Off [the couch] and running

Overall Champions: Las Listas

Las Listas, six female graduate and undergraduate students, finished the getfit@mit challenge with the highest overall average number of minutes exercised per week for an eligible team.

The six "Listas" first met and formed friendships during the summer before their freshman year at MIT while participating in Project Interphase, a rigorous seven-and-a-half-week residential program focusing on academic enrichment and confidence- and community-building. Sponsored by MIT's Office of Minority Education, the program is for admitted freshmen who will benefit from support in their transition to MIT. As MIT students, the six friends went on to study different subjects and live in different dorms, but they remained friends, and when getfit@mit came along, they say they knew they had to form a team.

The word "lista" means "ready" in Spanish, and in the wee hours of the final night of getfit@mit registration, they felt it described them perfectly. "We are ready for anything," one of the Listas said enthusiastically. 

Most Improved Team: The Meltdowns

The Meltdowns, a team of employees in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, finished the getfit@MIT challenge as "most improved" of the approximately 175 teams participating in the program. "We worked really hard at this, so it was great to be recognized for our efforts," says team captain Dianne Brooks.

At the same time, Brooks notes that the team's approach was very laid back and emphasized fun over competition. "Getfit was fun to talk about around the office, and it was a great bonding experience for our staff," she comments.

The fun started with the team name. "I was trying to come up with something related to Nuclear Engineering, and thus came 'meltdown,'" explains team member Jan Outcalt. "In nuclear terms, a meltdown is not so positive," she concedes, "but for our team, 'melting down' takes on a new twist, as in 'melting down' our fat!" She also noted that a meltdown involves tremendous energy, which her team certainly had.