Olin’s unofficial, FRANKLY student-run news SPEAKING source. volume 5, issue 1 September 2013 FREE, AS IN BEER

CarpeMitch Cieminski & Helpme:that emails should be sent to Ahave aSurvey job?” the lists that currently recieve For any email where the Contributor them. response window is closed There are at least 258 The free-response sec- (i.e. helpmes), send a “Re- public mailing lists serviced tions of the survey revealed solved:” email to the mailing by Olin’s Mailman system. two extreme opinions. Some list (easily done using a “Re- Included in this vast number considered the two-list sys- ply all” to the original email of lists for a student body of tem undesirable; they sug- sent and appending “Solved” under 400 is everything from gested that we use other to the automatic “Re”). Also classes to clubs, politics to (existing) mailing lists for consider thanking the person Pokémon. Yet, a huge por- purposes currently taken by that helped you, or includ- tion of the students’ inboxes carpediem or helpme (e.g. ing information that could are taken by just two mailing askme for surveys, gluttony be relevant to other people lists: carpediem and helpme. for free food). Those of the on the mailing list. While not Given these lists’ powerful opposite opinion believe required, additional informa- place in our daily lives, a sur- that the mass of mailing lists tion can be nice or useful to vey was sent out in June to is daunting, and the task of other users. subscribers of these lists in choosing the “right” list for Only send All-students an attempt to define public each email is tiresome. Most emails when the matter af- opinion and guidelines about respondents fell somewhere fects everybody (all-students them, and our email system in the middle of these ex- includes cross-registered in general. tremes, expressing annoy- students and exchange stu- The quantitative portion ance with some aspect of the dents). Otherwise, send to of the survey, where respon- existing system, but not see- each class individually, and dants rated their agreement ing any reason to change. to the exchange students. with statements on a scale of Regardless, most every- Keep in mind however, these 1 to 10, seemed to show that one agreed on a few prin- are more official lists and users were dissatisfied with ciples of good use. Chief should only be used for dis- the existing use of carpedi- among these is to always use tributing information that em and helpme. Although high-quality email subjects. everyone should know, like they sometimes felt like they Vague subjects like “Going announcements, town hall could not contribute to the to X” or “Tutoring?” should meetings, and SAC events. lists, almost all users felt in- be replaced with the clear Finally, check the master vested in the lists’ success. “I’m going to X” or “I need “lists of lists” at lists.olin. The sheer number of emails a ModCon tutor.” Consider edu and subscribe to ones was percieved to be too including a topic in square that you want to be a part of. much across the board. De- brackets, to let people know You may find new interests, spite these feelings and ap- if your email is relevant to clubs, or just people with a parent mood of annoyance, them before they read it. For common goal. And then, be- most respondents thought example: “[Survey] Do you fore sending an email to ‘the Responses to Selected Questions from “Mailing Lists” Survey a box and whisker plot showing agreement with given statements

“Every Carpediem email interests me.”

"Carpediem emails are too numerous for me to read all of them in a regular and timely manner."

"Carpediem emails should be sent to other lists."

“I try to help resolve every single Helpme.”

"Helpme emails are too numerous for me to read all of them in a regular and timely manner."

"I only send emails to Helpme, I never help others."

"Helpme emails should be sent to other mailing lists"

0 2 4 6 8 10 Disagree Agree Entirely Entirely big two,’ consider sending it we use it. Some respondents that they had no control over to another mailing list first. email culture, and that is You may find that your email “The email sys- simply not true. At a school gets to exactly the intended where the students have great recipients. If it does not, you tem and its mail- autonomy in their classes, can always forward it to an- ing lists are the their activities, and even other list. their honor code, to think that The email system and its beating heart of a tool like email is out of our mailing lists are the beating Olin's vibrant hands is fallacy. If you want heart of Olin’s vibrant com- something to change at Olin, munity. We—the students, community.” Do Something! Maintaining faculty, and staff—determine or radically changing how what it means to us and how to the survey seemed to think we use a resource is up to us. ShibbolethSlater Victoroff as it did the same Con- debased to a name with Contributor templating freeform in The Cave leading The a spiral of time Float- Fire and the dumb lead- I have watched human fac- ing under and over and ing the scholars through similes through, though never re- the stagnant schools of wither and fade with the ally breaking, and always Cochytus passing of the hours Seen truly bound glittering neon how-do- Forsaken by Minerva and you-do’s fade like news The last laugh sinew of vain deaf to the songs of Eros past its years and yellow and stupid pride in boor- Those filled by envy like that great amorphous ish imitation of greats extolled as virtuous, mist now past the age of the the throne of tolerance pessimist in a glorious usurped by raving delu- Watched myself, the perpet- crescendo the deafening sions of safety and in- ual vinyl crash, still on the eves censed livers. turning, turning, turning to a ready to astound the ab- stop sent and the senseless, A schizophrenic synergy With all the click and the audience that has long connecting love and fear clacks and scratches and since abandoned. a people paralyzed by screams of an honest and crushing ignorance pre- proper player Callous to the gasping breath ferring that bliss over lost in their miracle-fatigue some admonishing to a Felt the gurgling-churning of praying for the Messiah self rightfully passed the yet-to-be and watched standing abrupt the horizon before itself and a weep weep weeping, Cleft between jaded cynics floating over and past the for some illusioned ceas- and fanatics of a false glitzy Hasidics. ing. Xanadu Where grey is naive fancy and opinions Known the weniger-mensch A Shaharazard tilted over the are truth All this I have in its rise precipice seen, and in short I was and grasped the undertow the mystery of old and new impressed Meet the Oliner

AlisonLittle known Berkowitz facts about Meet the Oliner is a new Alison: monthly column written 1. She is currently coach- by Jessica Diller. If you ing her high school are interested in being in- field hockey team. terviewed for the column, 2. She loves salmon. contact Jessica or any of 3. She was the Circula- the Frankly Speaking edi- tion Manager of her tors. high school newspa- Jessica Diller per. Columnist TipsKai Austin frompending Customer on the day, and now everything Service conceivably pos- Editor my fingers will auto - com sible, discover there actually plete if I do not pay attention. is a bug which is passed to This past summer, I How is that lucky? Because the working engineers to fix. had an internship with it is quick. I can reply in 5 Communication between Shareaholic – a small (less minutes. Person shoots a myself and the user can last than 10 person) startup that message back saying that it for days. Sometimes I will provides a free app you can works, and showers me with just ignore “open cases” add to your blog. The app gratitude. Boom. (after the user replied to my allows viewers to share a “Awesome! If you have email) for 24 hours – be- webpage to many different any more questions in the fu- cause I have to. As quickly social media services across ture, do not hesitate to ask. :) as I wrote emails, even more the globe and provides the Best of luck! – Kai” came in. But…that is not viewer with recommenda- Case solved. even the hard part. tions for other pages on the Other lucky cases are the People are people. There website they might also join. wonderfully informative: “It are roughly 3 types of emails About 1 month after I started, doesn’t work.” End of mes- you can get in customer ser- Shareaholic released an “up- sage. Some people are kind vice. The first are grateful, grade” of this app in their enough to add a second sen- understanding, and coopera- Word Press plugin. tence informing us that “It tive (i.e. “I know I am do- You all know the burning used to.” These also take less ing something wrong here… wrath of change. Innocent than 5 minutes to answer, ><”). The second are stoic, people are suddenly swept with me asking what they are straightforward, and serious into a raging panic. Where even talking about. (i.e. “Hi. It is not showing.”). did their app go? How were Making a single step The third are raging, insult- they supposed to edit things? forward on all other cases ing, and entitled (i.e. “Great, Why was nothing working? can take anywhere from 20 you broke everything!”). No Why did we ruin a perfectly minutes to a full 2 hours. For matter what, I must always good plugin?!?! So when the each of these emails, I have be cheerful and clear, ex- customer service inbox shot to check: their website, their emplify the utmost patience, from 20 to 200 emails in just pages, their API key, their and speak to the level of the one night, Shareaholic stuck version, their front end, their user (aka, words they can me on customer support back end, the console, their understand without being de- duty. For two months. website in different brows- meaning). My goal is to keep Imagine answering ers, etc. How much I check them happy and a user of emails for 7-8 straight hours depends on how extensive the service. Smilies are used per day from people all over the reported “error” is. The quite often. It is a persona I the world. I have never met ultimate goal is to replicate adapt, a face I put on to be them before, nor will I likely what the user reports. I have the kindest and most friendly ever come in contact with had to access people’s web- person I can. Personal feel- them again. Some speak Eng- site accounts, intentionally ings do not matter. While this lish, some barely speak Eng- break our testing site with may be a redundant task for lish, some send you emails various other plugins, hack me – it is a “one time” inter- in their native language, re- CSS settings, write lengthy action for them. quiring “Google translate” emails on how to debug, ex- I do not think much about before I can continue. plain reasoning for design the emotional strain working If I am lucky, the problem decisions and how the in- customer service can cause is just a caching issue. This is ternet actually works – and the average person – I can be roughly 40% of the cases, de- then, after having the user try in the middle of a war zone and not be bothered. Howev- “Awesome! If you have internet. And social media er I know it exists. And I can any more questions in the fu- sites. And business. And honestly rant about the whole ture, do not hesitate to ask. :) what is popular. And people. social psychology behind Best of luck! – Kai” And hacking. And blogs. people and this interactive And WordPress. And that process, but that is for an- “Many people people really like my name. other time. One thing to note, Oh – and FYI, next time though, is that rage is pass- are genuinely you report a bug to someone ing. Many people are genu- grateful.” – please provide screenshots, inely grateful. They can be relevant urls, your browser shouting at you one minute, While I did not do what I and OS, anything you al- but then showering you with was expecting to do this past ready did to resolve the is- eternal gratitude the moment summer (i.e. programming), sue, and a clear description everything is resolved. Com- working in customer service of what exactly is going on. pliments included. did teach me a lot about the Thank you.

Updates from the Illustrious SERV Board Welcome back, ev- We will be electing two to apply for the positions, eryone! The SERV board (2) more general members and we strongly urge the is incredibly excited for this fall, one of whom has student body to be in- another great year as we to be a first-year student, formed voters! support, encourage and so if you’re interested in 9/29 - Race for the recognize volunteerism, joining our wonderful Cure 5k. Every year, we in case you forgot where team, you should let us have a team of Olin stu- the acronym comes from. know! (Our contact details dents who walk or run the Beginning this semester, are at the end of this ar- Susan G. Komen Race for we will be publishing an ticle, so you should prob- the Cure for breast cancer. article in Frankly Speak- ably keep reading.) We will reimburse stu- ing each month to keep As we kick off the dents $10 each for the cost you better informed about semester, here are a few of registration, and we’ll our accomplishments and events that you should be have sign-up parties soon. upcoming events. aware of: It’s a lot of fun so every- First, I’d like to in- 9/8 - Jimmy Fund one should consider join- troduce the board this Walk. We have a great ing the team! year. We have changed team of 11 walkers, and As always, SERV is the structure of the board we’ve set a new record by here for you, and we are and are in the process raising $6,627.40 so far, always open to your ideas! of rewriting our charter, which is awesome! We are Email us at serv@olin. which you should be hear- accepting contributions edu, join the CarpeSERV ing more about in the next until November if anyone mailing list for updates month. The SERV board wants to donate. about spontaneous com- now consists of the chair 9/12 - Elections. We munity service opportu- Ariana Chae, the vice will have our applicants nities, and follow us on chair Daniel Leong, the give speeches at the end Twitter @olinserv to get manager of finance and re- of OIE, and then send the latest update on up- cords Emily Guthrie, and out ballots for the school coming events. general members Hayley to vote on the two open Hansson, Amanda Suther- general member positions. Ari Chae land and Michael Searing. We welcome all students Columnist FRANKLY INTERVIEW: JIALIYA HUANG A Candid Conversation with Jialiya Huang about hardware development, working with co-founders, and what it feels like to get a company off the ground.

Jialiya Huang, class of ware device doesn’t really BRESEMAN: What is most ex- 2013.5, founded Techni- translate into making more citing to you about Technical cal Machine with Tim Ryan, of them. Tessel is trying to Machine? class of '13.5, and Jon McK- streamline that entire process HUANG: Everything is incred- ay, class of '13, this sum- so that if you can make one, ibly exciting because I have mer. The company launched you can make ten; there’s a no idea what’s going to come Tessel, their first product on service that lets you make the next day. September 5th, and is both 100, or make 1,000. We were unsure about thrilled and innervated by technical development, the all the interest the Tessel has first few months. That was a received already on Hacker lot of getting our heads down, News, Hackaday, and Japa- making sure that what we nese Slashdot. were proposing was feasible. Full disclosure, I’m work- Of course, that has its own ing for Technical Machine highs and lows. And then all too– mostly on press and of a sudden we launched on marketing at the moment. Hacker News, and suddenly But it was still a great oppor- we were getting so much tunity to speak with Jialiya BRESEMAN: How does Tessel attention that we had to re- at length about the future of streamline that process? spond to it, and it’s just been hardware development and HUANG: Some of the things building up. her personal goals in starting that we looked into in par- There are so many deci- a company. ticular were other services: sions that we need to take care BRESEMAN: Is Tessel just a an API for hardware, essen- of, and that we need to think starting place for your users tially. You have all these ca- about. It’s very different from to get into hardware? pabilities that you want on any other job I’ve had. I’ve HUANG: Right now, when your device– let’s say I want been an intern at other plac- software developers look at Bluetooth and accelerometer, es, but those are very much something like hardware, the for remote sensing or some- low-level. You get thrown a first thing that I think of is, if thing. And that’s all I need. very specific task, or a chunk I create something cool, how And I can do that on an Ardu- of a task; the parameters are do I share it with the world? ino: I can get an Arduino ac- very well-defined. But with That’s one of the biggest celerometer shield; I can get Technical Machine, because things that I want to do with an Arduino Bluetooth shield. we’re creating this company any software library that I But in order to migrate onto and creating the market as we write, is put it up in the open, my own PCB requires me to go along. Every decision that have people using it, and put now know hardware design. we make is impactful. my name out there. Whereas with the Tessel, BRESEMAN: What are you wor- Tessel is trying to make it what I hope to accomplish ried about at the moment? easier for that entire process is making a service so that HUANG: Absolutely every- to happen. someone can say, here’s what thing. I’m worried about Currently, the set of I need, and then we send moving out of my house, I’m knowledge that you would them back something that is worried about finding enough get from making one hard- exactly that. things to eat. What happens when we’re no longer at was a good decision.” And On the business side, I’m Highland and I don’t have then that just leads to more always angsting about Tech- access to oatmeal 24/7? good decisions. nical Machine. It’s the com- I’m worried about living, I guess starting at High- bination of not a lot of anxi- and then I’m worried about land was the very first good ety, because we have a lot of the business, and then I’m decision we made, and since safety in this– just because worried about technology then I think we have been it’s Olin, it’s like coming and how this is going to go. setting ourselves up for bet- home, really. I know that I I’m freaking out every ter decisions. It’s not so much can be safe, that I can hide, at night about this. If we are of a “what the hell are we do- Olin, from people that I don’t successful, what are people ing”, and more like, “here are want to see on the internet, saying about us on Twitter? the five possible choices; let for example. What does the creator of Ja- us pick out the best of these I’m taking like 12 credits. vaScript think about us? five based on these metrics.” One of them is E! Capstone, BRESEMAN: Are you still glad BRESEMAN: You’re going back which will literally be work- you’re doing this? for another semester at Olin- ing on this business; one of HUANG: Yes. This is definitely are you going to leverage them is Chinese, because I’ll one of the best experiences the Olin community while be going to China for manu- I’ve had. It’s amazing how you’re there? facturing, and the other one easy it is to actually do. A lot HUANG: Definitely at least for is Sanjoy’s Bayesian class, of our– looking at where we testing, and I think that we which I heard was good. are right now versus where should also be able to lever- I’m not worried about the we started the summer, we age the Olin community for workload because I got all are so much further than I some development tasks. my hard work out of the way. thought we would get. Op- There are plenty of good engi- Hopefully I can just cruise portunities just pop up, and neers at Olin. Plenty of them and have a free place- well, a we grab them. It sets us on a are hacking away at stuff any- very expensive place to stay path to success, almost. way, and they’re very much a while I work on the business. I went to a talk by the demographic that we want to My mom told me that I creator of- they’re now hit with our market: tinker- had to get my degree. I told called Ink, they were called ers, hackers, whatever. And I her, “Oh, look, we’re trying Filepicker.io– Brett van also think that they would be to raise a round, things are Zuiden, and he was saying good people to bring on for at going well–” and she’s like, how you can just set yourself least some projects– we need “I hope you stay in school!” on railroad tracks. You make to ship out a ton of peripher- No, mom, God! You don’t all these goals, and then all als. We want to have a great understand! you have to do is hit them. community in place when BRESEMAN: Have you serious- And hitting goals is some- Tessel first launches, and I ly considered dropping out? thing you’ve been trained to think Olin is a great place to HUANG: I don’t really care do since you started to do: get that started. about the degree. I think that you have a test; all you need BRESEMAN: How does it feel I’ve gotten a lot of Olin these to do is pass that test. You to be running a company past four years, to the point have a project; all you need and going back to Olin at the where if I was the weakest to do is get to the next stage same time? link here– if everyone else of the project. And along the HUANG: Really strange. would have been working in way, people have opened School feels very familiar; I Boston, in an office together, themselves up to us and have know exactly what I’m going I would have dropped out. said, “Hey, why don’t you do to be doing in school, and it’s But since Tim also had a se- this? We’ll give you expertise not dangerous, and I get kind mester to finish and he’s not in this field,” and all we have of a warm feeling because dropping out, and I think it’s to do is take it. And we take I’ve been there the last four important for the team to stay it, and we’re like, “Oh, that years. Continued on next page... together in this sense, be- makes no logical sense, but because you’ll have all these cause Tim’s at Olin, I’m go- it’s the status quo, and having skill sets. And then it turns ing to be joining him at Olin. someone who’s at least with out that no one’s starting a BRESEMAN: Is there anything you, or one step ahead of company, or very few are. else you would like to say to you, just getting really quick It’s just weird that we’re edu- the Olin community? feedback from them is super cated for that, and yet we’re HUANG: I wish there were useful. And having someone taking jobs which are safer. more companies started out else in the same situation, I think that if a community of Olin. I think that the skill who can ground yourself in– starts growing around the set of building a company where you can feel like this idea of starting a company, it is very transferrable when is a normal state to be in. Be- becomes much easier for oth- you’re in a community such cause for a lot of students, it’s er people to enter into it. And as Olin. not. It’s not normal to not be a lot of resources get cheaper It’s hard to start a compa- doing an internship at a big because they can be shared. ny when you’re the only one company, but it should be the Read more about Techni- doing it and you don’t know normal for Olin, because that cal Machine online at tech- anyone else. is what our education con- nical.io, and particularly on Not even just to start a sists of: design, engineering, their blog (often written by company, but even when business. yours truly). Additionally, you’re starting to get some It seems like a lot of Olin check out their successful momentum and you have in- rhetoric, especially when crowdfunding campaign at coming investors wanting to you’re an incoming student, dragoninnovation.com! talk to you. There’s all this is, you should start your own weird shit in business that business! This will teach you Kelsey Breseman they don’t teach you that- it to be a great entrepreneur, Alumna

MollyFound Farison a Startupmoney, and it’s an easier in time neers,College and an idea is enough. Contributor in your life to rely on family Amos Meeks ‘14 and I got or friends for housing, health into MassChallenge this When I took The En- insurance, and money. summer with not much more trepreneurial Initiative in 2. Now is a great time to than a UOCD idea. This pro- Spring 2012, it solidified my start a company. Massachu- gram has provided us with intention to start a company. setts has amazing resources beautiful space in South Bos- However, I was convinced for entrepreneurs, including ton, amazing mentorship, that waiting until school was money to help pay interns and a practical business cur- over was a good idea. As it in technology-based com- riculum, all for free. turns out, starting a compa- panies. Students and un- Ask Tim Ryan or Jialiya ny while still in school was employed people are often Huang '13.5 about their ex- a much better idea. Here’s willing to work for free or perience with the Summer@ why: very cheap with a startup in Highland program, which is 1. I have no day job to order to gain experience that specifically for students. The quit. Several entrepreneur makes them more hireable. Babson Summer Venture friends of mine still have day We were able to work with Program is also open to Olin jobs, which means they don’t an awesome business intern students, along with many have their most productive this summer who was happy other amazing accelerators in hours of the day to work on to work unpaid to get an ex- the Boston area. their startup and they are perience he wouldn’t find at What are you waiting for? consistently stressed. As a a large company, which was Once you have a co-founder student, people often don’t a win-win situation. and a good idea, it’s time to expect you to be making 3. Accelerators love engi- start a company. KatTry Brookshier a Club,might remindFind you of Cana- Passionyears especially to sign up Contributor didates’ Weekend, only this for every club that catches time the weather will be bet- your eye – you might find a Larger universities ter and you can actually join new passion, and you will throughout the country have the clubs. There are dozens certainly make new friends. more clubs than Olin has of student clubs to see there, Don’t worry about signing students – UCLA clocks in from long-standing clubs like up for too many; most people at more than eight hundred Olin Fire Arts Club to new did that in their first year and clubs, while Harvard boasts clubs like Dr. Who, which is soon discovered which ones about four hundred. Finding barely two years old. they were truly passionate a way to test out all of those Olin has many types about. More important is clubs would be a daunting of clubs, ranging from the finding activities you like to task to any student. unconventional (Hoop- do, with people whose com- Olin is different because ing Club) to the religious pany you enjoy. you can try out nearly all (Olin Christian Fellowship) The best part about clubs of the clubs if you want to! to the hands-on (Human at Olin is that if you want to (However, you would be cra- Powered Vehicles). We also create a new club, you can. zy to be in them all.) have sports teams (soccer, All you need to start a club, At the beginning of each ultimate frisbee) and dance and apply for funding from academic year, the upper- clubs, cultural clubs and mu- Olin, are a couple of commit- classmen show off their fa- sical clubs. ted people who share your vorite clubs during Club Fair, So, what’s in it for you? passion. But first, I encour- so that all students (new and Club Fair gives you a great age you to see if you can’t returning) have the chance to chance to get involved in find a club or two that you see what each has to offer. It campus life. I encourage first would like to participate in at

Clubs on Campus: A Guide With more than 80 FILM Club Olin Rock Orchestra clubs last year, it would be Franklin W. Olin Players Olin Singers impossible to list them all Friendly Fire Olin Weekend Warriors here. This is a list of a few Grow Oliners with Longboards of the most active in 2012- Hooping Club Open 13. Check out these clubs Human Powered Vehicles Outing Club and many others at Club Indian Club Pokemon Club Fair, this Friday, Septem- International Club Pottery Club ber 13th from 3:30-5pm in Meat Club PowerChords the O. Midnight Math REVO Midnight Riders SERV BAJA Olimprov Student Activities (SAC) Board Game Club Olin Anime T.A.R.D.I.S. Butterfingers Olin Book Club Taboo Club Cheese Club Olin Christian Fellowship Tea Enthusiasts Chess Club Olin Dance Project ThinkDoReflect Chinese Club Olin Fire Arts Club Tricycle Racing Athletix Dungeons n Dragons Olin Robotic Sailing Veggie Club Newsies’Brian Liebson Nexttially the same New as the first NewsboyOlin College of Engineering Contributor in Boston. The same people in Needha--” were casting; we just re- “Engineering?.” Whoever said that you viewed the “Seize the Day” “…Yes sir.” work best when stressed dance and the “King of New They all looked at each has obviously never been to York” tap dance. We per- other and laughed, asking a Broadway audition. The formed for the three-person me how I learned to dance following is… what I re- casting panel, five at a time, like that, especially from call of… my first and only until everyone had cycled engineering school. I didn’t Broadway audition: through, after which we took really know what to say, I suppose it all began Fri- our lunch break. However, and talked about my experi- day, February 15th. There at this point, the next fac- ence with theater, dance, and was an open dance call in tor was added: singing. I am gymnastics when I was little. Boston for the Broadway not afraid of singing; I’m After sending me outside, musical Newsies. This part in musicals all the time. It’s the casting director’s assis- of my audition story is not just that every single Newsie tant asking me to return the new, however, so I am going in the show sings an A-flat next day: “Be prepared to do to just skip over it for now— (which is a pretty high note, everything you did today and ask me about it some other at least for me). Well, they more.” time if you’d like. The only called me in alone and asked …And more. Great. thing you need to know is me to sing. The musical di- When I got back to the the outcome: from the 150 or rector was present at this au- holding room the next day, so people auditioning, they dition, and I got so nervous I found that only 36 of us asked me and about 10 others that my jaw locked toward were left. We were just re- to come to NYC that summer the end of the song. My final viewing the material when for another callback. words, which were supposed the director, choreographer, I woke up to my alarm to be “…see us out there, car- assistant choreographer, li- set to the first song in the rying the banner, always out brettist, casting director, vo- Newsies album and dressed there, carrying the banner…” cal director, musical director, in my maroon shirt and gray came out more like “…see show drummer, two casting shorts, an outfit I had taken us ow thuh, cay yee ee uh ah assistants, several Broadway. weeks to perfect. My mom nuh aw way ow eh, air ree’n com representatives, and wished me a happy birthday a aa nah...” They laughed it some other people I didn’t and we walked past Times off and asked me to sing it know suddenly showed up. Square toward Pearl Studios. again. I *actually* sang the Our casting panel went from I found my way to the 10th words that time, and they just three to half the people in floor and was surrounded by chatted with me after—ask- the room, taking note of ev- 150 dancers. Every single ing me how old I was, where erything about me: physi- one was beautifully built, I was from, and what I’d be cal, emotional, and talent. graceful, and astonishing to doing if I didn’t get the part. We did the “Seize the Day” watch, even when they were “Well I…um, I’m 19 dance, the hardest section in just warming up. And there years old as of today and go the show, twice in a row then I was. I just shrugged it off to Olin.” the “King of New York” tap and started to get ready. At “Well happy birthday! dance one-at-a-time. We then this point, I was compet- But what was that? Oberlin?” tried to show off any special ing against not only the top (How many other people has dance or gymnastics skills choices in the US, but the this happened to?) we had, before they sent us UK and Canada as well. “Um no, Olin. It’s actu- out in order to hear songs This audition was essen- ally called the Franklin W. and scenes from us one-at-a- time. (I did the best I could, decides to not renew their sical theater programs in the and they sent me home.) contract, I will be invited to country—and then there was The worst part about another callback in NYC to me. auditioning is the waiting; compete against the other I’ve been told that here at they’ll call you if you got the four Asians from the final 36 Olin, not everyone plans on part, but they won’t call to to see who fits the part better. being an engineer. I’d be ly- tell you that you didn’t. This could be anytime, three ing if I said that I had never HOWEVER, I am lucky weeks or even three years. thought I could be on Broad- because I have a ridiculously Only time will tell. way. That being said, I was complicated and far-fetched I can’t say that I didn’t definitely planning on - pur connection to the assistant learn anything from this cra- suing a career in mechanical choreographer, who said , zy journey. The best moral I engineering. Now I’m not “He likes you – he said he can derive from my story is so sure. All I can truly and kept you because you are that it is never too late to try honestly say is that wherev- good and you know your something new. For exam- er I end up, I am incredibly stuff – you are definitely in ple, I started doing flying tra- grateful for the opportuni- the ‘Future’ file.” peze first semester and ended ties I have both at Olin and So what did this all up working on a trapeze rig around the Olin community. mean? What have I learned? this past summer. I would say I’ll never forget the excite- Am I going to be in Newsies that it is pretty unheard of for ment and support I’ve had or not?? an engineer to reach the fi- from every single Oliner in Well, theoretically I am in nal callback for a Broadway my time here, and I’ll always the future file, which means show. Chatting with other try to return the favor. they are keeping me in a file potential newsboys, I found “Keep your eyes on the for when someone in the cast out that every single one was stars and your feet on the decides to leave. I.E. When currently attending or had at- ground.” (Theodore Roos- one of the Asian newsboys tended some of the best mu- evelt, Disney’s Newsies)

A Puzzle by Midnight Math Midnight Math is run a rigid, possibly orien- ∂D is the boundary of by Kevin O'Toole '15. tation-reversing trans- the unit disk, D. Have you ever wanted formation of the plane

a slice of pizza with no which converts Xi to Xj * This Lebesgue measure crust? Do you usually will be zero if no open • For some i, λ(Xi ∩ ∂D) feed your crust your dogs? = 0, where λ is the Leb- or closed interval along Find a way of cutting a esgue measure*, and the boundary is con- circular pizza into finitely tained in a slice. That is, many congruent pieces a piece that touches the such that at least one piece disk’s edge only at its has no crust. corner(s) is considered More formally, find a to have “no crust”. set of simply connected

regions (X1, X2…Xn) such Send your solutions that: (with proof) to midnight. [email protected]. If • The intersection (X U 1 you are correct, you will X U… X ) is the unit 2 n be given the highest of ac- disk, D, on ℝ2. • colades: your name men- • For each i, j < n there is tioned here, next issue. LyraWelcome Silverwolf toAdditionally, Frankly we need Speaking sells ad space and sometimes Editor-in-Chief you to join Frankly Speak- gets emails about it! Respond ing. Many of the Frankly to ad requests and ask lo- Welcome to the fifth vol- Speaking staff graduated last cal businesses to sponsor FS ume of Frankly Speaking, year, leaving several open with food! Olin’s student-run, monthly positions on the paper. We Staff Illustrator - some- newspaper. need enthusiastic, passionate times we have these awkward The ongoing mission of students to fill the following spaces and they have to be Frankly Speaking is to fos- rolls for this upcoming aca- filled with drawings. Can you ter communication between demic year: draw things at the drop of a students, faculty, staff, the Editor - reads, edits arti- hat? Be a staff illustrator! greater Olin community, and cles, helps with layout. Must Contributor - the bread- beyond, through publishing be able to spell and edit. and-butter of the paper. many types of content cre- Layout editor - uses In- Everyone is a contributor! ated by anyone with a desire Design to lay out paper. Must Come to the meeting this to be printed. be willing to learn InDesign. weekend with your article Frankly Speaking has Website manager - keeps ideas or send them to: been publishing monthly is- FS’s website up to date. submit@franklyspeak- sues of the paper since Fall Business manager - FS ingnews.com 2010, but we need your help to continue publishing. First and foremost, a paper cannot be published without content, and we rely primarily on Olin students to submit content each month. We're looking for writing of any skill level on topics you are passionate about. The Frankly Speaking editors will help you refine your writing to a point where you are proud to see your classmates and friends read- ing your work on publication day.

Want to write for Olin College of Engineering does not endorse Frankly Speaking? and is not affiliated with Frankly Speaking. Editor-in-Chief: Lyra Silverwolf Send us your articles at Editors: Kai Austin, Graham Hooton Staff Writers: Kai Austin, Columnists [email protected] Contributors: Kelsey Breseman, Kat Brook- Write to the columnists shier, Ari Chae, Mitch Cieminski, Jes- sica Diller, Molly Farison, Brian Liebson, [email protected] Kevin O'Toole, Slater Victoroff Or check out the website at Special thanks to Jialiya Huang! http://franklyspeakingnews.com