursday, Aug. 24 at noon and will close on Tuesday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. —Angeline Wang

77 Massachusetts Ave., 4-104 Cambridge, MA 02139 617-253-0742 http://web.mit.edu/mitpsc

If you're looking for leadership experience and scholarship opportunities, look into MIT Army ROTC. No excuses, only opportunities YOU'RE INVITED TO AN ARMY ROTC OPEN HOUSE & INFO SESSION ON SEPT. 15, 4 PM AT BLDG. W59-192. For more information, call 617-253-4471/4473 or email [email protected] This space donated by The Tech Page 18 THE TECH August 28, 2006

sary, limited time offer! Void where prohibited. Batteries not included. 21:20—Burton-Conner—We hired a band for the Amherst Al- ley Affair. Theyʼre in the Porter Room. Why arenʼt you? 21:24—Senior Haus—Ich bin der große Verräter. Es darf keinen größeren geben. Ich bin Monday, Standing Exams? Yeah, right. material ever written (aside, of Roulette: Has 3 days worth of der Zorn Gottes. Die Erde, über Stupid frosh. course, from internet fanfiction.) free food made you bored with die ich gehe, sieht mich und August 28, 2006 dinner? Spice up your evening bebt. Ich bin der Zorn Gottes. 09:00 14:00 meal with an element of risk Wer sonst ist mit mir? 00:00 09:00—French House—Scones 14:00—EAsT camPUS—Way - The Chinese Roulette! Come 21:30—Baker House—Bounce! 00:17—Random Hall— frais å la Maison Française! Care way back in the 1980ʼs secret test your luck at our Spinning Bounce! Bounce! Roofdeck Movies: These are for warm, fresh scones to start government employees dug up Table of Doom! 21:30—Burton-Conner—J-E- the pictures that move on the your day? Come over to French famous guys and ladies and L-L-O! screen that hangs on the deck House and join us for scones made amusing genetic cop- 17:00 21:30—Burton-Conner—W-R- that stands on the roof that is (and tea, if you like) and discover ies Now the clones are sexy 17:00—Senior Haus—Abomi- E-S-T-L-I-N-G! on top of the dorm that J. Arthur that it is in fact possible to enjoy teens Now theyʼre gonna make nations Party! Come to Senior 21:30—Burton-Conner—Spell- built. They are fun. Come, watch les matins. it if they tried Loving learning House 4th Ware and eat pickle ing is great! G-R-A-T-E! them! sharing judging Time to laugh and peanut butter sandwiches, 00:18—Senior Haus—Saturday 10:00 and shiver and cry. Clone High oreo and tuna fish sandwiches, 22:00 Morning Cartoons. Come to our 10:17—Random Hall—Things (Marathon) and other foods that arenʼt 22:00—Bexxxley—the same basement and chill out all night that shouldnʼt be eaten for break- 14:00—Senior Haus—Seven supposed to taste good, but shitty jokes at the same shitty with a server full of ʻtoons and a fast: “Indigestionʼs what you get Deadly Sins: Haus Pride: Those inexplicably do. party every single night. fridge full of milk and cereal. from the enemies you ʻet”. Come sneaky EAsT camPUS bastards 17:03—Senior Haus—Tea 22:00—Senior Haus—Youʼve to Random Hall and consume are going to start pelting us with party! Appropriate attire en- trained. Youʼve sworn to rid the 01:00 other things that arenʼt meant to water balloons. Help us man couraged. Alice did not quite world of the undead. ARE YOU 01:04—EAsT camPUS—”The be eaten for breakfast- but are our funnelators and repel their know what to say to this: so READY? Come to DOOMCom thermal energy spectrum is con- considered edible anyway. attack! [Donʼt know what a fun- she helped herself to some tea and try your skills against our tinuous, not quantized” “You sure 10:30—German House—Ger- nelator is? Come find out!] and bread-and-butter, and then zombstacle course. Bring your about that?” “um.... something man House Trip to Walden 14:00—Spanish House—Span- turned to the Dormouse, and boffer and your chainmail, and about ʻPhononsʼ?” “Not even Pond: Want to see some more ish House Sports: If by soccer repeated her question. ʻWhy did fight the undead hordes. close” of Massachusetts and enjoy a you mean futbol come join us for they live at the bottom of a well?ʼ 22:00—McCormick—Weʼve 01:17—Random Hall—Com- relaxing picnic in a famous park a game out on the field. 17:14—EAsT camPUS—Come still got smoothies! Come grab pressed Infrigidated Intermis- with some cool people? Meet at 14:17—Random Hall—Come celebrate manʼs exalted posi- one and head down to Baker, sions: Random Hall is cooler 10:30 a.m. and weʼll head to the tour Random Hall, home of tion at the top of the food chain, Burton-Conner, MacGregor, and than the movie theatre- for one T as a group. Bring $12 fare for bubbles and doom! reigning supreme over both flora New to check out whatʼs going thing, the concessions are free. the commuter rail. 14:37—EAsT camPUS—Your and fauna. on there! Also, frozen. Even if you arenʼt orientation shirts are a little dull. 17:17—Random Hall—17 22:00—Baker House—Weʼve watching the movie, come, stop 11:00 Spice them up with a little bit of got Plinko, too! Come on down, by for some Liquid Nitrogen Ice 11:00—Senior Haus—Itʼs voticular madness with the EC 18:00 the price is right! Donʼt forget to Cream. Log, itʼs Log, itʼs big, itʼs heavy, human spin-easel. 18:56—EAsT camPUS—Whatʼs get your cats spaid or neutered. itʼs wood! Donʼt you love that the November rule? Go ask the 22:00—Burton-Conner—choco 02:00 episode of Ren & Stimpy? Or 15:00 hottest EC resident you can find. late+grahamcrackers+marshma 02:02—Senior Haus—Need to wait--- shit! youʼre probably 15:00—Senior Haus—How will llows+fire=tasty get rid of an unwanted corpse? too fucking young, that aired in you survive the zombie apoca- 19:00 22:00—MacGregor—Party Come see us immediately. 1991! goddamned freshman. lypse? Join the DOOMCom 19:00—Spanish House—Span- time! Come Salsa with us, while 02:23—Senior Haus—Hentai is 11:59—EAsT camPUS—Why Zombie Defense Initiative as we ish House TV Time: Check out enjoying chips, salsa (what really amazing, no, seriously. I you all up in my grill? This ainʼt show you how to make boffers our TV lounge, and enjoy some else?) and guacamole. have pink dreadlocks and I used no bbq. Oh wait. It is. [padded swords] so that your movies, that are showing on TV. 22:15—Baker House—Weʼre to be a lesbian. Come watch it final [and fatal] battle will be a 19:17—Random Hall—Global still bouncing at Baker! Come with me. Room 452. 12:00 thing of glory. Thermonuclear War: The im- hop on! 12:00—Simmons Hall—PAINT- 15:00—Burton-Conner—BBQ: pending apocalypse is a threat 22:45—Senior Haus—Orgy 03:00 BALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL. meet at fire + burgers = BBQ. Or ambu- that we all have to live with, in the basement. Condoms 03:00—Simmons Hall—A day simmons for an afternoon of fun. lance ride. You choose. and Random Hall is the reason. provided. Oh, right, I forgot to of goofing around and partying 12:17—Random Hall—Games 15:17—Random Hall—Games Stave off your demise with blinky mention: this a mandatory event topped off with a late night jaunt in the Main Lounge: Death, de- in the Main Lounge: May your lights, liquid nitrogen ice cream, to go to- Bizzie really needs with Jack could make anybody struction and despair, people dy- deeds with sword and axe equal and other doomsday devices. some action. hungry, and we have what you ing everywhere. Come, play the those with sheep, grain, brick, need. Waffles, ice cream, waffles Largest Game of Munchkin Ever wood...Settlers of Catan and 21:00 23:00 with ice cream on them, inside a (all the expansions, combined) other (more) exciting games in 21:00—Baker House—Like 23:00—French House—If you waffle shaped building or other equally ridiculous board the Random Hall main lounge- bouncy castles? How about give a freshman a cookie... 03:17—Random Hall—Ran- games in the Random Hall Main all day today. Come, play them! henna tattoos? DDR? Bobbing Cookies and hot chocolate à la dom House of Pancakes: Tired Lounge- all day. 15:18—EAsT camPUS—Pick for apples? These things and Maison Française! Come enjoy of looking for Baker House? a tour guide to lead you on a much more will be available at homemade goodness — it Random Hall is located at 42deg 13:00 magical mystery tour full of pretty Bakerʼs installment of the Am- should be vraiment fantastique. 21.401min N, 71deg 06.298min 13:00—Baker House—Come kitties, vibrant murals, flashing herst Alley Affair. Stop by and We welcome francophones, W. It is easy to find, so drop on to Baker for pizza and ice cream lights, and marvels of engineer- check it out. francophiles and non-French- by for an early (or late) break- sundaes to fill you up and cool ing incorporated into everyday 21:00—MacGregor—Salsa speakers alike, so you really fast. you down. life. OK, maybe marvels is a lessons. You want to be able to have no excuse. Quʼils mangent 13:00—MacGregor—Recess! stretch. Donʼt pet the roaches. proficiently shake those hips at des biscuits! 04:00 -- You graduated from high We call the big one Willie. our Salsa party, right? 23:00—MacGregor—Weʼre still 04:11—Senior Haus—Come to school, youʼve gotten into MIT, 21:00—Next House—Are you shakinʼ our hips here at Mac- Senior Haus and have sex with but letʼs face it - itʼs not as good 16:00 a poker player? Do you enjoy Gregor. one (or both!) of our lovely rush as elementary school. Youʼve got 16:00—Bexxxley—who is she? tormenting Egyptian rats? Is Set 23:00—New House—DJ chairs. condoms and dental a week until classes start - play 16:00—French House—Cuisine more your style? Whatever your Smark is providing an awesome dams provided by MIT Medical. tag and four square, drink some is an integral part of la Maison card game, Next House can de- soundtrack for New Houseʼs 04:17—Random Hall—Talk to koolaid, and eat animal crackers Française, and weʼd love to liver! Weʼve got everything from part of the Amherst Alley Affair. Megahal: Megahal rules Azer- while you still can! show you what itʼs all about. Texas HoldʼEm to Mao! Come for Donʼt miss it! baijan. Megahal rules Arizona. 13:00—New House—Scaven- Cuisinez with us from 4:00-6:15, the cards, stay for the free food! 23:14—Senior Haus—WARN- Megahal is glupp. Megahal is ger Hunt: Discover New House or just enjoy the spoils at 6:15. 21:00—Senior Haus—15 Min- ING. Overexposure to black Random Hallʼs sentient com- the best way possible to...hunt Weʼre happy to teach, so come ute Dance Party: 15 minutes: lights might cause lung cancer. puter- full of arcane knowledge through it and gather the clues... even if youʼre lacking a certain 15,000 pixie sticks: 15 x 10^6 At least thatʼs what the smokers and miraculous insight. It makes weʼll dish out the prizes!!! je ne sais quoi when it comes to sexy coeds. What more do you tell us. more sense now than many of 13:01—Senior Haus—Your cooking. need? Come to the 4th HNC 23:30—Burton-Conner—Weʼre your professors ever will. parents are gone, right? [If not, 16:01—Bexxxley—WHO is and get your groove on, yeah! rocking out. 04:33—EAsT camPUS—u r lyk why not?!] Our small army of tal- she? 21:00—McCormick—Come 23:34—Senior Haus—Seven teh kulest. Fuckinʼ Millenials. ented hairdressers will dye your 16:02—Bexxxley—who is SHE? get a refreshing smoothie from Deadly Sins: Greed: Learn how hair any color you please. One 16:03—Bexxxley—WHO IS friendly McCormick residents to commit tax fraud with our 07:00 of us! One of us! SHE? before you head down Amherst resident expert, Bruno. 07:09—Senior Haus—So youʼre 13:02—Senior Haus—Oh, yeah, 16:04—Bexxxley—what is she? Alley to check out the Amherst 23:45—McCormick—Get a virgin frosh. And lack of play and to complete your transfor- 16:05—Bexxxley—thereʼs no Alley Affair! a smoothie and hurry down makes you obnoxious. Which mation into a scruffy college baby about it. 21:00—Burton-Conner—Jello- Amherst Alley while the partyʼs ensures you never get play. student, weʼll help you dye/print 16:17—Random Hall—Random - it wiggles, it jiggles... especial- still going on, and feel free to Which makes you more obnox- your very own T-shirt. Oh joy! Lasagna: Despite repeated at- ly when youʼre wrestling in it. chat with the residents of Mc- ious, etc. Starting to understand? 13:09—EAsT camPUS—V is for tempts at selective breeding and 21:00—New House—Weʼre Cormick! Victory. Dye your hair. genetic modification, we have nearly all the way down 23:50—Baker House—When 08:00 13:17—Random Hall—Cookies failed to create carnivorous la- Amherst Alley, yet weʼre still was the last time you had 08:00—Burton-Conner—Break- and Smut (with Viking Bingo!): sagna. Worse, the USCSB is on rocking out at this Affair. Come carnie food? If youʼve already fast: Not as good as the House- Apparently there is a market for our case about it. Come to Ran- enjoy our awesome DJ and our stopped by Bakerʼs part of the masterʼs Brunch. But still free! erotic viking fiction. Come, listen dom Hall and help us destroy the food. Amherst Alley Affair, your an- 08:59—Senior Haus—Seven to dramatic retellings of what evidence! 21:15—MacGregor—Salsa swer would be TODAY! Thereʼs Deadly Sins: Sloth. Advanced is certainly some of the worst 16:47—Random Hall—Chinese Lessons! No experience neces- still time to grab some! August 28, 2006 THE TECH Page 19 SPORTS Men’s Cross Country Hoping for Ninth NEWMAC Title By Travis Johnson a better race when up against them,” SPORTS EDITOR said Taylor. Men’s Cross Country Quick Facts A saying in the running world Before the conference title meet Home Venue: Franklin Park goes “Cross Country: Our sport is on October 28, MIT will compete Conference: NEWMAC your sport’s punishment”. Some may six times, including at the Engineer’s Last Season’s finish: 1st in conference, 6th at regional meet consider running 70 to 80 miles a cup in Franklin Park by the Forest Key Runners: Kevin F. Brulois ‘07, Jacob J. Ruzevick ‘09. week punishment befitting a serious Hills subway station. felony, but the Men’s Cross Country Part of the reason MIT has been Schedule: team considers it fall practice. so successful in big races is Taylor’s All those miles are part of a win- strategy and his runners’ ability to Saturday, Sept. 2, 5 p.m. Alumni Meet Boston, Mass. (Franklin Park) ning tradition that Coach Halston execute. Halston sets time goals for Saturday, Sept. 9, 1:30 p.m. Engineers Cup Boston, Mass. (Franklin Park) Taylor has built in his 24 years as each of his runners in the form of ab- coach. One example of the team’s solute times mile-by-mile and how Saturday, Sept. 16, 10:30 a.m. University of Southern Maine Invitational Gorham, Maine success is that since it joined the far they should be behind MIT’s fast- Friday, Sept. 22, 5:15 p.m. National Preview Wilmington, Ohio NEWMAC in 1998, it has won every est runner. conference meet. Last year was no More important than the quantita- Saturday, Sept. 30, 1:00 p.m. Mount Holyoke College Invitational South Hadley, Mass. exception, and the Engineers tallied tive goals are ways of “turning nega- Saturday, Oct. 7, time TBA NEICAAA Championship location TBA a score of 25 at the conference meet tive thoughts into positive thoughts by placing all seven of their top run- and planning for distractions,” says Saturday, Oct. 28, noon NEWMAC Championship South Hadley, Mass. ners within the top 13. Taylor. The ability of the mind to Saturday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m. NCAA Regional Championship Springfield, Mass. Last season’s second place finish- keep getting more out of the body is er, Coast Guard, had a lot of success the focus of this Zen-like approach. Saturday, Nov. 18, 11 a.m. NCAA Championship Wilmington, Ohio in the distance running track events Besides hoping to beat Coast last spring and, according to Taylor, Guard to capture their ninth consec- require placing second in an ex- The team has made nationals nationals this season] if we stay may be favored to win this year. utive NEWMAC title, Men’s Cross tremely tough regional tournament seven times in Taylor’s twenty- healthy and the team members do “Coast Guard is often a better Country aspires to advance to the or running well enough all season four year tenure, and he says “we not doubt themselves when the team than we are but we tend to run National Tournament, which would long to get an at-large bid. have an outside chance [of making time comes.” Welcome Class of 2010! the COOP welcomes you with savings!

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