Category Archives: 11 (November) 2026

A Brief Overview: Title IX

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Title IX is a phrase each of us has heard at some point during our time at Olin, whether through conversation or back during orientation. However, we also know that the process and what Title IX actually is can be hard to digest. Here, the PA’s attempt to break it down.

What is Title IX?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title IX states “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” The discrimination includes, but are not limited to: sex-based harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence. Other concerns, including hazing, should be reported to the Interim Associate Vice Provost, Marc Johnson.

What do I do if I wish to report something?

Great question! There are two paths, the first step is often submitting a Title IX report which can lead into filing a formal complaint. We outline both, and it is important to note that these can be submitted anonymously. If you decide to do so, your report stays on file and may aid Title IX in identifying patterns in future related incidents.

You can submit a report through Olin’s Title IX reporting portal, EthicsPoint to have the option to remain anonymous, or contact the Title IX Office, currently Erin Clark and Guilene Prepetit. PA’s and R2’s can help you find resources, complete a reporting form, and explore available support options.

Filing a Title IX Report

A report is when a Title IX Coordinator is informed indirectly, directly, or anonymously of a potential Title IX related concern. They respond with information about resources, options, and provide opportunities to meet. This allows for a discussion of supportive measures and next steps like for housing and academic support. Making a report does not automatically start an investigation. Your preferences matter, although the College may sometimes need to act to address safety concerns or legal obligations. 

Filing a Formal Complaint

A formal complaint can be a next step or sometimes a starting place, depending on the situation. It is the process for initiating an investigation into whether a Title IX policy violation occurred. Olin’s full policy can be found here and this is the path to any form of disciplinary outcome. Reports can be made through EthicsPoint or you can choose to email Olin’s Title IX coordinator asking for a meeting, sharing information, or simply to ask questions including hypotheticals. 

Once you meet with the Title IX office an investigation can be started. At this point the respondent (other party) is notified and an investigator is assigned. An investigator is not someone on campus, it can be another school’s coordinator or another neutral party. The investigator does the “fact-finding” and is neutral, and a decision maker determines whether someone violated Olin’s policies and appropriate disciplinary measures.

Who are the mandatory reporters?

Mandatory Reporters are Olin employees who are required to share information about sex discrimination or sexual or interpersonal misconduct with the College’s Title IX Office no matter how or who they hear it from. 

Current Mandatory Reporters: R. May Lee, Anastasia Crosswhite, Linda Canavan, Shayla Armand, Rick Osterberg, Yoi Tanaka, Sam Michalka, Chris Lee, Jennifer Edmonds, & Marc Johnson. 

What and who are the Confidential Resource Providers?

A Confidential Resource Provider (CRP) cannot report what you tell them so long as you are safe. This makes them a resource if you are unsure about reporting or talking to Title IX.

Current CRPs: Jeanne Haley and Dr. Jonathan Adler, or other counselors at Olin’s Counseling Center, but only during a counseling appointment. 

Supporting Our Community

Navigating Title IX can feel overwhelming, but you do not have to do it alone. Peer Advocates are here to listen, answer questions, and help you understand your options. Whether you wish to report something or just want to talk with someone.

Unjaded: I Want to Keep Reimagining Olin

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TL;DR: If you had a magic wand, what would you change about Olin?

As a first year, I used to hear the word ‘jaded’ being thrown around when referring to the seniors. I thought, “I’m never going to let myself become jaded. I’ll keep caring… keep aspiring for change”.

Fast forward to the beginning of my senior year, and I was feeling pretty… ‘jaded’. Probably because I’ve started thinking about life after Olin, or because I’ve done all the fun things to do in Needham, or maybe I miss Olin traditions that have been lost to the force of change.

If you haven’t heard, Ertug has started a Debate/Discussion Club. As someone who grew up in an argumentative household, I really look forward to these Wednesday lunches. This week, the topic was: “What’s the purpose of Olin?”

As we spoke about Olin’s core principles and goals, I realized the Olin I’ve grown to know is different from the Olin I thought I was deciding to attend in 2023. I thought Olin would empower me to practice sustainability through engineering. At the debate, I heard similar feelings of Olin not meeting people’s expectations.

Whether or not you share this resentment about sustainability with me, I’m confident that you were also disappointed by something you thought Olin was. Maybe it was a more structured E:Bio degree, maybe it was more whimsical student clubs, maybe it was more spontaneous parties. I’m sure you can think of something, big or small.

Luckily for us, Olin uniquely was designed by students, and according to the 2026-27 Catalog, “Olin’s collaborative culture actively involves its students as partners in the creation and ongoing development of the curriculum.” Which brings me to the actual point of this writing: How to realize this power we have as students. Well, from what I understand, you can schedule a meeting with May herself. But if you’re like me, and don’t have time to follow-through on a long-term project by yourself, then collaborating with others who have similar qualms might be a solution.

So here is a simple framework for the sake of my next point:

  1. REIMAGINE: Conceptualizing New Systems 
  2. REFORM: Working Within the Current System 
  3. RESIST: Working On the Current System 
  4. RECREATE: Generating New Systems

Source: “The Theory of Transformation” by Spirit in Action

According to this framework, the first step to changemaking is reimagining. I think many of us do this already. In the dining hall, in classes, on the great lawn, we talk about what we wish Olin was like. Next comes reforming, resisting, and recreating, which I think Olin has started to teach us through its design classes like CD. We’re equipped and capable of actualizing the change we want to see.

I’m hoping that those of us with images of what Olin can be, can come together to share our thoughts with each other. To do this, I’m planning to schedule a conversation in the upcoming weeks to discuss our visions. Then, with a set of shared goals, we can start to reform, resist, and recreate. Until then, keep reimagining.

Rare Friendslop Game Pulls

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I am here to recommend some friendslop games. In case you’re wondering what friendslop is, it’s a type of video game usually made by independent developers (usually just one person) that are silly and full of multiplayer chaos. If you’d like to know my credentials, I personally love video games and am an avid watcher of the popular Canadian streamer Northernlion (known for being bad at video games, constantly spouting intellectual-pilled banter, and being bald). He has been playing lots of friendslop games with his friends lately, and I have developed opinions on his various undertakings.

All in all, my hope is to put some games on your radar that hopefully you haven’t heard of!

Super Battle Golf ($12.99)

This is definitely my strongest recommendation. It’s basically regular golf! Except you can shoot, run over, stomp on, shoot, freeze, vaporize, distract, give a good swing at, shoot, send an orbital blast at, summon a thunderstorm over, or hit a landmine at your friends (I probably forgot a few options here). It’s a miracle anyone ever sinks the ball in high-player-count lobbies, and that’s what makes the game so wonderful. Tee up alongside up to 7 friends and try to hit the shot of your lifetime while being shot. If you can learn to masterfully navigate the indubitable chaos this game will plunge you into, you’ll probably achieve inner peace. Good luck!

Shift at Midnight ($9.99, currently $8.99)

Have you ever wanted to take care of a gas convenience store (think 7/11) with your friends by keeping the shelves stocked, cleaning up your customers’ messes in (and out) of the bathroom, and blast (pew pew) doppelgangers who aren’t who they say they are? Shift at Midnight offers all of this for just $10. It mixes Papers, Please’s attention to detail with the chaos of Overcooked and a bit of horror (but it’s not really that scary, moreso comedic) into a truly entertaining experience worth some of your time this spooky season. Did I mention the machine where you can gamble for silly hats in the back while your friends are getting chased by the entity? Just make sure you save some money for the weapon arsenal in the garage, and also for your cats’ medicine. Play this game (ideally unspoiled) and you and up to two friends can have one of the midnights of all time :)

Lego Party ($39.99)

Lego Party is like Mario Party, but rebranded and with new minigames that I can say are innovative, exciting, and indubitably lego-esque. It is cheaper than Mario Party (albeit somewhat smaller and with less mini games), but rounds go faster, randomness is reduced to allow for a bit more skill expression while maintaining the chaos in minigames, and you can vote for what the bonus star (brick) category is at the end instead of them being randomly assigned. Will one of your three friends inevitably fall behind because you’re stealing their bricks over and over? Yes. Will they get upset? That might depend on how close you are. Regardless, get ready to battle for those bricks against up to three friends while the announcers crack jokes about anything and everything that happens.

Big Walk ($19.99)

Big Walk is a curious one. You explore a large world as a style of bird people with in game proximity chat. There is almost no story. Instead, the world is full of puzzles that get increasingly more difficult and creative as you work through them. Get a bunch of friends (and I mean it, like around 8-10 is probably best even though it suits 2-12) and enjoy a very well crafted environment and even better puzzles. Oh, and definitely don’t spoil yourself on what you’re supposed to do, because then you ruin the escape room vibes of the game. Happy walkin’!

Okay, that’s all from me! Knowing that you’ve read all the way through, I’m filled with determination and I hope you are as well. Do let me know if you enjoyed this style of article and whether or not you’d like to hear some more about video games :)

Cheers,

ELDN

Our Thoughts on Shoes and Feet

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Our Thoughts on Shoes and Feet

In this article, we would like to discuss an important topic: SHOES. More specifically, why are we always wearing them?

Olin has somehow inherited a broader societal assumption that shoes must be on in public—that the dogs can’t breathe? BUT WHY?

 Shoes are tools—perhaps even (occasionally) fashionable ones. They protect our feet from sharp, hot, cold, and gross stuff, as well as the ungodly amount of salt that Massachusetts dumps onto the ground in the winter. But when none of those are present, the shoe’s mission has been completed, and they should be laid to rest. 

Do you put shoes on at home when you eat dinner? Why are we expected to wear shoes in the dining hall? 

Do you put shoes on when you go to your room to study? Why are we expected to wear shoes in the library?

To fully understand our position, it must be contextualized. It is common knowledge that Olin is a very small institution; indeed, it is one of the smallest institutes of higher education in the country.  We have 400 people who live, eat, study, build shit, procrastinate, crash out, and somehow all know exactly who you mean when you say “that one person from the class of ‘27”. At this point, it’s less a college than one giant, slightly dysfunctional house.

So why are we applying the same social rules here in our home that we would in a random public building? Let’s break down our NEW, IMPROVED classification system.

As a preface, we must note that SMELL and SAFETY do trump this entire article. Odor is a hygiene problem, not a footwear problem. Either keep the shoes on or (gasp!) take a shower. On the topic of safety… Shop? Shoes. Lab? Shoes. Rooftop climbing? Shoes. This is a pro-feet-and-toes article. We would like you to keep all of them. 

Now, onto our system. 

First, we should discuss the professional/academic settings: put the dogs away [ish].In the MAC, professor’s offices, formal meetings, etc., wear shoes. But in the classroom sitting at your desk? Eh. your call. 

There are some considerations with this rule. Showing up barefoot to office hours has a certain energy that some of us may already be achieving. Your professor taking their shoes off halfway through class? It has happened before. Still, we would argue that while there are relationships where that level of comfort is totally normal, “person currently grading my capstone” probably does not need to see the dogs. 

On the topic of mixed use spaces: read the room. The library, dining hall, team rooms, academic lounges, and other communal spaces are where things get interesting. During the day, when they are full of professors, staff, and visitors, maybe we can act professional and wear shoes.

But at 1:37 a.m, when six students are sprawled across the library doing homework, someone is eating Easy Mac, two people are asleep, and the only thing keeping you conscious is the knowledge that your assignment was technically due yesterday… Whose quality of life is being improved by your shoes?

This is the family living room. Get comfortable. Kick them off. Let those puppies breathe. Shoelessness should not automatically be treated as weird just because society decided at some point that feet must be contained whenever another human being is within visual range.

Finally, the dorms: FREE THE FEET. RELEASE THE DAWGS. This is our home. Literally. If we can walk through the hallways in PJs carrying laundry at 2AM, or sit on the floor in the dorm lounge eating something horrifying out of a microwave while having a minor existential crisis, we think we’ve moved past the formality of mandatory footwear.

Dorms are our living area of our family home. Shoes are optional. Comfort is the point.

Honestly, wearing shoes in a lounge is weirder.

FREE THE DAWGS!!!

The Evil Gerri (A Fairy Tale)

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Once upon a time, there was an ordinary guy named Jerry, who lived in a fancy house in a small town, in the middle of a forest. Life was great for Jerry, he made a decent wage from his job as a weapons designer for Flockneed Guardin’, enough to support his comfortable lifestyle in addition to letting him save up quite the stockpile of gold coins. But one day, when Jerry was in the middle of perfecting his new invention: Spray Pepper, a pigeon landed on his window sill; It had a tiny scroll fastened to its leg. Curious, Jerry unfurled the scroll, and began to read: 

To the citizen reading this,

You have been suspected of committing the crime of Pickpocketing. Upon receiving this message, you will be arrested, with punishment of 1 year in the dungeons. 

*If you believe you are innocent of this crime, give this pigeon 1 Gold Coin, 

and we will cancel the arrest and punishment.

King Gregory

Jerry was undoubtedly shocked at this development; he had never pickpocketed anyone, never so much as littered. He had the cleanest reputation in town! And now this! How could he be suspected of such a terrible crime? And so, Jerry placed a gold coin into the pigeon’s beak. A small price to pay to uphold his reputation, what with his 6 big bags of gold coins, it hadn’t made a dent.

This was not the last time Jerry would hear from this ‘King Gregory’, far from it actually. Over the course of about half a year or so, Jerry received 5,999 more messages from this man, in the very same format: You’re suspected of Littering, Arson, Murder, or Treason, but if you give the pigeon 1 Gold Coin, you’ll be perfectly fine. “This is some bullshit,” Jerry thought to himself, as he placed the very last one of his gold coins into the beak of a pigeon. “Well now I’m broke, time to go sell a kidney,” he thinks. And so he goes to visit his old friend Bobiathan, who he remembered used to run a surgery business a few years back before he’d been sent to the dungeons, but he got released about 6 months ago, so Jerry thought he could get him to buy a kidney. When he’d arrived at Bobiathan’s hovel, Jerry asked to sell a kidney. But Bobiathan said he had a daily special where if you sell both kidneys for the price of 1, he’d throw in 4 extra legs for free. So of course Jerry was like “Hell yeah!” and let Bobiathan perform the surgery. When Jerry awoke, he had 6 legs, 0 kidneys, and Bobiathan handed him a sack of gold coins, which Jerry, feeling a sudden, uncontrollable urge of hunger, devoured in mere seconds. When Jerry finally came to his senses, he was back at home, feeling normal again, and he felt all was well.

Once upon another time, about a week later, there was a wealthy merchant named Gregory, who just moved into a fancy house in a small town, in the middle of a forest. While carrying his 6 bags of gold coins, which he’d earned through his very lucrative business, into his house, his pet pigeon perched on his shoulder, he met his new neighbor, who introduced himself, “Hi neighbor! I’m Jerry. Wow, that’s a lot of gold coins you have, I had that many once. Anyway, you’d better keep an eye on your gold coins, because i’ve been hearing rumors around town that there’s this evil creature going around town and eating peoples’ gold coins, they call it the Evil Gerri, cute pet pigeon by the way”. But Gregory just laughed it off, thinking Jerry surely must be joking, and stored his gold coins in his home. 

This went on for about a week, with Jerry warning Gregory about the Evil Gerri every single morning, before Gregory finally saw the Evil Gerri with his own eyes on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. It was a terrible creature, sprinting toward him on all 6 of its legs, with its gaping maw hanging wide open as it screamed a terrible sound that rattled Gregory’s nerves. The Evil Gerri ran right up to his face, and stopped for a moment, its monstrous stare lingering on the now cowering Gregory for a moment, before it swung out its legs and tripped Gregory. Laying on the ground, Gregory watched it in paralysing horror as the Evil Gerri crawled right over him and into his door, and then guzzled down 2 bags of Gregory’s gold coins before running back out and disappearing into the forest. Needless to say, Gregory was still a bit shaken up the next day, so knowing Jerry works for Flockneed Guardin’, he asked him for a weapon. Jerry happily handed him the state of the art monster deterrent: “Spray Pepper 2000” which Jerry assured him was some powerful stuff, as it had taken him 2000 iterations to get the formula just right. Gregory thanked Jerry for all the help and for warning him about the Evil Gerri before going to bed for the night, with the Spray Pepper 2000 clutched in his arms as he slept. 

Then suddenly in the middle of the night, Gregory awoke to the sound of footsteps, not just one set, but 3 sets of footsteps, in his home. So naturally, Gregory got out of bed to say hello, as they were probably just his 3 best friends, Drarrie, Jary, and Gairee paying him a surprise visit at 3:06am, just like old times. So he walked out into his dining room, but where he had expected to see Drarrie, Jary, and Gairee, his gaze was met with that of the horrible, terrible, despicable, Evil Gerri. He quickly fumbled to arm the Spray Pepper 2000, and pointed it right at the Evil Gerri’s face and jarringly open mouth. But he was too slow, and the Evil Gerri snatched the Spray Pepper 2000, and to Gregory’s shock, sprayed the entire thing directly into the Evil Gerri’s own mouth without even the slightest flinch. Gregory, frozen after that act of pure intimidation from the Evil Gerri, could only stand there helpless, as he watched the Evil Gerri slurp down two more bags of his gold coins. The Evil Gerri, upon finishing those two bags, turns to speak to Gregory as it’s leaving, “You want to know why I eat gold coins, don’t you?” it said in a sickly, sinister voice, “I’ll only tell once I get the last of my gold tomorrow,” it said ominously, as it scuttled off into the forest. 

The next day, Gregory was fully on alert, and he wanted to be ready for when the Evil Gerri returns. So, naturally, he, while clutching his last 2 bags of gold coins to his chest for safety, went to consult with his neighbor Jerry for weapon contracting advice, with his pet pigeon still perched on his shoulder. Jerry looked especially happy today, and looked a little less mentally and physically crushed by the looming dread of his overwhelming poverty after having been scammed out of his life savings of 6000 gold coins, which was a topic Jerry would like to regularly fit in as part of his everyday greetings. “So, Jerry, do you have any advice on how i can deal with this Evil Gerri?”

“What’s the pigeon’s name?”

“What, why?”

“Tell me its name.”

“Geez, okay, her name is Jerry.”

“Spelled J-E-R-R-Y?”

“Yea—”

“There can only be one!” Jerry screeched, as he began to do jumping jacks, and Gregory watched in terror as all six legs emerged from under Jerry’s robes, and his jaw unhinged to reveal his terrible 10 rows of jagged teeth. “I–It’s you! You’ve been the Evil Gerri all along!”

“You’re right, It was me Gregory, or should I call you King Gregory, but wait, you never were a king were you?”

“What? How do you know that name? That’s the name I used for my Medieval Pigeon Call Center™!”

“I always knew it was you scamming me! I’d recognize that ugly ass pigeon anywhere, especially after the 6000 times it landed on my windowsill in the last six months!” It reaches out to grab the Jerry (the pigeon).

“Nooooo! Leave Jerry alone! It’s not our fault, I didn’t mean to scam you 6000 times!”

“You know how many times this stupid pigeon would show up at my house? 34 times a day! 34 fucking times! And never again!” the Evil Gerri squeezes Jerry tight, and forces her down Gregory’s mouth, held open by two of the Evil Gerri’s legs, and forces him to chew.

Gregory’s screams of disgust, terror, and betrayal, were never heard. Drowned out by the pigeon, Jerry, that he died choking on, and by the sound of the Evil Gerri, chomping away at his last 2 bags of gold coins. The End.

Gratitude

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This morning, I got a large latte at Caffè Nero. Last night, several politicians I like got elected. Right now, I am sitting in my room with a warm breeze flowing in through the window. In other words, I am feeling grateful. There are a couple things at Olin that have been bringing joy into my life recently, and I wanted to take this chance to express them. 

First on my mind is the new flowering lawn in the loop between the dorms. This new space feels so different from the traditional lawns covering campus and the towns around us. Vibrant, green, and untouched by the obnoxious whine of lawnmowers and leafblowers, I can’t help but smile when I walk past. I am so thankful for all who contributed to bringing it to life. 

Second is the sun. I love the feeling of waking up with the sun shining through the window onto my face. Equally as enjoyable are sunsets from the memorial lounge balcony, turning the sky soft pinks and fiery oranges. As the days get shorter and eventually colder, these beautiful displays of color help break up monotonous hours of work for a moment of amazement and warmth. 

Third is The Dump. Like many others here, I like to make things, and nothing inspires my making as much as going to The Dump. Many of our courses here use a lot of resources and produce abundant waste, which has always been hard for me to grapple with. It brings me a lot of hope that reusing the waste of others is such a ubiquitous part of Olin’s culture.

While I often find myself being a critic of Olin, I think it is equally important to express gratitude for the things that we love about it. It is these things that hold our community together and will help us grow to be better.