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Volume 124, Number 24 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Tuesday, May 4, 2004 UA Rejects Power Outage Hits MIT, Surrounding Area

By Ray C. He dips in voltage, but this was not the Election ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR case yesterday, he said. A transmission line equipment “We normally generate 18 failure at the Putnam Street NSTAR megawatts of our own power,” substation resulted in power losses Richard said. The plant can power 80 Process across the MIT campus yesterday percent of the buildings on campus, afternoon, said MIT Superintendent said Peter Cooper, director of utili- of Utilities Roger Moore. ties. Any demand over this capacity Changes David Branda, a customer ser- is purchased from NSTAR, according vice representative for NSTAR, the to the cogeneration plant Web site. By Waseem S. Daher natural gas and electricity supplier The plant will need to be ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR for Cambridge, said that “a large inspected for damage from the The Undergraduate Association portion of Cambridge was without power failures before returning to Senate defeated a bill modifying the power for about an hour and ten operation, Cooper said. “We must procedure for electing senators rep- minutes.” be sure that we’re not doing more resenting fraternities, sororities, and Power at MIT was off for a longer damage,” he said. independent living groups. period than in Cambridge because Moore said that power to MIT In its meeting yesterday evening, MIT needed to gradually return to the was restored by 4 p.m. the UA Senate reviewed a bill that power grid in order to avoid over- would set up a committee to change loading the system, said Bernard J. Emergency power not consistent how senators from the Interfraterni- Richard, manager of mechanical, In most buildings, such as Build- ty Council and Panhellenic Associa- electrical, and piping services at the ing 10, emergency power turned on tion are elected. Department of Facilities. almost immediately after main In addition, the Senate passed a Many classes were cancelled fol- power stopped. However, over fif- resolution affirming its support for lowing the power outage and sever- teen minutes passed before backup the IFC’s attempt to reserve Killian al laboratories experienced prob- generators started in buildings such Court for the beginning of Rush. lems with experiments. as W20 and W84. Mary Callahan, MIT’s registrar, As of last night, the facilities addressed the Senate to speak about MIT generator stops functioning department did not know what pre- WebSIS, MIT’s student information After a 115 kilovolt cable fault vented the emergency power from system. occurred at the Putnam substation, turning on in these buildings, The UA also allocated money “the generator station at Kendall Richard said. A delay “is not nor- for the Muses, DomeView, an ori- was tripped,” said Moore. mally supposed to happen,” he said. entation kick-off party, wellness The MIT Cogeneration project, Backup generators are in every seminars, and UA office renovation. which provides most of the power to building on campus, Richard said. Finally, the new officers of the the MIT campus, is “closely con- “Primarily, the emergency genera- Undergraduate Association were nected to that substation,” he said. tors power the lights so people can sworn in and formally took office. “They lost their source and momen- get out of the building,” he said. tarily we were pumping into the grid “They also support critical opera- IFC, Panhel seek voting reform much higher than we could sustain,” tions,” like delicate experiments. The rationale behind the bill he said. Some cold rooms used for can- BRIAN HEMOND—THE TECH A backup power generator in Ashdown was brought online after yes- jointly proposed by Panhel and the Normally the generator at MIT cer research in E19 were not part of terday’s campus-wide electricity failure and triggered the release of will continue to power MIT even if steam from piping outside the building. Concerned residents alerted SAE, Page 9 NSTAR experiences short duration Power Loss, Page 18 the Cambridge Fire department. See photos, page 15. Financial State of the Institute Likely To Improve Survey Helps By Kathy Dobson spoke to the MIT community yester- As a result of yesterday’s power Kresge auditorium, which lacked STAFF REPORTER day at a State of the Institute forum outage, which affected the entire lighting, and was instead held in the Choose W20 President Charles M. Vest, on a number of topics, including the MIT campus and much of East lobby. Provost Robert A. Brown, and Exec- Institute’s budget and its changing Cambridge, the forum was abbrevi- utive Vice President John R. Curry research and curriculum. ated and could not be held inside 2006 budget will grow Vendor After reviewing the budget con- By Tongyan Lin straints that faced the Institute in the ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR past year, Brown said that there will Approximately 750 people have be budget growth in next year’s completed the dining survey that budget, including raises, capital will help determine the vendor to plans, and renovations. The cuts replace Arrow St. Crepes in the stu- have caused “uniform pain across dent center, said Director of Cam- the Institute,” Brown said, but the pus Dining Richard D. Berlin III. Institute will “move ahead in the The survey, which was released next budget year to the same tradi- online Friday, April 16, will close at tion we’ve had.” the end of this week. Berlin said Cuts in the budget for the com- they intend to select a vendor by the ing year included the elimination of end of this month, after the results eleven unfilled faculty positions, a have been compiled and discussed salary freeze for those making with the Campus Dining Board. $55,000 or more, reduction in the number of graduate fellowships, and Student input an important factor a reduction in the Institute’s tuition So far, the results, “seemed to subsidy for graduate students, said vary from independent restaurants” Brown. to brand names, Berlin said. Curry said that he is optimistic Berlin said that a number of stu- about the financial state of the Insti- dents had filled out Anna’s Taqueria tute but has yet to see the impacts of as their choice of vendor, but that he the cuts made. “We are pleased we was “not prejudging” any of the made it through this budget year,” options. he said. “We will all learn the The survey is important because impacts of the cuts as we look back it is “the vehicle we are using to JONATHAN WANG—THE TECH on the year.” evaluate our options,” Berlin said. President Vest speaks in the lobby of Kresge Auditorium after yesterday’s power outage rendered it Curry also said that the budget While he hopes to select the dark. The State of the Institute Forum, at which President Vest, Provost Brown, and Executive VP John Curry were scheduled to speak, was abbreviated in the wake of the power loss. Institute, Page 17 Arrow Street, Page 16

Senior Comics NEWS BRIEFS House holds Uzamere, Faber give no reim- World & Nation ...... 2 its annual bursements for hacking fines. Opinion ...... 4 steer roast. Arts ...... 6 Course VI students get new club. Sports ...... 20 Page 10 Page12 Page 9 Page 2 THE TECH May 4, 2004 WORLD & NATION Kerry to Spend $25M on Image Ads Panel: Death Penalty Can Be THE BOSTON GLOBE WASHINGTON John F. Kerry Monday announced a $25 million advertising cam- paign, the largest single buy of either presidential campaign this year Reinstated With Safeguards and one that comes as some Democrats have expressed concern that many voters know Kerry only by President Bush’s ads. By Scott S. Greenberger death penalty. an erroneous conviction and execu- Two new spots to air this month in battleground states are THE BOSTON GLOBE The governor’s goal is to sway a tion would be vanishingly small.” designed to introduce Kerry to voters as a lifelong public servant in Massachusetts can create a capi- reluctant Legislature — both Senate Nevertheless, the safeguards the military in Vietnam, a prosecutor and lieutenant governor in tal punishment system that is “as President Robert E. Travaglini, envisioned in the 29-page report are Massachusetts, and a member in Congress. The ad buy is aimed at infallible as humanly possible” by Democrat of East Boston, and not sufficient to satisfy many death- countering over $70 million in Bush ads that have aired on radio, TV, narrowly defining the eligible crimes House Speaker Thomas M. Finner- penalty critics. and cable since early March. Most of those ads portray the Massachu- and requiring the use of DNA or an, Democrat of Mattapan, a Boston The proposal “doesn’t hit at setts senator as an equivocator who would weaken the country’s other scientific evidence, according neighborhood, have said they enough of the real problems in the national defense if elevated to the White House. to a report that will be released oppose the death penalty — by turn- system that causes false convic- That criticism is expected to find new voices Wednesday when a Monday by a panel appointed by ing the controversy over death-row tions,” said Harvey Silverglate, a group of Vietnam veterans, including some who served as Kerry’s Governor Mitt Romney. exonerations on its head: If DNA Boston criminal defense and civil commanding officers, plan to say at a news conference that they The panel of specialists is rec- can be used to prove the innocence liberties attorney who says he believe Kerry is unfit to be commander-in-chief. Three of the officers ommending that Massachusetts of death row inmates, he argues, it opposes the death penalty because said their main complaint was that Kerry declared after serving in mete out capital punishment for can also be used to prevent wrong- of the possibility of wrongful con- Vietnam that he and other American personnel had committed atroci- what it calls the “worst of the ful convictions. victions, rather than on ethical ties — a statement he has since said was too harsh. worst” crimes. The new system Dr. Frederick R. Bieber, an asso- grounds. “It hits at some of them, would require jurors to have “no ciate professor of pathology at Har- but not enough of them and surely doubt” of guilt — a higher hurdle vard Medical School and a medical not all of them.” Sharon Planning to Modify than the customary “beyond a rea- geneticist at Brigham and Women’s Meanwhile, some death-penalty sonable doubt” standard — to sen- Hospital who cochaired the commis- opponents, and supporters, say they Gaza Withdrawal Plan tence a defendant to death. And it sion, said the report has the potential believe the proposal is drawn so THE NEW YORK TIMES would establish a series of reviews “to influence things far beyond the narrowly it will almost never result JERUSALEM — by scientific experts and the borders of Massachusetts.” in a capital conviction. A day after his own party dealt him a resounding defeat, Prime courts — to attempt to protect the “We’re humans, and you’re not Romney declined to comment Minister Ariel Sharon said Monday that he would modify his plan for innocent from execution. going to find anybody who can tell before the official release of the an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and would continue press- Romney, who convened the 11- you that humans could never make a report Monday, but when he created ing for its approval, members of his party who met with him said. member commission of lawyers, mistake,” said Bieber, who declined the panel last year he called for “a Sharon’s right-wing Likud Party rejected the Gaza pullout proposal law enforcement officials, and to reveal his personal views on the standard of proof that is incontro- 60 percent to 40 percent in a referendum on Sunday, forcing the prime forensic scientists last September, death penalty. “But as much as is vertible.” minister to re-evaluate the future of his main political initiative. wants to reinstate the death penalty humanly possible, I and the others “Just as science can be used to Sunday’s vote had no legal standing, and Sharon remains free to in Massachusetts, which abolished are of a common mind that if these free the innocent, it can be used to seek formal government approval for the measure. But the defeat has capital punishment in 1984 and has recommendations were put in place identify the guilty,” the governor cost him the political momentum and has raised questions about the not executed anyone since 1947. It in their entirety, we believe to a said in announcing the formation of stability of his coalition government, which is barely a year old. is one of a dozen states without the man, or woman, that the chance of the commission. In talks on Monday with Likud members of Parliament, Sharon said he would not abandon the plan, though he acknowledged that it would be altered, participants in the meeting said. “The people of Israel elected us in order to find the way to achieve U.S. Commander Orders First calm, security and peace and to advance Israel’s economy, and this is what I intend to do,” Sharon said in a prepared statement. ‘Sasser’ Worm Exploits Punishment in Abuse of Iraqis By Thom Shanker “They did not know or partici- report into the abuses of detainees in Windows Security Flaw and Dexter Filkins pate in any crimes,” a senior U.S. Iraq, by Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Tagu- THE BOSTON GLOBE THE NEW YORK TIMES officer in Baghdad said of the offi- ba, described broader problems in A malicious computer worm dubbed “Sasser” that exploits a secu- WASHINGTON cers who received the reprimands, the prison system throughout Iraq, as rity flaw in Microsoft Corp.’s Windows operating system has infected The senior U.S. commander in issued by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. well as pervasive flaws in the leader- thousands of computers worldwide since it was first detected Friday. Iraq has ordered the first punish- Sanchez, the senior U.S. comman- ship, training and morale of military “It’s pretty ugly,” said Graham Cluley, senior technology consul- ments in the abuse of prisoners by der in Iraq. “Their responsibility is police assigned to guard Abu Ghraib tant for antivirus software maker Sophos Inc. Customer service facili- U.S. soldiers there, issuing severe to set the standards in the organiza- and elsewhere in Iraq. It suggested ties at Westpac, a major bank in Australia, were crippled as comput- reprimands to six who served in tion. They should have known, but that these problems had contributed ers were overwhelmed by the worm. The Internet news service CNet supervisory positions at Abu Ghraib they did not.” to abuses of prisoners over many also reported that more than 1,000 computers at the University of prison and a milder “letter of As more details emerged of months, even after earlier instances Massachusetts at Amherst were infected. admonishment” to a seventh. widespread problems in the deten- were reported and punished. Sasser doesn’t do permanent damage to infected computers. The officers and noncommis- tion system in Iraq, President Bush The report found, for example, Instead, it can overwhelm computer networks as it tries to send out sioned officers received penalties on Monday telephoned Defense that after several detainees were beat- additional copies of itself. Unlike other recent computer worms, Sass- that likely will end their military Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld “to en at Camp Bucca, another detention er is not spread by opening an e-mail attachment. careers, although they were not make sure that appropriate action site in Iraq, in May 2003, nothing The worm takes advantage of a weakness in Microsoft’s Windows demoted or discharged. They have was being taken against those was done to make clear to military 2000 and Windows XP operating system. An infected machine sends not been charged with any criminal responsible for these shameful, police elsewhere that this was not to probes throughout corporate networks or the Internet, looking for activity; six subordinates accused of appalling acts,” said Scott McClel- be tolerated. Soldiers responsible for other computers with the same software flaw and infecting them. carrying out the abuse already face lan, the White House spokesman. those earlier abuses were charged and criminal charges. The military’s investigative punished late last year. WEATHER The Heat is Gone Situation for Noon Eastern Standard Time, Tuesday, May 4, 2004 By Michael J. Ring 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 ▲ 40°N 1000 ▲ After the summerlike weather of late last week, today’s forecast brings ▲ 1000 ▲

a return to reality with more seasonable temperatures and the threat of ▲ ▲

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showers several days this week. ▲ ▲

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The meteorological conditions over the past few days have been a stark ▲ ▲ ▲

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▲ 35°N

contrast at the different ends of the North American continent, thanks to ▲ ▲ ▲

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different systems in the West and East. A weak ridge over the Southwest ▲

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brought unseasonably warm temperatures west of the Rockies as the jet ▲

▲ stream has been pushed northward toward Canada. Over the eastern half of ▲

the continent, however, the jet stream plunged southward, carrying with it 30°N the cooler temperatures seen in the East over the past few days. As the trough and an associated front both slide eastward today we should see some clearing; however temperatures will remain seasonable 1024 throughout the week. Nor will the weather remain dry for the next few days 1016 — weak weather systems moving through on Wednesday and Thursday 25°N mean each day features the threat of showers.

Extended Forecast

Today: Rain ending, clearing late. High near 60°F (16°C). Tonight: Partly cloudy and cool. Low near 44°F (7°C). Wednesday: Cloudy with a chance of showers in the afternoon. High Weather Systems Weather Fronts Precipitation Symbols Other Symbols near 65 F (18°C). Low near 48 F (9°C). Snow Rain Fog Thursday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. High near 65°F High Pressure Trough - - - Showers Thunderstorm

(18°C). Low near 48°F (9°C). ◗ ◗ ◗ ◗ Warm Front Light Low Pressure Haze Friday: Clearing with continued seasonable temperatures. High near ▲▲▲▲▲ Cold Front Moderate Compiled by MIT 65°F (18°C). Hurricane ◗ ◗ Meteorology Staff ▲ ▲ Stationary Front Heavy and The Tech May 4, 2004 WORLD & NATION THE TECH Page 3

Three-Fourths of Mass. Police Former Deal-Maker Is Found Guilty of Obstruction

THE NEW YORK TIMES Depts. Employ Racial Profiling NEW YORK By Bill Dedman chiefs association predicted that share of the resident population, as Frank P. Quattrone, the investment banker whose deal-making THE BOSTON GLOBE many police officers will respond to judged by the 2000 Census; ticket- helped fuel the 1990s technology boom, was found guilty Monday of Three out of four police depart- Flynn’s ruling by “de-policing,” ing all minorities more than whites, trying to impede government investigations into how hot stock offer- ments in Massachusetts have doing fewer traffic stops lest they compared with their share of the dri- ings were doled out to investors, making him the most prominent engaged in racial profiling against give more ammunition to their critics. ving population in the community, Wall Street figure to face prison since Michael R. Milken. nonwhite drivers, state Public Safe- “De-policing is a real possibility,” as estimated by Northeastern; The verdict came in a retrial of Quattrone after his first trial ended ty Secretary Edward A. Flynn is said the attorney, John M. Collins, searching minorities more often than in a hung jury last fall. This time, however, the jurors quickly con- expected to announce Tuesday. general counsel for the Massachusetts whites; and issuing warnings to cluded that Quattrone had tried to hamper criminal and regulatory To monitor their interactions Chiefs of Police Association. “When whites more often than to minorities. investigations when he endorsed a colleague’s e-mail message in with citizens, Flynn could require somebody is falsely accused, they’re Looking at Northeastern’s final December 2000 urging his staff of bankers at Credit Suisse First police in as many as 249 depart- not going to continue to give you the report on 341 communities, 92 com- Boston to “clean up those files.” ments, including state troopers, to bullets to shoot them with.” munities got a passing grade on all Quattrone, who visibly gulped as the judge read the verdict aloud, fill out an extra form every time they The Northeastern study confirms tests. The largest community in the was perhaps the most prominent investment banker in Silicon Valley pull over a motorist, even when they a Boston Globe study of the same state that got an all-clear was during the 1990s. He lead the initial stock offerings of technology don’t write a ticket or a warning. traffic tickets last year: Minorities, Agawam, a Springfield suburb of giants like Cisco Systems and Amazon.com that often soared to Four years after the Legislature especially men, are disproportion- 28,000 people. unheard-of heights in their first days of trading. With that success, ordered a test for racial profiling in ately ticketed and searched in most In the Boston area, the only com- Quattrone and First Boston came under the microscope of regulators Massachusetts, police departments communities in the state. And when munities given a clean bill were the and prosecutors, who began investigating whether the bank was mak- will receive their final grades Tues- police officers decide whether to northern towns of Boxford, Danvers, ing investors pay kickbacks in exchange for access to hot stock offer- day morning. Flynn is scheduled to write a ticket or a warning, women Essex, Hamilton, Manchester-by-the- ings, though such a case was never brought. release the final report of a state- are far more likely to get a break. Sea, Middleton and Newbury; the The verdict, together with the unorthodox egalitarian public offer- sponsored study of traffic tickets by In applying the state law, police northwest towns of Acton, Burling- ing announced last week by the Internet search giant Google, may Northeastern University’s Institute chiefs expected Flynn to be a tough ton, Carlisle, Concord, Groton, Har- represent the beginning of an enormous sea-change in the way Wall on Race and Justice, and to grader, requiring the additional vard, North Reading, Reading, West- Street does business as it seeks to distance its business from some of announce what standard he will set paperwork from police departments ford and Winchester; the south towns the more controversial practices of the 1990s. for requiring the additional paper- that show a disparity on any one of of Duxbury, Halifax, Hanover, The verdict is also vindication for federal prosecutors in Manhat- work. Northeastern posted the report Northeastern’s four statistical tests: Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, and tan, who failed to win the same case against Quattrone last fall. The on its Web site Monday night. ticketing resident minorities more Plympton; and the west towns of U.S. attorney’s office had been widely criticized for bringing an The attorney for the state’s police than whites, compared with their Medfield, Norfolk, and Plainville. obstruction case instead of a case based on the underlying crimes that they were initially investigating. Romney Seeks Mass. Income Tax Secret Warrant Requests Increased in 2003 Cut, Cites Economic Resurgence THE NEW YORK TIMES By Scott Greenberger to 5 percent. Let’s get this under- ing, I don’t think is a smart thing WASHINGTON THE BOSTON GLOBE way,” Romney said at a State House to do right now,” said Murray, The government’s use of secret warrants to monitor and eaves- Governor Mitt Romney called news conference he called to unveil Democrat of Plymouth. “We could drop on suspects in terrorism and intelligence investigations contin- Monday for a $225 million tax cut a new report on capital punishment. be anywhere from $1.5 billion to ued to climb sharply in 2003, with more than 1,700 warrants in the coming fiscal year, pointing “That helps the taxpayers, it follows $3 billion in the hole because of sought, the Justice Department reported Sunday. to a resurgent economy that is their voice at the ballot box, and it that court case. Why would you Federal authorities made a total of 1,727 applications last year sparking an “extraordinary growth further stimulates our economy.” get yourself in a deeper hole and before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the secret panel in revenues” after four years of fis- “It was the second election-year hot water now, when that’s loom- that oversees the country’s most delicate terrorism and espionage cal crisis. tax cut proposed by Romney in the ing in front of us?” investigations, according to the new data. The governor wants to cut the last two weeks: the governor sug- Lowering the income tax rate to The total represents an increase of about 500 warrant applica- state income tax rate from 5.3 per- gested a cut in the capital gains rate 5 percent would cost the state tions over 2002 and a doubling of the applications since 2001, the cent to 5 percent, which translates last month — to answer a court rul- between $200 million and $225 Justice Department said in its report, which was submitted to the into an average of $100 per taxpay- ing — but he backed down after million in fiscal 2005. But it would federal courts and to Vice President Dick Cheney as required by er. Romney would also use some of the Legislature came up with a rev- reduce revenue by twice that law. the extra money to increase spend- enue-neutral compromise. Monday, amount in fiscal 2006, when it All but three of the applications for electronic surveillance and ing on substance abuse programs Democratic legislative leaders would be in effect for the entire physical searches of suspects were approved in whole or part by the and homeland security, boost Med- reacted coldly to Romney’s pro- year. Tax increases must take court. The Justice Department said it did not appeal any of the icaid reimbursement rates to hospi- posed income tax cut, saying it was effect at the beginning of the cal- rejections, but it noted that in two of those cases, warrants were tals and other health-care providers, premature to proclaim the end of endar year on Jan. 1, while the fis- ultimately approved after changes were made in the applications. and replenish the state’s depleted the state’s fiscal crisis and unwise cal year begins July 1. No details were provided about the investigations. rainy-day reserves. The governor to cut taxes at the expense of being Romney’s optimism is based Civil liberties advocates maintain that the sharp rise in the gov- did not specify how much he would more aggressive in restoring some largely on a substantial spike in the ernment’s use of the secret warrants, made easier by the antiterror- spend in those areas. of the $3 billion in budget cuts over amount of money Massachusetts ism law known as the USA PATRIOT Act, represents a worrisome In 2000, voters approved a grad- the past three years. collected last month from income trend because the authorities are held to a lower standard of proof in ual lowering of the income tax rate, State Senator Therese Murray, withholding, which makes up most spying on suspects than they would be in seeking traditional crimi- which was 5.85 percent at the time, chairwoman of the Senate Ways of the state’s revenue and is consid- nal warrants. to 5 percent. But in the depths of the and Means Committee, warned that ered a key barometer of overall eco- state’s fiscal crisis in 2002, the Leg- the Supreme Judicial Court may nomic health because it is tied so islature froze the rate at the current order the state to increase spending closely to job creation. The state States’ Tax Receipts Rise, 5.3 percent. Now that the state’s on schools by $1 billion or more as took in $599 million in income with- economy is rumbling to life, Rom- a result of a lawsuit filed by stu- holding last month, up $84 million, Leading To Some Surpluses ney said, it is time to follow through dents in poor districts. or 16.3 percent, from April 2003. THE NEW YORK TIMES with the full tax cut. “To say, ‘Let’s spend this money Overall, it received $1.8 billion in WASHINGTON “It’s time to carry out the will of and give tax cuts,’ when just about revenue, up $410 million, or 29 per- States across the country are reporting stronger tax collections this the voters by lowering our tax rate every single city and town is hurt- cent, compared with last April. spring for the first time in three years, fueling hopes that the bleakest budget-cutting days of the economic downturn are over, state officials and fiscal experts said. Recent Studies Cast Doubt on Myths From Florida to Oklahoma to Oregon, tax revenues are up in recent months from the same period last year, the first consistent increases many states have experienced since Wall Street’s bubble burst in 2001. About Mysterious, Seldom-Seen Squid “Our economy has bottomed out and is improving slightly,” said Ken Rocco, a fiscal officer for the Oregon Legislature, echoing the World’s Largest Invertebrate May Not Reach 3,000 Feet After All comments of many state budget officials. By Henry Fountain tooth, and reports of its depth may that those figures are not definitive, Stronger-than-anticipated tax revenues combined with tight THE NEW YORK TIMES be greatly exaggerated. they are a far cry from 2,000 to spending practices over the past few years are allowing 32 states to With a length up to 75 feet, the The researchers studied one of 3,000 feet, as some scientists have finish their 2004 fiscal years with surpluses, according to a survey by giant squid, Architeuthis, is the the squid’s smallest features, a thought. the National Conference of State Legislatures. largest invertebrate on earth. But it bonelike particle called a statolith The statoliths were also ana- But most of those surpluses are small and a dark cloud remains: is also the most elusive. It has that is not much larger than a grain lyzed for carbon-14, a legacy of Tax revenues are not growing fast enough to offset the rapidly rising never been seen alive in its natural of sand. Statoliths, which are found atmospheric weapons tests. Carbon- costs of Medicaid, pensions and education, which account for most of habitat. in the squid’s head and help it main- 14 in the Pacific increased from the state spending. As such, Architeuthis (pro- tain equilibrium, grow through the 1950s to about 1980, then began a As a result, 33 states faced projected revenue shortfalls in their nounced ark-uh-TOOTH-us) has buildup of calcium carbonate in dis- well-documented decline. By ana- 2005 budgets, and about 20 are still struggling to close them, the sur- something of a mythical reputation. crete rings. lyzing carbon-14 ratios, the vey, released last week by the conference, said. Most states’ fiscal There has been speculation that the Landman analyzed isotopes of researchers were able to calculate years begin on July 1 or Oct. 1. creatures live for decades, even a oxygen in statoliths from three an age for the squid: 14 years or According to the survey, 30 states reported in March that personal century, at depths of several thou- southern giant squid, Architeuthis less. income tax collections were at or above projections. In 36 states, sand feet. sanctipauli, from the Pacific Normal squid reach full size in sales taxes are coming in at levels as good as or better than forecast. “No one really knows,” said Dr. Ocean. Like all specimens, these a matter of months (“They’re the And corporate income taxes are coming in on or above target in 37 Neil H. Landman of the American were caught in fishing nets or broiler chickens of the sea,” Land- states. Museum of Natural History. “In the washed ashore. The proportion of man said), so some scientists had California has the worst budget problem by far, projecting a $15 ocean there are still mysteries, and isotopes gives an indication of the thought that giant squid might billion gap in its 2005 budget. But for most states, the estimated this is one of them.” water temperature the squid lived grow as fast. shortfalls are significantly smaller than the yawning gaps they had to But research by Landman and in, and temperature can be related Landman said he thought the close in recent years, experts said. colleagues from the State University to depth. giants add heft relatively rapidly, “Yes, revenues are improving, but for almost all states, it is not of New York at Stony Brook and In the analysis, reported in the though not at the pace of their enough,” said Robert Kurtter, senior vice president for state ratings at other institutions may help dispel journal Marine Biology, Landman cousins. After all, he said, “It’s Moody’s Investors Service. “Fiscal ‘05 is continuing to be a difficult some of the myths. Architeuthis, found that the squid lived at depths hard to imagine something grow- budget year.” they say, may not be so long in the of 600 to 1,000 feet. While he noted ing that big so quickly.” Page 4 THE TECH May 4, 2004 OPINION Anna’s Taqueria in the Student Center Chairman Few tasks could be simpler than selling food to college stu- Anna’s Taqueria, a savior for famished people with only a Hangyul Chung ’05 dents. We’re young, we like to eat, and we’re a relatively cap- buck or two in their pocket, serves large portions of good food tive, if picky, audience. The vicissitudes of Student Center food quickly and efficiently at low prices. It has become a very suc- Editor in Chief vending make it seem far harder cessful local chain, and we’d expect it to find similar success in Beckett W. Sterner ’06 than necessary. our budget conscious community. Editorial With the closure of Arrow However, even given Anna’s inexpensive and hearty food, Business Manager Street Crepes no more than two years after its opening, vendors MIT can still make the space unsurvivable. MIT took a good Roy K. Esaki ’04 may be nervous about taking its place come next fall. Indeed, step forward by ending the Aramark monopoly on food in the Managing Editor the student center has been a bit of a graveyard for private busi- Student Center, but it has yet to embrace full competition David Carpenter ’05 nesses. Toscanini’s, the Coffeehouse, and others have been the between the vendors. Accustomed to managing monopolies, casualty of high rents and restrictive agreements with MIT that MIT still maintains restrictively high rents, exclusive vending NEWS STAFF made their business unsustainable. Businesses offering more agreements and price controls. When full competition is in News Editors: Kathy Lin ’06, Marissa Vogt ’06, general options, like LaVerde’s and Alpine Bagel, as opposed to place, MIT does not need to guarantee prices because poor ser- Jenny Zhang ’06; Associate Editors: Waseem S. novelty items like crepes and ice cream, have met with success. vice and high prices are unsustainable. Those vendors least Daher ’07, Ray C. He ’07, Tongyan Lin ’07, Giree- However, it is pleasant to have dining options available that are under administrative control — the food trucks — are also some ja V. Ranade ’07, Julián E. Villarreal ’07; Staff: an alternative to the predictable staples. One vendor that could of the most successful in providing cheap, reasonable meals. Kathy Dobson G, Eun J. Lee ’04, Michael E. Rolish offer a relatively exotic counterpoint to other campus dining Students should have another place to eat that doesn’t ’04, Jay K. Cameron ’05, Issel Anne L. Lim ’05, options while still serving a wide audience is Anna’s Taqueria. charge unsustainable prices, and MIT administrators can play an Kelley Rivoire ’06; Meteorologists: Cegeon Chan Arrow Street never made a profit since day one, and Director important part in letting that happen. Anna’s Taqueria can pro- G, David Flagg G, Samantha L. H. Hess G, Vikram of Campus Dining Richard D. Berlin III mentioned that the compa- vide a distinctive style of food in exactly the efficient and popu- Khade G, Robert Lindsay Korty G, Greg Lawson G, Nikki Privé G, William Ramstrom G, Michael J. ny had less business than they expected. Even after changing hours lar form required to attract hungry but still picky college stu- Ring G. and adding a breakfast menu, the business could still not get out of dents. Students can do their part by endorsing Anna’s through the red, but the thing Arrow Street failed to change was its prices. MIT Dining’s online survey at http://web.mit.edu/dining/feed-

PRODUCTION STAFF Its crepes, not the most hearty of entrees, are also quite expensive, back/surveys.html. We’d like to see this popular Boston restau- and price-sensitive students ultimately haven’t bought them. rant hit our campus next fall. Editors: Andrew Mamo ’04, Sie Hendrata Dhar- mawan ’05, Tiffany Dohzen ’06; Associate Editor: Nicholas R. Hoff ’05; Staff: Joel C. Corbo ’04, Joy Forsythe ’04, Kevin Chen ’05, Albert Leung ’06, Jolinta Lin ’06, Jonathan Reinharth ’06, Jennifer Huang ’07, Yaser M. Khan ’07, Y. Grace Lin ’07, EunMee Yang ’07, Sylvia Yang ’07.

OPINION STAFF Editor: Vivek Rao ’05; Columnist: Andrew C. Thomas ’04; Staff: Basil Enwegbara SM ’01, Gretchen K. Aleks ’04, Ken Nesmith ’04, Atif Z. Qadir ’04, W. Victoria Lee ’06, Daniel Barclay ’07, Ruth Miller ’07, Chen Zhao ’07.

SPORTS STAFF Editors: Phil Janowicz ’05, Brian Chase ’06; Staff: Yong-yi Zhu ’06, Alisha R. Scher ’07.

ARTS STAFF Editors: Christine R. Fry ’05, Amy Lee ’06; Associate Editor: Kevin G. Der ’06; Staff: Bog- dan Fedeles G, Xian Ke G, Ruby Lam G, Sonja Sharpe G, Fred Choi ’02, Chikako Sassa ’02, Jed Horne ’04, Pey-Hua Hwang ’04, Josiah Q. Seale ’04, Petar Simich ’04.

PHOTOGRAPHY STAFF Editors: Peter R. Russo ’02, Brian Hemond ’04, Jina Kim ’06; Associate Editors: Daniel Bersak ’02, Jonathan T. Wang ’05; Staff: Frank Dabek G, Mar- cus Dahlem G, Wendy Gu G, Stanley Hu ’00, Scott Johnston ’03, Miguel A. Calles ’04, Jimmy Cheung ’04, Ben Gallup ’04, Dmitry Portnyagin ’04, Hassen Abdu ’06, Matt D. Brown ’06, John M. Cloutier ’06, Grant Jordan ’06, Stephanie Lee ’06, Edward Platt ’06, Omoleye Roberts ’06, Rene Chen ’07.

FEATURES STAFF Editor: Akshay Patil ’04; Associate Editor: Tiffany Kosolcharoen ’06; Columnists: Bruce Wu G, Kailas Narendran ’01, Ian Ybarra ’04, Mark Liao ’06, Rose Grabowski ’05, Danchai Mekade- naumporn ’05, Alex Nelson ’06, Zach Ozer ’07, Dan Scolnic ’07; Cartoonists: Jason Burns G, Letters To The Editor Jumaane Jeffries ’02, Sergei R. Guma ’04, Sean Liu ’04, Brian Loux ’04, Jennifer Peng ’05, Nancy Phan Increasing Access to student life. This summer, as in past sum- bership.html). ’05, Qian Wang ’05. mers, DAPER has rented all or almost all of Another example of the rental policy’s Athletic Facilities the available grass fields at MIT to a commu- clash with student interest is the winter BUSINESS STAFF nity softball league. The league has a long rental of the indoor track to Boston commu- Operations Manager: Lauren W. Leung ’07; The main strength of athletic endeavors at tradition at MIT, although teams are not nec- nity running. While in principle students are Staff: Jyoti R. Tibrewala ’04, Lynn K. Kamimoto MIT is their accessibility to a large segment of essarily affiliated with MIT. While the rental allowed to be on the track, the track is often ’05, Chris Ruggiero ’07. our community, ranging from NCAA athletes to benefits DAPER by generating much needed so crowded by the community group that groups of friends playing pickup soccer. We revenue, granting any one group exclusive running a separate workout is difficult or TECHNOLOGY STAFF recognize that MIT’s Department of Athletics, access to a scarce resource is a poor choice dangerous. Staff: Daniel Leeds ’05, Lisa Wray ’07. Physical Education, and Recreation (DAPER) for the general MIT community. The unavail- We hope that the MIT administration will has a difficult job trying to balance the interests ability of grass fields for students to relax and assist DAPER in finding a way to accommo- EDITORS AT LARGE of all of these groups when deciding on the allo- play a casual game of soccer or train for a date the student population at large while still Senior Editors: Satwiksai Seshasai G, Keith J. cation of scarce resources such as playing fields. sport in the offseason is odd given that MIT satisfying their budgetary constraints. Winstein G, Jennifer Krishnan ’04; Contributing However, DAPER’s policy of renting out athletic membership nominally includes Peter M. Mayer G Editors: Jeremy Baskin ’04, Devdoot Majumdar MIT’s limited athletic resources has very access to outdoor fields (see, for example, Pius A. Uzamere II ’04, UA President ’04. unfortunate consequences for the quality of http://web.mit.edu/zcenter/gen_info/cs_mem- Jacob Faber ’04, UA Vice President

ADVISORY BOARD addresses, and phone numbers. Unsigned letters will not be accepted. Peter Peckarsky ’72, Paul E. Schindler, Jr. ’74, V. Opinion Policy The Tech reserves the right to edit or condense letters; shorter letters Michael Bove ’83, Barry Surman ’84, Robert E. Editorials are the official opinion of The Tech. They are written by will be given higher priority. Once submitted, all letters become Malchman ’85, Deborah A. Levinson ’91, the editorial board, which consists of the chairman, editor in chief, property of The Tech, and will not be returned. The Tech makes no Jonathan Richmond PhD ’91, Saul Blumenthal managing editor, opinion editor, a senior editor, and an opinion staffer. commitment to publish all the letters received. ’98, Joseph Dieckhans ’00, Ryan Ochylski ’01, Dissents are the opinions of signed members of the editorial Rima Arnaout ’02, Eric J. Cholankeril ’02, Ian Lai board choosing to publish their disagreement with the editorial. ’02, Nathan Collins SM ’03, B. 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Telephone: (617) 253-1541, editorial; (617) 258-8329, business; (617) 258-8226, Letters, columns, and cartoons must bear the authors’ signatures, World Wide Web at http://the-tech.mit.edu. facsimile. Advertising, subscription, and typesetting rates available. Entire contents © 2004 The Tech. Printed on recycled paper by Charles River Publishing. May 4, 2004 OPINION THE TECH Page 5 “Realities on the Ground” zation Gush Shalom. In urban areas, the wall gally settle it, and get the U.S. to fund them solve our problems if done completely, is an Ken Nesmith acts as a prison barrier, constricting future while doing so. interesting one. development by trapping 1.56 million Pales- Bush speaks as if Palestinians need to get Leading American advocates for Israel fit I find the wall Israel is building in the tinians inside an area approximately 1,000 with the program and catch up with what he in the same camp. Former Reagan and Bush occupied territories troubling. If the purpose acres in size. The wall will enclose three sides calls the “realities on the ground” — basi- administration officials David Frum and of the wall was purely to hamper terrorism, it of several cities, slowly strangling them. cally, to acknowledge Israeli control of the Richard Perle, in their recent book “An End to could be built on Israeli land. Instead, it is The Israeli withdrawal from Gaza that lands taken. But the “realities on the Evil: How to Win the War on Terror,” deem built inside Palestinian territory and com- forms the other half of this plan has been sold ground” are not the immutable, inescapable force legitimate as a means of acquiring prop- pletes a land grab. In the face of a thousand as the redeeming factor here. About 7,500 set- facts that such a term implies. Those reali- erty. They cite historic instances of expropria- social, religious, political, and economic tlers live in Gaza, controlling 30 percent of ties have been created very recently. Several tion, and note that although these movements undercurrents that shape this prominent con- the land there (over a million Palestinians live hundred thousand settlers live in West Bank of borders “are seldom agreeable to every- flict, there are simple conceptual realities that in the rest of the small strip of land). If the settlements. Between 1994 and 2000, while one,” what needs to happen here is another are as undeniable as they are central to the measure wins political support (and it looks settlement expansion was ostensibly frozen historic instance of expropriation. “The great- source of conflict. Honest scholars acknowl- like it may not), those settlers will be with- during the Oslo peace process, the popula- est — indeed, the sole obstacle to peace is the edge and embrace them, be they Israel’s most drawn. One hand giveth a very little bit, the tion of the settlements doubled under the feeling among many people in the Arab and vigorous defenders or its most virulent other hand taketh away a lot. cover of natural expansion. Israeli popula- Muslim world that anything that was once detractors. The destruction and expropriation of tion centers extend ever further into the theirs can never legitimately be anybody One such conceptual reality is the right to lands that the wall entails is no secret. West Bank, connected by webs of bypass else’s,” they write. The Palestinians display a own property. Theft is generally not recog- Denounced internationally, the wall once roads and defense outposts. These are the lack of a “willingness to swallow disappoint- nized as a valid means of interaction between earned our scorn and the threat of reduced “realities on the ground” to which the Pales- ment” and accept their fate. individuals. It is also understood to be a billions in aid, until President Bush changed tinians must adjust. I’m tempted to try this Their judgment prescribes an unfavorable criminal act for a greater period of time than his mind. Now, he speaks of the wall as if it policy in my house. I’ll go to my room- course of action for the Palestinians. The key those moments when the transgression is were the Palestinians’ fault. His language is mate’s desk, take some of his things — variable in their examples is time. They’d like actually occurring. We don’t say, “A theft remarkable. At a press conference with maybe his iPod, a nice digital camera, and a lands taken quite recently, in the last ten occurred, but it’s in the past! So it’s okay.” Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announc- pen — and set them on my desk. Then after years, to now be legitimately accepted as We say, “A theft occurred. The previous ing support for the wall, he all but blamed a few hours, when he notices, I’ll impatient- Israel’s. “It’s been long enough; it’s ours state of property apportionment should be Palestinians for it. “The Palestinian people ly ask him to please accept the new “realities now,” they say in effect, as Palestinians on the restored.” This is an important part of civi- must insist on change,” he declared. (I bet on the ground,” and maybe give him back other side of the wall wonder what to do since lized and reasonable existence, and the rule one change they’d like to insist on is that the pen. I could use his — I mean, my cam- their farmlands and homes were taken away of law. Things that they not have their era to get a good picture of him when I tell yesterday, last week, last year. Under these people own cannot land taken to build a him that he just needs the boldness and guidelines, the proper Palestinian response be taken from them wall). “We will help, courage to make things better. would be to muster as much violence as possi- by force; instead, a To honestly defend Israel’s actions, but the most difficult To honestly defend Israel’s actions, one ble to retake the settled lands. Then, they property owner can work is theirs,” Bush has to be comfortable with replacing reason could wait a few years, ask the world to trade his property one has to be comfortable with said. One might say with coercion. Honest defenders of Israel’s accept the new “realities on the ground,” and for something else replacing reason with coercion. their work just got a actions openly profess as much; Benny Mor- insist that any unhappy parties “swallow their he or she values, if lot more difficult. ris is one such defender. An authoritative, disappointment.” he or she freely Honest defenders of Israel’s Bush wasn’t done well-respected historian disowned by the There are worse sins in the world than the chooses to do so. though; he commend- right and left alike for his unwillingness to building of this wall, and there are worse The wall con- actions openly profess as much. ed Sharon for his spin history to either side’s liking, Morris’s problems with the Middle East. Irrationality founds such a simple “bold and courageous words are candid. While he doesn’t advocate and anti-Semitism still abound, and the Arab notion. It will pen decision,” and then — ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians at the pre- world is still mired in too many self-destruc- the Palestinians into an ever shrinking this takes the cake — called on Palestinians sent (calling it not only morally wrong but tive practices. But honesty demands that enclave, separating nearly half a million to “match that boldness and courage.” “politically impractical”), he does believe those who defend this as the right way for- Palestinian farmers from their fertile farmland Let’s review. Israel decides to build a that it wasn’t done thoroughly enough in the ward understand and take intellectual respon- and freshwater wells. About 8,000 acres will fence taking land that isn’t theirs. Control of past. In an April 17 New York Times article, sibility for their action, as do scholars like be confiscated for wall construction, and near- this land has been, to make an understate- Morris indicates that having decided on trans- Morris, Perle, and Frum. This is not an act of ly 26,000 acres will lie between the wall and ment, a source of sharp disagreement. This fer, Israel’s leaders should have resolved to peace; it is a promotion of violence, coercion, the pre-1967 borders. Though just 25 percent decision is to be lauded as bold and coura- “do it properly” in 1948. All of the land and expropriation. As such, it legitimates of Palestinian land will be taken, that land geous. What can Palestinians learn; how should have been taken, not just some of it. those as the tools for interactions between comprises nearly 80 percent of available farm- could they also be bold and courageous? I He’s aware that his words are blunt: “I’m not individuals and nations. Perhaps might does land and 65 percent of water resources, suppose they’d have to claim a bunch of land saying it’s nice; I’m not saying it’s pleasant,” make right after all. To my roommate — according to Israeli non-governmental organi- that isn’t theirs, evict the residents and ille- he adds. The lesson, that ethnic cleansing can watch your iPod. Altering Public Conceptions of Female Candidates country, which we would like to believe is far Hillary Rodham Clinton — Will she run for Edwards or Gephardt or anyone else of being Chen Zhao more progressive on the issue of gender president? Will Kerry pick her as a running on the ticket. So what would happen? The equality, the woman will always be viewed mate? — the question of whether we, as a attention would be even greater than when Al Being a woman in politics is always an by her peers in such a way that her gender is country, are ready for a female president or Gore picked Jewish politician Joseph Lieber- issue. Reporters have to muse over it, pundits almost certainly foremost in their minds, vice president begs to be asked. man as his running mate. have to ponder the implications, and voters whether consciously or unconsciously. A man First, the general consensus seems to be In 1984, Walter Mondale picked Geral- are left with a lot of doubt in their minds, not in the same position would be viewed as just that HIllary Clinton will run for president in dine Ferraro, a Congresswoman from New because there is actually something wrong another politician, but a woman would be 2008 if Kerry is not elected. In four short York, as his running mate. Losing in a land- with the woman, but simply because she is a viewed as “another politician, but one who is years, how will this slide to Ronald woman. a female.” country react to a Reagan, Mon- As soon as a woman announces her inten- A woman in a high power political posi- woman running for dale and Fer- tion to run for public office, two questions tion, unlike a man, has to worry about whether the highest office of The question of whether we, as a raro won only immediately pop up: is she capable of per- she was actually intended to be there. Women the land? Sadly, the the state of forming the duties demanded by the office who serve as advisors, consultants, and mem- conversation will country,are ready for a female president Minnesota and and will she, as a woman, command the nec- bers of the cabinet always have to wonder almost certainly be or vice president begs to be asked. the District of essary respect from her peers and internation- whether they are the token female. In 1992, dominated by the Columbia. al leaders? To be fair, the first question when President George H.W. Bush announced issue of her gender. It Granted, Mon- applies to men as well. Anyone of either gen- his reelection team, a group photo of the core would certainly be dale never had der will, or should, have their abilities scruti- team was released. The photo was all-male nice to think that we would be able to look that great of a chance of winning the election nized. with one lone female standing front and cen- beyond that and have a serious discussion of in the first place, but it would still not be The second question though, is fairly ter. That woman was Mary Matalin, the the real issues. There will be those who would ridiculous to argue to that the fact that Fer- unique to women. In much of the world, still, deputy campaign manager for political opera- not vote for her because she is a woman and raro was a woman had something to do with women are not regarded to be the intellectual tions. While that is an important job, the occu- equally unfortunately, there will be those who his loss. equals of men. Much thinking revolves pier of the said position is usually not includ- do vote for her, but only because she would be The only way to change the public unease around the assumption that women are frail ed in the photograph. So, why was Mary the first female president. with a woman running for president or vice and cannot grasp the intricacies of many real Matalin placed front and center? Take a wild The same pertains to if Kerry picks Clin- president is to have more women running for world problems. As a result, women are guess. A president or a candidate running for ton to be his running mate. Before anyone those positions. As of now, it remains a novel- granted fewer rights and have come to be president would be absolutely crazy or suici- brings this up, yes, I know that for numerous ty. No woman has seriously been considered forced to live under stringent rules designed dal to have an all-male cabinet or team of reasons which I will not discuss here, the for president and Geraldine Ferraro has been by men. With a good portion of the world advisors. Thus, the Condoleezza Rices or actual chance of Kerry doing such a thing is the only serious vice presidential candidate. If thinking this way, a woman running for a Elaine Chaos of the world have to worry very slim and that the chance of Clinton we have enough precedent though, people will national office naturally makes people worry about something that never even crosses the accepting such an offer is even slimmer. But view such an occurrence as only natural, just about how much respect, and thus power, she minds of the Donald Rumsfelds and John let’s pretend that there are no peripheral issues as how when John Kerry became the pre- will command when facing leaders of other Snows. about Clinton wanting to run for president sumed Democratic nominee, nobody gasped countries. Even in her own office in this With all the speculation surrounding herself and that she has as good a chance as that he was in fact a man.

The Production Department’s Word of the Day Technology:A department of The Tech that will you should join. It pays good money too. [email protected] Page 6 THE TECH May 4, 2004 ARTS CONCERT / DANCE REVIEW Costumed Lions Dancing to Distinctive Drummers Kresge Audience Experiences a Lively Senegalese Tradition By Fred Choi sonas alternated between a STAFF WRITER master of ceremonies, a hell- Simb: A Senegalese Fake Lion Spectacle fire-and-brimstone Methodist Rambax MIT preacher, and a talk show host, and MIT Dance Theater Ensemble with a few flashy dance moves Kresge Auditorium thrown in for good measure. April 25, 2 p.m. The MIT Dance Theater Ensemble, directed by Professor n a well-coordinated effort, Rambax MIT Thomas F. DeFrantz, provided and the MIT Dance Theater Ensemble pre- the majority of the dancing. The sented a simb, a Senegalese tradition, last cast included a main lion (guest ISunday afternoon in Kresge Auditorium. artist Pape Ndiaye), two smaller These two MIT arts ensembles provided a lions (each with colorful face memorable hour and a half of music, dance, and body paint and costumes and storytelling, with the aid of several guest representing lion skins) and artists and sponsorship from the Music & three colorfully garbed women Theater Arts Section, Office of the Arts Spe- as “the lions’ wives.” cial Programs, and the DeFlorez Fund for The story of the simb, which Humor. is generally about “‘taming’ the According to the program notes, a simb is lion’s spirit through music,” “a traditional Senegalese fake lion spectacle, was at times a bit difficult to or Senegalese lion dance,” and Rambax MIT, follow, though perhaps it would directed by Professor Patricia Tang, ably pro- have been less so with more vided the musical accompaniment. Rambax comprehensive program notes. MIT (pronounced “rahm-bach”) is an MIT Although the other dancers did- club focused on learning sabar, the traditional n’t quite match the effortless drumming and dancing of the Wolof people of grace of the lithe James A. Tol- Senegal. bert ’05 and the playful Ndiaye, Like other indigenous forms of drumming, all the dancers were a pleasure the Wolof drumming ensemble is divided into to watch as they executed

several subgroups on various instruments that jumps and leaps; wild, often- PATRICIA TANG combine rhythmic patterns into more com- times circular arm movements; James A. Tolbert (left) acts out the role of a lion as guest artist Lamine Toure performs as lead drum- plex textures. At this performance, Artist-in- repeated hand and foot move- mer in Simb, a Senegalese Fake Lion Spectacle, produced by Rambax MIT and MIT Dance Theater Residence Lamine Touré, as the lead drum- ments; and the occasional bit of Ensemble. mer, directed Rambax’s drumming, which, pantomine. while a bit louder than desired, was intense Much of the humor of the performance in every art form, but Touré’s mock-threaten- siastic. Clearly this was a successful collabo- and hypnotic. derived from the audience’s participation. As ing cues to clap rhythms with him or repeat ration and a chance for the MIT community to Much attention was devoted to Touré him- is traditional, the lions and their wives made phrases back to him were ultimately winning. experience a lively Senegalese tradition. self, who was an immediately magnetic and audience members dance with them onstage. The energy levels of the performers were high Rambax MIT’s Spring Concert is this Sat- mercurial presence. His larger-than-life per- Audience participation tends to be predictable all-around and the audience’s response enthu- urday on the Student Center steps.

A CAPPELLA REVIEW felt John. The rest of the Muses easily stepped in for Paul, Ringo, and George. The rest of the evening reflected thought in The Muses Find Their Tune terms of the song arrangement, although the sketch comedy most definitely suffered. The spectacular vocal displays were followed by ‘Real World’ Theme Works in Singing and Skits sketch comedy which made me wonder if per- haps the Muses themselves were relying on By Zachary Ozer which the MTV show is renowned. Rather The introductory arrangement seemed to inspiration. A spoof on MTV News, Charlene than appearing when expected, the Muses, reflect the pieces which the group members Shih ’07 and Caroline S. Reilly ’06 tried to MIT Muses like all great inspiration at their own discre- personally wanted to hear, rather then a specif- reenact the incident at the Superbowl involv- Wong Auditorium tion. ic genre or field of emotion. A sketch comedy ing Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. The May 1, 8 p.m. The evening began with “On the Real piece meant to resemble a piece from “Real piece evidently was not well-rehearsed and World,” a reworked version of The Carpen- World” transitioned appropriately into Pink’s came off as superfluous boobage. hen I think of MTV’s “The Real ter’s “Johnny Angel.” Although the new lyrics “Feel Good Time.” With its techno interludes The great exception to this was another World,” what generally comes to focused mainly on the interpersonal relation- and diva-like moments from Pink, it was defi- “Real World” skit by Rodriguez and Weifang mind is a group of strangers thrust ships of the group members, it was well nitely the most ambitious piece attempted Sun ’04 which came to resemble the infamous W together with the hopes that their received by the audience. The melody com- throughout the evening. The group’s choreog- scene from Katz’s Deli in “When Harry Met differences will incite conflict. The Muses con- plemented the group’s natural harmony per- raphy captured the song brilliantly. Sally.” The skit dealt with the nightly ritual of cert on Saturday night, of the same namesake, fectly, and soloist Anastasia M. Rodriguez ’04 And then, seemingly directly from the group member S. Alki Delichatsios ’05, and was a demonstration of quite the opposite. carried a pitch perfect tune seemingly without roof-deck of Apple Studios, came The Beat- then led into Blondie’s “I Touch Myself.” Indeed, those watching in the nearly effort. Even at this early hour, it became read- les’ “Don’t Let Me Down.” With a bit slower Much like Meg Ryan in the film, Alki appar- packed Wong Auditorium saw unparalleled ily apparent that the Muses would have to bat- tempo than the original, the piece achieved ently enjoyed performing a little bit too much, displays of camaraderie and teamwork, rather tle technical difficulties and mediocre new depths of meaning. Jennifer N. Fishe ’07 because she continued even after her fellow than the manifestation of antagonism for acoustics characteristic of Wong Auditorium. stole the spotlight as a soft spoken, but heart- Muses were quite done. Other highlights from the evening includ- ed an inspired performance by Sheena C. Hembrador ’06 of Wham!’s “Wake Me Up Before You Go.” While the lyrics and melody were that of the original recording, Sheena and the Muses imparted a new soul into the song. Unsurpassed was the performance of “Muses Never Get Over You” Natasha N. Rushing ’05. Her voice was reminiscent of Lauryn Hill, completely at ease and yet res- onating throughout the room. She seemed so natural and so at ease one had to wonder whether she had been born in front of a micro- phone. Later, Hembrador and Rushing performed a duet together of “You Thought Wrong” by Kelly Clarkson and Tamyra. The duo’s aston- ishing voices blew the crowd away. As the song progressed, the duet became even more intense as they drew on other’s energy to pro- vide one of the most spectacular moments of the evening. What really made the concert amazing were not the impressive vocals which one could find at any a cappella concert, but rather the great bond the Muses share with each other. The Muses carried out their tradition of singing “How High the Moon” with their alumni, but the evening’s crowning moment was the tribute to their seniors. While the young group may not have quite perfected BEN GALLUP—THE TECH their ability to carry a theme throughout an Frances W. Weld ’05 (front left) and S. Alki Delichatsios ’05 (front right) lead the Muses’ rendition of “Sweetness”, by Jimmy Eat evening, the friendship of the Muses will carry World, last Saturday evening during their concert in Wong Auditorium. them until they find their tune. May 4, 2004 ARTS THE TECH Page 7 A CAPPELLA REVIEW The Toons: How to Conquer an Audience When the Men Fail, the Women Still Do the Job

By Devdoot Majumdar concerts for seniors. With 2004, the Lion King this concert, at least do “Circle audience. Most notably, her occasional CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Toons see the departure of, among oth- of Life.” outbursts of sass countered her some- The MIT/Wellesley Toons ers, MIT vocalists Nikhila Deo ’04, and Other male vocal misdirections include times childlike vocals and gave a bit of 10-250 Neelima Teerdhala ’04; and Wellesley the droning of Patrick Y. Kim ’04 in “Roll to veracity to the phrase, “I’m not an addict.” May 1, 8 p.m. vocalists Claire Gross, Heather Macdon- Me,” and the mumbling of Lee-Kai M. Wellesley senior Kieran Pechter bid the ald, and Kieran Pechter. Wang ’07 in “Hackensack,” a Fountains of group farewell with two songs: Michelle he musical repertoire of your aver- The evening, though generally enjoy- Wayne song. Branch’s “Everywhere to Me” and ’Til age a cappella group has been, in able, certainly demonstrated a marked All in all, it is tough to apply any metric Tuesday’s “Voices Carry.” Her voice, unre- short, sampled to oblivion. The discrepancy among the Toons’ singers. to MIT performances. You can’t judge markable in its strength perhaps, stands T Stevie covers, the Britney covers, It’s fair to say that the women of the them with the “American Idol” scale out by virtue of its uncanny likeness to the bubble-gum 80’s covers — it’s all fun Toons heartily outsing the men. Thankful- because if they were that good, they some New York City Village folk singer. and games for the Class of 2007, but for ly, the coarser, off-pitch vocals delivered wouldn’t be here. So, I’ve kind of settled Though “Everywhere to Me” was rushed people like me, it ranks up there with by some of these guys were more forget- on a scale of my own. Sometimes, I like to and drained of some of its sincerity, “Voic- other lame MIT traditions (i.e., “In table than memorably bad. In light of sit in the the Student Center on Friday es Carry” rang of Aimee Mann, the song’s Stereo”). some of the more mesmerizing moments nights. If you sit in the middle of the fourth original singer. Sweet and wide-ranging, Fittingly enough, the MIT/Wellesley of the evening (read: the female solos) floor, you can hear all three competing Pechter’s voice is truly a refreshing ele- Toons provide a delicious counterpoint to and some amusing skits, The Toons man- Christian groups singing, tambourines and ment for any a cappella group. your standard a cappella group. Their aged to end the evening without losing all. Quite frankly, they aren’t half bad. Teerdhala also delivered an exquisite concerts don’t have the feel of “bathtime their belt as reigning a cappella champi- One Toon male-led song, “72 Hour — if a bit Broadway-esque — perfor- with Tori Amos” nor do they have the ons. Daze” by Taxiride and led by Manuel, mance of Dido’s “All You Want.” But at a tawdry overtones of a Top 40 showdown. We’ll start with the forgettable. Ryan made it past the gospel cutoff. With an time when too many a cappella groups The Toons do well by performing Manuel ’04 brought to 10-250 one of the elaborately layered arrangement and take the Brian Adams approach to songs that captivate the audience — more unknown songs from “The Lion solid vocals from the entire group, the singing, and with a group called The some of them are hits, some of them are King,” Scar’s “Be Prepared.” He brought song served as a stepping-stone toward Toons, a little Broadway doesn’t hurt, woefully unknown. But as refreshing as what little life could be brought to the the better half of the evening: female even when it’s Dido they’re covering. their song selection might be, what makes song, and in so doing, replaced any solos. Teerdhala’s showstopping perfor- the Toons MIT’s premiere a cappella campiness for pure, unbridled cheesi- Deo delivered her cherished solo, “I’m mance was only outdone only by Welles- group are some of their stunning arrange- ness. For all of the red lighting in the Not an Addict” by Kay’s Choice. The ley sophomore Ji Lim’s outstanding “Wait- ments and some of their equally stunning world, nothing could salvage the minutes Toons pushed it along as the song culmi- ing Under the Waves,” by Kris Delmhorst. voices. of vocal blandness and choreographed nated in only a slightly laborious process. Sporting an enchantingly silky voice, Spring concerts are known to be the “excitement.” This is not to say that I don’t Deo’s emphatic refrains and powerful Lim’s vocals are as beguilingly command- last hurrah for some of these stunning enjoy the cartoon themes of the The delivery of the song’s bridge earned both ing as they are emotionally ripe. The song voices, as they are essentially farewell Toons, only that, if they were going to go singer and group high praise from the captured The Toons at their best, spot-

CONCERT REVIEW ’Til I Get Over Michelle Branch Wellesley Audience Not Left Empty-Handed

By Petar Simich seemed as if it was going to be another one of enjoy the music STAFF WRITER those emotional, sappy love confessions, but instead. Guitarist Michelle Branch, Rooney, Joe Firstman Firstman took an unexpected turn with the Taylor Locke’s Keohane Sports Center, Wellesley College lyrics, throwing in humorous in-law bashing. smooth and effort- April 25, 8 p.m. He probably made a poor choice for the less lead solos were final song, doing a cover of Paul McCartney’s rather fun to watch he Virgin College Mega Tour, head- “Maybe I’m Amazed” where he obviously as he took a skilled lined by Michelle Branch, landed at couldn’t hit the high notes and resorted to a command of the the Keohane Sports Center in Welles- crazy falsetto. The set wasn’t musically ear- instrument. T ley College on Sunday night. The opening but was entertaining at least, and Finally, the rea- sports center, a huge space with terrible Firstman received approval from the scream- son I had gone to acoustics, was an odd place to hold the per- ing girls. Wellesley for the formance, as the crowd could never fill it and Much more screaming welcomed Rooney. second time in my the sound echoed and reverberated the day- It was somewhat baffling watching them. It life (damn psets) lights out of everyone. If the tour came to was as if they were a band that looked like appeared on stage. MIT, La Sala would have been more than they were from the 70’s, went in a time Michelle Branch enough. machine to the 80’s to pick up a synthesizer, took the stage to It was announced that the performance was and then zipped back and forth between much fanfare and, dedicated to Katie Palmer, the Wellesley stu- decades getting bits and pieces of songs from armed with her dent that died this past week. A moment of those eras. If I hadn’t cut my hair recently, I acoustic guitar, silence was held, and then the show began. probably could have applied to be the tam- opened the set with Joe Firstman was the first man up (pun bourine player. the title track off of intended). Singer-songwriters seem to be the The synthesizer gave a very strong new her latest album thing these days, and Firstman was no excep- wave tilt to Rooney’s music, and both a hint Hotel Paper. She tion. He jumped between playing the piano of the Beatles and a surprising 50’s doo-wop apologized to the and acoustic guitar on his upbeat and laid style song made their way in. Unfortunately, audience for her back blend of pop and rock, which would fit none of the songs were successful in making singing, telling us in well on the airwaves. On one piano solo, it the couple next to me stop making out and that she was recov- ering from a sinus cold. Her singing was- n’t actually that bad, and although it was DANIEL R. BERSAK—THE TECH noticeable that she Pop singer Michelle Branch performs last Sunday night at didn’t hold some of Wellesley College, following rock band Rooney. The concert was the high and power- part of the Virgin College Megatour. ful notes as long as she was supposed to, she did a pretty darn slowed down, and “All You Wanted” was good job under the conditions. Most of the even in a lower key, transforming the busy pop beautifully done songs that night were off of songs into powerful ballads. Hotel Paper, but she unfortunately didn’t play Other highlights of the performance were a “Breathe,” one of the best off of that album. duet between Branch and her backup singer She did play her new single, “’Til I Get Over singing a song they had both composed You,” which sadly didn’t have the touching (Branch played the harmonica!), and a cover French background vocals in the chorus. of Oasis’s “Wonderwall,” one of the most It was a much more intimate and quieter energetic songs of the night, which, according affair than listening to one of her albums. to Branch, “makes me want to get drunk and Gone were all the studio effects and overdubs, cuss at everyone like Oasis does.” and all that was present were Branch, a gui- The set ended with an epic version of tarist, bassist, drummer and backup singer. “Empty Handed,” the guitarist proving himself The result were songs that were more relaxed, to incredibly proficient at his craft. No encore and in two extreme cases, quieter and slower. followed due to Branch apologizing that her Branch made everyone do a double-take when voice had had it for the night. I walked out of she played her two most popular singles off of the sports center scintillated by the pop star. I DANIEL R. BERSAK—THE TECH her first album The Spirit Room, “Every- can’t wait to see her perform again, and I’m Guitarist Joe Firstman plays Sunday night with Michelle Branch at Wellesley College. where” and “All You Wanted.” Instead of the ready to be blown away when I hear her The concert was part of the Virgin College MegaTour. familiar speed and intensity, both songs were singing with 100 percent of her voice. Join The Tech More Fun Than Your 18.901 Problem Set, Guaranteed Page 8 THE TECH ARTS May 4, 2004 EVENT REVIEW Wrestling Justice Without the Spandex Kaiju Big Battel Mixes Technical Wrestling Excellence with Bizarre Humor

By Brian Loux ones head, spun around, and dropped. But CARTOONIST there are attributes that set Kaiju above a Kaiju Big Battel backyard wrestling production mixed with Mayday! Mayday! Boston SOS! humor, and to some extent, even above tradi- Saturday, May 1, 6 p.m. tional professional wrestling. Avalon First is the small venue in which battels are performed. The intimate setting helps rile the raverse enough of Boston and you’ll crowd more frequently and makes the high- be sure to find a decal bearing a flying maneuvers all the more impressive. Of remarkably square frownie-face with course, the monsters follow that up with an T crossbones. Ever wonder what under- impressive move repertoire. While the per- ground movement it might represent? The formers tend to be actors by trade, they are answer is so bizarre, so outrageous, and so still able to pull off the eye-catching moves ludicrous, it could take root in no other place like tornado DDTs, sunset flips, and fisher- than the New England metropolis. man’s suplexes. For myself, I was able to Kaiju Big Battel, which describes itself as watch Dusto Bunny and Neo Teppen perform a “tongue-in-cheek hybrid of American pro- moonsaults off the top of the Danger Cage all wrestling, Japanese monster movies, and low- the while being an arm’s length away from brow pop culture,” does indeed resemble the both. love-child of World Wrestling Entertainment Then would come the colorful characters producer Vince McMahon and an anime and storyline. Traditional wrestling stories fanatic. Wrestling’s masculine melodrama tend to be ones of personal feuds. However, changes here into a ludicrous story about a Kaiju permanently keeps itself in the World battle for control of the universe as men in Championship Wrestling vs. New World monster costumes duke it out in a steel cage Order days, with four factions (one good, one (now termed the Danger Cage). evil, two rogues) battling each other and no Kaiju does indeed take heavily from one ever truly gaining the upper hand. This is American professional wrestling organiza- infinitely easier to understand and dive into tions, including monster Unibouzu’s “murky for a fan. depths” move, a modified version of Brock And while the costumes do help exception- Lesnar’s “F5” maneuver in which the oppo- ally in developing a character’s relationship nent is placed on one’s shoulders, lifted above with the fans, the monsters usually go the extra mile to show their personalities. The newly debuted Super- wrong came out danc- ing to the internet- famous “Yatta!” song and took a good three minutes to perform before his matchup. Dr. Cube (the chief villain whose visage graces the Kaiju decals) will stomp around and salute his followers after gaining the upper hand. Gomi-man (a liv- ing pile of New Jersey garbage) comes out with a barrel of toxic waste and throws hand- fuls of it into the crowd. WAN YUSOF WAN MORSHIDI—THE TECH In order to help Neo Teppen delivers a hard side kick — one of his 27 special powers — to perennial direct the tempo, musi- loser Call-Me-Kevin. Neo Teppen would go on to win the match for the Heroes. The cal selections are Kaiju monsters battled for honor and glory in “Boston SOS!” at Avalon last Saturday. played throughout each match. Sometimes it is site is of course true for the villain. match) because Hell Monkey made his way to simple as playing a The best musical accompaniment tends to the ring drunk and barely able to stand. Los monster’s theme song come just before a high-risk maneuver is Plantanos were able to defeat Marutambo (a when he comes to about to be executed. The music starts out giant tree) by taking axes to him. interrupt a scheduled soft, slowly building as one of the competitors This ultimately combines for a product that match. But usually, the scales the cage, then climaxes as the monster is truly captivating. No more than three hours music is able to express makes his fall back down to Earth. It’s an after being introduced to the world and story how the fight is going. innovation in wrestling that again helps the of Kaiju had I become a “mark,” or a When both monsters crowd get into it. wrestling fan who has forgotten that the entire are getting slammed But one of the most important traits of thing is staged and is cheering as if it were into the cardboard Kaiju is the ability to never take itself too seri- real. I tried to start “Holy Shit!” chants after building props, you ously. While the story does describe the battle every flip off the top of the cage and booed have typical streetfight for the universe and commentator Louden when evil Dr. Cube walked away with the music. Should the hero Noxious describes the battles with the sinceri- championship belt that night. WAN YUSOF WAN MORSHIDI—THE TECH have the upper hand, ty and emotion of WWE announcer Jim Ross, Wrestling, Godzilla movies, and anime Evil Dr. Cube delivers a leg drop to Unibouzu during an something more tri- there’s never any doubt that it’s a spectacle. all have their clique audiences. But if you impromptu title match after the drunken Hell Monkey gave it umphant or in the style Two of the matches that night were one- enjoy a modicum of any one of them, be up. The Kaiju monsters battled for honor and glory in “Boston of his theme song punch knockouts; one because Superwrong sure to check out Kaiju the next time they’re SOS!” at Avalon last Saturday. might play. The oppo- was so weak, the other (the championship in town. Join The Tech,

Exhibition Opening Reception Tuesday May 4, 2004 before the man-eating 5:30-6:30 pm MIT Building W11 • 40 Massachusetts Ave. • Cambridge Jewish Women Scientists Around theWorld pineapples come after

The reception will honor the three MIT-affiliated women featured in the exhibit. you. Mildred Dresselhaus Institute Professor of Electrical Engineering and Physics, and founder of the MIT Women’s Forum Shafi Goldwasser RSA Professor of Computer Science Irene Greif IBM Fellow and Department Group Manager, Collaborative User Experience Group, IBM Research First woman to earn a doctorate in electrical engineering and computer science from MIT E-mail join@the- Sponsored by MIT Hillel Supported by MIT Hillel’s Frances Lief Brenner Fund and tech.mit.edu William Abramowitz ‘35 Program Fund of MIT Hillel Co-sponsored by the Association of MIT Alumnae, MIT Women’s League, Brain and Cognitive Science Women’s Group, MIT Panhellenic Association, GW6 An exhibit created by the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. On view at MIT Hillel May-July. For more information call MIT Hillel at 617-253-2982. May 4, 2004 THE TECH Page 9 UA President, VP Will Not UA: Yes to IFC Rush in Killian

Reimburse Any Hacking Fines SAE, from Page 1 Outgoing Undergraduate Association President and Vice Presi- dent Pius A. Uzamere II ’04 and Jacob W. Faber ’04 said that they IFC was that the procedures for will not be reimbursing any fines imposed by MIT as a result of electing IFC and Panhel representa- involvement in hacks. tives does not fairly represent the Last Wednesday, Uzamere and Faber sent a letter organizations. News to the undergraduate student body stating that they According to the UA Senate would be accepting applications for hack fine reim- Bylaws, a dormitory or living group Briefs bursements until 7 p.m. last Friday. In the letter, they is allotted one senator per 160 said that they would review descriptions of these undergraduate residents. However, hacks and refund fines for hacks that they considered “substantive.” the IFC is treated as one living Faber said that he and Uzamere received less than ten applica- group, as is Panhel. This is most tions, but would not provide any more detail. The hacks described in notably a problem in the case of the applications were “good, but not on-par” with some more popular Panhel, because only the individuals hacks such as the Wright brothers hack and 2001 Douglas Adams that live in sorority houses are eligi- hack, in which a large banner was put up in Killian Court honoring ble to vote for the Panhel senator. the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, Faber said. “This means that only about 20 Faber said that the applicants have been notified that they will not percent of the members of Panhel be receiving reimbursements. There were no responses from the actually get to vote for Panhel sena- hackers to this as of yesterday evening, he said. tor,” said Panhel Senator Robin M. “At the time we wrote this, we were thinking, ‘Oh, this is such a Davis ’05. great idea,’ but we didn’t really think about what to expect,” Faber The bill attempted to solve this said. He said that there are no plans to extend the deadline for hack problem by creating a task force that reimbursements. would have come up with a suitable —Jenny Zhang voting scheme this summer. At the center of the proposal was the fact that affiliated undergradu- Grad EECS Association Now Official ates living in dormitories would be The constitution for a new MIT Course VI Graduate Students able to select whether they wished to Association was ratified last Wednesday with approval from over vote for a dormitory representative one-third of the 975 registered graduate students in Electrical Engi- or for an IFC/Panhel representative. neering and Computer Science. However, the bill was received Barun Singh G, one of the founding members, said that the pur- with mixed reaction. Seth E. Dorf- pose of the group is to enhance communication between the students man ’05, senator from Simmons, PETER R. RUSSO—THE TECH and the faculty in the EECS department. The group has “been creat- spoke out against the bill because Outgoing UA speaker Yun-Ling Wong ’04 (left) swears in incoming ed with the blessings of the department to work with the faculty and solutions like this have been pro- UA president Harel M. Williams ’05 last night. administrators to make the department a better place,” Singh said. posed and were determined not to The group now officially exists, said Singh, but official officer be viable, he said. Davis insisted that the IFC and dents about MIT Medical’s services, elections will not be held until next year. Mehdi Gazor G, Mark A. Others approved of the bill. It Panhel were not going to stop their and $4,692 to purchase tables, Finlayson G, Stephen M. Hou G, Stephen M. Kohen G, Ming Y. had “great long-term potential,” said attempt to reform. “We’re going to chairs, and miscellaneous renova- Tang G, and Kwaku O. Abrokwah G, the founding and active offi- Pius A. Uzamere II ’04. continue to work on it. We want this tions for the UA office. cers, will run the group until elections are held. The bill was narrowly defeated to be a representative situation for The Senate also allocated The original constitution of the EECS GSA required one-half of with a vote of 9 in favor, 9 against, both Panhel and the IFC,” she said. $12,000 for DomeView, an iCam- the graduate EECS students to approve the constitution. Singh said and two abstentions. pus project seeking to put liquid that the founders changed the requirement to one-third of the gradu- Following the bill’s defeat, IFC Money allocated, Rush supported crystal displays (LCDs) in various ate EECS students because they were not able to reach half of the President Daniel H. Daneshvar read The Senate also loaned $3,500 to locations in campus, displaying student body in a timely manner despite going door-to-door around a statement to the UA Senate. The the Muses for the production of advertisements for student events. the EECS laboratories to ask for signatures. Of the 373 students that UA senate has “continued the trend their new CD, $1,500 for an “Orien- In addition, the UA passed a res- voted on the constitution, 350 voted in favor and 23 voted against it. of disenfranchising over one-third tation Kick-Off After-Party” olution to support “the Interfraterni- —Kathy Dobson of the student body,” and the IFC planned for the Class of 2008, ty Council in their bid to reserve does not feel that it is “getting fair $1,000 to help support “wellness and use Killian Court” for Rush or accurate representation,” he said. seminars” designed to educate stu- Kickoff 2004.

The Sloan Subject Prioritization System Bidding Dates for Fall, 2004 Classes

http://sloanbid.mit.edu Leave password field blank, create new password under 'Personal Information'

Institute-wide bidding for Sloan subjects: Opens 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 12 Closes 5:00 p.m., Friday, May 21

Waitlist-Only Round for closed Sloan subjects: Opens 9:00 a.m., Friday, July 30 Closes 3:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 7

Waitlists for closed Sloan classes are part of the Course Bidding System, beginning May 12. Please contact Tara Walor, [email protected], if you have any questions regarding Sloan Course Bidding.

Successful bids appear on your Registration Form on September 7 and will be posted on the bidding website as of July 14 -- write down your password to check results! Page 10 THE TECH May 4, 2004

Senior House’s annual steer roast was held last weekend.

(right) The steer roast bar- beque pit erupts in flames to the delight of onlookers.

(below) Hani Sallum ’96 tow- ers over steer roast atten- dees in a costume he designed employing mechani- cal stilts.

(below right) Senior House graduate resident tutor Andrew G. “Zoz” Brooks G displays the Sport Death shield. The tile was burned in the barbeque pit during the festivities.

Photography by Grant Jordan

Steer Roast

(above) The Sport Death banner adorns the front facade of Senior House during Steer Roast.

(right) Ross Lippert, PhD ’98, wrestles Steve Reinhardt at Senior House’s annual steer roast, held last weekend. May 4, 2004 THE TECH Page 11 Emerging Technology Center3 Lab suites now available in Medford.

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The MIT List Visual Arts Center Presents the Annual Max Wasserman Forum on Contemporary Art THE UNIVERSITY AS PATRON OF CUTTING EDGE ARCHITECTURE Saturday, May 8, 2004 10 AM - 1 PM MIT Auditorium 26-100 Simulcast in Auditorium 10-250 To make reservations by e-mail, send your name (limited 2 per request) to: [email protected] For information and other requests, please call 617 253 9477

The Forum is free and open to the public

Presenters: James Ackerman, Kimberly Alexander, and Charles M. Vest Panelists: Frank Gehry, Steven Holl, and Robert Venturi Moderator: William J. Mitchell Respondents: John Curry and Kyong Park Many universities, including MIT, are commissioning renowned architects to create extraordinary new buildings. The Forum explores this phenomenon and investigates how architecture can make a difference within the university culture.

The Annual Max Wasserman Forum on Contemporary Art was established in memory of Max Wasserman (MIT Class of 1935), a founding member of the Council of the Arts at MIT. This public forum addresses critical issues in contemporary art and culture through the participation of renowned scholars, artists, and arts professionals. May 4, 2004

Page 12

Tr io by Emezie Okorafor

by Brian Loux

by Brian Loux

QED by Brian Lewis May 4, 2004 The Tech Page 13

by Saurabh Asthana

I Live in a Giant Bucket by Adam Love

I Live in a Giant Bucket by Adam Love Page 14 The Tech May 4, 2004

Dilbert ® by Scott Adams

ACROSS 40 Pearly whites 2 Crop up 32 Thompson of 1 Forbidden 41 Mountaineer’s 3 Big swigs films 6 Witty remark spike 4 Lennon’s love 33 Rule of thumb 10 First mate? 42 Dough to blow 5 Cookie variety 34 Liberates 14 Forum 44 Outlaw 6 Bee product 37 “Break, Break, 15 Bear in the sky 45 Takes home 7 Egg on Break” poet 16 Farm tower 46 Plumber’s tool 8 Sort of: suff. 38 Skating place 17 Gas burner 50 Derrick 9 Well-known 40 Ripped 19 Pitfall component wheel-spinner 41 Daytona 500 20 Approx. 52 As it __ (so to 10 Houston pros starter 21 Double agent speak) 11 Bull’s-eye 43 Ailment 22 Peaceful 53 Flying letters 12 Astronaut 44 Novelist Amelia 24 Sweet course 54 East of the Urals Shepard 46 Pays attention to 26 Chaos 55 Give a wide berth 13 Sulk 47 Shock jock 27 Launch area 58 Ship 18 Lady’s mate Howard 28 Kingly 59 Had an obligation 23 Daredevil Knievel 48 Anticipate

Solution, page 11 31 Kingly 60 Eagles’ home 25 Spring resorts 49 Inventory listings 34 Prenatal 61 “South Park” co- 26 Break out of one’s 50 Days of old 35 Linden or creator Parker shell? 51 __-friendly Holbrook 62 Silent affirmatives 28 Full of substance 52 Garden invader 36 Outback runners 63 Takes in roomers 29 ‘’Othello’’ 56 Tango 37 Follow the scent evildoer requirement 38 Latvian capital DOWN 30 Highlands family 57 Director Ang 39 Pierre’s friend 1 Prerecorded 31 Paper quantity Crossword Puzzle Crossword

This space donated by The Tech May 4, 2004 THE TECH Page 15

BEN GALLUP—THE TECH State of the Institute: Tranquil in the Dark

A transmission line failure at the Putnam Street substation caused a blackout across eastern Cambridge including much of the MIT campus.

(above) The interior of the Student Center stands empty of students. They were forced to evacuate the building because of a reported gas leak and fears that the darkened halls of the building posed a danger to students.

(right) The 12-182 Athena cluster sits dark. Emergency power systems did not keep the clusters running.

(below) A police officer turns people away outside the Student Center following the evacuation.

JONATHAN WANG—THE TECH

PETER R. RUSSO—THE TECH (above) A “closed” sign is taped to the door of the student services center in Building 3 yes- terday afternoon, although the staff were still accepting some payments. Many institute offices were closed during the power outage.

(below left) Students walk down a darkened infinite corridor during the power outage.

(below) With no classes to attend and driving rain outside, many students chose to sit or nap on the floor of Lobby 7 to pass the time.

BRIAN HEMOND—THE TECH

PETER R. RUSSO—THE TECH BRIAN HEMOND—THE TECH Page 16 THE TECH May 4, 2004 Vendor Must Satisfy MIT Business Needs Arrow Street, from Page 1 Office of Campus Dining as well, Berlin said. number one choice of the students, Berlin said the replacement should it depends on whether that vendor is be “operationally and financially “interested and agreeable to busi- responsible.” He said it was important ness with MIT.” to have a “long term partner,” and to The vendor has a “niche to fill in avoid another situation like the cur- the community,” Berlin said. He is rent one with Arrow St. Crepes. not as concerned with the type of Berlin said that the vendor must food offered because there are also “agree to a form of working enough dining locations on campus with our office.” The Office of that MIT does not “have to look at Campus Dining must approve the every location as satisfying every menu, prices, and hours of location need.” He said the location is a good of the vendor in order to protect stu- WENDY GU—THE TECH social space. dent purchasing power, he said. Guest soloist Mark Harvey plays trumpet in his wind ensemble arrangement of “Caravan” by “The other thing we want to do Ellington, Tizol, and Mills during the final Wind Ensemble concert of the semester in Kresge. The Vendor must satisfy several needs is make sure it opens by the fall,” he concert, entitled “Beyond: A Duke Ellington Commemoration,” celebrated the 105th anniversary The vendor must fit the commu- added. of Ellington's birth, and included a number of pieces by him, Bach, Harvey, and Grainger. nity’s needs, MIT’s business needs, and be able to work well with the Q bubble hopes to take over space Nancy Chen, the owner of Q- Bubble, the vendor that had shared space with Arrow St. Crepes until they were forced to leave, said she hopes to obtain this contract. She is submitting a proposal to Berlin to create a location that would service Taiwanese, Cantonese, and Szechuan cuisine. She said that she is willing to work out arrangements to address reasonable prices and later hours, if it gives her the opportunity to open this restaurant. Berlin said that the decision would depend ultimately on the sur- vey, though he also said that the limited equipment available at this location may not be appropriate for Asian-style cuisine. Solution to Crossword from page 14

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Where: Walker [email protected] www.columbia.edu/cu/gs/postbacc Open to MIT and non-MIT Community COLUMBIA School of General Studies Sponsored by: CCRR, GSO, ARCADE Page 18 THE TECH May 4, 2004 NSTAR Uncertain of Outage Cause; W20 Evacuated Power Loss, from Page 1 e-mail. “We waited here with amazing Athena clusters were deserted patience, they paid more attention to 24 Hour Electric Demand the critical systems, Richard said. and students gathered together in me then than when the lights are These buildings had priority over Lobby 7 and on the steps of the on,” said Miller. buildings with backup power for evacuated Student Center, shielding Some students, however, were experiments during efforts to restore themselves from the rain. not so pleased with the power loss. electricity, he said. Trevor T. Chang ’07 noted that “I can’t work when there’s no life seemed “a little less stressed” power,” said Michael J. Mori G. “I Student Center evacuated yesterday at what he called the need my instruments.” The Student Center was evacuat- “Massachusetts Institute Without “I hope there’s power soon,” ed because of a reported gas leak, Technology.” said George M. Eng ’06 during yes- and Building E52 was evacuated by Libraries remained open yester- terday’s outage. “I wonder what the the MIT Police because the genera- day and books were checked out SIPB people are doing.” tors did not take over electric power. manually, said Deborah L. Helman, “No building was supposed to be associate head of MIT libraries. NSTAR uncertain of failure cause Megawatts of Power evacuated,” Richard said. “Build- David B. Andre in the Student As of last night, NSTAR had not ings that were [evacuated] were Service Center said that they were determined the cause of the trans- instructed by the police and the fire accepting payments throughout the mission line failures. “We have department.” afternoon but “as far as anything engineers that are looking into what “If there’s no light in the build- that requires the system, our hands exactly happened,” Branda said. Time (hours) ings, it’s not safe to be in there,” are pretty much tied.” In addition to losing power in the HTTP://COGEN.MIT.EDU said MIT Police Chief John DiFava. Dining facilities across campus Cambridge, NSTAR’s computer MIT’s power plant’s Web site, tracking generator output, shows the The power outage “was lengthy and were closed during the outage, systems were down yesterday, said outage. it was extensive, from Central resulting in long lines at the lunch Mike Butler, a NSTAR customer Square up to the river,” he said. trucks. service representative. doing a scheduled test and the gen- tory. “There was one in ’97 that was The outage did not extend into “I wandered by the student cen- “I don’t think that the power fail- erator did not come back on,” said a city wide failure,” Cooper said. Boston, Branda said. ter, and it appeared to be evacuat- ure is linked to the computer sys- DiFava. “They were doing a test at “When that fault occurred, we were The W20 evacuation, however, ed,” said Sharon M. Prange ’07. “I tems,” Branda said. their Putnam location and that was tripped off of the grid.” was caused by the smell of gas in don’t know where else to eat.” NSTAR was conducting some the start of the issue.” Kelley Rivoire and Marissa the basement, DiFava said. “It did- The power loss also contributed power tests when the equipment A power outage of this magnitude Vogt contributed to the reporting of n’t turn out to be anything of a dan- to the cancellation of several after- failure occurred. “Cambridge was has occurred only once in recent his- this story. gerous nature.” noon lectures and recitations, including the Differential Equa- Power outage affects MIT tions (18.03) lecture. A sense of calm settled over the “I couldn’t get the class to Institute yesterday afternoon as stu- leave the classroom,” said Profes- dents, faculty, and staff grew accus- sor Haynes R. Miller. “First I left tomed to life without electricity and and then they left.”

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1-800-231-3373 Ext. 41 www.cryobankdonors.com May 4, 2004 SPORTS THE TECH Page 19 Entrepreneurship in Edinburgh The Quiet Trophy: Team Rings July 19-25 CMI Enterprisers: an intense week-long By Yong-Yi Zhu But something else struck me never made aware of how the rings program with 60 MIT and UK students that builds skills, COLUMNIST considering sports rings: why give look. It’s because the trophies repre- creativity and confidence to start new ventures. Led by Getting my Brass Rat Friday night out rings at all? Don’t the athletes sent the more public half of the MIT and Cambridge faculty and entrepreneurs. Open to got me thinking about sports rings hoist an enormous trophy to signify team’s accomplishments, while the and sports championships. MIT is not their winning of a championship? ring showcases each individual’s MIT students in all courses—including seniors. See one of so different Why make little pieces of jewelry pride in the team’s overall achieve- Europe’s most beautiful cities. Only $75! from a that can be adorned on their fingers, ment. Column sport any- but most will keep in a little velvet For example, the Marlins accom- Application deadline Friday May 7th 5:oo PM way: it’s physically demanding, it’s box? plished something quite remarkable Application/info: www.cmi-enterprisers.org mentally painful and if you can do Perhaps rings signify a sense of last year beating the New York well enough, you can get yourself a unity. The team won a champi- Yankees to win the World Series. little ring to boot. onship together and therefore the When I heard that the Marlins’ Okay, so MIT is not the NBA, team members should all wear World Series ring this year was one NFL or MLB. But in a way, the something similar; a ring is an of the biggest rings ever, I got inter- Brass Rat is the championship ring unobtrusive item that can be worn in ested in how it looked. With 228 of engineers. For us, the rat is a way any occasion. Wearing a ring identi- white diamonds, 13 rubies and a teal of representing our life at MIT and fies not the individuals on that diamond representing the eye of the showing all that we have endured in championship team, but the team marlin, this baby weighs in at the quest for our degree. But our itself. Just think, after the San Anto- around a quarter of a pound! One 6725(<285678))29(5%5($. ring is distributed at the end of our nio Spurs’ championship run last would imagine that something this sophomore year, not at graduation. year, Tim Duncan gets the same prominent would be on some Web In sports, that is the equivalent of ring as Mengke Bateer, even though site somewhere, and one would be giving everyone that makes the Duncan was a tad more productive wrong. It’s hard to find even a more playoffs a championship ring. in the postseason. Anyone who detailed description of that ring. VW0RQWK If the professional sports gave owns a particular ring had to go I guess sports rings are publi- out their rings this way, Karl Mal- through the same kinds of experi- cized that little because they are one and Gary Payton would each ences as anyone else with the same designed for each team or group to have a ton of rings, and consequent- ring. Perhaps that’s why champi- appreciate. Who outside of MIT ly would not need to sell their souls onship rings are only advertised to would understand Kresge or 5 0XVWSUHVHQWDG&HUWDLQUHVWULFWLRQVDSSO\6XEMHFWWRDYDLODHQW)5((ELOLW\0$040,7 to the Lakers to get a shot at win- the members of the team to which it IHTFP? Better yet, who outside of ning one. The Buffalo Bills would is going. MIT would appreciate those things? )($785(6 35,&(6$6 have gotten four rings in a row in Just try to remember whether Maybe that’s why we never really /2:$6 the nineties, and would not have you have ever seen a sport’s cham- explain our rings to outsiders. And 5HVLGHQW0DQDJHU &OLPDWH&RQWUROOHG8QLWV been such a disappointment even pionship ring. We know what the maybe that’s why the sports teams +59LGHR6XUYHLOODQFH 'D\$FFHVV  with the kick of Scott Norwood. trophies look like, but the fans are don’t show their rings to us. 1R6HFXULW\'HSRVLW 0RYH,Q7UXFN$YDLODEOH $0217+ 0RQWK7R0RQWK/HDVHV %R[HV 3DFNLQJ6XSSOLHV

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This space donated by The Tech /2&$7,2161$7,21:,'(86725(,7:::86725(,7&20 Page 20 THE TECH May 4, 2004 SPORTS Not an Awful Curse: Sox Still Win MIT Dances Bolero, By Brian Chase like the Brewers or Royals. Those loved at all.” The Red Sox fans love SPORTS EDITOR teams are so bad that their fans can- their team and that binds them as a A few weeks ago, ESPN.com not hold any aspirations for the community, gives them a lot of Tango, Wins Contest created a “misery rating” of baseball playoffs at all, and the baseball sea- entertainment for most of the sum- teams, trying to quantify how much son turns into one long parade of mer, and gives them something to By Jessica A. Lee Stratton ’97 & Katarzyna Herink suffering crushed hope and despair. And even be proud about for their city. So TEAM MEMBER placed in the top 3 in every Stan- fans of a when these cellar-dwelling teams do what if they lose in the playoffs This weekend, Rockwell Cage dard dance; in Smooth, Bradley J. Column given base- have some moderate success, it is every year? They always have hope echoed not with the squeak of Morrison & Margaret A. Wong ’02 ball team often a fleeting and temporary illu- that next year they will finally get it, sneakers but with strains of waltz took 3rd in Tango and 5th in Fox- had had to endure over the years. sion that betray fans into believing because they have a good team with and samba. Athletes trot/Viennese Waltz. The article made me think about the their teams are finally climbing out a firm foundation. The fans of the approached the Z-cen- The weekend’s excitement long-suffering Red Sox fans, and it of their hole, only to go through the bad teams, though, never get the sat- ter at 7:00 a.m. Satur- peaked on Saturday afternoon, when drove me to this conclusion: they’re same disappointment and despair isfaction or the intense pride that day morning to partic- competitors and spectators crowded lucky. Red Sox fans, in my mind, the next season. Red Sox fans can claim, they have ipate in the 2004 MIT the floor to watch the Pre-Champi- should be envied, not pitied, because Take the Royals, for example. “never loved at all.” Open Ballroom Dance onship and Championship events (in while the Red Sox suffer playoff dis- Last year they had their first win- So I say to those Red Sox fans Competition, tailsuits and evening Pre-Champ and Champ, competitors appointment year after year, their ning season for almost a decade, who moan about Bucky Dent and dresses draped over their arms. With are not restricted to a syllabus of fans are in a much better place than and at one point were in first place Bill Buckner and never winning the 2,436 entries — 372 couples total permitted steps). the fans of teams like the Kansas in their division by seven games. series: stop complaining. All that with 37 affiliations — this year’s At the Pre-Champ level, MIT’s City Royals or the Milwaukee Brew- Although they faded down the whining about your curses may look competition hosted by the MIT Boris Berdnikov ’98 & Carrie L. ers, who don’t inspire enough love stretch, they left tons of KC fans pretty spoiled to a Royals or Brewers Ballroom Dance Team was smaller Sougnez placed second in the Latin for most potential fans to feel any- excited for this season and ready to fan. You have a good team, with than last year’s, but impressive 4-dance, while the Standard 4-dance thing for the team. finally believe in the Royals again. excellent starting pitching, the poten- nonetheless. final was dominated by four couples Recently I had a chance to attend So what happened? Through last tial for enormous hitting power, and Most impressive was MIT’s per- from MIT: Iuliu Vasilescu G & a Red Sox game as a Tech sports Saturday the Royals are 7–15, dead decent fielding skills. Enjoy this ball- formance: in the overall team stand- Irina Nikiforova in sixth, Lingze writer. I had a great time, and my last in their division and showing no club for the summer, and when (or if) ings (based on points won by every Duan PhD ’03 & Mildred Yuan in experience showed how devoted signs that they will be able to recov- they lose in the playoffs, shrug it off couple that places in the final) MIT fourth, Harris & Ekatarina V. and enthusiastic the fans were. They er. Now some people might even and think of the good times they gave finished with 1094 points, while the Lesnaia G in third, and William P. screamed, sighed, cheered and said believe they will lose 100 games you over the summer. I realize that closest runner-up, Boston Universi- Liteplo SM ’00 & Ika Setyawati in “AAWWWW” almost in unison. again. And now Royals fans are left that may be hard to do the day after ty, mustered only 447 points. first. Even though the Red Sox were win- once again with the prospect of a Aaron Boone has hit his home run A good part of the win may be In the Championship events, at ning 7–2 after the first inning, most long season of pain, hoping only and Pedro has gone down in flames, credited to the rookies, who have least one MIT couple placed in each of the fans stayed around until the that the Royals win a series, or don’t but over the long term that kind of performed outstandingly and consis- of the four styles: Mark A. Her- end of the game. It was a really look too bad, much less get into the attitude will, I think, result in Red tently all season: Steve Zhang ’02 & schberg ’95 & partner, 6th and encouraging thing to see (and hear). playoffs. The Brewers fans are Sox fans getting more respect from Esther Ryvkina placed 2nd overall Liteplo & Michelle Goldhaber, 5th It proved to me that as much as they probably going through a similar other fans around the league, and in Beginner Smooth, unbeatable in the Rhythm 5-dance might suffer in September, the Sox sense of hopelessness and despair. maybe more enjoyment from their except by another MIT couple, F. (ChaCha/Ruma/Swing/Bolero/Mam fans enjoy the heck out of the rest of The parallel between these teams team. After all, baseball has a long, Joseph Pompei PhD ’02 & Jin Zhou bo); Liteplo & Setyawati, 4th in the the baseball season. recall the old axiom “better to have long season, it isn’t right to let seven G, who took 1st. Pompei & Zhou Smooth 4-dance (Waltz/Tango/Fox- This is in stark contrast to teams loved and lost than never to have games ruin the fun of the the 162. also took 2nd overall in Beginner trot/Viennese Waltz); Carlos A. Standard and placed in the finals for Lopez ’03 & Genevieve T. Cuevas all Beginner Rhythm and Latin G, 3rd in the Latin 5-dance events. (ChaCha/Samba/Rumba/PasoDoble/ MIT’s Intermediate dancers Jive); and Igor Pavlovsky MS ’03 & were no less spectacular. In Stan- Yanfeng Lin, 2nd in the Standard 5- dard, Wei An G & Zeynep I. dance (Waltz/Tango/Foxtrot/Quick- Inanoglu G placed 3rd overall. step/Viennese Waltz). Tyree W. Harris G & Yana Aver- For many dancers, the MIT bukh ’05 took the 1st-place overall Open was the last competition of the prize for Intermediate Latin, and season, and a satisfying one. A good Victor Tu & Jessica A. Lee ’05 many couples who performed well won 1st overall in Intermediate were not mentioned in this article; Smooth. to find more results and see hun- Among MIT’s victories at the dreds of pictures, visit http://ball- Advanced Level, Christopher C. room.mit.edu/comp. Royal Bengal (India) Boston’s only authentic Bengali Cuisine restaurant 313 Mass. 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