R i n g   B e z e l

The face of the ring is the most prominent feature of the Brass Rat and uniquely represents our class. Facing to the right, the beaver looks to the new frontiers our class will explore in the upcoming millennium. The star on the globe indicates MIT as the unifying chapter of our lives, while the combination of city and forest landscapes demonstrates that our class adapts to any given situation. Hidden in the pine trees above the beaver's head is our class number, a tribute to the heritage left by the classes before us. The beaver grasps a branch from which he has begun carving his diploma just as we carve our futures from the MIT experience. The '76 beneath the '01 parallels the support we receive from our sister class. The flower symbolizes our ability to thrive in times of hardships and to overcome all obstacles. Through our influences on each other, we have grown individually and together as a class. The letters IHTFP are spelled out with blades of grass in front of the beaver; and on the opposite side, a bottle is hidden to represent the issues of responsibility and control that have prevailed among our class. R/O fades away in the ripples of the river behind the beaver, as our farewell to this tradition.