Traditions and student activities at MIT
Encyclopedia
The traditions and student activities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology encompass hundreds of student activities, organizations, and athletics that contribute to MIT
's distinct culture.
, which prominently features the school mascot beaver on the top surface. The ring is traditionally made of gold, the beaver is the largest North American rodent, hence "gold beaver" becomes "brass rat" in student lingo.
, which despite its name, connects MIT to Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, across the Charles River
.
dropped into the Charles River
, producing explosions due to the rapid exothermic
conversion of sodium metal to sodium hydroxide and the ignition of the resulting hydrogen
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 student accepted responsibility, resulting in a monetary fine and 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. Over the years, the student newspaper The Tech has published an editorial and an opinion piece urging readers to be more aware of environmental impacts of the prank, and to take responsibility for injuries to innocent parties that might result.
held at MIT on May 7, 2005, in the hopes of making contact with time travel
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, Wired, and Slashdot
. 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
.
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
, 71.087870 degrees west longitude
. 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
, a MacArthur "genius grant" winner, Alan Guth
, an Eddington Medal
winner for theoretical astrophysics, and Edward Farhi, winner of numerous MIT teaching awards. A De Lorean DMC-12
, 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.
built by a team at MIT in 1983 which won a Kremer Prize
of £20,000 for sustaining a speed of over 30 km/h over a 1.5 km triangular course. It was a precursor to the MIT Daedalus
effort to fly from Crete to the Greek mainland in 1988.
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. When stereophonic sound
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
. 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/Bose 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...Sux!", with the crowd chiming in loudly on the second word. This outcry alerts the projectionist, who might not have noticed the defect, to fix the problem.
It is held every year during the Independent Activities Period at MIT, and the competition is changed annually. The game consists of armies of autonomous virtual robots battling each other, controlled solely by the AIs written by competition participants. BattleCode is programmed in Java
, and the AIs (called "players") are written as extensions of a base robot class.
The competition has been roughly doubling in size every year since 2007. 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.
The competition was developed in part by Amy Smith
, who has developed a number of inventions useful to poor communities.
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
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
playing holiday music.
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
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
, when he performed works of P.D.Q. Bach 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 State University served as interim conductor for MITSO, and in the fall of 2007, Adam Boyles began his tenure as the current music director.
and Grainger
) and contemporary wind ensemble 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
, tuba
player in the Empire Brass
.
The ensemble performs 4 concerts per year in Kresge Auditorium
. The concerts are open to the public. The ensemble also has performed with local middle school
and high school
bands, as part of an outreach program.
Admission to the MIT Wind Ensemble is by audition 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
exercise, and a chromatic scale
. Undergraduate students in the ensemble may choose to take MITWE for academic credit
. 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
area composers:
The recording sessions took place in Jordan Hall
, Kresge Auditorium, and Killian Hall.
The ensemble's second CD ("Solo Eclipse") was released in 2008, featuring new works by:
The ensemble has commissioned many works for Wind Band, including pieces by Kenneth Amis, Kenny Werner
, Erica Foin, Forrest Larson, Ran Blake, Guillermo Klein, Evan Ziporyn, and others.
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.
.
In the 1960s it sponsored four Folk Dance Festivals.
Folk Dance Festivals
group consists of people singing, usually in multi-part harmony
, but unaccompanied by any musical instruments. The sound consists of the human voice, sometimes enhanced by hand clapping, foot stomping, or other improvised percussion effects.
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.
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.
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 have competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
numerous times, winning 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:
In total, the Chorallaries have produced 13 albums:
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
, Wellesley College, Simmons College
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.
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. 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
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
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:
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 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 is also featured on two a cappella collections:
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.
The MIT International Review (MITIR) is an interdisciplinary journal
of international affairs
published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The aim of the publication is to "foster solution-oriented discourse about international problems.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
'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
"Brass rat" refers to the MIT class ringMIT class ring
Massachusetts Institute of Technology's class ring, often called the Brass Rat, is redesigned each year by a student committee. The class ring has three main sections: the bezel, containing MIT's mascot, the beaver; the MIT seal ; and the class year . The side surfaces show the Boston and...
, which prominently features the school mascot beaver on the top surface. The ring is traditionally made of gold, the beaver is the largest North American rodent, hence "gold beaver" becomes "brass rat" in student lingo.
Tim the Beaver
Tim the Beaver is the official mascot of MIT, appearing at athletic events, fund-raisers, and other occasions. The name "Tim" is simply "MIT" spelled backwards. A beaver 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 Maclaurin proposed the beaver. The sports teams at MIT often choose to have Tim as their mascot, or to go by the name "The Engineers".Course numbering
MIT students 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, the most popular department, collectively identify themselves as "Course VI." MIT students use a combination of the department's course number and the number assigned to the class number 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, "6.001" is pronounced six double oh one, and "7.20" would be pronounced seven twenty.Smoots
The "Smoot" is a traditional unit of measuring length on the Harvard BridgeHarvard Bridge
The Harvard Bridge carries Massachusetts Avenue from Back Bay, Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the longest bridge over the Charles River....
, which despite its name, connects MIT to Boston's Back Bay neighborhood, across the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
.
Independent Activities Period (IAP)
Independent Activities Period 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.Bad Ideas Festival
This event, which usually takes place between the parallels of the East Campus dormitories, features oddball stunts and constructions, such as a multi-story temporary roller-coaster engineered by MIT students.Baker House Piano Drop
Each spring, the denizens of Baker House drop an old, irreparable piano 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 noise has spawned a unit of sound volume, known as the Bruno.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.Campus Preview Weekend (CPW)
Campus Preview Weekend 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.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.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 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.Sodium Drop
The Sodium Drop traditionally consisted of a bar of metallic sodiumSodium
Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal and is a member of the alkali metals; its only stable isotope is 23Na. It is an abundant element that exists in numerous minerals, most commonly as sodium chloride...
dropped into the Charles River
Charles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
, producing explosions due to the rapid exothermic
Exothermic
In thermodynamics, the term exothermic describes a process or reaction that releases energy from the system, usually in the form of heat, but also in the form of light , electricity , or sound...
conversion of sodium metal to sodium hydroxide and the ignition of the resulting hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
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 student accepted responsibility, resulting in a monetary fine and 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. Over the years, the student newspaper The Tech has published an editorial and an opinion piece urging readers to be more aware of environmental impacts of the prank, and to take responsibility for injuries to innocent parties that might result.
Time Traveler Convention
The Time Traveler Convention was a single-event conventionConvention (meeting)
A convention, in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry, profession, and fandom...
held at MIT on May 7, 2005, in the hopes of making contact with time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
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, Wired, and Slashdot
Slashdot
Slashdot is a technology-related news website owned by Geeknet, Inc. The site, which bills itself as "News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters", features user-submitted and ‑evaluated current affairs news stories about science- and technology-related topics. Each story has a comments section...
. 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
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 Other Chekhov....
.
The convention was held at 22:45 EDT on May 7, 2005 (May 8, 02:00 UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
) in the East Campus courtyard and Walker Memorial at MIT. That location is 42.360007 degrees north latitude
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
, 71.087870 degrees west longitude
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
. 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 Demaine
Erik D. Demaine , is a professor of Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.-Early life:...
, a MacArthur "genius grant" winner, Alan Guth
Alan Guth
Alan Harvey Guth is an American theoretical physicist and cosmologist. Guth has researched elementary particle theory...
, an Eddington Medal
Eddington Medal
The Eddington Medal, named after Sir Arthur Eddington, is awarded by the Royal Astronomical Society nominally once every two years for investigations of outstanding merit in theoretical astrophysics.- Recipients :* 1953 Georges Lemaître...
winner for theoretical astrophysics, and Edward Farhi, winner of numerous MIT teaching awards. A De Lorean DMC-12
De Lorean DMC-12
The DeLorean DMC-12 is a sports car originally manufactured in Dunmurry, a suburb west of Belfast, Northern Ireland by John DeLorean's DeLorean Motor Company for the American market in 1981-82. Most commonly known as the DeLorean, it was the only model produced by the company which would go into...
, the car featured in the Back to the Future trilogy
Back to the Future trilogy
The Back to the Future trilogy is a comedic science fiction adventure film series written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, directed by Zemeckis, produced by Amblin Entertainment and distributed by Universal Pictures. The main plot follows the adventures of a high school student Marty McFly and...
, 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.
Monarch B and Daedelus
The Monarch B was a human-powered aircraftHuman-powered aircraft
A human-powered aircraft is an aircraft powered by direct human energy and the force of gravity; the thrust provided by the human may be the only source; however, a hang glider that is partially powered by pilot power is a human-powered aircraft where the flight path can be enhanced more than if...
built by a team at MIT in 1983 which won a Kremer Prize
Kremer prizes
The Kremer prizes are a series of monetary awards, established in 1959 by the industrialist Henry Kremer, that are given to pioneers of human-powered flight. The competitions and prize awards are administered by the Royal Aeronautical Society's Human Powered Aircraft Group. .The first Kremer prize...
of £20,000 for sustaining a speed of over 30 km/h over a 1.5 km triangular course. It was a precursor to the MIT Daedalus
MIT Daedalus
The MIT Aeronautics and Astronautics Department's Daedalus was a human-powered aircraft that, on 23 April 1988, flew a distance of 71.5 mi in 3 hours, 54 minutes, from Iraklion on the island of Crete to the island of Santorini...
effort to fly from Crete to the Greek mainland in 1988.
Activities
MIT has over 380 recognized student activity groups,. These are generally governed by the MIT Association of Student Activities.MIT Educational Studies Program
The Education Studies Program, or 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 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 the strongest desire to learn. MIT ESP is the largest student-run program of its kind in the United States.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. When stereophonic sound
Stereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
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
Unison
In music, the word unison can be applied in more than one way. In general terms, it may refer to two notes sounding the same pitch, often but not always at the same time; or to the same musical voice being sounded by several voices or instruments together, either at the same pitch or at a distance...
. 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/Bose 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...Sux!", with the crowd chiming in loudly on the second word. This outcry alerts the projectionist, who might not have noticed the defect, to fix the problem.
Miscellaneous
- MIT EMS — student-run ambulance
- Pi Tau SigmaPi Tau SigmaPi Tau Sigma is an International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society. Pi Tau Sigma's core values are:*Integrity ,*Service , and...
— Mechanical Engineering honorary society - Eta Kappa NuEta Kappa NuEta Kappa Nu is the electrical and computer engineering honor society of the IEEE, founded in October 1904 by Maurice L. Carr at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The organization currently has around 200 student chapters and about 3,000,000 members and is headquartered in Chicago,...
— Electrical and Computer Engineering honorary society - MIT Science Fiction SocietyMIT Science Fiction SocietyThe MIT Science Fiction Society is a literary society and library of science fiction and fantasy books and magazines, located at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...
— claims to have the "world's largest open-shelf collection of science fiction" in English. - MIT Assassins' Guild — a live-action roleplaying group
Entrepreneurship Competition
- The annual MIT Entrepreneurship Competition has supported the creation of at least 60 companies worth a combined $10.5 billion since it started in 1990.
BattleCode (6.370)
6.370, also known previously as "RoboCraft" and now as "BattleCode", is the MIT ACM/IEEE Programming Competition.It is held every year during the Independent Activities Period at MIT, and the competition is changed annually. The game consists of armies of autonomous virtual robots battling each other, controlled solely by the AIs written by competition participants. BattleCode is programmed in Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
, and the AIs (called "players") are written as extensions of a base robot class.
The competition has been roughly doubling in size every year since 2007. 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.
- MIT 6.370 Competition
- Video of 2004 final tournament
- Video of 2005 final tournament
- Video of 2007 final tournament
- Further videos can be found on the current year's website.
Mobile Autonomous Systems Laboratory competition (Maslab)
- Maslab competition
IDEAS Competition
The MIT IDEAS Competition 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
Amy B. Smith
Amy Smith is an American inventor, educator, and founder of at . She works to develop technologies and build creative capacity internationally.-Early life and education:...
, who has developed a number of inventions useful to poor communities.
MIT 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.Other Competitions
- 2.007 Design & Manufacturing competition
- MIT ASO Science and Technology 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
MIT Museum
MIT Museum, founded in 1971, is the museum of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It hosts collections of holography, artificial intelligence, robotics, maritime history, and the history of MIT. Its holography collection of 1800 pieces is the largest in...
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
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
playing holiday music.
Symphony Orchestra
The MIT Symphony Orchestra is the symphony orchestra 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
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
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
Peter Schickele
Johann Peter Schickele is an American composer, musical educator, and parodist. He is best known for his comedy music albums featuring his music that he presents as music written by the fictional composer P. D. Q...
, when he performed works of P.D.Q. Bach 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 State University served as interim conductor for MITSO, and in the fall of 2007, Adam Boyles began his tenure as the current music director.
- Official MIT website
- MIT Symphony Orchestra
- Bach Double Violin Concerto Hu/MCall 1981 on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
MIT 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.
- MIT LMC's Website
- MIT LMC's Concert Review Blog
- Like Never Before: The First Season (2009–2010) LMC CD - Available for Free Download
Wind Ensemble
The MIT Wind Ensemble (or 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 HolstGustav Holst
Gustav Theodore Holst was an English composer. He is most famous for his orchestral suite The Planets....
and Grainger
Percy Grainger
George Percy Aldridge Grainger , known as Percy Grainger, was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist. In the course of a long and innovative career he played a prominent role in the revival of interest in British folk music in the early years of the 20th century. He also made many...
) and contemporary wind ensemble repertoire. It also commissions
Contract
A contract is an agreement entered into by two parties or more with the intention of creating a legal obligation, which may have elements in writing. Contracts can be made orally. The remedy for breach of contract can be "damages" or compensation of money. In equity, the remedy can be specific...
many new works.
The ensemble was formed in 1999 by Dr. Frederick Harris Jr.. It is led by him and Kenneth Amis
Kenneth Amis
Kenneth Amis is the tuba player 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, as of 2005, Amis is an Affiliated Artist of MIT....
, tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
player in the Empire Brass
Empire Brass
The Empire Brass is a brass quintet from the United States. Current members include:* Rolf Smedvig, trumpet* Marc Brian Reese, trumpet* Michelle Perry, French horn* Mark Hetzler, trombone* Kenneth Amis, tuba...
.
The ensemble performs 4 concerts per year in Kresge Auditorium
Kresge Auditorium
Kresge Auditorium is an auditorium building for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, located at 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was designed by the noted architect Eero Saarinen, with ground-breaking in 1953 and dedication in 1955...
. The concerts are open to the public. The ensemble also has performed with local middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
bands, as part of an outreach program.
Admission to the MIT Wind Ensemble is by audition 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
Sight reading
Sight-reading is the reading and performing of a piece of written music, specifically when the performer has not seen it before. Sight-singing is often used to describe a singer who is sight-reading.-Sight-reading:...
exercise, and a chromatic scale
Chromatic scale
The chromatic scale is a musical scale with twelve pitches, each a semitone apart. On a modern piano or other equal-tempered instrument, all the half steps are the same size...
. Undergraduate students in the ensemble may choose to take MITWE for academic credit
Credit (education)
A course credit is a unit that gives weighting to the value, level or time requirements of an academic course taken at a school or other educational institution.- United States :...
. 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
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area composers:
- Concertino for Violin and Chamber Winds, by Peter Child
- The Congress of the Insomniacs, by Brian Robison
- Song and Dance, by Gunther SchullerGunther SchullerGunther Schuller is an American composer, conductor, horn player, author, historian, and jazz musician.- Biography and works :...
- Drill, by Evan ZiporynEvan ZiporynEvan Ziporyn is an American composer of post-minimalist music and music for Balinese gamelans. He plays the clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, and metallophone, borrowing from classical music, avant-garde, and jazz...
The recording sessions took place in Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall
Jordan Hall is a 1,019-seat concert hall in Boston, Massachusetts, the principal performance space of the New England Conservatory. It is one block from Boston's Symphony Hall, and together they are considered two of America's most acoustically perfect performance spaces...
, Kresge Auditorium, and Killian Hall.
The ensemble's second CD ("Solo Eclipse") was released in 2008, featuring new works by:
- Kenneth Amis
- Ran BlakeRan BlakeRan Blake is an American pianist and composer from Springfield, Massachusetts. In a career that spans five decades, Blake has created a unique niche in improvised music as an artist and educator...
- Guillermo KleinGuillermo KleinGuillermo Klein 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 stylistic concepts, Klein has garnered much respect from the jazz...
The ensemble has commissioned many works for Wind Band, including pieces by Kenneth Amis, Kenny Werner
Kenny Werner
Kenny Werner is an American jazz pianist.-Biography:Kenny Werner is a world-class pianist and composer. His prolific output of compositions, recordings and publications continue to impact audiences around the world....
, Erica Foin, Forrest Larson, Ran Blake, Guillermo Klein, Evan Ziporyn, and others.
- MIT Wind Ensemble Homepage
- Documentary about MITWE, part 1
- Documentary about MITWE, part 2
- MITWE CD: Waking Winds
- MITWE CD: Solo Eclipse
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.
Folk Dance Club
The MIT Folk Dance Club, founded in 1959, sponsors 3 public dance sessions every week: international folk dancing, contra dancing, and Israeli dancingIsraeli folk dancing
Israeli folk dancing is a form of dance usually performed to music from Israel, with dances choreographed for specific songs. Most Israeli dances are performed in a circle, although there are also partner dances and line dances.-History and description:...
.
In the 1960s it sponsored four Folk Dance Festivals.
Folk Dance Festivals
MIT Shakespeare Ensemble
A student-run theater group that puts on plays by Shakespeare during the year and non-Shakespeare during the summer.MIT Dramashop
MIT's only co-curricular theater group.A cappella singing
An a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group consists of people singing, usually in multi-part harmony
Harmony
In music, harmony is the use of simultaneous pitches , or chords. The study of harmony involves chords and their construction and chord progressions and the principles of connection that govern them. Harmony is often said to refer to the "vertical" aspect of music, as distinguished from melodic...
, but unaccompanied by any musical instruments. The sound consists of the human voice, sometimes enhanced by hand clapping, foot stomping, or other improvised percussion effects.
Logarhythms
Founded in 1949, the MIT Logarhythms is an all-male a cappella 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.
- MIT Logarhythms Official Website
- MIT Logarhythms Alumni Website
- Contemporary A Cappella Society of America (CASA)
- Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB)
- Varsity Vocals (releases Best of College A Cappella Compilations) The Logarhythms
Chorallaries
The Chorallaries of MIT is the first co-ed a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
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
Godiva's Hymn
Godiva's Hymn is a traditional drinking song for engineers. It was originally sung by students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; although students there still recognize it, disapproval from the administration has marginalized its presence...
, is a traditional tech favorite.
The Chorallaries have competed in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella
The International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella, originally the National Championship of Collegiate A Cappella , is an international competition that attracts hundreds of college a cappella groups each year...
numerous times, winning 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 13 albums:
- 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
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Wellesley College, Simmons College
Simmons College (Massachusetts)
Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...
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.
- Chorallaries of MIT website
- International Championship of College A Cappella
- Review: Bad Taste 2003 in MIT newspaper, The Tech
Toons
The MIT/Wellesley Toons are a cross-campus, co-ed college a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
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. 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 sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
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
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
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)
- Official homepage of The MIT/Wellesley Toons
Resonance
MIT Resonance is a student rock/pop a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
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 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 2006 (2006) - Collection, features "Mystify (Atrévete)" by ChenoaChenoaMaría Laura Corradini Falomir, popularly known as Chenoa is a famous Argentine-Spanish female music artist who became successful after appearing on the TV contest Operación Triunfo. Her music style could be described in the United States as pop...
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.
- MIT Resonance official homepage
- The Contemporary A Cappella Society (CASA) reivew of Left On Red
- WERS:88.9FM:: Emerson College Radio Article
- The Recorded A Cappella Review Board (RARB) review of Left on Red
- "Left On Red" review and review of Fall 2005 concert, Dec. 13th, 2005
- Review of Fall 2003 concert, Dec. 9th, 2003
- Review of Fall 2002 concert, Dec. 10th, 2002
- Review of second concert, Dec. 7th, 2001
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."Techiya
Techiya is MIT's Jewish, Hebrew, Israeli a cappella group. Founded in 1994, the group released its first album in 2002, entitled Half-Life. Currently they sing songs in Hebrew, English, Yiddish, and Ladino.Asymptones
The Asymptones are MIT's low-time-commitment a capella group. Founded in 2007, they have infrequent concerts and just sing for fun.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.MIT International Review
Academic journal
An academic journal is a peer-reviewed periodical in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as forums for the introduction and presentation for scrutiny of new research, and the critique of existing research...
of international affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The aim of the publication is to "foster solution-oriented discourse about international problems.
Technique, the Yearbook and Photography Club of MIT
The Tech
- The Tech is MIT's student newspaper. It's published twice a week during the school year.