My Only Important Reflection On Olin

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Over my time at Olin, I have loved the honest, community-focused criticisms, praises, ideas, jokes, and everything else that Frankly Speaking has contained. I also enjoy writing and reflecting, and through my four years, I have made it a practice to use the Frankly format to write out my reflections specifically pertinent to Olin. My Google Drive is littered with documents named “Potential Frankly:…” followed by titles of almost a dozen half-finished thoughts. Some I wrote in one-night rages and never revisited, others were thoroughly edited and peer-reviewed only to not be submitted at the last moment. 

I knew I wanted to write one more Frankly Speaking, but I didn’t know what would be actually valuable to focus upon in this “last shot.” I considered revisiting my reflections on creating change at Olin, maybe one about our approach to community building and buy-in. Finally, I thought I was honing into writing about the many reflections I have on the tensions created by Olin’s apoliticalness. 

But in looking through all of my reflections, it became clear that only one was actually important: where the best spots on campus are to birdwatch.

Okay, so it obviously depends what you’re trying to see and when you’re trying to see it, but just gonna go over a generalist tour:

  • Right out the gates, I’m going to lead with a hot take: the maintenance area right inside Parcel B by the soccer fields. You wouldn’t think it, but honestly, great-ass spot to see birds. Not only do you got the open area, a mix of coniferous and deciduous and dead and live trees, BUT you also are sat up on a bit of a hill so you get a better view of the whole tree.
  • Going off this idea, a good climbing tree…Get up there and sit a bit! You’ll see so much cool stuff around ya! Best climbing tree in Parcel B is yours to find, but as a hint, if you walk in a straight line from East Hall to the pond, you’ll walk right by it.
  • Shoot, I didn’t mean to put the cart before the horse here, ‘cause I know some of y’all don’t have a pair of binoculars/bird identification stuff. That’s a-okay! You can check out binoculars from the library (common Olin Library W), and Merlin Bird ID is a great free app for bird identification! If you don’t want all the hassle of identification, I respect though.
  • The whole pond area is just the absolute best. Y’all, I have seen Solitary Sandpipers out there cozy-as-can-be once the native wildflowers grow up over the summer. Isn’t that crazy at Olin?? Also, it’s just great seeing the swallows there along with larger water birds like ducks and herons! 
  • For rarer finds, deeper in the woods is always a good bet. There’s a roughly-beaten path back past the prairie and, for a special treat right now, there’s a pair of nesting Pileated Woodpeckers right along the path!
  • Lastly, the marsh area you pass when driving in is just a classic. There are always Red Tailed Hawks hanging around and the Red Winged Blackbirds make for an amazing sunset experience!

Reach out to me if you got any questions, but otherwise, happy birding and happy time at Olin! Make sure to reflect on the important things. And write your own Franklys too—the more we share as a community, the more we understand each other and grow together, and most importantly, the more birds we see.

My total Olin bird count (as of 4/30): 65 unique species. (Absolutely ROOKIE numbers by the way, other past Olin students have cracked 100 on campus before. Could be you!)

My Advice to Oliners: Do Less

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So, you want to get the most out of college. That must mean taking as many classes as possible so that you don’t miss out on any content. Oh, and also be sure to join a project team, because you won’t have success finding a job if you don’t. Summer doesn’t mean a break from technical work; if you can’t get an internship, how are you ever going to be employed after graduation?

I was recently talking to my fellow seniors about what they wish they knew during our first year at Olin. The response that inspired me to write this article was “I wish I was aware of any seniors who weren’t dedicating their life to project teams and who were only taking 12-16 credits per semester finding good jobs after graduation.” I heard that and immediately thought, “Hey, that’s me. I’m a senior with a relatively empty calendar who found a good job in her field.” So now I’m here to tell you my experience and how I got the most out of college (as an E:C).

This right here is my simple advice for happiness: focus your energy on things you enjoy. If you are ever putting time and effort into a class or club and feel that you aren’t getting enough out of it, just stop. You don’t need to get an A in every class or be the most productive member of a project team if you aren’t enjoying it. Instead, choose 2-3 projects/courses/activities that you are most interested in and spend your time delving into those subjects. Next, commit to 1-2 other activities, and complete the minimum amount of work expected from you. This does not mean completely slacking off, but it means becoming less attached to producing quality work and more attached to your general well-being and happiness. If you are on a team, be sure to communicate the amount of time and effort you are able to contribute.

Pro tip: you can take 12 total Olin credits as pass/no credit throughout all your semesters. These can only be applied to courses that aren’t being used for major requirements. However, if there is a non-required elective that you feel is taking up too much of your time, you can apply for pass/no credit, which will remove the stress of maintaining your GPA, if that’s something that’s important to you.

Finally, I want to talk about my experiences with internships. Mainly, the fact that I never did one (although I did do a summer of research at Olin). Internships are important for gaining professional experience and connections, and I recommend pursuing at least one throughout your time at Olin. However, it is not the end of your prospects if you do not manage to get one. They create connections and improve your resume, but are not necessary to get a job after college. Again, I never got an internship, and I feel that it didn’t negatively impact my job search.

*Insert conclusion here* Moral of the story: Marie Kondo your iCal and keep only the commitments that spark joy.

Exploitation, Music, & Beauty in Cinderella

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Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella revels in its seemingly blunt and simple naivete. It’s so bold as to make a scene where its lead preaches about kindness and everyone clapped for it. But as I worked on this show, and found insight from other actors about how they see this world, Cinderella transformed into anything but a plain country bumpkin. R&H’s Cinderella was adapted from a much shorter animated story, well-renowned for its poignant simplicity. Plenty of other simple stories have followed this trajectory into the modern day, but as Cinderella is given space to grow, to reflect on its place in a changing world, the contribution to its own conversation has matured. We are treated to a story of love, and class, and family, and with new messages that call to be heard. 

Part 1: Beauty 

If I were to ask you what Disney’s first adaptation of Cinderella was about on a thematic level, what would you say? You might think of hard work, or inheritance, or staying true to yourself. For now, think about how Disney’s Cinderella spends its energy asking about who is beautiful. Not a beautiful spirit, but external, aesthetic beauty. The stepfamily wears beautiful clothes, but they have ugly faces. The mice are externally ugly, but are capable of creating beautiful things. Cinderella starts out disheveled, but is made the most gorgeous character in the movie with the flick of a wand by the Fairy Godmother, who in this movie is a godly embodiment of beauty. The prince, who is less of a person, is the arbiter of beauty. Not only does he exercise this authority during his ball, but his quest to fit the glass slipper on every woman in the kingdom is a reinforcement of the power to decide who is and is not beautiful. And on the condition that Cinderella is beautiful, and through no other standard, she gets to live happily ever after. 

When we look at the events of the story, we can draw a conclusion about what Disney’s Cinderella might be trying to say. Why was Cinderella the most beautiful? Well, her dress was perfectly molded against her body. People who tried the slipper could not fit it because they were trying to fit a form that was not theirs. In this way, the story suggests that everyone has their own unique form of beauty tailored to them, and happiness lies in discovering that specific and unique style. While there are many ways to read this story, you will see this may offer insight to what future iterations have to say. 

The new 2013 musical is undeniably invested in beauty as well. Cinderella once again dawns her gown as the prettiest woman at the ball. There are new songs dedicated to how beautiful the prince is. Most notably however, the show opens with a chorus about how beautiful the world is, with a closing remark, “It makes you wish the world could be as lovely as it looks”. This is our first clue suggesting how the musical expands on the ideas of its source material. Right from the beginning, there is a relationship between beauty and goodness. And as the show begins, it’s implied they do not coincide.

Part 2: Exploitation 

The largest plot change in R&H’s Cinderella can be explained through the introduction of Sebastian and Jean-Michel. Sebastian lies and misrepresents, aiming to convince everyone that what he asks of his companions is not worth the trouble of understanding. Jean-Michel, by contrast, is fervent with his transparency about the work and sacrifice that is required of serving others. Not only does he run a soup kitchen, but the source of his food is from those who donate. These two characters contrast each other because both of them know how to—or not to—exploit others for their own gain. 

Everything about the world of Cinderella warps itself around the relationship each character has toward the power to exploit others. Sebastian believes it is natural and worth rewarding to use other people as stepping stones in pursuit of opulence. Those who agree with him participate most readily in the ridicule competition. Jean-Michel believes that exploitation is a useless tool when everyone around you is willing to serve the community. It is why he scavenges, and begs, and rallies, and inspires. When we choose not to exploit, we are granted something greater—loyalty.  

When Marie, the fairy godmother, enters stage, she unifies these seemingly separate ideas around beauty and exploitation. If Ella is the most virtuous, she is now too made the most beautiful. This is what it looks like when the world is as lovely as it looks. With a flick of her wand, Marie makes the world as we wish it, so long as the pieces are already there to make it so.

Marie tells us that Ella is the first person to show generosity, charity, and kindness, and that because of this, Marie is willing to grant her gifts throughout the show. Ella becomes beautiful in this moment, but there are other canonically beautiful characters such as Prince Topher (for the details are explained throughout the song aptly named “He is Tall”). And what’s Jean-Michel, chopped liver? He’s clearly friends with Crazy Marie, so surely there is a reason she sticks around him. Surely he doesn’t not-know who Marie really is. Is he, too, not worthy of this gift of beauty? If we are left with these questions, we are forced to ask: if these characters are also beautiful, then why? What do they represent, if not generosity, charity, and kindness, that they are so closely aligned with these symbols? 

If according to Disney’s Cinderella, beauty is only achievable by those who align their style with who they are, and in this show, beauty is equivalent to virtue, then we have an answer. Everyone has their own unique way of demonstrating virtue, and in doing so, expressing their inner beauty. For Jean-Michel, his righteous anger drives him to do justice. The Prince demonstrates his best virtue by listening, and seeking out the voices that must be heard. By doing so, he finds himself. Through righteousness, we make the world beautiful. Through listening to others, we hear the music inside ourselves and others.

Part 3: Music 

In “The Prince is Giving a Ball”, Jean-Michel attempts to sing in concert with the town, but is shouted over by Lord Pinkleton. In Topher’s first number, “Me, Who Am I”, the lyrics are discordant. He sings out of sync with the knights, who contradict his words. But as the show continues, there is more harmony. There is more conversation and camaraderie. By the conclusion, everyone sings together for they achieved the unity sought from the beginning of the show. 

To truly harmonize within a chorus, you must listen diligently to the people around you. You must align with their tune, their volume, and their rhythm. It demands care for the people around you. If we can listen, show kindness, generosity, and charity, then we may move in harmony with the rest of the world.

You may wish the world could be as lovely as it looks. But the world is complicated. It’s impossible to find such beauty. So much of life seeks to tell us there is nothing worth hearing besides the rhythm by which we walk this planet, and when we believe that to be so, we become jaded, and we resort to ridicule and exploitation. But if there is ever a doubt in your mind, just remember—that impossible things happen every day.

Nap Time: A Tier List

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Hello everyone! If you don’t know me, my name’s Meagan, I’m a senior, and I’m an avid lover of naps. In this article, I’m going to rank all the places I’ve napped on campus. My qualifications are that I’ve been here for four years and was a deeply sleep-deprived Formula PM. Enjoy :) 

S-Tier

  • Shop Bean Bags
    • PEAK in between waterjetting shifts.
  • Eduspace
    • A CLASSIC, centrally located and very comfy. Tragic that it’s not open anymore.
  • Waterfall Bean Bags
    • SOO GOOD; deeply underutilized.
  • NEW EH suite couches
    • *Chef’s Kiss* 
  • Couches in the O
    • THERE USED TO BE A COUCH. I literally zonked out for like a whole hour here. Best nap of my life <3

A-Tier

  • The PARC (MAC 3rd floor couches)
    • I napped here during a Power E all-nighter and was awoken by the loudest thunder and lightning I’ve ever experienced. The couch was comfy though; would do again. 
  • Memorial Lounge
    • Helpful if you don’t want to be disturbed.
  • Quiet Reading Room Green Chairs
    • Trust these are so good; a little public though.
  • The Common
    • Good couch, a little too firm.
  • My First Year Room Floor
    • Many a nap was taken here, not just by me. Long live Mealin. 
  • WH 4th Floor Bean Bags
    • Great, but you may get some strange looks.
  • OLD suite couches
    • Comfy but hella old, like who knows what has been there?
  • Hammocks outside Milas 
  • Great Lawn 
  • The Grass in the O

B-Tier

  • DesNat/CD Couches
    • Just don’t think about what else has happened on these couches. I have napped here during classes and CD meetings. 
  • Downstairs Team Room with Couch
    • RIP this couch. It was kinda dingy though. 
  • Library Floor
    • First year after 4E shenanigans. 
  • Therapy Room
    • Also, RIP that this doesn’t exist anymore.
  • Jam Room
    • While my friends were actively practicing for their band. 
  • WH Antelounge Benches
    • Surprisingly good.
  • WH Lounge Couches
    • Classic, happened more times than I can remember lol 
  • The Stone Wall in the O
  • The Aderondak Chairs in the O
  • The Parcel B Web
    • This one was brief but full of whimsy 
  • Formula Car
    • Ok, technicallyyy, maybe this wasn’t a full nap, but it was aspirational.

C-Tier

  • E-Proto Room
    • Lowkey could’ve been worse?
  • SNORD
    • C’mon, this is a classic. It’s uncomfy though, and I feel bad for the professors. 
  • Crescent Room
    • Sometimes it’s the only space open. 
  • Armchairs Outside of the Board Room
    • Yes, there are chairs there. No, they’re not very comfortable to sleep in. 
  • Pool Room Window Cubbies
    • Yes, this is for real. It was a tad embarrassing…
  • West Hall Nooks – Usually 3rd or 4th floor
    • Usually, while doing Circuits or ESA. :(
  • Floor While Doing “ASMR” 30-Second Videos
    • You’ll have to watch the 30-second video. Yes, I actually slept through that. In the same room. On the floor.

D-Tier

  • Random MAC Classrooms
    • These naps SUCK and only happen out of desperation.
  • Normal Team Rooms
    • Meh, I feel like the other people in the library are judging me. 
  • Outside IT
    • Doing the “head nod” while waiting for them to fix my computer. 
  • LPB Workbench
    • Very bad, no good.
  • Dave’s Pool
    • JK, this didn’t happen.

That’s it, folks! Consider this a warning to get some sleep and not overcommit. Or, if not, think of it as a helpful guide? Whatever floats your boat.

  • Meagan “I promise I get enough sleep now” Lipsman

Credit for Student Government!

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Swasti Jain on behalf of Student Government

TL;DR: Students can now get credit for their efforts on Student Government. Nominations for elections are happening until the end of the day TODAY! Nominate yourself or others for CORe/Student Gov. positions by Monday, April 6th at 11:59 pm!

In this first round of elections, we are looking for the following positions:

  • President
  • VP for Finance
  • VP for Communications
  • Director of SAC
  • Club Chair
  • Director of SERV

Over a year ago, I wrote “Jaded Junior: Apathy at Olin” for Frankly Speaking highlighting how easy it was to fall into the patterns of burnout and resignation.

To recap, in my article I write about how I was confronted on my jaded feelings about Olin’s future:

“Swasti, what’s your perspective on Olin’s future?”

And without thinking about my answer I said, “I dunno man, I just want to get my degree and get out of here.”

“That’s so interesting… I didn’t expect you of all people to be so jaded.”

I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was unequivocally right to judge me. I’m not a laid-back, nonchalant person. I am so chalant! I be chalanting!! I get involved in situations that don’t particularly ask for my input. I meddle. I care. And it’s my, perhaps naive, belief that most Oliners chose to be here for that same reason: to be with other engineers who care about making an impact.

In that article I also criticize how Olin’s current structure does not incentivize students to take on additional responsibility when it comes to creating culture and improving student life. Today’s Oliners are chronically stretched thin, wearing several campus identities.

This is why offering ISR credit for Student Government is so impactful. In my own time involved in CORe as Senior Class Representative, I have seen firsthand how much an engaged student body makes a difference in student life.

One of the most powerful things we have at Olin is that one voice can bring about a lot of change, and Student Government can propagate that change by funding any student’s idea.

And I am really proud to say that Student Government has done a whole lot of that:

  • Sushi Night funded by CORe
  • New Weights for EH Gym funded by CORe
  • New Drumkit for Jam room funded by CORe
  • New Skateboards in ball room funded by CORe
  • Ski/snowboard tuning equipment funded by CORe
  • Transportation for Volunteering funded by CORe and now SERV
  • Mardi Gras Party funded by SAC
  • Worked with President May to develop formal guidelines for student groups to host events at her house 

As a senior who refuses to stay jaded, I want to remind you of all of the ways you can advocate for healthy boundaries with culture, creation, and studies. If you have questions about getting credit or anything else, our current President and VPs hold office hours from 11-12 pm Wednesdays in the Dining Hall. Or you could come visit during our meetings on Mondays 5:30-6:30 pm in the Crescent Room!

The Dying Art of Mental Masturbation

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I am currently mentally masturbating. As I begin to write this piece, it is 10:31AM and I am at Wellesley—I’m planning to go to office hours for my chemistry class, and I got here a half-hour early to have a meeting which ended about ten minutes ago. This week is going to be crazy busy with Passover, a CD design review, biology catch-up, and other silliness—I should be using this time to work! But instead, I am doing none of those things because I saw Maddy’s email about Frankly Speaking submissions being due and decided to write this piece—it’s an indulgence, and a fun one, too.

 I initially heard this concept from my father. In his first year of residency, the attending surgeons kept telling him to “stop mentally masturbating and just start cutting people up.” The concept can be summarized as the practice of doing indulgent, meandering intellectual tasks when more direct action could be taken. 

At Olin, this seemingly meaningless exploration and indulgence often is the real work; mental masturbation is an essential part of the Olin experience. Being a student at Olin means getting sidetracked. It often involves horrendously overscoping your QEA project because you think it would be cool, or staying up until the sun rises to get your Mech Proto automata working. 

Olin’s pedagogy heavily promotes a unique combination of whimsy, grit, and intellectual indulgence, and provides a beautiful example of how this exploration can be used to develop highly effective engineers. At its core, Olin is a college of mental masturbators, and I am proud to be one of them.

However, this culture of intellectual exploration is breaking down into preprofessionalism, and it’s not a pretty sight. Take the rise of 20-crediting. The social pressure to take 20 credits a semester is a new concept—according to professors, even a few years back, an Oliner taking more than 4 classes was a rare exception. Now, it is commonplace.

This is absurd, and entirely against the values of Olin. Instead of spending their time diving deep into concepts, overscoping and gaining the application-based intellectual flexibility which helps Oliners distinguish themselves, many students taking 20 credits end up shoving in content through a firehose without having enough space to truly understand or dive deep, much less actually breathe. 

I learned this lesson from experience—last semester, I was taking 22 credits including PIE, QEA 3, Mech Solids, Organic Chemistry 1, Wellesley poetry, and an ISR. The sheer volume of work prevented me from diving deep into any one particular concept, diluting the value of the courses I was taking. Without unstructured time to recover, breathe, and develop deeper intellectual curiosity in my coursework, I simply did the minimum to achieve a good grade for each class. I cheated myself of the curiosity, learning, and intellectual indulgence which a proper Olin semester should entail. 

Overcommitting yourself gives you the academic equivalent of erectile dysfunction—you become so constantly stressed that you just can’t get it up; you lose all interest in the kind of unstructured learning and growth which is so central to Olin’s curriculum.

As I finish (re)writing this article, it is currently 9:08PM. The official fall course schedule came out a few days ago, and people are beginning to pick out their classes for their fall semesters. 

Inevitably, many rising sophomores will try and take 20 credits, or set themselves up for Mech-E Hell Semester, or plan to do some other ridiculous set of commitments which will make it substantially more difficult to have a good overall learning experience. They’ll get through it—Oliners are aggressively competent, and we know how to check the boxes to achieve outward-facing success. 

So I urge you to consider, if you will, make the time to actually learn—to indulge yourself in self-exploration, curiosity, and joy.

*If you want help planning out your course schedule, please feel free to reach out. It is not an exaggeration to say that I have spent more time planning out my courses than literally any other student at Olin, and I find great joy in helping other people figure out their own path for classes.

Spankley Freaking: This Month’s Rejected Headlines

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Rising Sophomore Lured Into A Suite Double Like Odysseus To The Sirens

“Triplessssssss,” hissed the junior, beckoning them towards East Hall

Carpediem Used For Yet Another Survey

I’m going to seize the day by punching the next P&M student I see in the face

“OK. Now for SURE It’s Spring,” Says First Year In A T-Shirt Right Before Getting Hit In The Face With Another Inch And A Half Of Snow

“Olonion’s Half-Assed Name A Shameless, Blatant Attempt To Ride Off The Coattails Of A Respectable, Established Organization”

Writes Spankly Freaking Editor

“Ahhh, What A Nice Break” Says Student Who Did Not Relax At All Over Break

They are now buried in work. Student is me.

Tour Guide Happens To Have 15th Birthday This Month On The Day Of Their Tour

Root Source of Mistrust Within Olin Community Finally Identified

It was those damn IT phishing emails all along

Lost, Confused Student Doesn’t Know What To Go-To Complain About With Dining Hall Being Undeniably Cracked

“What will I have to talk about??” cries Junior as they dip their freshly grilled flank steak into a fine chimichurri sauce

Revisiting ‘It Happens Here’

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By Peer Advocates for Sexual Respect

(T.W. mentions of Sexual Assault, Rape)

“You don’t think it happens, right? You think Olin is a safe place. Sexual assault doesn’t happen here, because we’re all friends, all one big community. You know that one of us would never rape another one of us.” -Anonymous, “It Happens Here”, 2012 [1]

In 2014, the Peer Advocates (PAs) program was created as part of the AHS Capstone course after a student conducted a survey that confirmed what two Frankly Speaking contributors [1,2] had already said: that sexual assault does happen at Olin, and it affects the same percentage of our students as it does any college students in the country. 

The PAs will be hosting our annual reflection and discussion of the ‘It Happens Here’ articles [3] in the Quiet Reading Room on Tuesday, April 7th, from 5:30-6:30 (huge shout out to the wonderful Librarians for letting us use this zen space for this event!). Jeanne Haley will be available in a nearby room for anyone who needs to step out to speak with a counselor. 

As volunteer student support, Peer Advocates engage in routine discussion and training with campus and non-campus resources to help survivors navigate Title IX reporting and complaint processes. If you have any questions or concerns about Title IX, its benefits and drawbacks, deciding on whether you want to interact with it or not, or if you want support in doing so, please reach out to any of the PAs, and we would be happy to help! No issue is too small; we are here to help everyone.

The Spring 25 PA’s are:

  • Anagha Babu (’26)
  • Anika Kale (’29)
  • Anna Holbrook (’26)
  • Brandon Spiller (’28)
  • Swasti Jain (’26)
  • Tamas Regan (’28)
  • Wren Yockey (’29)

The Peer Advocates (PAs) are an independent volunteer group focused on providing student-to-student support regarding sexual respect.

UWill’s Mental Health Crisis Line for Olin students: 833.646.1526

Support available 24/7/365 from a licensed counselor

Confidential or anonymous

It Happens Here

[1] Original 2012 “It Happens Here” Article by Anonymous

It (Still) Happens Here

[2] 2014 “It (Still) Happens Here” Article by Anonymous

https://olinihh.weebly.com

[3]  Olin College ‘It Happens Here’ website, includes collection of anonymously written articles

Sexual Assault at Olin

[4] 2014 “Sexual Assault at Olin”, includes published results of survey

https://franklyspeakingnews.com/2022/03/other-things-happen-too/

[5] 2022 “Other Things Happen, Too” by Anonymous

Leadership And Walking The Walk

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Dear Oliners,

While I have done my best to communicate frequently and broadly across campus, during my conversations with staff, students, and faculty, I realized it wasn’t enough. Given the constraints of how many people I can converse with (in person) on any given day (week/month), I thought I might share more about what’s on my mind through a Frankly Speaking article. This is an experiment and, as always, I look forward to your thoughts and reactions.

Jumping right in: during my first week on campus, several members of our community had heard about our family dog. The first question from many of you early on: are you going to change the “no dogs on campus policy”? You might remember I mentioned this at my first Town Hall: I declined to change or tackle the dog policy. 

Of course, at the time, my dog was still living in New York City and it was easy to leave things in place. She has, in the meantime, relocated to Needham. We created a village to care for her back in New York, trusted walkers, a behavioral trainer, and my assistant to name just a few.Other than identifying a trainer, here at Olin, for the moment, I am her entire support system. My care plan (ill-formed in hindsight, as I will explain in a moment) entailed leaving her at the house and walking her every couple of hours until I could find dogwalkers. Not a perfect plan and it would have worked except I neglected to account for all the people entering the house—for repairs, bringing food for student dinners, and cleaning after events. 

At this point, you might be wondering exactly where I’m going with this story. Our policy essentially forbids dogs in campus buildings. And yet, many of you have seen my dog with me on campus. Some of you have even had meetings with me while she lays next to my desk. Notwithstanding the policy, I couldn’t leave her home with strangers coming in and out. As President, I was breaking Olin’s policy.

It’s a little thing. But I wrestle every day with what my behavior signals to campus. Everyone has been kind and understanding. But one of the things we, as a society, have seen is the increasing willingness of leaders to bend rules for their own benefit. The power of self-interest has permeated our systems. While I certainly don’t have delusions of grandeur and don’t equate bringing my dog to campus with what we read about in the news, I take seriously the idea of modeling the values we purport to represent.

Life is filled with choices. In this situation, I balanced caring for a beloved member of our family with ensuring the safety of others and in so doing, chose to violate an Olin policy. Our choices have consequences. 

I share this story with you for a few reasons. First, I continue to harbor a nagging sense of setting a bad example. Second, I am contemplating whether to send our dog back to New York City until I can figure out a better solution and that makes me a little sad. Most importantly, though, I wanted to start a conversation about how we, as individuals, make decisions, and decide “to do the right thing”.

That’s all I have for now. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Feel free to send thoughts and reflections to president@olin.edu.

P.S. If you think it’s time to reconsider the dog policy, let me know.

Whimsy at Olin

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It is comfortable to stick to a routine. Wake up, go to the dining hall, run to class, get lunch, do homework, get dinner, run to meetings, then get to bed.

It’s on the iCal. All the classes. All the meetings. All the clubs and projects you overcommitted to. It’s constant and comfortable. 

But most of us are missing the pieces of discomfort that lead to lasting memories. Sure, you can brush it off, saying that it’s too cold out or Boston is just too far away. But leaning into those challenges makes for a lasting memory. 

You don’t even need to change your schedule to embark on a whimsical adventure. Just shift aspects of your routine. 

Try taking your breakfast or a cup of coffee for a walk. Wander to a new location with your meal. From the bench by the back of the library to Parcel B. For lunch, just grab a jacket and sit right outside the dining hall.

Have spare time during lunch? Walk a loop around Babson campus and discover a new building (have you found their arcade yet?). Walk anywhere. Walk to Wellesley College at night, walk to get a bagel in Needham. You could even walk to Boston!  

It’s already March (crazy!) Time seems to be flying by this semester, but by doing something new every day, the days slow down as you collect so many more memories. 

I challenge you to find one new thing (see Google Doc for ideas) and try it this week (even ask those at your table to join). Add whimsy to your iCal if you really need. Let me know how it goes!

Use the Google Doc linked on the QR code to check out and add whimsical ideas: