The Student Newspaper of Worcester Polytechnic Institute i
I n T h i s I s s u e ...
EHJI
Christmas Concert..........5 16 Police L o g ..................
Volume Twenty-five, Number Twenty-four
Tuesday, December 9, 1997
Back by Popular Demand: They Might Be Giants by Sarah Walkowiak Assistant News Editor After millions o f years o f waiting, well okay, four. They M ight Be G iants are re turning to perform at W PI on De cember 13 in Harrrington Gym (not Alden) at 8:00 pm. They M ight Be Giants last performed at WPI in 1993. Although they have become better known over the last few years, the band still has a cult following o f fans, ranging from occasional lis teners to obsessive fanatics. Their following at W PI is es- ^ pecially strong. For those who are unfam iliar with their music, They Might Be G iants are not your average band. They are silly, sarcastic, cynical, and even occasionally sad all at the same time. Most o f their earlier music was cre ated with computers and synthesizers, al though they have recorded their last two albums John Henry and Factory Showroom
with a full band. They have experimented with a variety o f musical styles, but most of their music sounds upbeat and brassy. The music and lyrics of They Might Be Giants have a lot o f character, as do the band members themselves. John Flansburgh and
John Linnell, the founding members, are in famous for their anti-promotional tactics. This is seen in the cover art to John Henry, which features a gathering of children carrying ban ners which read “We Hate They Might Be G iants” . This tendency also shows up in
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Future leaders of the world? Students attend model UN conference by George Stuart Class o f ‘01 “ 1200 people, 700 beds, 1 goal — world peace.” And so begun the three day confer ence that is UPMUNC (University of Penn sylvania Model United Nations Conference). A conglom erate o f students from various universities gathered to debate issues rang ing from environm ental protection to inter national terrorism — and yes, WPI sent a team. The CIA (Council o f International Affairs)
is the local student organization which pre pares student delegates to attend two an nual co n fere n ce s. One o f w hich being UPMUNC and the other being HNMUN (Har vard National Model United Nations). For more detailed information, the CIA web site, which is currently being designed and up dated, can be reached at http://www.wpi.edu/ ~cia. For UPMUNC, WPI teamed up with del egates from Amherst College to represent the nation of Chile. The team was a mix o f expe rienced and inexperienced students, each at
tempting to contribute in their own way to the conference as a whole. Having participated in 3 high school MUN (Model United Nations) conferences before attending WPI, freshman George Stuart felt that the conference was in many ways bet ter. “Despite the fact that we did not take resolutions with us to merge and debate, the whole concept o f ‘caucusing’ was something new and interesting,” said Mr. Stuart. “Over all, I was really quite impressed with the con ference.” These com m ents were com ple mented by the head delegate’s opinion, Ben
WPI students staff fire station in Auburn by Mike Golden West Station Recruiting Coordinator In this age o f shrinking municipal budgets, many towns and cities are forced to provide fire protection with a minimal number of per sonnel. This often leads to dangerously low levels o f service. In extrem e cases, whole fire stations are closed due to lack of money or personnel. The nearby town o f Auburn has come up with an innovative solution to this problem.
In the late 80’s, the Auburn Fire Department was forced to close the West Street Fire Sta tion due to a lack o f available personnel. In 1993, however, that same fire station was re opened. The station was renovated to pro vide living space for up to twelve members in single and double dormitory style rooms. The personnel are all WPI students who pro vide their service as firefighters to the town in exchange for rent free housing. Residents o f the station provide staffing for two pump ers responding to fires and other emergen-
Tab le of C o n ten ts Person on the Street.............................. 2 Sports..................................................... 3 Arts & Entertainment........................ 5,6 Commentary..................................... 7,11 Letters to the Editor.............................. 8 West Street House..................................8 — --------------------- — --------- — — -------------------” --------
International House............................. 9 Club Corner........................................ 12 Announcements........................10,11,13 Classifieds........................................... IS Comics............................................ 14,15 Police Ijog ........................................... 16 — ------------------------------------------------------------- --------
cies, often being the first personnel to arrive at the incident. Program participants also have the opportunity to assist with review ing building plans and fire inspections of new and existing buildings in the town. Auburn is a town of about 15,500 residents bordering W orcester. T h e several b u si nesses in town cause the daytim e popula tion to increase to nearly 60,000. In addition to fires, the departm ent often responds to traffic accidents on the M assachusetts Turn pike and Interstates 290 and 395. While the program is not formally affiliated with WPI, all personnel are W PI students. Any student with Firefighter I certification and at least one year of fire department experience is encouraged to apply for available openings. For more information call M ike at 832-7591 or email hoser@wpi.edu. You can also visit our website at www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/ Fire/Wafd/wafdtite. html.
Fischer, that “The UPMUNC conferences has been one o f the high points in my time here at W PI.” By now you probably are wondering what on earth “caucusing” is and what exactly is involved with a “MUN Conference.” W ith out going into too much detail, an MUN Con ference is a near exact replica o f the United N ation. A conference consists o f several comm ittees, each of which usually debates 2 to 3 resolutions under a general “committee category” (general category exam ples in clude legal, financial, and environmental). UPMUNC also hosted an Ad Hoc committee which was a model for the A m erica’s NSC (N ational Security Council o f the United States). The UPM UNC delegates from WPI were Ben Fischer on the Ad Hoc NSC, George Stuart on the Legal committee, Kirk Johnson on the SCRUN (Special Committee on Re structuring the U nited N ations), M elissa Kachura on the WHO (W'orld Health Organi zation), and N izar Dahbar on the CST (Com m ission on Science & Technology ). The 4 day UPM UNC conference started on Thursday, Nov. 20th and proceeded until Sunday the 23rd. The conference went smoothly and the delegate fest (the celebra tion held the night before closing ceremo nies) was a blast. If you are interested in international affairs or would like to know m ore information about the CIA and MUN, p le a s e g o to the w eb site at h ttp :// www.wpi.edu/~ciaoremail the CIA President Alfred Andrade at aandrade@wpi.edu or Ben Fischer, the “mentor” (as he likes to be called), at nitro@ w pi.edu.
T u e sd a y , D ecember 9 ,1 9 9 7
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Person on the Street
Person on the Street
Person on the Street
Person on the Street by Vanessa Melanson Photos by Jennifer Cooper
What is your favorite holiday dish? My favorite Christmas food is fudge. I make about seven different kinds every year, and it’s yummy.
Bill Osmer
My aunt always makes this good sau sage quishe for Christmas
Christmas tree cookies.
Joel Thibault
Daniel Lopes
Patrick Hanna
My mommy’s pumpkin pie because it’s good. I like the nutmeg in it. She makes it from scratch.
Brian Faull
My favorite holiday meal is the mashed potatoes and turkey that my mom makes.
Every year my great aunt makes this awe some raisin bread. It's homemade and this great Polish recipe.
Ho ho ho.. The Mrs. always makes this wonderful stuffed goose with potatoes and all the fixings! Santa Claus
Johanna Tenczar
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LSAT GRE GMAT MCAT C o u rses at W P I start soon! P R IN C E T O N
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R E V IE W
(617) 558-2828
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Spo r ts
Weekly sports update: Results from November 21st to December 4th by Geoff Hassard Sports Information Director Women’s Basketball (1-3) The w om en’s basketball team opened their 1997-98 season by hosting the an nual W orcester City Tip O ff Tournam ent. They ended up in third place after losing to W orcester State in the opening round and then beating Nichols in the consola tion game. In the W orcester State gam e the L anc ers raced out to a 40-25 halftim e lead on the strength o f a 22-6 run during the first ten m inutes o f the game. In the second h a lf W PI could only get as close as 11 points as W orcester State won the gam e 85-62. Sophom ore guard Kate Burgess (N ewport, ME) led the Engineers with 19 p o in ts a n d fre s h m a n B eth G ilb e r t (K illingly, CT) added 12 points and 6 as sists in her first collegiate game. T he next night W PI was looking to ev en up th e ir reco rd as th ey p la y e d N ichols C ollege. The E ngineers opened up a tight ball game with a 7-0 run m id way through the second half and w ent on to win 90-74. Burgess (19 points) had a n o th e r so lid sh o o tin g n ight to p ace W PI. S e n io r forw ard A n d rea K odys (Tem pleton, M A) had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Fresh man Lynn M ichalenka (Lincoln, RI) cam e o ff the bench to score 16 points in the win. The wom en got back into action last Tuesday night as they hosted B ridgew a ter State C ollege. The E ngineers ended up d ro p p in g a tough 7 1 -6 6 o v e rtim e gam e. T he gam e was close throughout as W PI closed out the first h a lf with a 12-1 run to take a 26-25 lead into the lockerroom . The second h a lf was the sam e as neither team could pull aw ay from the other. The Engineers trailed 5753 with 1:14 rem aining in regulation b e fore M ichalenka cut the lead to two after
m aking two big free throw s. G ilbert would tie the gam e after m aking a steal and d riving to the hoop w hile getting fouled. She w ould miss the free throw and the Bears would have one last shot and m iss to send the gam e into overtim e. In the extra session the B ears would put together a 12-2 run to put the game away. M ichalenka would lead four Engineers in double figures w ith 16 points. Burgess had 12, K odys had 11 and G ilbert had 10. Last T hursday the squad traveled to W estfield State. The Owls shot 53 per cent from the field in beating the Engi neers 77-44. M ichalenka had another strong gam e o ff the bench scoring 12 p oints. Kim M ix (Fort Edw ard, NY) chipped in 8 points and 7 rebounds.
Men’s Basketball (1-2) T h e m e n ’s b a sk e tb a ll team opened their season on the road w ith a win over N ichols C ollege and conference losses to M IT and Babson. In the o p en er versus N ichols ju n io r John Lehane (M arlboro, M A) led WPI with 24 points. Sophom ore Tim Briggs (R utland, MA) cam e o ff the bench to add 17 points and five steals. B rigg’s class mates Ryan Fournier (Charlton City, MA) and G reg g B u rn e tt (P h ilip sto n , M A) added 12 points each in the 85-69 vic tory. D uring thanksgiving break the squad traveled to M IT for their CAC opener. They cam e up on the short end o f a 7467 score as they only shot 46 percent from the free throw line which proved to be the difference. Fournier cam e o ff the bench to lead W PI with 16 points while Lehane added 15 and Burnett scored 13. W PI opened their home schedule ver sus Babson last T hursday. The E ngi neers led by as many as 11 points in the first half as they took a 40-36 lead into the lockerroom . At the start o f the sec ond h alf W PI increased their lead to nine points early as Fournier exploded for 12
o f his 21 points during the first 3:30. O ver the next th ree m inutes the tw o team s would exchange baskets w ith the Engineers leading 58-50 with 14 m inutes left. The visitors began to surge and cut the lead to one point at the 9:24 mark and then took the lead two m inutes later an d n e v e r tr a ile d a g a in . B a b so n outscored WPI 21 -8 over the last 7 :45 to win 88-74. Fournier led four players in double fig ures with 21 points. B riggs added 16 points, Lehane scored 14 and B urnett chipped in with 11 points.
Women’s Swimming (0-3) The wom en’s swim team dropped a 69177 meet to W estern New England C ol lege prior to thanksgiving. Senior Patty Linden (H ighland, IN) was W PI’s only first place finisher after w inning the 500yard freestyle.
Men’s Swimming (1-2) The m en’s sw im team got in the win colum n with a 143-78 win over W estern N ew E n g la n d . J a m ie M u rd o c k (W oodinville, WA) was a m ultiple event w in n e r tak in g f irs t in th e 2 0 0 -y a rd freestyle and 200-yard backstroke. Adam Terio (Reston, VA) also won two events w ith a first place in the 100-yard b u tter fly and the 5 0 -y ard b u tterfly . Jaso n W alonoski (W in sted , C T ) w as W P I’s o ther m ultiple w inner when he won both the 50-yard and 200-yard b re astro k e . R.K. M arsland (S. A ttleboro, M A) and N athan C am poli (B edford, M A ) each
won a single event. M arsland won the 50-yard backstroke and Cam poli won the 5 0 0 -y a rd fre e sty le . T he fo u rso m e o f M urdock, W alonoski, T e rio and John L am bie (C onroe, TX) won the 400-yard m edley relay. M urdock’s perform ance in the 200 back qualified him for the New E ngland’s as d id T e r io ’s tim e in th e 5 0 fly a n d W a lo n o s k i’s tim e in th e 50 b re a s t. W alonoski also broke his school record in the event that he set the w eek prior.
Wrestling (1-0) The w restling team participated in the Doug Parker Invitational at Springfield on the 22nd. W PI finished tied for 8th w ith 38.5 points. Aaron B ecker (C oven try, RI) placed fourth at 134 lbs. w hile Joe T ucker (B arre, VT) finished third at 150 lbs. T he E ngineers opened their dual-m eet season on the road against B ridgew ater State last W ednesday night. WPI won seven o f the ten weight classes enroute to the 28-15 win. Freshman Nick M acsata (E nfield, CT) got things started with an 8-2 win at 118 lbs. Rob Polin (Randolph, M A) follow ed w ith a 25-12 win at 126 lbs. Karl L ackner (B abylon, NY) pinned his opponent at 142 lbs. M att M cC arthy (M alden, M A) took an 11-5 victory at 150 lbs. Joe T ucker (Barre, VT) won 7-4 at 158 lbs. Lance Baden (Fram ingham , M A) won by fall at 177 lbs. Craig Howitt (W indham , M E) closed the match out w ith a 3-2 win in the heavyw eight class.
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A r t s & En t e r t a i n m e n t
The annual WPI/Wells Christmas concert by Jeffrey Alderson Glee Club Public Relations Traditions are an im portant part o f stu dent life at W PI. Some traditions involve the rigors o f study, like the projects pro gram. O thers involve the com m raderie of friends and colleagues in a social envi ronm ent - aw ay from classes and daily routines. One tradition that encom passes the essence o f com m raderie, study, dedi cation and spirit is the tradition o f music at WPI. A highlight of this musical tradition is the annual WPI/Wells Holiday Concert. For years now, nearly 50 women from Wells Col lege in Aurora, New York travel across the expanse of New York state - driving for six or
more hours - in order to participate in the annual holiday concert. The men o f the WPI Glee Club rehearse for weeks in order to hone their musical skills. Both groups look for ward to the concert with much anticipation, not only to experience the spirituality asso ciated with creating music during the holi day season, but to socialize with both new and old friends. The friendships made as a result of these concerts are long lasting and strengthened by the quality the music cre ated by both groups. N ot only the W ells College C hoir and the WPI Glee Club look forw ard to this annual m usical celebration. It is the au dience which sits in Alden Memorial Hall that most anticipate the com ing o f these tw o groups during the holiday season.
SHM Coffeehouse with Five O'Clock Shadow a success by Chris Stank Circulation Manager On November 21 st there was a WPI Cof feehouse show featuring Five O ’Clock Shadow, which is an all male acappella group. WPI’s own Simple Harmonic Motion opened up for them. SHM opened up with “Good Old A Cappella” which featured the soloist Jonathan Reynolds. They had sung a total of seven songs. A couple of them were “What a Wonderful World!” (Featuring so loist, Jurg Zwahlen), and "Kiss The Girl” (Featuring soloist, Je ff Alderson). They had closed out with a solo by Jonathan Reynolds, “Naturally”. SHM had many amusing skits in between each song, and many even inter action with the crowd. After a brief intermission the Business
M anager of SHM, Jonathan LeBlanc an nounced that the total funds raised were $654 from this benefit show. The money raised from the show would be going to the Mustard Seed, a local shelter for the homeless, along with $ 1800 from a servant auction held the previous night. Five O ’Clock Shadow opened up with “So Much To Say” by Dave Matthews Band. They also sang compilations from Grateful Dead. The group was well gifted with vocal per cussion. The night closed off with a stand ing ovation for Five O ’Clock Shadow. On a closing note there was one person that stood out o f SHM , and that was Chris Hamel with his five-foot power tie. If you want to learn more about the group Five O ’Clock Shadow you can visit there web site http://www.focs.com.
SUM M ER 1998 RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES MIT HAYSTACK OBSERVATORY Undergraduate science, mathematics and engineering students are invited to apply for summer research positions at the MIT Haystack Observatory in Westford, MA. Research projects include radio astronomical studies, atmospheric physics investigations, and hardware and software development fo r data acquisition, processing, and recording systems. The positions are nominally three months in duration {June-August) and carry a stipend of $1300-$1500/month depending on academic level and experience. Women, minorities and students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For further information and application materials, write to:
Director/REU Program MIT Haystack Observatory Off Route 40 Tel: (978) 692-4764 Fax: (781) 981-0590 Email: judy@newton.haystack.edu
Application deadline is February 9, 1998. M IT i s a n a f f i r m a t i v e a c t i o n / e q u a l o p p o r t u n i t y e m p l o y e r .
E ach year, A lden is packed w ith friends o f the music program s o f W PI and Wells. Som e o f these people com e back year a fte r year to enjoy the rich sounds o f these spirited collegiate groups. It is this g ift o f song to the audience that these m usicians value m ost at this concert. This year, the W ells C ollege C hoir and the WPI Glee C lub are jo in e d by other m em bers o f W PI’s M usic A ssociation. T hese participants include Alden Voices, the WPI Chamber Choir, Simple Harmonic M otion and Interstate 8. The rich m usi
cal diversity of these groups will add to the overall excitem ent and excellence o f the d a y ’s concert. Each group will add its ow n special holiday style to the cel ebration o f song, and all o f the groups will perform together in a exaltation o f the holiday season. T he W PI/W ells H oliday C oncert will be held in Alden M em orial Hall on De cem ber 14th at 3:30 p.m. The concert adm ission is free. We hope to see new and old friends o f our holiday m usic at this upcom ing special event.
Exhibits at the Gordon Library Courtesy o f Gordon Library
gallery of the Gordon Library from December 10,1997 until January 31,1998. For more in formation regarding library hours or inquires please call, 831-5410.
This month the Gordon Library will be host ing an exhibit by the artist Barbara RubinKaiz, Sculpture: “Going to the Wall", in the third floor gallery. The exhibit will include an unusually diverse range of sculptural wall as semblages and installations. The works developed from the artist’s fascination with the sculptural po tential of combining “ found o b jects”, interesting and diverse ma terials, acrylics and mixed media. The result is a unique presentation o f form, color and texture explor ing the potential of three dimen sionality on the wall. Sculptural assemblages repre sent a new direction for Barbara Rubin-Katz who is one o f New England’s foremost exponents of figurative sculpture in the “Impressionist-Realism” style. Her figura tive works, which emphasize the m any facets o f fem ininity are evocative o f the im pressionist school with a modem, uplifting aspect. They have been widely shown in galleries and juried art exhibits throughout New England. PHOTO BY KRISTEN COVO/tOURTESY OF GORDON MBRAKY Sculpture: “Going to the Wall”, will be displayed in the third floor Sculpture: "Going to the Wall"
Music to brighten the holidays by Brian Whitman Newspeak Staff Oh, it must be the holidays. That jolly layer o f ice is forming on my apartment’s front steps and the snow has figured out that it can’t stay white too long in Worcester’s at mosphere. Fortunately, I’ve got a door that locks, some imported te a and a five disk CD changer. What more could I ask for around this gift-giving madness than more music? If you’re still looking for the perfect gift for that hipster friend o f yours who already has Kovaanisqatsi and Lost Highway on home video, look no further than these recommen dations o f recent music. (Of course, buying things for yourself is still OK, makes for good capitalism.) American Analog Set - “From Our Living Room to Yours” (Emperor Jones / Trance) Need to relax? Too happy? This’11 fix things.
A wonderful mood groove album with barely audible lyrics (the best kind, when you’re dealing with such bad ones as these) and long repetitive instrumental passages. Lots o f vibrato-drenched organ and reverby gui tar. Perfect for getting stuck in traffic or sky diving. Miles Davis - “The Black Beauty - Live at the Fillmore West” (Columbia) - Part of a bunch of double CDs re-released after only being available in Japan, “Black Beauty” is the most electric and noisy o f them all, and it is great to finally have some o f Davis’s ge nius in this area finally on record. Features Chick Corea in a decidedly non-Chick Corea role. The sound’s not the best, but you get ultra-deluxe packaging and an insight into jazz’s finer moments. Eric Matthews - “The Lateness of the Hour” (Sub Pop) - Pop master Matthews gets
See Music, pg 7
A rts
T uesday , D ecember 9, 1997
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& E n t e r t a in m e n t
Alien Resurrection: Better off dead by Yu-Ping Toh & David Bunten Not all resurrections are good. The res urrection o f the Alien series o f movies with the latest, Alien Resurrection, has killed our perception o f the Alien series. The original cull classic was great to watch be cause it was full o f suspense and it helped open up the science fiction movie genre. Aliens (the second in the series) proved to be a sequel worthy of the Alien name be cause the producers had introduced new technology and characters, such as the cool tank with the moving turret. Bishop who saves R ipley’s life in the end, and the queen alien w hose size and pow er sur prised us all. W ith Alien 3, yet again, the producers and the special effects wizards had worked together to make another out standing movie by keeping much o f the alien hidden from view, leaving plenty to the im agination o f the viewers. Alien Res urrection, you feel like they just had to give you your m oney’s worth by showing you to o m u ch o f th e a lie n s. T h o u g h the anim atronics and special effects were eyeopening, the whole movie lacked a plot. T he final scene alm ost m ade us laugh. You’ll understand what we m ean if you decide to waste $7.25 on the movie. We find ourselves launched forward 200 years after R ipley’s death and com e face to face with the 8th attempt at cloning the legendary Lt. Ripley on board a science research vessel on the outer rim o f the so
Fri9~Sat8&10:30
lar system. Once again, military intelligence shines through with m ilitary strategists (who after 3 m ovies still haven’t learned) trying to milk the aliens for their military potential. Ripley 8 was cloned from blood samples found at the site of her death. Re member that she was already carrying an alien embryo at that point and her blood thus contained alien DNA. Ripley 8 pos sesses the stren g th and instincts o f an alien and surprises us with her basketball abilities and acidic blood. It turns out that her acidic blood actually saves the world. Yes, we all guessed it, the experiments go wrong and the aliens run amuck, killing all but the ones whose names appear in the opening credits. While we were sort of glad to see her killed, we were surprised to find out that W inona Ryder's character was actually an android. All Ryder did for the movie was lend her name to the credits, just as Drew Barrymore did for Scream. This was one role that Ryder should have turned down for it did not allow her to display her true talent as an actress. So essentially what you are left with is a movie with scary aliens, a band o f smug glers / hijackers, 7 stupid scientists, a bet ter looking version o f Bishop, an abom ina tion of Ripley, and a lousy plot (if that’s what you want to call it) who do the same thing that they have done in all the Alien movies. Run, shoot and die. Ratings on the PD Scale: (0.0-5.0) Plot 2.0 Effects/Cinematography 4.0 Overall 2.5
800-401-2221
Holiday music: Artists abound Continued from page 5 m usicians than these. Dark, brooding lyr ics about hopelessness and faith, four m inute song intros, songs that could eas ily have been four different songs - we get it all. Spanish Fly - “Fly By Night” (Accurate) - T h e K n ittin g F a c to ry in N Y C has spaw ned tons of forw ard thinking jazz acts ju st by association, but the most accessible and fun is easily Span ish Fly, a trio o f stellar musicians on slide guitar, trom bone, and tuba. T h ese songs w ere p e r formed as a ballet in California a story involving the people seen outside the b a n d ’s stu dio - so everything flow s into th e n e x t, w ith r e p e a tin g them es holding it all down. Sugarplastic - “ B ang, the Earth is Round” (DG C) - Sadly the most underappreciated album in recent history. W hat space is there in this world for a trio that m akes perfectly happy bouncy pop m usic? Nary a distortion pedal nor selfdeprecating lyric is to be found (except the “I tried to charm her / but all my wit couldn’t barely spark her candlesticks” in the de lightfully swinging “Polly Brown” ) - and every song is a com pact trebly trip into a world where everything is much simpler. And you’ll have to sing along. So keep in mind the friends on your list who find contentment in music, they’re the easiest to please. Happy holidays!
a whole orchestra in his studio and pretends he’s making a “M agical Mystery Tour” except he alm ost does better than that. Nothing is as gratifying as hearing an ac complished classical musician stray over into the even more intellectual world o f good pop (a very underappreciated strata). Matthews (no relation to Dave, not sur prisingly) is in control o f the whole process from the first note; a won derful voice and beautiful orchestra tion propel some o f the best songs written in a long time. S q u a r e p u s h e r - “ Big Loada EP” (Warp) - Q uick, it's still alright to like drum s n’ bass! I d o n ’t think M atchbox 20 has released their ‘Dark R em ixes’ album yet. S quarepusher flies high above all other electronic artists by m anaging to run the balance betw een c h a o tic n o ise and an ac tu a l melody. M ost songs are grounded to a nice analog synth lead while all that funky stuttering drum sam ples and filters g a lore go on underneath. Squarepusher also gets the seal o f credibility for being a sm ashing bassist as well as m anning the Akai. Built to Spill - “Perfect From Now On” (Warner Brothers) - Doug M artsch finally gets his due and his m ajor-label w ings. T h is album w as su p p o sed ly re co rd ed three different tim es, and it would be hard to find a tig h ter (but frustrated) group o f
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Downtown Wore Opposite Courthouse & Police Station
12/19-20
12/12-13 Comedy Gunslinger
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CELEBRATE The Slow White Bronco NEW YEAR S EVE With LAUGHTER W lf c A I f U
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18+ CLUB ADMISSION ALL SHOWS with school ID or This AD void New Year’s Eve
5 $
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Now Serving Appetizers In Showroom
Wells College Choir Craw (bid T/iohurn, Conductor
WPI Glee Club Louis,J. Curran, Director
WPI Chamber Choir Louis J. Curran, Director Michael Driscoll, Director
Interstate 8 Julie Roberts, Director
Alden Voices Mar^aret Konkol, Director
Simple Harmonic Motion Jason LcBlanc, Business Manager
D ecem ber I4'1' a t 3 :3 0 p.m . Alden M em orial H all, WPI
T u e s d a y , D ecember 9,1997
N e w sp e a k
P age 7
Com m entary
An honor code at WPI? by Bland Addison Humanities Department Im agine WPI had an Honor Code. What do you believe should be the defining char acteristic of that Honor Code? W hat would be the benefits to W PI and to you in such a C ode? Professor Arthur Heinricher M ath ematical Sciences - 1can think of two points in favor of introducing an H onor Code at W PI. First, it is important to communicate high expectations, both for class perfor m ance and for ethical standards. Second, spending time and energy trying to catch dishonest students or to design traps for dishonest students is wasteful. W PI has some special problem s to ad dress in defining an Honor Code. For ex am ple, if a team o f students works together to produce one project report, why can’t two teams work together and produce al m ost identical reports? Is one cooperative learning and the other dishonest? I would
hate to see an Honor Code kill what is good in this learning environment. Matthew Denicourt CM ’99 Student Voting Justice, Campus Hearing Board If an Honor Code existed at WPI, its ad herence would all com e down to the per sonal integrity o f the student. A student, nowadays especially, cannot be forced to abide by anything. It is up to the school and adm inistration to make the students want to follow it. How that can be done, I do not know, but I do believe that is what may have to happen. W hat an Honor Code provides for the student is a standard with which to mea sure their level o f integrity towards aca demics. It may also act as a rem inder o f a student’s personal character. An Honor C ode’s worth and necessity varies from one student to another, so it would be im portant that the school promote it enough in order that it may have a similar meaning to the m ajority o f students at WPI, hope fully a positive one.
WPI has less to gain than the individual student. Yes it will gain the status o f a “university with an Honor C ode”, but that is just a paper statement. The school is not doing it for themselves, it is doing it for the students. It is important that these students realize this, and hopefully sup port and uphold it. Amelia Gilbreath BC/CM ’01 I think that a WPI Honor Code should simply be a testimony to the real reasons that each one o f us is here at WPI: to gain know ledge and better ourselves, not to cheat on grades and degrade ourselves and our school in the process. Every person here is capable o f excelling though hard work alone. I think an Honor Code could benefit me and W PI by setting the highest standard, forcing students to choose their education over their grades. Many people, including myself, don’t know what can really hap pen if you cheat; an Honor Code would also help clarify the consequences of dis
honest behavior. Jen Wright BC ’99 I believe that if WPI had an Honor Code it would intensify self-respect throughout the campus. I do not believe that it should lead to one person “tattling” on another. An Honor Code may not change a cheater, but it will cause them to think twice. If an Honor Code were to become emphasized as a key aspect of W PI’s academic pro gram, future generation o f students will enter WPI knowing what is expected o f them. Employers and other universities will regard WPI as an institution o f the highest integrity. Naod Kebede Teaching Assistant De partment o f Chemistry and Biochemistry The defining characteristic for an Honor Code should be the emphasis on personal and academic integrity. Though in an in stitute of higher education each individual is assumed to be responsible for his/her own integrity, it is sometimes necessary to have a guideline of expectations.
College education: A long emotional journey by Matt LeClair Class o f '01 L et me introduce to you an em otion. It is not depression, nor loneliness, nor fear, b ut resem bles th e se — p e rh a p s en co m passes them all. I hope, as you read, that bells will ring and your head will sing while you are reminded of your own experiences. W e’re here, in college. Please d o n ’t forget w hat we left behind. Some of this dialogue happened and the rest might have had time allow ed it. If you can make sense o f it all, you have more sense than me. Sturve: So exactly what are you trying to say? You’re depressed? Laklare: No, you d o n ’t understand. College hasn’t made me depressed— I just have brief periods of enlightenm ent within w hich I realize how depressed I should b e .. .and how happy I could be. What do I know ? One day I’m happy spending time with people, the next I just want to be alone. WTienever my life slows down long enough for me to catch my breath, I realize that something is missing. Sturve: Tell me what is truly bothering
you then, if not depression. Laklare: I don’t know. W henever I try to focus on the exact emotion, whenever I try to find examples or details, they elude me. I have laid in bed at night, unable to sleep, having feelings I can’t describe. A series o f words comes to mind, however, so let me recite them for you. I take an egg from the shelf, crack it gently in my hand. Inside is fragile space, empty, voided, failed, and false. N ot rotten, far worse. Not filled. Sturve: I know the feeling which you describe. Our minds, our lives, our dreams shut down early. I, like you, also feel some thing missing from my life. Listen, we’ve known each other a long time— Laklare: Do you remember fifth grade recess in the playground, walking, look ing, and talking. Or what about just a few years ago, sitting on your porch, talking about all the worlds, the alternate realities, the perspectives that did, do, and will ex ist. So many thoughts— pure thoughts. I have trouble recreating them now. Every
thing is different. W hat happened to my impression o f the world? Sturve: I don’t know what happened to us. I d o n ’t know if I can know. I can still see us sometimes. Som etim es I can see the possibilities we imagined. My God! What have I done to me? Laklare: I remember it all so clearly. 1 rem em ber how nothing made sense, but everything seemed like it would some day. I was excited...fascinated. I guess every thing actually made more sense then than it does now. Do you rem em ber our teacher from fifth grade? D idn’t he leave to be come a monk or something? He must have found som ething that could answ er his questions. Sturve: Hey, that reminds me o f som e thing. A monk is hanging by his teeth from a tree branch over a precipice. The master com es to him and dem ands, “Why did Bodhidharma come into China from India?” If the m onk stays silent, he fails. If he an swers, he falls to his death. Now what does he do? Laklare: He answers because that might be the route to leaving this mortal flesh.. .or he refrains because this crude matter is all he is ...o r he ju s t grabs the dam n tree branch with his hands. Sturve: Those are all reasonable. Rea son, reason, reason, reason, reason, rea son, reason! The word starts to lose m ean ing if you say it enough times, or if you practice it enough. Why can ’t I just feel? W hy c a n ’t I just think? We are all so scared o f individuality, afraid of risking our values, petrified o f curiosity. How long has it been since you looked in a window as you walked by some room on campus and went inside, just because it might be interesting? It seems that the more edu cated I become, the less often I question the institution. College education is like drinking. Laklare: Yeah, they both stop you from thinking.
Sturve: I used to be afraid that som e day I would lose my open mind. Well, it sn u ck u p o n m e. I didn’t see it coming. All o f a sudden, a couple things change, and poof—I am one o f them— an adult— un changeable, attached to logic, trying to fix the world with formulas and faith in scien tist gods among men. Everyone is so damn afraid to not be normal for ju st a few sec onds. W hat about those Fifth graders, walking around the parking lot, curious and unencum bered? The kids who want to know for the sake of knowing rather than to b etter th e ir lives. My causes have changed, and my mind is closing over them. Sturve: We were not the last fifth grad ers. And we can remember what we’ve lost. We can learn how to risk ourselves, not just in body, but in mind. Life is all I have, so I have to risk it. Laklare: Life is all you have, so you have to risk it? Life is precious, don’t risk it— that is what most people say. W hy throw up, for the winds to take, something so dear? Sturve: Don’t you see? It is all we really have, so it is all we have to risk. No matter how much we buy or build— unless we gamble our valuable existence for expe rience, we have nothing to show for our lives. Only mortality is worth all the trouble it causes. I ’ll say this again...risk your self, that’s all you have. The mystery em o tion you’ve been experiencing is mortality. Next time you wonder why you feel fragile and confused, remember this discussion. You are fragile; you are mortal. Embrace it, for that’s all you really are. Laklare: You’re right. I’ve forgotten to risk my mortality. I’ve been afraid to be hurt and afraid to be wrong. Sturve: So have I...so have we all. Get used to the painful steps, we are learning how to walk again. Laklare: Yes we are.. .every single day.
P age 8
T u e sd a y , D ecember 9, 1997
N e w spe a k
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Test anxiety: Be controlled or be in control by Richard O ’Garr Student Development and Counseling Center Most of us experience some anxi ety while taking a test. In truth, anxiety is neither good nor had, and sometimes a certain amount o f anxiety gives us an edge that ac tually im proves our perform ance. However, feelings o f anxiety be com e detrim ental when they be gin to interfere with our ability to concentrate on the task at hand. T herefo re, w hat is essen tial is that we know how to m anage and cope with o u r anxiety. If you have gone through any thing sim ilar lo w hat is portrayed ab o v e, then you h av e e x p e r i enced what is referred to as test an x iety . A c c o rd in g to D avid Burns, test anxiety has two main causes. The first is a fear o f fail ure. T h is fear re su lts from a p e rs o n ’s se n se o f se lf-e s te e m being dependent on his o r her achievem ents. To fail m eans to be a less valuable or even w orth less person. T herefo re, people with this belief naturally becom e anxious when faced with situ a tions w here they p ossibly may not live up lo th e ir or o th e r s ’ standards. The second cause is related to o n e ’s goals and values. If one has am biguously defined goals and values, or is striving to m eet th e e x p e c ta tio n s and goals o f others, then one m ay e x perience anxiety. In this case, anxiety is a signal that som ething is wrong. In this situation, the person feels am b iv a le n t about the goals he or she has adopted and is p u rsu in g . T he p e rso n w ishes to continue w orking to ward these goals but at the same tim e also w ishes to reject them and adopt more personally m ean ingful goals. So now that you know where test anxiety com es from, you are pro b ab ly c o n s id e rin g an even
down enough to finish the work m ore im portant question: W hat can you do about it? A fter all, you need to do. such insight is nice but probably 3. David Burns suggests a tech nique that will enable you to work w on’t help to reduce those d is tractin g th o u g h ts and feelings. though an exam in spite o f your anxiety. This strategy will allow So here are a few strategies that you to isolate and contain your can help. 1. L et’s co n sid er the second anxiety during the exam so that it cause first. If you have doubts does not control you. If you are overwhelmed by the daunting task and concerns about your goals, o f completing the entire exam, break then it may be necessary for you it down into smaller goals. Set the to reevaluate them and your rea so n s for p u rsu in g them . Just single and very manageable goal whom arc you doing all this work o f answ ering just one question. W hen you have com pleted that for, anyw ay? For your parents, question, your friends, o r fo r y o u ? set an* other D o y o u r e • You ’re sitting in an exam. ally w ant to • The answers aren't coming; you • g o a l to • begin to get nervous. • an sw er p u rsu e your major or enter . You start to breathe rapidly, and your # the next the c a re e r • heart is pounding. • question, so • Now you 're blanking on the answers * and you are work• yo u ’ve spent hours studying. , on. Soon ing to w ard ? • Time is ticking by and you ’re getting • you w ill If not, then have got nothing done! what do you • • You know you 're going to fa il the test, 9 ten the w ant to do? • possibly NR the course! • ball roll W hat are • ing and your values, • will be fo and w hat cusing on the exam instead o f your goals do you want to achieve? If anxiety. Also, start with the easier you have am bivalence about the direction you arc heading in aca questions and the ones you are confident that you know the an demically and occupationally, then these are im portant questions to swers to. This is very helpful if consider. you find you arc “blanking” on the 2. Try relaxing. O f course this answers to question. As you are answ ering the easier questions, is easier said than done! First, begin by getting to know your you are giving your brain time to anxiety better. Get to know the “warm up.” You will likely find that f e e lin g s y ou e x p e r ie n c e , th e much o f the inform ation y ou’ve th o u g h ts y ou h a v e , and how studied will begin coming back to your body is reacting. During an you. exam , when you get stuck or arc 4. Brush up on your test-taking betw een problem s, put your pen strategies. (There is plenty of litera down and check in with your body, ture on tips, techniques and strate feelings and thoughts. If you de gies to improve your test-taking per cide you are too anxious, take a few formance.) Part of the reason some slow, deep breaths. Begin to visu people do not perform well on exams alize som ething calm ing and/or is that they are not using the most pleasant while breathing. Doing effective test-taking strategies. For this for a minute or two will not take example, begin your exam by read too much time away from taking the ing through the entire test. Then exam and will most likely calm you write down a few one-word answers
in the m argins for each question. This will give you an outline from which to work. Also, you already will have some answers to work with later in the exam as you begin to get tired and possibly begin forgetting information. 5. If you are aware o f what you are thinking about when you get anxious while taking a test, you can w ork to change your thoughts. Such changes have produced sub stantial results for som e people. O ur thoughts play an im portant role in the em otions and feelings we experience. For example, nega tive thoughts about one’s abilities and predictions of failure will pro mote feelings of anxiety during an exam , w h ile p o sitiv e th o u g h ts about o n e ’s com petence will in crease self-confidence. So, try to think o f som e statem ents you can say to y o u rself when you catch yourself thinking negatively. For exam ple, if you find yourself re peatedly thinking, “ I d o n ’t know any o f the answ ers,” you could substitute a statem ent such as “I know m any o f the answ ers, so I’ll work on the questions I know I can answ er first.” C reate a few such sta te m e n ts before you go into the test so that you can have them ready to say. T h ese tec h n iq u e s have been used by m any people to success fully reduce test anxiety. H ow ever, it is im portant to realize that they w ill not serve to elim inate anxiety, since this is not possible. A more realistic goal is to become com petent at coping with anxiety. So give these techniques a try. They w ill not cause you to do worse on your exam s, they likely will help you to do better. (Note: Many o f the above m en tio n ed s tra te g ie s are found in Burns. David (1989). The Feeling Good H andbook. Penguin Books: New York. This book also con tains o th e r useful strategies for coping w ith anxiety.
L e t t e r s t o th e E d i t o r
Campus locK-upbecomes major inconvenience To The Editors: Why is this cam pus locked up tight? R ecently I have found many cam pus b u ild in g s to be locked when they should have been open. This is not an isolated problem, but one which has persisted since the start of A term. Higgins Labs has been consis tently locked on weekends, during hours when the building should have been open. Higgins is sup posed to be open when the com puter labs inside are open, but this doesn’t keep Cam pus Police from locking the doors at 2 PM on a Sat-
urday, or 4 PM on a Sunday. How building while classes are being can we be expected to get work held in that very building? done when we c an ’t even get into As if that w asn’t bad enough, the building? the W edge w as R e c e n tly I loeked on Sunday found one e n N ovem ber 30th, As i f that wasn ’t bad trance to Wash betw een 4 and 6 e n o u g h , t h e W edge b u rn /S to d d ard PM ! B o th the was locked on Sunday locked at 2:30 front (Quad side) PM on a M on and rear (Institute N o v e m b e r 3 0 th , b e d ay ! P e o p le Road side) doors! tween 4 and 6 PM ! who work in the The W edge is a building tell me rather im portant this has been a public area, con common situation in reccnt weeks. necting to two dorms, a dining hall, W ho at C am pus Police had the the Grille, several offices and the bright idea o f locking an academic mailroom, yet we have to go hunt-
ing for a door that happens to be open?!? This is absurd. Once again, the students are be ing screw ed, this time by a Cam pus Police force which denies us access to W PI’s buildings. I have complained to Campus Police in the past, but the situation has not im proved. Somebody in Administra tion needs to FORCE Campus Po lice to unlock this campus, giving us access to the buildings w e’re paying to use. Or perhaps the stu dents should forget to unlock their bank accounts when the next tu ition bills arrive.
Andrew Toppan ME ’98
ew speak
CIjp &tubent iftetoapaper of £>orce0tcr $)olptetf)nit Sngtitutf c/o Student Activities Office 100 Institute Road Worcester, MA 01609 Phone: (508) 831-5464 Fax: (508) 831-5721 Email: newsyeak@ wpi.edu Homepage: http://www.wpi. edu/~newspeak Co-Editors in Chief Lisa Bartee Edward J. Cameron Jr. News Editor Justin (ireenough
Assistant News Editor Sarah Walkowiak Features Editor Alison Keach Sports Editor Heather Mazzaccaro
Advertising Manager Brandon Ngo Business Manager Ken French Graphics Editor
trie Wilhelm Office Manager Ben Fischer Photography Editor Adam Young Circulation Manager Christopher b. Stank
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'pist ary Devlin
Writing Staff Janeife Evans Ken Gagne Stacey Leisenfelder Matthew Lug Joshua Millard Adam Ross Brian Whitman Graphics Staff Justin (ireenough Jessica Morgan Photography Staff Jennifer Cooper Joshua Millard Fredrick Tan Jess Weathers Graduate Advisor N.WoKWinset-------------Faculty Advisor John Trimbur
P age 9
N e w sp e a k
T u e s d a y , D ecember 9,1997
In t e r n a t io n a l H o u s e
Last battleground of giants by Billy D. McGowan Director o f ESL Questions: In w hich country d o e s th e H indu K u sh b eg in ? (W h at is the “ H in d u K u sh ” ?) W here does the Hindu Kush lead? The answ ers to these questions begin in Afghanistan, a landlocked country nestled between Iran and P akistan and the southernm ost former soviet republics. The Hindu Kush, o f course, is the mountain chain that begins the highest in the world, the Himalayas, includ ing th e death d e fy in g K2 and M ount Everest. T he ruggedly m ountainous Af ghanistan is known earliest as site where Alexander the G reat’s army
first began to falter in his campaign against the ancient Bactrians. In order to prevail, Alexander made concessions, m arried a Bactrian princess and went on to India, leav ing behind a battalion of Greek sol diers to look after matters. For cen turies, Afghanistan was all but for gotten, designated the geographi cal “end o f the w orld” by western scholars. It, however, did not dis appear. O ther travelers, especially soldiers criss crossed it, usually on the way lo somewhere else. The M ahayana Buddhists came around 340 AD and stayed until the Arabs brought Islam in 637 AD. The M ongols came in 1220 and tried to destroy what the Arabs had built, and in the process they laid
waste to much o f the culture and the people. Modern day Afghans still blame the M ongols for the de mise of their historic (Islamic) great n ess. L a te r from P e rs ia , the M oghuls cam e through around 1500 on their way to India, followed by the Europeans, in the 1700s. Afghanistan has seen conquerors come and go, and yet they have tenaciously survived, hanging on to life, sometimes by bare threads. Perhaps the greatest challenge to the survival o f A fghanistan came in 1980 when the former So viet Union sent its army to quell the civil unrest inside the country. This move may have hurried the collapse o f the Soviet Union, but the pain and harm that was inflicted
on Afghanistan continues until this day. A fg h a n istan w as the last battleground o f the superpowers. A generation has grow n up on nothing but w ar and strife, and since wars by their very nature are easier to start than stop, the fight ing continues with the latest vic tor trying to dominate. The result is continued horror and b lo o d shed, with the rest o f the world apparently paying very little atten tion. It w as to A fghanistan that I went as a very young man on my first job assignment, to the Baghlan Provincial Department o f Agricul ture where I was an extension agent and teacher. In the mid-70s some very cardinal events occurred: the
King (Zahir Shah) was deposed by his brother-in-law and first cousin, Mohammad Daoud, who took the country on its first ruinous steps, flirting with the Soviets. In retro spect, those relatively quiet years were the last days of peace and the end of an era. During the regular Coffee Hour on Wednesday, D ecem ber 10, at 6:30 PM, the International Student Council (ISC) will present a slide show on A fg h a n ista n e n title d ‘T hen and Now.” Please join us for a look at some of what was de stroyed. Additionally, the ISC will spon sor its last meeting of the term /se mester, a social hour on Dec 17 at 5:00 PM. Please plan to attend.
Provider) to read and send mail. I am only able to send mail to wpi addresses, why? A: WPI cannot act as a relay for mail from off campus destined for o ff campus; we have been victim ized by spammers as a relay so we had to shut that off. The SMTP server o f your ISP should be used to send m ail. POP mail can, o f course, be picked up from campus. You can still set your return (e.g. From: ) address to your WPI ad dress. Computer Training Updates: T he 1998 Ja n u a ry /F e b ru a ry com puter training schedule will be
posted the second week o f Decem ber. Training classes are available for the following topics: Microsoft Office 95 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access), Exchange 5.0, and Schedule +. There will be “WalkIn Student W orkshops” and staff/ faculty workshops on different top ics as well. Check out the training w eb pages at h ttp :// ww w .w pi.edu/~training. C h e c k o u t th e “ In fo P a g e s N e w s le tte r ” at: h ttp :// w w w .w p i.e d u /~ tra in in g /N e w s/ newsletter.html for more inform a tion about w hat’s new at the C ol lege C om puter Center.
C o m p u t in g
Mail delays during end of November by Debbie Dexter Computer Trainer P erfo rm a n c e . on sm tp.W PI.ED U (also known as pop.W PI.E D U ) had fallen d ra m atically during the second half of Novem ber. U sers were experi encing m ajor delays when trying to access their IN BO X , expunge m essages, and perform other mail related tasks. In researching the case, we found that som e in the W PI com m unity had configured their mail readers to check their PO P mail box at extrem ely high frequency (some as low as 3 sec
onds betw een checks). Each request required the POP server to m ove all o f their mail to a POP drop and then move it all back when the process com pletes. For som e requests, this is quite a task as they do not rem ove their mail from the server and accum u late m ulti-m egabyte mail files. In one case, a pc checked a drop for mail 152 tim es in two hours. This am ounts to 304 copies o f a 5 m egabyte m ailbox in and out o f POP — a total o f m oving more than a gigabyte o f data. So if you receive an email m es sage containing the follow ing in
formation, please configure your mailer correctly: “A recent scan has found that you check your mail once every 60 seconds or less and your mail box is greater than 100000 bytes. Checking it this frequently is a drain on resources. Please ad just your mail softw are to only check at most once every 120 sec onds, p refe rab ly 300 seconds. Also, if at all possible, download your mail to your machine instead o f keeping a copy on the server. “ Common Helpdesk Question: Q: I am dialing in from off-cam pus using an ISP (Internet Service
Games for the week of December 9th through 16th by Ken Gagne Newspeak Staff Title: Diddy Kong Racing Platform: Nintendo 64 Publisher: Nintendo Rating: 8.8 O ften, a popular character will unsuccessfully be fitted into other g e n re s, and sold on the nam e alone. This proves not to be the case in N intendo’s Diddy Kong Racing, a Nintendo 64 racer which proves itself an ex cellen t, self standing racing title.
To some extent, DKR is a clone o f the wildly-popular Mario Kart 64 game. Several figures from the Don key K ong C o u n try se ries race across sixteen courses and various other bonus stages in a variety o f colorfully silly worlds. Each stage w ill e m p lo y e ith e r a c a r, hovercraft, or plane, or later any vehicle o f the p la y e r’s selection. But, access to each area requires a num ber o f balloons, sim ilar to the stars in Super M ario 64. B al loons can be earned by placing no less than first in each race, o r by perform ing other special tasks.
W P I N e w s p e a k (IS S N 1 0 9 3 -0 0 5 1 ) o f W o rceste r P o ly te ch n ic In s titu te , fo rm e rly the T ec h N ew s, h a s been p u b lis h e d w eekly durin g th e a c a d e m ic y ea r, e x c ep t d u rin g co lle g e v a c a tio n s , since 1909. N e w s p e a k h as been p rim e d o n re cy cle d p ap e r s in c e Ja n u a ry 1991. M asth ea d d e sig n e d b y T ro y T h o m p so n fo r N e w s p e a k 's 21st a n n iv e rs a ry . N e w sp ea k is fin a n c e d b y S G A funds a n d a d v e rtisin g re v e n u e . O ffic e s are lo c a te d in the b a se m e n t o f S a n fo r d R iley H all, w est e n d (R ile y 0 1 ). A ll a rtic le s should h e ty p e d a n d in clu d e the a u th o r's n am e and b o x n u m b er. C o p y m ay he s e n t to S tudent A c tiv itie s o r b rought lo the N e w s p e a k o ffic e . A rticle s m ay a ls o he su b m itte d v ia e-m a il A ll copy is d u e b y 5 :0 0 p m o n Ihe F riday p re ced in g p u b lic a tio n . L etters lo the E d ito r m ust c o n ta in th e p rin te d n am e o f the a u th o r as w ell a s th e a u th o r 's sig n atu re , te le p h o n e n u m b e r and b ox n u m b e r fo r v e rific a tio n . S tu d e n ts su b m ittin g letters should p u t th e ir cla ss afte r th e ir n a m e . F acu lty a n d s ta ff sh o u ld in clu d e th e ir full title L e tte rs d e e m e d lib elo u s o r irre le v a n t to the W PI c o m m u n ity w ill not b e p u b lish e d . A ll C lu b C o m e rs m ust b e su b m itte d via e -m a il and be 275 w o rd s o r less. T h e e d ito rs re s e rv e the rig h t to e d it all c o p y fo r c o r re c t p u n c tu a tio n a n d sp ellin g as w ell as a p p r o p ria te c o n te n t A ll a d s are due by 5 :0 0 p m on th e F riday p re ced in g p u b lic a tio n . L a te ad s w ill n o l he ac c e p te d . A d c o p y that is n o t p ro p o rtio n a l to its ad s p a c e w ill be ch a rg ed an a d d itio n a l $ 1 5 .0 0 fee. C la s s ifie d ad s m ust he p re p aid . T h e d e c is io n o n w hether a su b m is s io n is a p u b lic serv ic e an n o u n c e m e n t o r an a d v e rtis e m e n t lies w ith Ihe ed ito rs. T h e ed ito rial is w ritten b y a m em b er o r m em bers o f the N e w s p e a k staff. It d o e s nol n e c e ssa rily re flec t the o p in io n s o f the e n tire N e w s p e a k s ta ff o r o f W PI S ig n e d e d ito ria ls a n d a rtic le s re p re s e n t the o p in io n s o f th e in d iv id u a l authors. N e w s p e a k is p rin ted b y S altu s P ress o f W orcester. M A . F irst fiv e c o p ie s free, printed on partially a d d itio n a l copies JO .50 e a c h . F irst c la ss p o stag e p a id a t W orcester. M A S u b s c rip recycled paper. tio n ra te is $2 0 .0 0 p er a c a d e m ic y e a r, s in g le c o p ie s $ 0 .75 w ithin th e co n tin en ta l U n ite d S ta les. M ake all c h e c k s p a y a b le to W PI N e w s p e a k .
Progress regarding balloons and trophies is saved directly to the cartridge. The graphics are, as mentioned, playfully colorful. M ost o f the characters are cute and cuddly, while the worlds they explore ap pear less than lethal. The childish appearance should not deter expe rienced gamers, though. The 3Dscrolling worlds are a delight to be leisurely tra v e le d , w h ile the v a rio u s c h a r a c te r s only seem friendly, that they m ight more effectively have you eating their dust. The music m akes a sm o o th tr a n s itio n from area to area. En tering the w inter scene, for ex ample, the tunes alm ost begin to sound like takes on actual C hrist mas songs. The racers and the various c h a ra c te rs w ith whom they interact each have a distinc tive voice and accent, although the speech itself is not alw ays in telligible. Sm all sound effects, such as th e rin g in g o f a bell
bumped into during a race, are nice touches. The co n tro l c o n fig u ra tio n is nearly identical with M ario Kart. Each racer responds differently, so finding the proper one for a particu lar gamer’s tastes is important. Sev eral techniques for boosting, brak ing, and turning comprise a diverse bag of tricks, learned with help from in-game tips. A l though the h a n dling nature of the three vehicles dif fers slightly, they are familiar enough to m aster without much difficulty. There is plenty o f c h a lle n g e to Diddy Kong R ac ing. First, each track must be won by com ing in first, not second or third. T his goal is then added to that o f collecting eight coins scat tered across the course; accom plishing both these goals can be nigh-im possible at tim es. There a re o n ly fiv e d if fe re n t item s which can be em ployed during a race. E ach has three levels o f
power, but still lack the strength n e c e s s a ry to c a u s e an u p se t needed to win. The com puter o p ponents do not cheat (such as re ceiving mysterious speed boosts when they’re falling behind, as in Mario Kart), but sometimes gain nearly insurmountable leads. Playing the game over and over to get a perfect score will become routine, as will searching for just one balloon necessary to enter the next course. Time trials can be raced and two “ghosts” of best runs can be saved to th e m em o ry pack (which can be sw apped with the Rumble Pak during play). Up to four players can com pete in the races with computer characters as well, but the num ber o f b attle courses is limited. M ario Kart is a better party game. Diddy Kong Racing has great potential as a Christmas gift. It has plenty o f replay value and very few faults. Its adventure aspect is lack ing in Mario Kart, but does not live up to that title in other areas. Over all, it is not quite the better racer o f the two, but it’s still worth going ape over.
P a g e 10
T u e s d a y , D ecember 9 ,1 9 9 7
N e w sp e a k
A nno u ncem ents
Winter Carnival ’98 want’s you! Alison Keach Features Editor C ops telling jokes, faculty doing skits and Freshman/Sophomore rivalry, this was the origin o f W PI’s W inter Carnival. Win ter Carnival, known then as Tech Carnival, started 60 years ago, but when the students started became rowdy in the 1960’s, their skits were distasteful the event soon dete riorated. A few years ago WPI decided to bring back this event, but with a different structure. Now W inter Carnival is a way for the entire campus to have som e fun and break up the C-term blues. Past years have h a d H ot P e p p e r E a tin g C o n te s ts , a
Klondike Bar Hunt on the Quad, and Fac ulty/Student Socials. This year the W inter Carnival C om m ittee needs every cam pus group to get involved to m ake this an event that represents the entire student body. In order to m ake this the best W in ter C arnival yet, as many cam pus groups as p o s s ib le a re n e e d e d to s p o n s o r events. So, if y o u r interested in C hili C o n te s ts , a Q uad H ot T ub or S le ig h R ides, then keep your eyes peeled for notification o f the next W inter C arnival m eeting and send a representative from your o rganization! For more inform ation p le a s e e m a il S ta c y H u b b a rd (shubbard@ w pi).
I 0 B S IN THE GLOBAL M A R K E T ..... Being Asian bilingual is your tic k e t to success. Interview with the world's top companies at the Pan-Asian Job Fair. Past participants included: Adobe Systems, Exxon, Fidelity Investments, Johnson
Jan.
&Johnson,
Procter & Gamble, and more !
30 , 1997
Sh eraton B oston H o tel 39 D alton St. Boston, MA
To register or get more information, contact;
In ternational C a re e r Inform ation Inc* Phone: I-800-859-8S35 • http ://w w w .rici.com /acw • e-m ail: jfmfo@rici.com C h ina • H ong K on g • India • Indonesia • Japan • K o re a • Malaysia • Philippines • Singapore • Taiw an • Thailand • Vietnam
JOB FAIR
So you want to be a Writing Center tutor... by Matthew M. Lug Newspeak Staff
CASH IN ON GOOD GRADES. If you're a freshm an or tuition, m ost b ook s and so p h o m o r e wi t h g o o d fees, plus $ 150 per school g ra d es,a p p ly now for a month. They also pay off th ree-y ea r or tw o -y ea r with lea d ersh ip e x p er i sch o la rsh ip from Army e n ce and officer cred en tials im p ressiv e to ROTC. Army ROTC ^ pershE s c h o la r sh ip s p a y future em p loyers.
H x c ellen c I ]
ARMY ROTC
In the past, the Writing Center’s sys tem for inviting people to become tutors was not very well known, rivaling Skull in its se crecy (although this may not have been in tentional). However, all this has changed, and the Writing Center is now taking appli cations from anyone who is interested in be coming a tutor. If you would like to work in the Writing Center, then you must first submit an applica tion to the Writing Center, SL134, by March 8, 1998. This application should include the name of a faculty member who would recommend you, a writing sample of at least 5 typed pages, and a typed, double-spaced, 250 word essay explaining why you want to be a tutor. The writing sample can be anything, including a paper from a class, and the essay can discuss topics such as what you think the role of a writing tutor is, what you think you will gain from the experience, or anything else you can think of that somehow relates to tutoring. Applicants who are accepted will be asked to take EN3003, Peer Tutor Training in Writ ing, which is a 1/3 unit ISP that is offered in D Term. This class will meet twice a week, for an hour and a half per class, and will introduce students to composition theory while they hone their writing skills. The exact days and times will be determined based on the sched ules of the accepted students. This class will also require one hour per week of interning in the Writing Center. Students who successfully complete EN 3003 will be invited to work as paid writing tutors during the 1998-1999 school year. From experience, I can say that tutoring is a very rewarding experience, so if you are even slightly interested, I would suggest that you apply. Any questions can be sent to wrc@wpi.edu.
THE SMARTEST COLLEGE COURSE YOU CAN TAKE I
For details, visit 28 Harrington Auditorium (100 Institute Rd.) or call 752-7209
<p>is is our last issue
■ this term,
a ^reat
■ W in te r £reak everyone!
P age l l
N e w sp e a k
T u e sd a y , D ecember 9,1997
A nnouncem ents
Com m entary
Martial art classes to be held
Student events abound on campus
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So, you say th ere’s nothing to do on cam pus these days? Well, as a Student Activities Director, I, and many of my peers at other cam puses, hear this comment of ten. And, as your Student Activities Di rector, let me say that it is one o f the com ments that concern me the most! Why? Because Student A ctivities fall under the purview of this office, and I feel personally responsible, to a point, to alle-
M onday: Jujitsu 7:00 P.M. T uesday: C ardio-K ickboxing 4:30 P.M. Open Forum 7:00 P.M. W ednesday: Advanced Kenpo 7:00 P.M. Beginner Kenpo 8:00 P.M. T h u rsd ay : Cardio-Kickboxing 4:30 P.M. Advanced Tae Kwon Do 7:00 P.M. Be ginner Tae Kwon Do 8:00 P.M. S aturday: Open Forum 2:00 P.M. Sunday: Open Forum 2:00 P.M.
The Society o f Martial Artisits welcomes everyone interested in learning about M ar tial Arts and self-defense. We offer classes for both those who are experienced as well as anyone who wishes to start something new. We have a new addition to our sched ule. It isCardio-Kickboxing. This is a great way to get a good work out and learn a little bit about self-defense. Here is our schedule:
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viate these concerns. That’s why I’m writ ing this letter: to share my recent experi ences with the campus community. This weekend was full o f great events — let me share my experiences from Friday alone! At noon, I had the pleasure o f hear ing the W PI Jazz Ensemble entertain the luncheon crow d in the L ow er W edge (they’re playing again on Dec. 5 — mark your calendars now); then at 4:30, I went to a Jazz Clinic by Troy Nielson, class of ‘91; at 5:30, the Newman Club was busy sponsoring a pasta dinner and m ovie at the Collegiate Religious Center; at 7:30, Simple Harmonic Motion and Five O ’clock Shadow put on an excellent show in Riley — it was packed! And, you can tell that these guys really have fun singing. Next, I headed over to the Masque play “M edea” — it was a sellout crowd...they even had to bring out extra chairs! After that, over to Harrington, where the Women’s Basket ball Team was playing in the City Tip-Off Tournament. My point is this — there are many, many activities occurring on and off cam pus ev ery day, and the Student Activities Office wants to help publicize these events. V'e have a bulletin board outside the bookstore explicitly for this purpose. We hope you’ll take advantage o f it and let us help you publicize your events. However, you need to provide the information. And, d on’t for get the Social Web. In conclusion, let me tell you about a few other things in the works: the Science Fiction Society will be sponsoring our freeplay L eg o n ig h ts (effective C -T erm ); chances are very good that soon you’ll be able to go to one o f the restraints on High land Street and sit down over coffee and cake while listening to some o f our out standing music groups; SocComm is look ing into Friday night movies, in addition to th e ir continuing Sunday N ight S eries; C om m unity Service opportunities are a plenty; and your Student Governm ent is working to bolster attendance at athletic events — don’t forget — SGA also spon sors weekly bus trips to Boston for only $3 round-trip. Lets face it friends, we have plenty to do on most days at WPI. However, I wanted to keep you apprised as to what I had the privilege to attend in one night! Sincerely, Gregory Snoddy, Director Student A c tivities & Orientation Programs “ How to R esearch Journal C o lle c tio n s and R etrieve A rticles" Date: W ednesday, December 10, 1997, 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Place: Gordon Library Training Room (114)— Down one flight from the main floor inside the PC Room (116) Level: Intermediate — Fam iliarity with WWW basics and Netscape assumed. Info: Carmen Brown (cbrown@wpi), Don Richardson (drichard@wpi.edu), or Joanne Williams (williams@wpi.edu) in the Ref erence Department. PLEASE NOTE: Seminar is limited to 8 WPI faculty, staff, and students. Advance registration on the sign up list at the Reference Desk is required. Sorry, no email or phone sign ups for this ses sion.
T u e sd a y , D ecember 9, 1997
N e w sp e a k
P age 12
Club C o rn e r Christian Bible Fellowship Greetings, did you enjoy your Thanks giving break? Are you looking forward to the semester break? I feel that it w ill be greatly deserved for all o f us. Feel free this w eek to jo in us at F N F on Friday at 7:00 in M organ A, and again T uesday night down in Founders at 9:30 for a tim e o f p ray er for our cam pus. This Saturday is also the annual C B F C hristm as Party ! Com e on out for an evening o f holiday cheer as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. For m ore inform ation on any of these activities, please e-m ail cbf@ w pi.edu. “ But the angel said to them , ‘ Do not be afraid. I bring you good news o f great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town o f David a Savior has been born to you; he is C hrist the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby w rapped in cloths and lying in a m an ger. ’ “ Luke 2:10-12 (N1V) What is C hrist m as? Is it a tim e for buying things and seeing who can have the most elaborate lighting display? No, Christm as is a time to celebrate, celebrate the birth o f our Lord and Savior, Jesus. So instead o f get ting caught up in the com m ercialism o f Christmas, remember the real meaning be hind it and give God your thanks and praise.
let’s make them feel welcom e in our cold city It’s going to be a good change o f pace for them because they now get the opportunity to breathe in the congestive air o f a city, instead o f clogging th eir noses with the iridescence o f cow m a nure. T ake it easy and rem em ber the C hristm as shindig on D ecem ber 11th, af ter re h e a rsa l. Be th e re or be sq u are, elliptical.....o.k. paragonal. Ciao.
WPI Linux Association O ur next m eeting (in coordination with the W orcester Linux Users G roup) will be on D ecem ber 18th at 7pm in Perreault Hall. The topic is Using PGP with Linux. To note, w e’re going to try putting vari ous things in the club corners per w eek from now on ... They might be useful, they might not, at least they’re something.
:) To strip that extra new line o ff o f text files (DOS -> UNIX), try: tr -d “\0 1 5” < input > output To convert a man page into plain text (good for printing) try: man - <man t o p i o I col -b > filename.txt And this w e e k s’ quote is from o ne Linus Torvalds: “Softw are is like sex; it’s better when it’s free.”
Dance Club
M asque
H ello everyone, Last Tuesday D ecem ber 2nd we went to B oston to see “ Blue Men G roup". It was a very creative show. E specially playing drum s with a lot o f paint on top o f them was very cool. M at thew L eC lair was selected to be a part o f the show and he did a wonderful p ain t ing J. If you are on the m ailing list o f the C lub, then you should have noticed that w e’re also going to attend some a c tiv i ties o f M IT ’s Dance Club. O ther than these we are planning to make another trip to Boston to see “N utcracker” ! So stay tu n ed and ask fo r m ore in fo at dclub@wpi.edu. PS. D on’t forget the Foxtrot practice this Friday. Take care!! Ali...
Hello everyone!! I’d like to start out by saying that M ED EA /m edia was sp ec tacular. It w asn ’t ju st a show ...it w as more. A big congratulations goes out to everyone involved...it was nothing like WPI has ever seen. Well, that was in the past. C term is com ing upon us faster than we think!! That m eans “ Q u ilt” ...the m u sical...the producer. M att Denicourt, is looking for people w ho are interested in helping out with the crew. Anyone looking for a p ro d u ction p o sitio n should em ail him at harro@ w pi. Oh, and from what I heard, auditions for the show were spectacular. The show dates are in February....keep it
in mind.... One m ore thing: M asque m eeting, this Friday, Alden H all’s Green Room, 4:30 pm, BE THERE!
Muslim Student Association As-Salamu Alaikum. The MSA General Body met last Tuesday for a productive meeting with feedback from this semester’s activities and plans for the next semester. We have a num ber of activities scheduled for Spring including the Annual Ramadhan D in n er and M SA S p e a k e r P ro g ram . Ram adhan is approaching, to begin on December 30th or 31 st. Iftar (breaking of the daily fast) will be arranged on every day of the month. We ask students on the Meal Plan to contact M SA this week for Ramadhan meal concerns. Constitutional amendments were ratified by the General Body last week The amended constitu tion is available for review through our hom epage at http://w w w .w pi.edu/~m sa. Two appointed portfolios were accepted last week: M ohammed Zaki will serve as MSA prayer room maintainer, and Naif AlSudairy as Sports Activities Co-Chair. Daily Dhuhr’ and ‘Asr prayers are organized at the Collegiate Religious Center at 12:00pm (noon) and 3:30pm respectively. The CarPool for Friday prayers departs the CRC at 12:15pm. For more information, o r to join our mailing list contact m sa@ w pi.edu.
Newman Club We are looking forward to our Christmas Mass this com ing Sunday (Dec. 14) which w ill be cele b ra ted by F a th er M ichael Hobson, a 1984 graduate of W PI. Father was ordained a priest last May and is cur rently associate pastor at St. Bridget’s Par ish in Framingham. MA. He is the third WPI student ordained to the C atholic priest hood in the last four year. A Christmas re ception/party will follow the Mass. Our Christmas M ass will be at 10:00 PM in Al den on Sunday, Dec. 14th. The entire WPI commmunity is invited. Our Newm an Executive Board will meet
tonight at 6:30 PM in the Religious C enter and our Newman Folk group is performing tonight at the SGA Faculty- Student Re ception. Hopefully they will perform about 8:00 PM. Our Christmas Tree gifts drive has been a tremendous success. A ctually we ran out of names for the tags. D on’t forget to bring your gift to our Christmas Mass and we will see that they are delivered to Youville House the Monday after the Mass. Our Video and Pasta night was a great success. If it keeps up, we may have to rename it as the Alternate to DAKA on Friday night. However we appreciate hav ing so many o f you at these events. So d o n ’t forget our C hristm ass M ass Sunday night and let’s give Father Hobson a great W ELCOME H O M E .
Society for Medieval Arts and Sciences The prim ary item on the agenda for last w eek’s m eeting was nom inations for the various officer positions, as well as a bit of chaos, and perhaps a bit of silliness (Jason: “I nom inate the light so ck et.” ) (Steve: “I declin e." Jason: “ I’m afraid that’s unacceptable.” ) In the end, nom i nations w ere made, seconded, and a c cepted, in preparation for this w eek’s elec tions. In other news, Wes asked again that those in charge o f com m ittees for the S p rin g F a ire su b m it th e ir b u d g e ts . Anthea announced that s h e ’s been w ork ing with Jason Rosa for a fundraiser in volving making wooden puzzles. Tonight, SMAS will be assisting in the SGA H oli day E xtravaganza, with services being rendered by the Servants’ Guild, and with period C hristm as Carols. SM A S m o ck c o m b a t p ra c tic e s are M o n d ay s a n d T h u rs d a y s at 7 :3 0 P M (meet in the W edge). SM A S club m eet ings are T uesdays at 7:00PM in Founders Study Room . For more inform ation, you can co n ta ct the o ffic ers via e-m ail to realm s@ w pi.edu.
WPI Glee Club Well ladies and gents...the term is com ing to a close. Our voices are weary, and our ears are ju s t getting used to the d is sonances o f Fenno and Flor Peters. B e cause we are becom ing all too fam iliar w ith singing “B s” ag ain st “B -flats” , m a jo r chords leave us questioning if a piece even so u n d s rig h t. W hy ju st sev eral days ago when we w ere humming Silent N ight with Regis, I had such the urge to throw in a blue note on the last chord. I r e f r a in e d of c o u rse, but so m e d a y ....so m e d a y . K udos to y o u r dedication to the club during this term . It’s been hellish, but o u r relations with other groups are increasing tw o-fold as a result o f our hectic singing schedule. This is a rem inder to all that Wells will be com ing this w eekend. Yes, it’s that time to laugh, sing, be m erry, and poke fun at our favorite singing counterparts. L et’s show these women a good time here(get your m inds out o f the gutter kids), and
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T u e sd a y , D ecember 9,1997
P ag e 13
N e w sp e a k
A nnouncem ents
Com m entary
Review course for the revised Fundamentals of Engineering Exam
Chemical engineering students honored at conference
Two Locations: Worcester and Waltham WPI is now accepting registrations for the Review C ourse for the annual Fun dam entals o f E ngineering Exam . T he Review prepares candidates for the re vised Fundam entals o f Engineering Exam. Topics include the basic science, m ath em atics and engineering disciplines. W PFs FE Review, which is now offered in Worcester and at the new WPI Waltham campus, includes 11 three-hour sessions. Classes meet weekly beginning January 19, 1998 on M onday evenings in Worcester, and January 29, 1998 on Thursday eve
nings in Waltham from 6-9 pm. The form at o f the course is a lecture period fo llow ed by pro b lem sets and question and answ er sessions. C lasses are conducted by W PI faculty m em bers, many o f whom are P rofessional E n g i neers. The program fee is $395 per person. Full tim e undergraduate W PI students are eligible for a reduced rate o f $250. D eadline to register is January 13, 1998. For further inform ation, contact W P I’s O f f ic e o f C o n tin u in g E d u c a tio n at (508)831-5517.
Graduate school applicants urged to register immediately for GRE R esponding to increased dem ands for appointm ents to take the com puterized G raduate R ecord E xam ination (G R E ), Educational Testing Service has added testing capacity. ETS is urging graduate-school can d i dates with February 1 adm ission d ead lines to register im m ediately for the G RE in order to assure that test results arrive in tim e. S tudents m ay call toll-free 800G R E-C A L L (800-473-2255), M onday Thursday, 8am - 10pm; Friday, 8am - 8pm and Saturday, 8am -4pm to schedule their a p p o in tm e n ts and lo c a tio n s. O ffic ia l score reports for the com puterized G RE are generally available within two w eeks o f com pletion o f the exam. The scores for the paper-based test are reported in
four to six weeks. The com puterized GRE is adm inistered at n u m erous lo c atio n s th ro u g h o u t the U nited States. In order to accom m odate additional test applicants, ETS has e x p an d ed testing days and hours, w hich will include Sunday hours for many sites, and added tem porary sites through Janu ary 1998. Students with deadlines later than February 1, should also plan ahead and call the toll-free num ber to schedule their exam. The permanent number, 800-GRE-CALL, will remain accessible to accommodate exam reservations for the rem ainder of the '9198 academic year. Daily updates about test registration and location are available on the G RE Web site, www.gre.org.
H oliday C loth in g D rive by SA E
Da t e :
December 1-Dece mb er 15 Charity: S a l v a t i o n
L o c a t io n : 6
Army
H u m b o It A v e .
( S A E H o u s e w / w h i t e l i o n s in f r o n t ) , Contact; D a te :
757-1767.
December 8 - D ecember 12 Location:. W e d g e
by Christopher R. Milici Class o f ‘99 Upon returning from the warm Los Ange les sunshine, where the sidewalks are hosed off each and every morning, and where noth ing stays open after dark during the week, and where Hollywood is always a little far ther than it looks, chemical engineering stu dents were content with “getting back to work.” Tyler Lupicn and Stephen Connolly pre sented their MQP research on Supported Pal ladium Membranes at the National American Institute o f Chemical Engineering (AIChE) S tudent C o n v en tio n at the W estin Bonaventure in Los Angeles, CA. Lupien, who gave the presentation on Saturday, No vember 15, was one of ten students from col leges and universities around the country competing for national recognition. Lupien, Connolly, and Michael Narkevicius were the original authors o f the work and qualified for the national event by claiming first prize in the New England Regional Student Confer ence held at Northeastern University last spring. The trophy proudly sits in the Chemi cal Engineering Department Office in God
dard Hall. Lupien placed fourth in the na tional competition, claiming special recog nition from the judges for new, defining research in the field o f supported m em branes. The Regional Conference, which will be hosted by WPI AIChE this coming April, is sponsored by the Boston Ichthyolo gists, the local professional chemical engi neering organization o f Boston. The insti tution that wins the event the most times in a ten year period keeps the trophy, which is interestingly named “The Fish Called W anda.” N evertheless, WPI, MIT, and UCONN all share tw o wins with just an other two years to go. Just before the event, students attended Guppy Night, an annual student awards din ner hosted by the Ichthyologists. This year, the dinner was held at the Crowne Plaza in Natick, MA on the first snowy night o f the season, Friday, November 14. Christopher Milici, Student Chapter President, received a monetary award for his outstanding efforts in maintaining the highest standards for the WPI student AIChE chapter. The Chemical Engineering Faculty nominated Milici to re ceive the award.
Vocal recital to be held Saturday LeRoy Gorham, bass-baritone, will be per forming a vocal recital on Saturday, Decem ber 13 at 5:00 PM in the Spalding Recital Hall, located in the basement o f Alden Hall. He will be perform ing w orks from Handel, Schubert, and Vaughan Williams. This pro
gram will be the conclusion o f his Humani ties Sufficiency, under the supervision o f Ruth J. Cooper of Worcester. LeRoy has been studying with Mrs. Cooper for 2 1/2 years. He will be graduating after B term with a B.S. in Physics.
Winter parking ban in WPI peripheral property area The following is a list o f streets in the WPI peripheral property area and information con cerning the no parking side with respect to the Winter parking ban, which is in effect from December 1 to April 1 (from 2:00 am to
6:00 am) and at any time that a snow' emer gency is declared after 2 "of snow has fallen and stays in effect until the street is plowed. Again the category called side will indi-
cate the side of the Street that no parking is allowed. For example: if the word even ap pears, then parking is not allowed on the side o f the street with houses that are even num bered (2-4-6 etc). If the word both appears then there is no parking on both sides of that street. The word none (no parking ban) means that parking is allowed on both sides o f that street.
Street Name
Description
(No Parking)
Side
Boynton St. Dean St. Dover St. Drury Ln. Eihom Rd. Elbridge St. Hackfeld Rd. Humboldt Ave. Institute Rd. Culdasac area M assachusetts Ave. M assachusetts Ave. M assachusetts Ave. Park Ave Regent St. Salisbury St Schussler Rd. Trowbridge Rd. Wachusett St. West St.
Entire public length (no Entire public length Entire public length Entire public length Entire public length Entire public length Entire public length Private as posted by parking depts. Entire public length (no
parking) “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
EVEN EVEN EVEN BOTH BOTH EVEN EVEN
parking)
BOTH
(N.P) “ “ parking) “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “ “
EVEN BOTH ODD BOTH BOTH BOTH EVEN EVEN EVEN EVEN
no parking on island side Salisbury St to Drury Ln. Drury Lane to N. PL o f House #32 N. PL. o f house #32 to Park Ave Entire public length (no Entire public length Entire public length Entire public length Entire public length Dix Street to Salisbury Street Entire public length
T u e sd a y , D ecember 9, 1997
N ew sp e a k
Page 14
C o m ic s
T ech F red
b y J u s tin G re e n o u g h
BOOKS for STUDENTS & SCHOLARS
Used • Out-of-Print• Rare Come Visit Us! ■ B en F ra n k lin | B o o k sto re
Worcester A ntiquarian Bonk Center
21 SALEM ST., WORC. 753-8685 O pposite the Public Library on the Consortium bus stop
1997 President’s IQP Award winners The winners of the competition were: First: A Preliminary Feasibility Study o f the Implementation of HIFLO Vacuum Sew erage System within the City o f V enice By: M artin F e lic e s, L auren G o o d fe llo w , Jay Jo h n s to n , S o n ali Maheshwary Advisor: Professor John F. Zeugner and Fabio Carrera, Venice Project Center Coordinator Second: Soil Erosion in the Cayaguas Watershed and its Impact on Local A g riculture and Public W ater Supply in Puerto Rico By: Eric Cernak, Julianne Paine, John Toscano Advisors: Profes sors Andreas Alexandrou and Robert Thom pson Third: A World Without Frontiers: A Sys tem Dynamics Model of a Hypothetical Urban System for Use in an Educational Game By: Mary Berry, Bradd Libby A d visor: Professor Michael Radzicki Honorable Mention: M edical Decision Making and the Informed Patient: Im m unosuppression in Liver Transplan tatio n By: A bdo K ataya, V ladislav Zilberman and L. Ryan Coffren Advi sor: Professor John O ’Connor Honorable Mention: Source Waste Reduc tion By: Eric Briggs, Peter Caputa IV, Jake Forrest, Darryl Pollica Advisor: Pro fessor Douglas Woods
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C l a s s if ie d s w w w .surfandsuntours.com
TRAVEL **Sring Break ’98** Free food and drinks! Cancun, Baha mas, Jamaica, and Florida just $399. Organize a small group and travel Free\ Highest commis sions and lowest prices guaran teed. Call Surf & Sun Tours to become a campus representative (800)574-7577. Web address:
Earn money and free tripsV. A bsolute best Spring B reak Packages available!! Individu als, student organizations, or small groups wanted!! Call In ter-Campus Programs at 1-800327-6013 or http://www.icpt. com
Spring Break ’98 Guaranteed Best Prices to Cancun, Jamaica,
Crossword Companion
I
Bahamas, & Florida. Group Discounts & Daily Free Drink Parties! Sell Trips, Earn Cash & Go Free! 1-800-234-7007. www.endlesssummertours.com
est rates and best hotels. Prices will increase Dec. 15th! Leisure Tours Has Packages To South Padre, Cancun, Ja maica And Florida. Group discounts for 6 or more! 800-
*** Earn free trips &cash
838-8203 or www.leisure tours.com
*** CLASS TRAVEL needs students to promote Spring Break 1998! Sell 15 trips & travel free! Highly motivated
N ew sp eak will run classifieds free for all WPI students, faculty, and staff. Free classifieds arelimited to six (6) lines Ads of a commercial nature and ads longer than six lines must be paio for atthe off campus/oommerdal rate of $5.00 forthe first six lines and 50 cents per additional line. Classified ads must be paid for in advance. No information which, in the opinion of the Newspeak editors, would identify an individual to the con .munity will be printed in a personal ad. The editors reserve the right to refuse any ad deemed to be in bad taste or many ads from one group or individual on ■>ne subfea The deadline for ads is noon on the Friday before publication. All classified ads must be on individual sheets of paperand must be accompanied by the writer's name, address and phone number.
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Total Enclosed $ Allow only 30 characters per line
Seized cars from $175. Porsches, Cadillacs, Chevys, B M W ’s, C orvettes. Also Jeeps, 4W D ’s. Your Area. Toll Free 1-800-218-9000 Ext A -15334 for current listings.
***14 Spring Break Shopping Davs Left! Now is the time to guarantee the low-
C o m ic s by Scott Adams
Dilbert® CATBERT: EVIL H.R. DIRECTOR I REALIZE TH IS CdILL BE A H A R D SH IP. BUT IF YOU HAND YOUR NECKTIE I'LL SHOU) YOU WHY T H IS I S B E IN G D O N E .
OdEVE DECIOED TO LOWER YOUR BASE SALARY, WALLY.
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WHAT D ID HE. SAY COAS THE REASO N?
; ACR OSS 1 Taxi 4 Damp; muggy 9 Finis 12 America (abbr.) 13 Foe 14 Look 15 Lo 17 Being 19 Image; hero 21 Prosecuting lawyer (abbr.) 22 Clock face 25 Drinker's group (abbr.) 27 Tar 31 Person who does som ething to excess (suf.) 32 Related; explained 35 Midwest state (abbr.) 36 Concealed 37 Color 38 1/3 mile (Chinese) 39 Astride 42 Head cover 43 Calendar m easurem ent 44 You (archaic) 45 Lofty pose 46 Elevated train 48 Trickle 51 Vertically set window 55 Plan; expect 59 Tropical Amer. bird 60 Rover 62 Hawaiian food | 63 Man (pi.) 64 Covered with scales 65 Native (suf.) DOWN 1 Baby lion 2 Chem. suffix 3 humbug! 4 Mesmerized 5 Cancel; annul 6 Myself 7 Mischievous child 8 Changed color 9 Female suffix
10 Period subdivision (pref.) 11 Room for relaxation 16 Petroleum 18 Fast 2 0 __Vegas 22 Spring flower 23 Angry 24 Public announcement 26 43,560 sq. ft. 28 Away from (Lat. pref.) 29 Using the soft palate 30 Changes 32 Completed 33 Whirlpool 34 Judicial point 36 Moslem wives 40 Egyptian sun god 41 Ahead in a race 42 Greeting 45 Appropriate 47 Camera glass 49 Iranian monetary unit 50 Classic race (slang) 51 W ater barrier 52 Low number 5 3 -Tin-Tin 54 Extinct bird 56 Over; above (pref.) 57 Negative 58 Expire 61 Colloq. for mother
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Whafs Happening: December 9*14
P o l ic e L o g Monday, December 1 1:20 am - Suspicious Person: Student into station re: being approached by suspicious person on Wachusett St. Officers checking area. 1:42 am - Officers clear suspicious person complaint, unable to locate subject. 9:31 am - Alarm: Panic, Drury Lane, resident called, phone line problems.
6pm - SGA Winter I loliUay Extravaganza. Alden Hall 7pm - W omen’s Basketball vs. Anna Maria 7pm - W a'stling vs, Springfield 8pm - Coffeehouse. Open Mic. Riley Commons
Tuesday, December 2 12:18 am - Assist: Becker PD requests assist with 2 subjects on Sever Street. 8:38 am - Assist: Worcester Water Department with cars on Dean street. 9:44 am - Medical Emergency: Higgins House Kitchen area, waitress unknown medical. 9:45 am - Re: 9:44 am W orcester Emergency Ambulance, Higgins House has called EA, directions given, breathing problems. 9:57 am - Stuck Elevator: Gordon Library, service elevator, Plant services to respond.
Wednesday, December 3 12:13 am - Noise Complaint: Loud music, vincity o f Institute Road. 12:21 am - Officers clear Institute Road, music coming from garage on Institute Road turned down. 12:05 pm - Assist: Becker College with Medical Emergency call 911 for ambulance, 18 yr old female feeling faint Linden Hall corner o f Sever and W illiams St. 3:13 pm - Assist: Request to remove skateboarders from Freeman Plaza 4:40 pm - Report: A gentleman came into the station to report o f what he thought might be a car o f students driving down West St., would not leave his name.
T h e N e w sp e a k S taff W ish es E v e r yo n e
a
H a p p y H o u d a y S easo n!
1 0 6pm - M eeting, General Assembly ofSocC om m Members, Lower Wedge 7:30pm - M en'* Basketball vs. A nna M aria
I 12pm - Brown Bag WIM Lab Safely Seminar. Working With Chemicals, Dr. Kristin Wobbe. Chem istry & Biochemist!^. Salisbury Labs 105
12
5pm - W restling al Norwich 6 & 8pm - W omen’s Basketball. Sam Hulltfrt Invitational 7:30pm - M en’s Basketball at Norwich 8:30pm - Concert. Alden Voices and other Wore. Colleges. Mechanics Hall
13
I pm - Men and W omen’s Swimming at Keene State I & 3pm - W omen's Basketball at Rose Hulman Inst. 8pm - Concert, Alden Voices anti other Wore. Colleges; M echanics Hall 8pm - Concert, They Might Be Giants and Lincoln, Harrington Gym
14
11:30am - Catholic Mas#, Alden Hall 3pm - Concert. Glee Club and AJden Voices, Alden Hall 6pm - Catholic Mass. Founders Study Room 6:30 & 9:30pm - Film. Austin Powers. Perreault
CHU&ETTS
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The 1998 FIRST Competition
WPI
FIRST is an annual competition which involves the design and construction of a robot which competes against others of its kind in a sports type contest. WPI and its high school partner, the Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science, will enter the 7th annual competition to try and out-score, out-smart and out-maneuver the estimated 300 teams competing in this year’s contest! If you would like to be a part of the WPI/Mass Academy (US) MRS I team, please come to the informational/organizational meeting;
Wednesday, December 10, 1997 4:30 PM, Higgins Labs 218 Pizza and drinks will be provided so don’t worry about missing DAKA! All majors are welcome, and graduates, undergrads, faculty and staff are invited to join us tor what looks to be another fun and successful year for our team!
If you have any questions, or you would like more information, contact wizord@wpi.edu.