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MIT's The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: Partly cloudy, 34°F (1°C) Newspaper Tonight: Partly cloudy, 18°F (-8°C) s,, Tomorrow: Chance of snow, 32°F (0°C) ttltlI Details, Page 2 _r - < ~P~·:; ,. -;...·;;~lc·-··-·:`~~--\-~I"'~~"`-~ ~~"'A -1994 II- . l I _ Fou% r fs NaVazS By Eva Moy each fellow in developing ways to EDITOR IN CHIEF enrich the undergraduate learning Four professors were appointed experience. When the program was as MacVicar Faculty Fellows for first announced, Wrighton said that their teaching excellence and contri- MIT will ultimately commit at least butions to undergraduate education. $10 million in endowment to sup- President Charles M. Vest and port it. MIT's goal is to have 60 to Provost Mark S. Wrighton will for- 80 MacVicar Faculty Fellows when mally announce the fellows at a lun- the program is fully implemented. cheon today. Wrighton made the appoint- This year's recipients are Richard ments with advice from a commit- P. Binzel of the earth, atmospheric, tee, which included two undergrad- and planetary sciences department; uate students, three professors, and Gene M. Brown of the biology two deans. The committee reviewed department; Woodie C. Flowers about 20 dossiers overall. PhD '73 of the mechanical engineer- The MacVicar Fellows Recep- ing department; and Ole S. Madsen tion and Luncheon will be held ScD '70 of the civil and environ- today. Edward F. Ahnert, executive mental engineering department. director of the Exxon Education The MacVicar Faculty Fellows Foundation, will be attending the Program was established in 1991 in luncheon. MacVicar's mother, her honor of Margaret L.A. MacVicar two sisters, and her brother-in-law ScD '65, MIT's first dean of under- will also be present. graduate education. The program honors the late dean's untiring 'The best of the best' Court. efforts, at MIT and nationally, to The committee considered two Tribe performs last night at Strat's Rat in Lobdell I C .- -- ~ - --- _- L iI enhance undergraduate education. major criteria in choosing the final- The fellowships provide an annual scholar's allowance to assist MNlacVicar, Page 7 Required Bio Called a Success ;; - ~R~s~wu:| v ar a, By Ifung Lu not the same type of biology you is a field that has grown a lot," she ASSOCIA TE NEWS EDITOR take in high school. ... It taught you said. Students and professors consider so that you could look at a fruit fly "It helps us get more of a back- the new institute requirement in and a human and say that they were ground and a different perspective biology a success. basically the same in terms of devel- by taking a different science," said The new policy requires stu- opment and processes," he said. Victor M. Aguilar '97. dents, beginning with the class of "I think it's pretty good. It Stephanie A. Jenrette '97 added 1997, to pass an introductory biolo- expands your knowledge," said that a requirement forces students to gy class. There are three variations August W. Chang '97. experience subjects that they do not of Introductory Biology: 7.012, like. "Physics is required, and I hate broadens education 7.013, and 7.014. The focus of each Requirement physics, but I still learned things," COURTESY class differs slightly. Most students agree that the she said. Richard P. Binzel Gene M. Brown Students who received a 4 or 5 biology requirement is a step in the on the advanced placement biology right direction, giving students a Variations differ in content exam automatically pass the broader education. The requirement All three introductory biology r i__A requirement and receive credit. adds to the core curriculum that all courses cover the common core According to Brian T. White, undergraduate students must com- material of biochemistry, genetics, technical instructor in biology, most plete. The General Institute molecular biology, and cell biology, students who took 7.012 last term Requirements include subjects in White said. The differences between enjoyed taking a general biology physics, chemistry, and calculus, as the courses are in the focus and class. well as the humanities, arts, and direction each takes. White, who is currently teaching social sciences. One variation, 7.012, focuses on 7.014, said he sensed a "positive The biology requirement is "a areas of current research in cell biol- feeling from students." In addition, really good idea because it gives ogy, immunology, neurobiology, "we even made a few converts" to you more balance in the core developmental biology, and evolu- biology, he said. requirements," said Kelly M. Het- tion. On the other hand, 7.013 Douglas S. Decouto '97, who herington '97. "You get a better pic- tCiUL I I r took 7.012 last term, agreed. "It's ture of the sciences ... [and] biology Biology, Page 6 Ole S. Madsen ScD '70 ~~I s~~~-~~~sppsC- CC·IC·IlIA~~~~~~~~~~~~l·C _--_.I_ I_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I-. ~~~~~~---p~~~~~q I-I'-_~~~~~~ New MIT Card to Serve All-Purpose Function By Garlen C. Leung New House, and Next House. Card TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR readers are currently set up and being The Institute will be issuing each tested at Baker House, Bexley Hall, student the MIT card by Feb. 18, Burton House, Random Hall, and the according to Kenneth R. Wisentan- other graduate dormitories. MIT is er, associate director of housing and also planning to install card readers food services. The MIT card is an at East Campus and Senior House. expansion of the current Student At Random Hall, the card read- Services Card. The new card will be ers outside each of the two exterior used for identification, meal pur- doors are a cause of concern. Some chases, dormitory access, and students say that there may not be library privileges. enough security because the locks Although there have been no will be removed from the interior major problems with the system, set of doors. there is some concern about its "In order to check delivery peo- effectiveness compared with ple, desk workers must let people in mechanical locks. In addition, the the outside door. Once they are in new system conflicts with the the first set of doors, there is nothing beliefs of some Jewish students. to prevent them from going in fur- ther," said Erika K. Schutte '95, All dormitories will use system Random Hall president. SIAMRON N. }OUUONru --I. lt TcE t Several dormitories already have "I would prefer that the card MIT Dramashop performs a dress rehearsal of Spring's Awakening in La Sala de Puerto Rico. Per- electronic access: Green Hall, Mac- formances are scheduled for this weekend. For a review, please turn to page 9. Card, Page 6 - --· - -- Gregor House, McCormick Hall, _ ,, Paoe 2 THE TLICHI February 4, 19994 1 4- A it-AI - i I - - WORID & NATION -- l I Republicans Force Delay Clintn1n- Bfs 19'-Year Trade a i In Military's New Rules on Gays I LOS ANGELES TIMES i WASHINGTON il Embargo against Vietnam M Senate Republicans forced a new round of hearings on the gays- I competitors who have taken advan- m in-the-military controversy Thursday, prompting the Pentagon to By Ruth Marcus vicemen, provide assistance to U.S. vi tage of the U.S. delay publishing long-awaited final regulations on the issue. and Thomas W. Lippman tourists and businessmen in Viet- absence to capture 0R the Vietnamese market. aw Only hours before the new regulations were to have been made THE WASHINGTON POST nam and to discuss human-rights public, the Senate Armed Services Committee announced that, at the WASHINGTON concerns with the Vietnamese. Viet- But while the Clinton adminis- tration insistence of its GOP members, it would conduct further hearings. It President Clinton Thursday lift- nam will open a liaison office in has put economics at the said that the sessions could start as early as next week. ed the 19-year-old trade embargo Washington, something Hanoi has forefront of its foreign policy, the A few minutes later, the Defense Department 'said that the regula- against Vietnam, saying a thaw in sought as a gesture of reciprocity for president and senior administration tions, which had been scheduled to be distributed Friday, would be relations between the two former the stationing of U.S. diplomats in officials took pains Thursday to delayed indefinitely - ostensibly because of the heavy volume of enemies is "the best way" to ensure Hanoi. stress that economic considerations paperwork involved. progress in resolving the fate of But Clinton emphasized he was played no role in their decision. Clinton said he Officials on both sides said that the delay was prompted by l th- missing servicemen. not establishing full diplomatic rela- had "no idea" hour objections by Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., one of the Senate's most "I am absolutely convinced it tions with Vietnam. "I want to be about the potential benefits for vocal opponents of allowing homosexuals to serve in the military. offers the best way to resolve the clear," Clinton said. "These actions American business because "I Besides insisting on new hearings, Coats has demanded changes fate of those who remain missing do not constitute a normalization of thought it was very important that in the wording of some of the regulations. Congressional insiders said and about whom we are not sure," our relationship. Before that hap- that not be part of this decision." that the alterations are not major but the Pentagon has opposed them he said in a White House ceremony pens, we must have more progress, Sentiment in favor of lifting the as unnecessary. The two sides have been negotiating for several days.