Fun MIT Quiz

[ham]

<p>4) CITGO!!!
7) Infinite corridor
9) Beaver: nature’s engineer</p>

[collegealum314]

<p>1.) What was the name of the last MIT president (before Hockfield)? What was the slogan on buttons student wore in protest to his “Freshman on Campus” policies?
Hint: it’s a play on his name.

Undergrads wore buttons that said " ‘Chuck’ Vest ". Chuck was in single quotes, so they meant as the verb ‘chuck’ instead of as a nickname for Charles, meaning “throw him out”.

</p>

<p>2.) “bituminous coal” --how is it related to MIT?

The last words of William Barton Rogers, founder of MIT, who collapsed in the 1882 MIT commencement address.

</p>

<p>3.) What’s the most obvious connection between the Yankees and MIT?

c/o Mikalye: The obvious connection seems to be that MIT play at the Henry G. Steinbrenner Stadium, which was dedicated in 1978 by New York Yankees’ owner George Steinbrenner and his two sisters. The gift was made in honor of their father, who won the national championship in the 220-yard hurdles as an MIT undergraduate.

</p>

<p>4.) What huge gas station sign is visible from MIT campus?

Citgo

</p>

<p>5.) Barbara Bush went to elementary school with which MIT professor?
Hint: It’s a professor who taught one of the GIR’s for years.

**Hartley Rogers, Jr., ** taught 18.02 and developed 18.022, also coached Putnam team from 1990 through at least 2005. Under his coaching MIT won two Putnam championships.</p>

<p>He was nominated for class secretary by Barbara Bush, famously (on campus) did not run for President of the United States in 1992, despite a significant on campus effort to draft him into the race against Clinton, Bush and Perot. Quoting General William Tecumseh Sherman of Civil War fame: " `If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve.’ "</p>

<p>A great pity, given the strong effort to push him forward. He is a very strong supporter of MIT Crew and of Stuart Schmill back when Stu was the coach of the Varsity Crew team. He also served on the governing board of the MIT Shakespeare Ensemble. I found this question to be “intuitively obvious”.
(also c/o Mikalye)

</p>

<p>6.) What does the “Fishbowl” refer to? It was eliminated in the late 90’s so current students might not know this.</p>

<p>

Where the registrar’s office is right now in the middle of the Infinite Corridor, there used to be a computer lab covered in glass. Because people would peer through the glass at the people, it became known as the Fishbowl. It was replaced by the registrar’s office in the late 90’s.

</p>

<p>7.) What is the name of the long hallway that runs through the main building?
(easy one)</p>

<p>

Infinite Corridor.

</p>

<p>8.) Who is the most famous MIT admissions blogger of all time? </p>

<p>

concensus is that it’s snively, although we know who it really is…

</p>

<p>9.) What is the name of the MIT mascot–explain the relevance of it to MIT’s mission.</p>

<p>

Beaver–nature’s engineer

</p>

<p>10.) An architect whose name sounds like a desert designed many of the buildings on campus. Name him. </p>

<p>

IM Pei

</p>

[collegealum314]

<p>And finally, a bonus question…
What movie star attended MITES? It has mistakenly reported that he/she attended MIT, but he/she did not. Thanks to all for participating.</p>

<p>Hint at bottom:</p>

<p>an excerpt from his MITES essay:
“In west Philadelphia born and raised, on the playground is where I spent mopst of my days…”</p>

[LW_Trojan]

<p>I would guess but I doubt it’s the fresh prince of bel-air (Will Smith).</p>

[collegealum314]

<p>It is Will Smith. The only movie star I know of who actually attended MIT was James Woods.
I know you guys hate stats, but Woods got a 1580 SAT score. Not too shabby for an actor.</p>

[molliebatmit]

<p>I had heard Will Smith did get into MIT, although he chose not to go – of course, that could be an urban legend.</p>

[Mikalye]

<p>Re the fishbowl, I had heard that it was deliberate. When Project Athena launched in 1983, the fishbowl was the first big Athena site. Prior to the Athena project, there wasn’t a fishbowl there, but this was a deliberate bit of Marketing about the new project. Hey look at the lab. Again, my knowledge of the history of Athena has holes in it you could drive a truck through, but I definitely recall the desire to purposefully create a fishbowl.</p>

[collegealum314]

<p>^^You may well be right about the Fishbowl…it was way before my time.</p>

<p>

I had heard Will Smith did get into MIT, although he chose not to go – of course, that could be an urban legend.

wikipedia quotes him as saying he didn’t apply to college…he became a rap star pretty young.</p>

[cellardweller]

<p>The architect whose name sounds like a desert has to be Saarinen (Sahara desert) who designed both Kresge and the Chapel over 50 years ago.</p>

[kryptonsa36]

<p>^ Yeah, how does “I.M. Pei” sound like a desert?</p>

[molliebatmit]

<p>Haha, I was trying to work that out myself. I figured I just didn’t know the names of enough deserts. (“Sonoran? No. Gobi?”)</p>

[collegealum314]

<p>

^ Yeah, how does “I.M. Pei” sound like a desert?

</p>

<p>Whoops…I assumed you pronounced it like “pie.” Apparently, it’s pronounced “pay.”</p>

<p>I thought of another actor that attended MIT (though only briefly)…Dolph “I will break you” Lundgren.</p>

[kryptonsa36]

<p>You meant “dessert,” then?</p>

[collegealum314]

<p>^^yes.</p>

<p>I always knew IM Pei would be my downfall.</p>

[mcb52]

<p>4.) What huge gas station sign is visible from MIT campus?</p>

<p>Citi</p>

<p>7.) What is the name of the long hallway that runs through the main building?
(easy one)</p>

<p>Infinite Corridor</p>

<p>9.) What is the name of the MIT mascot–explain the relevance of it to MIT’s mission.</p>

<p>Beaver & engineering? or what MIT guys want to get</p>