Established 1881 YOUR GUIDE TO FSILG RUSH — PGS. 12-17 WEATHER, p. 2 MIT’s Oldest and FRI: 82°F | 69°F Largest Newspaper Partly cloudy SAT: 85°F | 69°F Partly cloudy tech.mit.edu SUN: 83°F | 70°F Chance of showers Established 1881 Volume 133, Number 33 Friday, August 30, 2013 Burton-Conner murals painted over, new policies being drafted Wall paintings deemed inconsistent with Mind and Hand Book, students have to pay fee before painting future murals Established 1881 By Stephen Suen being held to a double standard. According as “any conduct, verbal or physical, on or STaff REPORTER to the floor chairs’ statement, Senior Asso- off campus, that has the intent or effect of ciate Dean for Residential Life and Dining unreasonably interfering with an individ- Last week, Burton 1 became the second Henry J. Humphreys and Dean for Student ual or group’s educational or work perfor- floor of Burton-Conner to have a mural Life Chris Colombo “said in a meeting that mance at MIT or that creates an intimidat- repainted this year, after Burton Third’s Burton-Conner will not be held to a double ing, hostile, or offensive educational, work, summer renovations left them without standard (that is, other dorms will be held or living environment.” their signature bar and with several mu- under the same scrutiny), but have not “There have been a few students who … rals painted over. On Burton 1, a mural been willing to confirm this point in writ- are pleased, actually, to see that someone’s based off a strip from the Penny Arcade ing. Burton-Conner is currently being held taking these questions seriously. I’m hope- webcomic was altered to remove certain to a double standard.” ful,” said McCants. “I think that it certainly language. The mural originally read: “This Regarding Burton 1’s mural, “Two resi- makes for a better environment for people floor will eviscerate you with pleasure. You dents of the building … reported [to the who work in Burton-Conner … Those peo- will bleed to death.” After being brought RLAD] that they thought that there was ple have identical rights, actually, on this to the attention of the housemasters, the something in that mural that was inconsis- campus as the students. And I think that’s word “eviscerate” and the phrase “bleed to tent with the Mind and Hand Book,” said something that’s really easy for students death” were painted over without advance Burton-Conner housemaster Anne E. C. and faculty to forget. Whatever these pro- Establishedwarning. 1881 McCants. “The RLAD, Bill, and I conferred, visions are, they aren’t just to protect us — Burton Third has since built a new bar and we agreed, and so it was taken down.” the people who are here in the education that is not a permanent fixture of the floor, The Tech has not yet confirmed when these part of it — they’re here to protect everyone TamI FORRESTER—THE TECH featuring a modular design to stay within reports occurred, or whether these com- on this campus.” The Penny Arcade mural on the first floor of Burton- the bounds of the Mind and Hand Book. plaints were by regular building residents In an email to the Burton 1 floor chairs, Conner has recently been censored. The last two sen- However, in a written statement to The Tech, or summer residents. McCants explained that material inconsis- tences originally read, “This floor will eviscerate you with the Burton Third floor chairs collectively MIT’s Policy on Harassment in the pleasure� You will bleed to death�” expressed concerns that Burton-Conner is Mind and Hand Book defines harassment BC, Page 11 Former Bexley residents granted lounge space in Sun, smiles, and Senegalese Drums Walker Memorial According to an email nished with furniture, a pool space in any fashion. To fa- from Campus Activities Com- table, TV, refrigerator,Established and a cilitate 1881 continuation of Bex- plex (CAC) Director Phillip J. microwave for community ley culture, freshmen could Walsh, members of the Bex- members to use. The space express interest in Bexley and ley community will now have will be maintained by the be added to a mailing list (94 24/7 access to the Pritchett CAC just as a regular event members of the Class of 2017 Lounge on the second floor space would otherwise. In ac- did so). of Walker Memorial. Bex- cordance with being treated As the lounge is used, ley Hall, the undergraduate as an event space, sleeping any issues that come up will dormitory located at 50 Mas- overnight in the lounge will be addressed by the coordi- sachusetts Avenue — right not be allowed and noise is nating group when it meets across the street from 77 Mas- expected to be kept to a rea- within the next two weeks. sachusetts Avenue — was sonable level so as to not dis- The group consists of Walsh, closed for renovations after rupt events going on in the Kristjan Eerik E. Kaseniit ’14, inspections in April uncov- nearby Morss Hall space. In Christopher J. Sarabalis ’14, ered serious structural issues. addition, no smoking, cook- Nicolas M. Brown ’16, former The dorm is scheduled to be ing with devices other than Bexley housemaster Robert closed for up to three years. microwaves, or alcohol will M. Randolph, assistant deans All residents, including GRTs be allowed. Organized events of Residential Life Julie E. and housemasters, moved are allowed (and may serve Rothhaar and Naomi Carton, out after commencement in alcohol if registered and ap- and Director of Residential June. proved), but they must fol- Life for Capital Renewal, Ren- The lounge opened to Bex- low MIT event policies and ovations, and Repair Dennis ley students this past Monday procedures. Bexley residents Collins. An overall assess- with support from the CAC will also need advance ap- ment of the program will oc- and Residential Life & Dining. proval from Residential Life cur at the end of fall semester. The lounge itself comes fur- and CAC before altering the —Stan Gill edu! Confirm your choice of miere is Thursday, Sept. 5 IN Short classes and meet with your ad- from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Walker The Activities Midway with visor by Friday, Sept. 6 to avoid Memorial. The GradRat is rede- MIT’s 300+ student groups a late fee. signed every five years. and organizations is today in Johnson from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 Move-in day for returning LaVerde’s is back on a 24- CHRISTOPHER A. MAYNOR—THE TECH p.m. undergraduates without early hour schedule! Rambax, MIT’s Senegalese Drum Ensemble, performs beneath bright returns is tomorrow, Aug. 31! blue skies reflected in the windows of the Student Center on Tuesday Online Registration is now Send news information and afternoon. The group was founded in 2001 and is co-directed by artist-in-resi- open at https://registration.mit. The new GradRat Ring Pre- tips to [email protected]. dence Lamine Touré and the group’s faculty advisor Professor Patricia J� Tang� Grad students: Picture Yourself at THE TECH Sci-fi coMedy: Highlights of SECTIONS World & Nation � � �2 Write articles reaching thousands of orientation The World’S End the arts at Mit Opinion � � � � � � � � �4 readers� Meet with top administrators Check the grad student The last of the Cornetto A look into ways to Fun Pages � � � � � � �5 orientation schedule for and professors� Lay out entire issues of Trilogy follows the reunion explore music, theater, Arts � � � � � � � � � � � �8 upcoming events in this a paper� Redesign the website of the of a group of estranged and architecture at Daily Confusion � �12 issue on p. 12. first newspaper published on the web� friends� ARTS, p. 10 MIT� ARTS, p. 8 All within reach, here at The Tech! 2 The Tech Friday, August 30, 2013 Aim of raid on Syria would be D to restore ‘red line’ and signal Obama is willing to go it Iran WASHINGTON — The goal of the cruise missile strikes the alone in Syria, aides say United States is planning to carry out in Syria is to restore the smudged “red line” that President Barack Obama drew a year By Mark Landler, made clear that the eroding sup- to provide more information about WORL ago against the use of poison gas. David E. Sanger port would not deter Obama in the administration’s military plan- If carried out effectively, the strikes may also send a signal to and Thom Shanker deciding to go ahead with a strike. ning and seek congressional ap- N Iran that the White House is prepared to back up its words, no THE NEW YORK TIMES Pentagon officials said the Navy proval for any action. small consideration for an administration that has proclaimed had moved a fifth destroyer into the In a conference call with Re- that the use of military force remains an option if the Iranian WASHINGTON — President eastern Mediterranean Sea. Each publicans and Democrats, top of- leadership insists on fielding a nuclear weapon. Barack Obama is prepared to move ship carries dozens of Tomahawk ficials from the State Department, But the military strategy that the Obama administration is ahead with a limited military strike cruise missiles that would probably the Pentagon and the nation’s in- considering is not linked to its larger diplomatic strategy of per- on Syria, administration officials be the centerpiece of any attack on telligence agencies asserted that suading President Bashar Assad of Syria to yield power and join said Thursday, despite a stinging re- Syria. the evidence was clear that Assad’s ATIO in negotiations that would end the bloody civil war.