Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ah, MIT, affectionately known as hell... this page is a brief overview of my life and friends here. It's getting long. I might start splitting it into separate pieces soon.

Academics
I was one of those masochistic double majors - Physics and Math with Computer Science. I also did a humanities concentration in Women's Studies. My senior year, my classes focused mostly on Artificial Intelligence, an area I'd like to study in grad school, specifically Natural Language Processing.
I've previously taken 8.01x (Physics I: Classical Mechanics), 18.100B (Analysis I), 5.112 (Chemistry), 21L.005 (Intro to Drama), 8.02 (Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism), 18.901 (Introduction to Topology), 18.781 (Introduction to Number Theory), 21A.230 (The American Family), 7.012 (Biology), 8.03 (Physics III: Waves and Vibrations), 8.033 (Special Relativity), 24.900 (Linguistics), 6.001 (Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs), 8.04 (Quantum Mechanics I), 8.044 (Statistical Physics and Thermodynamics), 21L.003 (Intro to Fiction), 6.042 (Mathematics for Computer Science), 6.046 (Introduction to Algorithms), 8.13 (Experimental Physics aka Junior Lab), SP.401 (Introduction to Women's Studies), 6.170 (Laboratory in Software Engineering), 18.703 (Modern Algebra), 21M.600 (Introduction to Acting), 21W.783 (Scientific and Engineering Writing for Phase II), 6.034 (Artificial Intelligence), 6.840J/18.404J (Theory of Computation), 21M.705 (The Actor and the Text), 6.803 (The Human Intelligence Enterprise), 6.863 (Natural Language Processing), 8.286 (The Early Universe), SP.607J/21H.225J (Gender and Law in US History), and 21M. 851 (Special Topics in Drama).

Putz and EAsT camPUS
I live at East Campus on Second West, aka Putz. I'm just ended my year long stint as treasurer of East Campus, which means I was in charge of all the money. I used to be secretary until I realized that I hate taking notes. I was also a rush chair, which means I helped throw the big Red Sector A party for the freshmen and helped organized a few other random activities. If you think I look familiar, it's probably because you've seen me working desk. You can see my hall here.
The Beaver Escapades
My friend Teresa wrote "Goodbye, Amal" to the tune of the Dixie Chicks' "Goodbye, Earl" my freshman year as well as other Putz classics, "Jeffrey C. Barrett, Why Won't You Prepare It?" and "Scooter, Scooter." "Goodbye, Amal" is, unfortunately, not based on the true story of how Jenn Miller and I band together to poison Amal after he makes one too many messes in the lounge. (Though it should be noted that Amal now refuses to eat macaroni and cheese.) I wrote a few song parodies myself, including one in honor of Teresa. You can find them on the Putz song page.
Spring of 2003 I was approached by Sheila Longo to enter the East Campus Miss Ugly Pageant. She claimed I'd be great at it. Now, I'm not sure this was a compliment, but I went ahead and entered. Much to my surprise, I won. Perhaps it was my closing statement:
<Minnesotan accent> I just wanted to let you all know that I'm bleeding pretty freely from my crotch here, and as of such, I got PMS pretty bad. If you don't let me win, I'm gonna take it out on all the judges and the gosh darn rugby team.
A good time was had by all. Don't believe me? The pictures are here.

Extracurricular type stuff
In February of 2002 I performed in The Vagina Monologues, reading "My Angry Vagina." I did it again in 2003, simultaneously acting as the unofficial tech liaison. I finally bit the bullet and agreed to co-produce in 2004.
Fall 2002, Adam Glassman sent out an e-mail advertising auditions for the Dramashop One Act plays, one of which he was directing. I had a spare hour, so I went. Much to my surprise, he cast me as the bitchy ex-girlfriend in Dan Katz's "One Down." I must say, playing a bitch on stage is far more rewarding than I expected. You can channel all sorts of anger and bitterness into your character. Not that I'm ever angry or bitter. I did another student written Dramashop show in the spring. I wasn't bitchy, but I was sitting in a coffee shop again. This past summer I was in a Dramashop show that did not involve a coffeeshop. But it did involve lettuce and a really bad wig. This spring I'm acting with The Shakespeare Ensemble in Much Ado About Nothing as Ursula, Hero's waiting woman.
Every IAP I have participated in the MIT Mystery Hunt on the Putz/Tetazoo team with the ever changing name (Vermicious Knids, Excuse Me Is Thouis There?, Kappa Sig, French Armada...). My junior year, we found the coin, thereby winning the hunt. Our "prize" was to run the hunt the following year. At times the amount of work was overwhelming, but I had fun and I'd do it again if I had the chance. I got lots of good feedback on my puzzles -- like this one, this one, this one and this one. I wrote a few more, but I'm too lazy to link to them.
Freshman year I played on the women's varsity ice hockey team. For those who know me, yes, that is funny. I decided it wasn't for me when my coach, Katia Paschkevitch, captain of the Russian national team, decided to test my skills as goalie by aiming a 90-mile-an-hour slap shot at my chest. It hurt. I never want to be in that position again.
I kept up my clarinet for awhile, but eventually I just ran out of time and energy and something had to give. Freshman year I played in the MIT Concert Band and the MIT Wind Ensemble. The groups are on very different ends of the musical spectrum. We'll just leave it at that. Sophomore year I switched to bass clarinet for the Wind Ensemble and was the publicity officer. I got to make a few posters and such. I left the group to turn into a theater person. Funny how that happens.

Links and Pictures
Lots of my MIT friends have their own pages (people in italics graduated and have dead homepages, but I leave their names here for nostalgia): Sheeva Azma Laura Babcock Analucia "Chia" Berry Amal Dorai Teresa Fazio Scott Johnston Martine Lamy Laura Lopez Quinn Mahoney Jennifer Miller Joshua Randall Anand Sarwate Ryan "Breath" Williams
Pictures of me and my friends at MIT: Jenn and I outside the White House Josh, Jenn, and I in DC... Aramark must have followed us Martine, Laura, me, and Teresa making cookies Breath and I during the infamous shower incident My Brass Rat Josh and I at Cape Cod for the 4th of July Jenn was there too

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