MIT's The Weather Oldest and Largest Today: Sunny. brcay. 6XOF (2ooC) Tonight: Clear. cool. 54°F (12°(') ~. Newspaper Tomorrow: Sunny, 7()OF (21°C) Details, Page 2 Volume 119, Number 4~6 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 Friday, October 1, 1999 .' Teams Face Funding Cutbacks By Dav~ Bailey letics are not a high enough priority varsity." to receive the proper funding to sup- When athletes showed up for The Athletics Department elimi- port its 4\ varsity sports. Apparently practice in late August. Alessi said. nated all junior varsity sports teams the choice is to reduce sports and he had to inform them there was no this academic year in an attempt to spend the budget on those teams or program for those who did not make keep expenditures under budget keep what you've had and do the the varsity team. while complying with NCAA Title best you can with inadequate fund- IX gender equity regulations, ing," said Men's Soccer Coach Athletics director blames Title IX according to Director of Athletics Walter Alessi who had to cut the While many attribute the cuts Richard A. Hill. men's soccer sub-varsity program solely to budgetary constraints - the In addition, caps have recently this year. Athletic Department budget has flat- been placed on how many athletes "I was surprised, upset and dis- lined since \987 - Hill also attrib- can~ompete for each varsity team. appointed. I had informed all uted the cuts to MIT"s JV programs "This is a very sens iti ve issue incoming soccer freshmen that a attempts to comply with Title IX, that goes right to the top of MIT. sub-varsity program would be avail- The ~ottom line is that varsity ath- able to them if they did not make Cutbacks, Page 23 Domecoming Kicks Off with Rally By Efren Gutierrez the ball. The Amherst Alley Rally will incorporate a short pep rally, spon- Domecoming, MIT's own ver- Events to promote campus unity sored by the Varsity Club, during sion of a traditional homecoming "All these events are to bring all which representatives from most weekend, begins today. This will be of campus together for this week- varsity teams will speak out about the first large-scale homecoming end," said Nicole Balli '00, a their seasons. celebration MIT has held since the Dormitory Councillepresentative. "This is a really good way for early 1980s. Homecoming Organizer Puja the MIT teams to be recognized for ,j. ) MIT's football team will face off Gupta '00 said, "Basically, we want all their hard work and effort" against Curry College in the home- students to have a good time and get Gupta said. coming game, Saturday at noon. that MIT high." After the rallies, the Other events include Amherst Events for Friday will begin 'with Domecoming committee will hold Alley Rally, an outdoor movie, a a rally in Amherst Alley. Amherst an outdoor showing of "Dazed and J.SU tailgate barbecue, and the Dome- Alley will be closed off to all com- Confused," starring Ben Affleck, Paola Nasser '01 runs the. ball ahead of a Babson College play- coming Ball following the game. muter traffic. Matthew McConahey, and Neve er. Mil lost the match against the defending conference cham- •All events will re.quire a college Edable Grays, a local Boston cir- Campbell. pion 3-1. MIT's goalkeeper made six saves and Babson's made ID for entrance. Only MIT stu- cuit band, will perform. JAM'N If it should rain Friday, the alley three. See story p~e 33. dents will be able to.get the free 94.5 FM and ,the Domecoming, rally will be canceled but the out- . ,. food that wi II be served at the, Committee will hold free prize give- .. ' - illky/pep niiI», the barpecue, and ., :,!)V~y~_at~herally .. _ . Domecomlng, Page 21 .Pamphlet CouncilCiuulitlatitCampaigns on Affordable Ho~ing .' ~ , , By Frank Dabek Cambridge. He pointed out that If students want a "fun, interest- found between the safety concerns EDITOR IN CHIEF Harvard's in. lieu of tax agreement ing, affordable place to be part of in of students and those of other resi- Off~rsDmg James Williamson is running for expires soon and called for a "major Central Square" with clubs, arts, dents, he said - "some. people rob '.,",,' Cambridge City Council on a pro- honest, fair, sensible debate about dance, and theater, they "want to you with a six-shooter, some with a gressive platform dedicated to what the responsibilities of the uni- support someone like me," he said. fountain pen." UseAdvice a ff 0 r dab I e versities to Caml?.ridge ought to be." The fight for the area is at a "crucial Williamson also acknowledged housing and The approximately $1.4 million moment." the need for late night transport. He By Anna K. Benefiel Election maintaining paid by the property tax exempt Williamson's safety proposals proposed a system of "dollar cabs" STAFF REPORTER the character MIT and Harvard to the city is include improving pedestrian safety which would run along Mass. Ave. Over the past two weeks, 2,250 of Cambridge, "chump change," he said. on Memorial Drive in addition to from the river to Harvard Square for copies of a pamphlet entitled, '99 especially the While Williamson applauded safety for students throughout the flat rate of a dollar per rider after "Drugs At MIT, A Practical Guide Central Square area. MIT's commitment to provide more Cambridge. There is a balance to be hours. for the Intoxicated Engineer" have Williamson has a number of con- housing for students he called on the been distributed on campus. nections to the MIT community. He Institute to "make some commitment The pamphlet, which includes stressed his involvement in efforts to to [housing] staff' and faculty to fur- information and advice relating. to aid Lori Berenson, a former MIT ther reduce pressures on Cambridge's eleven drugs, appeared on The Tech student who is currently serving a housing market. MIT should "miti- news stands and in the Student life sentence in Peru. Berenson was gate its effect on the community they Center coffeehouse. convicted of terrorism charges by a are an extremely important part 0[," "Published anonymously for military tribunal but has always . Of the planned Stata Center, protection of the authors," the pam- maintained her innocence. Williamson said, "If MIT can afford .)A' •• phlet says .that it "accept[s] the fact Williamson worked with Martin zillions of dollars to build a building that you will use, or might be con- Diskin, a professor of Anthropolgy by the world's most prestigious sidering using, drugs." at MIT who passed away in 1997 architect" they can "do better in pro- and who tallght Berenson, and viding housing for staf[''' Pamphlet motivated by death Professor of Political Science Williamson is an advocate of An author Qf DAMIT, who Jo'shua Cohen to organize visits of rent control but focuses his attention wished to remain anonymous, said Berenson's parents to the Institute on extending the group of people , 4'" • that he published the pamphlet in an and to form a base of support at eligible for public assistance with effort to increase the safety of stu- MIT for Berenson .. housing. The city should "address dents who chose to use recreational As a councilor he could more low-moderate to moderate income drugs and were not being educated effectively "lead and organize, a people" who are currerUly ineligible by the Institute .. national effort to finally get Lori out for assistance and consequently not "MIT seems to be: dealing with of prison in Peru" and hopes ~ble to live in Cambridge. its own politics 'and less with its invite MIT President Charles M. own students," he said. DAMIT is Vest tq be part of a contingent to Other issues important to students an effort to "try to help out the stu- visit Peru on behalf of Berenson. Williamson has been a part of dents." The pamphlet hopes to be a the "save Central'Square" move- source of reliable information Improving City/Institute relations ment which is fighting new develop- OMAR ROUSHDY-THE TECH Williamson also acknowledged ment in the. area. The group has "instead of allowing people to rely James Williamson the "tremendous impacts" that MIT delayed the construction of a Gap DAMIT, Page 20 and Harvard University have on store through court action, he said. Straight from the medical Comics James D, Watson, co-discoverer World & Nation , 2 experts, The Techoffers a guide of DNA, speaks at Harvard to cel- Opinion 4 .to safer sex@mit. ebrate the Ce'nter for Genomics Arts 6 Research. On The Town 10 ,...: Sports 36 Page 20 Page 12 Page 16 II _____ ._._ •.... w ... ..,., ~ ~ -- _ ~ __ ._.--.....,... _ ... Page 2 THE TECH October I, 1999 1 WORLD & NATION Palestinians Harbor Uranium Processing Plant Hope for Gaza Port LOS A,vGELE\' THIES GAlA CITY Leaks Radiation in Japan ' .. Along the beach south of here, where,donkeys pull carts through By Kathryn Tolbert ment's Science and Technology the uranium reached the critical thick beige sand and fishermen cast nets into the Mediterranean, THE WASHINGTON POST Agency. point," said Makoto Ujihara, head TOKYO Palestinians are staking a major portion of their future. In addition to .the three hospital- of the company's Tokyo office. He Soon, at a spot six miles south of Gaza City, construction is due A leak at a uranium processing ized workers, II other plant said the workers told others "they -:. to begin on a S70 million harbor that backers hope will breathe life plant about 75 miles northeast of employees and five local residents saw blue flame ri~ing from the fuel" into a moribund Palestinian economy while also marking another sig- Tokyo spread radiation Thursday were being treated for exposure to and complained of nausea.