The Student Newspaper of Worcester Polytechnic Institute
I n T h i s I s s u e ... ,...3 ....5 Batey nets a grand ....... ... 11
Volume Twenty-five, Number Three
Tuesday; February 4, 1997
WPI, UMMC Winter Carnival to begin this Friday establish joint Coming weekend is full of exciting events for one and all Ph.D. program by Nick Gallagher Class o f *00
Courtesy o f WPI News Service W PI and the University of M assachusetts Medical Center have established a Ph.D. pro gram in biomedical engineering. The program, which com bines the resources o f a techno logical university with those of a medical school and biomedical sciences research cen ter, offers shared courses and options to do thesis work at either institution. Graduates will receive a jo in t degree from W PI and the U n iv e rs ity o f M a ssa c h u se tts M ed ical School’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sci ences. The program, which is expected to enroll 10-20 students within the next five years, is intended to prepare graduates for careers as biom edical researchers or faculty in the em erging field of medical engineering; em ploym ent prospects are also prom ising in academ ia and in the biomedical device in dustry. The new program gives formal recognition to one aspect o f a collaboration between the two universities that has existed since the medical center was established 25 years ago. UM ass faculty have served as mentors to W PI m aster’s and doctoral candidates for many years and WPI students have been able to take courses at the medical school through the Colleges o f Worcester Consortium. “W PI is proud to be a part of this forwardth in k in g c o lla b o ra tio n ,” says Robert A. Peura, professor and head o f the Biomedical E ngineering D epartm ent. “ I believe th at graduates o f the WPI/UMMC program will be among the best-educated in the country— with a superb background in biomedical sci ence and engineering that should enable them to contribute significantly to research and innovation in the field throughout their ca reers.” “We feel that the marriage between W PI and the UMass Medical C enter represents an important step forward that neither insti tution could have achieved alo n e,” say s T hom as B. M iller Jr., M .D., dean o f the UMass Graduate School o f Biomedical Sci ences. “Training Ph.D.-level students to ap ply the principles of engineering to biom edi cal research and patient care is an important See PhD, continued on page 14
The 1997 W inter Carnival begins on this Friday, February 7, with an exciting sched ule of events. For those of you who are a lre a d y to rm e n te d by y o u r C -te rm workload, the W inter Carnival will provide a relaxing (though exciting) break during which there will be healthy competition, games, prizes and other events. This year’s carnival features nationally known comedian Wayne Federman, who has performed on national television and at many universities across the U nited States. In 1916, the YMCA, or Student Christian A ssociation, established the Tech Carni val, which was the kickoff to the remaining competitive events between the Freshman and Sophomore classes. The two classes would each put on a skit to be judged by a select team o f judges. W hile these judges made their decision, the faculty members would put on a skit o f their own. In the sixties, the faculty members refused to par ticipate in the event as a result o f the dis tasteful nature o f the students’ skits. Soon after, the Tech Carnival was retired as a WPI tradition. The W inter Carnival, a re vival of the Tech Carnival, was established in 1995 and is much broader in its range of events. You are invited to participate in all o f the activities which have been designed specifically for you to have fun and learn a little about the history o f our great institu tion.
W in te r C a rn iv a l *9 7
February 7-Bv 1997
Friday. February 7 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm: History of the W inter Carnival in the Upper Wedge 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Scavenger Hunt Kickoff in the Upper Wedge 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Faculty/ Student Social Hour in the Upper Wedge 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Sex Squares in the Lower Wedge sponsored by West Street House 8:00 pm: Los Straight Jackets & The Friggs Pub Show in Riley Commons Tickets are $3.00/$5.00 sponsored by the Social Committee. 8:00 pm -10:00 pm: Jazz Performance in Alden Hall sponsored by the Music Department. Midnight: The Great Klondike Bar Hunt on the Quad sponsored by Residential Services Schedule o f events contnued on page 14
Black History Month marked by lectures, performances Courtesy o f WPI News Service W PI's celebration o f Black History Month will feature lectures, artistic performances and public forums, all aimed at highlighting the role and impact o f African-American people and culture in American society. “ Black His tory Month is a national event, celebrated annually, which features an examination o f the A frican-A m erican ex p erien ce,” says Gloria Taylor-Neal, assistant director o f m i nority affairs and outreach programs. “O rigi nally conceived as Negro History Week by
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Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Commentary........................................10 Announcement............................. 10, 15 Club Corner........................................12 Classifieds........................................... 15 Comics................................................. 15 Police L o g ........................................... lf> '" . r j ..! .® — — — m — - — m m m m —~
A fric a n -A m e ric a n s c h o la r C a rte r G. Woodson in 1926, the event was expanded to a month-long celebration in 1980.” Taylor-Neal chaired the committee of stu dents, faculty and staff that coordinated the activities, which are being sponsored by the offices o f the vice president for student af fairs, the WPI Student Speakers Fund, M i nority Affairs and Outreach Programs, the Black Student Union, Residential Services, Student Life, Office Services, Healthy Alter natives and the Hum anities and Arts Depart ment. Everything is free unless otherwise noted. Here is the Black History Month calendar: Tuesday, Feb. 4 ,4:30pm , Great Hall. Hig gins House: Maj. General Milton Hunter will present a talk that focuses on black engi neers. Hunter, com m anding general and di vision engineer of the U.S. Army Corps o f Engineer’s North Atlantic Division, earned a B.S. in architectural engineering at Washing ton State University and an M.S. in construc
tion management at the University o f Wash ington and has pursued advanced studies at the University o f Virginia, Texas A&M and Harvard. Saturday, Feb. 8, 8pm, Alden Memorial: Internationally recognized jazz trombonist Curtis Fuller will perform in concert. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Proceeds will benefit the Joy of Music program at the First Unitarian Church in Worcester and the Charles Houston Cultural Project, a W orces ter-based organization dedicated to foster ing awareness o f African-American art and culture among the city’s youth. W PI’s Con cert Jazz Group is hosting Fuller’s visit, which is sponsored by Allmerica Financial. Sunday, Feb. 9, 4pm, Alden Memorial: Fuller will lead a Jazz Improvisation Clinic. The Clinic is funded by the WPI Fine Arts Committee, Social Committee, Music Asso ciation and Jazz Group. Monday, Feb. 10,6pm, Salisbury Labs: See History, continued on page 8