On August 29th, in a historic move that surprised pundits, Senator John McCain announced his selection of Alaskan governor Sarah Palin (pronounced PAY-lin, not PAH-lin) for his vice presidential running mate. The reaction from the left was immediate and visceral; feminists claimed the choice was patronizing, liberal bloggers sardonically thanked McCain for the giving them the election and the Obama campaign lashed out, calling the governor inexperienced and a pawn of Big Oil.

These criticisms have missed the point entirely. Palin was not chosen because of her gender or conservatism — for that McCain could have easily turned to Kay Bailey Hutchinson or Tim Pawlenty — she was chosen because she is a reformer with considerable upside among blue-collar voters.

As a Washington outsider who has built her political career by fighting nepotism, corruption, and corporate influence in her home state, she reinforces Senator McCain’s strained image as a party maverick. As a hockey-mom with a unionized commercial fisherman for a husband, she lends John McCain a populist appeal that his military service alone couldn’t provide.

She strengthens John McCain’s claim that as president he will end the cronyism and excess that have characterized the past seven years. Her presence on the ticket undermines the catcalls from the Obama camp that a McCain presidency would be Bush’s third term, and instead she offers John McCain the chance to recast the Republican brand, to run as a new kind of Republican, to remake his party as the representatives of the little man, standing against the Ted Stevenses, Jack Abramoffs, and the K Street politics that have poisoned both Democrats and Republicans.

In an election year destined to reward the candidate that can assume the mantle of change, Palin’s reform credentials will provide McCain the ability to position himself as a transitional politician, cleaning house and pushing his party to embrace new policies and demographics.

Along the way it doesn’t hurt that Palin is a woman, but her gender alone will be insufficient to win over a significant fraction of female voters. However, if the Obama camp is not careful, if their criticism of the governor is too strident, they’ll risk igniting the identity politics that would lead former Clintonistas to vote Republican. Some recent attacks, such as complaining that Palin won’t have the ability to care for her family and be vice president at the same time are particularly bone-headed in that they’re practically tailor-made to provoke the sort of debate on gender that Obama does not want.

Other attacks, such as critiquing the governor’s relative newness to politics, have merit, but are full of danger as well. Calling out Palin’s light resume not only gives the McCain camp opportunity to fire shots back on Obama’s inexperience, but also allows them to make sly accusations of a double standard at work. If Sarah Palin is just as seasoned as Barack Obama, then the complaints about her experience really boil down to Obama having the “look” of a president and Palin having the “look” of a beauty queen. One can imagine John McCain, with feigned indignation, wondering aloud to reporters in the back of his campaign bus why Barack Obama believes only men have the necessary gravitas to be president.

The real minefield will be the vice-presidential debate on October 2nd, when the belligerent and gaffe-prone Biden will square off against the eye-catching Alaskan governor. If the Delaware senator manages to put his foot in his mouth — as was his wont during the primaries — and says something chauvinistic, there is a real risk that Hillary PUMAs (Party Unity My A**) will use it as their excuse to stay home during the election, or worse, vote Republican.

Constitutionally the VP’s role may be to assume the office of the presidency in the event of the current office-holder being incapacitated, but on the campaign trail the most important role of the veep is that of attack dog, lobbing mud at the opposing candidates while the top of the ticket does his damnedest to appear above the fray. Palin is a skilled political mind, and while playing negative has not been her modus operandi in Alaskan politics, her recent speech at the Republican National Convention demonstrates that she is more than qualified to go on the attack.

In the coming months, expect the governor to draw some unflattering comparisons between herself and the would-be Democratic president. She, the red-blooded, blue-collared, selfless mother of five; He, the elitist, unpatriotic, Ivy-League egoist. She, apple pie and motherhood; He, arugula and self-promotion. She, the Discovery Channel’s “The Most Dangerous Catch”; He, the Home Box Office’s “The Wire.” She, Bruce Springstein; He, Britney Spears. Throw in Palin in a Chevy truck and play some Lee Greenwood in the background and the campaign ads write themselves.

To those who see American politics divided along an axis of Liberal-Moderate-Conservative, the Palin choice does not make sense. John McCain is a rare candidate who has a legitimate chance at courting the political center: why throw it away by choosing a conservative vice president? The answer is that the left-right political spectrum misses important details in how Americans define themselves politically.

“Moderates” should be viewed not as the ONLY swing group but as one swing group among many, including blue collar working whites, hispanics, catholics, and secular voters. Mitt Romney, Joe Lieberman, and Tim Pawlenty may have patched holes in the McCain candidacy, but would have done little to expand the Republican party into these growing swing demographics.

McCain’s selection of governor Sarah Palin is not a cheap gimmick or desperate long shot gamble. This represents a long awaited fundamental shift in the Republican’s long-term electoral strategy, and if the Democrats do not watch themselves, it is a shift that could pay dividends very quickly.

Keith Yost is a graduate student in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Engineering Systems Division.

Why will over 50 percent of freshmen men pledge fraternities this year? What is it about fraternity life that leads freshmen to join organizations that are so often associated with binge-drinking, dirty houses, and failing grades, a false stereotype that has been propagated by movies such as Animal House and Old School? How can so many men, from such a diverse set of backgrounds, find common homes in fraternities?

That these questions have answers is apparent if you take even a cursory look around campus. Look for fraternity men and you will quickly find campus leaders, student government representatives, athletes, community service advocates, and above all, dedicated students. It is not by accident that fraternity men are constantly involved with every facet of student life and the MIT community — they are merely implementing the values that Greek life espouses.

Fraternities exist to ensure the personal growth of their members, a need that may not be easily filled by other means. Joining a fraternity offers the chance to mature within a community focused on developing you from a young freshman to an individual prepared to make a difference in both the MIT community and beyond. Opportunities abound — perhaps you will lead an organization with over 40 members, handle a budget in excess of $100,000, play dozens of IM sports, volunteer with friends at a local hospital, or simply study late into the night with a group of willing upperclassmen tutors.

It should also be underscored that these are values-based organizations, each with a set of ideals and membership expectations. Personal responsibility, collaboration, empathy, scholarship, beneficence, morality — these are principles ingrained throughout fraternity culture. While each organization may emphasize particular values over others, the trend is clear — to join a fraternity, you must commit yourself to the highest standards of personal conduct, and nothing less will suffice in the eyes of your brothers.

The results of fraternity life speak for themselves. Fraternities boast an impressive average GPA of 4.29. Fraternities annually volunteer thousands of man hours to innumerable community service events, from crafting homemade wooden toys for children in the community to picking up trash along the Charles River. Fraternities donate thousands of dollars to charities ranging from the Children’s Miracle Network to the ALS Association.

Fraternity members include dozens of student leaders, such as last year’s Undergraduate Association President. Fraternities boast a vast number of varsity athletes, providing the driving force behind MIT’s sports teams. In short, the product that fraternities deliver is invaluable to their members and to the MIT community at-large, and the evidence is plain to see.

I will not be as bold to say that fraternity life is for everyone. I will say, however, that I believe everyone should at least give fraternities a look. You may think that fraternities are not for you; that you have no desire to ‘buy’ friends; that you do not need the personal development opportunities that fraternities provide; that you do not wish to join a culture that you perceive to be built around drinking.

When I first came to MIT, I believed a lot of these same things — I came in with only the negative stereotype of fraternities, and felt no need to go through Rush. Like many freshmen, however, I was attracted by the free food at the Greek Griller, and was quickly swayed by how genuinely the people I met cared about their respective chapters.

There must be a reason that these people are so excited about bringing new men into their organizations, I thought, and I delved deeper to uncover their motivations. I will not repeat the reasons I enumerated above; suffice to say, I found that the people rushing me did so because they saw in me the potential that they had realized in themselves, and they were confident that they could help me grow. I pledged because I saw in the upperclassmen those things that I wanted to see in myself when I was a senior, and saw the fraternity as a vehicle to guide my course.

I now stand in their shoes and can look back upon my experiences with pride. I transformed in these last three years from a bright-eyed freshman overwhelmed by the intimidating MIT experience to a confident, capable member of the MIT community. I had no leadership experience in high school, but now stand as an officer in two large organizations, a result of the half-dozen leadership positions I had the opportunity to take in my own fraternity. I cannot say who I would be today without the influence of my fraternity, but I know myself, and I know that without the guidance of my brothers I would never have seized the opportunities lying before me.

The final piece of the fraternity puzzle that must be mentioned is the Interfraternity Council, the governing body of all 27 MIT fraternities. The IFC is tasked with promoting a sense of interfraternalism among its members, guiding the overall direction of the fraternity community, uniting its members for community service events, and safeguarding the image of our community. The IFC does not strive to be highly visible, but it is responsible for key fraternity events such as Rush and Greek Week. The IFC can perhaps be regarded as the glue that holds the fraternity community together.

If you take anything away from my piece, remember this — even if you do not think that Greek life is for you, recognize that thousands of men have thought the same thing, and yet found significant value in joining a fraternity. There are innumerable reasons why over 50 percent of freshmen men pledge fraternities — it is up to you to find out whether these reasons hold value for you.

Reid Van Lehn ’09 is the Vice President of the Interfraternity Council and a member of Phi Delta Theta.

Independent Living Groups offer a variety of unique opportunities for MIT students. The ILGs are a collection of five different houses, each with its own lifestyle, culture, and personality. Students who join ILGs find themselves a part of a small, close-knit community of friends.

Perhaps unlike some of the other living options at MIT however, the Independent Living Groups are all extremely different from one another — so you should check them all out! Even if the first one you try isn’t right for you, make sure to try the rest because they each have their own unique character.

It is easy to find a place at MIT where you can live and be happy; in fact, each person would most likely be happy at a large number of different places. But you should not be satisfied with that. There is someplace here where you can truly fit in, where you can really make a home for yourself. So whether or not you’ve found somewhere that’s good for you, always keep looking and try to find someplace perfect. You never know — maybe you’ll find your home at one of the ILGs.

To find out more about the ILGs, come to the Greek Griller on Saturday, go to web.mit.edu/lgc/, or go to the Web sites of the individual houses. The five ILGs are Fenway House, Student House, Pika, WILG, and Epsilon Theta.

David Farhi ’10 is the Commander of Epsilon Theta.

After months of speculation and debate, Barack Obama chose policy veteran Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate. Each of the top three contenders, including Biden, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, and Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia had strengths and weaknesses. Joe Biden is the smartest choice, and here’s why.

Until recently, Senator Obama has been hesitant to attack McCain’s legislative record and security credentials, likely out of fear that such attacks would highlight Barack’s inexperience and newfound political “celebrity” status: one of Senator McCain’s favorite discussion topics.

Vice Presidential candidates typically serve as political attack dogs, which is exactly what Barack’s campaign needs right now. With his message of rejecting the “politics of the past,” Obama has not been able to respond harshly enough to McCain attacks without tarnishing his image or seeming like a “flip-flopper.”

A Biden ticket gives Barack ample clearance to rebut McCain’s charges of youthful inexperience. Until recently, these attacks went unanswered, and they were starting to work. Biden is a 35-year Senate veteran (the 4th longest serving Democrat) and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. With a foreign policy heavyweight on the Democratic ticket, McCain can no longer charge Obama with inexperience without fear of swift retribution.

Unlike Biden, Senator Bayh and Governor Kaine are mild mannered politicos who have failed to distinguish themselves on most issues. While these two members of the short-list would have helped carry vital swing states (Indiana and Virginia respectively), Senator Biden strengthens the ticket in the policy areas where Obama is perceived as being weaker — foreign policy and national security. Biden, while sometimes noted for his verbosity and the occasional gaffe, elevates the debate above petty attack ads, which will prove troublesome for McCain.

Senator Obama made the right choice in foregoing an electoral advantage for a rhetorical edge. Biden has already shown his willingness to take on McCain, most recently assailing his inability to recall how many homes he owned in the face of an ailing economy and mortgage crisis:

“Ladies and gentlemen, your kitchen table is like mine. You sit there at night … after you put the kids to bed and you talk, you talk about what you need. You talk about how much you are worried about being able to pay the bills. Well, ladies and gentlemen, that’s not a worry John McCain has to worry about. … He’ll have to figure out which of the seven kitchen tables to sit at.”

The Obama camp has been treading a fine line with Biden, emphasizing his working class, catholic roots in Scranton, PA. “For decades, he has brought change to Washington, and Washington hasn’t changed him,” Obama said, trying to pre-empt Republican attacks that might seek to portray Senator Biden as a Washington insider.

Biden also has an established liberal voting record, which will help rally the Democratic base. He has played key roles in the Senate Judiciary Committee, notably in anti-crime legislation and Supreme Court justice nominations. As Chairman of the committee from 1987 to 1995, he presided over the contentious Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, in addition to passing the first instituted assault weapons ban.

Joe Biden is a hard hitting debater with an impeccable resume. He brings the experience and the foreign policy heft to form a formidable Democratic ticket. It’s unlikely that John McCain will be able to find a running mate with Senator Biden’s credentials, which could serve to reverse McCain’s “experience” argument — effectively neutralizing the Senator from Arizona’s most potent attack line.

Daniel E. Yelin ’10 is a junior in the Department of Political Science.

Come as you are. Sororities at MIT are about finding a place where you feel comfortable as an individual as well as feel supported as part of the community. Each sorority on campus has a distinct personality, yet all were founded on similar values and as a support system for women at MIT. Many have found a strong community with their sorority, and that experience has made all the difference in their lives at MIT. Below are a number of tales straight from Greek women on campus:

* * *

“I had tried a lot at MIT so far, and I figured that joining a sorority was the least likely thing I could do. As soon as I got my bid from my sorority, I knew that it was the family I had been missing while my own family was far away. I had someone to turn to when I was having a bad day; psets were still impossible but I had someone to stay up with me until we got some sort of answer; friends were never too far away when walking down the infinite meant seeing a sea of greek letters. At MIT we’re often caught up with how little and insignificant we are — being a part of such a powerful women’s organization changed all that for me. For the first time since I walked into class as a little freshman, I was part of my own sisterhood and community.

I never felt that so strongly as when my sisters supported me in the most important aspect of my life. As a freshman, I organized a national Brain Tumor 5K in Washington DC. I was the volunteer coordinator and had been having a hard time getting people to sign up. So I sent an e-mail to my chapter asking if anyone would like to come with my family and me to DC and volunteer for the run. Immediately I had sisters signing up, and a few weeks later my dad rented a large van and took me and a group of my sorority sisters the eight hours to Washington DC. They supported me when things did not go as planned, and filled in gaps in the volunteers where I needed more help. After the run, I had people coming up to me saying that these women, my sisters, had changed their perceptions of sorority women and that they were so incredibly impressed.

After that weekend, I knew that not only was I a part of a sorority, I was part of a group of women who were powerful mind-changing supportive sisters. They made me want to be a Recruitment Counselor, because I know if I found something so incredibly powerful, other women can find that too.”

—Cheryl M. Kwinn ’09

* * *

“In high school, joining a sorority was never my idea of fun. Surprisingly, I never knew that MIT had sororities before freshman orientation when my roommate mentioned them to me. She already had her mind set on joining, and I was still unconvinced that they would improve my social life in any real way.

When I returned to my dorm after my first night of recruitment, I was surprisingly excited about the prospect of joining a sorority. All of the women were intelligent, friendly, and impressive, and I began to see them not as people who would dictate my social life, but a group of people who would be a good resource at MIT.

Perhaps the best part about being in a sorority is the fact that all of the women make me laugh. They are wonderful hysterical people who are smart and dedicated to their work, but also take time to laugh. And through four years of laughs, they find themselves, become adults, and learn that life is nothing without friendship and loyalty.

—S. Campbell Proehl ’09

S. Campbell Proehl is a Tech Campus Life columnist.

* * *

“I didn’t believe in paying for my friends and that was why I didn’t go through Recruitment my freshman year at MIT. I thought that I was extroverted enough to find friends on my own. I ruled out the possibility of joining a sorority without a real basis for my reasons. It wasn’t until sophomore year that I realized that surviving MIT was more difficult than I had thought.

MIT is such a busy place. It was so easy to get lost in the cracks, overload myself with work, and forget to eat several times. The few people who were really close to me started getting busier and delved into different studies as sophomore year approached.

After much thought, I decided to go through Recruitment my sophomore year ­­— the idea of making an educated decision about sororities wouldn’t hurt anyone. I have met so many amazing girls, and they have been there for me when I received all my bad test grades or made sure that I had a proper dinner in my stomach or consoled me when I couldn’t speak to anyone about my Grandmother’s death. I am really thankful for them and they have made my MIT experience more memorable and when I look back, I think of the fun times, the laughter, and the love we share for one another.

I honestly regret joining a year late. To me, that meant missing out on one more wonderful year with the best girls in the world — no one should pass up on that opportunity!”

—Jennifer Tang ’09

* * *

We encourage you to do the same as these inspiring women who were once in your shoes. Come to recruitment as you are. It’s perfectly okay to just come and look around!

Yicong Liu ’09 is the Panhellenic Association Vice President of Recruitment.

Ever imagine how college life would be different in a university other than MIT — say several thousand miles away in a Middle Eastern country like Lebanon? During IAP this year, I was in Lebanon and I decided to ask my friends about their college experiences. I even visited a college right after student government elections. Having lived in Lebanon for almost 17 years of my life, I was not surprised by the diversity of the students who come from all Lebanese districts, speak various accents, and belong to different political groups and religions.

What I did not expect though, was the prevalence of political life among students and how it defined almost everything they do. Students only befriend other students who belong to their own political party, arguing and even fighting intensely with the rest. Student governments are not elected according to virtues, but according to the dominance of a certain party on campus. It was a disappointing shock to see friends I have known for years no longer on speaking terms!

Lebanon has 17 different religions. Its populace is a melting pot of different cultures from the Mediterranean and Levant area. However, this country also has been the home of much bloodshed and violence. It has been occupied by or been a part of numerous empires including Phoenicia, Persia, Armenia, Assyria, Macedonia, Babylonia, the Romans, Byzantium, Arabia, Crusaders, Ottomans, Greater Syria, France, and Israel. In 1975, a civil war broke out that lasted 15 years and left an estimated 150,000 killed. An even greater number of people were left maimed, kidnapped, or imprisoned in foreign prisons. Though the war has ended, conflict continues.

There have been more than 20 bombs set off in the last four years, resulting in the death of several high-ranking politicians and dozens of civilians. In 2006, the Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah, fought a war with Israel leaving around 1200 Lebanese victims. In 2007, Palestinian militants in refugee camps revolted against the Lebanese army and killed at least 160 soldiers. Militants have also been blamed for an August 13, 2008 explosion that claimed 18 lives. Lebanese politicians fight verbal wars where they threaten each other or claim to be threatened. In January 2007, clashes in Beirut Arab University led to 4 dead students and 200 injured. In May 2008, intense fighting broke out between different political factions, killing almost 100 civilians and nearly leading to renewed civil war.

How could such a little country — less than 40% the size of Massachusetts — be the recipient of so much bloodshed and hatred? The Lebanese populace has been constantly fighting the Syrian presence in Lebanon, the Israeli army, Palestinian militants in refugee camps, and, worst of all, each other. Lacking unity, Lebanese have been shamelessly fighting with members of their own families and with previously close friends merely because they belong to opposing political factions. Citizens seem to blindly follow leaders, most of whom have changed political positions several times in recent years. They do not question the nature of things, they accept all that they are being told and use religion to defend their actions. How can this nation survive so much internal conflict and regional tension?

For the past 4 years, the Lebanese people have not had any moment of peace nor rest. They have been in a constant phase of being in war, but with whom? Who is it that they are continuously fighting? Who is the ‘enemy’? Is it one entity or is it everyone?

Who are the Lebanese people called upon to despise and hate? It seems that they are brainwashed into believing that we are constantly in war with others and with ourselves.

However, who is to blame for the state of affairs? Is it a foreign government that is forcing them to hate and fight? Is it the Lebanese government’s own doing by failing to offer modern infrastructure, regular services and a productive economy? Or, after all these centuries of occupation by foreign nations — and this is the greatest fear of all — has the urge to fight become inborn in the Lebanese people?

Whoever is to blame, this constant fighting has left the Lebanese people hopeless for a peaceful future. Finding a solution seems almost impossible since the people of the nation stand divided — unsure of what they are fighting for and what they are fighting against.

Alice Nawfal is a sophomore in the Department of Mathematics.

Welcome to MIT! Whether you were covered by green Jell-O at Burton Conner’s Jell-O wrestling, inspired by Yet-Ming Chang’s research, or entertained by life-sized Tetris at East Campus, we are fairly certain that you’re aware of the fact that MIT is like no other college. From the 9 a.m. Math Diagnostics Test to rush events running throughout all hours of the night (and morning!), we are sure that you have begun to experience what it means to be an MIT student. These last few days of adrenaline filled all-nighters have been designed to integrate you into MIT’s unique experience: too much amazing stuff to fit into a short period of time.

After an exhausting week of dorm events, the other half of MIT’s campus comes alive during recruitment/rush. The FSILGs have their own set of events planned such as paintballing, F1 go-cart racing, and countless BBQs. Whether you decide to pursue this avenue or not, recruitment/rush provides a little more time to explore Boston, meet your classmates, and eat free food.

Regardless of how you choose to spend you time, make the most of these next few weeks, as it is one of the rare moments the campus is completely unburdened by the MIT academic “fire-hose.” Upperclassmen are eager to meet you and show you what they do for fun in the diverse sea of opportunities at MIT. This is a place where there are countless activities available, but you shouldn’t feel constrained by your previous experiences: all activities tend to have different levels, be it a Varsity sport or Intramural sport just for fun. Falling into the latter, D-League Ice Hockey is always popular — if you have never seen ice before, there is a good chance that you won’t be alone. The Activities Midway (Friday afternoon, in Johnson) is a great place to gather information about the endless ways to procrastinate the problem sets you are soon to enjoy.

At these events, meet lots of people; find out what they did and what they would do differently if given a chance. Nothing says you have decide your next four years this week, but cast a large net now so that you are well informed when the day does come to make a choice. Above all else, while you have time in your first term, try new things — you never know just what you will like and what people with whom you will choose to surround yourself.

We are the Undergraduate Association (UA), a group of students committed to improving everyday life at MIT. The UA is involved in some way with just about all campus-wide activities: the UA Senate funds over a hundred student groups on campus, the Class Councils hold regular study breaks to help students relax, and the Events Committees (one of ten committees) plans the Fall Festival (this year: Comedian Russell Peters) and Spring Weekend (last year: Third Eye Blind concert). Within the UA, over one hundred students come together in dozens of capacities to help guide the amazing experiences, both socially and academically, that MIT offers.

Want to get involved? We encourage you to contact us at any point this year if you have any questions about MIT or want to become involved in the UA. We will be at the Activities Midway, and look forward to meeting you!

Noah Jessop and Mike Bennie are the President and Vice President of the MIT Undergraduate Association.

During my first run at graduate school, nearly half the students in my engineering research lab were women. My newly appointed and tenured adviser, a decorated researcher from Bell Labs who was eventually awarded a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, was a woman. And looking back at my time there, most of the friends I made were women and the same was true of my undergraduate experience studying electrical engineering. As a result, I feel that even as stereotypical (Asian) male engineer, I well understand the problems that women in science and engineering experience.

This is in spite of the fact that while electrical engineering is not the ‘testosterone ghetto’ that a modern physics or math department is, most EE classes aren’t exactly brimming with today’s female youth either. As a guy among guys, we had always wanted women in our classrooms — if only to bring variety to the fraternity atmosphere. At the same, we self-consciously tried not to frighten away the fairer sex toward the liberal arts.

I’m not going to lie — there absolutely is a dose of sexism and discrimination regarding women and their ability in science. The important question is why this continues to exist in spite of the efforts of women’s groups and the recent spotlight shone on academic hiring practices. The Lawrence Summers ‘brouhaha’ at Harvard has led to a reexamination of why math, science, and engineering research appears to be one of the last bastions of sexism, an overwhelmingly male-dominated field when undergraduate colleges overall are now enrolling and graduating more women than men.

As a result, some politicians and women’s groups are calling anew for a “Title Nining” of federal science funding — in which research money is guaranteed to be free from sex discrimination. In some scientific fields, sex discrimination can still run deep, where the department institutions remain a fossilized artifact from the last century and women are clearly and plainly discouraged from participating. There is no question such transgressions should be punished and these are cases where the loss of grant money is a just penalty.

However, using the power of the purse to enforce gender equality is a heavy-handed tactic that could lead to awkward and undesirable quota systems. In departments where the culture and influence of a handful of professors is the problem, withdrawing research funds and the use of quotas would be clumsy tools disproportionate to the transgression. This would lead to the further marginalization of women in science departments and an aggravation of the “imposter syndrome” that women in science and engineering already experience too well.

Worse, the “Title Nining” of science research loses sight of the real problem weighing on women today — the scientific research profession itself. The path to achieving research stardom is fraught with uncertainties about location, pay, and success. Academic research, more than many professions, is intensely personal, relying on the tutelage and guidance of a handful of advisers for a better part of a decade. Horror stories abound of how easily a budding research career can be sunk due to the irrationality and whimsy of a respected professor, whose word would always hold sway in front of an academic committee.

New research shows that there are multiple factors that combine to dissuade women from the sciences and research, none of which have to do with discrimination. A recent study from Berkeley lends credibility to the assertion that got then-President Summers in trouble — that there is a greater variation in the math abilities of boys than girls. While the overall ability of boys is, on average, indistinguishable from girls, there are more boys on the high ability end of the scale as well as the low end. When one starts looking at the top tail of that distribution curve (say, the MITs and Harvards of the world), the gender gap could be explained by the difference in the spread of abilities.

To compound this problem, another study finds that women who are technically proficient are also more likely than their male counterparts to be good at other skills, like writing and communications. This opens up the doors to other careers, providing more options for women to find a fulfilling and happy livelihood. Their male classmates, on the other hand, are limited to the occupations that their narrow skill set provides — including scientific research.

Topping it off is the old problem of raising a family. For female researchers, there has always been the clash of timelines between the tenure track calendar and the child-raising deadline. Maternity leaves and benefits for graduate students and faculty alike have become more generous over the years. But as more women graduate from the sciences and peer into their future research career, they are noticing that the band-aids for helping women down the tenure track are insufficient. Women are thus choosing more flexible and fulfilling jobs so that down the road they won’t have to sacrifice education and career for family. Lacking an overhaul of the academic system, women are continuing to opt out of science.

Discrimination has been and will continue to be a problem for women in the sciences but ultimately, science research as it is practiced today is a demanding occupation. Given their abilities, women are freely and intelligently choosing careers that are more satisfying than scientific research.

Gary Shu is a graduate student in the Engineering Systems Division.

Orientation is a wonderful and exhilarating time to be on campus. Representatives from the many diverse segments of the MIT community — from living groups to student activities, athletics teams and learning communities — are part of the process of showcasing this amazing place to the incoming class. Since this is my sixth year on campus participating in orientation, I can tell you that no year’s events are ever quite the same — there are always new things to discover. In fact, there seem to be so many sessions, events, demonstrations and parties that it can sometimes seem completely overwhelming.

Though it can often seem too much to handle in just a few days, Orientation is your introduction to life the MIT way — as the saying goes, it’s like drinking water out of a firehose. Make the most you can of the experience. This is a wonderful time to make new and long-lasting friendships, to explore the campus and the surrounding community, and to uncover the many exciting opportunities there are to live and learn at MIT. However, somewhere amidst all of the running around and all of the consumption of free food, try to take a few minutes during this week to reflect on how you think you can fit into this unique community — we all have our role here, our piece of the puzzle.

For example, consider well whether your assigned dormitory is really the right fit for you — you can always try to switch. Think twice about skipping important Rush events — you may be missing out on that living community where you might most feel at home. Take a chance and sign up on the contact list for that interesting club or student activity you saw at the Activities Midway — I assure you, you will actually have plenty of time to participate.

Don’t worry quite yet about classes — that’s for next week. Don’t worry quite yet about unpacking — you’ll probably have to move to a new room anyway. Try your best not to worry too much about your parents (I know that can be a challenge). Instead, you should worry about spreading your roots in this special new environment. Even though MIT is certainly different from your high school, in time it can become just as comfortable and supportive if you find the right living groups, activities and programs to support you in your time here.

In these pages over the next few days, we will publish columns from representatives of some of the various elements of the MIT community that make this place so special. These pieces will elaborate on the way that living communities, student activities and student advocacy groups contribute to student life here and how participating in these endeavors can fundamentally affect your MIT experience.

I hope that these features can help to guide you on your nascent journey to discover your place in our unique community. Best of luck in your endeavor, congratulations on your auspicious achievement in getting here and of course — Welcome to MIT!

Two months ago, it looked like the McCain camp was in shambles. The Arizona senator was struggling to read from a teleprompter, giving speeches in front of garish green backdrops, and standing behind podiums that made him look small and awkward. His campaign organization was muddled, full of deadweight managers who lacked the skills to play in the big leagues, but whom the senator didn’t have the heart to fire. And instead of moving to the center, as most candidates do in the general election, McCain, if anything, was moving to the right. In national polls he was only behind by four points, but with the enthusiasm gap, the fundraising numbers, and the dismal condition of the Republican brand, pundits were confident that John McCain was well on his way to a crushing defeat in November.

Fast forward to the present. The once-stumbling McCain is now outclassing his opponent in forums like the Saddleback Club. The once-muddled campaign has squared away the deadweight and replaced it with top Republican operatives. And the once-ridiculed move to the right is paying dividends. With surging numbers in the polls, electoral vote predictors like FiveThirtyEight.com have watched John McCain go from a five-to-two underdog to a slight favorite.

It’s not luck. Despite his poor public speaking, his organizational problems, and the rotten condition of the party, two months ago McCain held one advantage over Barack Obama that would trump everything else: he understood the difference between a mommy election and a daddy election.

A mommy election is an election focused on economic issues: health care, job growth, education. Democrats win mommy elections.

A daddy election is an election focused on national security issues: the War on Terror, foreign policy, Iraq. Republicans win daddy elections.

On May 26th, in an Associated Press interview, John McCain laid down the gauntlet, challenging Barack Obama to visit Iraq and see the situation on the ground for himself. Had Obama understood the importance of keeping the national focus on the economy, he would have immediately answered McCain’s challenge with one of his own: “Senator McCain, I want you to visit Detroit with me. I want you to see the situation on the ground for yourself. I want you to see the conditions that American citizens are living in.”

Instead, Obama hemmed and hawed and talked about how he’d “consider” visiting Iraq. For two straight weeks McCain stayed on message, pummeling Obama with his challenge. “It’s a trap!” cried the talking heads. If Obama visits Iraq, then the conversation shifts to foreign policy, but if he doesn’t visit Iraq he leaves McCain an opening to keep bringing foreign policy up, again and again and again.

In the end, Obama made the best out of a lose-lose situation. With a masterfully orchestrated international tour and a catchy one-liner (“George Bush and John McCain don’t have a strategy for success in Iraq — they have a strategy for staying in Iraq.”), he not only passed the McCain challenge, but also used the opportunity to sound more hawkish on a range of foreign policy issues, from Iran to Iraq to Israel. By closing the policy gap between himself and Senator McCain, Obama denied his opponent the traction needed to push foreign policy issues back into the limelight. For a week, John McCain could do nothing but split hairs between horizons and timetables. And so, at the start of August, it looked like Obama would have an opportunity to push the focus back on to the economic issues where he was handily defeating his opponent: Health care, the economy, and education.

Instead, Obama stepped off of O-Force One without a clear message. The vacuum was quickly filled with talk of offshore drilling and speculation as to why Obama’s international tour didn’t give him a bounce in the polls. The Illinois senator, seemingly oblivious to the risks he was taking by not taking the initiative back from John McCain, decided to go on a Hawaiian vacation. August 7th, the start of the 2008 South Ossetian War, found Obama on a sandy beach, shirtless and flatfooted. With foreign policy issues once again front and center, McCain easily surged ahead.

If Obama is to have a chance in November, he needs to be much more aggressive in bringing economic issues back into the forefront of the election. He cannot simply sit back and wait for national security issues to die down; there will always be a South Ossetia War somewhere in the world. It could come in the form of concerns about China’s rise following their Olympic performance, or violence and uncertainty in Pakistan, or a terrorist attack at home or abroad — whatever the form that it comes in, Obama must understand that left unopposed, John McCain will make national security the center of the race.

James Carville’s advice to Bill Clinton on how to win the 1992 election rings just as true today: It’s the economy, stupid.

Keith Yost is a graduate student in the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering and the Engineering Systems Division.

Someone once said that a movie endowed with five unforgettable scenes is a classic. As the most anticipated event of 2008, the Beijing Olympic Games captivated the world with many moving and magical moments. Each second was a motion picture packed with life and passion. Thus, I had a hard time figuring out where to start after my friends asked me to write an article about this monumental event.

From any vantage point, China put forth a tremendous effort in hosting this Olympic Games, as judged by the grand stadiums, the professional organizations, and the tens of thousands of enthusiastic volunteers. World records and Olympic records were shattered one after another, challenging the physical limits of the human body. As a hero who perfectly embodied the Olympic and American spirit, Michael Phelps reached a pinnacle moment by earning eight gold medals in a single Olympics. Then, like a comet, Usain Bolt blazed through the 100m and 200m sprints — making him an Olympic phenomenon overnight. The astonishing athletes occupied the headlines of the major media outlets throughout the Games, and their marks will forever be etched in the history of the Olympic movement.

Speaking of history, who was not mesmerized by Zhang Yimou’s cinematic rendition of China’s evolution and essence since ancient times? Who was not awestruck by the sheer magnificence of the performances made possible by the thousands of actors moving in surreal synchronization? Aside from the splendid opening night, every visitor to China must be impressed by the beauty and vitality of its capital, Beijing, a city that integrates both modern styles and ancient tastes. When 8/8/08 finally dawned upon Beijing, concerns about air pollution and sandstorm suddenly slipped away from people’s minds. Instead, everyone was waiting to be wowed by the achievements and surprises that China promised after years of dedication and preparation. With 51 Gold out of 100 medals won, China went beyond the most optimistic prediction and far exceeded its 32-Gold-medal record set in Athens.

As one of the most rapidly growing countries, China never ceases to embrace the outside world and improve itself along the way. For those who only learned of China from the media, this Olympic Games provided a perfect chance for them to gain first-hand insight into the heart of the country. Hosting the Olympic Games will help the citizens of other nations to learn more about the real China and reduce the barriers between them. Only with better understanding can all countries cooperate together to solve the important problems facing the world. And only with lasting friendships and solidarity can the mission of the modern international Olympic movement become a reality.

Besides the sports and global relations issues, how will the 2008 Olympic Games affect the common people in China? For a country still underdeveloped in many regions and recovering from the most disastrous earthquake in decades, in retrospect, was it wise for the nation to expend such effort — in wealth and manpower — to host this two-week event? Throughout the last few weeks, these questions have been discussed on various online forums and even during my lunch chatting with others. For the Games itself, the budget of roughly 2.2 billion US dollars (49% covered by the International Olympic Committee) will not register as a deficit according to the official news and can be balanced by related sales such as the broadcasting rights. The additional cost to improve the Beijing’s transportation system and to reduce the air pollution is not only important for the Games but will also be beneficial for the long-term development of the city, whose economy and population keep increasing through the years. The Olympics simply forces the government to solve these inevitable problems in a more timely fashion.

This time, the China Olympic Committee emphasized a unique concept called the “Green Olympics.” Environmental and energy saving issues were taken very seriously during the entire construction process. In the last two decades, the rapid economic growth in China was heavily indebted to the sacrifice of the environment. As industrial pollution began to significantly affect the everyday life quality in some regions, a concept called “Continuable Development” was set in place in past years. However, this concept was lacking in action, especially when it conflicted with the profits of local industry. Some may argue about the effectiveness of using the Olympics as a platform to advertise scrutiny of environmental quality. However, it strongly demonstrates the concern and dedication of China’s government to solving this urgent problem. The successful experiences of the green improvements could be transferred to other large cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou that also suffer from environmental problems. Regarding energy efficiency, numerous new technologies were developed to reduce the operating cost of the modern stadiums. For example, air conditioning load can be significantly reduced by using phase change materials in floor tiles that can store extra heat and minimize the fluctuation in indoor temperature during the day. These research projects started even earlier than the MIT energy initiative and are now ready to be commercialized and compensate for the rapidly growing energy consumption in China.

For one moment in time, China realized its dream to embrace the world in its arms. As the Olympic Games come to a close, everything will return to normal in the nation — but the memories will live on. I am sure that many of you will never forget about some of the exciting moments in Beijing Olympics. The spirits and triumphs of the athletes will always encourage us to push our own limits in the things we are doing. Too bad we have to wait another four years until the London Olympics!

Qing Hao is a graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and wrote this column on behalf of the MIT Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA).

The administration made a wise move last week in deciding to take proactive steps to more explicitly encourage the use of public transportation by campus commuters. The recent change included an expansion of the commuter rail pass subsidy to 50 percent for all zones and the decision to provide free transit passes for the month of September to employees who currently park on campus. By making it easier for MIT faculty and staff to utilize the Boston metropolitan area’s comprehensive transit system, the administration’s efforts can go a long way towards decreasing the impact of rising fuel costs on our community and reducing our collective carbon footprint.

These recent changes in administration policy, however, are only reflective of a larger trend towards more efficient forms of travel due largely to rising fuel costs. According to a recent American Public Transportation Association ridership report, 85 million more trips on public transportation were taken in the first three months of 2008 than in the same period of 2007, a 3.3 percent increase over last year’s record total. At the same time, the number of auto vehicle-miles traveled has actually begun to decrease — this year at nearly unprecedented rates.

This kind of transit ridership jump, though predicted by some economists, was relatively unanticipated by policy makers — many of who view the nation as almost exclusively reliant on the automobile. However, America is no longer a rural nation — roughly 70 percent — of Americans live in urbanized areas, and many of those areas are serviced by public transport. The fact that we have recently seen such a significant shift in consumer behavior should indicate to government bureaucrats that the auto fuel market is more elastic than most have imagined. It is becoming clear to drivers that multiple travel options are available for many trips and that some of those alternatives are becoming more and more attractive.

The traveling public is reacting to price signals — they are changing modes, sharing rides, and chaining trips in order to lengthen the frequency between costly fill-ups at their local gas station. In addition, these short-term measures are only a reflection of the more permanent changes that will likely accompany higher fuel prices, including increased fleet fuel efficiency, urban redensification, and more public transport-oriented development. Policy makers should be conscious that they can have a hand in changing (or preserving) the status-quo of transport behavior in this country through their treatment of transit fares, fuel taxes, and other government policies.

Just as MIT is taking steps to promote more cost and energy efficient travel for its employees, we should encourage our government officials to promote sustainable transportation options for all citizens. This year’s election season and next year’s reauthorization of the federal transportation program will provide important opportunities for us to influence the future of national transportation policy — ensuring a system that encourages sustainable development and accessibility instead of more urban sprawl.