The unquestioned assumption of online education
Editor’s Note: This column originally ran in the March 5, 2013 issue of The Tech.
Remembering Bexley
Editor’s Note: This letter was originally written in May 2013, following the announcement of Bexley Hall’s closing due to structural problems.
Zoidberg says
Editor’s Note: This column originally ran in the Friday, Oct. 4, 2013 issue of The Tech, following the U.S. government shutdown on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
OPINION IN REVIEW
As scientists and engineers, MIT students constantly balance harsh realism with eternal optimism. On the one hand, we must be machines — poring over facts, figures, and data, determining what is infeasible, and eliminating it. On the other, we must maintain unwavering faith in the possibilities of discovery and the limitless potential of imagination. While we’re here, one of the most important lessons we learn is how to grapple with this duality — how to keep the faith despite setbacks. We learn to be resilient.
CORRECTIONS
Due to an editing error, The Naturalist’s Notebook column in the Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2013 issue neglected to specify the following in a quote: “ … Fiat Spider 850; you don’t often see those around anymore.”
Charm School — headed in the wrong direction?
People at MIT, like people anywhere, get together for a variety of reasons: to enjoy each other’s company, to work, to play, to serve the community. The concern that prompts my writing is that Charm School, first organized more than 20 years ago as an enjoyable, playful, service-oriented IAP activity, has, to its detriment, been transformed into an event focusing more than it needs to on job-seeking skills and other manners in the professional world. These include “dining etiquette and table conversation during business dinners” and “effective email in the business world.” Work is only one part of our lives where table manners and email messages are important.
Save our salon
Just over a week ago, a federal appeals court handed down a decision that may radically alter the relationship between Americans and the Internet. Since 2004, in an effort to uphold the ideal of net neutrality, the FCC has enforced non-discriminatory practices among Internet service providers (ISPs), forcing equal treatment of all traffic. However, with the court’s decision in Verizon v. Federal Communications Commission to gut net neutrality (at least temporarily), equality on the web is no longer legally guaranteed. Companies are now free to give preferential treatment to certain sites and thereby financially assert more control over the content their customers can access.
Taming the firehose
One of the reasons MIT is one of the best universities in the world is because it is hard. The workload is vast, the problems are difficult, the exams can feel impossible, grading is harsh, and it often feels like there just isn’t enough time in the day. But there is an often-overlooked reason the Institute is challenging — for most, the problem isn’t a lack of desire, ambition, or effort, but rather a lack of proper preparation.
CORRECTIONS
A guest column on CityDays in the April 20, 2012 issue gave the incorrect class year for Cory D. Hernandez. He is a member of the Class of 2014, not 2013.
A bipartisan solution to gun violence — better bullets
Set phasers to stun — technology like Star Trek’s phasers lies under the radar and behind red tape, but it has the potential to solve a problem that has afflicted America for decades: gun violence. Unfortunately, solutions to gun violence discussed in mainstream politics have only brought limited effectiveness and intense partisan gridlock. Fortunately, other solutions have tremendous potential, and they are politically feasible.
CORRECTIONS
An article on 2.009 presentations in the Dec. 10 issue mistakenly referred to the Silver Team as the White Team.
Protecting religious freedom at MIT
I am a chaplain at MIT, as a well as a rabbi working for Hillel. In case it is not already abundantly clear, I am Jewish.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
MIT is planning changes to the FSILG resident advisor (RA) program for the upcoming academic year. As leaders in the FSILG community, we are concerned about the process used to make these changes and the way they will affect our organizations.
CORRECTIONS
The arts events calendar in Tuesday’s issue misstated the time for the Chamber Music Society recital on Monday, Dec. 9. It is at 5 p.m., not 5:30 p.m. (There was also a 7 p.m. Chamber Music Society recital on the same day.)
CORRECTIONS
The Naturalist’s Notebook in Tuesday’s issue indicated that Charles Darwin promptly died from Chagas’ Disease, while his death is only speculated to have been caused by this disease.
Are we willing to be honest about ethics?
Nothing would excite me more than to see individuals, institutions, businesses, and governments placing more emphasis on ethics. I applaud MIT President Rafael Reif’s recent article in The Tech “Ethics education at the Institute” requesting that we enhance our ethical awareness. However, as beneficial as placing a higher emphasis on ethics might prove, we must also accept that a keener perception of ethics would place a much greater responsibility on the Institute. The consequence of a serious inquiry into ethics will be a heavy burden to bear.
CORRECTIONS
In last Tuesday’s issue, the interview with photographer Nora Vrublevska incorrectly stated that the print of the MIT boathouse was developed in a darkroom, when it was only printed in a darkroom. Also, the article stated images were inject printed, when they were inkjet printed. Vrublevska would also like to thank Jennifer Recklet Tassi, whose name was originally printed as Jennifer Recklet.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dear President Reif, Acting Provost Schmidt, and Vice President Zuber:
When the artist’s brush catches the censor’s eye
One of the defining characteristics of art is its ability to affect people in strikingly different ways. Some might find a painting inspirational; others might find it poignant; still others might find it offensive. As the Supreme Court explained in Cohen v. California, “one man’s vulgarity is another’s lyric.” This is particularly true when an artist attempts to push boundaries. A society dedicated to freedom of expression ought to welcome such work and the potential for thoughtful provocation that it offers. But when unorthodox art triggers controversy on the modern college campus, administrators often take dramatic measures to suppress it.
CORRECTIONS
The arts events calendar in Friday’s issue provided incorrect times for LSC’s Despicable Me 2. The showings were Friday and Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.