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Matt McGann '00

May 7, 2007

Live from Florida

Posted in: Visit

Hello! This has been perhaps my longest hiatus from blogging. I've missed you! After CPW, I was sick for nearly two weeks, and I got better just in time for a crazy week in the office. Now, I'm off on group travel in Florida.

Last night began the first of four presentations with my colleagues from Princeton, Swarthmore, and Wellesley. (Check out the rest of the meetings, and the schedule for upcoming meetings in California, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Carolinas here) We started in Miami with a nicely-sized crowd from throughout south Florida. It was a great meeting; the questions we got from the audience were some of the most thoughtful I've heard in my years in admissions.

One young woman asked a question about how our schools can help them change the world. I could have talked for hours on just this question, but I gave a short answer and deferred to my colleagues. I promised the student I would link to the latest ZigZag video podcast, because it is about D-Lab, one of the great ways MIT helps students to change the world. (Read more about Mitra's D-Lab experience in Zambia here and here) Anyway, here's the new ZigZag.

I've got lots more to say, but now I have to get ready for tonight's presentation in Tampa. Tomorrow, we'll talk more about email at MIT, and more!

Comments (Closed after 30 days to reduce spam)

first!!!

Posted by: mntst on May 7, 2007

Thanks for blogging again Matt! Glad to hear that you're spreading the word about MIT.

Posted by: Kevin '11 on May 7, 2007

That zigzag video was really inspiring. I definitely want to get involved in D-Lab now. Actually I wanted to before I saw the video, too, but now I really do!

Posted by: Kari on May 7, 2007

Thanks for Blogging Matt, I really appreciate the information that you give us everytime, and let me congratulate all MIT community for the zigzag project.

MIT is a model for all student around the world who lives outside US.

Posted by: Dick Carrillo on May 7, 2007

When do you think it's going to dawn on the people who, having absolutely nothing to say or write, feel compelled to indicate their existence with the depressing announcement of "first post?"
Am I missing some existentialist drama?
Does anyone else out there find such posts intensely irritating?

Ahhh... venting feels so good. But anyhow, welcome back Matt. We missed ya. But I do think it's time for another one of your starring roles on zigzag (complete with raised eyebrows!).

Posted by: anon.again on May 7, 2007

Yes. It drives me absolutely nuts. I've been wanting to write about it for a while, but never bothered to take the time. You summed it up very nicely. Thank you.

Posted by: In Agreement on May 7, 2007

I love the "first post"s!
They make me happy every time I see them. Once, I was the first poster and I didn't say "first post" because I thought I was too good for it but as soon as I posted my relevant first post I immediately regretted it and made a completely irrelevant second post.

One day, when you are wise like me, you too will experience such a revelation.

SEVENTH POST!!!!

Posted by: Kari on May 7, 2007

Kari -- please tell me you have not been admitted to MIT.

Posted by: anon.again on May 7, 2007

admitted and going!!!
you don't have to hang out with me though...

Posted by: Kari '11 on May 7, 2007

Congrats. But, yeah, thanks for the early release.

Posted by: anon.again on May 7, 2007

Psh, first posts rock. Kari, we need to hang out next year.

Quick shout out to Ben Jones:
HEY BEN JONES! When typing comments the characters are monospaced, but when published they aren't anymore. I'm thinking that publishing in a monospaced font would create a great medium to show off some killer ASCII art. Just a thought.

Posted by: Snively on May 7, 2007

Snively: pray tell, what on earth is the purpose of "first posts" -- other than self-promotion/look-at-me entries?

Posted by: anon.again on May 7, 2007

First post. Why why why why why.

Anyway, Matt, you are in Florida and I am here in SH studying for a 5.12 exam. What's wrong with this picture?

Posted by: Keri on May 7, 2007

Hi Matt! :D

Posted by: Basant'11 on May 8, 2007

Hey, long-time reader, first-time commenter.
It was a real shame that I missed you guys in Tampa last night. Yesterday was the start of my summer session at college here (Orlando-ian, here). You guys are coming back in the fall, maybe not in Tampa, but somewhere in Florida, right? I'm not going to miss that one!

Posted by: James ('12?) on May 8, 2007

the miami open house was ammaazzziinnggg!
drove an hour and back just to see matt.

the miami open house was ammaazzziinnggg!
drove an hour and back just to see matt.

<3 MIT (wanna be '12)

Posted by: elana on May 8, 2007

Snively - noted! Perhaps we'll lose the justification at some point, at least for the comments. wink

Posted by: Ben on May 8, 2007

The First Post is an amazing, enlightening, and selfless experience. If you don't find reading it exciting, then sorry, but there must be something terribly wrong with you....

Posted by: First Poster on May 8, 2007

Man, D-lab seems amazing. I especially liked the quote that they used at the end "Don't change what they're doing, just help them do it better." It's pretty incredible to see MIT's influence on the world, not to mention the world's influence on MIT.

Posted by: JamesM on May 8, 2007

Ben, you could just add <ASCII> tag for ascii "mode". just replace <ASCII> with <div id="ascii"> and </ASCII> with </div> and build a style for ascii. that way monospaced font would be optional and the site would still look this good smile

Posted by: Sh1fty on May 8, 2007

“The First Post is an amazing, enlightening, and selfless experience. If you don't find reading it exciting, then sorry, but there must be something terribly wrong with you....”

I couldn't agree with you more. I spend my days waiting for a new blog post. Of course, I have to be extremely diligent because, should I have to take a bathroom break, or get distracted by some extraneous reading material, then some other sycophant -- no, delete that, I mean wunderkind, might beat me to the "first post." I am greatly perturbed that some individuals here assume that writing "first post," "second post," or even twenty-first" post, lacks meaning. Nothing could be further from the truth; it is replete with meaning. Contrary to what some may infer, such entries do NOT convey that the poster has no interest in the blog entry and merely wants to tell the world that he/she lives a life of not-so-quiet desperation. Moreover, it should not be inferred that “first/second posters” have nothing of interest to write, or that said posters are devoid of intelligent thought. And, finally, such posts do not suggest that the posters’ sole aim is to ingratiate themselves with the Admissions Staff.
No, “first post” entries remind us that MIT students are not in the least competitive, are capable of deep thoughts, and are ready to contribute in a meaningful way to society.
Clearly “anon.again” has misconstrued the true character of the Institute.
Thank you Kari and Snivelly for your exciting posts.

Posted by: encore on May 8, 2007

I resent that.


If you must make generalizations about MIT students, why not infer that we are fun-loving and enjoy self mockery?
And, please, you only need to read the blog to realize that not only are MIT students capable of making meaningful contributions, they do.

Posted by: Kari on May 8, 2007

Sh1fty: you mean ; the ID attribute should be unique and not repeated. wink

Matt/Ben/Other Admissions People: any news on the waitlist?

Posted by: Kevin on May 8, 2007

Ahem, my tags got removed. I typed [div class="ascii] (with proper bracketing) before the semicolon in the last post.

Posted by: Kevin on May 8, 2007

why is anon.again being so mean?

Posted by: 0 on May 8, 2007

Oh please, I was merely responding with the same degree of sarcasm as First Poster and Kari (7th post). I'm being mean because I think "first posts" are lame? What's happened to the spirit of debate? We can't disagree and still be friends (I AM being serious now)? We all have to be in lock step?

Posted by: seriously on May 8, 2007

Not being mean at all. I did say I liked the way Matt's eyebrows move -- and I meant it.

Posted by: anon.again on May 8, 2007

@seriously: why start a debate over such an insignificant matter? it's a waste of time and energy, seriously.

Posted by: jen on May 8, 2007

OMG STOP!

Posted by: Snively on May 9, 2007

lol wow. Anyway...

Thanks for blogging again, Matt! Good to see that the blogs are back in full swing... Quick question - even though I'm deferring to class of '12, do I still get an MIT e-mail? (I know it's superfluous, but I had to ask)

Posted by: Daniel '12 on May 9, 2007

Wikipedia's take on first post: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_post

filters...

Posted by: 0 on May 9, 2007

Has anyone seen this "first" video on Youtube?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ciG-Xs7mBwU

Posted by: notfirst on May 10, 2007

Has anyone seen this "first" video on Youtube?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=ciG-Xs7mBwU

Posted by: notfirst on May 10, 2007

Video is hysterical -- I loved it. Thanks for the link.

Posted by: anon.again on May 10, 2007

I live near Tampa. About an hour away. I guess I missed you.

Posted by: Steve on May 11, 2007

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