CLUB CONNECTION Keeping track of the past
If you’re like me, then the closest thing to a model train you’ve played with is a Hot Wheels toy car, complete with a pre-designed shark pirate robot ninja track. I could always tell that a book I read was decades-old when the winsome rascal received a model train under the Christmas tree. But little did I know that this old-fashioned hobby was still alive in the Tech Model Railroad Club (TMRC).
Events: Sept. 27 - Oct. 4
Events Sept. 27 – Oct. 4 Tuesday (3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) How to Find a UROP — 2-132 (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Writing Compelling Cover Letters — 2-105 (7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) MIT Generator - Sustainability in Action — R&D Commons (Stata Center, 4th floor) Wednesday (2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) Creating an Effective CV for the Academic Job Search — 3-442 (6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) An Evening with Bill Bonvillian, MIT Washington DC Office Director — NW86 (Sidney-Pacific Graduate Residence) Thursday (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Into the Sky with Diamonds: book discussion with author Ronald P. Grelsamer — E14-109 Friday (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Preview Opening: 2011 Great Glass Pumpkin Patch — Kresge Oval (7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows Bridesmaids — 26-100 Saturday (10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.) Great Glass Pumpkin Patch — Kresge Oval (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) 2011 Ig Informal Lectures by the Ig Nobel Prize Winners — 26-100 Sunday (2:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Fall Ballroom Dance Classes by MIT Ballroom Dance Club — La Sala Monday (11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.) State of the Institute Forum — Kresge Auditorium Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
NERDY WITH A CHANCE OF RANDOM Good intentions, bad advice
As life progresses, those who claim to understand the world carelessly throw pieces of advice around. On the surface, these quips of knowledge seem to be legitimate. But after thinking about what is actually going on, the flaws become increasingly apparent. Don’t let the following pieces of advice ensnare you in their trap.
GREEN EGGS AND SAM Wandering the aisles
Living away from home for the first time presents new and surprising challenges. One of those challenges became obvious pretty quickly. I’m a freshman in Burton Conner, so I don’t have a dining plan. While I don’t need to worry about the exorbitant costs of dining hall meals, I am, for the first time, responsible for feeding myself. Once dorms and frats stopped handing out free food, I had no other options — I needed to go grocery shopping.
IN YOUR COMMUNITY Meet Anantha Chandrakasan
They told him that it wouldn’t work. “When we went to conferences, they did not believe that complex digital circuits could reliably operate at low voltages.” Chandrakasan’s interest in circuits was sparked in his college years. When Chandrakasan was a senior at Berkeley, he began working with Professor Robert Brodersen, who became his thesis advisor.
LAVERDE’S PRICE INDEX Introducing the LPI
Think the price changed on one of your favorite items at LaVerde’s? Think the price changed on several items? Wondering how the prices at LaVerde’s are changing over time and if these price changes are fair?
Events: Sept. 20 - Sept. 26
Events sept. 20 – Sept. 26 Tuesday (4:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) EECS Industrial Connection Program (ICP) Career Fair — 34-401 (6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m.) There is Nothing so Practical as a Good Theory: The Economics Behind Honest Tea — NW86 (Sidney-Pacific Graduate Residence) Wednesday (11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Career Fair — Johnson Athletic Center Thursday (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) MIT Communications Forum: Local News in the Digital Age — E15-070 (Bartos Theater) (5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) MIT Outdoor Zumba Class — Kresge Oval (5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.) Tech Talk with Brad Neuberg (Inkling), Dharmesh (Hubspot), and Paul English (Kayak) (6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) Externship Information Session — 32-141 Friday (9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.) Comic Book Fair “Release Your Inner SuperHero” — 10-105 (4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.) Persepolis, free admission, shown by the LSC and MIT Community Giving — 26-100 Saturday (12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Pi Beta Phi’s Arrowspike — Kresge Lawn and BBQ (6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows Transformers: Dark of the Moon — 26-100 Sunday (8:30 p.m.) MIT Ballroom Dance Team Dance Concert — Kresge Auditorium Monday (4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) 2011 Scolnick Prize Lecture — 46-3002 (6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Digital Media SIG Event: Will the Cloud Change Everything? — E51-149 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
Institute Double Take
Hello, Beavers. Look at the picture — now back at the board — now back at the picture — now back at the board. Sadly, the board isn’t the picture, but if it was it would get stolen. Look down — back up — where are you? You’re in class with the professor who just gave you a glare because you’re looking at this picture instead of him. What’s in your hand — back at me. I have it: it’s a bike with two wheels to take you to that thing you love. Look again, the bike is now useless because it’s snowing. Anything is possible when your bike is not in your bike rack. But I’m on a horse!
Events: Sept. 13 - Sept. 19
Events Sept. 13 – sept. 19 Tuesday (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Student Loan Art Lottery Reception — E15-100 (5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.) Throw it Against the IDEAS Wall, kick-off event for t=0 entrepreneurship festival — Stata Center Wednesday (12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.) Community picnic at Maseeh Hall — Amherst Street at Masseh Hall Thursday (3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) MIT Political Science Distinguished Speaker Series, Forum on Rebuilding the American Economy — E51 (8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.) Jason Moran Film Screening: In My Mind — 14-111 Friday (2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Multicultural BBQ — Kresge BBQ Pits (7:00 p.m.) Fred Fest IV, featuring Air Traffic Controller and Mission Hill — East Campus Courtyard Saturday (4:00 p.m., 7:00 p.m.) LSC shows Rango — 26-100 (6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.) Bhopal — Sound of Struggle : 26th Movement — 14W-111 Sunday (7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. ) LSC shows Thor and Rango — 26-100 Monday (5:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.) MIT Madrid Info Session — 14E-304 (7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.) Bill Evans, Banjo Concert — 14W-111 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
Remembering September 11th
On Sunday morning, over 200 members of the MIT community gathered to remember those lost a decade ago on September 11th and honor the heroes of that day. Speakers included President Susan J. Hockfield, MIT Director of Facilities and Security John DiFava, Chancellor Eric Grimson PhD ’80, and Chaplain Robert M. Randolph. The ceremony started in Lobby 10 with an invocation and moment of silence, and moved outside to Killian for the flag lowering ceremony and benediction. It was a fitting tribute to those who died and those who selflessly gave their lives. Watch the video at <a href=http://tech.mit.edu/V131/N36/september11/video.html rel=nofollow> <i>http://tech.mit.edu/V131/N36/september11/video.html</i></a>.
A feast for your eyes
I never wanted to wear glasses. At one point, I was so desperate to avoid being called “four eyes” that I ate raw carrots nonstop for a year after hearing that their vitamins gave rabbits great vision. It made sense at the time since the wild rabbits in my neighborhood seemed capable of seeing in the dark. However, it was an unappetizing experience that didn’t help my vision and made me avoid carrots for a decade.
Events: Sept. 6 - Sept. 12
Events sept. 6 – sept. 12 Friday (4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Starr Forum: Top Secret America, book talk by Dana Priest of the Washington Post — E14-674 (7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows X-Men: First Class — 26-100 Saturday (7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows X-Men: First Class — 26-100 Sunday (4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) MIT’s Heritage of the Arts of Southasia presents presents Malladis/Gundechas, North/South vocal duet — Kresge Auditorium (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.) Folk Dancing Beginner’s Night — La Sala de Puerto Rico Monday (2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) Nuclear and Particle Theory Seminar — 6C-442 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
Events: Sept. 6 - Sept. 12
Events sept. 6 – sept. 12 Tuesday (2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Sloan Business Club Networking BBQ — Kresge Oval (7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows X-Men: First Class — 26-100 (7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.) Film Screening - The Perfect Vagina — 6-120 Wednesday (9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Back-to-School Vendor Fair — outside W20 (1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) Public Service Center Community Service Fair — Lobby 10 & 10-105 Thursday (5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) From Settlers to Quarriors: Breaking up the Monopoly with Modern Board, sponsored by the CMS Colloquium Series — 4-231 Friday (4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.) Starr Forum: Top Secret America, book talk by Dana Priest of the Washington Post — E14-674 (7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows X-Men: First Class — 26-100 Saturday (7:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m.) LSC shows X-Men: First Class — 26-100 Sunday (4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) MIT’s Heritage of the Arts of Southasia presents presents Malladis/Gundechas, North/South vocal duet — Kresge Auditorium (8:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.) Folk Dancing Beginner’s Night — La Sala de Puerto Rico Monday (2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.) Nuclear and Particle Theory Seminar — 6C-442 Send your campus events to events@tech.mit.edu.
REXing the frosh
Hey, frosh! I hope you enjoyed this year’s REX, because you’re going to have to run it next time. And you don’t want to start planning from scratch when you’re running an event for hundreds of people and the reputation of your dorm rests on your shoulders. But fear not! From my experiences as one of the Senior Haus REX chairs, I’ve created a list of tips on how to ensure your REX is successful and less stressful.
Explore the Z-Center
MIT’s Zesiger Center is the center of varsity, club, intramural, and recreational sports. Serving around 2200 users per day across the four-building sports complex, the Z-Center is home to a competition-sized pool, fitness center, indoor track, and space that can be configured for nearly any sport. The Z-Center was voted “Best Gym” by Boston.com’s A-list in 2010 — even Mark Wahlberg has stopped by several times while shooting films in the area. Tim Moore, the director of recreational sports and fitness, gave The Tech a tour of Z-Center facilities.
THE MIT SCOOP ‘REX’PECTATIONS
It is our pleasure to bring you the first video in a new series called “The MIT Scoop.” The Scoop is intended to give you a window into what student life at MIT is really like. You’ll be able to follow with your own eyes and ears the daily escapades of MIT students. Ever wonder how many hours of studying a typical student does? Or how freshmens’ expectations match up with upperclassmens’ experiences? Now you can hear it directly from the people who are living it. The videos can be viewed by scanning the QR code to the right or by going to . So quit reading and start watching!
Institute Double Take
Artist James Ossi () has his art work, “Soap bubble machine sculpture” installed in Building 6. The machine pumps air into a soap chamber, producing bubbles between two large glass panes. Carefully placed bulbs reflect light off the surface of the soap bubbles, creating vivid, mesmerizing colors. This picture was taken with a macro lens oriented towards the glass plane such that the stray reflection from the glass plane itself is minimal, which would spoil the shot. The photographer also covered the gap between the lens and the glass plane with a dark cloth to reduce unwanted reflections. This trick comes in handy when a photo needs to be taken through a glass plane, such as from an aircraft window. Additionally, keeping the aperture large and getting close to the glass pane diminishes the visibility of any dirt on the pane.
RANDOM NEURONAL FIRINGS A roadmap for surviving MIT
“The ultimate lesson I learnt on my first day of international students’ orientation: Nothing at MIT can be done in a single try.” — This was my Facebook status a year ago when I had just arrived on campus. I admit, after running to the basement of the Student Center twice to get a photo taken for my ID and failing to find the right entry to the MacGregor convenience store, I was exasperated. Throughout my freshman year, I often needed help getting work done in a single try. And as it turns out, help will always be given at MIT to those who ask for it. So dear freshmen, here’s my advice to you:
Institute Double Take
In winter, melting snow reveals a layer of rich food mainly consisting of insects. This is an open invitation for the geese that have gathered at Briggs Field to take advantage of this delicious opportunity. While this is a feast for the geese, they make a mess on the field. Coyote decoys are occasionally installed to drive away these geese. This picture, taken in the winter of 2010, show geese alerted by the presence of a photographer.