February 5, 2008
As spring semester begins and we return to the daily grind of life at MIT, take this opportunity to look back on the previous year. The Tech provides this special Year in Review issue to highlight some of the major news events of 2007 and share a selection of campus viewpoints. In these pages, you can also rediscover the best of the year’s movies and music and learn more about our community’s excellent student-athletes.
February 5, 2008
When MIT made national and local headlines in 2007, it was largely because of one of many controversies, scandals, and bizarre incidents that may have put a dent in MIT’s reputation. The year saw clashes with the administration and lawsuits, a professor on a hunger strike alleging racism had affected his tenure denial, an admissions dean resigning because she had lied on her resume many years ago, a sodium explosion in the Charles River with MIT widely considered the cause, a sophomore arrested for wearing a harmless LED device to Logan Airport, and a lawsuit filed against the Stata Center’s architect.
February 5, 2008
In the MIT administration’s eyes, eating together builds community, and dormitory dining halls and mandatory meal plans are the best way to get at the kind of community the Institute wants. This analysis explains why when Ashdown House is renovated into the W1 undergraduate dormitory, its kitchens will be replaced with a dining hall.
February 5, 2008
In 2007, MIT garnered attention in an unexpected light — through allegations of racism in its tenure process. An African American associate professor in the Biological Engineering Department charged that racism influenced his tenure denial, prompting his hunger strike, the resignation of an executive director, the withdrawal of an alumnus, and the initiation of an Institute-wide study on underrepresented minority issues.
More News
- Hacking Tradition Under Fire? (2/5/08)
- Marilee Jones Leaves Behind Complicated Legacy (2/5/08)
- As Laptop Begins Production, OLPC Faces Competition (2/5/08)
- Housing Sees Ashdown, Next House Changes in 2007 (2/5/08)
- Education Sees Course Changes, Classes for Freshman Experience (2/5/08)
- Recording Industry Sends Demand Letters (2/5/08)
- Changes at Peer Institutions Affect MIT Admissions As MIT Continues Its Early Action Program (2/5/08)
- Technology Upgrades Across the Institute (2/5/08)
- A Protracted Divestment from Sudan (2/5/08)
- Successful Year for Fraternity, Sorority Recruitment (2/5/08)
- New Deans, Administrators Appointed (2/5/08)
- MIT’s Changing Face (2/5/08)
- Tuition Rises Even as Endowment, Donations Balloon (2/5/08)
- In Memoriam (2/5/08)
- Timeline (2/5/08)
World and Nation
- World and Nation was not published this issue.
Opinion
- Editorial: The Year in Tech Editorials (2/5/08)
- Quiet Victories for Student Initiatives (2/5/08)
- Retaining MIT’s Uniqueness (2/5/08)
- New Admins Can’t Take Nerd Culture for Granted (2/5/08)
- MIT Students Go Global (2/5/08)
- Not Just Another Ivy League (2/5/08)
- The Great Copyright Crackdown (2/5/08)
- MIT’s Missile Defense Cover-Up (2/5/08)
- The Paradox of Institute Performance and Faculty Perceptions (2/5/08)
Sports
- Profiles in Dedication: Athletes at MIT (2/5/08)
- Pistol Wins Second National Title in Three Years (2/5/08)
- Women’s Volleyball Reaches NCAA Sweet 16 (2/5/08)
- Men’s Track and Field Races to Seventh Straight NEWMAC Title (2/5/08)
- Women’s Track and Field Claims Its First Ever NEWMAC Championship (2/5/08)
- Ruzevick Leads Men’s Cross Country Team to 10th Consecutive Title (2/5/08)
- Women’s Cross Country Finishes Seventh in New England Regional (2/5/08)
- Sailing Finishes Fall as No. 11 in U.S. (2/5/08)
- Men’s Lacrosse Loses in New England Semis (2/5/08)
- Women’s Tennis Earns Highest Ever National Ranking (2/5/08)
- Men’s Volleyball Takes NECVA New England Division Title (2/5/08)
- Moments You Shouldn’t (and Probably Can’t) Forget From 2007 (2/5/08)
- Team Capsules (2/5/08)
Campus Life