Quattrochi ’04 and former class of 2004 President Patrick Y. The class of 2003 Brass Rat featured two men, but the controversy was revisited last year when an information leak from the 2004 Ring Committee prompted 2004 Ring Committee chair Douglas J. Though most of the class was happy with the design, some were upset at the deviation from tradition. The committee received input from the class of 2005 via e-mail, through a committee Web site, and at a committee-sponsored study break.Ĭontroversy surrounding the school seal began three years ago, when the class of 2002’s ring included a woman on the MIT seal for the first time. “The reason we put the traditional seal was because we felt that most people wanted the traditional design,” said Rohit Gupta ’05, the Ring Committee chair.
![2004 mit brass rat 2004 mit brass rat](https://aac-static-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/prod/img/balfour/affinity/default-images/GradRat_Tile.jpg)
“Since the founding of the Institute, that’s been our seal, and if there’s one thing on the ring that shouldn’t change, it’s the seal of the Institute.”Īllison Hall ’05 said, “I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal. “I’m glad that stuck with that tradition,” said William R. This year the audience response was tame when the original school seal was projected onto the two large screens in the front of the room.Īccording to the pamphlet distributed at the Ring Premiere, the seal shank “features the MIT School Seal, unadulterated and in its purest form possible.” Two men symbolically hold a book and a hammer to match the Latin phrase mens et manus directly below them. In recent years, students have debated the gender balance of the seal shank on one side of the Brass Rat, which this year features the official MIT seal. Other features of the ring include the Boston and Cambridge skylines, a map of MIT engraved on the inside of the ring, and the Institute mascot, now a more muscular beaver on the ring’s bezel, representing a campus health consciousness. Speaking of the ring in general, Nao Gamo ’05 said, “It’s really personalized for our class.” The tombstone was inspired by the “rush” tombstone hack during the Class of 2005 Killian Kickoff, said Ring Committee chair Rohit Gupta ’05, adding that he felt this part of the Brass Rat was especially relevant to the class of 2005. The tombstone represents the old rush system, which ended after the Class of 2005’s rush and orientation.
![2004 mit brass rat 2004 mit brass rat](https://s3.amazonaws.com/thetech-production/images/web_photos/web/752_ringpremiere09-4.jpg)
The “Rush” tombstone on this year’s ring generated an emotional round of applause throughout the audience. Below this seal are an Erlenmeyer flask and a hip flask the 2005 Brass Rat pamphlet says that the Erlenmeyer flask represents chemistry-related work and reads “tool,” while the hip flask represents alcohol-related play and reads “punt.”ĭuring the presentation, a few members of the audience booed as a dove, representing peace around the world, was revealed below “punt” and “tool.”
2004 MIT BRASS RAT CRACKED
The class shank features the prominent Great Dome, below which sits a cracked tombstone reading “Rush.”īelow the school initials on the seal shank lies the original two-man MIT Seal. The latest Rat featured traditional features, traditional humor, and some new ideas. Laughter and applause greeted the 2005 Brass Rat as more than 700 members of the class of 2005 gathered in Walker Memorial last Saturday for their Ring Premiere.
2004 MIT BRASS RAT PDF
PDF of This Issue Class of 2005 Brass Rat Features Rush Tombstone, Traditional Seal