Dorm Desks Staffed by Outside Workers During IAP, Professionals Hired to Fill Student Vacancies at Desk
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Established 1881 WEATHER, p. 2 MIT’s Oldest and FRI: 49°F | 33°F Largest Newspaper Sunny SAT: 36°F | 18°F Snow tech.mit.edu SUN: 30°F | 9°F Sunny and breezy Established 1881 Volume 132, Number 2 Friday, February 10, 2012 Dorm desks staffed by outside workers During IAP, professionals hired to fill student vacancies at desk By Anne Cai living in theEstablished dorms, and Housing 1881 NEWS EDITOR wanted to ensure student safety. According to Collins, most of Students on campus during IAP those outside workers were hired might have noticed some unfa- through the Professional Staffing miliar faces working at dormitory Agency (PSG), which is an external desks across campus. temporary staffing agency based in Aside from East Campus and Boston that places adults over the Random Hall, all other under- age of 21 in short-term positions. graduate dorms hired outside Hiring outside desk workers desk workers to cover shifts during through PSG was “just a mecha- the holidays and through IAP. For nism to get people fast,” said Col- years, MIT has had trouble staff- lins. In Baker and Bexley, House ing desk shifts during these times. Manager Jonathan Nolan had al- ELIJAH MENA—THE TECH In the past, according to Director ready reached out to students from Room 68-164 opened as a lounge for biology postdocs last week. The space was formerly occupied by of Housing Dennis Collins, if shifts other colleges who had worked the Bio Cafe, which was replaced by the Koch Cafe. The windows face the Stata Center and the walls are were not covered, desk would sim- desk at those dorms over the sum- adorned with artwork by Bill Thomson. ply be closed. mer and hadEstablished planned IAP shifts be- 1881 “We were not going to let that fore the decision was made to hire happen this IAP,” said Collins. “A lot PSG staff. of it has to do with the Baker rob- “When students are not around EDitoriaL bery, and the concern of students, to cover shifts, such as during the the concern of housemasters, to holidays, our house manager hires make sure the buildings are secure.” outside workers,” said Kathleen R. MIT 2030 and MITx On October 27, a robber stole a Geyer ’12, Baker desk captain, in an laptop from a student on the fifth email to The Tech. Students should play active role in campus evolution floor of Baker House, approaching Most dorm desks function in him from behind. The student felt both service and security capaci- With dining firmly behind us last year the faculty wrote a coordi- dent Susan J. Hockfield argues for something stuck in his back, and ties, but East Campus, Bexley, and and orientation plans still in the nated set of columns and editori- frequently, is sure to have collateral the assailant demanded the victim’s Random desks are largely consid- works, it’s time students turn their als in their newsletter pointing out positive benefits for MIT. MITIM- laptop, acquired it, and fled. attention to the bigger, more trans- 2030’s emphasis on real estate de- Co’s investment activity ultimately During IAP, fewer people are Deskworkers, Page 14 formational things happening at velopment by the MIT Investment does flow back to help MIT in some MIT. We’ve pointed out the need Management Company (MITIM- form or another. And everybody for students to talk about big issues Co) over academic development, would like to see a more vibrant Established 1881before. It’s now time to get more and a lack of direct faculty involve- Kendall and Central Square, as specific. ment in the 2030 planning process. MIT 2030 promises. But we share First up: MIT 2030 and MITx. In fact, few of the construction and the faculty’s concern that balance MIT 2030 — a loose framework for renovation plans in MIT 2030 are between real estate and academic the Institute to envision what our fundamentally new, but in put- development, as it stands now, is campus will look like in 20 years — ting them all side-by-side, the ad- far from fair. and MITx — an online educational ministration, perhaps unwittingly, As students, you should care. platform that may dramatically highlighted how MIT’s strategic The current MIT 2030 vision change the face of a residential ed- vision might be more about Pfizer (which, certainly, is subject to ucation at MIT — are more closely and Novartis than teaching and change drastically) includes near- linked than they might seem. So, research. The faculty noticed this ly two million square feet of new we will address them together. focus, and expressed deep concern commercial buildings in about MIT 2030, fundamentally, is just that the administration has not four distinct places — that number a label. The top-level administra- considered “the long-range impli- doesn’t count substantial renova- tion has collected disparate plans cations of the creation of high-val- tion projects in existing proper- for campus renovation, new con- ue real estate in areas earmarked ties. The number of square feet struction, and commercial devel- for ultimate academic use,” in the earmarked for new nonacademic opment in the area and put them words of Ovadia “Bob” Simha MCP residential life buildings? Zero. under a fancy-sounding header ’57, former director of MIT’s now- It is true that several dormito- in order to get a better “bird’s-eye shuttered planning office. ries are slated for renovation by view” of how MIT will change in 20 Commercial and real estate 2030, and the recently-renovated ANDREA FABre—THE TECH years. development is not a bad goal. En- Maseeh Hall is counted in the 2030 Central Square will see many changes in the coming year, see p. 11 But the label has so far been couraging the growth of high-tech useful. So useful, in fact, that late industry in Cambridge, as Presi- Editorial, Page 4 Jeremy C. Stein nominated to Fed. Reserve Board IN Short Obama nominates former MIT Sloan professor and PhD ’86 to serve as Governor Today is the deadline to enroll in or waive MIT’s Student Ex- By Jingyun Fan edge of economic and monetary decisions, risk management, capi- Warsh resigned from the Board tended Insurance Plan. Forms CONTRIBUTING EDITOR policy make them tremendously tal allocation inside firms, banking, of Governors in 2011. He was a for- are at http://medweb.mit.edu. qualified to serve in these important financial regulation, and monetary mer aide to President George W. President Barack Obama an- roles,” Obama said. policy. Bush and according to the New The last day to change your meal nounced his nomination of Jeremy After graduating from Princeton, In 2009, Stein served in the York Times, he was the only gover- plan is Feb. 11. Go to http://dining. C. Stein PhD ’86 and Jerome H. “Jay” Stein received a PhD in economics Obama administration as a senior nor with close ties to Republicans mit.edu/meal-plans/change. Powell to the Federal Reserve Board from MIT in 1986. He is currently advisor to the treasury secretary and in Congress and to conservative of Governors last December. the Moise Y. Safra Professor of Eco- as a staff member of the National organizations such as the Hoover Donate blood! All next week at In a statement made on Dec. 27, nomics at Harvard and previously Economic Council. Institution, a public policy think MIT’s Blood Drive in La Sala. 2011, Obama said that he was grate- taught finance at MIT Sloan for 10 On Jan. 24, 2012, Stein’s nomina- tank. Warsh was known for being ful that his nominees agreed to serve years. tion was sent to the Senate. Stein a “hawk” who emphasized stable Send news information and their nation. “Their distinguished Stein’s research has covered top- would serve the unexpired term of prices and low inflation. tips to [email protected]. backgrounds and experience cou- ics as the behavior of stock prices, 14 years from Feb. 1, 2004 that vice pled with their impressive knowl- corporate investment and financing Kevin M. Warsh resigned from. Stein, Page 15 DininG in the free SPeech anD the french the return of chiPotLE is SECTIONS DarK How a new law threatens freedom of SILent fiLM coMinG World & Nation . .2 Opinion . .4 Does your food taste expression. OPINION, p. 4 The Artist is a beautiful Two new local venues Fun Pages . .6 as good with your eyes tribute to the end of the to open soon. centraL SQuare DELIGhts Arts . .7 closed? ARTS, p. 7 silent era and the rise of NEWS p. 15 Sports . .16 New plans for Central Square. “talkies.” ARTS, p. 7 NEWS, p. 11 2 The Tech Friday, February 10, 2012 Central banks in Europe D hold the line on interest rates India explores opportunities FRANKFURT, Germany — The European Central Bank left its main interest rate unchanged Thursday, as policy- makers waited to see whether signs of improving growth in Iran, denting sanctions meant that the eurozone economy had already put the worst behind it. By Rick Gladstone help in pressing Iran to give up its “Tell me why I should follow suit?” WORL Separately, the Bank of England also left its benchmark THE NEW YORK TIMES nuclear program. “Why shouldn’t I take up that rate unchanged Thursday at a record low but decided to ex- It was unclear whether Rompuy business opportunity?” he asked. N pand its asset-buying program by 50 billion pounds, or $79 India emerged as a major new knew at the time of the interview The U.S.