Traditions and student activities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Traditions and student activities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

The faculty and student body highly value meritocracy and technical capacity. MIT has never awarded an honorary degree or award athletic scholarships, ad eundem degrees, or Latin honors upon graduation. However, MIT has twice awarded honorary professorships: Winston Churchill in 1949 and Salman Rushdie in 1993.

Many upper-class students and students bring a large ring, heavy distinct class known as the "Brass Rat". Originally created in 1929, the ring's official name is the "Standard Technology Ring." The undergraduate ring design (separate graduate student version exists as well) varies slightly from year to year to reflect the unique character of the MIT experience for that class, but always features a three-piece design, with the MIT seal and the class year each appearing on a separate face, flanking a large rectangular bezel with an image of a beaver. The IHTFP nitialism, representing the informal school motto "I hate this fucking place" and jokingly euphemistically as "I have truly found paradise", "teachers institute has Finest", "It's hard stroking Penguins," and other variations , has occasionally been featured on the ring for its historical significance in the culture of the students.

Activities

It has over 380 recognized student activity groups, including a campus radio station, The Tech student newspaper, an annual contest of entrepreneurship, and weekly screenings of popular films by the Lecture Series Committee. Less traditional activities include "world's largest collection open bookcase science fiction", the English, model railroad club and a vibrant folk dance scene. Students, faculty and staff are involved in over 50 educational outreach and public service programs through the MIT Museum, Edgerton Center, and MIT Public Service Center.

The Independent Activities Period is a four-week hotel long "term" offering hundreds of optional classes, lectures, demonstrations and other activities throughout the month of January between the Fall and Spring semesters. Some recurring IAP activities are popular 6,270, 6,370, and competitions MasLab, the "mystery hunt", and Charm School Annual. Over 250 students take annual internships at companies in the U.S. and abroad.

Many MIT students also engage in "hacking," which encompasses both the physical exploration of areas that are generally off-limits (such as rooftops and steam tunnels), as well as elaborate practical jokes. Recent high-profile hacks have included the kidnapping of the Caltech cannon, rebuilding a Wright Flyer atop the Great Dome, and adorning the John Harvard statue with the Master Chief's Spartan Helmet.