The following essays, written by students in the introductory writing subjects at MIT, were selected for publication in Angles 2017 by an editorial board of lecturers. The twelve works are categorized by theme and linked below. For more information on Angles see our About Angles page. For an overview of this edition of Angles and an explanation of the thematic categories chosen for this edition, please see our Editors’ Note.
Life Lessons–Starting from Experience
capital e by Tanya Llanas
My father’s a mechanic, a self-employed repairman of any and all things you could possibly break. What this really means is he’s an engineer at heart…
Making Peace with My Standards by TojumiOluwa Adegboyega
I hate this; I hate this; I hate this. The words pound an unforgiving drumbeat in my head…
Sights and Sounds–Crossing Media
The Figure on the Hillside by Kathryn Mohr
I was always one of those kids who could take a road trip and just stare out the window and never be bored.
On Zhong and Bakeries by Katherine Gohres
Congratulations! You have been invited to Happy Garden Bakery.
Finding the Sweet Spot by Darian Bhathena
“So, what kind of music do you listen to?” is a question… which leaves me baffled.
The Many Worlds behind “Nocturne” by Allison Tam
Chopin’s “Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2” begins with a subtle, timid B-flat, leaps to the distinctive major sixth, and then launches into a beautiful, yearning melody.
What’s Out There–Studying our World (and Universe)
Cancer-Causing Fat by Lena Zhu
We have known for a long time that losing weight is healthy for overweight or obese people…But many of us do not associate obesity with cancer.
Protecting against Lyme Disease by Yue Zhong
In November of 1975, in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, two mothers observed a strange trend in the community.
Celestial Pirouettes: The Twirl of Everything by Andrew J. Iversen
On a warm spring day, nature has always seemed to imbue me with energy.
Scientists’ Beginnings–Profiles and Proposals
Conor Cullinane: A Profile by Caitlin McCandler
Conor Cullinane likes to take the least conventional path wherever he goes.
Light up and Clean up: A Profile by Karina Hinojosa
In a bright white box-like office tucked in the corner of the MIT Media Lab, there are shelves and tables with scattered boxes of wire, patchwork cloth, tiny motors, and yarn.
The BOSS Lab for Female Scientists: A Proposal by Elyse Plachinski
The BOSS Lab’s goal is to expose girls entering the fifth and sixth grades to the…STEM fields with persistent gender gaps.