The following essays, written by students in the introductory writing subjects at MIT, were selected for publication in Angles 2019 by an editorial board of lecturers. The ten 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.

Landscape and Memory

Rivers and Roads: Retracing Time in Lassen National Park  by Emily Levenson

Every summer, my family makes the five hour drive from Berkeley, California to the Warner Valley — home to lush green meadows and tall pine trees….

Homeland  by Neosha Narayanan

As I grasped my notebook and pencil, Ukaliina held the meterstick up over my head, parallel to the trunk.

 

In the Middle  by Haimoshri Das

The boatman pushed against the banks with his oar.  Reflexively, I held onto the edge as the wooden boat rocked gently.

 

Identity and Experience

Dear God, It’s the Four-Color Theorem All Over Again  by Talia Pelts 

“I’ve had it with your father. All he does is bake bread, buy computer monitors, and dismantle the house!”

The Sitcom Theory  by Ishaan Govindarajan

In one meme browsing session a long time ago…I stumbled across a screenshot from a lighthearted Tumblr thread about living in a sitcom….

 

400: Something I Did for Me  by Michael Cantow

Coach Remo stands six foot five and weighs a healthy two hundred and sixty pounds.

 

Unprepared  by Ruby Kharod

Growing up in the Deep South is like a game of chess. Except you can’t win; you’re just trying not to lose.

 

Issues in Science and Technology

Headspace: How Space Travel Affects Astronaut Mental Health  by David Dezell Turner

The year was 1982. Cosmonaut Valentin Lebedev, about five months into his 211-day mission on the Salyut 7 space station….

Saving Our Pollinators  by Neosha Narayanan

In the winter of 2007, panic spread among beekeepers across the globe. Their honeybees were dying at a rate never seen before.

 

Profiles

Mark Drela: The Airplane Whisperer  by Charlie Fenske

Imagine trying to bake a perfect cake without a recipe in one try. Where would you start?

 

City Planners Have a Tough Job. Here’s Why.  by Jack Cook

Nearly half a century ago, the residents of Davis Square, a neighborhood just a few subway stops away from MIT, got what they had long been waiting for.