Monthly Archives: August 2013

Welcome to Sidney-Pacific! Dive in!

By SPEC

SPEC 2013. From left to right: Fabián Kozynski, Boris Braverman, Rachel Harding, Bernhard Zimmermann and Steven (Shiou-chi) Chang. Courtesy of SP Photofile.

SPEC 2013. From left to right: Fabián Kozynski, Boris Braverman, Rachael Harding, Bernhard Zimmermann and Steven (Shiou-chi) Chang. Courtesy of SP Photofile Committee.

The Sidney-Pacific Executive Council (SPEC) and the House Council would like to warmly welcome all of our new residents. You’re joining an amazingly diverse, active graduate community of almost 700 students. In order to serve and unite a community this large, SP has a wide variety of traditions and institutions, some of which we’d like to introduce here:

Hall Councilors and Hall Dinners: Sidney-Pacific is divided into 13 halls, and hall councilors are your floor’s representative. If you have any questions, concerns, or issues, they’re a great first resource to turn to. Plus, they organize monthly dinners and outings – basically, excuses for everyone in your hall to come together, hang out, and enjoy some free food. During orientation, each hall will be holding a mandatory hall meeting for all of its new residents to go over housing policies, roommate agreements, etc. Afterward, both new and returning residents are invited to the first hall dinners of the new academic year – please talk to your hall councilor for more details.

Sidney-Pacific Orientation: The next few weeks of Orientation are very exciting, and there are many can’t-miss events:

  • Our three staple large events – the Orientation BBQ & Movie (Aug 27th, 6:00-11PM), the Orientation Brunch (Sep 1st, 12:00-1PM), and our Orientation Dance Party, named “Are You Ready?” (Sep 6th, 9:00PM-1AM). These are open to the entire graduate community and usually attract crowds of up to 400-600 people. SP is generally known around campus for its large social events (we have 2-3 every semester, in addition to Orientation), so keep your eyes open for announcements during the semester. Some of the great events we held just this past year included the Wine & Chocolate Party, a Halloween masquerade, an Iron Chef competition, and a large Cultural Festival.
  • During our first week of orientation, residents get to know each other better with Open Doors Night (Aug 31st, 8:00-11PM), an event where 30-40 residents, both old and new, host small room parties for an evening. It’s a great chance to break the ice, meet your new neighbors, and maybe even show off some of your culinary skills. We’re currently recruiting hosts. Contact your Hall Councilor for more information!

In addition to our large events, SP organizes a number of smaller events, such as a Scavenger Hunt, a sports competition and a bike trip to a nearby farm (where residents get to enjoy amazing ice cream). All of these great events are organized by members of the Sidney-Pacific House Council. For the full list of events, please check out the orientation calendar in this newsletter, the official SP orientation guide, or our online Google calendar (http://goo.gl/P2FA3T[a]) and orientation map (http://goo.gl/maps/o0km1).

Residents and friends enjoy the orientation brunch last year. Courtesy of SP Photofile Committee.

Residents and friends enjoy the orientation brunch last year. Courtesy of SP Photofile Committee.

Monthly Brunch: Every month, Sidney-Pacific and Ashdown each provide a free Sunday brunch (12:00 – 1:00 PM, Mark Multipurpose Room on the 1st floor) that’s open to the entire MIT community. From scrambled eggs to chocolate-chip banana pancakes, and from roasted potatoes to fresh seasonal fruits, our brunches are not to be missed. Just don’t forget to bring your own silverware – we’re all about sustainability here! We have an enthusiastic, committed team of residents who volunteer every month to cook brunch mostly from scratch for over 300 people. As always, volunteers get to skip the lines and eat first. If you’d like to help out behind the scenes, come down to the MP Kitchen anytime between 8 AM – 12 PM.

Weekly Coffee Hour: Every Wednesday night (9:00 PM – 10:00 PM), SP residents are invited to the MP room for free fresh fruits, snacks, and of course, coffee – there’s tea and other drinks, too. Occasionally, we’ll have specialty menu items (such as a seasonal soup) or additional programs (such as a bike auction or a hobby fair). Once a month, we partner with a student group for a larger, culturally-themed coffee hour; last year, groups of students from India, Egypt, Turkey and France, among others, came to show their traditional foods, dances and music.

Sidney-Pacific Inter-Cultural Exchange (SPICE): Even though SP residents represent more than 50 different nationalities, we believe that merely assembling a “diverse” group of people is not enough. The benefits of diversity come from actively sharing and learning about each other’s different cultures, beliefs, and worldviews. SPICE is a dinner discussion program that facilitates this cultural exchange. At the beginning of the year, residents who sign up for SPICE are assigned to groups of 10-12 people. Over the course of the year, these groups meet about every other week for a subsidized dinner; at each dinner, members of the group discuss a particular topic, such as “How does your family celebrate various holidays, such as the New Year?”or “What do you and your family consider to be taboos?”

Housemaster Dinners: We’re very fortunate to have Professor Andreas Schulz and Berit Johannes as our new Housemasters to support our residential programming and development. New residents will have the chance to meet them, along with our adorable “Housemaster-in-Training” Felix, during our Housemaster Welcome Dinners in the middle of September. Please check your e-mail for your personal invitation. In addition, over the course of the year, residents will receive special invitations to other Housemaster gatherings, such as the Thanksgiving and Holiday dinners, dinners with professors, and so forth.

SP Interest Groups: Are you interested in attending a Boston sporting event? Do you often play Settlers of Catan and other board games late into the night?  Would you be interested in learning about new places to eat or going out to a movie with your fellow SP residents? Over the past year, SP residents have organized these and many other great activities through SP Interest Groups.  Basically, these are open, opt-in mailing lists that residents sign up for to connect with other residents of similar interests. In addition, if you can get a group of SP residents together for an activity, you can receive funding – that’s right, SP will partially subsidize that restaurant or concert trip. Go to https://s-p.mit.edu/myacct/interest_groups.php to learn more.

Volunteering at SP: All of the programs and resources run by the House Council would not be possible without the help of resident volunteers like you. Come on out, get involved, and meet other SP residents. There are many ways to get involved, from grilling at the barbeque to spearheading environmental initiatives, or even writing for this newsletter. No experience is required! You can find out about ways to get involved by signing up for the Volunteer mailing list in your “My Account” settings here: https://s-p.mit.edu/myacct/resident_edit_entry.php

Our vision for this year is: “Sidney-Pacific: Dive in”. SP is a great opportunity for people from various backgrounds to meet and exchange ideas, and we want to foster community and togetherness within the building, for residents new and old. We encourage you to get involved and make SP yours by joining us in some of our traditions.  More importantly, we look forward to creating some new traditions – if you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas, please contact us at spec@mit.edu. Enjoy orientation, and we look forward to meeting you!

Interest Groups: connect, meet new friends, plan events!

By Vadim Smolyakov (SP Interest Groups Chair)

IGSidney-Pacific is without doubt the best graduate residence in the universe! This is largely due to the talented community of graduate residents such as yourself with a diversity of interests. But how do you connect with peers who share the same passion for activities and interests you enjoy? Interest groups were created just for that: to bring together students with similar interests. With interest groups you can connect, meet new friends and plan events!

Interest groups have over 15 main groups with over 20 subgroups. To sign up: check and save the “I’m interested” box next to each interest under your account page, and you’ll be added to the group e-mail list. Also check out the main interest group page for an overview of the most popular groups: https://s-p.mit.edu/myacct/interest_groups.php Are you a Star Trek fan and want to catch a movie? E-mail the movies mailing list. Do you prefer the outdoors and a weekend-long hiking or a cycling trip? E-mail the trips, cycling and hiking mailing lists. Interested in discussing the controversial topics of modern day education? E-mail the academics list or an SP officer chair. You can reach any officer in person or by e-mail at: http://s-p.mit.edu/people/officers.php

Subsidy amounts for interest group events. Courtesy of the author.

Subsidy amounts for interest group events. Courtesy of the author.

Interest groups negotiate funding for group activities each semester. Claim it! Interest groups provide a subsidy of: $5/person for 2-5 people, $7/person for 6-7, and $10/person for 8-15 people. Advertise an event through interest groups, save itemized receipts, and e-mail sp-interestgroups-chair@mit.edu for reimbursement. It’s as simple as that! More SP participants equals more funding for activities you enjoy! For more information visit the interest groups main page: https://s-p.mit.edu/myacct/interest_groups.php

Dive In!

Amount of residents in each interest group category. Courtesy of the author

Number of residents in each interest group category. Courtesy of the author

SP Orientation 2013

By You Wu, Orientation Chair

Volunteers grilling at last year's orientation BBQ. Courtesy of SP Photofile Committee

Volunteers grilling at last year’s orientation BBQ. Courtesy of SP Photofile Committee

Dear new residents,

Welcome to Sidney Pacific! Sidney Pacific (SP) is a culturally diverse and socially active community, and we are very excited to have you here. Our lovely SP volunteers, together with the Graduate Student Council (GSC) and the rest of the MIT community, have prepared a long list of orientation events to celebrate your arrival. These are great opportunities for you to make new friends and dive in to the MIT and SP community. I would like to take this opportunity to give you a preview of what to expect in your orientation.

The first popular event is the annual SP Orientation BBQ and Movie night on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Come out to the SP courtyard around 6pm and enjoy a night of magic. The tasty food prepared by the master cooks in our community will bring new residents and old residents together. Remember to bring your ID so you can grab a beer with your new friends at the cash bar. In addition to food and drink, you can also win prizes in the mini games. Among the prizes there are workout products from Force Factor and gift cards from Zipcar. Later that night, see Oz the Great and Powerful on a giant outdoor movie screen! We hope that you will enjoy your very first outdoor movie at MIT.

Orientation dance party. Courtesy of SP Photofile committee

Orientation dance party. Courtesy of SP Photofile committee

Many new students ask what a weekend at MIT is like. I would like to answer this question by inviting you to the 2013 SP Dance Party on Friday night, Sept. 6. Again this party will be in the SP courtyard. DJ BIG from WPOT Hot 97 Boston radio station is leading this giant outdoor dance party to kick off your new semester. Wear a tie or a costume for a chance to win a free drink. Cash bar for alcohol will also be available. Our SP Dance Cam will broadcast your hottest moves live. Now it is my turn to ask you a question: are you ready for a MIT weekend?

Do you want to know MIT like the back of your hand? Here comes the MITourists 2013: Photo Scavenger Hunt. Starting at 3pm on Sunday Sept 8, teams of participants will be sent to explore the campus and bring back pictures of requested landmarks. You will know MIT campus much better after this Scavenger Hunt. Sign up early on http://goo.gl/bF9RYX so we can put you into teams and prepare dinner for you.

In addition to these three events, there are many other orientation activities to help you get ready for a new life at MIT. Other in-house events such as Orientation Brunch on the First of September and Orientation Coffee Hour on Sept. 4 have been extremely popular in the past, and I strongly encourage you to be there. Be sure to check out the SP calendar and GSC event schedule for the complete list of events. We are looking forward to meeting each and every single one of you!

Sincerely,
You Wu

Orientation Calendar 2013


orientation_calendar-01

Oh, the Things You’ll Learn!

by Fabián Kozynski, VP of Residential Life

Welcome to Sidney Pacific!

As you can see by the posters everywhere, this community is brimming with life. Being part of Sidney Pacific provides many things in addition to what you can get just by studying at MIT. By attending events at SP, you can learn from other cultures, or acquire different skills that you wouldn’t learn in the lab. However, that’s only one side of the SP coin.

Boris Braverman and David Rosen volunteer at the 2012 Orientation Brunch. Courtesy of S-P Photofile.

Boris Braverman and David Rosen volunteer at the 2012 Orientation Brunch. Courtesy of SP Photofile committee.

To be the “greatest grad dorm in the universe” (in the words of our beloved retired housemaster Roger Mark), more than good will is needed. All of our events and initiatives are run by volunteers, residents just like you that have decided to step up and participate in the making of this community. The House Government is comprised of officers who volunteer part of their time during the year to improve Sidney-Pacific and make it a true community.

But even with that help, not everything can be accomplished. It takes many hands and many hours to throw some of our big events (and even the smaller ones). That’s where YOU can help! Even if you’re not in the House Government, you can volunteer to make this happen. Whenever there’s an event that needs some prep time, you can show up to help. You don’t have to go to all events, nor be there all the time, but your help is greatly appreciated.

Our volunteers get first hand experience in how to prepare large events, as well as the details that go in the making of them. From learning how to make our amazing french toast or our dorm renowned coffee hour guacamole, to being able to hoist our massive screen for outdoors movies, volunteering at SP teaches many important but often overlooked skills. More importantly, some of the people you meet while volunteering at these events may become great friends in the long run (this is an experience that many volunteers will be able to share with you).

Even if you think you don’t know how to cook (believe me, I can barely cook for myself), no previous skills are needed. Come, volunteer and the people in charge of the event (or other seasoned volunteers) will teach you the tricks of the trade. Additionally, there are many committees that, even though they don’t throw any events, will greatly appreciate your help: if you know how to code a webpage, contact the web chairs; if you want to know more about the plants and fish you see around SP, contact the plants chair or the aquarium chair; if you have a knack for writing, contact the newsletter chair.

After all this, I’m sure you’re thinking: how do I find out about these amazing opportunities for volunteering? For all of our events, officers will post a request in our mailing list sp-helpers@mit.edu. If you want to help other committees, and don’t want to wait for a call, you can go to our officer webpage and find out how to contact them.

Come and volunteer during Orientation (yes, even your own) to get a first hand experience in massive burger flipping and get to know many of the amazing people that make up SP.

I hope to see you around during the year.

Volunteers at the 2012 Orientation Brunch. Courtesy of S-P Photofile.

Volunteers at the 2012 Orientation Brunch. Courtesy of SP Photofile committee.

 

How to add your name to the helpers account?

  1. Go to the SP website (http://www.s-p.mit.edu).
  2. On the left upper corner, go to “My Account”.
  3. Go to “Edit my Information”.
  4. Select the option that says “I would be willing to help out at S-P events”.

Useful links

SP Officer Profile: the Brunch Chairs, Jenny and Sherrie

This year, the SPeaker will be printing a series of articles profiling the officers that work for the Sidney-Pacific house government and the work that they do.  This month, we find out about the Brunch Chairs, Jenny Wang and Sherrie Hall. 

Jenny Wang

Jenny Wang

Jenny Wang

Our first brunch co-chair, Jenny is  a third year graduate student in mechanical engineering (course 2).  She was born in China, but moved to the US when she was 8 and is now a naturalized US citizen.  She spent a little time in Buffalo, NY, but quickly moved to Wellesley, MA, a Boston suburb which is home to Wellesley College.

Jenny is beginning her third year living in SP and her second year as an officer.  Last year, she was the SPICE chair. She originally became an officer to meet more people in the SP community, and she enjoys being able to positively influence life for all residents at SP as an officer.

When she is not planning next month’s brunch or conducting molecular dynamics simulations of heat transfer in carbon chains, she watches Bones, Sherlock or Chinese dramas on TV, reads Wuxia novels in Chinese, and listens to classical music, especially the works of Rachmaninoff and her favorite piece, Brahm’s Hungarian Dance #5.

Sherrie Hall

Sherrie Hall

Sherrie Hall

Our second brunch co-chair, Sherrie Hall, has come a long way from almost burning down her kitchen as a child!  To prevent this from happening again she took cooking classes and now she has been put in charge of SP’s famous brunches along with Jenny.  Sherrie is from Athens, Georgia home of many well-known music groups including REM, Counting Crows, and Of Montreal*.  She is a second year student in Aeronautics and Astronautics (Course 16) and is advised by former Space Shuttle Astronaut Jeff Hoffman!

Sherrie has lived in SP for one year and has volunteered extensively in her time here.  She decided to become an officer to stay involved in the community and to continue spending time with the other officers.  When she is not volunteering or studying, Sherrie enjoys watching Dr. Who, as well as reading and rock climbing.

What to look forward to

Keep an eye out for Jenny and Sherrie’s helper emails, which tell the story of Alabastor Pale, the Bacon Fairy, and their arch-nemesis, the Empress of Academia.  Additionally, Jenny and Sherrie are improving the kitchen and will be preparing some new dishes and updating some of the staples of SP brunch using the new tools and skills they have acquired.

Get Xfinity, watch ESPN on campus at MIT!

By Patrick Blonigan, Newsletter Chair

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

If you have a TV in your room hooked up to MIT cable, you may have noticed the alarming lack of ESPN.  But fear not, there is a way to get your fill of Sports Center and Monday Night Football here at SP (and everywhere else on campus).  Just turn on your computer and follow the steps below:

  1. Make sure you have Microsoft Silverlight 5.0 installed on your computer.
  2. Go to http://university.xfinity.com/
  3. Click “Install and Experience” and enter your MIT kerberos ID and password when prompted to.
  4. Name your device and click “submit”, you now have Xfinity!

If you already have Xfinity and it is no longer working, check out the following link, which explains how to uninstall and reinstall Xfinity step by step:

http://kb.mit.edu/confluence/display/istcontrib/Steps+to+fully+uninstall+and+reinstall+the+MIT+Xfinity+IPTV+Application

Then sit back and enjoy some ESPN and/or ESPN 2 (channels 49 and 50 or channels 849 and 850 for HD).

A number of other great channels are available, including AMC (channel 59 or channel 859 for HD), home of the critically acclaimed series “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad”, the latter of which is highly recommend by the author!