Sports

Cambridge, MA - The sky was pristine blue during the final weekend of May 2002, but the beautiful weather outside could not uplift the gloomy spirits of thousands of MIT students who realized that the day had finally arrived.  Everyone knew that this day had to come, but this knowledge of their fate, like that crisp spring day, still did nothing to alleviate their collective sorrow.  A wise man once said, "knowing one's fate, like a crisp spring day, still does nothing to alleviate one's sorrow."

It was the end of a remarkable era, the conclusion of an institution so crucial to MIT that without it, MIT would be just another American college on the Princeton Review's Top 10.  Imagine Disneyland without Mickey, Panama without its canal, Miami without the Will Smith song, or China without Chinese people, and you will begin to realize how empty these places would be if their trademarks were suddenly gone.  Now imagine MIT without Courses; the image is just as bleak as a world without color.

When students filled out their slips and received their final orders of Courses burgers, chicken parmesan sandwiches, and those kabobs that take forever to make, many ate their last Courses supper slowly, savoring every single succulent bite of the crispy hand-battered chicken, premium European imported meats, and fresh Idaho potatoes.  Neal Mankad ('04) stated, "We each wiped the excess grease off of our cheeks, laps, backpacks, and even the floor with a bit more appreciation for what  Courses has done to make our MIT experience so unique and wonderful."

	Courses restaurant in its final days

Courses was so much more than just a gourmet restaurant.  Popular TV chef Emeril Lagasse commented that Courses was "hotter than [his] NBC sitcom.  BAM!" but what impressed the New Orleans chef the most about Courses was how the restaurant served as a popular social hangout.  "From what I hear, these MIT kids study hard, but as soon as they step foot in Courses – BAM!"  Emeril declined to finish his sentence or comment on what BAM meant in that context.  However, anyone who has ever been to Courses cannot ignore the fact that it is MIT's hottest social spot.  When there are sports playoffs, hundreds of students flock to watch games while munching on curly fries.  The hottest music is always blasting from the sound system, and the cooks are not ashamed to get in on the singing.  Courses regulars often witness cooks rapping the immensely popular lyrics of Ludacris, Ja Rule, and Nelly.  One time, things almost got rough when an older employee turned up some "boring old white-boy music," and the other chefs had to "school" him by restoring the radio dial back to its former state.  Word up, my homey.  Keepin it real.  Power to you, bra. 

Courses has brought us together as MIT students.  No matter where we live, what we major in, or who we hang out with while we are at school, we all know the sheer pleasure of biting into an MIT burger with Swiss cheese and extra mushrooms.  Courses lives on in all of us.  The cholesterol continually circulates in our arteries everyday, reminding us of a time and place when life was as simple as filling out a white slip and placing it in a basket.

On-campus interviews: What are your feelings regarding the closing of Courses?

"A well balanced diet consisting of Courses burgers and fries has made me into the really, really, really ridiculously good-looking guy I am today.  Just take a look at my complexion.  Flawless!  Go ahead, take another look." - Seve Canales ('05)	"I got a charge out of eating the chicken tenders.  The sweet and sour sauce was e-e-e-electrifying!  I loved this place so much that from now on, I'm going to pin a Courses burger replica onto my shirt during my 8.02 lectures.  Stay tuned!" - \W//////@lter Lewin (Physics professor)
"The therapeutic herbs in Courses food allowed me to relax my otherwise paralyzed facial muscles.  For the past year, I was so happy that I could convey emotions like everyone else.  Now that I can't eat at Courses anymore, I'm back to looking stoned all the time.  I am really feeling distraught at the moment, but you probably just think that I look constipated." - Philip Guo ('05)	[Photo not available] "Courses food was so good that I sometimes even paid for it.  Man, where am I gonna take girls out on dates now?  If you're a young woman between the ages of 18 and 30 and know of a nice restaurant in the Boston area, please make the appropriate arrangements for us to meet there next Friday night." - Nick A. ('05)