George Chen, SP Inter-Hall Event Coordinator
I remember the first time I spoke with George Chen (who I will hereafter refer to as GChen because I haven’t tested G-Chizzle on him yet) I couldn’t help but wonder about the whirling gears and flittering minutiae which surely steamed his mind’s engine with endless energy and unknowable outlandishness. Here was a man who clearly saw the world differently and, for what it’s worth, knew how to squeeze every drop of comedy out of even the driest of topics. Clearly now, I can remember myself wondering what a world crafted by GChen would look like. Would it be farcical jest or bitingly satirical?
I also remember thinking “What the hell is he doing with that knife?”
All these thoughts… all during brunch volunteering. Shameless plug – deal with it.
Anyway… When it came time to appoint a House Cup Coordinator, I had no hesitation in tapping GChen for the role. Here was a man of creative disposition and the House Cup contest, now on its fourth year, was ripe for reinvention. Thanks to the brilliant stewardship of past Chairs of the Halls and Interhall Coordinators, the House Cup had grown from a nascent success to a full-fledged institution. Now, however, was time for an evolution… no a revolution.
The SP Photo Scavenger Hunt achieved a number of firsts
As if Greek Aeolus and GChen were in cahoots, a great wind filled the wrinkled sail of his cavernous brain and produced what many would argue was one of the most creative and successful opening House Cup events in history: the SP Photo Scavenger Hunt. Besides raking in some serious bucks via a grant from Residential Life Programs, the event itself achieved a number of firsts. Namely, residents were asked to run around campus answering cryptic clues by taking photographs of MIT idiosyncrasies and well-hidden resources. With over 40 participants returning completely drenched in sweat and dining over thousands of pieces of sushi, the event was a grand success. At the very least, I can think of no time we’ve made SP residents rock their bodies as hard as George’s photo-physio-phrenzy.
Moving along, GChen turned his bow towards a number of other noteworthy events. In addition to a chaotic yet popular Pizza competition and a unique collaboration with the Arts Chair to put on a Hall Art Showdown, George also managed to coordinate what was likely SP’s (and perhaps any group at MIT’s) largest donation drive in history. During the November canned food drive George buoyed our incredible string of hall councilors together to rope in a total of 1,967 pounds of nonperishable food. Do you have any idea how much food that is? That’s over 2,500 meals for the homeless. Massive props to the Hall Councilor Team and of course to GChen for wowing the Greater Boston Food Bank with more cans than their pick-up truck could handle.
The Novermber Food Drive raised a total of 1,967 pounds of food!
Now… most people at this point would sit back in their comfy SP wooden chairs and rest upon the laurels of their contribution. Not GChen. Although I’d love to divulge the twisted creations he’s got in store for the House in the Spring half of the House Cup, I’d much rather save him the pleasure of gradual revelation. If not so that we can view the reactions of our hall councilor family then simply because I love watching the man’s poker face gradually give way to his intelligent, wry smile.
Sadly, many simpletons out there might dismiss my appreciation of George’s work as mere bromance. To these deprived souls I would offer but one challenge: map his actions back onto the depths of his mind and tell me, and tell me true…
…wouldn’t you have been scared cutting mangoes next to this man at brunch?
By Brian Spatocco, SP Chair of the Halls