Dear Institute, I will miss you
A farewell letter from a graduating senior
This is my third to last week at MIT...ever. I am excited to be graduating, but I definitely will be missing a lot of the people here and many things about this place. In particular some of the things I will miss include: Dancing in Kresge Auditorium, food at MIT, and sketchy activities in the Student Center.
MIT has provided me with opportunity to dance on stage in front of a live audience dressed up as Mickey Mouse, and to get away with it. For this, I will miss it. Alpha Chi Omega recently put on its philanthropic talent show, “AXO LipSync.” My friend and I were joking around with the idea of Course 10 doing an AXO LipSync act. Soon the joke turned into reality. We mashed up our song, and convinced as many Course 10 kids to lose their...reputation on stage in this ridiculous act. We managed to get 12 people to learn the dance moves and perform. The basic storyline of our performance: MIT freshmen come to MIT confused about what major to be. They pick Course 10 and soon realize they are slaves to the “ICE (Integrated Chemical Engineering) Monster” (someone in a giant fat suit). The ICE Monster threatens to destroy the students, but luckily, Mickey Mouse shows up and saves the day. In all, I think Lady Gaga would agree that our performance was pretty epic. MIT has provided me the opportunity to be able to get away with this type of ridiculousness. I’m afraid the real world will not.
I am a bit ashamed to admit it, but I will also be missing some of the food at MIT. I recently found myself, in one day, having the following to eat: Dunkin Donuts (coffee + blueberry muffin), an Anna’s Taqueria burrito for lunch, two random slices of cheesecake, five dollars’ worth of gummy bears from LaVerde’s, a second round of Dunkin Donuts, and ice cream cones and fries from McDonald’s.
Even though many will choose not to admit it, they’ll also miss MIT food! There is nothing quite like sinking your teeth into that deliciously-prepared LaVerde’s cranberry chicken salad sandwich. I am not defending the prices or how boring the food can get here sometimes, but I am saying that I will probably be sitting one day at my future job in San Francisco wishing I could get my hands on some of the LaVerde’s food.
I will miss all of these things about MIT, but I think the number one thing I will miss will be our great Student Center. A few weeks ago, I was in the Student Center trying to do some work (and by “doing work,” I mean “stalking on Facebook”). I went to the restroom on the fifth floor and was taking care of my business when I heard someone come into the restroom. Next thing I know, the guy who had come in started cussing to himself and acting very strange. He was obviously drunk. The first thing that came to my mind was, “Who is drunk in the middle of the day on the fifth floor of the Student Center?” Then, the man attacked my stall trying to break down the door! I immediately started screaming and he proceeded to run out of the restroom. I was scared so I sat quietly in the restroom. After a safe amount of time, I walked out and went back to my work. Moments like those make me appreciate our Student Center.
I think everyone at MIT can say they have built up great memories with friends and with this place. Dancing as Mickey Mouse, LaVerde’s food and getting harassed by hobos in the Student Center are just a few of the things I will miss about this place. To those soon leaving this place: take a moment to reflect upon the good fortunes you have experienced here. To those who have not yet finished their time here: Enjoy it, and please, beware of the fifth floor Student Center restroom.