MlT's The Weather Olde and Large Today: Mostly sunny, 61°F (16° ) Tonight: Clear, cool, 50°F (10° ) ewspaper Tomorrow: Plea ant, 68°F (20° ) Details,P 2 Volume 118, umber 52 Friday, October 23, 1998 Fiji Members Fail to Appear Lab Fire Causes At Manslaughter Arraignment Limited Damage By Douglas E. Heimburger by the fraternity's default and how to appear in Suffolk County Superior EDITOR IN CHIEF the court will proceed. He asked Court to answer the indictments," By Douglas E. Heimburger Phi Gamma Delta failed to Weschler: "Have you also contem- said Phi Gamma Delta national EDITOR IN CHIEF appear at yesterday's scheduled plated what we will do with the spokesperson William A. Martin ill A solvent fire in a chemistry lab in Building 6 Wednesday closed arraignment of the fraternity in warrant?" in a statement. "The chapter is not in much of main campus for several hours. Suffolk Superior Court. operation." Martin declined to The fire began around 1:15 p.m. in Room 6-430 when a graduate o members of the group or ational withdraws legal support answer questions yesterday. student dropped a bottle containing about a liter of hexane about 10 attorneys representing the group Maria R. Durant, a lawyer affili- Prosecutors indicted Fiji last centimeters, according to W. Gerald Diaz, director of the safety attended the hearing before ated with the national fraternity that month on charges of manslaughter office. Magistrate William E. Walsh. appeared three weeks ago before and hazing related to the Sept. 1997 The laboratory is used by students of Professor of Chemistry Prosecutors immediately moved for Walsh, did not appear in court yes- death of Scott S. Krueger '01. Richard R. Schrock. Two students were in the lab at the time; no one a hearing on the fraternity's default, terday. Krueger allegedly died after tak- was hurt. which will be held Monday. Durant said on Oct. 1 that she ing part in an "Animal House" Hexane is a "standard, routine solvent" that is ' similar to gasoline A default hearing is typically used was seeking to represent the frater- pledge night activity at the fraterni- in flammability," said Rick L. Danheiser, professor of chemistry and when an individual fails to appear at nity in court. She did not return ty, according to prosecutors. chair of the department's safety committee. his arraignment,and generallyresults phone calls yesterday. When Fiji was indicted last in an arrest warrant being issued. A letter from another attorney at month, prosecutors announced no Fire, Page 19 Prosecutors would not say yes- Durant's firm, Dwyer and Collera, to individuals would have to stand trial terday what plans they have for the judge said the national fraternity in connection with Krueger's death. forcing the fraternity to appear, if had blocked them from representing As an unincorporated corpora- any. "We will make our intentions the fraternity. "Yesterday afternoon, tion, officers of Fiji are not required known on Monday," said Assistant I learned that the international frater- under law to provide representation. District Attorney Pamela Weschler, nity of Phi Gamma Delta will not If convicted of manslaughter who is prosecuting the case. authorize this firm to enter an and hazing, Fiji could face a fine of Default is a "formal recognition appearance on behalf of the local up to $4,000. Additionally, the from the court" of an individual's chapter," said attorney William H. Krueger family has suggested that it failure to appear, Weschler said. Kettlewell in a letter to Walsh. may eventually file civil lawsuits in Walsh said he was "perplexed" "Simply put, there is no chapter the case. Bacow Announces a Design Contest To Revamp Institute Ilousing Policy By Frank Dabek '72 presented the current state of ticipatory process" that would NEWS/iDITOR thinking on "how to design this "engage the entire community." tudents will be invited to par- planning process" to adjust the cur- Bacow stressed the importance of ticipate in a January design compe- rent housing system to the changes alumni participation in the process. tition on how freshman will choose caused by moving freshmen onto Participants in the proposed GREG KUHNEN-THE TECH their housing and participate in rush campus in 2001. design competition, the tool intend- Firefighters work to contain a fire Wednesday In Building 6 beginning in 2001. Bacow described the overriding ed to procure community input on which started when fumes from a dropped bottle of hexane At Wednesday's faculty meet- goals of the design by saying that Ignited. ing, Chancellor Lawrence S. Bacow his office hoped to produce a "par- Faculty, Page 21 MIT Alum PrOposes Referendum Calling For Reactor's Removal from Cambridge By Frank Dabek John A. Bernard, director of Reactor used for research NEWS EDITOR reactor operations at the nuclear Bernard and Gallop both Tucked amid questions on low- reactor lab, acknowledged safety stressed the role of the reactor as a ~. ering dividend tax rates and cam- concerns but said that the reactor research site. "Most of the work paign finance reform, Cambridge doesn't "really represent a hazard." [done at the reactor] is cancer thera- residents will be asked their opinion Bernard explained that the reactor py," Bernard said. Gallop pointed on moving MIT's nuclear reactor operates at "hot bathtub water" tem- to the reactor's role in research into out of Cambridge. peratures of about 11OaF(50°C) and brain cancer, and rheumatoid arthri- The question, which was pro- at nearly atmospheric pressures. The tis. posed by an MIT alumnus, David A. reactor also has only small amounts Hoicka counters these "emotion- Hoicka '77, and Ralph Lopez is of radioactive substances on hand. al arguments" made by researchers non-binding and asks voters if they "There is nothing to release," he who compare their research to "sav- are in favor of instructing their state said. ing babies" by arguing that representative to vote in favor of Hoicka said that he had a nuclear researchers could "just as appropri- legislation which would require the physicist not associated with the ately do that research in a rural reactor to "be removed immediately Institute evaluate the reactor's safe- area." He further speculated that out of Cambridge to a safer and less ty. Based on this analysis, he calls "the reactor looks to be fairly densely populated area." claims that the reactor is safe portable ... sectional" and might be Hoicka, who ran unsuccessfully "baloney." "put on a series of trucks and for the Democratic nomination for Sarah E. Gallop, co-director of moved" elsewhere. state representative, said that his the office of government and com- Gallop said that the public at main concern is for the safety of munity relations, said that the reac- large was probably unaware of the Cambridge residents. We're "not tor is "heavily regulated by the research done at the reactor and said trying to be Luddites ... we're not Nuclear Regulator Commission" that tours of the reactor are offered. against nuclear power," Hoicka said. and is in good standing. "We are trying to drum up interest," However, "people in Cambridge Gallop added that MIT works in the reactor. For that reason, are entitled to a fair and open debate with the Emergency Management Gallop said the question represented OMAR ROUSHDY over whether we want a nuclear Pascal-Delache Feldman performs classical pieces by Handel Department in Cambridge and has a positive for the Institute. and other composers on the double bass during the Chapel reactor in a densely populated area." developed a response system includ- Hoicka, as Gallop and Bernard Concert Thursday. Hoicka estimates that half a million ing an evacuation plan. Hoicka criti- confirmed, took such a tour. He said people live in close proximity to the cized the reactor for not having such reactor. a plan. Reactor, Page 16 Binge drinking has increased on Voting in the Undergraduate FALLBACK! campuses nationwide, but MIT's Association's poll on housing Daylight saving World & Nation 2 rate is still substantially below issues continues until Sunday at time ends Sunday Opinion .4 at 2 a.m. Don't Arts 7 average. midnight. To vote, access forget to set your http://ua.mit.edu. clocks back one On The Town 9 Page 16 hour. Sports 24 Page 2 e ear A national panel of scientist has recommended immediate and e c substantial reductions in ocean fishing to rebuild marine eco y t m their first intensive one-on-one bar- pointing to a po itive conclusion," throughout the world that are so severely depleted they are in danger gaining of the summit, conferring in said one participant in the summit's of collapsing. • MD. a vaulted dining room throughout many-sided diplomacy. "This is The volume of fish being caught has reached or exceeded the With President Clinton pressing the day. According to accounts from intended to put pressure on Arafat. maximum amount that can be sustained by the world' oceans, the publicly and privately to close a aides and confidants, the two men He wiU have to say no, and he wiU scientists reported. About 8 million metric tons of fish and other deal Thursday, Israeli and found compromise language on the become the culprit." seafood are caught each year in marine waters worldwide, worth Palestinian leaders were by all Palestinian ational Covenant, the tate Department spokesman about 3.5 biUion a year in the United tates alone. accounts very close to an accord arrest of uspects wanted by Israel James P. Rubin, the only authorized ome species have declined so seriously, e pecially along the near the end of the eighth day of a and the release of Palestinian pris- spokesman for any party at the sum- East Coast of orth America, that once-thriving commercial fisheries Middle East peace summit.