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TECHNEWS
technews.iit.edu
TUESDAY
October 9, 2007
Student newspaper of the Illinois Institute of Technology since 1897
SLIPSTICK
NEWS
Read about one of the
latest breakthroughs in
food science; a fat free
doughnut.
Volume 163 • Issue 7
SPORTS
Check out some photos
of the Chicago Marathon
runners as they pass
through campus.
Are you ready for Diddy
Day? Read our Diddy Day
2007 Planning Guide.
page 7
page 4
pages 10 & 11
Questioning President Anderson
By Linda Goldstein
LAYOUT EDITOR
Did you want to ask President Anderson whether he wears
a toupee? Or were you interested in what flavor ice cream he
prefers? Or perhaps you wanted to know exactly why we don’t
have class on October 30th? Unless you went to the SGA General
Meeting on Weds October 3, you just missed your best chance.
You might have seen it advertised on Facebook as “President
Anderson - Ask him anything.” Brandon Lloyd, president of
SGA, got the party started by introducing President Anderson,
then who encouraged students to help themselves to the catered
buffet in the back.
Questions asked ranged from one about how it feels to be
president (depending on the issue in front of you, sometimes
good and sometimes bad) to what does he intend to do about
fixing IIT’s high ranking on the Princeton Review “Unhappy
Students” list.
Other questions included
in inquiry about the state of
IIT security (especially given
the robbing of a student in E1
on Sept. 26, and also the theft
of lab equipment) President
Anderson answered that IIT is
the safest campus in Chicago,
and that on any campus there
will always be some incidents.
He also mentioned that as a
result of the SGA Campus
Safety Walk on Sept. 27,
there will be extra lighting
installed in various locations
on campus.
Campus building
renovations came up more than
once, probably because they’re
so expensive. Renovations are
expensive; Main Building is
scheduled for a multi-million
internal renovation next year
(bathrooms, elevator, and
other features). In fact, thanks
to a surprise million-dollar
donation by an alumni who
fondly remembered throwing
water balloons off of Main
Building, there are also funds
to renovate the exterior of the
building. The recent work on
Wishnick Hall came up along
Photo by Linda Goldstein
continued on page 6
Shimer, the counterweight to archies
By Linda Goldstein
LAYOUT EDITOR
What is Shimer about? What kinds of jobs do Shimer
students get after graduation? Why does it attract some people
so strongly? What is the point of studying something without
circuits? Read on. There are more things in heaven and earth,
IIT, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
Shimer College, located on the 2nd floor of the 3424 South
building, is a “Great Books”
college, with a curriculum
focused on reading and
analyzing original texts by
Galileo, Socrates, and other
founders of today’s patterns
of thought. To find out what
that actually meant, I sat in
a large open space in Shimer
and asked questions of passing
students Jesse Diamond, Alex
Krzyminski, Samira, Liz, and
Hillary. They told me that
Shimer was about learning
to approach source texts on
your own, critically, without
looking for an outside final
word on what they mean.
“But then where do you get
your sense of perspective?”
I cried. But the conversation
had shifted to a discussion
of The Crucible versus The
Scarlet Letter, and I never got
an answer.
When I asked her what
her hardest current Shimer-
related task was, Jesse said “to graduate,” and fell over laughing.
Upon reflection, Liz mentioned a paper she was trying to write on
Heidegger, a philosopher. Shimer students have after-graduation
aims like “being an engine of human creativity” and going to
graduate school for theology. Most Shimer graduates find careers
in education, social service, or do-good lawyering.
Shimer is not totally alien to IIT; they name each classroom
after a different irrational number. Pi, e, infinity, and the square
continued on page 6
Photo by Linda Goldstein
OPINION 2-3
NEWS 4-5
CAMPUS 6
A&E 7
SLIPSTICK 8-9
SPORTS 10-12
Canasta brings
Chamberpop to IIT
By Joe Kaiser
ASSISTANT EDITOR IN CHIEF/SLIPSTICK EDITOR
At their BOG debut, Matt Priest, lead singer of the band
Canasta, admitted to a group of card-players near the stage
that none of the band knew how to play Canasta. Nor was he
any good at Guitar Hero, despite his being a bassist.
But for all their shortcomings, they delivered a lively
set drawn largely from their 2005 debut, “We Were Set Up,”
along with a few new songs and a cover of a song by Peter
Schilling, a German musician from the 1980s whose only hit,
“Major Tom Coming Home,” was a reinterpretation of David
Bowie’s “Space Oddity.”
Canasta, who states proudly on their MySpace “Six is
the new four,” brought a bit more than the typical four-piece
rock setup you might expect from most local bands. Matt,
while an excellent vocalist, was also a multi-instrumentalist
who would, at various points in the show, pick up a bass guitar
or a trombone. Beyond that, the band featured a drummer,
pianist, keyboard player (there’s a difference!), guitarist and
a violinist/vocalist who, in contrast to Matt, was “amazing”
at Guitar Hero the first time she played.
The band provided a full sound to an attentive BOG
audience during their hourlong set. They were extremely
complimentary to the audience - they said that everyone was
“super cool” and it was the most fun they’d had at a show in a
while - and it showed in their energy level. They gave special
praise to the crew at Alien Sound & Lighting, saying that
the sound at their show at the Abbey Pub the previous night
was only a quarter as good as it was at the BOG. The crowd
seemed to have as much fun as the band did - the merchandise
table was crowded by the end of the show, the band mingled
with various enthusiastic audience members, and departing
audience members were overheard buzzing about the band
to passersby: “There was a band at the BOG, and they were
actually really good!”
Photos by Joe Kaiser
TECHNEWS
OPINION
2
JOSHUA MULLIN, EDITOR
MULLJOS@IIT.EDU
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your voice
The Chicago
Marathon
By Christopher Chock
Archie project on Man on the Bench Park. ~Linda Goldstein
TECHNEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
It’s a Sunday morning, and I, like most
other college students, am trying to get some
decent sleep in as it will most likely be the
last time that I’ll be able to do that for the
next few days. This peaceful Sunday, what
I presume to be like any other Sunday, turns
out to be a complete and utter lie. What is
wrong? It’s Sunday the 7th of October, and
therefore, the Chicago Marathon decided
to rear its ugly head through IIT’s South
Side Chicago campus, right in front of
IIT’s housing complex, State Street Village
(SSV).
Now, normally, sporting events and I
don’t have a history of getting along well
together, but this is a particular conformer
with that. Never before has a sporting
event disrupted my sleep right where I
live. The Chicago Marathon, which starts
in Millennium Park, heads north for some
ways, then back south, then west, only to
snake back east and then finally south to go
back north, to Grant Park, happens to grace
IIT, putting it between its 23rd and 24th
mile markers every year that I’ve been here,
granted that this has only been two years.
The particularly annoying part of this
entire endeavor is that there are people who
are constantly cheering the runners on, as
they make their 26 and some odd mile long
odyssey though the urban jungle, at some
ungodly early hour something before noon
–o’clock.
Now, I will admit, that this is an
improvement over last year, when I was
living in SSV and we were awoken by the
beating rhythm of a drum that was nice
enough to grace our doorstep at seven in
the morning and did not stop until some
time, after thoroughly destroying whatever
vestiges of precious rest that I had managed
to scrape together that day. This, along
with the copious amounts of litter that
accompanies the marathon from the aid
station situated very close to campus, is
quite enough to annoy me, especially on the
day of rest.
For those of you who don’t know, the
modern marathon is ran in celebration of the
famous Greek soldier who literally ran from
the battleground at Marathon, Greece, to his
home town of Athens to alert the civic leaders
and city as a whole about their triumph over
the invading Persian forces. The historic
distance of a Marathon (and therefore its
unusual distance by any standard today)
is based off of this run that was made by
Pheidippides, who, by the way, died of his
heart exploding from the grueling run.
So in contemporary times, we decided
to replicate this run, partly symbolizing yet
another triumph of the west over Persia,
partly symbolizing the feat of human
endurance (also known in this instance, as
the longest way between two points) and
partly to destroy the environment that this
takes place in, and most notably, to show
the triumph of runners over sleeping college
students on a Sunday morning.
If you would like to contribute to the Opinion Section
or would like to see something else in it
Contact Josh
mulljos@iit.edu
TechNews
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E-mail: technews@iit.edu
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Karina Powell- Editor In Chief
Joe Kaiser- Assistant Editor in Chief
Rebekah Reid- Business Manager
E. Jennifer Kil- Layout Editor
Linda Goldstein- Layout Editor
Paul Spears- Copy Editor
Christopher Chock - Photo Editor
Andres De La Hoz- A&E Editor
Colin Emch-Wei- A&E Editor
Babajide Oke- Campus Editor
Anam Khan- News Editor
Joshua Mullin- Opinion Editor
Joe Kaiser- Slipstick Editor
Stephanie Herrera- Sports Editor
Kaushik Ganesan - Advertising Manager
Sweety Trivedi - Associate Ad Manager
Anand Akella - Associate Ad Manager
Aanchal Taneja - Associate Ad Manager
Patrick Bray- Distribution Manager
Gregory Pulliam- Faculty Advisor
Vickie Tolbert- Financial Advisor
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
TECHNEWS
OPINION
JOSHUA MULLIN, EDITOR
MULLJOS@IIT.EDU
3
Doorguards are “useless”? A humble reply
By Daniel Copeland
TECHNEWS WRITER
Rarely does an article pass into the pages
of TechNews that baffles me so completely,
so thoroughly, as did the article in last week’s
edition regarding door guards and their
supposed ‘power-tripping’. For the most part,
I enjoy reading the school’s newspaper—I
really do. It’s refreshing to be able to open
up a paper that is tailored specifically to IIT’s
take on Chicago life, academics, and college
life in general. Unfortunately, this revitalizing
tradition was interrupted last week by an
article that I fundamentally disagree with,
to the very core. Normally I am content to
keep my opinions to myself (no one wants to
listen to some ignorant oaf preaching from his
soapbox about such trivial matters!), but in
this case, I feel that a breach of decency has
occurred, and it is my duty to seal it.
The word ‘duty’ in the previous sentence
is bolded for a reason. “Duty, then, is the
sublimest word in the English language. You
should do your duty in all things. You can
never do more. You should never wish to
do less.” General Robert E. Lee, a brilliant
tactician and masterful leader, expressed that
sentiment over a hundred years ago. One
can only hope he intended it to leave some
lasting impact on future generations; sadly,
I see that this is not the case. To be more
specific: each and every door guard is under
the employment of this institute, obliged to
perform the duties requisite to their position.
Their job is not difficult: they must verify, by
visual inspection, that each person entering
specific buildings during specific time periods
possesses a valid IIT ID. I personally know
several students who either have been or
currently are doorguards: they are all studious,
loyal, and dedicated to their job. The modest
sum they take home every week is important
to them and their future; they know that a
salary demands honest work. At no point does
anything remotely approaching a ‘power trip’
even enter their thoughts. So they do their job
to the best of their abilities—their sense of
duty is unimpaired.
Unfortunately, there are people who
attend this institute whose sense of duty is
sadly lacking. This group feels that showing
your ID to a door guard is unnecessary—not
only that, but this faction somehow considers
this act demeaning. Unbelievable! If I may
reflect on this: how hard is it to get your
ID out and show it to the door guard? To
quote from the student handbook, page 15
(which will certainly improve the persuasive
quality of this piece, similar to the way that a
Dear Mr. Hummer owner,
would you like tax with that?
By Abhishek Gundugurti
TECHNEWS WRITER
Dear Mr Hummer owner,
I am writing to you with a humble
opinion of mine. I have seen you drive
around city roads, suburbs roads, the
highway, the interstates, and saw you in
a number of army-type action Hollywood
movies. I go by the Hummer dealership
and am awed and impressed by the size
and quantity of Hummers that remain in the
dealership. Your car [cough*truck*cough]’s
styling is an absolute beauty. It reminds me
of Pamela Anderson every time I see it. And
I should say, it is the best way to make a
statement at any party.
Of course, I like to very much
own a hummer one day, it is my one most
treasured dream. That’s why I want to share
the dream with you. I dream of a day when
I drive up to a gas station, and I have a
separate line for my Hummer, a line where
I pay $5 more per gallon of gas. Not that
I am different in anyway, or that the gas
station is discriminating against me; it is
just because I drive such an efficient car.
I mean, in the best possible conditions, it
gives me 12 miles per gallon; EPA testing
rates might be different, possibly 12.5 miles
per gallon. When I am driving such a nice
car I won’t mind paying such a price for gas.
I dream of a day when I own a Hummer and
I get frequent flyer miles for my local gas
station and free donuts if I visit more than
two times a day (thus have a refrigerator
full of donuts.) I dream of a day when my
Hummer will be more than just a Hummer,
and it will be labeled ‘polluter of the year’.
But sadly, all this is just a dream.
Right now, all the liberals in
this world are pursing (with enthusiasm)
against my dream. They have some stupid
idea about everyone driving hybrid cars or
something. I mean seriously, hybrid! What
the hell is that?? I would be so cool driving
my 4700 pound car around the streets of
Chicago looking like a big person (with a
small you know what). People would stare
at me in disbelief. These liberals man! They
are saying that the world’s oil supply will be
running out sometime in 2025 or something.
Like run out! The entire barrel of oil inside
the earth will be used up, they are saying.
What do they know! They don’t know oil
is a renewable source of energy man. They
don’t know that, Hummer owners like
you, know the super-confidential secret.
Oil keeps forming forever in the earth’s
crust. These liberals are just jealous that
you have a nice big SUV-car which just
outdoes every other car.
These liberals also accuse you of
causing global warming. They are trying
to greenwash your brain man! You know
your car is as responsible as any other small
car. I mean, look at those stupid Japanese
cars; Toyota, Honda, Hyundai. Blah, they
do 40+ miles to the gallon. Pah, who cares.
12 miles is more than enough. This miles
per gallon thing, should be like golf scores.
The lower the better.
I hope you heard of another atrocity
that is being committed by the British
Government. They are charging SUV-tax
for big vehicles. It’s called the SUV tax
or something. That’s outrageous. So if I
own an SUV/truck or big sports truck, I
will have to fork out another 2500 British
pounds per year (for the currency-illiterates,
that’s $5090) in taxes. I mean, what are
they trying to do? Stop a global warming
that does not exist. I hope someone does
something about it.
Anyway, I hope the letter finds you
in great health and deep pockets. Brace
yourself, the spend-a-lot-of-money-ongas time is coming and I hope you win the
lottery or something.
Yours truly,
A Hummer fanatic
(The author is a hybrid car enthusiast,
mechanical engineering student and
a reasonably knowledgeable person
regarding cars. This article is a satiric
opinion piece on America’s obsession with
big, nasty SUVs)
freedictionary.com quote might), all students
“must present a valid picture ID to the door
guard upon entering”. Right here, in this very
clause, lies the heart of my argument. My
problem with the aforementioned group is
this: they are the ones who are neglecting their
duties, not the doorguards. The doorguards
have a simple job, which they diligently
carry out. The delinquents who forget this
are themselves guilty of the ‘power trip’ that
they assert door guards laze in. So as not to
offend anyone, I present you with another
quote, this one from the indisputable source
Wikipedia: “Delinquent means one who fails
to do that which is required by law or by duty
when such failure is minor in nature.” Sadly,
this word has come to mean a simpleton or
fool, which is horribly incorrect. Indeed this
failure is simple in nature; a mere ten seconds
of effort is required. As to the excuse of being
late for class, this only serves to reinforce
my case. These people are deficient in their
duty to show up for class on time, as well!
You know when you need to be at class,
leave ten minutes earlier! And as for those
who claim to be “responsible martial artists”
— the ones who would abuse their talents to
‘defend’ themselves against a person who is
simply doing their job as best they can—I
say to you, nay, you are not responsible; you
are the one who has let power corrupt them.
There is no conceivable reason to use physical
force against a doorguard! It is completely
within the doorguard rights, and obligations to
prevent you from entering the building if you
fail to show your ID. It is completely outside
your rights to assault said door guard, for any
reason. The very thought makes me sick.
Finally, the dismal excuse that one
doesn’t need to show their IDs to a doorguard
they know. While I freely concede that I have,
in times past, not shown my ID to a doorguard
friend, in EVERY instance, it was because the
doorguard told me it was unnecessary to show
my ID, even while I was reaching into my
pocket. Not once have I ever failed to show
my ID, no matter how long it may delay me.
I have the sense to realize that I, too, have a
duty to perform, just as the doorguards do, and
I respect their sense of duty and dedication
to their work. It saddens me that others don’t
see this as I do; perhaps, dismaying as the
thought may be, this is symptomatic of a
greater problem in this school, or even this
country. I can only guess. For now, though,
I will continue to show my ID without fail;
I will take up the responsibility that others
have carelessly shrugged off. Maybe it’s my
ROTC training. Maybe it’s just the way I am.
Whatever the reason, I consider it my duty.
What grinds my gears
By Donald Spears
COPY EDITOR
Just a brief comment on a few of the
responses I received this week about my article
on the career fair:
If you would have actually taken the time
to read my rant in its entirety last week, you
would have quickly realized that my failure
to show up at the career fair with bells on was
not due to a lack of respect for the employers.
Had an angry ink pen and the notorious laundry
machine gnomes not deemed it necessary to
grant me the privilege of viewing their creative
works, I would have been “prettied up” just
as everyone else. And to those who found it
necessary to inform me, “They told the students
at the career fair workshops that formal attire
was required,” I would like to point out that
I was not aware that career fairs changed so
much over the last year. I also felt that the three
workshops I attended last year were sufficient in
preparing me for meeting a potential employer.
I apologize.
Moving on...After spending an hour or
so ranting last week I felt better than I had in
weeks. Tune in each week as I (or someone of
equal or greater value) release my frustrations
in an attempt to hide my inadequacies.
This week’s topic of discussion, the
iClicker.
O.K., before everyone gets all riled up I
would like to say that I completely agree with
the IDEAS behind implementing the iClicker
as an educational tool. This is where my faith
in this repugnant device ends. For those of you
who are not familiar with the iClicker, I’ll take
a few moments to describe it and its usage. The
iClicker is roughly 6 inches long with 6 buttons
and a FM transmitter. The teachers who choose
to use the iClicker in their classes are given a
receiver that records the ID of each signal sent.
When a multiple choice question is presented
to the class, everyone in attendance can submit
their answers by completely anonymous
means. Sounds like a good idea, however it’s
fundamentally flawed.
My strongest reason for despising the
iClicker is its cost. How can any company
producing educational tools justify selling a
$2.50 piece of plastic and circuitry for $30
to people who are already spending twice as
much on education for one year than they can
possibly earn in two? I’ve heard of more than
one teacher making it a requirement for their
students to purchase this infernal contraption.
Are you serious? You’re seriously going to
prevent me from earning a degree if I don’t cave
in and purchase this worthless piece of plastic?
I have a brilliant idea. Why doesn’t the school
scrape together the money to purchase each
professor (that wishes to utilize the iClicker)
a box set? Now the professors can distribute
them at the start of class for ALL the classes they
teach. Besides, how many teachers are currently
using the iClicker anyway...12, 20, 5? The cost
of the iClickers to IIT would be completely
incomparable to that of other educational tools
such as projectors and computers, as well as
easier to maintain.
Let’s discuss semantics for a moment.
When my teacher attempts to use the iClicker in
class he presents us with a question to answer.
After reciting the question, the students race
to be the first to submit an answer only to
realize that he hasn’t attached the receiver yet.
Now that the class has been delayed to allow
for setup and everything is good-to-go, the
students submit their answers. As the teacher
is reviewing the statistics, he realizes that 2% of
the class selected an option that wasn’t present,
and 75% (regardless of the question) always
answer “C”. All of this trouble is taken to allow
the students to provide an anonymous answer
when simply answering the question in the head
yields the same results. I realize that this could
be a problem with my teacher’s style, but other
students that I have talked to have reported
similar results in their classes.
I did a survey asking several students how
they felt about the iClicker. Responses varied
from, “[expletive deleted], why the [expletive
deleted] does that piece of [expletive deleted]
cost 30 [expletive deleted] dollars, [expletive
deleted]. Seriously, that piece of [expletive
deleted] takes 3 [expletive deleted] batteries and
it’s a piece of plastic that sends a radio signal
out. I made the same [expletive deleted] thing
in my circuits lab,” to, “thank god I don’t have
to use that piece of [expletive deleted],” and
finally, “I enjoy taking the batteries out and
putting them back in.”
In conclusion I would like to beg the
professors of IIT to please, please stop wasting
our time with the iClicker. We are college
students responsible for the direction of our
education and the holders of our own futures;
we don’t need to be repressed by the restraint
that is the iClicker. Don’t allow the iClicker to
taint our lecture halls anymore.
P.S. The iBranding campaign irritates me
beyond belief. But that’s for another week and
another writer.
TECHNEWS
4
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
NEWS
ANAM KHAN, EDITOR
AKHAN50@IIT.EDU
No more lethal injections September auto sales fall
By Anam Moin Khan
NEWS EDITOR
The human right organization, Amnesty
International is calling forward the doctors
and nurses of the world to refuse to execute
prisoners using lethal injections on the basis
that the practice is a breach of their ethical
code.
In this process a lethal drug is injected
into the prisoners body which leads to his
death; before giving this shot, the prison is
anesthetized. In a new report, Amnesty said
some doctors have expressed concern that
prisoners can experience “excruciating” pain
as they die if the anesthetic wears off before
their hearts stop.
“There is a global consensus within the
medical profession that the involvement of
health professionals in carrying out an execution,
particularly by a method using the technology
and knowledge of medicine, is a breach of
medical ethics, yet health professionals are
participating in such executions,” said Jim
Welsh, Amnesty’s health and human rights
coordinator.
Since 1982, 919 people have been killed
in the States using this method of injecting the
prisoner with a lethal drug. This number may
be manifold higher in China; a country where
this practice is frequently used and no official
record is ever given out.
This report on the use of lethal drugs has
come into focus after the US Supreme Court,
last week decided to hear the case of two men
on death row who argue that the procedure
is unconstitutional. Amnesty cited the case
of double murderer Joseph Clark, executed
in Ohio in the US last year, whose execution
took nearly 90 minutes. He cried out “it don’t
work, it don’t work” as technicians struggled
to find a vein.
Amnesty International plans on using
doctor’s research and Joseph Clark’s execution
to depict how inhumane the practice is and
getting it abolished. There main objective in
the long run is to get death row eliminated from
the constitution all together.
By Abhishek Gundugurti
TECHNEWS WRITER
Auto Sales in the United States has
steadied over all in the last month. Only
General Motors Corp. gained ground
on their rivals posting a 4% increase in
September. The problems in the housing
sector and the tightening of credit did not
stop the 1% gain in industry-wide sales.
“It’s very difficult out there for a lot of
families,” said Aaron Bragman, an analyst
with industry tracking firm Global Insight.
“You’ve got high gas prices. You’ve the
risk of foreclosures.”
Led by GM, major automakers with
newer products on offer did well despite the
weaker economy. Honda Motor Co posted
a gain of nearly 14 percent, boosted by
the strong launch of its new Accord sedan.
Nissan Motor Company were also up 11%
driven by gains for the company’s Altima
Coupe in its third month on the market.
Toyota though had an unpredicted Sales
decline and its most protracted slump since
early 2003. Ford’s market share slipped to
near the 13% level targeted by the company
under a sweeping restructuring plan,
according to data compiled by Autodata
Corp. Chrsyler’s market share is now 12%,
behind GM, Toyota and Ford.
Despite the mixed results and an
industry headed for its weakest full-year
sales in a decade, auto executives noted
that many had expected September sales
to be worse. Industry executives credited
the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to
cut interest rates on September 18 for
helping to settle credit markets and boost
confidence.
Industry-wide U.S. sales were 1.31
million vehicles for September, up 1
percent on an adjusted basis from 1.35
million a year earlier, according to sales
results compiled by Reuters. Without that
adjustment, sales were down almost 3
percent.
Source: Reuters in Detroit
A diet donut?
By Victor Guharoy
TECHNEWS WRITER
Image courtesy of www.ericlee.info
For years, a research team at Dunkin’ Donuts was trying
to make a tasteful donut without the trans fats (Boston Globe,
September 16, 2007). Many such earlier attempts were futile
baking disasters. However, after persistent hard work they
accomplished the impossible and within next few weeks Dunkin’
Donuts will be the first chain in the world to introduce donuts with
zero grams of trans fats. The other major fast food chains have
invested huge amounts of money to eliminate trans fats from the
menu since consumers are now concerned about the risk of heart
disease from trans fats.
As a food ingredient, fat provides the taste. Trans fat can be
found in margarine, bread, snack foods, crackers, cookies and
other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils.
Typically, a donut contains 5 grams of trans fat and 4.5 grams of
saturated fat , both of them can raise the “bad cholesterol” LDL
increasing the risk of heart disease. Health experts recommend
to limit intake of trans fat as low as possible while consuming a
nutritionally adequate diet.
Dunkin’ Donuts chain uses about 60 million pounds of oil for
making roughly 1.2 billion donuts they sell annually. The research
team was successful in eliminating the trans fat by blending palm,
soybean and cottonseed oils.
It may seem like it’s alright now to eat as many of these trans
fats free donuts as you desires. Unfortunately this is not the case.
It is important to note these zero trans fats donuts can hardly be
labeled as a healthy food since they are fried in oil, sprinkled with
sugar or coated with sugar frosting. However, this is the first step
in limiting the risk of heart disease
TECHNEWS
your voice
If you would like to contribute to the News Section
or would like to see something else in it
Contact Anam
akhan50@iit.edu
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
TECHNEWS
5
NEWS
ANAM KHAN, EDITOR
AKHAN50@IIT.EDU
President Bush opens debate on global warming
By Abhishek Gundugurti
TECHNEWS WRITER
WASHINGTON – Joining the discussion just a little late,
President Bush opened up talks last Friday and called on for a
new fund to reduce global warming. Unfortunately, the Europeans
and environmentalists did not completely agree with the President
and said U.N.-mandated cuts in greenhouse gases are what’s
needed. President Bush made a real commitment and designated
his treasury secretary to talk to other nations about getting
worldwide contributions to the fund. The money would pay for
clean-energy projects in poor countries. “This here was a great
step for the Americans and a small step for mankind,” Germany’s
environment minister, Sigmar Gabriel, said after Bush’s speech at
the State Department before representatives of the nations that are
the world’s biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. “In substance,
we are still far apart.”
President Bush also acknowledges that global climate change
is real and humans are a cause factor. “By setting this goal, we
acknowledge there is a problem, and by setting this goal, we
commit ourselves to doing something about it. We share a common
responsibility: to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while keeping
our economies growing,” he said.
The talks were the main aspect of the White House sponsored
climate conference that brought together lot of countries around
the world. U.S, China, India, Brazil and many European countries
participated in this conference. US and developing nations which
are not required to make cuts under the Kyoto Protocol, the
U.N. treaty for reducing greenhouse gases that expires in 2012.
President Bush’s top environmental adviser, James Connaughton
said that the talks focused on Japan’s proposal that nations agree
to cut global emissions by half of their current levels by 2050.
The Japanese statement was said to be ‘a vision and not a legally
binding target.’ Other attendants of the conference were Russia,
Britain, France and Germany. Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Italy,
Mexico, South Africa and South Korea, plus the European Union
and the United Nations. Iran was excluded.
“There was lots of talk about mandatory caps,” said Yvo de
Boer, the top U.N. climate official. “I don’t think it would have
been realistic to expect at this first meeting to expect any country to
change its position.” He said he found Bush’s speech “encouraging
because it indicates that the U.S. wants to develop this discussion
among the major economies, get into the substance, including on
the question of goals and the type of regime that’s appropriate,
and then feed that into the larger U.N. process.”
Source: Associated Press
Image courtesy of victorystore.com
Gore: Bush should follow Failure of HIV vaccine
– A Major Setback
Reagan’s lead on climate
By Victor Guharoy
TECHNEWS WRITER
By Abhishek Gundugurti
TECHNEWS WRITER
Ex-Vice President Albert Gore Jr has
spoken out and said last week that President
Bush should follow the example set up
President Ronald Reagan in supporting efforts
to protect the ozone layer by showing leadership
in the fight against global warming. Speaking
before the two-day climate conference last
week in Washington called on by President
Bush himself, Gore urged the White House
to accept binding targets for reducing Carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions
blamed for heating the planet Earth.
“I ... call on President Bush to follow
President Reagan’s example and listen to
those among his advisers who know that we
need to have binding reductions in CO2,”
Gore, said at former President Bill Clinton’s
annual philanthropic summit, the Global
Clinton Initiative. “We have to put a price
on carbon, and the United States of America
has to lead the world to solve the climate
crisis,” he said. Gore, who was Clinton’s
vice president for eight years, has made
global warming his signature issue since his
2000 electoral defeat. President Clinton’s
signing of the Kyoto Protocol was rejected
by President Bush saying it unfairly excluded
big developing countries like China and India
from emission curbs and posed a threat to the
US Economy.
Gore said Bush should emulate Reagan,
a fellow Republican, who as president signed
the U.N. Montreal Protocol to eliminate
hydrochlorofluorocarbons, or HCFCs, ozonedepleting substances that are also potent
greenhouse gases. A global deal to phase out
those substances earlier than planned was
struck last week. The Washington climate
conference has been touted as a run-up to the
Bali event, although environmentalists view it
with skepticism because of Bush’s record and
concerns that he might try to circumvent U.N.
efforts. The White House has denied that is the
intention of the Washington conference.
Source: Reuters
The high profile promising vaccine
for prevention of HIV failed to prove it’s
effectiveness in a large international study
(Associated Press, September 21, 2007).
The developer of the vaccine, Merck &
Co, announced last Friday that it had halted
enrollment and vaccination of volunteers in
the study. Merck announced that the vaccine
failed to prevent infection or reduce severity
of infection during the trial. The closely
watched study was partly funded by the
National Institute of Health.
Clinicians have observed over the years
that those people with HIV disease fight
the disease well when they have stronger
T-cell immune responses. Based on the
cell-mediated immunity hypothesis, the
vaccine was formulated to stimulate T-cell
response. For this reason, scientists were
very optimistic and felt that the vaccine
could change the paradigm in halting the
global HIV epidemic. In fact, small scale
study results in animals and people earlier
prompted Merck to conduct large study in
human.
The vaccine was manufactured from
three synthetically produced genes from
AIDS virus. The trial began in late 2004
involving 3,000 HIV-negative volunteers
between the ages 18 and 45 in Australia,
Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Haiti,
Jamaica, Peru, Puerto Rico and the United
States. The volunteers were at high risk of
contacting the virus. The interim analysis
of 1,500 volunteers reported 24 cases
of infection in 741 people who received
at least one dose of the vaccine. Among
762 people who received a “placebo”
(dummy) vaccine, 21 cases of infection was
reported. An independent monitoring panel
recommended discontinuation of the trial
headed for failure
The AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition
said in a statement “the failure is a deep
disappointment and a scientific setback for
the AIDS vaccine field”. Dr Anthony Fauci,
recipient of the prestigious 2007 Lasker
medical research award stated in an interview
“the results are disappointing, but it was too
soon to draw any broad conclusions about
the potential use of the vaccine”.
Treasury chief defends Bush on
Sputnik turns 50 years old
climate change and initiatives
By Anam Moin Khan
By Abhishek Gundugurti
TECHNEWS WRITER
The United States Treasury Secretary
Henry Paulson insisted last week that President
Bush is committed to fight climate change.
Speaking during the Clinton Global Initiative
conference, his comments came the same day
Bush convened a two-day meeting on climate
change in Washington. Highly criticized for
his approach and his failure as US President
to act more quickly, Paulson said the President
is serious about finding solutions.
“He’s taking it very seriously. I don’t see
how it can be anything other than a positive to
get the major economies of the world, to get
the nations that are responsible for 80 percent
of carbon emissions, to get them together to
deal with the global problem,” Paulson said,
responding to a question from panel moderator
Tom Brokaw.
The panel addressed issues of economic
growth in a time of climate change. Mr
Paulson was scheduled to speak at the Bush’s
conference in Washington as well. President
Bush’s approach got support from former
British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who said
it was important to get the countries together
with a framework that took into account their
different economic backgrounds. “I welcome
the meeting that the president’s having,”
Blair said.
The second day of the conference
started off in an interesting way with former
President Clinton starting off discussions.
The Clinton Global Initiative draws world
leaders, celebrities and scholars for three days
of discussions on global issues and asks them
to take steps for those causes.
The first day brought out a number of
commitments as participants pledged action
on this year’s four areas of focus: climate
change and energy, poverty, health care
and education. Some pledges that emerged
Wednesday were huge, such as a commitment
from the Florida Power & Light Co. to build
a solar power plant as part of a $2.4 billion
clean energy program.
More than 50 current and former world
leaders were on the list of attendees. Those
who attend pay a $15,000 registration fee and
are expected to commit time or money to the
conference’s big issues.
The Clinton Global Initiative’s website is
http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org/
Source: Associated Press
NEWS EDITOR
Sputnik, the tiny satellite whose crackly
beeps started the space race between the Cold
War superpowers celebrated its 50th birthday
on Thursday, October 4th.
“We Were First,” trumpeted a headline in
the popular Izvestia daily.“ At 22:28 Moscow
time on October 4, 1957, humanity entered
a new space age. The Soviet Union sent the
Earth’s first artificial satellite into orbit.”
This simple satellite; a silvery orb
with four frond-like antennae and two radio
transmitters whose signals could be heard
around the world is a very important machine
as it help inspired a generation of astronauts
and scientists.
During the 1950’s Russia was on top of
the space race. They were not only the first
ones to send a satellite to space; they were
also the first one to send a man Yuri Gargarin
to space in 1961. The race some what ended
in 1969, when USA sent the first ever mission
to the moon and Neil Armstrong became the
first man ever to step on the Moon. His words
“one small step for man, one giant leap for
mankind” are eternal.
After the collapse of USSR, Russia fell
behind its research and development due
Image courtesy of aerospaceweb.com
to lack of funding. The space program has
now been revived with the help of national
funding and International partnerships.
President Vladimir Putin has exhorted
Russia’s scientists to up their game in space
technology. There are plans afoot to send
a probe to Mars and for a manned Moon
mission by 2025. Putin voiced pride earlier
this year that Russia had “paved the way for
space exploration” but he acknowledged
that economic hardships in the 1990s “had a
negative impact on the development of our
space sector.”
This speech came a day after Russia
signed and agreement with US space agencies
in Moscow, according to which Russia would
provide technology for US missions to scan
the surface of the Moon and Mars.
TECHNEWS
6
CAMPUS
BABAJIDE OKE, EDITOR
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
OKEBABA@IIT.EDU
Painful paint party response
By Jack Dobbin
TECHNEWS WRITER
My intention with this response is not to lambaste Linda
for her report of our paint party; rather, I would like to provide
a perspective on how Delta Tau Delta approaches party safety,
our guests, and our new members. I feel that the article put
forth an inaccurate depiction of our chapter that I hope to
clarify.
First, I want to emphasize that Delta Tau Delta does not
haze its new members, and clean ups are not “a great chance
for pledges to scrub the entire downstairs of the house.” It was
our president Thomas Kennedy, a senior, who stayed up until
5am mopping so that the next morning’s task would be easier.
Furthermore, the cleaning was done by the entire chapter,
including all brothers. This line was particularly contrived, so
I want to be sure that the truth of the matter is known.
The article did however mention some important issues,
ones that we take seriously and have discussed at length. The
injuries that occurred at this year’s paint party were obviously
unfortunate and undeniably unacceptable. We have not had
problems of this magnitude in the past, so we determined what
was different this year and how to prevent such issues in the
future (including putting fabric or other material on the ground,
as was mentioned). Also, at any time during all of our parties
we have at least seven sober brothers working security. They
are situated throughout the party area and manage problems
as they arise. So while the paint party was prone to several
freak accidents, they were handled immediately and proper
care was taken.
I hope I have quelled any misconceptions or fears that
arose out of Linda’s article. Everyone should know that we
take these matters very seriously, and on behalf of the brothers
of Delta Tau Delta, I hope to see you all at Paint Party 2008.
Shimer, the counterweight to archies
continued from front
root of 2 are all represented in their hallways. Although
Shimer students, like Vandercook students, spend about 12
hours per day in their building, this includes hours before and
after class spent relaxing and reading in the school common
areas. What’s more, all students are on a first-name basis with
all 12 professors.
David Shiner, the Academic Dean of Shimer and also
Professor of Humanities, applied to the faculty of Shimer
after finishing graduate school. His current hardest task
was to make better connections with departments at IIT.
Although he thinks that more communication is important for
both IIT and Shimer, it’s hard to break the habits the school
developed when Shimer was on its own secluded campus up
in Waukegan. Happily for interdepartmental relations, he runs
into several IIT professors every other Friday afternoon at the
Humanities colloquium.
Ann Dolinko, the Associate Dean and Professor of
Philosophy also heard of Shimer while she was in graduate
school, and came to interview for a position. When I asked
Ann how she would describe Shimer to a potential freshman,
she responded that at Shimer, professors and students learn
together in a spirit of co-inquiry. In fact, at Shimer, professors
are commonly called facilitators because “We don’t professwe don’t stand up there and tell you what to think; we facilitate
a discussion about the text.”
Elaine Vincent, Director of Admissions at Shimer, was
kind enough to tell me that Shimer tuition this year is around
22,600, plus books. Having worked at several colleges,
Elaine understands perhaps better than most the confusion
that IIT students feel when
thinking about Shimer, which
is different in so many ways
from what IIT students are used
to. In her first few months of
working at Shimer, the almost
nonexistent barrier between
faculty/staff and students was
a constant source of oddity;
now, it’s normal.
Get your own dose of
non-engineering and come
to Shimer’s Open House on
November 6 from 3-5 pm in
the 3424 Building. It’s a homey
place, filled with people who
are comfortable to be around,
and professors who actually
talk to you. Did I mention that
IIT and Vandercook students
can take Shimer courses for
free and for credit? Currently
there are 7 IIT students taking
Shimer courses and 3 Shimer
Photo by Linda Goldstein
students in IIT courses. What’s
more, the IPRO office is apparently encouraging Shimer
students to participate in IPRO and EnPRO projects.
It was told to me multiple times that Shimer is ranked
third in the nation for having the most students to achieve a
PhD after graduation. Surely, that’s a mark of success. My
point is that although Shimer students don’t spend midnight
hours hunched over a drafting table, their way of working
does create results. The studies at Shimer are not meaningless.
Sometimes, living at IIT makes me forget that there is a world
beyond engineering that matters, but there is. Hopefully,
Shimer can help IIT keep that in mind.
Questioning President Anderson
photo courtesy of www.originalstyle.com
How to negotiate salary
By
Emily Breckenridge
CAREER DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
So, you nailed the interview, but at the end, the recruiter
asks, “what kind of salary are you looking for?” Now what?
Negotiating salary is an art form. You’ve got to know what
you’re worth, what the company can afford, and whether they
want you enough to pay you what you require.
Before you begin a job search, decide on a range. Start by
researching what professionals with your level of education and
experience in your industry are paid on average. You can do
so on websites like www.salary.com. Keep in mind, these are
usually national averages, and may need to be raised or lowered
based on where the job is located.
A range instead of an exact number is your best option,
because it prevents you from being pushed into a lower salary,
but also dissuades a potential employer from pricing you out
of a position if your expectation is too high. If you find that
the average salary for the type of job you’re seeking is $42,000
then ask for a salary in the range $40,000 to $45,000. Also,
keep in mind that you do not want to ask for a salary that is
too high, because you might price yourself out of the job or if
you do get hired, you might be on the top of the list for layoffs
if you’re making more that your colleagues who are doing the
same work as you.
Many professionals insist that the first person to mention
salary will lose. If you are asked in an interview what you want
to be paid, ask in return, “what is the range for this position?” If
you ask this question in return, it prevents the interviewer from
pricing you out of the job immediately, and if the interviewer’s
reply is higher than your expectations, then you’ve just earned
yourself a higher salary. Once you have heard the interviewer’s
answer you can judge whether that range is appropriate for your
level of experience and education based on the research you’ve
done, and then reply to the interviewer by either saying that that
is the range you are looking for, or that you are expecting to be
paid in the $x to $y range.
If the employer seems to have an adverse reaction to your
desired range, remain positive about the job, and offer options.
Though an employer may be unable to negotiate beyond a predetermined range for the position, they might be able to negotiate
the terms of the rest of your compensation package. Perhaps they
will instead provide you with more vacation time, bonuses or
flex time. If you push too hard for your pre-determined salary,
you risk losing the job altogether.
Taking a job should make good career sense before it makes
good economic sense, so look at the big picture. Will taking this
job with a lower salary than you expected make a big difference
in your career in the long run? If yes, then consider taking the
lower salary.
continued from front
with the fact that doing work on Mies buildings is more
expensive than work on other types of buildings. There is
also a new wing for MSV (300 beds) in the works, as well as
internal renovation of other parts of the MSV complex.
When asked about IIT’s Princeton Review unhappiness
ranking, President Anderson mentioned that he wants to
increase student involvement and support student organizations
TECHNEWS
your voice
like UB and SGA.
Our president is a pretty cool guy. Students who see
him around campus say hi or wave, and although he can’t
remember every student he’s ever met, he did say that he
enjoys the greetings. For those of us who aren’t freshmen,
actually being able to recognize the President is a new and
interesting experience, and a good sign of things to come.
If you would like to contribute to the Campus News Section
or would like to see something else in it
Contact Jide
okebaba@iit.edu
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
TECHNEWS
ANDRES DE LA HOZ AND
COLIN EMCH-WEI, EDITORS
A&E
7
DELAAND1@IIT.EDU
EMCHCOL@IIT.EDU
A watering hole with good eats at Rock Bottom
By Colin Emch-Wei
A&E EDITOR
A couple of friends and I were wandering around
downtown a few days ago, looking for a place to
watch some baseball, have a beer, and chow down. We
remembered the faint mention of Rock Bottom Brewery
some time prior, and felt that it was indeed time to sample
the offerings.
Rock Bottom Brewery is, at its name states, a
microbrewery that features a restaurant. Philosophically,
food is almost an afterthought to these guys. When we were
seated, the very first thing that we were asked was, “Are
you here to drink or to eat?” In the lounge area, menus
aren’t even distributed...you’ve got to ask for them. Fear
not, however, the food offered is of a decent variation. The
restaurant itself is set up like a typical sports bar/restaurant,
with TVs scattered across tables, and brewing tanks are
behind glass for patrons to stare at. The atmosphere is what
you’d expect at any hang out spot; lots of people laughing
and joking around. All in all, a good place to relax.
Two Hefeweizens were ordered and sampled...I have
to admit, the brew was pretty darn good. The flavor was
light, and the finish crisp...it was a very good beer. Rock
Bottom’s beer has won a plethora of awards, so I don’t think
you’ll necessarily have to worry about choosing a wrong
one. Go with your gut, or try something new.
As far as the food went, I wasn’t too disappointed.
As previously mentioned, food takes a backseat at Rock
Bottom Brewery...it’s almost made to be a complement
to the beer. The menu consists of steaks, burgers, and
various Tex/Mex incarnations that should satisfy anyone’s
appetite. I ordered the smoked chicken enchiladas, while
my dining partners ordered what was essentially a brat
pocket...filled with sliced sausage and in a baked dough
ball. It was reported to be pretty good, and my enchiladas
weren’t half bad, either.
Finally, pricing: about what you’d expect. For a meal
and beer, expect to pay about $15-20 a person, depending
upon what you decide to eat. Otherwise, the price of beer
is very reasonable. Rock Bottom Brewery is a great place
to chow down on some food, drink a few, and hang out.
Rock Bottom Brewery
State & Grand
Red Line to Grand
Quick bits
of October
in Chicago
By Colin Emch-Wei
A&E EDITOR
October is a month of
great interest to anyone who
digs art and music. Chicago is
hosting some large events and
festivals this month...here’s a
sampling:
C h i c a g o A r t i s t ’s
Month: In its twelfth year
of celebration, this festival
showcases the work of
photographers, sculptors,
and many other artists from
Chicago. This year, the
event theme is “Creative
Alliances”, meant to show
how artists work together.
Events range from simple
exhibitions to being able to
meet the artists. According
to their mission statement,
the Chicago Artist’s Month
strives to recognize visual
artists throughout the city.
Chicago Film Festival:
From October 4-17, Chicago
theaters will be showing
films from 44 countries (that
translates into 160 movies).
Tickets range from $13 and
up, but this is definitely a
must-see.
Image courtesy of www.planet99.com
Radiohead’s new album, Pay What You Want
By Goldey Khanna
TECHNEWS WRITER
As a long time fan of Radiohead, I was
thrilled last week when I read on their website
that they were ready to release their new album,
‘In Rainbows.’ Radiohead announced that they
had completed the album exactly ten days before
its release. Why? Because for the first time in
music history, the price of an album isn’t going
to be decided by the record label. Instead, people
who want to purchase their album can do so on
their website, by paying whatever price they
want. And yes, it’s perfectly acceptable to pay
nothing at all.
On October 1st, Radiohead’s lead guitarist
Jonny Greenwood casually announced on the
TECHNEWS
your voice
band’s blog: “Hello everyone. Well, the new album
is finished, and it’s coming out in 10 days; We’ve
called it ‘In Rainbows’. Love from us all. Jonny”
‘In Rainbows’ will be available to download
only on the band’s official website, www.
radiohead.com, and no other source (not even
on the iTunes Music Store). Users will be able to
access the entire album and download it, by paying
whatever price they see fit. No, really. There will
be no dollar sign beside the listed price of a song;
click to purchase a song, and the display reads
“It’s Up to You.”
Ardent Radiohead fans would know that the
band have been without a record deal since the
release of their last album, ‘Hail to Thief’, back
in 2003. Many worried that because they didn’t
negotiate a contract with a recording company,
Radiohead would most likely not release a new
album.
Staying true to their billing as one of the most
original and innovative bands of our generation,
Radiohead have redefined music as a business
commodity. Chances are, most people will pay less
for ‘In Rainbows’ than the $13 they would have
to pay at online or record stores. But Radiohead
won’t care one bit. If they did, they wouldn’t have
offered this new and novel scheme for purchasing
music.
Understandably, record companies are
shocked at Radiohead’s new business method.
There is a chance that other popular mainstream
bands who can afford to incur a loss on an album,
will begin to sell their music on their own for
prices that are less than record label set them,
essentially ruining the long-lasting symbiosis
between the two.
Radiohead isn’t concerned with whether the
money generated from ‘In Rainbows’ sales will be
significantly lower than what they would earn if
they teamed up with a record label- their concert
sales will more than make up for it. However,
whether this new approach to selling music to the
public will be a success and catch on with other
bands remains to be seen.
If you would like to contribute to the A&E Section
or would like to see something else in it
Contact Andres or Colin
delaand1@iit.edu, emchcol@iit.edu
8
TECHNEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
THE SLIPSTICK
JOE KAISER, EDITOR
JKAISER2@IIT.EDU
Two Crosswords
C o py r i g h t , L ovat t s C ro s swo rd s
Across
1. Chafes (4)
7. Legal action (4)
10. Emotional ties (11)
11. Sandwich shop (4)
12. “That hurt!” (4)
13. Jason’s ship (4)
15. Spanish appetizer (4)
17. Bolt (3)
18. Drink slowly (3)
20. Deception (3)
21. Letterman’s network
(1,1,1)
23. His partner (3)
24. Rice University mascot
(3)
26. Contest of honour (4)
27. Spider, black ___ (5)
29. Jekyll’s alter ego (4)
31. Desktop feature (4)
32. Guitar accessory (4)
33. Nasty (4)
35. Bordered (5)
C o py r i g h t , L ovat t s C ro s swo rd s
37. Highway division (4)
39. Olive stone (3)
41. Intense anger (3)
42. Scarlet (3)
43. Insolence (3)
44. Flit (3)
45. Kind of shot (3)
47. Souvlaki meat (4)
50. First name in jeans (4)
52. Diagnostic test (4)
53. Raw minerals (4)
54. Unlucky (11)
55. Fries, maybe (4)
56. “Cogito, ___ sum” (4)
Down
1. “M*A*S*H” role (5)
2. What’s left (7)
3. Rouse (4)
4. ___ Clinic (4)
5. “___ Piper of Hamelin”
(3,4)
6. Straight, at the bar (4)
7. Train station (4)
xkcd
8. As a rule (7)
9. California/Nevada lake (5)
14. Roadside sign (3)
16. Fuss (3)
18. Bash (7)
19. Go ahead (7)
22. Buckwheat pancakes (5)
25. Unbroken (5)
26. Faint (3)
27. Suffering (3)
28. Roll of bills (3)
30. Hurricane’s center (3)
34. Praise (7)
36. Hard rock (7)
38. Fan (7)
40. Allen of “Home
Improvement” (3)
42. Regret (3)
43. Catalogs (5)
46. Enthusiasm (5)
48. Green Gables girl (4)
49. Website diary (4)
50. Connect (4)
51. Cast a ballot (4)
Across
1. Standard (4)
7. Charges (4)
10. Chancery court judges
(11)
11. Riviera city (4)
12. Sicilian volcano (4)
13. Re-embody (11)
18. Actor Ferrigno (3)
19. Approaching (7)
20. Bird-to-be (3)
21. “C’___ la vie!” (3)
23. One who cries foul? (3)
24. High school class (3)
26. Cheap accommodation (7)
28. Timber plantations (7)
31. Before, in poetry (3)
32. Hydroelectric project (3)
33. Brazil’s neighbor (7)
36. Unfavorable (7)
38. Black cuckoo (3)
by Randall Munroe
Damn!
Usually it is impossible for the Slipstick to make an
error, but “we” let one get away from “us” this time. The
crossword last week was utterly undoable. To apologize,
there are two this week. “We” hope you’re happy now!
The Perry Bible Fellowship
by Nicholas Gurewitch
39. “ER” network (1,1,1)
41. “___ takers?” (3)
42. Ostrich relative (3)
43. Implore (7)
46. Archeological site (3)
48. December 31 (3,5,3)
51. “Life for Rent” singer (4)
52. Zone (4)
53. Meets (10)
54. Armed conflicts (4)
55. Unlikely to bite (4)
Down
1. Important exam (5)
2. Accumulates (7)
3. Clarified butter (4)
4. Senseless (5)
5. Watch out! (6)
6. Actor Errol (5)
7. Worry (4)
8. Prizes (7)
9. Street talk (5)
14. Question and answer
session (9)
15. Road vehicles (4)
16. Jazz phrase (4)
17. Provoke (9)
22. Oktoberfest souvenir (5)
25. Red Sea nation (5)
26. Core (3)
27. Hawaiian garland (3)
29. Uneven (3)
30. Take action against (3)
34. Wash, fold and iron (7)
35. Poker stake (4)
36. Maple genus (4)
37. Actress Winona (5)
40. Gray matter (6)
42. Provide with income (5)
44. Parachute material (5)
45. Michaelmas daisy (5)
47. Look daggers (5)
49. Millions of years (4)
50. Immense (4)
Sudoku Nano
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
TECHNEWS
THE SLIPSTICK
JOE KAISER, EDITOR
JKAISER2@IIT.EDU
October 13 is
Diddy Day!
By Joe Kaiser
SLIPSTICK EDITOR
I know what you’re thinking. “I just got over the hangover from
last year’s Diddy Day! It’s that time again?”
Indeed it is. Following Mayor Daley’s landmark decree last year,
Diddy Day enters its sophomore year as an official Chicago
Holiday. And if you haven’t planned your Diddy Day celebration
yet, what are you waiting for? Diddy Day is less than a week
away!
For those new to the Chicago scene, let me clue you in. There are
many great Chicagoans who have done great things in Chicago
and around the world. IIT alone brought the world magnetic
recording, the cell phone, skyscrapers, mechanized space travel,
waves, computers, and even human teleportation. We are a world
class city with countless heroes who have truly made the world a
better place. But few great Chicagoans get their own day across
the city. The most famous is Casimir Pulaski, the Revolutionary
War General and father of the American Cavalry, who died half
a century before the incorporation of Chicago. Nevertheless, he
left an indelible mark upon Chicago, as he was from Poland, like
so many Chicagoans are. The second most famous Chicagoan,
however, is Diddy.
Diddy was born in the Bronx area of Chicago on November 4,
1969. He founded Bad Boy Records in 1993, thereby putting
Chicago on the map as the face of East Coast Hip Hop. It was
here that many of the East Coast-West Coast battles originated
between Bad Boy and Suge Knight’s Death Row records, based
out of Compton, a suburb of Omaha, Nebraska. Diddy, ever the
gentleman, tried to stay out of the conflict and let it run its course.
Tragically, that course ran right through the barrel of a gun, as the
rivalry claimed the life of West-Coaster Tupac Shakur and Diddy’s
best friend, the Notorious B.I.G.
“Hold on!” you might say. “I thought Bad Boy was based out of
New York City!” you might also say. You are wrong.
“But what does any of this have to do with Diddy becoming
the second greatest icon that Chicago has ever laid claim to?”
you say. Well, Diddy is an accomplished rapper, bringing us
such progressive hip hop hits as “It’s All About The Benjamins”
and “It’s All About The Benjamins (Rock Remix).” Are you
not impressed by this? He is also a world class producer,
producing hits for Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men! Does
this not impress you? He is an entrepreneur, a fashion
designer, an actor on screen and stage, and the United States
ambassador to Mexico!
But none of this was brought into account when Mayor
Daley pronounced October 13th now and forevermore as
Diddy Day, nor did he wish to give any old rapper/producer/
actor/designer/entrepreneur/ambassador the key to the city,
which can be used as a flask or a bludgeon but not as a key.
No, Mayor Daley pronounced a celebration of Diddy not
on his accomplishments but based on his charitable works,
of which there are some.
It is true, when you think about it, that Chicago was a
mob-run shanty-town consisting entirely of back-room
speakeasies, distilleries, and slaughterhouses prior to
Diddy’s birth, and following his works Chicago became
the world-class city it is today, that is for certain. It can
be said without question that Diddy is perhaps the most
important Chicagoan alive.
And so, every Diddy Day each and every Chicagoan
celebrates with their family over a home-cooked
meal of Veal Parmigiana, Diddy’s favorite dish.
Each and every Chicagoan dresses in all white,
to celebrate Diddy’s style. And each and every
Chicagoan takes a moment to remember when
Diddy built the Sears Tower and saved us from
the dragons.
I’m sure that this weekend you’ll go out and get
drunk at one of countless Diddy Day parties around
campus, celebrating the Diddy Day legacy as he
might. But before you get lost in all the revelry, take
a moment of silent contemplation to remember all that
Diddy has done for us as Chicagoans. I’m sure that Diddy is thinking
of all he’s done for you.
“Diddy” you know?
By Joe Kaiser
SLIPSTICK EDITOR
Did you know that Diddy believes emptying your bladder is almost
as good as sex?
Did you know that Diddy killed over 500,000 Americans as the
result of his “Vote or Die” campaign?
Did you know that Diddy, along with his compatriots at Bad Boy
Records, invented the Remix?
Diddy in the restroom
Did you know that Diddy changed his name from “P. Diddy” to
simply “Diddy” so that when fans scream his name at concerts,
they don’t get confused?
Did you know that while Diddy is known as “Diddy”
through most of the world, he is known as “P. Diddy” in
the U.K. and New Zealand because of a legal battle with
someone else who uses the stage name “Diddy”?
Did you know that Diddy is known as “Puff Daddy” to your
parents?
Did you know that Diddy describes his fashion sense as “Swagger.
Timeless. Diverse.”?
Did you know that, were the opportunity presented to him, Diddy
would like to play the black version of James Bond?
Did you know that Diddy, along with his compatriots at Bad Boy
Records, invented the Remix Volume 2?
Diddy, rescuing Ma$e from a burning building
9
10
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
TECHNEWS
SPORTS
STEPHANIE HERRERA, EDITOR
Flag football results
By Stephanie Herrera
SPORTS EDITOR
September 9th
The “Mooners”
Vick’s Doghouse
Triangle
September 16th
4th North
Vick’s Doghouse
Ocelots
September 23rd
Triangle
Ocelots
The “Mooners”
RECORDS:
The “Mooners”
Ocelots
4th North
Vick’s Doghouse
Army ROTC
Triangle
6
F
18
Ocelots
4th North
Army ROTC
18
Win
12
Win
12
14
Triangle
The “Mooners”
Army ROTC
F
0
6
0
W
21
Vick’s Doghouse 23
4th North
L
Army ROTC
9
(1-2)
(3-0)
(2-1)
(2-1)
(0-3)
(1-2)
Looking for Game Workers
Students looking for work who have work
study, and are interested in working home
athletic events, please email Coach Steve
Born @ bornste@iit.edu.
Health tip
of the Week
By Stephanie Herrera
SPORTS EDITOR
I always go in the gym and see people working
out super fast. For instance, they’ll be on one of the
circuit machines, like the bicep curl, and pump away
like no tomorrow. Sorry to tell you guys that you are
not getting a workout that way. Next time you’re in the
gym, try a workout called “super slow”. You will get ten
times the workout doing one rep of this that you will get
doing twenty of your way. It’s really easy! Let’s take
the bicep curl as an example. You just set your weights
a couple of pounds lower than you would if you were
doing your normal workout. Then slowly lift your arms
from the start position to the top position. This should
take about a minute...I’m serious, hence the name “super
slow”. Hold the bar for one minute while you slowly
raise your arms up and down. I promise you won’t be
able to do five your first time around. This exercise
works every part of you muscle which with also help
with definition. You may feel a little silly doing this, but
I promise if you challenge anyone that dares to laugh at
you, they won’t be able to do it. Good luck!
HERRSTE1@IIT.EDU
Do you know
sports?
What yachting race was called the Hundred-Guinea
Cup until a team from the U.S. won the race in 1851?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The Admiral’s Cup
The Stanley Cup
The America’s Cup
The Gascoigne Cup
Answer in next week’s issue.
Answer to last week’s issue A. True
Intramurals
Dodgeball Tournament
Saturday, October 13th
At Keating from 12PM – 2PM
5 players minimum per team
Sign-up by having the team captain
contact Joe Kirsch at
kirsjoe@iit.edu
Chicago Marathon Photospread
Photo by Linda Goldstein
Photo by Sarah Bowes
TECHNEWS
your voice
Photo by Sarah Bowes
If you would like to contribute to the Sports Section
or would like to see something else in it
Contact Stephanie
technews@iit.edu
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
TECHNEWS
SPORTS
STEPHANIE HERRERA, EDITOR
HERRSTE1@IIT.EDU
11
Photos by Sarah Bowes
12
TECHNEWS
SPORTS
STEPHANIE HERRERA, EDITOR
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2007
HERRSTE1@IIT.EDU
Scarlet Hawks Update
By Stephanie Herrera
SPORTS EDITOR
Tuesday, October 2nd
Men’s Soccer – The match against Cardinal
Stritch ended in a tie on overtime. The Hawk’s
record now stands at 7-2-3.
Volleyball – Lady Hawks show up Trinity
Christian winning this conference game in 3
games. (30-22, 30-25, 30-23) IIT had 42 kills
to Trinity’s 34. IIT’s amazing defense won
the match against Trinity. The Hawks had 16
blocks to Trinity’s 3. Alison Bagby had 38
assists, Amber had 10 kills and 14.5 points,
Carlie Douglas had triple doubled with 10
kills, 17 digs and 15 points and Sarah Olson
had 14.5 points.
Wednesday, October 3rd
Women’s Soccer – The hawks add another
sweep to their record, beating Cardinal Stritch
4-0. The quick leaders on the team are Amy
Bourquard, averaging .82 goals per game with
a total of 9 for the season. She averages .91
assists and has 10 for the season. Also, Kim
Grubisich averages 4.7 shots per game with
47 total and 3.7 shots on goal with 37 for the
season.
Thursday, October 4th
Volleyball – The Hawks sweep Purdue
Calumet North Central in an easy 3 games. The
scores were 30-24, 30-27, 30-14. The Hawk’s
record now stands at 19-4-0.
Come see the upcoming home games
for the Hawks
Men’s Soccer – Tuesday, October 6th at
7:00PM vs. Robert Morris
Women’s Soccer – Wednesday, October
7th vs. Robert Morris
Photo by Sarah Bowes
Photo by Linda Goldstein
Photo by Sarah Bowes
Photo by Sarah Bowes
Photo by Linda Goldstein
Photo by Elizabeth Wong
Correction from Issue 6: Scarlet Hawks
win 3-2 in 2OT
against St. Xavier
By Stephanie Herrera
SPORTS EDITOR
Men’s Soccer had an amazing game against St.
Xavier last Saturday. The Hawks were down 0-2 at the
half when Pedro Lima and Jason Howard pulled the
Hawks back into the game by the 90 minute mark. In
double over time Steven Booher had a goal to end the
match 3-2. Defensively it was an even match up both
goalies had 5 saves for the game, but for St. Xavier that
was not enough. The Hawks now stand at 7-2-2.
Photo by Elizabeth Wong