Established 1881 GooD LUCK on Finals! WEATHER, p. 2 MIT’s Oldest and TUE: 45°F | 31°F Largest Newspaper Mostly sunny weD: 41°F | 34°F Partly cloudy tech.mit.edu thU: 52°F | 42°F Cloudy, rain showers Established 1881 Volume 131, Number 59 Tuesday, December 13, 2011 Walker Memorial’s future is unknown Student groups won’t move yet By Stan Gill of Walker to support MTA’s needs has ASSOCIATE NEws EDITOR taken longerEstablished than expected, in part 1881 due to the complexities of accommo- The future of Walker Memorial dating the acoustic requirements of remains a mystery to administrators some of the spaces” Schmidt said in and student groups alike. In October an email to The Tech. “While we don’t 2010, members of the administration, have a timeline for a decision, we are including Associate Provost Martin confident that Walker will remain A. Schmidt PhD ’88, announced that available for current users though plans were in the works to assess the this academic year”. feasibility of a project to repurpose Much of the progress made on and restore Walker Memorial for use the project is by the Walker Memo- by the Music and Theater Arts de- rial Assessment Team (WMAT), a partment (MTA). Although progress group comprised of a student repre- TIFFANY HUANg—THE TECH has been made on the project over sentative from the Graduate Student The 2.009 staff fires “Angry Birds” plushies into the audience at the end of the 2.009 presentations the summer and this past semester, Council (GSC), Undergraduate As- in Kresge on Monday evening. The theme of this year’s projects was “On the Go.” there is no clear end in sight. “The evaluation of the renovation Walker, Page 12 Established 1881 End of an era Students head off to varied externships Some jobs are career oriented, while others are a welcome break from MIT By Jesse Kirkpatrick view a couple weeks later.” Chan was eventually offered — because it was competitive — STAFF REPORTER However, it didn’t end there a full-time position at Bank of to receive authorization to make for Chan. After going through America. When Celena Chan ’12 ap- the summer internship program, “We were fortunate enough Externship, Page 13 plied for her externship with Bank of America Merrill Lynch last year, she was looking for some 91 Top 10 most popular externships real world experience and a look This year, 294 MIT students will participate in the MIT externship program, into the professional world. which matches students with alumni at various companies. Below are the 73 73 most sought-after companies in this program, based on the number of “I was hoping to get a taste of MIT student applicants to each company’s externship positions. what finance would be like,” said Chan.Established 1881 However, she ended up with 51 a whole lot more than she had 43 bargained for. After completing 42 41 her externship, Chan was offered 34 31 a summer internship at Bank of 24 CHRISTOPHER A. MAYNOR—THE TECH America. The UA Senate met for the last time “At the end of the externship ever yesterday evening, see p.16. … I didn’t really know what to ex- Morgan Stanley Morgan Street Jane LLC Capital, Morgan J.P. Wyman Oliver Rings Five Capital Credit Suisse Tufts Medical Center Bank of America Lynch Merrill Booz Allen Hamilton pect,” said Chan. “I got an inter- NERA Economic Consulting IN YOUR COMMUnity Woof! Puppies to IN Short invade campus Reserve a seat on Meet Professor Robert Langer the Logan airport If you find yourself in finals week dis- shuttles for winter Institute Prof. juggles research, advising, and family tress, MIT Libraries hopes to help you de- break travel at http:// stress with its upcoming “Cookies with Ca- dof-web.mit.edu/ By Kali Xu the highest honor awarded to a nines” study breaks. shuttles/airshuttle. STAFF WRITER faculty member. He is the most Dog BONES (Dogs Building Opportuni- asp. The shuttle costs cited engineer in history, holds ties for Nurturing and Emotional Support), $10 and will run Dec. “When I first came here, after about 800 granted or pending a Massachusetts nonprofit therapy dog or- 21–24. Yes, advanced a year or two, a lot of people told patents, and leads the largest ganization, will be bringing dogs to take reservations are me I should leave. They said I biomedical engineering lab in students’ minds off of finals, if only for a few required. was never going to even get pro- the world. His remarkable col- furry minutes. moted past assistant professor. lection of awards and honors The canines will be at Hayden Library Fill out end-of-term A lot of people in the scientific overflows the walls of his office on Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and evaluations for this community didn’t believe in at the David H. Koch Institute Barker Library on Tuesday, Dec. 20, from 2 semester by Friday, the science I was doing; they for Integrative Cancer Research. p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Twelve pairs of dogs and Dec. 16 at noon. Visit thought it was wrong. And so I Some of his most notable ac- their volunteer human partners, including http://web.mit.edu/ got my first nine grants turned colades include the Priestley MIT Police Sergeant Cheryl N. Vossmer and subjectevaluation/ down,” recounted Professor Medal, the United States Na- her 8-month-old Lagotto Romagnolo, Beck- today! Robert S. Langer ScD ’74. tional Medal of Science, the ett, are signed up to help with this study Thirty-four years after join- Millennium Technology Prize, break offering. Send news infor- ing the MIT faculty, Langer is the Lemelson-MIT Prize, and “We’re hoping it will be a nice opportuni- mation and tips to one of 14 professors holding [email protected]. the title of Institute Professor — Langer, Page 9 NICHOLAS CHORNAY—THE TECH Puppies, Page 13 EDitorial: still Google FOMenting reVolt? what to watch THIS IS Fall’S SECTIONS World & Nation . .2 worK to DO What should we expect from our OVer iap last issUE Opinion . .4 Still more work to do in corporations? OPINION, p. 5 Too hosed for TV this We resume publication Fun Pages . .6 student engagement. occUpy’S last stanD semester? Here’s what to on Jan. 11, once per Campus Life . .9 OPINION, p. 4 catch up on. week during IAP. Have Arts . .10 The Tech was there before Occupy ARTS, p. 10 a great break! Sports . .20 Boston was evicted. NEWS, p. 15 2 The Tech Tuesday, December 13, 2011 Justices to hear challenge to D Arizona’s immigration laws As Syria urges local voting, WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether Arizona may impose tough anti-immigra- tion measures. Among them, in a law enacted last year, is a UN puts death toll at 5,000 requirement that the police there question people they stop about their immigration status. By Nada Bakri against us,” and the government ernment, whose domination by WORL The Obama administration challenged parts of the law in THE NEW YORK TIMES reported that the turnout was good the Baath Party is enshrined in the court, saying that it could not be reconciled with federal im- and that voting was “proceeding in constitution. N migration laws and policies. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the BEIRUT — The Syrian govern- a democratic spirit.” The government also denied Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, blocked enforcement of parts ment called Monday for voters to However, activists said that turn- that the general strike was being ob- of the law in April. turn out for local elections that it out was high only among those who served. The state news agency said The administration challenged four provisions. The most portrayed as good-faith reform ef- support the government of Presi- that the strike was a failure and pub- prominent was a requirement that state law enforcement of- forts, but activists said that most dent Bashar Assad, with most Syr- lished an eight-page report to prove ficials determine the immigration status of anyone they stop citizens, observing a second day of ians abstaining from voting. In some it, along with several pictures show- or arrest if officials have reason to believe that the individual a general strike, rejected the polls areas, they said, residents were ing open shops and busy markets. ATIO might be an illegal immigrant. The provision also requires as irrelevant to a country in such forced to head to polling stations. “The markets in Syrian provinces that the immigration status of people who are arrested be de- turmoil. “Homs is on strike, and around had normal movement yesterday,” termined before they are released. Opposition groups reported at 90 percent of the people did not the report said. It added that the —Adam Liptak, The New York Times least 18 deaths in clashes between participate in the elections,” said Sa- ordinary workday came “despite in- security forces and army defectors lim Qabbani from the Local Coordi- citement by foreign-linked terrorist Chinese fisherman kills South in several regions, and the U.N. hu- nation Committees, an opposition groups to stop economic and social man rights commissioner, Navi Pil- group in Syria. “It’s only the regime activity.” Korean coast guardsman lay, said the death toll now exceed- supporters who participated, so However, activists from the Lo- & N ed 5,000. there was basically no elections in cal Coordination Committees and SEOUL, South Korea — A South Korean coast guard mem- Pillay briefed the Security Coun- Homs.” the Syrian Observatory for Human ber was stabbed to death by a Chinese fisherman Monday cil on Syria and then told report- Authorities said the elections Rights as well as residents reached during a crackdown on illegal fishing near South Korea, the ers that at least 300 children were were part of a reform package that by phone in Damascus, Homs, in coast guard said.