The traditions and student activities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology encompass hundreds of student activities, organizations, and athletics that contribute to
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
's distinct culture.
Traditions
MIT has relatively few formal traditions, compared to many other universities, but has a rich culture of informal traditions and jargon. There are a few "big events" such as Commencement (graduation), but many smaller, decentralized activities sponsored by departments, labs, living groups, student activities, and ad hoc groups of MIT community members united by common interests.
Brass Rat
![1930MITRingBezel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/1930MITRingBezel.jpg)
"Brass Rat" refers to the
MIT class ring
Massachusetts Institute of Technology's class ring, often called the Brass Rat, is a commemorative ring for the graduating class of students at MIT. The ring is redesigned each year by a committee of MIT students. The class ring has three main se ...
, which prominently features the school mascot
beaver
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
on the top surface. The ring is traditionally made of gold, the beaver is the largest North American rodent, hence "gold beaver" has informally become "Brass Rat" in student lingo.
Course numbering
MIT students often refer to both their majors and classes using numbers alone. Majors are numbered in the approximate order of when the department was founded; for example, Civil and Environmental Engineering is Course I, while Nuclear Science & Engineering is Course XXII. Students majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), the most popular department, collectively identify themselves as "Course VI" or "Course 6."
MIT students use a combination of the department's Course number and a number assigned to the class to identify their subjects; the course which many universities would designate as "Physics 101" is, at MIT, "8.01." For brevity, course number designations are pronounced without the decimal point and by replacing "oh" for zero (unless zero is the last number). Thus, "8.01" is pronounced ''eight oh one'', "2.009" is pronounced ''two double oh nine'', and "5.60" would be pronounced ''five sixty''. This naming is not internally consistent: for example, the digital systems course "6.111" is pronounced ''six one eleven'', but the introductory chemistry course "5.111" is pronounced ''five eleven one''.
Smoots
The "Smoot" is a traditional unit of measuring length on the
Harvard Bridge
The Harvard Bridge (also known locally as the MIT Bridge, the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, and the "Mass. Ave." Bridge) is a steel haunched girder bridge carrying Massachusetts Avenue ( Route 2A) over the Charles River and connecting Back Bay, ...
, which despite its name, connects MIT to Boston's
Back Bay
Back Bay is an officially recognized neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and t ...
neighborhood, across the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
.
Tim the Beaver
Tim the Beaver is the official
mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...
of MIT, appearing at athletic events, fundraisers, and other occasions. The name "Tim" is simply "MIT" spelled backwards. A
beaver
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
was selected as the MIT mascot because beavers are "nature's engineers"; this decision was made at the Technology Club of New York's annual dinner on January 17, 1914. President
Richard Maclaurin
Richard Cockburn Maclaurin ( ; June 5, 1870 – January 15, 1920) was a Scottish-born U.S. educator and mathematical physicist. He was made president of MIT in 1909, and held the position until his death in 1920.
During his tenure as president ...
proposed the beaver. The sports teams at MIT often choose to feature Tim as their mascot, and go by the name "The Engineers".
Recurring events
Bad Ideas Festival
This event, which usually takes place between the parallels of the
East Campus dormitories, features oddball activities, stunts, and constructions. Notable Bad Ideas events include temporary
roller coasters
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...
and the
Green Building Challenge. The event takes place during the last weekend of January.
Baker House Piano Drop
Each spring, the denizens of
Baker House drop an old, irreparable
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
off the roof to let it plunge six stories onto the ground, to celebrate Drop Date, the last date one can drop classes at MIT. The resulting dent in asphalt has spawned a unit of volume, known as the Bruno.
Campus Preview Weekend
Campus Preview Weekend (CPW) is a relatively new event sponsored by the Admissions Office, which invites recently admitted high school students to visit the campus before deciding whether or not to attend MIT. Invited students can sample classes, tour the campus, attend special events, and stay overnight with MIT students. The first fully inclusive event was held in 1999. 2013's CPW was held around early to mid April.
East Campus Rush
Immediately before the beginning of Fall term, during Orientation Week for new students, residents of
East Campus dormitory construct large-scale temporary structures, such as a
roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
, in the space between the parallel wings of the residence. These projects are large enough that the City of Cambridge requires detailed engineering drawings in advance, plus a letter from a
licensed engineer certifying that the design conforms to local
building codes
A building code (also building control or building regulations) is a set of rules that specify the standards for constructed objects such as buildings and non-building structures. Buildings must conform to the code to obtain planning permiss ...
.
Independent Activities Period
Independent Activities Period (IAP) is a four-week-long inter-semester "term" offering hundreds of optional classes, lectures, demonstrations, and other activities throughout the month of January between the Fall and Spring terms. The final event is a half-day "Charm School" sponsored by the Student Activities Office. The first IAP was in 1971.
DTYD (Dance Till You Drop)
Dance (previously Drink) Till You Drop (DTYD) is an annual party, hosted by the Burton-Conner living group the Burton 3rd Bombers, which is typically held the Sunday of Patriot's Day weekend in the Burton-Conner House Porter Room. The party has been traditionally accompanied by a hack and hosted live music, and is open to the entire campus. First hosted in 1969, the event celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019.
Ring events
The
Brass Rat undergraduate ring is designed and presented in the sophomore year of each class. The design is unveiled during the Ring Premiere in the fall term, which is followed months later by the Ring Delivery in the spring term. The latter has been a tradition since 1999 (Class of 2001), and is typically a
formal occasion, often held off campus.
Spring Weekend
Spring Weekend is an annual event that includes performances by local as well as major recording artists as well as picnics, parties, home varsity games, and other celebrations.
Steer Roast
![Senior House - MIT, Cambridge MA -DSC05609](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Senior_House_-_MIT%2C_Cambridge_MA_-DSC05609.jpg)
Steer Roast is an annual weekend of celebration and festivities hosted by
Senior House. The first Steer Roast took place in the spring of 1964, and this MIT tradition was maintained for over fifty years on the first weekend of every May. In May 2014, Senior House celebrated its 50th anniversary of Steer Roast. In the past MIT presidents and professors attended, but this time no presidential appearance occurred, in spite of the usual invitations. Then in 2017, Steer Roast was to be held during the first weekend of May, but two weeks before that, the event was cancelled by MIT administrators. Soon afterwards, in spite of student and alumni pleas and protests, Senior House itself was closed down. In May 2017, Steer Roast was celebrated off campus and on schedule.
Non-recurring and sporadic events
Annual Spontaneous Tuition Riot
This "annual" event is generally not scheduled in advance, but occurs spontaneously in the Spring in response to the MIT administration's announcement of the tuition increase for the following year. The "riot" usually consists of a noisy protest march through the campus, accompanied by traditional chants of "$$$ is Too Damn Much!", where "$$$" is replaced by the newly announced tuition amount. Participants generally let off steam in a good-natured way, and injuries or property damage are extremely rare. The tradition has died out and then been revived several times.
''Chrysalis'', ''Monarch'', and ''Daedalus'' human-powered aircraft
![Daedalus-human-powered-aircraft](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Daedalus-human-powered-aircraft.jpg)
From the 1970s until the early 1990s, MIT had a succession of student-led projects which designed, built, and flew
human-powered aircraft
A human-powered aircraft (HPA) is an aircraft belonging to the class of vehicles known as human-powered transport.
Human-powered aircraft have been successfully flown over considerable distances. However, they are still primarily constructed a ...
(HPA), starting with ''BURD'' and ''BURD-II'', and evolving into the flight of the ''Chrysalis'' in 1979, the first of the MIT HPA to successfully fly. ''Chrysalis'' went on to have over 44 pilots, including the first female pilots of an HPA.
[The Gossamers and Other Planes](_blank)
Royal Aeronautical Society Human Powered Aircraft Group (accessed November 13, 2012) The ''Monarch B'' was a human-powered aircraft built by a student team in 1983 which won a
Kremer Prize
The Kremer prizes are a series of monetary awards, established in 1959 by the industrialist Henry Kremer.
Royal Aeronautical Society Human Powered Flight Group
The Royal Aeronautical Society's "Man Powered Aircraft Group" was formed in 1959 b ...
of £20,000 for sustaining a speed of over 30 km/h over a 1.5 km triangular course. It was the successor to the 1979 ''Chrysalis'' and the earlier ''Monarch A'', and in turn was a precursor to the
''Daedalus'' effort which flew a human-powered aircraft from
Crete
Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and ...
to the island of
Santorini
Santorini ( el, Σαντορίνη, ), officially Thira (Greek: Θήρα ) and classical Greek Thera (English pronunciation ), is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from the Greek mainland. It is the ...
off the Greek mainland in 1988.
MIT Blackjack Team
MIT Gangnam Style
MIT students produced "
MIT Gangnam Style", a lighthearted parody of the "
Gangnam Style
"Gangnam Style" ( ko, 강남스타일, ) is a K-pop song by South Korean rapper Psy, released on July 15, 2012, by YG Entertainment as the lead single of his sixth studio album, ''Psy 6 (Six Rules), Part 1'' (''Ssai Yukgap Part 1''). The term ...
"
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
which was an Internet phenomenon in 2012. The video featured hundreds of MIT students dancing in a wide overview of dozens of extracurricular student activities across the campus. The music video closely followed the original version, and included cameo appearances by MIT professors
Donald Sadoway
Donald Robert Sadoway (born 7 March 1950) is professor emeritus of materials chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a noted expert on batteries and has done significant research on how to improve the performance and longe ...
, recognized by ''Time Magazine'' in 2012 as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World",
Eric Lander
Eric Steven Lander (born February 3, 1957) is an American mathematician and geneticist who served as the 11th director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Science Advisor to the President, serving on the presidential Cabinet. Lan ...
, who was co-chairman of President Barack Obama's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American public intellectual: a linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is ...
, a pioneer of modern linguistics.
Soon after the video's release, ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' published an article with the headline "MIT 'Chomsky Style' Best Gangnam Parody Yet? Noted Intellectual Steals The Wacky Show".
[MIT 'Chomsky Style' Best Gangnam Parody Yet? Noted Intellectual Steals The Wacky Show (2012). The Huffington Post. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/29/mit-chomsky-style-best-gagnam-style-parody-yet_n_2040053.html?ir=Technology]
Sodium Drop
The Sodium Drop traditionally consisted of a bar of metallic
sodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin ''natrium'') and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 of the periodic table. Its only stable iso ...
dropped into the
Charles River
The Charles River ( Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles b ...
, producing loud explosions due to the rapid
exothermic
In thermodynamics, an exothermic process () is a thermodynamic process or reaction that releases energy from the system to its surroundings, usually in the form of heat, but also in a form of light (e.g. a spark, flame, or flash), electricity (e ...
conversion of sodium metal to
sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations and hydroxide anions .
Sodium hydroxide is a highly caustic base and alkali ...
and the ignition of the resulting
hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with the symbol H and atomic number 1. Hydrogen is the lightest element. At standard conditions hydrogen is a gas of diatomic molecules having the formula . It is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, an ...
gas. In the past, Sodium Drops occurred sporadically, initiated by impromptu groups of students from various dorms and fraternities.
However, in 2007, five volunteers using a boat to clean up trash from the river banks were injured by a small explosion and fire, apparently caused by unreacted sodium residue. MIT quickly donated funds to pay for decontaminating and repairing the boat, although it was not clear at the time who was responsible for the damage.
A criminal case was initiated, and a graduate student accepted responsibility, resulting in a fine and a community-service sentence. In addition, a long-running civil suit against a fraternity resulted from this incident, culminating in a six-figure out-of-court settlement. The student newspaper ''The Tech'' has published an editorial urging readers to take responsibility for any injuries to innocent parties that result from the prank.
Time Traveler Convention
The Time Traveler Convention was a single-event
convention held at
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
on May 7, 2005, in the hopes of making contact with
time travel
Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...
ers from the future. The convention was organized by
Amal Dorai with help from current and former residents of the MIT living group Putz, one of the halls in the
East Campus dorm. As of the date of the event, it was the most significantly publicized Time Traveler Convention, including front-page coverage in the
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
, ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'', and
Slashdot
''Slashdot'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''/.'') is a social news website that originally advertised itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters". It features news stories concerning science, technology, and politics that are submitted and evalu ...
.
It was presumed time travelers would have the capability to visit any particular time if they could travel to that general time period at all. The idea originated in a
Cat and Girl strip by
Dorothy Gambrell
Dorothy Gambrell is a cartoonist who writes and draws the online comic strip ''Cat and Girl'' in addition to the blog ''very small array''. Her work has appeared in the literary journal Backwards City Review and the Anton Chekhov anthology The Oth ...
.
The convention was held at 22:45
EDT on May 7, 2005 (May 8, 02:00
UTC) in the East Campus courtyard and Walker Memorial at MIT. That location is 42.360007 degrees north
latitude
In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...
, 71.087870 degrees west
longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...
. The Convention was announced in advance (that is, before the event) and over 300 contemporary people attended. (For fire safety reasons, a handful of attendees watched the convention via a closed circuit broadcast.) The spacetime coordinates continue to be publicized prominently and indefinitely, so that future time travelers will be aware and have the opportunity to have attended.
The convention featured lectures on various aspects of time travel from MIT professors and faculty, including
Erik Demaine
Erik D. Demaine (born February 28, 1981) is a professor of computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a former child prodigy.
Early life and education
Demaine was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to artist sculptor Martin ...
, a
MacArthur "genius grant" winner,
Alan Guth
Alan Harvey Guth (; born February 27, 1947) is an American theoretical physicist and cosmologist. Guth has researched elementary particle theory (and how particle theory is applicable to the early universe). He is Victor Weisskopf Professor of ...
, an
Eddington Medal
The Eddington Medal is awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics. It is named after Sir Arthur Eddington. First awarded in 1953, the frequency of the prize has varied over the year ...
winner for
theoretical astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the hea ...
, and
Edward Farhi
Edward Farhi is physicist working on quantum computation as a Principal Scientist at Google. In 2018 he retired from his position as the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was the Director of ...
, winner of numerous MIT teaching awards. A
Delorean, the car featured in the
''Back to the Future'' trilogy, was also on display, near the "landing pad" located at the exact coordinates advertised.
The convention inspired a full-length musical entitled ''The Time Travelers Convention'', in which three college students, who all want to change their pasts, hold a convention in the hopes that they will be able to borrow an attendee's time machine. Although the school in the musical is not MIT, MIT is mentioned twice, once by name and once in the coordinates, which are the same as the coordinates given in the original convention.
Hacking
![Mitadjust](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Mitadjust.jpg)
Hacking at MIT can refer to two distinct but closely related activities. Both have a rich history at MIT, despite being unsanctioned activities and often violating official policies.
MIT hacks
A "hack" is a
practical joke
A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...
or
prank
A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...
display anonymously installed usually during the night. Many hacks commemorate historical or
popular culture
Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...
events, particularly those relevant to science and technology.
Roof and tunnel hacking
The term "hacking" typically refers to the activity of roof and tunnel hacking, where students explore building
rooftops,
steam tunnels
A utility tunnel, utility corridor, or utilidor is a passage built underground or above ground to carry utility lines such as electricity, steam, water supply pipes, and sewer pipes. Communications utilities like fiber optics, cable television, ...
, and utility shafts.
Activities
MIT has over 380 recognized student activity groups. These are mostly governed by the MIT Association of Student Activities.
Educational Studies Program
![MIT ESP Splash 2018 Lecture Class](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/MIT_ESP_Splash_2018_Lecture_Class.jpg)
The MIT Educational Studies Program (ESP) was created by MIT students in 1957 to make a difference in the community by sharing MIT's knowledge and creativity with local high school students. Since then, its programs have grown to support well over 3000 students each year. ESP classes are developed and taught by MIT undergraduates, graduate students, alumni, and members of the local community. ESP's students are given the chance to learn from passionate and knowledgeable teachers; ESP's teachers can gain experience developing their own curricula with access to students with strong desires to learn.
ESP pioneered
Splash
Splash or Splash! or The Splash may refer to:
Common meanings
* Splash (fluid mechanics), sudden disturbances on the surface of water
Entertainment
* ''Splash'' (film), a 1984 fantasy film starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah
** ''Splash, Too'' ...
, a large, short-term academic outreach program that involves over two thousand teachers and five hundred classes. The program has grown in popularity and attracted students from well beyond the local Boston area. Splash emphasizes having a diverse range of class topics, covering a variety of academic fields as well as non-academic games and practical skills.
In 2007, ESP alumni founded
Learning Unlimited
Learning Unlimited (also known as LU) is a US nonprofit organization founded in 2007 that supports college students and creates educational outreach activities for area middle and high school students.
LU's primary program, Splash!, has sprea ...
(LU), a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting educational opportunities like Splash at universities throughout the United States and beyond. LU provides assistance, including mentorship and software support, that helps new Splash programs start successfully. there are over thirty LU affiliated programs in the United States and one in the United Kingdom.
Lecture Series Committee
The Lecture Series Committee (LSC) organizes weekly screenings of popular films as well as lectures by prominent speakers.
As one of the few Institute-wide gatherings on a weekly basis over the years, LSC movie screenings have developed and retained a few quirky traditions which sometimes befuddle outsiders. One unspoken tradition relates to the 1950s style introductory film clips that announce "coming attractions"
movie trailers
A trailer (also known as a preview, coming attraction or attraction video) is a commercial advertisement, originally for a feature film that is going to be exhibited in the future at a movie theater/cinema. It is a product of creative and tech ...
. When
stereophonic sound
Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...
was a new development in movies, the movie trailers would be preceded by a clip announcing, "Coming Next Week", followed by "In Stereo". For whatever reason, MIT audiences would spontaneously read the announcements aloud, in
unison
In music, unison is two or more musical parts that sound either the same pitch or pitches separated by intervals of one or more octaves, usually at the same time. ''Rhythmic unison'' is another term for homorhythm.
Definition
Unison or per ...
. This eventually became such an ingrained habit that, even though LSC discontinued screening the "stereo" announcements, the audience would intone the (now unseen) words. Even though LSC has replaced the sound system several times since the appearance of stereo sound, and now operates a
Dolby
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (often shortened to Dolby Labs and known simply as Dolby) is an American company specializing in audio noise reduction, audio encoding/compression, spatial audio, and HDR imaging. Dolby licenses its technologies to ...
/
Bose
Bose may refer to:
* Bose (crater), a lunar crater
* ''Bose'' (film), a 2004 Indian Tamil film starring Srikanth and Sneha
* Bose (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name)
* Bose, Italy, a ''frazioni'' in Magnano, Province of Biella ...
multi-channel theatrical sound system, the tradition has continued unchanged for decades.
A second tradition is less obscure; if there is an annoying technical problem with the screening (e.g. bad focus, bad sound, a botched film reel switchover), eventually an annoyed patron will yell out "Focus!" (for example), and "LSC...Sucks!", with the crowd chiming in loudly on the second word. This outcry alerts the
projectionist
A projectionist is a person who operates a movie projector, particularly as an employee of a movie theater. Projectionists are also known as "operators".
Historical background
N.B. The dates given in the subject headings are approximate.
Early ...
, who might not have noticed the defect, to fix the problem.
Student Information Processing Board
The Student Information Processing Board (SIPB) is a computing and information technology student group at MIT. SIPB was founded in 1969 by
Bob Frankston
Robert M. Frankston (born June 14, 1949) is an American software engineer and businessman who co-created, with Dan Bricklin, the VisiCalc spreadsheet program. Frankston is also the co-founder of Software Arts.
Early life and education
Frankston w ...
. The organization helps MIT students access computing resources and use them effectively.
SIPB has funded, developed, and maintained several important software projects at MIT, including a
dynamic
Dynamics (from Greek δυναμικός ''dynamikos'' "powerful", from δύναμις ''dynamis'' "power") or dynamic may refer to:
Physics and engineering
* Dynamics (mechanics)
** Aerodynamics, the study of the motion of air
** Analytical dynam ...
web hosting service
A web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that hosts websites for clients, i.e. it offers the facilities required for them to create and maintain a site and makes it accessible on the World Wide Web. Companies providing web h ...
, a course planning assistant, a
virtual machine
In computing, a virtual machine (VM) is the virtualization/emulation of a computer system. Virtual machines are based on computer architectures and provide functionality of a physical computer. Their implementations may involve specialized hardw ...
service, and an
instant messaging
Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...
client. SIPB has contributed extensively to
Project Athena
Project Athena was a joint project of MIT, Digital Equipment Corporation, and IBM to produce a campus-wide distributed computing environment for educational use. It was launched in 1983, and research and development ran until June 30, 1991. , At ...
, the distributed academic computing environment used at MIT today.
TechX
![HackMIT 2016 Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/HackMIT_2016_Logo.svg)
TechX is a student group that organizes events that bring technology, new ideas, and
tech-industry innovators to MIT's campus.
These events include:
*
HackMIT, the university's largest annual
hackathon
A hackathon (also known as a hack day, hackfest, datathon or codefest; a portmanteau of hacking and marathon) is an event where people engage in rapid and collaborative engineering over a relatively short period of time such as 24 or 48 hours. Th ...
* xFair, a
job fair
A job fair, also commonly referred to as a job expo or career fair or career expo, is an event in which employers, recruiters, and schools give information to potential employees. Job seekers attend job fairs to speak face-to-face with potential e ...
and technology expo
* MakeMIT, a hackathon dedicated to
hardware and
making
* Blueprint, a hackathon for local high school students
* THINK, a
STEM
Stem or STEM may refer to:
Plant structures
* Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang
* Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other structure
* Stipe (mycology), the stem of a mushro ...
educational outreach initiative
* ProjX, a program that provides funding for MIT student projects
Miscellaneous
MIT has many student groups. Other notable ones include:
* MIT EMS — student-run ambulance
*
MIT Outing Club
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...
— student-run outdoors club
*
Pi Tau Sigma
Pi Tau Sigma () is an international honor society in the field of mechanical engineering, with most chapters established in the United States. It honors mechanical engineering students who have exemplified the "principles of scholarship, characte ...
— Mechanical Engineering honorary society
*
Eta Kappa Nu
Eta Kappa Nu () or IEEE-HKN is the international honor society of the Computer Science and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). "The organization promotes excellence in the profession and in education through an emphasis ...
— Electrical Engineering and Computer Science honorary society
*
MIT Science Fiction Society
The MIT Science Fiction Society (or MITSFS) of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a student organization which maintains and administers a large publicly accessible library of science fiction, fantasy, and science fantasy books and magaz ...
— claims to have the "world's largest open-shelf collection of science fiction" in English.
* MIT Assassins' Guild — a live-action roleplaying group
* Sloan Business Club — Largest undergraduate business club
Competitions
$100K Entrepreneurship Competition
The annual MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition has supported the creation of at least 60 companies worth a combined $10.5 billion since it started in 1990.
Harvard–MIT Mathematics Tournament
The Harvard–MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT) is a
mathematics competition
Mathematics competitions or mathematical olympiads are competitive events where participants complete a math test. These tests may require multiple choice or numeric answers, or a detailed written solution or proof.
International mathematics compe ...
for high school students. It is held twice each year in February and November.
IDEAS Global Challenge
MIT IDEAS Global Challenge encourages teams to develop and implement projects that make a positive change in the world. Entries are judged on their innovation, feasibility, and community impact. One component of the competition is the Yunus Challenge, named in honor of 2006 Nobel Prize winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus, where teams are invited to tackle a specific development need. Previous topics include increasing adherence to tuberculosis drug regimens and affordable small-scale energy storage.
The competition was developed in part by
Amy Smith, who has developed a number of inventions useful to poor communities.
Mystery Hunt
![Teamsolvingpuzzle](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Teamsolvingpuzzle.jpg)
The MIT Mystery Hunt is one of the world's oldest
puzzlehunt
A puzzle hunt (sometimes рuzzlehunt) is a puzzle game where teams compete to solve a series of puzzles. A puzzle hunt can happen at a particular location, in multiple locations, or via the Internet. In a puzzle hunt, a puzzle is usually not acc ...
s. It is held annually in January.
THINK Competition
THINK stands for Technology for Humanity guided by Innovation, Networking, and Knowledge. The competition challenges high school students across the United States to take a refreshing approach to designing a technological solution to a social problem. Its founding vision is that applicants will learn how to be resourceful in society, which makes networking a core component of the competition. It aims to connect high school students with professors and MIT students so that they can develop an innovation for the world.
Each year, six high school student groups are invited to MIT to attend Techfair and to present their project proposal to the THINK administrators. The proposal consists of a summary, technical plan, and budget. Three student groups are then chosen to develop their proposals over a semester long period.
IAP Competitions
Battlecode (6.147)
Battlecode, also known previously as The ACM/IEEE Programming Competition, 6.370, or RoboCraft, is a computer game AI programming competition. It was originally organized by the MIT ACM/IEEE Club, but is now a separate student organization.
Battlecode held every year during the Independent Activities Period at MIT, and the competition is changed annually. The game consists of armies of virtual robots battling each other, controlled solely by the AIs written by competition participants. For many years, Battlecode was programmed in
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
. ,
C, Java, and
Python
Python may refer to:
Snakes
* Pythonidae, a family of nonvenomous snakes found in Africa, Asia, and Australia
** ''Python'' (genus), a genus of Pythonidae found in Africa and Asia
* Python (mythology), a mythical serpent
Computing
* Python (pro ...
are supported.
The final tournament is held in Kresge Auditorium, and features commentary from the contestants and Battlecode developers.
As of 2008, Battlecode has been opened up to virtually anyone interested in participating outside of MIT. The competition is a class at MIT and its software has been used for several other classes and projects.
Mobile Autonomous Systems Laboratory competition (MASLAB)
Other Competitions
* 2.007 Design & Manufacturing competition
*
MIT ASO Science and Technology Awards
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the mo ...
Performing arts
Asymptones
The Asymptones are MIT's lowest time-commitment a cappella group. Founded in 2007, they have regular concerts in conjunction with Roadkill Buffet, the on campus
improv comedy
Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, a ...
group, focusing on
parodies
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
and more
meme
A meme ( ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural i ...
-y songs.
Chorallaries
The Chorallaries of MIT are the first co-ed a cappella performing group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Founded in the winter of 1976–77, the group is typically composed of undergraduates, graduates, and occasionally faculty. They perform several free public concerts a year on the MIT campus, as well as at a numerous on-campus events and at concerts, festivals, and private venues off-campus. The Chorallaries, as keepers of the MIT alma mater ("Arise All Ye of MIT") also perform at Freshman Convocation in September and at the Commencement Ceremony in June.
Their signature song, the
Engineer's Drinking Song, is a traditional tech favorite.
The Chorallaries compete in the
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella every three years; they won the quarter-finals in 2000, 2003, and 2006, as well as the semi-finals in 1996 and 2006. In 2010 the Chorallaries of MIT released their most recent album "Stereophony," whose track "Hot Air Balloon" was featured on both Voices Only 2010 and Best of College A Cappella 2011. Previous recognitions include:
* "Papercut" (Positive Chorallation) – nominated for Best Mixed Song from the Contemporary A Cappella Recording Awards (CARA)
* "Rainbow Connection" (Positive Chorallation) – Voices Only 2008.
* "Pretty Good Year" (Contents Under Pressure) – Best of College A Cappella 1999
In total, the Chorallaries have produced 15 albums:
* ''Seeing Red'' (2019)
* ''Dischord'' (2017)
* ''Stereophony'' (2010)
* ''Positive Chorallation'' (2007)
* ''Staring Down the Infinite'' (2004)
* ''Chorallaries Live: Spring Concert'' (2003)
* ''After Taste'' (2002)
* ''Pokerface'' (2001)
* ''Contents Under Pressure'' (1998)
* ''Earshot'' (1995)
* ''Better Late Than Never'' (1993)
* ''TimeSync'' (1989)
* ''No Instruments Allowed'' (1985)
* ''Making It In Massachusetts'' (1981)
* ''Take Me Back to Tech'' (19??)
The group is known for its humor and creativity, culminating in "The Nth Annual Concert in Bad Taste".
Bad Taste is a concert devoted solely to off-color, nerdy, controversial, offensive, and often humorous material; a good-faith effort is made to offend everybody equally, but no quarter is given. Popular topics include: offensive sexual references; mocking the MIT administration; lambasting
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
,
Wellesley College
Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial g ...
,
Simmons College
Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include:
* Simmons University, a women's liberal arts college in Boston, Massachusetts
* Simmons College of Kentucky, a historically black college in Louisville, Kentucky
* Har ...
and other colleges in the region; excruciatingly hilarious science puns; and disgusting sexual references. The concert is usually about 2½ hours long, with a mixture of skits, songs, and general hilarity.
Cross Products
The Cross Products are MIT's Christian co-ed a cappella singing group. Founded in 1988, their stated purpose is: "We exist to glorify God through music, and to tell others about the ways that He has changed our lives: we are each products of the cross of Jesus Christ."
Folk Dance Club
The MIT Folk Dance Club, founded in 1959, sponsors 3 public dance sessions every week:
international folk dancing,
contra dancing
Contra dance (also contradance, contra-dance and other variant spellings) is a form of folk dancing made up of long lines of couples.
It has mixed origins from English country dance, Scottish country dance, and French dance styles in the 17th c ...
, and
Israeli dancing. In the 1960s it sponsored four Folk Dance Festivals.
Gamelan Galak Tika
Founded and directed by Professor
Evan Ziporyn
Evan Ziporyn (b. Chicago, Illinois, December 14, 1959) is an American composer of post-minimalist music with a cross-cultural orientation, drawing equally from classical music, avant-garde, various world music traditions, and jazz. Ziporyn h ...
in September 1993,
this MIT-based authentic
gamelan
Gamelan () ( jv, ꦒꦩꦼꦭꦤ꧀, su, ᮌᮙᮨᮜᮔ᮪, ban, ᬕᬫᭂᬮᬦ᭄) is the traditional ensemble music of the Javanese, Sundanese, and Balinese peoples of Indonesia, made up predominantly of percussive instruments. T ...
orchestra performs on campus, and has toured nationally and internationally, including to
Bali, Indonesia
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
, the birthplace of this musical genre.
The ensemble performs classical Balinese compositions with
traditionally costumed dancers, as well as contemporary and experimental pieces specially commissioned for the group.
Experimental pieces have incorporated non-traditional instruments such as
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...
s, glass chimes, and one-of-a-kind novel
electronic and computer-controlled instruments, in a variety of musical styles.
Guest composer-performers have included
Terry Riley
Terrence Mitchell "Terry" Riley (born June 24, 1935) is an American composer and performing musician best known as a pioneer of the minimalist school of composition. Influenced by jazz and Indian classical music, his music became notable for it ...
, a pioneer of minimal music.
Christine Southworth
Christine Southworth (b. Boston, Massachusetts, 2 January 1978) is an American composer of postminimal music and works with combinations of Western ensembles, electronics, and world music ensembles including Balinese gamelan and bagpipes. She pe ...
, an MIT alumna, has performed several of her compositions and has long been an active member of the orchestra.
Gamelan Galak Tika uses authentic
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...
instruments made in Indonesia, and the musicians perform
barefoot
Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear.
There are health benefits and some risks associated with going barefoot. Shoes, while they offer protection, can limit the flexibility, strength, and mobility of the foot and can lead to ...
in authentic
Balinese costumes.
Concerts are usually started with placement of a traditional Balinese centerpiece made of fresh fruit onto the stage (
incense
Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be ...
sticks were lit up in earlier years, but this practice was discontinued due to concerns about
allergies
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...
and poor
indoor air quality
Indoor air quality (IAQ) is the air quality within and around buildings and structures. IAQ is known to affect the health, comfort, and well-being of building occupants. Poor indoor air quality has been linked to sick building syndrome, reduced ...
). After a concert, the audience is usually invited to come up on stage to get a closer look at the gamelan instruments, and to try hands-on playing of them under the guidance of orchestra members. Also, pieces of the fresh fruit centerpiece are offered to audience members, for a gustatory remembrance of the event.
The group
learns aurally, without the aid of
musical notation
Music notation or musical notation is any system used to visually represent aurally perceived music played with instruments or sung by the human voice through the use of written, printed, or otherwise-produced symbols, including notation fo ...
, and functions in the tradition of a Balinese village ''sekeha'', with decisions made communally and responsibilities shared among the members of the ensemble.
The name of the ensemble means "intense togetherness" in Bahasa Kawi (classical
Javanese, a dialect of
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
),
and is also a cross-lingual
pun
A pun, also known as paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use of homophoni ...
on the title of the old television show ''
Battlestar Galactica
''Battlestar Galactica'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series), original television series in 1978, and was followed by a short-run sequel se ...
''. The group performs with three sets of gamelan instruments: a traditional ''pelog'' set, another tuned in
just intonation
In music, just intonation or pure intonation is the tuning of musical intervals
Interval may refer to:
Mathematics and physics
* Interval (mathematics), a range of numbers
** Partially ordered set#Intervals, its generalization from numbers to ...
, and the completely electronic Gamelan Elektrika, based on a design developed at the
MIT Media Lab
The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, growing out of MIT's Architecture Machine Group in the School of Architecture. Its research does not restrict to fixed academic disciplines, but draws from ...
.
Live Music Connection (LMC)
A co-op of MIT's bands on campus, the LMC provides a venue for artists to play as well as open jam sessions for students. Started in 2009 by MIT student band, The Guitar Knives, the LMC is now an official student group that holds concerts about once every 2 weeks in the Student Center, usually featuring 2 MIT bands. The LMC recently put out the first official CD of MIT bands that can be found on their website, as well as below. This sets a precedent at the school in that the CD is offered for Free Download, publicizing MIT's up and coming artists that also play the LMC's Concert Series. The LMC is also responsible for holding MIT's Battle of the Bands at Campus Preview Weekend, which it has recently taken over and established as a competitive ground for solely MIT bands.
Logarhythms
Founded in 1949, the MIT Logarhythms is an all-male
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
performance group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Logs began as a close-harmony octet, singing popular and comedy melodies of the 1940s. The Logarhythms were named by one of their founding members, Ed Kerwin. Their current repertoire consists primarily of modern pop, hip hop, and classic rock, and their close-harmony lives on in many tunes.
The Logs perform throughout Massachusetts and the New England area. Recent biannual tours have included performances around Washington DC, California, Michigan, and Texas. The group has earned songs on the Best of College A Cappella (BOCA) compilation albums from 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2009, and their album ''Soundproof'' received near-perfect marks in its review from the Recorded A Cappella Review Board.
In March 2007, the Logs participated in and took first place in WERS' All A Cappella Live competition at the Majestic Theatre in Boston, competing against the Tufts Beelzebubs, Brandeis VoiceMale, and the Harvard Low Keys.
* ''Give Us Back Our Spyplane'' (2008)
* ''Natural'' (2006)
* ''Soundproof'' (2004)
* ''Superlogs'' (2002)
* ''Mind the Logs'' (1999)
* ''Redwood'' (1997)
* ''Songs From The Bagel'' (1994)
''Natural'' features cover songs performed and recorded by the '04–05 and '05–06 members of the MIT Logarhythms. The tracks were recorded at MIT at the Logarhythms' studio. Tracks were subsequently mixed by producer John Clark.
"Part-Time Lover" soloist Chris Vu won a 2007 CARA award as Best Male Collegiate Soloist.
"Such Great Heights" received a 2007 CARA nomination for Best Male Collegiate Song.
''Soundproof'' features cover songs performed and recorded by the '02–03 and '03–04 members of the MIT Logarhythms. The tracks were recorded at MIT at the Logarhythms' newly built studio. Track one was mixed by Viktor Kray. All remaining tracks were mixed by John Clark.
"The Kids Aren't Alright" was featured as the first track on the Best of College A Cappella 2005 compilation. "No Such Thing" appeared as track nine on the Best of College A Cappella 2004 compilation. "Learn to Fly" was Runner Up for Best Male Collegiate Arrangement in the 2005 CARA awards.
Marching Band
The
MIT Marching Band is purely student run, and is open to the entire MIT community.
The band plays at all types of events year-round. In its recent history, it has performed at football, basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, women's rugby, water polo, and hockey games. The band has also played for events such as the re-opening of the
MIT Museum
The MIT Museum, founded in 1971, is located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It hosts collections of holography, technology-related artworks, artificial intelligence, architecture, robotics, maritime histor ...
and the Cambridge Science Festival. During MIT's Campus Preview Weekend in April, the band leads the prospective freshmen from the keynote address in Rockwell Cage to an activities fair in Johnson Ice Rink. Every December, the band tours downtown
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
playing holiday music.
Muses
The MIT Muses, MIT's only all-female a cappella group, was founded in 1988.
The name of the a cappella group is based on the definition of the ancient Greek
Muses
In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the p ...
. The members of the MIT Muses named their first album ''Ambrosia'' because it was the food of the ancient Greek gods.
Discography
* ''Elysian Fields'' (1998)
* ''Ambrosia'' (1995)
Musical Theater Guild
The Musical Theatre Guild is an entirely student-run theater group which performs four musicals per year (spring term, summer, fall term, and IAP). Membership is open to anyone, but preference is given to MIT students and MIT community members for cast and production roles. Performances are open to the general public.
In IAP 2003, MTG produced Star Wars: Musical Edition, a musical version of the original Star Wars movie, featuring musical numbers from existing musicals with the lyrics changed to fit the plot. In April 2005, part of the group performed selections from the show at Celebration III, a Star Wars convention for which George Lucas was present. In the fall of 2005, MTG produced Star Wars Trilogy: Musical Edition, which encompassed the entire original trilogy.
Resonance
MIT Resonance is a student rock/pop
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
group from MIT. Founded in the 2000–2001 school year, the group is co-ed and typically consists of sixteen undergraduate and graduate students (though its size varies). It is one of seven a cappella groups at the school, and is known across campus for its frequent free performances and its funny, edgy interludes used to keep audiences amused between songs.
Nationally, Resonance is perhaps best known for its recognition through CASA, the Contemporary A Cappella Society, having received a 2004 and 2008 Contemporary A Cappella Recording Award (CARA) nomination for Best Mixed Collegiate Arrangement, a 2008 CARA award for Best Scholastic Original, as well as a berth on the 2006
Best of College A Cappella
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
compilation CD. The group is also known for regularly hosting the
International Championship of College A Cappella New England Semifinals.
The group has produced three albums, its latest being the self-titled "Resonance" released in fall 2007.
Resonance was envisioned by Sara Jo Elice who, with her friend (and eventual co-founder) Jessica Hinel, fleshed out the original idea while waiting to audition for an MIT Musical Theatre Guild production. Jay Humphries was auditioning for the same production and ended up becoming an inaugural Resonance member as well. In 2001, the MIT Association of Student Activities recognized Resonance as its seventh a cappella group on campus at the time.
The name Resonance follows an established joke among MIT a cappella groups of using a science or math-based pun to name the group. In science, resonance has to do with vibration and harmony. Specifically, resonant frequencies are the frequencies that cause natural amplification of signal – a commonly cited example being the singer who can, at the right frequency, break glass with their voice. Keeping with the theme, the resonance name is often formatted as "res(((o)))nance." and displayed alongside a logo of a shattered wine glass.
Resonance regularly performs on the MIT campus, at the minimum presenting a single full-length concert per term. Each concert is primarily composed of a collection of songs, both covers and originals, selected and arranged for a cappella by members of the group. Over 100 different songs have been performed by the group since 2001.
Resonance, like many a cappella groups, has a single "alum" song, taught to all members and used to close almost all performances. Group alumni are invited to join the current members on stage to finish the night. Resonance's alum song is "Easy People" by the
Nields.
Resonance has released three albums:
* ''Resonance'' (2007)
* ''Left On Red'' (2005)
* ''First Harmonic'' (2003)
Resonance is also featured on two a cappella collections:
* ''acaTunes Awards 2007'' (2007) – Collection, features "So Little Notice" by Sarah Dupuis as performed by Resonance
* ''
Best of College A Cappella
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporatio ...
2006'' (2006) – Collection, features "Mystify (Atrévete)" by
Chenoa
María Laura Corradini Falomir (born June 25, 1975, in Mar del Plata, Argentina) popularly known as Chenoa, is an Argentine-Spanish music artist who rose to fame as a contestant on reality television singing competition ''Operación Triunfo''. H ...
as performed by Resonance
All three Resonance full-length albums are available only through the group directly. Best of College A Cappella is produced and distributed to various retail sources by Varsity Vocals. acaTunes awards are produced by acaTunes.
Shakespeare Ensemble
Founded in 1974, the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble is a student-run theater group. The group puts on one Shakespeare play each semester as well as one non-Shakespeare play each IAP and one non-Shakespeare play each summer.
Symphony Orchestra
![Kresge Auditorium, MIT (interior with concert)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Kresge_Auditorium%2C_MIT_%28interior_with_concert%29.JPG)
The MIT Symphony Orchestra is the
symphony orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...
of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The origins of the MIT Symphony Orchestra (MITSO) date back as far as 1884 when the first MIT Tech Orchestra appeared on campus along with the Banjo and Glee Clubs. The orchestra disbanded and re-appeared several times over the years that followed until 1947, when
Klaus Liepmann (1907–1990), MIT's first full-time professor of music and founder of the music program, became director of the MIT Glee Club, the Symphony and the Choral Society.
Nine years later John Corley (1919–2000) took over the direction of the Symphony until 1966, when David Epstein (1931–2002) became the Symphony Orchestra's music director. Under Prof. Epstein, the orchestra performed at
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...
and made several LP recordings. David Epstein's tenure ended in the spring of 1998 upon his retirement from the Institute. The MITSO has also performed with artists such as
Peter Schickele
"Professor" Peter Schickele (; born July 17, 1935) is an American composer, musical educator, and parody, parodist, best known for comedy albums featuring his music, but which he presents as being composed by the fictional P. D. Q. Bach. He also ...
, when he performed works of
P.D.Q. Bach
P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer invented by the American musical satirist Peter Schickele, who developed a five-decade-long career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the Bach family. Schickele's music combines ...
as a dog chained to the concertmaster. After an international search, Dante Anzolini became Music Director of the Orchestra and Associate Professor of Music at MIT in September 1998. For the 2006–2007 season, Paul Biss from Indiana University served as interim conductor for MITSO, and in the fall of 2007, Adam Boyles began his tenure as the current music director.
Syncopasian
Syncopasian is an Asian a cappella group at MIT. Founded in 2008, Syncopasian's mission is to promote Asian music and pop culture at MIT and in the surrounding community. Unlike other a cappella groups on campus, its repertoire includes songs in not only English, but also in Chinese, Cantonese, Japanese, Korean, and other East Asian languages. The group holds two large concerts in the winter and spring and also performs at a variety of other on-campus events. It released its first album titled Syncopasian in 2011.
Techiya
Techiya is MIT's Jewish, Hebrew, Israeli a cappella group. Founded in 1994, the group released a demo tape in 1997. Since then, they have released three albums: ''Half-Life'' (2002), ''Techiya Sunrise'' (2010), and ''Technetium'' (2015). The group sings a wide variety of songs, including traditional liturgy, Israeli pop songs, Broadway, and original parodies.
In addition to a concert near the end of each semester, Techiya performed at on-campus events, at local synagogues, and in NYC every spring. They sing songs in many languages, including Hebrew, English, Yiddish, Ladino, French, Japanese, Chinese, Greek, and Amharic. The group unfortunately became inactive around Fall 2017.
Tech Squares
Tech Squares is a
square
In Euclidean geometry, a square is a regular quadrilateral, which means that it has four equal sides and four equal angles (90-degree angles, π/2 radian angles, or right angles). It can also be defined as a rectangle with two equal-length adj ...
and
round dance club founded in 1967. It is known for technical proficiency, often pursuing difficult and challenging choreography.
Toons
The MIT/Wellesley Toons are a cross-campus, co-ed college
a cappella
''A cappella'' (, also , ; ) music is a performance by a singer or a singing group without instrumental accompaniment, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. The term ''a cappella'' was originally intended to differentiate between Ren ...
singing group. Founded in 1990, the group takes its members from both the undergraduate and graduate students of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the undergraduates of
Wellesley College
Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, it is a member of the original Seven Sisters Colleges, an unofficial g ...
. The group performs several times each year at free concerts on both campuses, as well as at a variety of other venues both nearby and out-of-state.
The Toons host an annual ''Concert for a Cure'' in support of
multiple sclerosis
Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This d ...
research, which draws large crowds from around the Boston area to enjoy music, dance, and other performing arts from a diverse array of groups from
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
colleges and universities. The fourth annual concert – held in November 2009 – raised nearly $3000 in audience donations, which was donated to the
Accelerated Cure Project.
The Toons have released five albums:
* ''Part of This Complete Breakfast'' (2007)
* ''All Jokes Aside'' (2003)
* ''Holding Our Own'' (2001)
* ''59th Street Bridge'' (1998)
* ''Target Practice'' (1995)
Wind Ensemble
The MIT Wind Ensemble, also known as MITWE or 21M.426, is a group of instrumental performers who are students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The group performs classic (such as
Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite ''The Planets'', he composed many other works across a range ...
and
Grainger Grainger may refer to:
Places
*Grainger, Alberta, a locality in Canada
*Grainger County, Tennessee, a county located in Tennessee, United States
*Grainger Falls, a waterfall in Chalky Inland, Fiordland, New Zealand
*Grainger Market, a covered mark ...
) and contemporary
wind ensemble
A concert band, also called a wind band, wind ensemble, wind symphony, wind orchestra, symphonic band, the symphonic winds, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of members of the woodwind, brass, and percussion famil ...
repertoire. It also
commissions many new works.
The ensemble was formed in 1999 by
Dr. Frederick Harris Jr. It is led by him and
Kenneth Amis
Kenneth Amis (born 1970) is a Bermudian tuba player best known for his association with the Empire Brass. He is also the assistant conductor of the MIT Wind Ensemble, a group he has been involved with since its creation in 1999. In addition, ...
,
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
player in the
Empire Brass.
The ensemble performs 4 concerts per year in
Kresge Auditorium
Kresge Auditorium (MIT Building W16) is an auditorium structure at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located at 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed by the Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, with gr ...
. The concerts are open to the public. The ensemble also has performed with local
middle school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
and
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
bands, as part of an outreach program.
Admission to the MIT Wind Ensemble is by
audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece giv ...
only. Current players must re-audition at the beginning of every year to remain in the ensemble. The audition consists of a short piece of the student's choice, a
sight reading
In music, sight-reading, also called ''a prima vista'' (Italian meaning "at first sight"), is the practice of reading and performing of a piece in a music notation that the performer has not seen or learned before. Sight-singing is used to descri ...
exercise, and a
chromatic scale
The chromatic scale (or twelve-tone scale) is a set of twelve pitches (more completely, pitch classes) used in tonal music, with notes separated by the interval of a semitone. Chromatic instruments, such as the piano, are made to produce the ...
.
Undergraduate
Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, in the United States, an entry-lev ...
students in the ensemble may choose to take MITWE for
academic credit
A credit is the recognition for having taken a course at school or university, used as measure if enough hours have been made for graduation.
University credits United States Credit hours
In a college or university in the United States, student ...
. In this case, the student must take a short playing exam at the end of each term.
In 2002 and 2003, the ensemble recorded its first CD ("Waking Winds") featuring 4 works by
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
area composers:
* Concertino for Violin and Chamber Winds, by Peter Child
* The Congress of the Insomniacs, by Brian Robison
* Song and Dance, by
Gunther Schuller
Gunther Alexander Schuller (November 22, 1925June 21, 2015) was an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, educator, publisher, and jazz musician.
Biography and works
Early years
Schuller was born in Queens, New York City, ...
* Drill, by
Evan Ziporyn
Evan Ziporyn (b. Chicago, Illinois, December 14, 1959) is an American composer of post-minimalist music with a cross-cultural orientation, drawing equally from classical music, avant-garde, various world music traditions, and jazz. Ziporyn h ...
The recording sessions took place in
Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall is a 1,051-seat concert hall in Boston, Massachusetts, the principal performance space of the New England Conservatory. It is one block from Boston's Symphony Hall. It is the only conservatory building in the United States to be de ...
, Kresge Auditorium, and Killian Hall.
The ensemble's second CD ("Solo Eclipse") was released in 2008, featuring new works by:
* Kenneth Amis
*
Ran Blake
Ran Blake (born April 20, 1935) is an American pianist, composer, and educator. He is known for his unique style that combines blues, gospel, classical, and film noir influences into an innovative and dark jazz sound. His career spans over 40 rec ...
*
Guillermo Klein
Guillermo Klein (born 1969) is an Argentine pianist and composer.
He graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1994, and throughout the 1990s held a residency at Smalls, a jazz club in New York City. Known for his highly original harmonic and ...
The ensemble has commissioned many works for Wind Band, including pieces by Kenneth Amis,
Kenny Werner
Kenny Werner (born November 19, 1951) is an American jazz pianist, composer, and author.
Early life
Born in Brooklyn, New York, on November 19, 1951 and then growing up in Oceanside, Long Island, Werner began playing and performing at a young ...
,
Erica Foin,
Forrest Larson, Ran Blake, Guillermo Klein, Evan Ziporyn, and others.
Publications and media
WMBR
![MIT Walker Memorial](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/MIT_Walker_Memorial.jpg)
WMBR is a student-run
college radio
Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...
station
licensed to broadcast on 88.1 FM. Its
call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...
is an acronym for Walker Memorial Basement Radio, referring to the location of the radio station.
''MIT International Review''
The ''MIT International Review'' (''MITIR'') is an interdisciplinary
journal
A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to:
*Bullet journal, a method of personal organization
*Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period
*Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...
of
international affairs
International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...
published by MIT. The aim of the publication is to "foster solution-oriented discourse about international problems.
''The Tech''
''The Tech'' is MIT's student newspaper. It is published once a week on Thursdays during the academic year.
''MIT Undergraduate Research Journal'' (MURJ)
This periodic publication reports on results from recent and ongoing Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (
UROP) projects.
''Ergo'' (defunct)
''Ergo'' was a student-run newspaper, based at MIT, but distributed and staffed by people from other colleges in the Boston area as well, primarily
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
and
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
. It was started in 1969
as a conservative-libertarian alternative to the often socialist student activism that was prevalent at the time. It was published weekly; support came from advertising, contributions, and subscriptions; MIT provided free office space but did not otherwise support the paper.
In the next few years ''Ergo'' shifted in a more
libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...
direction, and its editorial policy became more aligned with
Objectivism
Objectivism is a philosophical system developed by Russian Americans, Russian-American writer and philosopher Ayn Rand. She described it as "the concept of man as a heroic being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with prod ...
. Content included commentary on local and national political issues, occasional analysis of more abstract philosophical issues, and reviews of books and music. The paper conducted a long-running campaign criticizing the MIT philosophy department for presenting
analytic philosophy
Analytic philosophy is a branch and tradition of philosophy using analysis, popular in the Western world and particularly the Anglosphere, which began around the turn of the 20th century in the contemporary era in the United Kingdom, United Sta ...
to the exclusion of other philosophical systems, and campaigned with more success against student
hazing
Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
practices. It regularly covered
Ayn Rand
Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum;, . Most sources transliterate her given name as either ''Alisa'' or ''Alissa''. , 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and p ...
's annual talks at the
Ford Hall Forum
The Ford Hall Forum is the oldest free public lecture series in the United States. Founded in 1908, it continues to host open lectures and discussions in the Greater Boston area. Some of the more well-known past speakers include Maya Angelou, Isa ...
.
As the core group behind ''Ergo'' graduated and drifted away, and as student activism in general declined, publication became more sporadic. It ceased publication in the 1980s. It was briefly revived in 1999. Authors for ''Ergo'' included
Robert Bidinotto and (briefly)
Simson Garfinkel
Simson L. Garfinkel (born 1965) is Senior Data Scientist at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He was formerly the US Census Bureau's Senior Computer Scientist for Confidentiality and Data Access. Previously, he was a computer scientist at ...
.
Student government
MIT's student body has several governing organizations. The Undergraduate Association is the primary representative body for undergraduate students while the Graduate Student Council represents the interests of graduate students. Organizations like the Interfraternity Council (IFC), Panhellenic Council (Panhel), Living Group Council (LGC), and Dormitory Council (Dormcon) are independent bodies that represent the interests of fraternities, sororities, independent living groups, and undergraduate dormitories respectively.
Athletics
MIT has 33 varsity sports teams. Of the previous 41 varsity sports, eight (Alpine Skiing, Golf, Men's Ice Hockey, Women's Ice Hockey, Men's Gymnastics, Women's Gymnastics, Pistol, and Wrestling) were cut in 2009 for budget reasons.
[MIT to reduce the number of varsity sports offered](_blank)
Retrieved 7 March 2010. MIT also has an extensive club and intramural sports team.
All MIT undergraduates must complete physical education classes as well as a swim test or class as part of the
General Institute Requirements (GIRs).
Notes
References
{{MITtemplate
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology student life
MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the m ...
University folklore