Congrats!

New students! As I said in my past blog, I did not have the time I wanted to write a message to the new students. The best I could manage is a good luck to everyone when the packets went out. Now that I am traveling I have a little more time to reflect. As I have said before in my blogs, current students are very involved with the running of LFM and the New Student Recruitment Committee that I am on is in charge of welcoming the new students and setting up their first LFM experience after Interviewfest: Open House. I remember how excited I was when I found out that I got into LFM and how much fun I had and how much I learned at Open House, so I really wanted to be involved. Turns out one of my good college friends is getting married that weekend so I will not be in Boston for Open House. Bummer! I still get to help a little with the setting of up the website and some of the pre-planning things (mailing lists, matching admitted students to current students for answering questions, answering questions on message board forums, etc.) but it is still a disappointment. Either way, congratulations to those who got an offer. I sincerely hope that you enjoy yourselves at LFM and get a good feel for the culture and community of LFM. I think it is fantastic and I hope you do to.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

Busy, Busy, Busy! I know that numerous times I have told incoming students that you don’t have to worry about the time or effort level required to graduate at MIT, and most weeks of the year I stand by what I said…but these past two weeks have been hell for me. I will be out of the country for the next two weeks and between preparing to leave, completing my obligations as a member of the international plant trek team tasked with organizing the trip, mid-terms, and all of the normal activities and school work I have…I was actually busy. For the first time in a long time, and my first time in Massachusetts, I had to turn down a chance to play hockey…and with descent players too, not just some C-league intramural team. That one hurt. I HATE turning down free ice time. I’ve had a number of topics that I have wanted to blog about, a number of movies that I have wanted to watch, and a computer game that I have been desperately waiting for the release of (Empire Total War) and I did not have time for any of these things.

The game combines overall campaign strategy/country management (think the boardgame Risk) with military strategy 101 (think lines of units, reinforcements, and flanking)

I CANNOT believe that Empire has been out for two weeks and I have not played it more than 6 hours. To quote Vizzini (Wallace Shawn) from Princess Bride, “Inconceivable!”

I can catch up on some of the blogs as I travel in Europe (downtime while on planes, trains, and automobiles) but I can’t run Empire on my laptop. I can barely run Empire on my home computer and my laptop has no graphic processing capabilities. When I bought the lappy, I did not want to tempt myself with the ability to play computer games in class (turns out at Sloan, you pretty much can’t have your laptop out…but I did not know this at the time).

End of Mustache March

Mustache March is officially over. Voting is still going on but I no longer have a mustache! Yes!!! I will say that when I first shaved it off, I looked weird to myself. I felt like the skin above my upper lip looked fat and puffy. Who knows why? I also spent the day pressing down hairs that were no longer there (in the spirit of the competition I did not trim my mustache so hairs could just reach my mouth if they were not directed away).

Regrettably I was not able to attend the fun event on the final Friday for pictures with both classes. My Tiger team really needed to meet with our company before spring break and that Friday was the only opportunity. Either way the event was awesome, we raised over $1,300 for charity, and I can’t wait to do it again next year.

Here is the link to the Donations page (you can still donate!) as well as the pictures of all of the finalist. Please go to this site to view all of our funny faces and then vote for you favorite (survey at the top).

Here are my pictures looking like a true Philadelphia fan. If only I were holding the batteries I was about to throw at the opposing team’s players (see Fan Support to learn about the passion and the unwillingness to show class of Philadelphia fans).

Acceptance Packets

Acceptance packets went out to prospective students today. Good luck to everyone and if you did not get in, try again next year.

Beware the Mustaches of March

As I mentioned in a previous post, March is time for another LFM tradition. The tradition is called Mustache March.



The rules laid out by the Mustache March Committee are simple:

February 13th: All LFM Mustache March contestants must report for inspection with a clean shaven face.

March 2nd: Facial hair must be trimmed into an acceptable mustache pattern. Inspection and pictures for documentation are conducted in the LFM office at lunch time. As defined by the governing board of this competition: A mustache is defined as an island of hair that is at least 3cm (root to root) from the nearest body of facial hair. A mustache is an island (no goatees).



March 14th: Judging will occur at 11:30 in E40-315 and yes, pictures will be taken! Each class will select a chosen representative for each category listed below, and then all LFMs present will vote. Awards will be given for the following categories:

• Best of Show - The name basically sums it up. This award is reserved for the most spectacular specimen produced over the course of the month.


• Most Disturbing - When you look at this mustache, goosebumps will appear in places you didn’t know you had follicles. If you saw a layman on the street with this mustache, you’d warn other peoples’ children about this man.


• Most Fitting - Sometimes the stars align and a man becomes something… more, with a mustache. This award is given to the mustache that makes a man greater than the sum of his otherwise wholly inadequate parts.


• Dirtlip Award - The little follicles that couldn’t.

The competition is for charity as outlined below by the Mustache March Committee:

In these tough times, the students of the Leaders for Manufacturing program at MIT would like to lend a helping hand to those in need (through the Red Sox foundation) in the best way we know how…..by growing ridiculous mustaches and wearing them through the month of march!!! Take a look at our ridiculous faces!

LFM Mustache March Pictures

Yes, we will be walking around in public with these things all month!! Please show your pity for us looking like this while at the same time helping a great charity by following the link below.

Red Sox Foundation

And better yet, the growth has just started! We will be taking more pictures on March 13, and picking a group of finalists in various mustache categories including:

Best overall
Most fitting
Most disturbing
Best dirtlip

All those who donate to the cause will have the opportunity to vote in the final contest. Thank you for supporting our beautiful facial follicles!!

My Dreary Perspective

Now that the competition and rules are clear to everyone, it is time to lament. I have never considered myself a very attractive man…but I’m no “Ron Howard’s brother” either.

While Ron isn't exactly a dream boat, I think its easy to tell that his brother is the one on the left

With my terrible attempt at a mustache, I pass Ron Howard’s brother on the unattractive scale. When I’m around the LFM office I don’t feel too bad because I am surrounded by other terrible looking individuals.

/a>

There is a certain safety in surrounding yourself with other unattractive people. Like how every group of hot girls you ever knew had THAT one friend who looked like these guys from the movie Sorority Boys. This ugly friend was kept around to make the hot girls look even hotter, tell the hot girls how good they look, and to say she wishes she looked like them. P.S. If you think your group of friends did not have one of those people...you're THAT person

It is when I have to venture out to the rest of campus that my self esteem drops to sub-zero levels. I’ve found that the key to walking around with a mustache is to just avoid eye contact with all people…then you don’t have to feel them judging you…or see them laughing at you. :- ) Rockin’ this ’stache, I find myself very interested in the walls of the halls…it keeps my face hidden as I pass people.

My face, you cannot see it