• MlT's The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: Chilly, clear, 27°F (-3°C) Tonight: Clear, cold, 4°F (-60C) Newspaper Tomorrow: Sunny, cold, 26°F (-3°C) Details, Page 2
Volume 123, umber 7 Cambridge, Ma Tuesday, February 25,2003 u~ VP Candidates Set for Wed. Debate By Basler Azlz unity. "I really want for everyone in the The race is on, and not surpris- community to get involved," said ingly the race for Undergraduate Gottlieb, who is running with vice Association ~esident has a lot to do presidential candidate Karen Keller with rush. '04. 'Everyone in dorms, everyone Candidates, however, are in the F ILG community ... all thinking about a number of other 4,000 of us should submit a propos- issues, from the Coffeehouse to aL" SafeRide, and began the process Deora, the current UA vice pres- of distinguishing themselves this ident, expressed similar sentiments. week. "There's a problem within their own Presidential candidates Parul cultures ... we need a campus coali- Deora '04, David B. Gottlieb '04, tion, a group focused on integrating and Pius A. Uzamere II '04 will culture but maintaining unity," said elaborate on their plans at the annu- Deora, who is running with VP can- , al VA Debate tomorrow at 8 p.m. in didate Harel H. Williams 'OS, chair the Student Center Lobby. of the UA Committee of Student Life. Housing dominates list of issues Uzamere, who is running with Rush and housing are pivotal Jacob W. Faber '04, said that dorm issues in this year's election, and the rush needs to be saved. AARON D. MIHAUK-THE TECH candidates all said that the solution Jackie Harris and Colin Mochrle eye the crowd, "Charlie's Angels".style, In Sunday'S perfonnance to the surfacing problems is campus Elections, Page 12 In Kresge Auditorium. Story and photos, page 8. Class of 2005 Brass Rat Features New Guidelines Outline Rush Tombstone, Traditional Seal Response to Jisa De1JJys By Beckett W. Sterner longer periods. By Jay Cameron ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR "Faculty are very generous on Anticipating the potential conse- the whole with their students," Col- Laughter and applause greeted quences of.a mor stringent govem- bert said, and "this policy gives the 2005 Brass Rat as more than ment visa policy for international them the maximum flexibility to use 700 members of the class of 2005 students, a group of deans at MIT their resources" to help students gathered in Walker Memorial last has completed a set of guidelines for unable to return to c1asswork on Saturday for their Ring Premiere. how faculty should deal with inter- time. The latest Rat featured tradition- national graduate students stuck out- He said that of the 2,800 interna- al features, traditional humor, and side the country due to delayed tiona I graduate and undergraduate some new ideas. visas. students at MIT, only about 100 The class shank features the The guidelines attempt to work have seen delays so far because of prominent Great Dome, below within the current procedures at slow visa approval. "We want which sits a cracked tombstone MIT for short-term absences, Dean departments to have guidelines in reading "Rush." for Graduate Students Isaac M. Col- advance" of a problem, he said, and Below the school initials on the bert said, but they leave the final the intent is to "anticipate prob- seal shank lies the original two-man decision to a case by case analysis. lems." MIT Seal. Below this seal are an Long delays could mean a student Erlenmeyer flask and a hip flask; the loses a teaching assistantship or has Rea on for vi a delays un pecified 2005 Brass Rat pamphlet says that matriculation postponed until the Currently, the specific reasons the Erlenmeyer flask represents following year. a visa approval could be held up chemistry-related work and reads The guidelines distinguish are unclear. "A visa delay of days "tool," while the hip flask represents between students delayed less than alcohol-related play and reads "punt." 60 days and those delayed for Delays, Page 18 During the presentation, a few members of the audience booed as a dove, representing peace around the world, was revealed below "punt" First Encounter with MlT's and "tooL" The "Rush" tombstone on this year's ring generated an emotional Culture Proves Rewarding round of applause throughout the By Allison Naaktgeboren true. Well, MIT didn't turn out to be audience. The tombstone represents what it's cracked up to be; it's a the old rush system, which ended Massachusetts Institute of Tech- great deal more than that. after the Class of 2005's rush and nology: the dream school of every My first introduction to MIT orientation. techie, tinkerer, and nerd from New proper was Lobby 7, or rather the The tombstone was inspired by York City people in Lobby 7. ew York City the "rush" tombstone hack during to San claims to be the place where one the Class of 2005 Killian Kickoff, Prejrosh Francisco can see every and any type of peo- said Ring Committee chair Rohit and then ple, but I saw more variety in dress Gupta 'OS, adding that he felt this CLASS OF 2005 RING COMMITTEE Notebook some. Its and ethnicity in twenty minutes in part of the Brass Rat was especially The 2005 Brass Rat design. Pictured are the ring bezel (top), the reputation Lobby 7 than I ever have in ew relevant to the class of 2005. class shank (left), and the seal shank (right). is formidable and the prospect of York City. Speaking of the ring in general, being a lowly prefrosh at such a There also seemed to be a Nao Gamo '05 said, "It's really per- mascot, now a more muscular debated the gender balance of the school is just a tad bit intimidating greater diversity of nationality. sonalized for our class." beaver on the ring's bezel, represent- seal shank on one side of the Brass - yet we come anyway. Before ten hours had elapsed, I had Other features of the ring include ing a campus health consciousness. Rat, which this year features the MIT's fame in academia is eaten dinner with a French student the Boston and Cambridge skylines, official MIT seal. This year the renown, and has spawned rumors and watched Friends with an Eng- a map of MIT engraved on the Little controversy on MIT eat and myths. Prefrosh are no doubt inside of the ring, and QIe Institute In recent years, students have Ring, Page 14 curious to see if any of them are Notebook, Page 18
The Vagina Comics NEWS World & Nation ...... 2 r Morwlogues ~ I I I\\ The Cambridge City Council is "1f.Sl.~ ~ Opinion ...... 4 deliver a considering a new payroll tax \ ~ 1* os:t\ Arts ...... 6 powerful S\..'OSl1 that could affect MIT. Events Calendar ...... 11 message. ~ ~ S"~1+ Sports ...... 20 Page 7 Page 9 Page 14 Page2 THETE February 25, 2003 ATIO ajority Believes U.S. Sho d Gain -ted States, Britain, Spain U. . Support Before Starting War THE WASHINGTO POST WASHlNGTO Iraq A majority of Americans believe the United tate should work to Present New Resolution gain the support of the U. . ecurity Council even if it means delay- By Colum Lynch at least through the middle of the threat to stability." ing war with Iraq, according to a Washington Post-ABC ews poll. THE WASHINGTON POST summer. Ru sian President Bush said the United States The survey found that 56 percent of the public i willing to wait in UNITED ATIO s Vladimir Putin endorsed the pro- would work closely with the coun- order to win U. . endorsement o(U .. -Ied military trikes against The United tate, Britain and posal cil's members 'in the days ahead" Iraq. Another 39 percent said the United tates hould ''move quick- pain introduced a new draft ecu- Turkey's cabinet, meanwhile, to ensure that the United Nations' ly," even without the Security Council's backing. rity Council resolution Monday agreed to host tens of thousands of demands that Iraq end its weapons Overall support for taking military action against Iraq stands at 63 declaring that Iraq has squandered American troops who probably programs are enforced. He said the percent, down slightly from 66 percent in a Po t-ABC poll conducted its "final opportunity" to voluntarily would lead a ground invasion council's reaction would be a test ~, two weeks ago. Half the country continues to believe the United disarm and laying the political and through northern Iraq. of whether the international body States should move against Hussein even over the objections of the legal groundwork for a U.S.-led White House spokesman Ari will remain "relevant as the world United ations, unchanged from earlier this month. A majority - 57 military invasion. Fleischer welcomed the decision but confronts the threats to the 21 st percent - would favor taking action without the approval of the The introduction of the resolu- said, "There are stin some 'i' s to be century. United ations if this country had the support of key allies such as tion, which recalls that the 15-nation dotted and 't's to be crossed" before ''We certainly hope that it does," Britain, Australia and Italy. council warned Iraq in ovember the deal is finalized and endorsed by Bush said. "But one way or the President Bush's overall job approval rating, which rose after his that it would face "serious conse- the Turkish parliament. other, Saddam Hussein, for the sake State of the Union address last month, has returned to its pre-speech quences" if it did not scrap its President Bush expressed grow- of peace and for the security of the level. Currently, 60 percent favorably view Bush's performance as banned weapons programs, marked ing impatience with diplomacy, as American people, will be dis- president, down from 64 percent in a Post-ABC poll conducted two the beginning of what U. . and British Foreign Secretary Jack armed." . weeks ago. Briti h officials characterized as the Straw said the draft resolution intro- Underscoring the seriousness of Approval of Bush's handling of the Iraq situation has dropped six final push to win council backing duced Monday would provide Iraq the American military threat, Air points, to 55 percent, since early February. for a decision to go to war. with a window of about ''two weeks Force B-52 bombers began conduct- While criticism mounts for the president's handling of Iraq, there French President Jacques or so" to disarm or face a war. ing training missions in the northern is even more skepticism of the United ations. Fifty- ix percent of Chirac and German Chancellor "The Iraqi regime is not disarm- end of the Persian Gulf, not far from those interviewed said they disapproved of the way it was dealing Gerhard Schroeder, who have been ing as required by last fall's unani- Iraq. "The missions will be conduct- with Iraq and Hussein, while 38 percent said they approved. leading the opposition, responded mous vote of the Security Council," ed on a recurring basis and are A total of 1,024 randomly selected adults were interviewed Feb. with a diplomatic counteroffen- Bush told the National Governors designed to maintain air crew profi- 19-23 for this national telephone survey. Margin of sampling error sive. Meeting in Berlin, they Association in Washington. "Sad- ciency and familiarization," accord- • for the overall results is plus or minus 3 percentage points. announced a new initiative that dam Hussein's refusal to comply ing to the U.S. Central Command, would ensure the continuation of with the demands of the civilized which would oversee a war against Report on Children's Exposure U. . weapons inspections in Iraq world is a threat to peace, and it's a Iraq. To Pollutants Mixed THE WASHINGTON POST WASHINGTON Powell Discusses North Korea The exposure of American children to several harmful pollutants is declining, but asthma rates among children are increasing, the Environ- mental Protection Agency said Monday. It said there is a "growing con- with cem" about exposure to mercury by women of child-bearing age that Situation Chinese Leaders could lead to adverse health consequences for any children they bear. By John Pomfret ply be treated as a bilateral matter tration officials see a potential col- In its report, "America's Children and the Environment," the EPA THE WASHINGTON POST between the United States and lapse of the government of Kim said minority children and children from low-income families suffer BEUINO North Korea." Jong n as good for the region, Chi- a disproportionate share of diseases linked to the environment. Secretary of State Colin L. Pow- Powell implied, however, that nese officials view this possibilitY The report's findings on mercury exposure are likely to among the ell failed to reach agreement with the China was working through private with alarm. most closely scrutinized because of an ongoing debate in Congress Chinese government Monday on a channels to deal with the North "We are not going to read the over how best to curb air pollution. The report said the nation's main response to North Korea's nuclear Korean government. He said Bei- riot act to Kim Jong II or engage in source of mercury emissions is the burning of coal, mostly at electric weapons program and made no head- jing was eager to playa positive economic sanctions, because if his power plants. President Bush has proposed legislation that would way toward stronger support from role in helping to resolve the crisis. regime collapses all of Northeast require a 50 percent reduction in those emissions by 2010, and a 70 China for the U.S. position on Iraq. The secretary of state was in Asia will face instability," a Chinese percent reduction by 2018. Some environmental groups consider that After meeting with Chinese lead- Beijing en route to Seoul, where he diplomat said. Among China's fears pace too slow, while some industry groups consider it too ambitious. ers, Powell said at a news confer- was to attend the inauguration of are millions of refugees flowing into According to the report, about 8 percent of U.S. women of child- ence that the countries differ on the Roh Moo Hyun as South Korea's Manchuria, the loss of a buffer state bearing age - ages 16 to 49 - have at least 5.8 parts per billion of best way to deal with North Korea. new president. between China and South Korea, mercury in their blood, the level at which EP A says there is an Official Chinese media said Vice U.S. officials have been com- where 37,000 U.S. soldiers are increased risk of adverse health effects to children in the womb. President Hu Jintao, recently plaining for weeks that China is not deployed, and the disappearance of Slightly more than half of U.S. women have mercury levels of zero to appointed leader of the Chinese doing enough to solve the emerging South Korean investment in north- 1 part per billion in the blood, the report said. Communist Party, told Powell that nuclear crisis on the Korean Penin- ern China. Ramona Trovato, EPA's deputy assistant administrator for envi- Beijing favors direct talks between sula. But China's unease at the U.S. Powell also held meetings in ronmental information, called the fmding a "snapshot" because the the United States and North Korea pressure generally has been over- Beijing with Foreign Minister Tang agency has not previously reported mercury levels in women of to resolve the nuclear crisis - a looked. Jiaxuan and President Jiang Zemin. child-bearing age. path Washington has resisted in Chinese sources contend that On the issue of Iraq, official Chi- "We don't have trends," she said. "We don't know if this is going favor of a multilateral approach. At China's interests are close to those nese media said the government up or down, but we plan to report on that." his news conference, Powell coun- of the United States - with one dif- reiterated its position that U.N. tered that such an issue "cannot sim- ference. While some Bush adminis- inspections be allowed to continue. WEATHER Cold. Again. Situation for 7 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, Tuesday, February 25, 2003 o~ r?~ o~ Extended Forecast Today: Chilly but mostly clear. High 27°F (-3°C). Iweather Systems Weather Fronts Precipitation Symbols Other Symbols Snow Rain Fos Tonight: Clear and extremely cold Low 4°F (-16°C). H Hiab J>ress&R - TIouah . - - Sbowen - - ThundcnIorm Wednesday: Mostly sunny and continued cold High 26°F (-3°C), low ••••- WarmFroot ~ V R Low J>ress&R LiJbt 12°F (-11 0C). L * . 00 Haze ••••• CoIdPront Modenee Thursday: Cloudy. Snow possible late, though not as cold at night. High .. Compiled by MIT r.v Liahl Prcczin. ** MdeoroIoaY SIaIf Rain ~ SCationary Pronl Heavy . 29°F (-2°C), low 21°F (-6°C). A .. I MdT'lvTedl I February 25, 2003 WORLD & THE TECH Page 3 AIDS Drug Found Ineffective; Earthquake Kills at Least 257 InWestern China THE WASHlJ GTONPOST Study Inconclusive for Blacks BEIJING By David Brown ous but company officials de cribed nearly 70 percent ffective among A deadly earthquake gutted schools and houses along China's bor- and Rick Weiss as promi ing. black, Asian and mixed-race patients der with Central Asia Monday, leaving at least 257 dead and thou- THE WASHINGTO POST "We clearly will move toward combined - were based on a sub t sands injured and homeless, state-controlled media and witnesses said. 'The maker of the first AID vac- licensure (of the vaccine). The qu s- of the total study population that was Farmhouses and schools collapsed and dormitories crumbled cine to be widely te ted in humans tion i whether we do it with this far smaller than customary for gain- when the temblor, which registered 6.8 on the Richter scale, hit the said it would continue working for study or with other ones," said Don- ing approval by th Food and Drug western part of Xinjiang province, near China's mountainous border market approval of its product despite ald Francis, president ofVaxGen, the Administration. with Kyrgyzs~ on Monday morning. disappointing results announced California biotech company that con- In all, there were about 500 non- In one village in Bachu County, more than 1,000 buildings and Monday from its large international ducted the study, using about 5,400 whites in the study. Over th course houses collapsed, according to the state-run ew China ews clinical experiment. high-risk volunteers in the United of three years, 9.9 percent of those Agency. Tens of thousands of people were left homeless and were In a population that included pe0- States, Puerto Rico, Canada and the non-whites who received placebo (or preparing to spend the night outside in wintry chill, witnesses said. ple from many racial and ethnic etherlands. inactive) injections became infected backgrounds, AIDSV AX was inef- It was unclear, however, on what with mv, compared to 3.7 percent 1\vo Panelists fective in preventing infection by grounds the accine might be who were given the active vaccine. Challenge human immunodeficiency virus approved in the foreseeable future. Anthony Fauci, chief of the (HlV). There were hints, however, The vaccine offered no discernible ational Institute of Allergy and Report on Title IX that it might be effective in black protection to Caucasians or Hispan- Infectious Diseases, said that little THE WASHlNGTON POST WASHINGTON patients - a scientifically puzzling ics, and the surprise findings that the could be inferred about the drug's and socially provocative finding that vaccine was nearly 80 percent effec- effects for blacks since only a small Two of the three female athletes on a government commission several experts characterized as dubi- tive among black patients - and number participated in the study. that reviewed Title IX, the landmark law that bans sex discrimination in school sports programs, are disappointed with the panel's final rec- ommendations and will send a minority report to Education Secretary Roderick Paige, one said Monday. French, Gennan Leaders Present Julie Foudy, captain of the U.S. national women's soccer team, said she and Olympic swimming gold medalist Donna de Varona believe the report does not present a balanced view of the issues involving the 31-year-old law. Weapons Inspections .Plan to U.N. The report "does not acknowledge the very important issues on By Peter Finn for even longer because of the diffi- Under the French-drafted plan, the women's side," said Fo~dy, president of the Women's Sports THE WASHiNGTON POST culty of fighting in summer desert which was presented to the U.N. Foundation, an advocacy group. It also does not "acknowledge that BERLIN heat. Security Council Monday in the women are still being discriminated against, and that over 80 percent The leaders of France and Ger- "We want Iraq to disarm because form of an informal memorandum, of schools are still not in compliance." many said Monday night that they it represents a danger for the region Iraq would face a "rigorous time- see no need for the draft U.N. reso- and maybe the world. But we line" on each of its suspected lution on Iraq put forward by the believe this disarmament must hap- nuclear, chemical and biological Liberal Party Packs It In United States and Britain Monday pen peacefully," said Chirac, after programs to comply with U.N. NEWSDAY ALBANY, NY and instead offered a plan to having dinner with Chancellor Ger- demands that it disarm or prove that strengthen the weapons inspection hard Schroeder at a restaurant in it already has. "There is no dead- The Liberal Party, founded on progres ive political principles but process by laying down specific central Berlin named Final Appeal. line," Chirac said of his govern- lately considered to be more concerned about patronage than ideolo- benchmarks that Baghdad must "We see nothing in the current situ- ment's proposal. "Only the inspec- gy, has folded after 58 years. meet. ation that justifies a new resolution. tors themselves can say when such a ew York's oldest third party, founded by labor leaders Alex Rose French President Jacques Chirac I'm of the opinion that a majority in deadline is set and how." and David Dubinsky, helped elect Franklin Roosevelt and John F. said that establishing exact dead- the Security Council is also not for a Under the proposal, which Kennedy president, Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo governor and Fiorel- lines for Iraqi compliance would be new resolution." Chirac said also had Russian sup- lo LaGuardia and Rudolph Giuliani mayor of ew York. In the fall, the the job of the inspectors. But his "Germany's position is exactly port, weapons inspectors would pro- party's nominee for governor, Andrew Cuomo, quit two months before proposal would extend the process the same," said Schroeder, who left vide updates on their work every the general election, and his name failed to get the 50,000 votes neces- for at least another four months. most of the talking Monday night to three weeks with the first major sary for the party to retain its automatic p'lace on the ballot. hat could ope put ll?il!~ action Chime. progress report due,in 120 days. Study in Canada and receive $10,000 towards tuition Come to an information session on the Killam Fellowship Program to learn about MIT's newest junior year abroad program. ~Where: Room 6-205 ~When: February 26, 4:30 - 5:30 pm ~Refreshments will be served Questions? Contact Stephanie-Gayle at x3-2313 or [email protected]. http://web.mit.edu/scholarships/www/killamfellowship.html Page 4 T TECH February 25,2003 DPI ION Wasted Opportunities It i clear that next year' orientation will be integral in meeting with advi or . Focu ing on introducing new stu- defining the future of our re idence y tem. Many important dent to academic life would be an improvement, but the Ch irman questions have en the pa t month about how it will be administration' new plan seems to lack a commitment to Jyoti Tibrewala '04 an defined and who will define it. Will truly make MIT part of the "Academy" that Plato envisioned. Editor in Chief Editoria 1 student have any input into this If the administration is really concerned about academic life Jennifer Kri hnan '04 decision? If the focu i not resi- at MIT, it would be well served to look beyond orientation. Bu ine anager dence election, then what is it? Why weren't the e que tions Worrying about industry-faculty conflicts of interest and Ian Lai G a ked sooner? cracking down on cheating would do more toward this pur- The Dormitory Council has taken the Residence System pose than adding more professor-stude!}t dinners to orienta- an ging Editor Implementation Team' refu al to make any recommendations tion. Joy Forsythe '04 as an opportunity to offer its input. They have propo ed a The problem is that it is now February and next year's ori- NEWS STAFF schedule that could serve a a good starting point for planning entation schedule should be decided by March. MIT certainly ew and Features Director: Keith J. Winstein an orientation and rush that will atisfy students and administra- had an opportunity to radically improve orientation. With plan- '03; e Editors: athan Collins G, Christine tors. However, if the student wish to see their input considered Ding, they could have given orientation a new focus and at the R. Fry '05; Associate Edit : Lauren E. LeBon in this process, they must be more responsible and more orga- same time improved the residence selection process. As a result '06, Kathy Lin '06, Beckett W. temer '06, Marissa nized. The first petition Dormcon circled on this subject was of this delay the still unformed and unnamed committee plan- Vogt '06, Jenny Zhang '06; taft': Harold Fox G, aveen unkavally G, Dan Cho '02, Jeffrey never pre ented to anyone, and the econd petition failed to Ding this year's orientation week will have little opportunity to Greenbaum '04, Vicky Hsu '04, Richa Mahesh- make any concrete reque ts. effect any significant changes. Instead of an opportunity to wari '04, Flora Amwayi '05, Vincent Chen '05, tudent greeted the administration's announcement, improve orientation and residence selection MIT is throwing Aaron Du '05, am Hwang '05, Amerson Lin declaring the new focus of orientation to be ''welcoming stu- around a new buzzword, students feel once more left out of the '05, Jing-Helen Tang '05, Qian Wang '05, dents to the Academy", with confusion. Aside from Rush, decision process, and we have just one month left to do some- Tiffany Kosolcharoen '06, Lakshmi ambiar past orientations have been little more than a hodgepodge of thing about it. '06, Jennifer Wong '06; eteorologi t : Robert Lindsay Korty G, Greg Lawson G, ikki rape awarenes presentations, trust-building activities, and Keith J. Winstein has recused himselffrom this editorial. Prive G, William Ramstrom G, Michael J. Ring G, Efren Gutierrez '03. PRODUCTION STAFF Editors: Joel Corbo '04, David Carpenter '05; Associate Editors: Hangyul Chung 'OS, ie Hen- drata Dhannawan 'OS, icholas R. Hoff 'OS, Kevin • Chen '06, Tiffany Dohzen '06; taff: Eric J. Cholankeril G, Anju Kanumalla '03, Andrew Mamo '04, Albert Leung '06, Jolinta Lin '06, Jonathan Reinharth '06. OPINION STAFF Editors: Ken e mith '04, Andrew C. Thomas '04; Columni t : Philip Burrowes '04, Vivek Rao '05; taft': Basil Enwegbara G, Kris Schnee '02, Gretchen K. Aleks '04, Roy Esaki '04, Stephanie W. Wang '04, Tao ¥ue '04, W. Victo- ria Lee '06. SPORTS STAFF Editors: Jennifer DeBoer '05, Tom Kilpatrick '05; Columnist: O.B. Usmen '03. ARTS STAFF Editors: Jeremy Baskin '04, Allison C. Lewis '04; Associate Editor : Daniel S. Robey '04, Kevin G. Der '06; Staff: Erik Blankinship G, Bogdan Fedeles G, Bence P. Olveczky G, Sonja harpe G, Amandeep Loomba '02, SonaJi MukheJjee '03, Jed Home '04, Pey-Hua Hwang '04, Devdoot Majumdar '04, Chad Serrant '04, Jorge Padilla 'OS, Ricky Rivera '05. PI/01(X;RAPI/Y SIilFF Editors: Brian Hemond '04, Jonathan Wang '05, od Davis '06; Associate Editors: Dan Bersak '02; taff: Jinyang Li G, Kailas arendran G, Michelle Povinellj G, Dong Wang G, Stanley Hu '00, Yi Xie '02, Wendy Gu '03, Scott Johnston '03, Marissa L. Yates '03, Miguel A. Calles '04, ina Kshertry '04, Benjamin Soli h '04, Matt Yourst '04, Dalton Cheng 'OS, Annie Ding '05, Michael Lin '05, Timothy uen 'OS, Amy L. Wong '05, Hassen Abdu '06, Matt D. Brown '06, John M. Cloutier '06, Victoria Fan '06, Jina Kim '06, Melanie Michalak '06, Edward Platt '06, Omoleye Roberts '06, Sandra ¥u '06, Elizabeth Zellner '06, Jean Zheng '06. Letter 10 The Editor FEATURES STAFF Editor: Eun J. Lee '04; ssociate Editor: Peace in the tion expressing their support. state, and, to that end, I introducedlast summer Brian Loux '04, Veena Ramaswamy '06, This reveals an important truth: men and H. Res. 499 condemning attempts to boycott Ricarose Roque '06; Columni t : Akshay Middle East women of good will, committed to democracy Israelscholarsand scientificinstitutions. Patil '04, Michael Short '05; Cartooni t : and human rights, support the right of Israel to I have, from time to time, also rejected res- Jason Bums G, Kailas arendran '01, Bao-Yi The fo//owing open letter was sent to the exist and to flourish. It is remarkable, for olutions that seemed to me gratuitously offen- Chang '02, Jumaane Jeffrie '02, Lara Kirk- ham '03, Alison Wong '03, ean Liu '04, MIT Students for Israel. instance, to read that the Supreme Court of sive to Palestinians. I believe that the United ancy Phan '05, Josie Sung '05. Thank you for sending me a copy of the Israel ,has reinstated Arab candidates for the States cannot promote peace in the region if it MITSI petition to "support Israel in her quest upcoming elections. It is hard to imagine a appears indifferent to the suffering of any BUSINESS STAFF for peace." I read, with interest and admira- court elsewhere in the region accomplishing people. taff: William Li '06. tion, the names of the signatories. The list was anything comparable. Thank you for writing, and please do not TECHNOLOGY STAFF diverse and inclusive: students with Indian I hope to see Israel living in peace with hesitate to contact me if I or my staff can help Director: Roshan Baliga '03; taff: Frank and East Asia surnames as well as "Anglos" democratic neighbors, all within secure and you in any way. Dabek G, Kevin Atkinson '02, Daniel Leeds '05. and Latinos. I was impressed that so many internationallyrecognized boundaries,all com- Michael E. Capuano students who had seemingly no ethnic or reli- mittedto the well-beingof the region's peoples. U.S. Representative (D-Mass.) gious connections with Israel signed this peti- I reJect any attempt to treat Israel as a pariah Capuano represents Boston and Cambridge. two days before the date of publication. ADVISORY BOARD Opinion Policy Paul E. Schindler, Jr. '74, V. Michael Bove '83, Letter and cartoons must bear the authors' signatures, address- Barry urman '84, Robert E. Malchman '85, Editorial are the official opinion of The Tech. They are written es, and phone nwnbers. Unsigned letterswiJJnot be accepted.No let- Deborah A. Levinson '91, Jonathan Richmond by the editorial board, which consists of the chairman, editor in ter or cartoon will be printed anonymouslywithout the express prior PhD '91, Vladimir V. Zelevinsky '95, Anders chief, managing editor, executive editor, news editors, features edi- approval of The Tech. The Tech reserves the right to edit or condense Hove '96, aul Blumenthal '98, Joel Rosenberg tor, and opinion editors. letters; shorter letters will be given higher priority. Once submitted, '99, Ryan Ochylski '01, atwiksai Seshasai '01, Dissents are the opinions of the signed members of the editorial all letters become property of The Tech, and will not be returned. Rima Amaout '02, B. D. Colen. board choosing to publish their disagreementwith the editorial. The Tech makes no commitment to publish all the letters received. PRODUCTION STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE Columns and editorial cartoons are written by individuals and Editors: Joel C. Corbo '04, Joy Forsythe '04; represent the opinion of the author, not necessarily that of the news- s ociate Editors: Tiffany Dohzen '06, Albert paper. To Reach Us Leung '06, Jonathan Reinharth '06. Letter to the editor are welcome. Electronic submissions are The Tech's telephone number is (617) 253-1541. E-mail is the n.~ rrd. (ISSN 0148-96(7) 15 pubhshed on Tunda~ and FndIIys dunn.1hc Kadr:m- easiest way to reach any member of our staff. If you are unsure tC year (cxc.epl dunna M IT vKatIOM). W cdnadays dunnl Jan~ and monthty dur- encouraged and should be sent to [email protected]. Hard '"@: the summer fOf' 14'.00 per year nurd C1au by The Tech. Room W2()..48). 84 Massachuwns Ave. Cambndae. Mus. 02139 Thrrd Clau J1'05taIe plnd at Boston. copy submissions should be addressed to The Tech, P.O. Box whom to contact, send mail to [email protected],and it will M Pcm'lll No I POSTMASTER: PleMC Knd all addness changes iO our ma.hnl 397029, Cambridge, Mass. 02139-7029, or sent by interdepartmen- be directed to the appropriate person. The Tech can be found on the addreu T1t~ Tult. PO Bo~ 397029. CambrKf,c. Mass 02139-7029 Tckphone (617) 2$3. I S41. cdlton.l. (617) 2".8329. buSInCM. (617) 2$8-8226. facSimile tal mail to Room W20-483. All submissions are due by 4:30 p.m. World Wide Web at http://the-tech.mit.edu. Adwrtuurg. $wbMrrptkNr. aNi typacuurg rUIn avaJiable Entl~ conlcntJ 0 2003 TIM Ted •. PrUiled CWf fYC)I'Cled pa.pu by ChaTin Riw:,. Publ"ItJ"8 F bruary 25, 2003 OPOOO THE TECH Page 5 Religion and Democracy Thanks, Administration India had hoWD m quit clearly that Indian to dorm rush would be ideal, and would be con- Arjun arayanswamy Hindui m was anything but a non-violent reli- Maria Schriver sistent with the exposure to upperclassmen that gion, but to hear the storie from my youth is essential to "welcoming freshmen to the "[It is an error to say that] it i praiseworthy recast as though in a mirror as eye-opening. I owe a "thank you" to the MIT administra- academy," I und rstand that there is other valu- that in certain countries it is provided for by law The an cdot ma.kJ two points. Firstly, tion. My ocial and intellectual experiences at able orientation programming and that fresh- that people who immigrate from ou id may the r ligious ter otyping that w m to be the Institut have been immea urably height- men shouldn't be asked to come to campus ear- publicly e erci e th ir own form of worship:' practicing nowaday make us sadly imilar to ened by the tight community and upport net- lier than necessary. Thus my suggestions ocialism and democracy are pests." hi tory' practitioner of th ame. Overlying wor that ar available to me. Thi kind of houldn't necessitate increased time for rush. If I told you that the two quot abo e were th fundamental and, truth be told, significant community i uniqu to MIT, and is a re ult of Dean for Undergraduate Education Robert translations of an important religious docwn nt, differenc in th way the different religion of administration polici which form rly allowed P. Redwine says that the low percentage of which religion would you think that I was talk- th world tructur th world view of their fr hm n an entir week to make a fully fre hmen entering the housing adjustment lot- ing about? Consider the quotes: evidence of adheren is a common thread of violence being informed decision about th wh re they would tery "is an indication that they were somewhat religious intolerance, a clear political agenda, perpetrated in the Dam of religion. Man has a li e. Unfortunately, the admini tration is satisfied where they ended up." I disagree; after and a vehement rejection of democracy. Which way of working hi will into the Word of God. destroying that policy for future MIT tudents. days of asking every freshmen I met during is the mo t intolerant, political and anti-democ- The second point is that organized religion ince I coo my living group, I have spent rush if they would enter the housing lottery and ratic religion that you can think of today? Is it acts as an important political entity. At thi par- more tim at h m than in clas , had more con- why or why not, the most common answer I got Islam? Hinduism? Christianity? ticular moment in history, this is trend appears tact with my be t friends on my hall than with was not "I am omewhat satisfied" but rather, "I It may be a bit of a surprise that the two to be global. Right-wing Christian movements, any profe sor, and learned more about how to don't want to move all of my stuff:' election quotes above are taken from the Judeo-Christ- fundamentalist Islamic partie and right-wing succeed at MIT and in life from the people with hould be based on where freshmen are happy, ian tradition, in particular from the Syllabus of Hindu parties are all different manifestations of whom I live than from MIT faculty. The living not on wh re they happen to have their things. Errors [1864] and Qui Pluribus [1846] encycli- the choice of religion as the primary determi- group is the basic unit of an MIT tudent's edu- Moving parent orientation back to after the cals of Pope Pius IX. They were promulgated at nant of political identity. The consequences of cational experience. The friends made in this dorm lottery would solve this problem because a time at which, believe it or not, democracy this polarization troubles democracy every- environment ar the people to whom students fre hmen would come for orientation with only was the avowed goal of communists allover the where. turn for help with academics, personal advice, a suitcase and their parents would bring the rest world, and political regimes in Europe lived in Fundamentally, democracy works on the and guidance. They will make the MIT intellec- of their stuff after they got their permanent fear of a proletarian rebellion. As a conservative basis of representation and competition. The cit- tual and social experience a better one. housing assignment. This past year, many par- social order, blind to all the political liberties of izenry of a nation elects representatives of their The MIT administration may believe that if ents stayed past their expected check -out time, liberal democracy we now hold so dear, the interests; the various elected interest groups freshmen didn't have as much time to choose meaning that freshmen spent time buying dorm Roman Catholic Church reacted as any self- compete to best represent their constituents. For their specific liv~n,g group, students like me supplies rather than participating in orientation respecting political institution would. Pope Pius example, it i natural for the steelworkers of a would make more friendship with people from events and meeting faculty and upperclassmen. IX essentially banned democracy as an "error", country to vote for a political party that favors other living groups creating a campus-wide It makes sen e that the current schedule may and democracy nominally stayed banned in the strong labor rights. It is natural for thi party to community. I disagree. Most MIT studen are satisfy parents, who might have to drive to cam- Roman Catholic Church for a century, until debate and represent the interests of their sup- too busy and focused on academics to build that pus twice, or who might find the whole sched- Pope John Paul IIand Vatican II[1964]. porters in the offices of state. Compromise is kind of large-scale community. Additionally, ule a little confusing if parent orientation were Religion is one of those phenomena that sometimes necessary, often crucial. the current living group-based community is so moved. However, I believe that the advantages induce in people powerful self-justification. I The problem with representation on the strong that it is hard to imagine a campus-wide described above warrant moving it. remember one self-laudatory myth about Hin- basis of religion or indeed any other powerful community that could provide the same kind of The importance of the living group to the duism that I learned as a child. Visits to the his- identity marker like race, ethnicity, or language social resource for students. MIT experience hould bring the administration toric stone temples of Southern India would is that the mechanism of compromise that Allowing freshmen the time to consider to encourage rush events more than it did last often involved a "heart-broken" temple guide underlies democracy becomes unusable. While their options and make an informed decision year. A clear explanation of the proce s both pointing to a broken stone pillar, or a defaced a compromise may be reached between a labor about where to live is the only way to achieve from orientation leaders and in the written statue and talking, with stirring emotion, about rights interest group and a capitalist interest such community. The administration's attitude materials fre hmen are given over the summer the murderous "Muslim invaders from the group on the exact minimum wage in a country, that, in the words of 1. Kim Vandiver, "rush is and when they arrive if necessary. After the north" who had stormed and wrecked these that compromise becomes much harder to reach not a significant part at all of Orientation," will changes, confusion about the process made it temples so many hundreds of years ago. I'm not if the competing political groups are polarized only prevent students from finding a living difficult for upperclas men to advi e freshmen sure if this story was reserved for Hindu on axes of religion. It is uncommon for a person group that will provide the kind of support that I on this proce s. Also, making it clear that resi- tourists, but I went many years (and many visits to go from being Religion A to being Religion have found, and will degrade the educational dence selection is important by scheduling larg- to stone temples) without ever hearing of a B; in most cases, the religion you are born with experience ofMIT. er blocks of time exclusively for rush will make Hindu temple-tyrant or idol-breaker. The sub- is the one you die with. Consequently, the Vandiver, the dean for undergraduate freshmen aware that they should at least be con- text was always that Hinduism was a "peaceful, issues at stake in democratic negotiation are no research, says a goal for orientation is to "make sidering all of their living options. non-violent" religion - Hindus just didn't do longer selected interests but the entire identity it possible for students to connect with ... peo- If the administration i truly committed to that sort of temple-breaking thing. of a people. There is more at stake and less flex- ple who can show them what the intellectual welcoming freshmen in a way that prepares Imagine my surprise, then, upon visiting Sri ibility, and hence the game of political compro- experience i all about." His goal is to w lcome them to have the best educational experience arika a few year$ ater ~ I heard more or • mise 'S' p. ayed more cruelly. Democratic sys- students to "the academy' by increasing faculty possible, it should recognize the importance of less the same stories, albeit with the word tems struggle to handle pressures created when interaction at die 'expense' of time for residence interaction wjthupperelassmen and comfort in a "Hindu" replacing "Muslim" and the word religion and politics conflict so strongly. The selection. What he fails to realize is that stu- living group to that experience. Redwine may "Buddhist" replacing "Hindu." Visiting the politics of identity degenerate not to compro- dents' relationships with their Jiving groups and be right: most freshmen may be "somewhat sat- ancient Sri Lankan capitals of Anuradhapura, mise, but-to conflict. upperclassmen will in many ways be more isfied." But there is a big difference between Dambulla and Polonnaruwa, I listened in shock Holocaust, apartheid and ethnic cleansing important to the quality of their MIT experience being "somewhat satisfied" and feeling like as my Buddhist travel guide pointed to images have already taught us the dangers of race- than their relationships with faculty. Thus fresh- you've found a living group where you really of defaced Buddhas and spoke with feeling based politics. As we return from church, men must connect with upperclassmen and liv- belong. Only the latter will give students the about the marauding "Hindu invaders from the mosque, temple, or synagogue, we need stay ing groups in order to be truly welcomed. social resources they need to thrive at MIT. north" - exactly the same stories I had heard aware of the dangers of another brand of divi- In light of these arguments, I have a few Maria Schriver is a member oj the class oj so long ago! By that time, other incidents in sive politics as well. suggestions for rush. While allotting more time 2005. Destruction in Israel izens, and on it builds housing for Jewish Israeli tax burden on the struggling economy and earn cover of "natural growth", while the world was Ken Nesmith citizens. The precise mechanism of seizure resentment in Israel. For 2003, almost 400 mil- told that ettlement expan ion had been frozen. varies between open theft, military seizure, state lion has been allocated for the settlements, fur- Ultimately, these ettlements severely exac- Peace seems as distant a possibility as ever annexation, and purchase from absentee ther hobbling an economy already crippled by erbate the conflict; the public knows this. A in the Arab-Israeli conflict; the last month saw a landowners. Too often, Palestinian homes are war and failing sociali t fiscal policies Chri tian Science Monitor-Investor's Business new bloody round of fighting in Palestinian ter- expropriated at tank and gunpoint, farms are The settlements are built deep into Pale tin- Daily poll asked, "To what extent i the pread- ritory. There is one well-known phenomenon in seized, and trees uprooted to force evacuation, ian territory as a means of a erting physical ing of I raeli ettlements in the We t Bank, the the conflict, however, that moves the prospect destroying the civilian's legitimate, titled pos- control over the lands. Israel has taken control Gaza trip and the Golan Heights responsible of peace tragically further out of reach. It is a sessions and often their sole viable means of of over fifty percent of the West Bank, the larg- for the suicide bombing by Palestinians?" sickly destructive tactic entirely at odds with livelihood Once land is controlled, settlements er of two small piece of land to which Pale - Respondents answered on a scale of I to 7, Western values that has taken hold in the collec- are built and administered solely for Jewish tinians are confined. Some of these lands are where 1 meant "not at all re ponsible" and 7 tive mind of an entire society, it perverts and Israeli citizens. While fundamentalist Judeo- current settlements, some are reserved for future meant "completely re ponsible." ixty two per- disables the causes it purports to help, and it Christians hold that once Jews fully occupy the expansion, and some are just controlled. Twen- cent an wered from 4-7; twenty-two percent must stop if the prospect of peaceful resolution right portions of land, the second coming of ty-five percent of Gaza Strip, the smaller piece answered from 1-3. Clearly the public under- is to find new life. Christ will occur, others support settlements of land that is the most densely populated in the stands how ettlements can prompt violence. The tactic is driven both by economics and merely as a statement of the Jewish right to land world, has likewise been taken for settlements. At a time when the United tates looks to religious fundamentalism. Some of its practi- in the Middle East. ettlements are often constructed with the obvi- justify ,attacks on Iraq because of addam's vio- tioners seek a divine reward promised to them The true importance of this crime must be ous intention of disrupting Palestinian commu- lations of international law and U. . ecurity in texts they believe to be the word of their understood by examining it conceptually. The nities. Massive roads that connect one settle- Council re olutions we might consider how God, leading them to strike illegally and settlements represent a fundamental, compre- ment to another cut through the hearts of small such re olutions are respected in this ituation. immorally against the innocent and defenseless hensive denial of the right to own property. villages hundreds of years old, making them U. . ecurity ouncil re olution 446 states that who earn their victimhood merely by their pres- They abrogate this simple, fundamental right, unlivable. Other settlement plans encircle small Israeli settlements built on land occupied ince ence, while others simply choose this tactic as a the means to moral, reasonable, and civilized, villages with walls and security buffers effec- 1967 "have no legal validity and con titute a means to help their families and escape eco- existence, by forcibly taking the legal posses- tively imprisoning the village and ending it serious ob truction to achie ing a comprehen- nomic hardship. Although the majority of soci- sions of citizens. Such a flagrant denial of prop- access to farmlands and any remaining neigh- sive, just and lasting peace." Resolution 446 ety does not practice that extremism, and most erty rights reduces its practitioners to morally boring villages. Swaths of land are flattened al 0 asks Israel to ob erve the Fourth Geneva actually oppose the practice, the constant threat bankrupt thugs unwelcome in any society around roads and settlements as ecurity buffer Convention which state that an occupying of aggression and attack leads them to sympa- respectful of reason; it is no surprise, then, that zones. ettlements di proportionately consume power "shall not deport or transfer parts of its thize with the principles and motivations that most Israelis disapprove of the practice. the limited water resources in the e areas. o n civilian population into the territory it bring it to terrible fruition. It is a practice that The settlements are not filled naturally; The practice is a divisive one within Israel occupies." Passed in 1979, this resolution haS denies' a fundamental and universal freedom to instead, the Israeli government pays citizens, and elsewhere. Various media outlets now refer been followed by resolution condemning live. Despite popular disapproval, sympathetic who cite economic considerations as their pri- to the Gilo settlement as a "Jewish neighbor- Israeli failure to comply with it; that failure con- governments provide money and support for its mary reason for settlement, to live in the settle- hood on the outskirts of J~em, built on land tinues today. ettlements continue to expand. practice, making only nominal efforts to stop it ments. (Religious and ideological conditions are occupied by Israel in 1967." The ew York There are several evere difficulties which as politics demand. Even during the nineties, the next most important). Additionally, foreign- Times and CNN both now often call settlements block the path to peace. This is one of them, and when a foundation for peace seemed so close at ers from Russia, Africa, and elsewhere around mere "neighborhoods"; when confronted about it' among the mo t important. egotiating for hand, this practice continued nearly unabated. It the world are imported to fill the bland cement this change, CNN replied that they "don't want land that s being eized has been described as deserves complete, unequivocal condemnation, neighborhoods. Often these immigrants harvest- to talk about this is ue." negotiating for a pizza while one side is eating and it must be stopped. ed from around the world take the offer to leave The number of settlers and settlements con- it. It' an apt simile. To respect Palestinians, to I refer, of course, to Israeli settlements in the difficult living conditions to live at low cost in tinues to grow. Between 1993 and 2000 the respect the will of Israeli citizens, and to re pect West Bank and Gaza. The Israeli government Israel without knowing the nature of their newly number of settlers in the We t Bank, excluding international law and order, the I raeH govern- seizes land, often legally held by Palestinian cit- constructed homes. The settlements put a huge the Eastem half of Jerusalem, doubled under the ment needs to cease ettlement activity. Page 6 THE TECH ebruary 25, 2003 BSO Puts Rural China on 'TheMap' lV-lV.Ma Stars in World Premiere of Tan /)un s Concerto for Cello, Vuleo, and Orchestra By Eun J. Lee screen televisions on both sides of the con- black up until this point in the concert. FEATURES EDrroR ductor. He also had a small screen on his con- As the hands manipulated the stones on Boston Symphony Orchestra ducting stand so he could keep the orchestra the big projection screen, each small Tan Dun, conductor and soloist in sync with the music coming creen had its own set of hands playing Yo-Yo Ma, cello from the video. in accord with the rest. Symphony Hall When Yo-Yo Ma walked out on the stage, Tan Dun's The Map was hardly what I Feb. 20, 22, 25, 8 p.m.; Feb. 21, 1:30 p.m. the whole mood of Symphony Hall changed. would call conventional, but then again, You could literally hear a pin drop as his eyes true art defies society's conventions and ew things in life live up to my expecta- closed, head tilted forward, and his bow was questions its values. Artists show the rest tions, and this past week's Boston poised and ready to begin Tan Dun's journey. of us the beauty in the world that we oth- Symphony Orchestra world premiere From the moment Y0-Yo Ma sat down with erwise would not see. of Tan Dun's The Map, featuring Yo- his amber cello, he seemed to be completely The music was not mellifluous to my Yo Ma as soloist and the composer at the immersed in another dimension - an intense Western ears. Although I appreciated the podium, was no exception. Tan Dun has world of pure emotion and crystal clear reso- artistic value of the piece, I doubt I will described the concerto for cello, video, and nance which he allowed the packed Sympho- be downloading the MP3 anytime soon. orchestra as being "about minority cultures in ny Hall to briefly share. The experience, however, was unique China, looking at the past as well as the Each stroke of the bow was as smooth as and thought-provoking. I walked away future." honey to the ears. At times it was hard to dis- with a sense of unease. It was different, For me, the musical piece was less of a tinguish where he ended and his instrument and I liked it. concert and more of a personal experience. began, and even harder still to decide whether If all I wanted to get out of the con- BSO I can't say that I really knew what to he was an extension of the ebony and horse cert was to pick up a catchy tune, I could Composer and conductor Tan Dun shared the expect of my evening at the symphony. I hair or whether they were an extension of have easily spared myself the trouble of stage with Yo-Yo Ma this past week at the BSO uppose I imagined music similar to his him. At other times it seemed as if the two trudging into Boston in the sopping cold for .the wortd premiere of The Map. Oscar-winning score of Crouching Tiger, were in a graceful tango, dancing to the music rain by just turning on the radio and lis- Hidden Dragon, which also featured Yo-Yo they were creating. giant screen playing a leaf. How does one tening to the overplayed, overrated, and mean- Ma as soloist. That soundtrack blew me I'm not sure that anyone in that packed playa leaf, you might ask? By blowing it ingless drone of contemporary pop music. The away. It was original and took my imagina- hall really knew what to expect when the first between your lips, of course. With pursed lips concert was not about feeling familiarity or tion away to the rustic wilderness and myth- video was projected onto the massive over- and steady hands manipulating the kazoo-like mindlessly experiencing the music with only • ical heroes of a country I had never set my head screen. It was a black-and-white still sonority of the leaf into different pitches, the your ears. The night's program provided a eyes on before. shot of a group of cute old Chinese women man on the screen played his heart out onto mix of the abstract with contemporary through Like this earlier work, Tan Dun's concerto sitting next to each other. For a second, it cellulose and chlorophyll. Once again, the the selections of Shostakovich, Cage, and does not stand alone. It tells a story about his almost seemed delightfully charming with the cello part mimicked the melody of the per- Britten before the big finale. spiritual journey of rediscovering his native deep strokes of Yo-Yo Ma's cello. For a sec- former on the screen in an almost playful The real value in Tan Dun's work was that musical roots. The contributions of the cello ond. duet. it didn't attempt to dole out pretentious and orchestra work in tandem with documen- Moments later, the women came into color Eight more movements featured similarly answers to all of life's problems. Rather, it tary video footage of traditional music forms and their cries floated up even to the furthest fundamental forms of music, from bamboo gav~ insight into questions that the observer in three aboriginal villages within a province comers of the building. Yo-Yo Ma's cello was pipes and tongue singing to "cymbal coloring" may never have known to exist. The funda- of his homeland, Hunan. hard to hear behind what I later learned was and the functional antiphonal singing "mating mental nature of the musical forms that Tan On the night of the concert, Symphony the rural Chinese tradition of professional cry- call" of Miao women. Dun found in his pilgrimage to China leads Hall was packed like I have never seen it. singing at a funereal mourning. The cello lines • The stone drum movement stood out the one to question the roots of our culture's own There was a line out the door for the box and the percussive element in the orchestra most. The video clip showed Tan Dun's hands musical heritage and our Western definitions office, and a man with graying hair and a long were meant to mimic the mourners' vocal ges- clicking and rubbing stones of different com- of beauty. trench coat was holding a sign that read tures, but they were hard to hear or focus on position, shapes, and sizes, producing a per- The Map illuminates the universality of "Looking for 2 tickets, preferably together." over the crying. cu&sional melody whose themes were once music. In Tan Dun's world, musical instru- The orchestra stage was set up a little differ- "Okay:tbat's a little weird," I thought to again mimicked by the orchestra and cello. A ments are tree leaves aDd stones. Wliile some ently for Tan Dun's piece. A large projector myself. "But maybe Yo-Yo will play 'The surprising twist to the musical interplay, how- may think these instruments primitive, they screen dropped down from the wall during Eternal Vow' from Crouching Tiger now." ever, was the use of the three smaller flat- elucidate the universal importance of music in intermission, and there were three large flat- The next movement featured a man on the panel screens on the stage, which had been all cultures around the world. CLASSICAL REVIEW Boston Meets Vienna in Evening of Transcriptions "Music of Three Vwnnas" Recital Features Music of Beethoven, Brahms, Schocn1Jerg, and ~bern By Bogdan Fedeles And yet the concert was far from being an array of extra notes, scales, arpeggios, and arranging his own piece. And no, it's not STAFF WRiTER overpowering experience. Instead, it came trills, all of which are hard to get used to. because of the poor Steinway & Sons piano David Deveau, piano out as a light-hearted show: brilliant, exuber- Take for example the beginning of the devel- on stage, which sounded hoarse and unable • Kresge Auditorium ant, and even funny. opment in the first movement. The piano to put o:ut as much power as the music Feb. 22, 8 p.m. How entertaining can Beethoven's Fourth utters the supreme question of the theme: four required. And certainly, the interpretation of Piano Concerto be? Wait until you hear the F's in a row. The pause that follows is cru- Deveau and his student Jonathan Lee G, ave you ever wondered how enter- transcription for piano and string quintet. It cial; it is a moment when time freezes, bewil- whose real-time acrobatics in switching taining the chamber music experience is true that the transcription, which has sur- dered. Yet the transcription doesn't offer this hands and playing tens of keys at the same can be? You might have been sur- faced recently (1995), is surrounded by stark moment. Instead, fortissimo octaves in the time was impressive and brilliant. It is sim- prised about last Saturday's Faculty controversy. Whether the piano part was left hand quickly answer, dissipating the mys- ply that the piece was not meant to be a H tery. piano duet. Its energies and potentials, and Concert in Kresge, featuring pianist and MIT intended to be more ornamented or not, we senior lecturer David Deveau. The theme, might never know, yet the piece is incredibly However, leaving aside all the technicali- its olympian architecture, are only suited for "Music of the Three Viennas," works by different from the standard version of the ties of the score, the performance was the grand orchestra. Beethoven, Brahms, Schoenberg, and concerto. admirable. A brilliant Deveau led the unusual Nevertheless, hearing Brahms' concerto Webern, and even the image of Beethoven's To contrast the orchestra's reduction to piano sextet performing the Beethoven work on a single piano is a unique experience, and death mask on posters told us we were in for a five measly strings, the piano part - believe with strong concern for rhythm and flow. The again, very different than its original concep- grave and sober concert. it or not - has been dressed up with a wild first movement was played fast and the third tion. The piece was a veritable display of even faster than usual, highlighting Deveau's heavy pianism. The sparkling scales and superb touch and his sparkling piano tech- trills were balanced well with the more nique. melodic sequences, especially in the second The strings, modest in sonority (given the movement, with its choral-like sonority. The score), stood out through liveliness and good monumental sweeps of the third movement musical direction. Yet, we all know that the were engaging, yet the inability to distin- poor cello will never be able to replace the guish between the solo part and the accom- tumult of the timpani and double basses. Cer- paniment made many passages, although tainly, Kresge Auditorium is too big a hall for very well-played, not completely fulfilling. this intimate arrangement of the concerto, and Nevertheless, I enjoyed this piece tremen- that's why the overall impression is a bit dously, and I would look forward to see unyielding. Perhaps, if played in Killian Hall, Deveau play this concerto in its actual it might have been the ultimate Beethoven orchestral setting. chamber music experience. 20th-century works provide challenge Beethoven big, but Brahms bigger The program also featured two solo piano Beethoven might have enjoyed large pieces from the third Vienna school: sonorities, but Brahms, even more so, made a Webern's Variations for Piano, Op. 27, and career using them. Then, it's natural to won- Schoenberg's famous Piano Piece, Op. 33a. der what happens with Brahms' First Piano These pieces opened each half of the concert, Concerto when you take out the orchestra setting a mysterious atmosphere. The atonal part and add bits of it on top of the piano part. pieces present a challenge to both the listener You guessed it: another transcription, this and the performer, but Deveau responded time arranged for piano duet by the composer with confidence, good taste, and theatrics. WENDY GU-THE TECH himself. And there was even a touch of humor. The senior Lecturer David Deveau performs Schoenberg's Plano Piece, Ope 33a, on satur- Cringing could be a normal reaction, most notable moment was Deveau's serious day night In Kresge Auditorium as part the the MIT Music and Theater Arts Faculty even if the arrangement is Brahms' own. No, announcement before Schoenberg's piece: concert series. it's not because Brahms did a poor job in "This piece is only two minutes long." February 25, 2003 THE ARTS THE TECH Page7 THEATER REVIEW pop REVIEW Love Your Vagina Hey, Mercedes! TIu3 Vagina MmwWgues' Delivers aPawmjiilMessage PaplPunk Band Headlines A Rockin' Night at T.T.S By Pey-Hua Hwang took seriou issues and pun them from By Petar Simich You should've heard me and the rest of the STAFF WRITER humorous angle ; however, the mes age was guys in the audience respond to that one. The The Vagina Monologues still there. In a hort interlude between two Hey Mercedes, Armor For Sleep, Panic In singer roiled back, "Yeah, I know, it sucks." Kresge Little Theater longer pieces, Heather Doering '05 pre ent- Detroit, Lost Pilot Overall, Armor For Sleep was okay. They Feb. 20-22, 8p.m. ed an Outrageou Fact": everal states in T.T. the Bear's Place were more pop punk than overtly emo, and I Written by Eve Ensler the United tates outlaw the pos es ion and Feb. 22, 8p.m. caught myself tapping along to some of the sale of vibrators, while the sale of guns is tunes, although there wasn't much chord pro- he Vagina Monologues was a sold- perfectly legal. Her next tatement brought espite the cold and wet aturday gression in some of them. out show, so, as expected, it started down the house: We have yet to hear of a night, p ople still trudged their way to It was now time for the perfonnance that late. However, just as it is worth mass murder committed with a ibrator." the intimate enue of T.T. the Bear's everyone was waiting for: Hey Mercedes. I've waiting for a proper orgasm, so too is Although all of the monologues were Place, everal blocks up Mass. Ave. been a fan of the Milwaukee quartet ever D since. I first saw them two years ago with Jets T from the Institute. All four bands that night it worth waiting for a well-paced and well- well-delivered, a couple were particularly performed show. The fact that all the pro- outstanding. "Reclaiming Cunt," delivered took the form of the basic rock quartet. To Brazil at the Middle East. Their unique ceeds go to good causes doesn't hurt either. by Adrienne M. Irmer '04, was a fabulous First up was Lost Pilot, a local band that brand of fast, intense, drum-heavy pop punk The best thing about the show was the performance piece. Waving a wine bottle ju t released its first album. They're a olid with odd time signatures dido't let the audi- ariety in the monologues. Having never and a plastic cup she presented the signifi- pop/ punk hybrid with a decent variety of ence down that night. seen The Vagina Monologues before, I was- cance of each of the letter in the word. At songs, and they put on a pretty entertaining They kicked things off with "Eleven to n't sure what to expect. I was slightly wor- one point she even had audience members show. They certainly got into their music, Your even," one of the better tracks off of ried that they might just be a terrible femi- yelling the word "cunt." with the lead guitarist bouncing around and their album Everynight Fire Works. Immedi- nist harangue or horribly preachy, but I soon Neha R. Booshan '04 delivered a touch- the bassist grooving to the music with the help ately the crowd started shouting and singing had all of these worries erased. Ensemble ing monologue called "My Vagina Was My of his distinctive orange bass amp. The singer/ along with lead vocalist/ guitarist Robert cast performances were interspersed Village," about a gang rape. The contrast guitarist handled the vocals pretty well, Nanna. The entire band was tight. anna sang between the monologues. More humorous between the flashbacks to innocence and the putting in plenty of .power and emotion into intensely and motioned every now and then anecdotes like "My Angry Vagina" were fol- scared withdrawn shell of the present were his singing. It was a decent set; I'd go see with his hands to put emphasis on his lyrics. lowed by deeply moving pieces about abuse completely manifested in Booshan's expres- Lost Pilot perform again. Drummer Damon Atkinson was incredible. and oppression. sive features. ext up was Panic In Detroit - they're His drumming was solid, and he would do The producer, Ruth M. Perlmutter '04, The show closed with a monologue dedi- from Texas, go figure - which had more of a occasional feats of showmanship, twirling a kept saying that the show would have no cated to the wonder of childbirth. It was a hard rock edge to their music. Their ongs drumstick in his hand before having it crash intermission before it started. After watch- fitting ending and allowed the symbol of were more varied with elements. As my friend down on the snare. ing the show, I understood why. Each piece new life to close the show on a note of hope. pointed out, they borrowed from Rush and Hey Mercedes was the only band that night was placed strategically to keep the audience The audience was very receptive, and even the sliding guitar effect that's in Billy to use its other band members, guitarist Michael off balance, engaged, and most certainly there was a surprising number of males in Idol's "White Wedding." Shumaker and bassist Todd Bell, on backing awake. I have often been disappointed by attendance. There was even a member of One song I particularly liked sounded like vocals regularly, adding some pleasant vocal the lack of projection in many MIT produc- MIT Medical available to discuss issues "That Thing You Do" by the Wonders. ever- dynamics to the songs. Bell screwed up on one tions, but this was certainly not the case in with people after the show. al of the songs kept you on your toes, as they of the song , but heck, everyone has their bad this show. In fact, at certain points I would- In short, The Vagina Monologues, though ended in places that you'd least expect them. I days. Right when I was going to start shouting n't have minded having the ;volume knob sparse in set (only chairs and a curtain) and was also kept on my toes by the cute female out ong for them to play they launched into turned down a notch, and there were no simple in costume (only red and black), bass player. Panic In Detroit was definitely the my favorite and arguably their be t song, "A- body microphones. delivered a clear and powerful message: second-best band that performed that night, Li t Actre ," which bounce between three and The tone of the Vagina Monologues was women should love their bodies, their vagi- and I hope that they come back to Bo ton in four beat per measure throughout the song. similar to that of Bowling for Columbine. It nas, and most importantly, themselves. the future. Theyal 0 debuted four new songs that they'll Armor For Sleep walked on and said, "Hi, be recording soon for their album that is to we're Armor For Sleep and we're from ew come out in eptember. The new songs were in Jersey." Ah, ew Jersey. That means that the same vein as their other fast ongs, which they're either a metal band or a pop punk! worried me a bit. It's good stuff, but I'd like to emo band. I put my money on the latter due to hear some more of the diversity that was dis- their clothes and haircuts, and sure enough, I played on Everynight Fire Works. made bank! The singer/guitarist had lie"tradi- '111 s t en(1ed Witb'llie'calcny'''Out. ee- tional teenage kid voice. My friend observed end tarts on Wednesday," but bowing to the that the drummer looked rather stoned. The shouts of the crowd, they came 'back out for lead guitarist enjoyed thrashing around off to an encore performance, with the slow and epic the side while the bassist swung hi bass "Quit," followed by a fabulous rendition of around like a club and aimed it skywards. "Let's Go Blue," where anna inserted a Boy, I got a kick out of those guys. rather odd but humorous rant about Gladys In one of the songs the singer/guitarist start- Knight and the Pips. ed thrashing around and shoved his guitar right Thus ended an awesome show with three into the microphone. Punk rock! For the intro good bands and one decent band for a dam of one song he said that it was about "girl- good price of 10.]']] be first in line when friends who ditch their boyfriends at partie ." Hey Mercede returns to Boston in the fall. DONG WAN THE TECH Shuo Zhang '06 cries out In "Hair." The Vagina Monologues ran last weekend. Free tickets, and your opinion is the gospel Want toJoin the club? Write for Arts. AARO MIHALIK-TIfE TECH jolnOthe-tech.mlt.edu , Robert Nanna (left) performs as a member of Hey Mercedes on Saturday night at TT the Bears. ClASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT: The deadline to apply for summer and fall 2002-2003 on campus housing in family and single graduate student apartments and dormitories is 5:00 p.m., Spring Break packages also available! EST on Friday, February 28, 2003. london $216 Amsterdam $241 More details are available on-line: Copenhagen $363 Miami $237 http://web.mit.edu/rlslp/grad/ Bangkok $776 and in the Graduate Housing Office, E32-238. Any questions, please email Fares are roundtrip from Boston. Restrictions a.pply. Taxes not induded. F res subject to change. 56) FK Street [email protected], or call 3-5148. (tower lrteQ Cambridge, MA 02138 TRAVELCUIS 617 -864-CUTS (2887) See the world your way cambridgeOtravelcuts.com ~ www travelcuts com ~ THE ARTS February 25, 2003 It's Our Line, Baby! Colin Mochrie Provides an Evening of Laughter By Amandeep Loomba an audience that might have been omewhat STAFF WRITER unfamiliar with their tyle of comedy. They Colin Mochrie, with guest Jackie Harris and came right out and proclaimed that they'd be Plush Daddy Fly happy to take audience uggestion, but tho Kresge Auditorium suggestions would probably be integrated into Feb. 23, 7:30p.m. performance months from now. The intro- duction wa especially appropriate for those olin Mochrie, a star on ABC's of us who were more familiar with Plu h "Who e Line i it Anyway," comedi- Daddy Fly's great photographer and advertis- an Jackie Harris, and MIT's ketch ing campaigns than with their comedy. comedy group Plush Daddy Fly Plush Daddy Fly performed six sketches, C each announced by cleverly drawn poster entertained a crowded Kre ge Auditorium on unday night, in an event sponsored by the board signs cleverly placed on clever little classes of 2005 and 2006, the Undergraduate music stands in the cleverest comer of the Association and the d' Arbeloff Fund for stage. In a rather clever move, they didn't Alumni Engagement. come out to change the signs for each sketch, AARO D. MIHALiK-THE TECH Ostensibly, the undergraduate population leaving the audience wondering where one Colin Mochrle Interrogates Jackie Harris for throwing a pineapple at great velocity at was supposed to engage the alumni during a skit ended and the next began. And, while the Big Bird In the secret underground command bunker of her sorority house. reception in the Kresge lobby, over bowls that sketches themselves were somewhat hit-or- appeared to have briefly contained baba miss, the energy of the performers has to be dialogue that the comedians ganouj. Unfortunately, the lobby was de igned commended. The best among the sketches worked into their act. to comfortably hold and allow interaction was easily the brief and effective "Female In all of these pieces, the between only a dozen or two dozen people. As Emergency," which combined satire, absurdi- baseline for everyone's enjoy- one of 300 people crammed inside the small ty, commentary, and gross-out humor into one ment was actually provided by dark space, I regret to say that I received less smart little package. the audience. Improvisation is a than one job offer. However, I promise that Plush Daddy Fly was nice enough to give fascinating form of perfor- when I return to MIT as an alumnus, I will be the audience a I5-minute breather before mance because it is truly a way giving those things out left and right. Colin Mochrie came on, during which mo t to gauge the collective subcon- audience member seemed to be debating scious of the group participating Plush Daddy Fly warms up crowd whether Colin, one of the stars of ABC's suc- (or at least the collective sub- MIT's own Plush Daddy Fly opened the ce sful and hilarious show "Whose Line is it conscious of the loudest people show with its own brand of unique (insofar as Anyway," was related to Visiting Professor in the group). any of the thousands of comedic descendants Simon G.J. Mochrie, lecturer for hilarious One of the talents MIT stu- of Monty Python may claim to be unique) early-morning sessions of 8.02. These argu- dents have in spades is creativi- non-improvisational comedy. At the very ments were inconclusive. ty. This is shown most straight- least, they were perfectly straightforward with forwardly in the creative acts of with a urpri e of hi own groups such as Plush Daddy Colin Mochrie came Fly, or the Musical Theater onstage with unannounced Guild's performance of "Star guest Jackie Harris, giving Wars: Musical Edition," not to the crowd a taste of what mention any show put on by "improv" was really all improv comedy group Roadkill about. He announced that he Buffet. But not everyone has the and Harris would try to be time or the talent to be in these funny based on audience sug- groups. As such, it was great to gestions, but it didn't really sit in the audience and hear oth- matter if they were, "because erwise quiet students scream out once we're dead, it'll be art." absurd ideas in the darkness. The absurd, balding wit of Mochrie's performance was Mochrie meshed remarkably uproarious, Jackie Harris was well with the spunky vivacity the icing on the cake as well as of Harris. The duo ran through the shot of espresso afterward, six pieces, each of which and Plush Daddy Fly has a butt- involved participation from load of laughter to offer. But the audience, most of which the best part of Sunday's show are performed regularly on was seeing the hilarity drawn JONATHAN WANG-THE TECH "Whose Line is it Anyway." out of MIT students and cast Jackie Harris meows as a cat handler In "Sound All of them were funny, many oDStage in a whole new light. Effects." of them were hilarious and at least two of them embarrassed the audience members onstage in wonderful ways. Some of the highlights of the show included the "Film •• Styles" game, whose premise required Mochrie and Harris to act out scenes from a movie in a variety of audi- ence-suggested styles, "Sound Effects," which saw two shy MIT students providing the sound effects that accompa- JONATHAN WANG-THE TECH nied the comedians' actions, Class of 2005 President Daniel F. Kanamorl's mother, and "Suggestions from a Hat" Tamara Kanamorl, and his brother, Arl Kanamorl, pose (or something), in which the Colin Mochrle and Jackie Harris In the duo's first game of audience provided lines of the evening. AARON D. MiHALIK-THE TECH Colin Mochrle dips Jackie Harris In their "Rim Styles" game, In which the duo per- JONATHAN WANG-THE TECH formed In a variety of audlence-suggested theatrical styles. ColIn Mochrle questions a stunned Jackie Harris. February 25, The 2003 Tech Page 9 fI I' I I I\ I . \ \ *Sl-~ ~ . \V (t- -st-QS:t{ ~ r-- *- SoL. 'Os.1-1 'jf- ~~~~ ...... J~iIR"'H"-"~~,;:3~--~ __ • Ha~ fe~~~~,.~~ ---~~,_l1_'A._h"_V\_\~-e,.y~ Uhh..~ \ ~\Je.'J~ l'l\ ttA'lt the Ol'\e. w,", "",e. f\\t5. \oIR~-r ~I) The tttnE toy SAY To TtH!. CAT "',m NO ~"R.~? • "Ell, \lI\AT' 1>1. 'Yo~ TMINk OF .MY .ji'Krr"'~ ~AT'."~~l'~AV£-~ ~E \tDiiST JOl arJoy Page 10 The Tech February 25, 2003 8 PILED UIGUER AND 7 DEEPER 6 5 ... Q» a 4 (I) c:.. .0.;: 3 .a (I) 0 CI) CD 2 .c 1 A B c o E F G H CJ White to Move and Checkmate In Two Comments? Ema I LVE"LL Sl\VE MONEY THEN LVE"LL Sl\VE BY OUT50URCING I MORE MONEY BY OUR I.T. FUNCTION. 1 REPLACING OUR OUT- 50URCING WITH FULL- i TIME EMPLOYEE51 MoTHE~, YOU SAID YOU'D :SASot(S IGUANA cHEwn> I HAVE AN A55IGNMENT UP MY AlJToGAAPHED LOOIC AFTEfl IT! YOU SAID ! 8AC"SYNC BoYS PHoTo?! NOlHtN6 8AD wOUlD FOR YOU THAT HA5 NO • HAPPEN! VALUE WHAThOEVER TO -I .lr\/' I THE COMPANY. / ,)) YOU WERE I HAVE AN APPOINT- AND THE UNIT WILL i YOU LET ME IRAVEL HOME! You BE IN A CA5E LIKE FOUR HOURS TO 5EE AN SAID You'D MENT TO 5EE A DEMO Of YOUR NEW THI5, BUT COMPLETEL Y EMPTY LOOk AfTER DIFFERENT, AND IT CA5E? IT! PRODUCT. WILL HAVE SOfTh..ll\RE, ) ONCE LVEWRITE IT. ACROSS Rich? 3 Comic Martin 32 Piano part 2 3 4 5 11 12 1 Big rigs 41 Fury 4 Doomed 33 With guile 14 G) 6 Cook 42 Works with a 5 Hog home 35 Erato and her beam 6 Reprove mildly sisters 10 Left without 17 words 43 Cager Shaq 7 Saintly glow 36 In connection - 14 Over 21 44 Croat's 8 Cornering pipe with 20 N 15 Word after neighbor 9 Passing quickly 39 Routine town or dance 46 You betl 10 Overly 40 Perform with ::I 16 Culture 47 Huggable fastidious subtlety ~ medium 48 Guessed figs. 11 Jamaican fruit 45 Drinking a. ... 17 Vacillating 50 Put on a scale 12 _ fide (in bad spree Joel? 51 Very drunk faith) 47 Dashing 34 ~ 20 Individual 54 Publicize 13 Mawr Grant a 21 Commotion 55 Horizontal College 49 Wild blue 38 1! c: 22 Sea off Corfu barrier 18 Collars yonder 0 .0... 23 French cleric 59 Dexterous 19 Long, fluffy 50 Bill attachment 41 .a 25 Teensy Travis? scarf 51 Molt eX tormentor 62 To be in Tours 24 Synthetic 52 London gallery 44 ~ 26 Break in the 63 Stridex target rubber 53 Concerning action 64 More aloof 25 Olympic 54 Actress en 29 Gear tooth 65 "Doe, a_ ..." medals Paquin en 30 Gabs 66 Revolutionary 26 Old-time 56 Black cuckoos 34 Cove time on earth? music systems 57 fixe 59 35 Crisp toast 67 Perplexed 27 Habituate (obsession) '.I 37 "Runaway" 28 Wood for 58 Vega's e 63 singer DOWN pilings constellation 62 CJ 1 Old adages 29 Relinquishes 60 Top card Shannon 65 66 38 Old-fashioned 2 Actress Falco 31 Said further 61 Narrow inlet February 25, 2003 The Tech Page 11 Events Calendar appears in each issue of The Tech and features events for members of the MIT c~mmunity. The Tech makes no guarantees as to the accuracy of this information, and The Tech shall not be held liable for any loss- es, including. but not limited to. damages reSUlting from attendance of an event. Events Calendar Contact information for all events is available from the Events Calendar web page. Visit and add events to Events Calendar online at http://events.mlt.edu Tuesday, February 25 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - Rainbow Lounge Open. MIl's Thursday, February 27 resource lounge for lesbian, bisexual, gay, and transgen- 10:45 a.m. - Campus Tour. Student Led Campus Tours are 10:45 a.m. - Campus Tour. free. Room: Lobby 7 (Main Entrance dered members of the community offers a place to hang approximately 90 minutes long and provide a general Lobby at 77 Massachusetts Ave). Sponsor: Information Center. out, various activities, and a lending library during its open overview of the main campus. Please note that campus 12:00 p.m. - Mil Chapel Concert. Carta Chrisfield, soprano and hours. free. Room: 50-306. Sponsor: Ibgt@MIT. tours do not visit laboratories, living groups or buildings Andrus Madsen, harpsichord. Songs and Airs of Henry Purcell. 12:10 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Oceanography and Climate Sack under construction. Groups over 15 people need to make free. Room: MIT Chapel. Sponsor: Music and Theater Arts Sec- Lunch Seminar. "The maintenance of sea ice extent in the special reservations. Campus tours start at the conclusion tion. climate system." free. Room: 54-915. Sponsor: Physical of the Admissions Informations Session. The Campus Tour 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. - Mil Events Calendar: Learn to Post Oceanography. begins in Lobby 7 (Main Entrance Lobby at 77 Massachu- Your Events Onl n8. See how easy it is to post your MIT event 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - CRE - Career Profile Series: Con- setts Ave). free. Room: Lobby 7 (Main Entrance Lobby at 77 online in the web-based Mil Events Calendar system. Room: sulting. Curt Cornelssen, Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Massachusetts Ave). Sponsor: Information Center. N42 Demo. Sponsor: Information Systems. Mecky Adnani, VP, Recap Advisors. free. Room: W31-301. 11:50 a.m. -12:55 p.m. - Geoff Reiss SVP, Programming, 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m: - Conversational English Class. Join us Sponsor: Center for Real Estate. Production Operations, ESPN Internet Group. Geoff Reiss for a free conversational English class for intemational students a 2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - spouses&partner@mlt: Mary Baker is senior vice president, programming, production and opera- and spouses at MIT. Most attendees are women able to speak Eddy Ubrary for the Bettennent of Humanity. Exhibits include tions for ESPN Intemet Group (EIG), the worldwide leader in freely who desire to increase their English skills. Class covers a the Mapparium, the wortd-famous, three-story, stained-gtass online sports. In his current position, Reiss manages the variety of topics including American culture and holiday descrip- globe that you can walk inside, and the Monitor G~lIery, ~ loo~ at development and production of ESPN.com, in addition to the tions. Free. Room: W11 Board Room. Sponsor: Baptist Campus wortd events and issues through the lens of a Pulitzer Pnze-wln- entire EIG fleet of services, which includes the official sites of Ministry. ning newspaper, the Christian SCience Monitor. Meet in front of the NFL, NBA, NASCAR and WNBA, and Soccemet, the most 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. - Rainbow Lounge Open. free. Room: 5(} the Mil Coop in Kendall Square at 2:30 p.m. We will take the T popular sOccer site in the world. Under his direction, EIG sites 306. Sponsor: Ibgt@MIT. to Green Une - Symphony stop. You can buy discount tickets at have received critical and popular acclaim for their pioneering 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Weight Watchers at World. free. Room: MITAC for $3.50 (regular price $5). MITAC is located in the base- editorial and technical features that deliver the best sports Women's Lounge-Room 8-219. Sponsor: Weight Watchers. ment of Walker Memorial (500(5). They are open Tuesday experience online. Reiss joined Starwave Corporation in 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. - Spam Rlterlng Quick Start~ This dis- through Friday from 11:00 am4:00 pm. For more info, call (617) 1993. free. Room: TBD. Sponsor: MITEntrepreneurshipCen: cussion will cover the basics of e-mail spam screentng that 253-7990 or check out http://web.mit.edu/mitac/ . $3.50. ter. MIT Sloan MediaTech Club. has been implemented at MIT through the use of SpamAssas- Room: Meet at the MIT Coop in Kendall Square. Sponsor: spous- 11:55 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. - VCPIA Lunch Meeting. Weekly sin. Discussion will include how to configure different e-mail es&partners@mit, Mil Medical. lunch meeting sponsored by the MIT Venture Capital & Prin- clients to filter messages considered to be spam, as well as 2:45 p.m. - Campus Tour. free. Room: Lobby 7 (Main Entrance cipal Investment Association. free. Room: Tang Center. how to set your spam scoring threshold and how to use Lobby at 77 Massachusetts Ave). Sponsor: Information Center. Sponsor: MIT Venture Capital and Principal Investment allowjdeny lists. free. Room: N42 Demo Center. Sponsor: 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. - MExtending Intetferometry to Optical (VCPI) Association, MITEntrepreneurshipCenter. Information Systems. Wavelengths." free. Room: 37-212. Sponsor: AeroAstro, Mass- 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. - The Vlsu.1 Lan .... ge of Science 2:45 p.m. - CM1pu8 Tour. free. Room: Lobby 7 (Main Entrance chusetts Space Grant Consortium. In Isl.m, 8GO-1500AD. Dibner Institute Lunchtime Colloqui- Lobby at 77 Massachusetts Ave). Sponsor: Information Center. 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. - c..... ~/ Support Group. The um. free. Room: E56-100. Sponsor: Dibner Institute. 4:15 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Physics - Results from the MAP Career Support Group is the opportunity for Mil employees to 2:45 p.m. - Campus Tour. free. Room: Lobby 7 (Main Satellite. The MAP satellite is currently mapping the entire participate with others in a confidential, facilitated group to dis- Entrance Lobby at 77 Massachusetts Ave). Sponsor: Infor- microwave sky to unprecedented accuracy and precision from cuss common themes of setting goals and taking action in your mation Center. an orbit around the second Earth-Sun Lagrange point. The pri- career. MIT encourages employees to constantly develop them- 4:00 p.m. - MIT Astrophysics Colloquium: PETER WOODS. mary goal is to produce high fidelity maps in five frequency selves, whether they are satisfied or unsatisfied in their current "Soft Gamma Repeater Burst Activity in Anomalous X-ray bands spanning from 22 to 94 GHz in order to image the cos- positions. free. Room: Career Planning West Campus Annex Pulsars." free. Room: MIT Center for Space Research, mic microwave background (CMB). We begin with a descrip- (W8S.257). Sponsor: Career Planning @ Mil. Room 37-252. Sponsor: Astrophysics. tion the instrument and mission and then present results 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. - Uneartzatlon CoeffIcIents for some 5:00 p.m. - Reflections on GI... : Projects In the MIT from the first data release. free. Room: 10-250. Sponsor: 0rtfI0C0naI PoflnomIaIs. Refreshments will be served at 3:30. Glass Lab and Elsewhere. Talk by Peter Houk, MIT Artist-in- Physics Department. PM in Room 2-349. free. Room: Room 2-338. Sponsor: Combl- Residence. free. Room: Rm 6-120. Sponsor: Office of the 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. - Approximation Algorttms Yla Unear ~ natories Semil"ar. Department of Mathematics. grammlng: Three Easy Resutts. ORC Spring Seminar Series. Arts. 5:00 p.m. - AMP (Advanced Music Performance) Student 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. - Toastm.sters.MIT Evening Meet- Seminar reception immediately following in the Philip M. Morse Recital. Graham T. Wright, (G) baritone; Karen Harvey, piano. Reading Room, E4(}106. free'. Room: E56-270. Sponsor: Opera- Ings. 77 Mass. Avenue, Cambridge, BUilding 2, Room 2- ~Qubert, SChWan,enge~ng. free. Roo . Killian H II. Sponsor. 131.ifree,.-Spor\$9t ~ast~ef' _ . . ~ tions R.es~arch ter. , \ ,- MuSic and Theater Arts Section. I• 6:00 p.m. -'9:00 Screening of MMlsslng Young 5;30 p.m. - MAfrtcan AmerIcan UYlng History Museum." Perfor- p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - PreprofessIonal Event: Essay Writing , Woman." The documentary "Missing Young Woman" will be _ mance event featuring short vignettes describing lives of figures for MedIcal and Law SChool Applications. This workshop is screened and will be followed by a Question and Answer from African American history created by MIT students in collabo- geared to assist students in writing their personal . session with the Director. This film deals with the murders ration with Associate Professor Thomas DeFrantz and guest statement/essay for medical, dental, other health profeSSions, of nearly 300 young women t at have been taking place in artist Vinie Burrows (see and 1aYt' school applications. free. Room: 4-237. Sponsor: the border town of1uarez, Mexico. free. Room: Room 4- http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/tt/2002/oct23/ OCSPA. . 370. Sponsor: Amnesty International, Graduate Student a~amit.html). free. Room: La Sala de Puerto Rico. Sponsor: 7:00 p.m. - Working to Improve.AlDS-EducatIon In BelIze. Free. Council Mexican Student Association, Women's Studies Music and Theater Arts Section. Room: Mil 3-133. Sponsor: MIT Western Hemisphere Project. progra~, Social Justice Cooperative, Lucha, Mujeres Lati- 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. - Interviewing Workshop. free. Room: 4- 7:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. - Patron SaInt Day of MOST. free. nas, MIT Greens. Mexico Initiative, David Rockefeller Center 231. Sponsor: OCSPA. Room: Eastgate Penthouse Lounge. Sponsor: Mil Organization for Latin American Studies, Harvard University Mexican' 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Forum on Voting Reform. How can of Serbian Students (MOST) . Association, Large Events Funding, ARCADE. we become free to vote for a candidate we support without 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - BIble Study. Weekly Bible study held by allowing a distasteful candidate Into office? Why did Tolman 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - Intematlonal Film Club- Film the Baptist Student Fellowship. free. Sponsor: Baptist Student semln.r. Educational Film Screen.ing. free. Room: 4-237. and Reich lose to O'Brien in the Democratic primaries this Fellowship, Baptist Campus Ministry. . Sponsor: International Film Club. year? Why did Michael Capuano secure himself the Dem<><:rat- • 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. - ~Il RJ. MoYIe. MOVIes ic nomination to be our representative to U.S. Congress With a screened as a part of MIT FLL course. Email was sent out Wednesd.y, February 26 mere 23% of the vote? Why did the Rorida vote come so on [email protected]. free. Room: Variable, was close in 2ooo? The answer is that none of these elections 5:00 •• m. - UA Elections, Late Petition De.dllne. Candi- sent out in email. Sponsor: Sangam. MIT FLL. used Instant Runoff Votingl Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) is a dates that have been given an extension to turn in their 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Korean Com'fort Woman. Testimony new way of voting that may become the standard for some paperwork by the UA Election Commission must have all of a Korean Comfort Woman. As a girt, Kim HwaSun was forced offices in Massachusetts as soon as the 2004 elections. In their paperwork in. free. Room: W20-401. Sponsor: Under- into sexual slavery by the Japanese Imperial Forces during WWII. IRV, each voter ranks the candidates according to preference, graduate Association. She will discuss her experience and her physical and psychologi- choosing one candidate first, another second, and so on. 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 •• m. - Department, Laboratory, or Cen- cal struggles during and after the war. Participants: a former free. Room: 6-120. Sponsor: College Democrats, MIT, MIT ter EHS Coordinator Meeting. The focus of this meeting is: Korean Comfort woman, Dr. Ok Cha Soh, President of Washing- Greens. Update and planning for EHS inspections and audits; ton Coalition of Comfort Woman (WCCW). Co-sponsored by for- 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - Panchatantra Class. Classes in Indian Update on EHS Space Registration; and Update on EHS eign Languages and Literatures, History, Women's Studies, Folk..Jore. free. Room: 4-144. Sponsor: Graduate Student Coun- Training. DLC EHS Coordinators in laboratories and EHS Campus Committee on Race Relations (CCRR), MIT Japan Pro- cil, Sangam. South Asian Center. Lead Contacts should plan to attend. It is optional for non- gram. free. Room: Killian Hall. Sponsor: History Office, Women's 8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. - UA ElectIons: Study Break. Take a lab DLC EHS Coordin'ators. Refreshments will be served. Studies Program. FLL. break, eat some pizza, get to know your UA Candidates. All MIT Please RSVP your attendance. free~ Room: 68-181. Spon- 7:30 p.m. - 10:30 p.m. - HTC Film series. Theme is documan- Undergraduates are welcome to attend. free. Room: Student sor: The Environment at MIT Web site. tary films. click on link for titles. free. Room: 3-133. Sponsor: Center Arst Roor. Sponsor: Undergraduate Association. 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 •• m. - Administrative OffIcer/Fiscal History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art. 9:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. - Coffee Hour. Food and drink - an OffIcer Meeting. Remarks by the Provost and the Executive 8:00 p.m. - Weekly Wednesdays @ the Muddy Charles Pub. Ashdown tradition. free. Room: Hulsizer Room (W1). Spon- Vice President as well as reports and updates geared for Meet your fellow social graduate students at the Muddy Chartes sor: Ashdown House. the AOjFO' community. free. Room: Wong AU~itorium, ~uild- Pub located in the Walker Memorial Building. What will be there 10:00 p.m. - 11:59 p.m. - Movie Night. Movie and food - ing E51. Sponsor: Administrative & Fiscal Officer meetings. for you? $1 drafts, a variety of beers, wines and sodas, lots of free for allll. free. Room: Big TV Room (W1). Sponsor: Ash- 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. - Lemelson-MIT Student Prize free wings, Sox on the screen. Bring IDs. free. Room: Muddy down House. Announcement. At this event the 2003 Lemelson-MIT Stu- Chartes Pub. Sponsor: Edgerton House Residents' Association, 10:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m. - Carnaval 2003. III Brazilian Carni- dent Prize Winner will be announced. This $30,000 award MITEntrepreneurshipCenter. TechUnk, Wing It. val Party'" The "Carnaval" Party has already become a tra- is presented to an MIT student who demons~rates ~n out- 8:00 p.m. - M36 Chowrtnghee Lane." Aim with Apama Sen, dition at MIT and in Boston! In past years, we've had over standing ability in the field of invention and Innov~tlo~. being screened in conjunction with her upcoming residency (see 1,300 people coming to celebrate our version of the wild:st Shuttle transportation is provided. Visit the web site listed film & talk on April 16). free. Room: Rm 4-237. Sponsor: MIT open party in the world! A live band will shake the night With for more information. free. Room: Museum of Science., Office of the Arts Special Programs, Foreign Languages and Uter- Brazilian dance music, and typical drinks will be served at Sponsor: Lemelson-MIT Program. . atures, Program in Women's Studies and Comparative Media the bar (ID required). Do NOT missll!. $15. Room: The 10:45 a.m. - Campus Tour. free. Room: Lobby 7 (Main Studies. Matrix (275 Tremont Street, Boston). Sponsor: Brazilian Entrance Lobby at 77 Massachusetts Ave). Sponsor: Infor- 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. - IFiLM Film Seminar. SCreening of a Student Association. Brazilian Associations @ BU, Harvard, mation Center. movie followed by a discussion. free. Room: 4-237. Sponsor: Tufts BC Emerson, Babson, Northeastern. 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. - SAPweb: Purchasing ~n the Web. Intemational Aim Club. 11:59 p.~. - Campus Disc Golf. Do you like t~ssing a diSC? (formerly Overview of Purchasing on the Web QUick Start) 8:00 p.m. - UA ElectIons: UA PresIdent and VIce President Do you enjoy friendly competition? Or if you're Just up for mid- This course covers all aspects of using SAPweb for pur- Debate. Get to know the issues. Usten and ask questions to night antics, then come on outl Meet outside th~ Stud~nt chasing, including requisitioning from external vendors and your future UA President and Vice President. Food provided. free. Center on the front steps, and don't forget to bnng a disci internal providers, as well as ordering from Partner Ven- Room: Student Center Arst Roor. Sponsor: Undergraduate Asso- Don't hesitate to come, newcomers are always welcomed- dors' online catalogs. Topics include: business .r~l~s g~v- ciation, The Tech. We meet every Thursday at midnight. Questions, contact erning requisitions; creating and displaying requIsitions In 8:30 p.m. - 11:30 p.m. - Swing Danclne. No partner required. Daniel Turek, [email protected]. bring your own disc!. Room: SAPweb; accessing Partner Vendors' online catalogs. Beginners welcome. free. Room: Student Center 2nd floor. Spon- Student Center steps. Sponsor: Campus Disc Golf. Room: N42 Demo. Sponsor: .Information Systems. sor: Undy Hop Society. Page 12 THE TECH February 25, 2003 a es e e , c ss Elections, from Page I that UA Update - the U We've already propo ed our ternity rush and that Gottlieb's dent group ,Deora aid. new letter - and the U A' Web plan to Dean Benedict," Vzarnere opponents favored the traditional Gottlieb and Keller' leading "Some members of the adminis- ite are key in acquiring tudent said. • Our plan should cost under ru h. is ues are dorm room accessibili- tration seem to doubt the impor- feedback. $25,000 a year .... We expect that "I said some stuff that wa n't ty, UA efficiency, and community tance of residence election," Vza- Gottlieb aid"he "want[s] people the administration will react very correct," Gottlieb said in r pon e. involvement in the UA. Moreover, mere said. "I do not condone this to u e online di cus ion boards. We favorably to our plan." •It was stupid, but I just want to ay the two propo e an extension of sentiment. ... It would be a shame want to work with you and talk with Gottlieb al 0 intends to support that we want the freshman to have TechCA Hue to more restau- to see [rush] go." you." a "dorm accessibility program" the best four years possible .... It rant in the Cambridge area. Some campus leaders have said One important campus i sue, under which students can be given didn't come acro s the way I meant • Duke has [acce s to] 24 re tau- they worry that the changing rush the fate of the Coffeehou e, is con- access to dorms they do not live in, it to." rants. aybe we can get more than system will lead to fewer pledges tingent upon the response of the but in which they have friends or As a solution to the debate on Domino's." and more failing houses, a sentiment students, Deora and Gottlieb both business. dorm/ fraternity rush precedence Gottlieb al 0 said that MIT's Vzamere agrees with. "We're wor- said. "Residents want their friends to during orientation, Gottlieb aid Confidential Medical Tran port ried that under the current plan, ... "We're always open to sugges- come in," Gottlieb said. "We want to that he would push for a "united program is important and de cribes in the next few year, we'll see a tions," Gottlieb said. "The atmos- form a guest list recognized by desk front." Keller as "an energetic and dedi- number of houses die off," Uzamere phere there is really cool. ... but it's workers. The current system .,. cre- "We need to get rid of that cated person ... works really said. a lot of work for one person to ates unnecessary hassle and inadver- impression of mistrust," Gottlieb hard." revamp." tent security risks." said. Uzamere and Faber's platform range of campus i ues " orne are looking to bring in a centers on "communication, con- Another highlight of all the plat- Starbucks, or some other compa- Gottlieb re ponds to po ter Platforms crete change, and community forms is VA reform with regard to ny," Deora said. "We're collecting Students may have seen flyers Deora and Williams' platform building." They also hope to build efficiency. business plans, especially from posted around campus that read "A includes better dining for East a "cultural group coalition" to "Since MIT students become alumni." vote for David Gottlieb is a vote Campus, increased UA-student ensure that cultural groups do not hosed so quickly, ... no one [in the Both Gottlieb and Uzamere said against the dorms." The flyers interaction, and a campus coalition • splinter off into their own VA] follows up on projects," Deora they support daytime SafeRide ser- were apparently posted in response to foster student unity on their cliques." The two also say that they said. vice. Uzamere said that the idea has to an e-mail written by Gottlieb on agenda. Deora and Williams, whom hope for better dining options The candidates suggested a been part of "practically every the ifc-talk mailing list. The e-mail Deora describes as putting "the UA around campus. more open route of communication VAP/ VP ticket over the past sever- suggested that the traditional dorm before academics," hope to facili- Elections will be held from as the solution. Deora mentioned al years." rush would be detrimental to fra- tate the office space needs of stu- March 6 to March 11. VA Presidentia ,Vice Presidential Candidates GEORGE HEMMING GEORGE HEMMING ROSHAN BALlGA-THE TECH ROSHAN BALlGA-THE TECH ROSHAN BALlGA-THE TECH ROSHAN BALIGA-THE TECH Parul Deora '04, candi- Harel M. Williams '05, David B. Gottlieb '04, Karen M. Keller '04, can- Pius A. Uzamere '04, Jacob W. Faber '04, can- date for UA President candidate for UA Vice candidate for UA Presi- didate for UA Vice Presi- candidate for UA Presi- didate for UA Vice Presi- President dent dent dent dent Alpha ({hi ~igma lBrof essional Tuesday, February 25 Wednesday, February 2'6 7:30 - 9:30 PM Room 4-149 Alpha Chi Sigma is primarily for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, but also rushes grad students and faculty involved in the chemical sciences in courses such as, but not limited to: IE, 3, 5, 7, 10 and BME Visit us on the web! htto://web.mit.edu/axe/www/ If you have any questions about AXI: or membership in AXI:, please e-mail [email protected]. February 25, 2003 THE TECH Page 13 , ebruary 26 ~.YI I:=omputing Help Desk Time 8p.m. We're Hiring Student Consultants If you are • a logical probl m 01 er • eelcing relevant work experience • patient, friendly, motivated to help • eager to learn in a team setting • good at explaining technical topics • interested in a starting rate of $12.50/hr Come meet our staff at the: Help De5k Info 5e55ion Have questiom for the Cilndidates? Tue5tJay, March 4th, 2003 E-mail them to 5:15- 6:45 pm [email protected] N42 Demo Center 211 Mas5 Ave. acr055 from NECCO Attendance at the information session is required for all applicants. Candidates should also submit a resume by 5:00 pm on March 4th to: [email protected] The Council for the Arts at MIT presents FREE TICKETS FOR. MIT STUDENTS!IIII! http://web.mit.edu/helpdesk/hiring.html Friday, March 7 8:00pm Jordan Hall, New England Conservatory .,... Boston Modern Orchestra Project presents What's New? An evening of world premieres 2~ Jlnnua{ commissioned by BMOP RUEHR Ladder to the Moon PAULUS The Five Senses YANNATOS Songs of Life, Love and Loss P,6onyJlffair FRAZELLE Concerto for Chamber Orchestra Pre-concert symposium, 7:00 pm • Featuring the evening's composers & artists . Open to all ticket holders Saturday 3/1/03 6:30 pm - untie Friday, March 14 8:00pm 9rforss Ha{C, Wa{ksr 9rtemoria{ Somerville Theatre, Davis Square World Music/CrashArts presents: HUUN HUUR TU Semi- Porma{.JIttire, Live P,ntertainment, Hailing from Tuva, an autonomous Russian (j)inner republic on the border of Mongolia, Huun Huur Tu perform an otherworldly vocal technique des~ribed as "a musical marvel" by the New York Times. In this fascinating vocal style - $12 6efore 2/22 $15at tfie door called khoomei in Tuvan, or "overtone singing" in English - a single vocalist produces two or three notes simultaneously. Named Huun Huur 'Iic~ts and info contact samcgee@mit. edu Tu, or "Layers of Light" in their native Tuvan language, the four-member ensemble Ticksts afso avaifa6fe at the Source demonstrates the subtly diverse style of t khoomei while singing rhythmic cowboy songs (1S f{oor Student Center) accompanied by traditional instruments from the Tuvan steppe. Tickets may be picked up at the MIT Presented 6y: MICf (8rac~ qraduate Students' Office of the Arts E15-205 jIssociation, Sfoan :Minority CBusiness C[u6, and the CBrac~ onday - Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm Students Vnion One ticket per valid MIT Student 10 S onsored 6 .JIc.R.C.JICJYEandweeksnds@mit Page 14 THE TECH February 25, 2003 • Ring, from Page 1 "The reason we put the tradi- Quattrochi '04 and former class of out ide the front door of Walker tional seal [on the ring] wa 2004 Pre ident Patrick Y. Kim to before 5 p.m., orne excited to see audience re ponse was tame when because we felt that most people hold a class-wide vote to decide their class ring and others motivated the original school seal was project- wanted the traditional design," aid whether to include a woman the to receive their free t-shirts and ed onto the two large screens in the Rohit Gupta '05, the Ring Commit- 2004 Brass Rat eal shank. mugs. front of the room. tee chair. After a vote that leaned heavily Upon entering Walker Memori- According to the pamphlet dis- The committee received input toward a two-man seal, the Ring al, members of the class of 2005 tributed at the Ring Premiere, the from the class of 2005 via e-mail, Committee reverted to a two-man were checked for identification, By Frank Dabek seal shank "features the MIT through a committee Web site, and seal. then greeted with free food on one srAFF REPORTER School Seal, unadulterated and in at a committee-sponsored study side and two projection screens on A reduction in financial support its purest form possible." Two break. rtCarved will make 2005 Rat the other while dance music blast- from Beacon Hill has prompted the men symbolically hold a book and Controversy surrounding the This year, the Ring Committee ed. Cambridge City Council to discuss a hammer to match the Latin school seal began three years ago, decided to order the rings from Art- Pre enting in emi-formal attire, a payroll tax that would affect local phrase mens et manus directly when the class of 2002's ring Carved, a company that Ring Com- the committee members took their universities. below them. included a woman on the MIT seal mittees have ordered from in the turns in an informal presentation, City Councillor Brian Murphy "I'm glad that [the 2005 Ring for the first time. Though most of past, Gupta said. Last year, the 2004 with expletives embedded in occa- initiated discussion at last night's Committee] stuck with that tradi- the class was happy with the design, Ring Committee ordered from sional jokes. council meeting on a proposal to tion," said William R. Fowler '05. some were upset at the deviation Jostens, but Gupta said that Jostens At one point, Ring Committee create a 0.25 percent payroll tax that "Since the founding of the Institute, from tradition. was poorly organized, and after con- member Rose Grabowsky '05 would generate $13M yearly and that's been our seal, and if there's The class of 2003 Brass Rat fea- sidering issues like pricing, warran- appeared to spontaneously start a "tax universities as employers." The one thing on the ring that shouldn't tured two men, but the controversy ty, and artists, ArtCarved was their dance contest during the raffle. Two proposal is in response to state cuts change, it's the seal of the Institute." was revisited last year when an top choice. contestants in the impromptu con- in aid to the city and the city's Allison Hall '05 said, "I really information leak from the 2004 Despite the cold weather and test, Alex and Ethan Crumlin '05, dependence on property taxes, Mur- don't think it's that big of a deal. Ring Committee prompted 2004 moderate rain, hundreds of sopho- took off their shirts in an attempt to phy said. It's just a tradition." Ring Committee chair Douglas J. mores huddled together in a line win a prize. The city lost $4.2M in state funds this year, according to a repo~ of the council's finance com- It's 3 am. Your head is throbbing, your mittee. The future of the proposal, stomach is rumbling, your skin is itchy. It's which is not yet a formal bill, is thirty degrees outside, and MIT Medical might unclear as support remains spotty among fellow councillors and it as well be on the other side of the world. Who would have to be approved by the can you call? state legislature. Councillor Anthony D. Galluc- • Find your nearest link at cio said that he had "no problem Students Promoting Health at Mil aiming new taxes at universities" Tax requires home rule petition~ The tax would also require a home rule petition or other action at the state level. Murphy said that while such a petition's chances on Beacon Hill were unclear, it had a better chance this year than in recent years because of fiscal concerns. The legislature realizes it should "be giving localities tools" to deal with the current fiscal problems, Murphy said. Galluccio tied the ongoing nego- tiations over MIT's payments in lieu of taxes to the Institute's tax-exempt status. It is ''better for the universi- ties and city to have consistency" in tax payments, Gallucio said. The current payment in lieu of taxes sys- tem "doesn't bring the level of dig- nity both institutions would like." Murphy said that he had not dis- cussed the proposed tax with local universities. MIT officials could not be reached for comment ast night. Solution to ChessMate 1. Rxh7+ Nxh7 2. g4x THE TECH Page 15 T'S OT 00 SOO TO START T INKING ABOUT http:// mit.edu/ awards tNOMINATIONS DEADLI E. MARC 21 *Carnival * Kamaval * Cropover * *Martedi Grasso * Carnaval* steeL DYU~S! LLve 1SlA ~et! Fooet! DyL~~s! pe~toLlA~~LlA ! JuggLers! ~! MlAS~S! - FlA~e PlAL~tL~C1! Sunday, MarchI 2nd 7 - 9:30 pm Walker Memorial Tech Cathf;)lic Community eltropeClfl clup Sponsored by ARCADE funding *' Page 16 THE ECB February 25, 2003 f V • February 25, 2003 THE TECH Page 17 Elevators Have New System, Slow Doors By Nathan Collins weT not renovated at the same tim NEWS EDITOR so workers could learn from work The second of two student center on th fir t elevator. The second Eloranta Summer Research Fellowshi~ elevator upgrades, which will mod- renovation, he aid, would take Ie ernize the 1960s technology current- time becau e workers were already ly in use, will be completed in th experienced with an identical ys- next week or two, said Campus tem. Several $6,000 summer research fellowships, intended to encourage Activities Complex Director Phillip Richard aid the work required challenging intellectual activity during the summer months, are available to J. Walsh. three weeks because' e're doing "1 think the elevators have been an extensive overhaul." A typical MIT undergraduates. Areas of study or research may be in any field: a concern here in the Student Center MIT elevator takes six weeks to ren- science, engineering, the humanities, arts, or the social sciences. Originality for some time," Walsh said. ovate, he said. 'We have to replace The new elevator has experi- a tremendous amount of compo- is important. The planned activity must be student organized or student- enced a few problems. Walsh said nents." directed. there were a few breakdowns last A major reason for the renova- week "which were quickly respond- tions was the outdated electronics. ed to." The elevator cars were renovated in All MIT undergraduates are eligible, including those whose planned research Additionally, some students have the 1980s, but the electronics noticed that the new elevator doors remained the same as when they begins the summer immediately following graduation. open slowly and that this has con- were first installed in 1965, he said. tributed to slightly slower service, Those electronics used many but Walsh said that this could likely mechanical relays which had a How to Apply: A well-written proposal presenting a concise research plan be fixed. propensity to get stuck, Richard should be submitted by the deadline to the UROP Office, 7-104. At least "There's always some tweaking said. to be done," Walsh said. He noted "When you have a problem, you one letter of recommendation or support for the proposed research is that having the crew that worked on have hundreds and hundreds of needed, from an MIT faculty member. This letter may accompany the the first elevator still around work- relays," and tracking down and fix- ing on the second could expedite ing the stuck relay can be difficult, proposal or be mailed separately. A budget should be included with the such work. Richard said. proposal. Award Winners are chosen by the Eloranta Fellowship Committee Bernard J. Richard, Department A key job was to replace the of Facilities manager for electrical, electronics with modem solid-state at the end of April. mechanical and plumbing opera- systems. "It becomes much more tions, said that minor problems, dependable," Richard said. stich as those with the doors, should The elevator cars, controls, and Contact: Staff in the UROP Office, 7-104, x3-7306, reathlt Is: TuCIICUI Bllch RISln S1018 per person based on quad per person based on triple All-Inclusive! All-Inclusive! All-Inclusive! 1IIIsI I. Roundtrip airfare from Boston, in-flight meal service, 7 nights For Resenadons Call hotel accommodations, all meals, drinks, entertainment roundtrip transfers, hotel tax, service charges, and morel , ur local Travel Agent FAA-IWaved chlrter lir IIInsportation vii Tllnsmlricliln 0< Slmillr clrrier. Pocl. III per pelSOn bl.od on 1ripIe 0< qUid occupency lor now bOOking. only. Informllion is .ubject to chlngl; pricl.11I clpeci!y-conll'ohd Ind .ubjoct to IVlilIbllity. Pllpeid g ..... nmlnt lUn, f .... ~mbor 11 Secuntv f •• , Ind P.f.t. 01 "" '" 511ptIf person Ind S20 booU>g , •• Ior .... MIllon. mlde insid.,. days orl not included in fiSlod pric ••• nd III .ubject to chang. wilh- out noIIc •. TNT V.c.1Jons SptIcllls c.nnot be combined wilh Iny discount vouch ... 0< prOl'llOlions. Etch pric. m.y not be VlIidI.vlilablo lor IVII)' d.perlUro dlt .. Ustod prien include lu.Hllllld Ind 1ft othor inCIl .... in .lfact n of / 112WlXl. but may lAC"'" IdditIon.1Iy du.1O un.nticipolld upon ... bIyond TNT Voc.tions Conlrol. Sol Tour Participont Agrllmont in 2002.2003 Sunshin. Guido lor lurtllor information. 1322 1st Choice: Nader 2nd Choice: Gore Winner: Gore 3rd Choice: Bush Daffodil Days Learn about Instant Runoff Voting and electoral changes For each $15.(XJ gift, we will deliver a daffodil bouquet in a vase to a cancer Voting Reform Forum patient or someone in need. Thursday, Feb. 27 7:00 PM Room 6-120 Order Today! 1.800.ACS.2345 This space donated by The Tech FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY REQUESTS INTERNS Peter Vickery Ron Bell Alice Wolf IRV Activist Dunk the Vote Camb. State Rep The Postal Inspection Service, one of the nations oldest federal law enforcement agencies, would Rank your candidates! like two interns to assist with its money launder- Vote your conscience! ing and mail fraud investigations. Learn about a variety of different types of criminal investiga- No more "spoilers"! tions, corporate security and job opportunities in federal law enforcement. Our presentation will be http://web.mit.edu/greens/ held on February 27th at 7:30pm in 2-105. MIT College Democrats. MIT Greens • [email protected] Refreshments will be served' • February 25, 2003 THE TECH Page 19 APPLY RIGHT NOW FOR POSITIONS IN FRESHMAN ORIENTATION 2003! *Applications for Pre-Orientation (FPOP) Coordinators and Counselors are now available 'in the ARC (7-103). For more information on the FPOPs, contact Dan Chapman, [email protected]. Deadlines for FPOP applications is Friday, Feb~uary 28, 2003 . • *City Days Coordinator position is now available. For more information, contact Jill Soucy of the Public Service Center, [email protected] or (617) 253-8968 . • Page 20 THE TECH February 25, 2003 • SPORTS Pistol Defeats USMMA, Loses To Coast Guard Academy Twire By Jenny Y. Uao event by default. Their aggregate combined match and the NRA Sec- TEAM MEMBER core of 1,636 is an impre sive ea- tionals (qualifiers for the Collegiate MlT Pi tol recently competed in son' be t. ational Championships). Though two important matches, tallying a Saturday saw additional victories MIT won in the majority of five decisive win and a narrow 10 s the in the remaining four events. MlT's events, the varsity squad fell with an crucial weeks leading scoring team Chen, David . Schan- aggregate score of 6,253-6,263. up to the ational non '04, Wang, Tony W~ celfo '04, Victories were tallied in Free Pistol, Rifle Association sec- L. Michael Horvath '05, shot an Women's Air, and Women's port; tionals, in which the aggregate score of 2,183, besting losses were in open Air and Stan- team lost by a 10- U MMA's 1,915. The ame scoring dard events. point margin. team hot 1,981 in Free Pistol vs. In late January, the varsity squad U MMA's 1,685, and won Stan- Team looks ahead to ationals hosted a small team from Unites dard Pistol by a 152-point margin. Despite the narrow loss, MIT's tates Merchant Marine's Academy team is very strong and is expected (U MMA). Though many of the Coa t Guard edge T to qualify in all five events for the team members were newly back One weekend later, missing a top national championships in March. from lAP vacations, graduate school shooter, MIT had a challenging Additionally, several shooters have interviews, and other activities, away match against a much- very high standings nationally and MlT's performance wa character- improved United States Coast are expected to qualify individually, istically strong, with an aggregate Guard Academy squad. Coast The team in recent weeks has score of 6,234 - just six points Guard's grand aggregate score of been on a more intense schedule lower than the season's best score 6,289 was higher than MlT's season with additional Saturday practices in against Army. USMMA, with a high, and provided Coast Guard a preparation for the NRA ationals. much smaller and generally less- 200-point margin of victory. Coast MIT has traditionally performed experienced team, lost all five Guard Blue's scoring members each very well, most recently by securing • events (two by default, for lack of a handily beat the corresponding first-place in Women's Air Pistol in STANLEY HU-THE TECH women's squad). members of MlT's team, with large last year's competition. Using sec- zachary J. Traina '05 leads off the 4x40o-meter relay during In Sport Pistol on Friday, Yin M. margins of victory in both Air and tional performance as a meter, MIT the New England Division III Championships at MIT. MIT won Chen, Audrey S. Wang, and Jenny Standard Pistol. is well-poised to place in the top the meet with 120 points, defeating rivals Williams College Y. Liao, all seniors, posted very Coast Guard continued its win- three for Standard, Women's Air, (88 points) and Tufts University (87 points). strong scores despite winning the ning streak last weekend at MIT in a and Women's Sport Pistol. Gymnasts Vying for Nationals Slot Ballroom Dance Takes After Upsetting SUNYBrockport =!..l!:rstP~I!!t!.~'!!! By Caitlin P. Dwyer-McNally Brockport on Feb. 15 (180.775). Division III.) The Engineers are TEAM MEMBER D. Nielsen G and Michelle Gold- and Lindsey L. Wolf High scores on vault (9.35) and currently ranked fifth in the nation While New England suffered haber placed first in Gold Tango. TEAM MEMBERS floor (9.65) came from Cindy and have held the first place rank- from freezing temperatures and bliz- In Bronze, Mark Sin G and Christi- The Women's 2002-03 Gym- Chung '04, who earned first place ing on the floor exercise for the zard conditions this past Presidents' na Laskowski '05 placed first in' nastics team has exhibited marked on both events. Merritt S. Tam '05 last three weeks. Day weekend, mem- both Foxtrot and Quickstep. In the improvement over last year's per- won beam (9.5) and the all-around There will certainly be a battle bers of the MIT Ball- Open level, which was judged by formance, partly due (36.775). between four teams at this year's room Dance Team category, Bill Liteplo SM '00 and to a talented crop of But most impressive was the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Con- were turning up the Ika Setyawati took fust place over- freshmen. ewcom- improvement displayed by the ference Regional Championships. heat at the Holy Cross all. ers Francesca E. entire team on vault and beam, MIT, Brockport, Springfield and Fifth Annual Ballroom Nielsen and Johnna D. Powell G Demeo, Chandler E. events that had been preventing the Rhode Island College all have Dance Competition. The team took first place in each category of Hatton, and Jennifer team from doing as well during deep, talented squads this year. walked away from the competition Silver International Latin, as well as E. Sauchuk bring a wealth of expe- previous competitions. One of these four teams will beat with 20 first place finishes. in Gold Cha-Cha and Jive. Liteplo rience gained from their previous the others out for the fourth quali- The Holy Cross competition was and Goldhaber took the rest of the successes at the Junior Olympic IT vying for bid to ationals fying spot to the National Champi- structured differently from most. Gold medals for Gold Latin, in level. The SUNY Brockport meet onships. Each dance was judged separately. Samba, Rumba, and Paso Doble. In The squad got off to a strong was a strategic win for the Engi- MIT's next regular season meet Typically a couple's results are based American Smooth, Nielsen and Gold- start during lAP, opening the sea- neers as the race for the one will be their last. In a combined on the compilation of their scores for haber placed first in all the Gold level son with a team score of 173.45, remaining spot at the National meet with the men on March 1, all the dances in a level, such as Sil- dances: Waltz, Tango, Foxtrot, and compared to last year's first meet Championships heats up. Only the MIT will host a number of teams ver International Latin or Open Viennese Waltz. Bill Coate and Irina score of 169.125. The team has top four teams from each confer- including Springfield, a team they American Smooth. Here, a couple Nikoforova placed first in Silver shown even greater improvement ence automatically qualify for the have never beaten. This meet will could come in first in Silver Interna- Waltz. Coate and Nikoforova took over the course of the season. ational Championships in Eau provide MIT with one more chance tional Cha-Cha even if they didn't another first place in Silver American They have already shattered the Claire, Wisconsin on March to increase their Season Average make it to the final in Silver Interna- Cha-Cha, while Liteplo and Gold- team overall school record three 28-29. MIT is in good shape after Score, which counts for 40 percent tional Jive, both of which are Silver haber took place over all in the Open times, most recently at SUNY upsetting SUNY (ranked fourth in towards qualifying to the ational International Latin dances. American competition. Championships. Their performance Because of this structure, MITB- For complete results for Holy Department of at the Regional Championships DT did well in far too many cate- Cross and other recent competitions, ITFACILITIES will account for the other 60 per- gories to report them all, but here are visit the Ballroom Dance Team's CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION UPDATE cent. some of the highlights: Web site, http://mitbdt.mit.edu. Building 12 Fire Protection ain Beginning Monday, February 24, excavation will start near Buildings 12, 4, and 8 to repair a ruptured fire protection main. Traffic should not be affected, but pedestrian access to this area will be limited. The work will take approximately three weeks. Some jackhammering may occur. Simmons Hall The kitchen and dining rooms are in full dinner operation. The atrium window work is complete. Work on the parking lot is underway. Vassar St. Utilities Installation of new drainage piping running from Mass. Ave. to the Johnson Athletic Center is in the final stages of completion. Pedestrians now walk behind Building 48 on a newly constructed temporary walkway for sev- eral months to allow Vassar St. work to continue. Stata Center A shroud over the Building 56 air intake will be constructed to reduce exhaust fumes introduced into the intake from the Stata site. Dreyfus Chemistry Building Repair work on the east concrete fa~de is nearing completion. Installa- tion of mechanical systems continues. Demobilization of the construction staging area is being planned and removal of most of the trailers will take place later this spring. Vassar Streetscape Work is underway on the north side of the street. Traffic will continue to flow one-way westbound along the southern side of the street. All major crosswalks and driveways are accessible; crosswalks will occasionally shift as work progresses. Building 7 ADA accessible entrance Outdoor work is approximately 40 percent complete. Concrete for the ramp and steps will be installed soon. DANIEL BERSAK-THE TECH For information on MIT's buJlding program, see http://web.mit.edulevoiving Co-captaln Alicia VoIplcelll '98 fights for the puck during Friday night's Women's Club Hockey's This information provided by the MIT Department of Fac/l/ties. 3-0 loss against Boston University.