MIT 1 > Continuous Cambridge 1 News Service Massachusettsi[| Since 1881 |Wednesday, January 31, 1990 SW V Volume^ 109, Number 61 UROP Vbce rates %0t11anniversary By Linda D'Angelo Students, faculty, and administrators reflected on the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program's role at MIT and made predictions about the future at the program's twentieth anniversary celebration on Monday. UROP was founded during the 1969-70 academic year by Dean for Undergraduate Education Margaret L. A. Macpicar '65. Twenty years later, it is the "largest, most successful and most well-known program of its kind," said Norma McGavern, director of the Undergraduate Education Office. The centerpiece of Monday's festivities was student and faculty pre- dictions about the year 2020. These predictions were solicited "to get people thinking and to have some fun," MacVicar told The Boston Globe. William Ching '93 speculated that "robots with human capabilities will assist in everyday life" and "cancer will be eradicated." Cold fu- sion and advanced computer capabilities would solve the energy crisis, according to Gautam Ramakarishna '93. "Biological immortality" would be achieved, Greg Bettinger '91 predicted. As for MIT, the year 2020 may see the Institute's own space re- Kristine AuYeung/The Tech search lab so that, "in addition to the semester abroad program in Dean Margaret L. A. MacVicar '65, founder of the Undergraduate Research Opportunities another country, there will be a semester abroad program for the Program, reflects upon UROP's 20th anniversary before speaking at Monday's celebration space station," Andrew Dickson '93 wrote. Mohanjit Jolly '91 specu- in Lobby 13. lated that "departments of sciences such as biology and chemistry will suffer due to increasing emphasis on engineering-only policy at MIT." UROP itself "will expand tremendously" by 2020 because "students are willing learners and motivated workers," Christina Kwon '92 pre- MIT ie det $6Ff0 to 8 dx dicted. Moreover, according to Bettinger, the program will "play a crucial role in integrating students into areas of high-tech industry." By Andres Lamberti Express] provides," Rowe said in were owed more than 120 days Because of the program's flexibility, which "allows people to [take and Reuven M. Lerner a January 10 memorandum to In- before. He said the decision to on a project] when they are ready, when they want, and for as long as Federal Express informed MIT stitute department heads, labora- terminate credit line service to they want," McGavern seemed certain that UROP would still be on January 8 without warning it tory and center directors, and MIT hinged on this early debt. 'thoroughly woven into" the undergraduate experience in the year would no longer service MIT's other members of the MIT com- Rowe claimed that the respon- 2020. accounts on a line-of-credit basis, munity. sibility for the large debt is UJROP has been successful, and will continue to be successful, be- Director of Purchasing and "The announcement was unex- shared by both MIT and Federal cause it "taps into MIT's real strength," McGavern said. The program Stores Barry M. Rowe said yes- pected since we had been working Express. His memo cited "the draws upon the high quality of faculty members, their involvement in terday. MIT had almost exclu- closely with Federal to improve continued failure [of MITIT]... research and their interest in undergraduate education, she explained. sively used Federal Express our systems and procedures to to indicate the Institute account The flexibility of -the program is also crucial to UROP s 'success, previous to the announcement. enable faster payment of their number" on the airbill form as a according to McGavern. "Students at MIT are too diverse to fit into a The termination came as a re- invoices," the memo continued. reason for the slowness in pay- cookie-cutter program," she explained. sult of MIT's "failure to prompt- "This is the first time a ments. Airbills are necessary to Please turn to page 2) ly pay for the services [Federal csomnpany that has serviced us so confirm and trace shipments in completely has ever taken such the case of a missing account drastic action," Rowe said yester- number. Moreover, account num- Alpha Phi closer to obtaining housing day. A spokeswoman from the bers that were indicated on the Federal Express office in Boston airbills "were not pickced up by By Karen Kaplan said that it is "not unusual for us data entry people" at the Federal After aggressively searching to do that if we are attempting to Express center in Memphis. In for over five years, Alpha Phi is reconcile statements." addition, many of the numbers likely to become the first housed -MIT is $65,000 in arrears, ac- that were entered were incorrect sorority at MfIT, according to cording to Rowe. He said that or garbled, Rowe said. Neal Dorow, Advisor to Fraterni- companies are generally allowed Federal's refusal to provide ties and Independent Living 30 to 60 days to reconcile their copies of airbills with their in- Groups. If all goes according to debts. MIT owed Federal express voices also accounts for the plan, woman students could $40,000 for the past 30 to 60 breakdown in communications move into the house as early as days, $3,000 for the 30 days be- that occurred between MIT and the fall of 1991. fore that, and another $2,000 for Federal. Because invoices are not The property that the Zeta Psi the month previous to that. Rowe attached to the airbills, missing chapter of Alpha Phi is hoping to said that the problem stemmed account numbers could not be purchase includes two buildings from an additional $22,000 that (Please turn to page 2) at 477 and 479 Commomwealth Avenue in the Kenmore Square area. If purchased, the buildings Aplumnus accuses Berkkeley would have to undergo a consid- erable amount of renovation be- of hav.|a avnti-Asian quotas fore any sorority members move in. The facilities include rooms By Reuven M. Lerner differential admissions stan- for approximately sixty residents, and Irene C. Kuo dards" to turn awayt Asian-Amer- a large room for meetings, and Arthur Hu '80 has filed a for- ican students in order to imple- kitchen facilities. mal complaint with the Depart- ment affirmative action. According to Dorow, Alpha ment of Education's Office for Because schools would rather Phi has been trying to work out a Civil Rights against the Universi- not reduce the number of white deal with the current owners of ty C)f California at Berkeley for students, he said, and because the Kenmore Square property for discriminating against Asian- they have a limited number of quite awhile. Sorority members Americans. Hu, an activist spaces in each class, they turn first toured the buildings in late against affirmative action in uni- away qualified Asian-Americans David H. Oliver/The Tech August. The two parties have versity admissions, charged the to make room for underrepre- Alpha Phi's potential new house is located in Kenmore school with using "quotas and sented minorities. since reached a purchase of sale Square on the north side of Commonwealth Avenue. agreement, which is contingent Many Asian-Americans in the on zoning and licensing, approval neighborhood and driving down MIT community oppose Hu. by the city. Alpha Phi has public- property values. Similar restric- "Affirmative action does not have ly filed for the first of many per- tions apply in other parts of Bos- to conflict with the 'merit-based' mits necessary for the sale to go ton and Cambridge. The Ken- plans touted by its opponents," through. more Square area is one of the W- said Vivian Wu, a research fellow "Originally, with the Community Fellows Pro- we investigated op- few places relatively close to cam- Suren Bagratuni gives a rich and exciting rendition of portunities in the Back Bay pus that is zoned for '"condition- gram in the Department of Ur- Haydn's Cello Concerto D with SinfoNova. Page 10. area," says Dorow. However, al" use of land by fraternities in ban Studies and Planning. The Back Bay residents have forbid- and sororities. solution lies in increasing student den fraternities and sororities in On January 22, Alpha Phis led enrollment across all racial their neighborhood. According to a public hearing at the Kenmore Joseph Evans isn't as nice as he seems in the Opera groups, she stressed. Moreover, Dorow, although they may not be Abbey which allowed concerned Company of Boston's Madama Butterfly. Page 11. Asian-Americans have benefited adverse to having a particular so- residents "to voice their gripes so from affirmative action, accord- rority nearby, they want to pro- that we can respond to their com- ing to Wu, who is also a member tect themselves from the possibil- plaints" about the possibility of Engineer gymnasts beat Yale in a busy week. Page 19. of the newly formed Asian- ity of ruining a quiet, peaceful (Pleaseturn to-page 7j American Caucus at MIT. 14111 lr I· 1 (Please turn to page 9) now I 19007,-I' _~aPIB1PAGE 2 The Tech WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 1990 111112111 r TThe Brazilian Student Association of NUT (BSA-MIT) is proud to present I Federal- - - -- - - Expressm~~~~s cuts MIT credit will good service, but Federal gives (Continued from page 1) cording to Rowe, the account once the excellent service." traced after the debt started to probably be reinstated Lehane said that MIT "should B SA AWARD In the in- groW, Rowe said. problems are resolved. been us- keep the two" companies. -They According to Rowe, Federal terim, the Institute has - Prize: $100.00 Courier Ex- definitely shouldn't stop Federal Express is a large operation, with ing DHL Worldwide Worldwide, Express." "a lot of sloppiness in data en- press and Emery to use A source who wished to re- try." MIT is finding "a great although if people "want Awarded for an article concerning any current he main anonymous said "that [both economic,social and/or political issue.