Harvard Today: December 1, 2014

Happy Monday, and welcome back to campus, Harvard! Now that you’ve had a few days off to remember what home life was like—your friends and family, your house, your non-HUDS food—maybe you're already starting your countdown for winter break. Or maybe if your Thanksgiving was filled with those dreaded visits to Aunt Susan, loud siblings and a complete lack of privacy, you're desperately hanging onto these last few weeks in Cambridge before you return home. Either way, with only three days of classes left before reading period begins, congratulations on making it to the last full Monday of the year! Started from the bottom now we're here?

By Daniel N. Yue

IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Today will see a high of 55 degrees and a low of 28 degrees. On the one hand, you may want to hang up your winter parka; but on the other hand, the extra warmth might be necessary considering the 10-15 mph winds. However, overall not too bad for the first day of December.

IN THE D-HALLS

Lunch

Chicken Breast with Tomato Basil Salsa
Pork Sausage Sub with Peppers and Onions
Lentil Chili with Corn

Dinner

Coconut Curry Chicken
Multigrain Penne with Basil Pesto and Shrimp
Tofu, Broccoli and Walnut Stir Fry

ON FLYBY

Sunrise in Lamont: Timestamped Observations of an All Nighter: We've all been there.

IN THE NEWS

1) Divestment Suit Plaintiffs Speak Out: Six of the seven student plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit last week that seeks to compel the University to “immediately withdraw” its holdings from fossil fuel companies discussed their decision to take legal action during an informational meeting held Tuesday afternoon at the Law School.

2) Study: Police Face Higher Risk of Cardiac Death Under Stress: A study published by researchers from the School of Public Health and Cambridge Health Alliance found that police officers face a higher risk of sudden cardiac death during high-stress activities than when they are conducting routine duties.

3) For Students on Campus, Thanksgiving Brings Rest, Feasting: While many students traveled off campus for home-cooked meals and family reunions this Thanksgiving, students staying at Harvard used the temporary lull to catch up on sleep, focus on work, and sample the dishes they had come to expect from the holiday.

4) Men's Hockey Topples No. 4 UMass-Lowell, 4-2: Three teams from Massachusetts stand in front of the Harvard men’s ice hockey team in the national rankings. With Saturday night’s win, the Crimson has now taken them all down this season.

EVENTS

If you haven’t started thinking about your summer plans, today’s your day. Head to the Office of Career Services (54 Dunster St) for a Summer Internships, Study Abroad, and Funding 101 panel from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m.

Also at 4:00 p.m. today, you can plug into a computer science colloquium led by Microsoft senior researcher Boaz Barak and entitled “Proofs for Algorithms, Algorithms for Proofs.” The lecture is in Maxwell Dworkin G115 and will touch upon algorithm design, optimization, machine learning and game theory.

Finally, check out this year’s Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics, “Optimism for a Change: Media Campaigns, and 2016,” which will be at 6:00 p.m. at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Harvard Kennedy School. Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, managing editors of Bloomberg Politics, will discuss the upcoming election.

The Harvard College Global Health and AIDS Coalition is hosting a vigil for World AIDS Day tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Tercentenary Theater. Stop by to show your support!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Harvard students staying on campus for Thanksgiving enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving feast prepared by HUDS staff.