CORe Digest
March 3rd, 2006
This week was a busy one for CORe. We approved just over $4500 dollars in line items, including items for SAC, clubs, and the student body as a whole (such as the ERG rowing machine). See below or check out the minutes for more details.
Seems some people still don’t know about the new Digest submission form, so I’ll tell you about it again. Use this form instead of emailing the VPC because it ensures you include all the important information, and allows the Digest to be autogenerated, saving time. You’ll need a Windows machine to use it, and it is located at:
\\fsvs01\StudentGroups\CORe\Communication\COReDigest\Forms\Digest-Item.xsn
Some people have reported errors with Office complaining about needing the newest service pack. This means you haven’t upgraded your Office install (which you should do anyway, if you haven’t). Email me if you don’t know how to do this.
I’d like to take this opportunity to share some information about a big day-event that CORe has been cooking up behind the scenes. It’s called Phoenix Fest, and it’s happening next week Saturday, March 11th. A subcommittee of CORe has been hard at work to put together a day phull of events to help us all chill out and have a good time aphter the rush of Candidates Weekends. The schedule is as phollows (keep an eye on your inbox for more inphormation):
Fenix Phoest
2-3 PM: 30 second video competition and showing of Old Olin Videos
3-5 PM: Class Competitions, t-shirt making, and weather permitting ovtdoor activities.
5-7PM: BBQ Dinner
8-10PM: “Open air phire,” (ask Tommy C why we can’t call it a bonfire) storytelling, smores, etc at Ye Olde M.A.C. site.
Make țu marye and jolile țis wekes ende, and take țu tyme of ryst. Arre!
-Mike
Michael W. Curtis
Vice President of Communication
This Week in CORe
Get the minutes at \\fsvs01\StudentGroups\CORe\Minutes\
General Assembly:
- Visit from Rod Crafts
- Line Item: New Initiative Fund ($100 for table tent holders)
- Line Item: New Initiative Fund ($1135 for ERG rowing machine)
- Line Item: Class of 2009 ($150 for study break)
- Line Item: CORe Operating Expenses ($520 for PhoenixFest)
- Line Item: SAC ($1500 for skating rentals)
- Line Item: Open ($200 for Day of Silence supplies)
- Line Item: Open ($50 for Day of Silence printing costs)
- Line Item: Open ($250 DVDs)
- Tennis Club is no longer on probation
- Constitution Amended - SAC Representative, Election Tie (see minutes)
Executive Board:
- Line Item: ASME ($165, transportation for engineering firm tour)
- Line Item: Trinity Fire Fighting ($250 for robot parts)
- Line Item: Greening Olin ($150 for bike repairs)
- Line Item: Yearbook ($75 for print samples)
- New Club: Olin Taiwanese American Students Association
- New Club: Tea Enthusiasts Association
- Sex Club proposal differed (see minutes)
- Kate Walsh appointed Ambassador to Babson
- Joe Roskowski appointed to Environmental Health & Safety Cmmte.
- Club charter review (see minutes)
CORe Table: Next Monday 11AM - 1PM
- What should the GA ask Dr. M about when he visits us Monday?
- FROSH: The Res Life Committee has a question about living arrangements for you - come and chat!
"Harrison's Dream" - A scientific mystery that took 40 years to solve
Metropolitan Wind Symphony to perform "Harrison's Dream" with pre-concert lecture by Harvard professor Volker Tolls - rocket scientist, sailor and world traveller
Peter Graham's composition, "Harrison's Dream", based on the book Longitude by Dava Sobel, is featured in a concert by the Metropolitan Wind Symphony on Saturday, March 11 at 8 pm at Sorenson Center for the Arts, Babson College. Tickets for this event are half-price for Olin College students. Professor Tolls will speak at 7:30 pm. Details available at http://www.mws-boston.org/events/2006winterconcert.
Donate your prox card and get 8th grade girls excited about engineering!
Brought to you by SWE on March 8
Lots of cute little 8th grade girls from the local Pollard Middle School are coming to Olin!
SWE needs your help to feed these hungry little girls.
If you have some extra $$, please drop off your prox card outside of the dining hall before 11am on Wednesday, March 8. Thank you SO much!
Also, feel free to eat lunch that day between 11am-12pm and tell these girls why engineering is cool!
Electronics Recycling in EH1 and WH2 Trash Rooms
Finally, a safe way to dispose of that rusty old iPod
We can now recycle CDs, jewel cases, rechargeable batteries (alkaline battery recycling coming soon!), cell phones, mp3 players, PDAs, etc. Just drop them off in one of the designated bins in the first floor East Hall or second floor West Hall trash rooms. When the bins fill up, they will be sent off to Greendisk (www.greendisk.com). Greendisk will then destroy all intellectual property and recycle or reuse all of the materials.
Brought to you by Greening Olin
Olin Trading Card Game Inaugural Tournament
The FBE business start-up, Olin TCG, will be hosting the first ever Olin TCG tournament this Saturday during Olin Unplugged.
All are invited to come take a look at the very first set of cards released by Olin TCG, the Senior Set. Registration for the tournament will begin at 1:00 pm and games will start at 2:00.
Now’s your chance to join in the fun and learn how to play the only game showcasing your favorite Olin students, faculty, locations, and events. The tournament is free to enter and decks will be on sale throughout the weekend. Every participant will receive a special promotional card. Tournament winners will receive certificates for Olin TCG product as well as the opportunity to test their skill against the creators. Don't miss your chance!
If you would like to be on a card, add your information to the sheets by the Olin TCG poster in the Dining Hall. We are also looking for pictures of students. If you have a picture you would like for your card, please put it at \\fsvs01\sandbox\card pictures. We look forward to finishing up the senior class and beginning work on the junior class.
For more information, including tournament rules, visit:
http://www.ahse1500.org/ or contacts: Ben Salinas or Jon Tse
Students Present at Greater Boston Anthropology Consortium Event
The following Olin student presentations will take place in Tishman Commons, Lulu Chow Wang Center at Wellesley College:
• 1:55-2:10 p.m.: “Bridging Worlds: How Offline Relationships Affect Online Sociality in World of Warcraft,” by Drew Harry.
• 2:25-2:40: “Internet Meetups and Community,” by Sean Munson
• 4:05-4:20: “'Highly Evolved:' Managing the Accordionist's Identity in America,” By Jerzy Weiczorek.
All are welcome to attend this event, which is free and open to the public.
Updated Alcohol Policies, Guidelines, and Party Registration Form
Olin has updated its policies and guidelines regarding alcohol. All of the changes in these documents were based on feedback from students and R2s, including the ability to complete party registration forms electronically.
2006 Hrs. 'Til Graduation
Senior Event a Huge Success
Habitat Build Date - Next Saturday!
For those that love humanity
There is a Habitat for Humanity build date next Saturday, March 11th, in Lawrence, MA.
If you would like to go please contact Doug Ellwanger as soon as possible.
Please indicate whether or not any of the following apply:
- You can drive
- You need a vegetarian meal
- You are under 18
IT Tech Talk
Monday March 13th 7 PM AC328
Silicon Graphics Inc
Silicon Graphics Inc
SGI is pleased to host a technical presentation and demonstration to Olin College on Monday, March 13th at 7PM to all interested.
SGI overview of products and technologies (high performance computing, visualization and storage)
Star-P Parallel MATLAB software
Visualization demonstration with Viz3D
Everywhere in the world, scientists and engineers are making discoveries not previously thought possible.
Star-P Parallel MATLAB software
Visualization demonstration with Viz3D
Everywhere in the world, scientists and engineers are making discoveries not previously thought possible.
- SGI overview of products and technologies (high performance computing, visualization and storage)
- Star-P Parallel MATLAB software
- Visualization demonstration with Viz3D
For the last twenty years, SGI (Silicon Graphics Inc.) has been at the forefront of enabling engineering and scientific breakthroughs through its technology innovations.
- Boeing designs entire airplanes digitally
- NASA predicts global climate change
- MIT interactively manipulates Terabyte sized biological data
- Oil companies save $20M per drill by virtual underground exploration
- Intelligence agencies mine through massive memory resident database to detect national security threats
2006-07 Resident Scholar
The Office of Student Life is pleased to report that Mark Chang will continue next year as the College’s live-in Resident Scholar. Mark and his wife Caryn put together several successful programs this year that aimed to bridge the “worlds” of academics and residence life. In addition to being a general resource to students, they plan to continue the Olin Technical Excellence for Community Service (TECS) project, which was started in the fall semester in conjunction with students from Foundations of Business and Entrepreneurship (AHSE 1500). They also look forward to continuing the Social Justice reading group which meets bi-weekly to explore the “renaissance engineer” through a variety of authors.
NEASC Visiting Team Finalized for April 9-12 Visit
A team of educators will be on campus April 9-12 to review Olin for full accreditation by the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of NEASC. We're excited to have this group to work with:
Dr. Jon Strauss
President
Harvey Mudd College
Chair of the Visiting Team
Ms. Lorraine Atwood
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Vermont Law School
Dr. Eleanor Baum
Dean of Engineering
The Cooper Union
Dr. Craig McEwen
Dean of Academic Affairs
Bowdoin College
Dr. Janet Begin Richardson
Vice President of Student Affairs
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Dr. Kim Vandiver
Dean of Undergraduate Research
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
While the visitors are on campus, they will be meeting with a variety of people within the community. An open meeting for anyone in the community will also be scheduled.
We have also completed the Self Study for this visit. A pdf version of this document is available in the Public drive, in the NEASC 2006 folder. It would be great if everyone could take time to take a look at the Overview section--if not the entire document!
Thanks to everyone who has worked so hard to bring this about!
Phoenix Bikes
An Olin Student Run Bike Shop
Olin's got its own bike shop, and it's ready for business!
To get your bike serviced, put it in our labeled bike rack in the East Hall Bike Room with a tag, and send an email to Carl Herrmann (Carl.Herrmann@students.olin.edu) on details of what needs to be done. We'll fix it, and let you know when we're done.
Also, we have an Honor Code shop! If you need basic bike supplies such as bike tubes, there will be a shelf in the East Hall Bike Room with the supplies and pricing. Take a tube, leave some money. Thanks for the business!
Please submit vignettes for socioeconomic class discussion
What does it mean that Olin is #1 for race/class interactions?
Socioeconomic class is a subject that is often pushed aside—something that many people feel uncomfortable addressing. Student Life is planning to spend an evening discussing this topic. We are looking for people within the Olin community to submit short vignettes—one to three paragraphs—talking about their experiences with socioeconomic class. We will share many of the submissions, anonymously, of course, in an attempt to get a snapshot of ways in which class matters (or doesn't) here at Olin. Please have any submissions dropped off at OSL by March 10. The event will be Thursday, March 16 at 7:30pm.
EXAMPLE 1: “I don’t know, I guess it’s never really bothered me—this idea of socioeconomics. Yes, I knew it existed, and that it acted as a barrier for others. I guess it’s been easy editing things out of various conversations with different people. As long as I make sure not to offend or assume, I find it easy to make socioeconomics an issue. Even so, I feel my ease with the issue may partially arise from my ignorance about it. Maybe I’m not aware enough to be affected by how others are plagued with constant reminders of their social standing determining how they act, behave, and who they hang out with…
EXAMPLE 2: I would love to be able to say that I don't really think that much about socioeconomic class, but it just isn't the case. My family is not poor such that we do not have enough food or a good place to live. However, we do have to count every penny. When I was growing up, there were months that we had to wait to make purchases until my parents' paychecks came in. So at Olin, even with the additional room scholarship, money is extremely tight. Any of the extras are a strain on my budget. There are so many times at Olin that extra money is needed: $100 to buy a really warm winter jacket for the winter months; budgeting to have $50 to go on a weekend trip; even $25 here and there to go out for dinner really adds up. For so many people at Olin, these expenditures are made without even the slightest hesitation. For me, it is on my mind almost daily.
Help with 5th-Grade Solar Car project!
Mitchell School in Needham is looking for help for a 5th-grade project on solar cars!
Two classes are building solar cars, and they are looking for interested volunteers from Olin. It is a great opportunity to work hands-on with students who have barely any experience with a project like this. The group meets every Monday from 10:45-12:20 in Ms. Schiff's class and from 1:00-2:30 in Ms. Brown's class. The teachers would be willing to be flexible with time but would love the extra hands in the room.
Interested students, please contact
Margery Schiff (Margery_Schiff@needham.k12.ma.us) and Ali Brown (Ali_Brown@needham.k12.ma.us)
Web development for the town of Needham
Olin TECS wants YOU!
Needham's Local Emergency Management Committee would like help designing an emergency preparedness web page for our fair city. Their model for success is San Francisco's web site (http://www.72hours.org/), with all content being provided through FEMA.
Students involved will have strong creative control of the site and won't have to worry very much about content. They have their own web server and IT manager, so site design and implementation, not server maintenance, is our primary goal.
This is a unique opportunity to do creative community service using skills you might already have. Interested in helping? Email Mark L. Chang. Needham would be eternally grateful.
Webster Center News
Hot Shot basketball night is Tuesday, March 7 from 9:00pm-10:00pm in Staake Gymnasium.
No sign-up required…just arrive ready to compete in free throws, 3-point shots and a one-minute timed event (see attachment).
Each contest will have a male division & a female division with gift certificate prizes going to the winners.
No sign-up required…just arrive ready to compete in free throws, 3-point shots and a one-minute timed event (see attachment).
Each contest will have a male division & a female division with gift certificate prizes going to the winners.
Jujitsu Classes: no sign-up required…just arrive ready with loose and comfortable clothing.
What: free introductory classes -> self-defense, confidence & safety
Date & Time: Wednesday, March 1 from 6:30pm-7:30pm and/or Monday, March 6 from 6:30pm-7:30pm
Site: Chandor Dance Aerobics Studio
Olin Student Wanted for HS Power Lunches
I was contacted by my daughter's High school career to work counselor regarding power lunches that they have with students. She was wondering if an Olin Student would be interested in coming out to the school and speaking to 10 -12 students regarding their engineering education and the opportunities they have had to use classroom learning in internships, summer jobs and even the SCOPE projects currently being done by the seniors. The school is in Ashland which is about 13 miles from Olin. If any student is interested I would be willing to work with them if they don't have transportation or would like additional details. If you have any questions please email or call me.
Tricia Benson
292-2422