Tag Archives: opinion

A Frankly Articulated Argument

Posted on by

“I should write an article for Frankly Speaking!” This is what crosses my mind every time I see the newest edition populating the tables in the dining hall, and yet it’s somehow taken me a few months to get this article from concept to reality. Allow me to show you how to overcome the very same barriers I faced so you can have your very own article published right away in the September issue (my timing is rather poor, isn’t it?).

Now, don’t sit there with this paper in your hands and think to yourself that you have nothing to write about. Local newspapers are meant to build community by testing ideas, promoting healthy discourse, and ultimately helping us learn more about each other. It’s the perfect venue to respectfully share that passionate opinion of yours and engage the bright minds of your peers!

Ideating is as simple as picking out a particularly captivating hot take of yours (shout-out to Sammy and his thoughts on cheese), dropping your thoughts on the latest piece of media you spent some time with (shout-out to Ivy’s book reviews), or even sharing some of your personal experience in that class, project team, club, or off-campus activity you took a chance on.

We all have a lot to learn from each other, and a few more articles per Frankly Speaking issue might help drive student engagement. CORe elections might be more contested, there might be more 30-second videos, and maybe our hearts will even have room for a few more P&M surveys. Where does this engagement piece come from? Well, we noted in Local Democracy (a wonderful class!) that if a town has lively local journalism, it increases voter turnout in elections, reduces candidate bias, prevents polarization, and most certainly keeps people informed. These principles likely don’t fully translate to our cutesy little college, hence my ‘might’s and ‘maybe’s earlier, but the worst that could happen from an uptick in thoughtful Frankly Speaking articles is getting a few more ideas brewing in the mind of the dear reader.

What does this mean for ideating? Well, I’m not suggesting you pump out an article to support your campaign for CORe president, but if you recognize your influence and skip your monthly album review to advocate for having a formal at Olin every semester, it would not go amiss! Hopefully, I’ve convinced you that you should do some ideating for your next Frankly Speaking article. Stay with me now.

You may ask me how you might bring your idea to life in writing if it’s been a year or two since your last English class. After doing some research and analyzing some Frankly Speaking articles with a small set of Olin and Babson students (feel free to ask me for my process if you’re curious), I have five main recommendations for you:

  • Do your research
  • Write from personal experience
  • Understand your audience and adjust accordingly
  • Drop hook after hook until you’re certain your reader is fully committed
  • Use persuasive frameworks such as ethos/pathos/logos or problem/solution/benefit to organize your thinking as needed

If you want to communicate an opinion or write something persuasive, you have to understand what you’re talking about. Usually, this means doing your research. Effective opinion or persuasive pieces often use a constructivist approach that builds on a set of facts or shared understanding to get to an argument and research helps make this possible. As a side effect, showing how your argument is connected to existing sources helps establish its credibility. Addressing any counterarguments that you found while researching is also important, as it gives the reader more control on what they can take away from your writing and allows for good faith interaction between an author and the reader. This is critical for any piece of local news that is meant to enrich a community.

However, sometimes even well-researched pieces with well-executed and logically sound claims fail to connect, potentially due to a lack of personal touch. This is where your lived experience becomes critical, as putting your voice into your writing helps meet your reader halfway and ensure they can relate to what you’re talking about. They are reading because they are interested in what you have to say, and you have to repay that interest ahead of time with personal stories, a strong sense of self, or anything else that affirms the humanity of everyone involved (I’m most certainly knocking AI here).

Integrating your research with your voice will only get you so far without considering your audience. Your credibility and relatability will falter if you don’t recognize that you are bound to your target audience in some capacity. For example, there’s plenty of Olin-specific language or culture such as acronyms, classes, or traditions to address or use as context in your writing so your argument can hit closer to home. Our shared understanding of our values, tensions, and lived experiences as Olin students is an additional basis from which to construct or support arguments designed to be read by each other.

Make sure to start off your writing strong! Even though I believe we should all be reading every article in Frankly Speaking, I also believe you should be ruthless and not give your reader a chance to look away from the page. Use engaging writing and a strong introduction to compel your reader to read the entire piece.

Lastly, there’s plenty of frameworks and tips out there to help with executing an argument. Notice how I didn’t say “create”. I scoured the internet for argument structures, and none of my peers thought them particularly necessary for delivering a strong opinion or persuasive piece. I agree with them that ethos, pathos, and logos, for example, is one version of a checkbox to use to see if your writing is organized and clear. So if you find yourself looking for a metric or two that can tell you how your writing is, I’d recommend you to print out your writing and close your computer. Go find a friend or peer and ask them to check up on your credibility and relatability, along with leaving you any other feedback they deem relevant. Hopefully they don’t leak your insightful argument to Carpe before your article is published. 

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. I look forward to seeing your articles next semester :)

Cheers,

ELDN

  1. https://democracyfund.org/idea/how-we-know-journalism-is-good-for-democracy/

Call For An Open Discussion Space At Olin

Posted on by

All of us, from students to faculty, are highly opinionated at Olin. We have sets of beliefs we hold onto dearly, and as we like to claim, we are open to changing our opinions as long as we are presented with facts. I say “claim” because I’ve never seen a public discussion in Olin about any political issue. I know all of us are having these conversations in our friend groups, but why not in public? Because we are afraid to offend people.

Just this Sunday, I hosted a deliberative discussion on immigration for my Local Democracy class, and surprisingly, the most common reason people gave for not attending was not “I have finals,” but “I don’t want to get canceled.” During the discussion, I also realized that people I knew who had different opinions didn’t take the chance to share their viewpoints. It was the same reason: they didn’t want to offend anyone. 

How did we end up in this situation?

I truly believe that the blame is on all of us. Including me! We are all so politicized that whenever someone presents an opinion that conflicts with our belief system, we give a slight disgusted look to that person. I don’t mean this metaphorically. We are literally making a disgusted face, and I mean nearly all of us. And then comes the slow ritual of not talking to them, and not even saying hello when you pass by them. I saw this happen to myself, other people, and I’m 100% sure I gave this face to other people. We are acting like the idea they presented makes them, as a whole, rotten. Well, how do we stop this?

First of all, we’ve got to change our approach. We should stop respecting ideas and start respecting people. If we give this respect to ideas, then a “wrong” idea can lower the respect you give to the person. However, if everyone accepts that even the smartest or the most informed person can have stupid ideas (and we all have stupid ideas that don’t represent us as a person), then we can listen to that person with respect, regardless of the idea. The idea might not be “right,” but the respect we have for the person gives us the ability to discuss it. Otherwise, we will just ignore this person until the rest of our Olin lives, as we currently do.

Secondly, we need a structured environment where everyone can present ideas and represent them without the fear of “offending” or getting “canceled”. This transformation can’t happen in a single night, but this environment can help us train our acceptance muscle. Hopefully, one day, leading to an Olin where everyone can present their ideas without fear in a normal day-to-day discussion. 

There are definitely more ways we can improve the current environment, and I definitely believe the issue is much more complicated than I explained above. Maybe some of you think my rambling about this issue is offensive, or you might say that public discussions actually happen, but I don’t just see them. Regardless, please do not get offended by my ideas and reach out so we can discuss more. Until someone offers a better approach, I want to drop a survey link where you can show your interest in a possible club where we discuss political issues in regular intervals. I don’t know if  I can make this happen, as I’m planning to take 24 credits next semester, but I definitely can’t do this alone, and I’d appreciate it if people who are as passionate as I am would reach out: https://tinyurl.com/OlinDeserveBetter

My Only Important Reflection On Olin

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

Posted on by

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

The Dying Art of Mental Masturbation

Posted on by

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.

Are Oliners Okay? 

Posted on by

Trigger warning: suicidal ideation  

When I came to Olin, I found a community that supported me in ways I had never been able to find before. For the first time, I felt that most of my peers, faculty, and staff saw me as a whole person and genuinely cared about my wellbeing. However, it has become clear to me that here, unlike at other schools I’ve attended, everyone is sick. Many students I’ve talked to have struggled with their mental health and school related issues like I have. Olin’s productivity and overachievement culture often means we often feel pressured to sacrifice healthy priorities and lifestyle, which makes it harder for us to make healthy choices as individuals. 

I felt the pressure to succeed since before I can remember. I’ve continuously been fed the idea that self-worth and quality of future are measured by academic achievement, fancy jobs, and sheer productivity. I wasn’t allowed to relax or have fun until I finished all of my homework. I felt guilty for enjoying myself when there was work I could be doing. 

I found writing particularly difficult, but no one believed me. No matter how much I cried and said I couldn’t do it, I was told that if I didn’t do all of my homework perfectly and on time, then I would never get good grades, would never get into a good college, would never get a good job, and would forever be broke and miserable.  

Because of the grueling writing assignments, the lack of support, and loneliness, I hated school. Since school was my whole life, I hated being alive. I didn’t understand that it wasn’t normal to want to die every day. I thought everyone did, that’s what it sounded like from others.   

I didn’t think I should be struggling or need help. I had a nice family, a nice house, a nice school; nothing “bad” had really happened to me. It didn’t seem like I had any valid reasons to be depressed.

Things continued to get worse throughout middle and high school, compounding with struggles I was navigating in other parts of my life. I contemplated every day if I could keep living. I wanted that happy life with a dream job, but it felt impossible for me to get there. Life was too painful and I couldn’t stand it anymore. I didn’t know if I would be strong enough to keep going. I felt like I could break at any moment and I would be gone. I questioned if it was even worth it to keep chasing my dreams. 

It was always frustrating to hear “it gets better” when I never had any proof. It wasn’t getting better. There wasn’t a clear way for it to get better. I’d never seen anyone else get better. I didn’t believe I would ever get better. 

No matter how miserable I was, maintaining good grades was still my top priority. I put everything I had into schoolwork, making myself more exhausted and depressed every day. I kept pushing to finish my homework, even though it was killing me. I knew I wasn’t ok, but I didn’t know how I could change. I was told I would get even more depressed and anxious if I got behind. There was never a good time for me to take time for myself. It got to the point where I was so depleted that I couldn’t process basic math. My future as an engineer felt completely hopeless. I finally realized that if I didn’t step back and take care of myself, then I couldn’t get good grades, get into my dream college, or do whatever comes after. That wonderful life I was working towards would never exist if I were dead.  

I left school and admitted myself to partial hospitalization. The program was a dumpster fire, but I eventually got what I needed to get better. Fast-forward a few years and I’m now going to my top choice college, on track to achieve those dreams I had always been chasing. I remember the first time I went a whole day without thinking I wanted to die. It was incredible. I enjoy my life now and genuinely like being alive. I didn’t know that was even possible. I am proud of how much I have overcome and am stronger than I ever thought I could be. I have so much to live for. Every day I am reminded how grateful I am to still be here. 

I don’t know just how many people here are hurting like I was, but I believe it’s a lot. I see parts of my old self in everyone around me. 

I’m concerned about how normal it is to be miserable here. I’m disappointed by how often I hear people talk about depression or wanting to kill themselves like it doesn’t mean anything. I hear it at dinner, office hours, or just walking through the halls. This environment makes it feel like severe mental illness and suicidal ideation is not the serious problem that it is. It sends the message that it doesn’t matter if someone is really struggling. It makes it hard to tell when people are in immediate danger when suicidal comments are so common.  

It hurts me when people say they want to kill themselves, even as a “joke”. I have flashbacks to the pain I was in during the darkest period of my life. It makes me feel alone here, or like people wouldn’t care if I hadn’t made it here. The words and questions swirl around in my head, and I get scared of going back to that dark place. It certainly does not create a space where I can learn and grow, which is what I hoped for at Olin. 

I’ve tried bringing up this pattern of students saying they want to kill themselves to StAR, but have not gotten much of a response. Many of the staff seemed more concerned about the comments being inappropriate than about student wellbeing. Some suggested I should call people out directly, which I think misses the point entirely. An unhealthy culture around mental health and suicide can’t be changed by simply avoiding certain kinds of jokes.

I wish I had specific mental health resources I would recommend at Olin, but they are really lacking currently. I’ve had a difficult time getting connected to adequate care, despite reaching out to multiple people. In my experience, most of these resources have been superficial or just crisis response with little in-between. I’ve heard promises of improvement but haven’t seen much yet. I’m hopeful new staff will build these programs effectively. 

I want to send the message that everyone here matters. You are an important, unique person that deserves care, support, and to live a full, happy, healthy life. Your wellbeing is more important than any schoolwork; it’s more important than homework assignments, deadlines, grades, credit hours, project teams, or internship applications. Take the time to enjoy yourself. No matter how big or small (or compared to what others are facing), what you’re struggling with is enough to get support. If you need help, you need it. You are enough. Life is worth living. As long as you’re alive, it can get better.  

So please, 

Admin, provide better resources.  

Students, get the support you need—you do need it.  

Everyone, let’s be better as a community. 

Love, 

Concerned Student 

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24/7, connection to free, confidential support to people anywhere in the US. 

Call or text 988 

Or chat at 988lifeline.org 

R2s are available for additional support. 

How to Help E:Bios: Cross-Registration with MassBay Community College

Posted on by

It is common knowledge that Olin’s biology and chemistry offerings alone are not sufficient for most students interested in designing a useful, marketable Biomedical Engineering (E:Bio) degree. For this reason, many students who wish to become E:Bios also try to take Wellesley biology and chemistry classes; these classes are extremely valuable because they offer training which Olin simply does not provide. Brandeis is also an option, but is much farther away and harder to get to, as there is no shuttle.

These E:Bio students face a major challenge: Wellesley science classes fill up very quickly, and the professors are often unable to offer additional slots for cross-registering students. Due to this scarcity, many E:Bio students take Olin technical classes, snap up a Wellesley science when they can, and call it a degree. It works, but barely – it’s always a scramble to find science courses which are relevant. These E:Bio students just don’t have access to the biology or chemistry courses they need. 

For this problem, I propose a solution: Cross-registration with MassBay Community College (MassBay). I have taken multiple classes there, and believe that it could help with this fundamental problem of E:Bios having trouble taking biology or chemistry. 

MassBay has the full traditional chemistry sequence for health professions (General Chemistry 1 & 2, Organic Chemistry 1 & 2, and Biochemistry), and also offers biology classes (Biology 1 & 2, Anatomy and Physiology, various Biotechnology offerings, etc.). An Olin student interested in E:Bio could take introductory science classes at MassBay and then go to advanced 200 or 300-level Wellesley science courses later; these more advanced courses at Wellesley tend to have more open spots. 

Massbay is not a nationally renowned institution like Wellesley, but it still provides an effective education. The class sizes are small (10-30 students), and the professors are there to teach, not do research or anything else. I have taken Chemistry 1 and 2, along with Organic Chemistry 1, at Massbay and have felt that I have gained a level of training which transfers well over to my Wellesley Organic Chemistry 2 class. 

As an institution which caters to both traditional students and working professionals, MassBay offers classes in a range of times which open up opportunities for many students. They have night classes, summer classes, and others, meaning that Olin students who often struggle with fitting Wellesley courses into their schedules may have more flexibility with MassBay ones. 

While there are clear benefits that cross-registration with MassBay could have for Olin E:Bio students, such a partnership could also have benefits for students beyond E:Bios. (Two of Massbay’s offerings which I noted as personally interesting were their EMT course and their car mechanic training progression: if you understand how to fix something, you will have better knowledge of how to design it in the future.) This cross-registration would also have distinct benefits for Massbay students. 

First off, Olin’s unique application-based classes (SoftDes, Collaborative Design, Mech Proto, Comp Arch, Fun Robo, etc.) could offer an opportunity to these students to take courses beyond the scope of their MassBay curriculum.

Additionally, the unusual contexts of both institutions could be expanded to enable Massbay students to transfer to Olin without starting again in freshman year. Transfer students are required to start again in freshman year because Olin’s educational system is too distinct from traditional institutions for someone to just jump in midway. However, a MassBay student who has taken a good number of Olin classes might be able to transfer into second or third year right out of the gate. Olin typically loses a student or two in freshman year (99% retention rate still means one person leaves!), so this transfer student could take their place. 

Here are my thoughts around how a cross-registration agreement with MassBay could be reasonably arranged: 

Olin students would be allowed to take MassBay courses after the completion of their first year at Olin. Similarly, MassBay pre-engineering and pre-biology/chemistry/biotechnology students would be allowed to take Olin classes in their second year of enrollment as an upper-level elective. This way, both MassBay and Olin students would be incentivized to explore the offerings of their own institutions before branching out. 

Oliner credit distribution for courses taken at MassBay would be decided exactly the same as it is for other cross-registered courses. Olin classes taken by MassBay students would count for engineering or science elective credit. 

Olin students would have to arrange their own transportation to MassBay, and vice versa. This would be considerably simpler than with Brandeis—MassBay already supports its students in getting to the institution through Ubers and a shuttle, and it is also a reasonable-ish (20-30 minute) bike ride away. 

Olin would follow a compensation agreement for coursework similar to that which it has with the other members of the BBOW group.

I believe that an arrangement following these guidelines could absolutely be actionable and would enable students from both institutions to reap benefits. 

This article is something I’ve been mulling over for a few weeks, and I’d love to hear your opinions on it. If you have any thoughts about this idea, please feel free to find me around campus (I’m Sammy Socol; you can look me up in the student directory) or email me at ssocol@olin.edu.

*Two of Massbay’s offerings which I noted as personally interesting were their EMT course and their car mechanic training progression: if you understand how to fix something, you will have better knowledge of how to design it in the future. 

The Hunger Artist: Olin Edition

Posted on by

I recently read a story by Franz Kafka called “The Hunger Artist.” The titular character—the hunger artist himself—goes from town to town, locks himself in a cage, and stops eating. People come from miles away to see the man in all his bony glory. After a few weeks of starvation, to much fanfare and massive crowds, the hunger artist emerges from his cage and breaks his fast. Every time, he protests: he could do more! However, his publicist has determined that general interest declines after several weeks of the artist starving himself. When interest drops, he must eat.

As time goes on, hunger artists fall out of fashion; the only place that will take the artist is the zoo. The hunger artist, initially insulted, quickly sees the appeal of his new position—he is no longer being forced to eat every few weeks, so he can begin his greatest-ever fast. 

 In the final words of the story, the artist is discovered, weak and emaciated, by a zoo worker. The man asks the artist why he continues to fast, and the hunger artist responds: “Because I have to fast, I can’t help it… I couldn’t find the food I liked. If I had found it, believe me, I would have made no fuss and stuffed myself like you or anyone else.”* 

And then he dies. The zoo replaces him with a big cat.

Franz Kafka died of tuberculosis at the age of 40. In his will, he instructed his friend to burn all but six of his works—the Hunger Artist was one of the six to be preserved. Why did Kafka elevate the Hunger Artist to be among the six? What about the story made him recognize its compelling power?

I read the story while eating lunch at work over the summer. It was July, an especially busy stretch where I’d spend twelve or thirteen hours at work, then go home, shower, prepare food, sleep, and repeat the next day. I did that for the full month, with an occasional break day sprinkled in to avoid a nervous breakdown. 

Why did I do it? The overtime was nice, but I didn’t need the money. I told myself I wanted the experience, but any dimwit could see how that much time at work wasn’t going to lead to any actual learning. In reality, I kept working for the same reason the hunger artist kept fasting—I didn’t know how to do anything different. 

Kafka’s hunger artist fasts because he doesn’t know how to stop.

Like many Oliners, I like to push myself. I dive into whatever I’m focusing on at the moment—the joy of figuring out a challenging problem or developing a new skill feels addictive.

This trait is powerful, and it can also become a problem. While enjoying the last few days of sunshine on the O a few weeks ago, I ended up chatting with a friend about Olin’s work culture. While reflecting, she remarked: “I can’t slow down. I want to, but I just can’t… if I did, then I would have to think, and I really don’t like doing that.” Many Oliners share this sentiment, whether they realize it or not. Like the hunger artist, we push ourselves over the brink from pleasurable challenge into self-defeating masochism, not because we want to, but because it is the only thing we know how to do.

This past summer wasn’t my first time making this mistake. In my junior year of high school, I took every advanced placement and honors class I could fit into my schedule while also studying for the SAT, leading my robotics team, helping run the Model UN club, and working at my part-time job. Why? Because I could—I figured I’d challenge myself. 

That year, I steadily sank into depression. I went through the motions, got the grades, and outwardly didn’t present as though anything were wrong. But I wasn’t feeling any joy anymore—my classes weren’t interesting to me, and the only thing that made me feel happy was working out for the hour or two I’d do it each day. When I finally went to my school counselor for help, she seemed surprised, fumbling around with a bunch of words that summed up to: “Your grades are great and your teachers love you… why are you here?” In my stupor, I felt a faint flicker of amusement.  I was there because I didn’t feel emotions anymore, and I thought that was probably a bad thing. 

I had starved myself for so long that I forgot how to eat. 

I have loved my time at Olin, and yet I still find myself falling into the same trap that I have so many times before: I am doing too much. When I examine the tasks that take up my time—classes, my job, research, the stuff I do for fun—I find each to be relevant and justified; to reach my goals, each component is essential. I have no plans to stop anything anytime soon, and yet at the same time I know that I am doing too much to live a balanced, happy, and sustainable life. 

I am fully aware that I’m overdoing it, and I’m still doing it anyway. 

It might seem like I am writing this article to make a change. That I’m going to fix my work habits, seek more balance in my life, and tell you all to do the same. But I’m not going to. I don’t think that reading this article will inspire any of you to make changes, either—Olin attracts a very specific kind of person who likes to keep adding things to their plate, just as I do. 

Instead, I’ll end with this. Yom Kippur happened a few weeks ago, and like many Jews, I fasted and went to services. It was a beautiful opportunity to reflect, focus my thoughts, and consider the year ahead, surrounded by a community of people doing the same. At the end of the holiday, I broke my fast with some orange juice, feeling the liquid soothe my throat with each swallow. 

There can be joy in fasting, but only if it ends. 

*From the Muir Translation. Can be found online by looking up “Franz Kafka The Hunger Artist Muir Translation” or with link: https://englishiva1011.pbworks.com/f/HUNGERAR.PDF