The Party Dimension

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. - Some old dude

MIT isn't completely about working and avoiding working. Occasionally we actually plan to spend time relaxing, often in large groups. There are a number of ways that said relaxation can be accomplished and a few are detailed here.

Dorm Parties

The most visible relaxation occurs at dorm parties, when the main lounge turns into a strobe-flashing dance club, with music blasting, munchies crunching, and people generally enjoying themselves. These parties usually have a theme, whether it's the "Irish Spring" party, or the "Luke-is-in-a-cage" party or even the famed "Burn-down-the-world-cause-it's-the-year-2000" party which is scheduled for the near future.

Semi-formals

Though Andrew attended our first semi formal with his left half dressed in a t-shirt and jeans and his right half in a tux, that's not really the idea. Last year we took over a floor of the student center on main campus, and then Randoms walked down Mass Ave wearing dresses, blazers, and tuxes, (most people were only wearing one of these, but not everyone) and slipping all over the place. (The first one was an icy night in the winter, and dress shoes aren't noted for their traction) From the power tango during Star Wars' Imperial March to the bouncing fun of Bumblebee Tuna to the vicious battle during Mortal Kombat, a good time was had by all.

3am trips to IHOP

In Boston's Kenmore Square, there's an International House of Pancakes that's open all night (well, not 4 to 6 am, but who wants food at 5am? besides the half of MIT that's still awake, that is...). In various other, slightly harder to get to, places, there are even nicer IHOPs. A popular activity is to wait until you and all your friends are really hosed with work, then grab them and anyone else who's still awake and drag them all for a good walk across the Harvard Bridge and get some pigs in blankets. Always a good way to deal with those hard-to-solve problems. Just put some butter and strawberry syrup on that problem set and it goes down much easier.

Hockey Games

Random has a dozen intramural sports teams, but the most fun has got to be our D-league hockey team. D-League is intended for people who can sort of skate. As long as you can put on skates, lace them up, and at least get onto the ice, you're qualified for D-league hockey. However, since we seem to be the only team that doesn't recruit people from the hockey team to play as ringers on our team, we rarely win. But it's always a heck of a lot of fun, especially if you've never played hockey before. Where else can you go out with four of your friends and fall down a lot? Well, maybe wandering around LA during their daily earthquakes, but where else?

Dorm Trips

Periodically throughout the year, we'll organize trips, whether to hike through the newly-turned leaves, or go and see a musical in Boston, or to go bowling. The best was last winter, when on a snow day Brian Lantz, one of our graduate tutors, took a bunch of people sledding on sleds, cafeteria trays, or anything else even vaguely slippery.