Pre-Orientation Begins

Pre-Orientation Begins Pre-Orientation and a mini-contest! This week, the MIT Class of 2010 (otherwise known as MIT MMX) begins their pre-Orientation. Orientation itself begins on Sunday, but for half of the class, they are already getting to know their classmates and MIT. Thre are more than a dozen different Freshman Pre-Orientation Programs (FPOPs), each covering a different subject. The oldest program is the Freshman Leadership Program, and the newest programs include one on Architecture and one on Literature. The FPOPs are a great opportunity to get to know a few dozen classmates well, before meeting the entire 1,000+ person freshman class. Here are a few of the FPOP highlights: Discover Earth Sponsored by the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences Department, Discover Earth brings 20 incoming freshman to Montana, Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Students will camp out in the parks, have informal lectures with the Earth Science faculty, and see geysers, hot springs, and evidence of volcanoes. Discover Mechanical Engineering (DME) Over the course of five days, students, with help from Mechanical Engineering Department faculty and students, build Soccer Bots, culminating in an ultimate Soccer Bot battle/tournament at the Museum of Science. Between using the machine shop and working on control boxes, participants get to take a cruise of Boston Harbor and learn to sail at the MIT Sailing Pavilion. Freshman Arts Program (FAP) FAP serves as initiation into the MIT arts community. Each of the 60 freshman in the program and 12 upperclassman mentors explore one of six different disciplines: music, dance, creative writing, film and media/photography, theater, and visual arts. All of these disciplines are well represented at MIT. Students will also check out Boston and Cambridges extensive arts scene. You can read about all of the different FPOPs on the Orientation website. And, of course, following pre-orientation is Orientation itself! More on that soon and a mini-contest! Welcome to campus, MIT MMX! Id like you to send me some of your pictures from your first days on campus, capturing your excitement and surprises at MIT. Some suggested photo topics: Moving into your room getting to know your roommate Your experiences at an FPOP Meeting your advisor The Orientation official welcome Boston Cambridge etc. Here are the rules: You should submit captions with every picture. Each entry should have no more than 6 pictures. You may enter more than once. Enter by sending me an email with either a link to your pictures, or attach the pictures themselves. Upperclassman MIT students who are around for Orientation may also enter. Entries will be accepted now through the first day of classes. The best entries will be posted on this blog. There is a possible bonus prize for the best picture that spells M-I-T. I look forward to seeing your photos!