Published by the MIT News Office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
Published by the MIT News Office at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
WELCOME CLASS OF `95 New Students Arrive on Campus A trickle of new students began arriving on campus last week. Beginning tomorrow they will arrive in torrential numbers for a ten- day Residence/Orientation (R/O) program packed with activities and tours. R/O has two major components-residence selection and academic orientation-of roughly equal length. Activities will be launched Thursday, Aug. 29, at 4pm with welcoming remarks from President Charles M. Vest followed by Project MOYA (Move Off Your Assumptions), an activity designed to help new students get acquainted. More than 100 faculty and staff members and upperclass students have been trained to be MOYA leaders to direct team puzzles and physical activities that will engage the new students in learning something about their classmates, MIT, R/O and even themselves. Though most of Project MOYA will take place Thursday evening, it will conclude with a surprise finale for everyone at the Freshman Picnic Friday at 1pm. After the picnic the freshmen will begin visiting dormitories and independent living groups to select where they will live. Academic orientation will begin with a breakfast-new this year-for new students, faculty and student-oriented staff members Wednesday, Sept. 4, on Kresge Oval. It will be followed by a presentation, "What is a Provost, Anyway?," in which Provost Mark Wrighton and some colleagues will offer an intriguing look at MIT education. The Advisor/Advisee Picnic at which freshmen have their first conference with their faculty advisor will take place at 12:30 on Kresge Oval (Johnson Athletics Center, in case of rain). An Academic Expo to show the new students what the departments are doing will fill the Johnson Center during the afternoon. The final major event is Book Night on Thursday, Sept. 5, at 4pm in Kresge Auditorium. Earlier this summer all new students received a copy of David Halberstam's The Next Century to read in preparation. Dean Lester C. Thurow will discuss the book in a session for everyone to be followed by continued discussions over dinner in the living groups. More faculty members are still welcome to sign up for living- group discussions, and may do so by calling Donna Friedman at x3-9762. More than 40 upperclass students participated in planning and arranging this year's R/O, working intensively during the summer. They were led by Michael Pieck, a senior in EECS from Plains, Ga., Emily Prenner, a junior in chemistry from Roslyn Estates, N.Y., and Sue Raisty, a senior in EECS from Stoughton. The Class of 1995 is expected to number 1,060 with 685 men and 375 women. It includes 174 underrepresented minorities, an increase of 30 over last year. The freshmen represent 47 states and the District of Columbia and 39 other countries. Not included in the count are 65 students coming to MIT from other universities.