The following essays, written by students in the introductory writing subjects at MIT, were selected for publication in Angles 2024 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.
MIT: Home and Community
Finding Home in 100 Days by Hana Sousa
“Like water, you adapt, you change shape, you keep moving. And just like a river cuts through rock—not by force, but by persistence—you’re shaping your own path.”
“Institute for Hacks, TomFoolery, and Pranks”: MIT, Mischief, and the IAP Man by A. Lin
“Former MIT professor Alexander Theroux once described hacking as ‘An unofficial [sport] unique to MIT… A hack briefly, is a prank.'”
Family, Identity, and Experience
Celeste in the Woods by Katelyn Howard
“I know I have McCollough in me, and I think of that whenever I feel myself turning…the forest lingers in my mind. Will I go? Will I one day grow to be taller than her?”
Luckiest by Nimbus
“I peered at the description of the animal in question, crouching primly at the upper left corner of the placemat. ‘Luckiest of all signs,’ I read aloud.”
Possible Quotes by Clarisse Roe
“One day, the grief will sit, / comfortably, in your room / along with all your memorabilia…And just like all shelved items, / it will fade from view and / only appear when you look for it.“
The Second Attempt by Katelyn Howard
“Yes, pole vault is scary, and I am often afraid. If I start down the runway while I am still weighted with fear or expectations, I’ll bail at the last moment and never leave the ground.”
SureShot Coffee Company (and Friends) by Dana Lerum
“Many people think that working as a barista is just making coffee. And sometimes, it is just that, but not always.”
Self in Society
Should We Be Able to Ban Books in the United States? by Ashley Shorts
“Although these topics can be sensitive to talk about, those who oppose the bans state that the only way to provoke change and educate others is to push readers out of their comfort zones.”
A Harmful Gift by Nilofar Ghafory
“I come from a culture where we tip rarely, usually for once in a lifetime events, like weddings. It is fascinating to me how central tipping culture is here in the US, so important that it was even mentioned in the State Department booklet, If You Want to Study in The United States…“
Explorations in Science and Medicine
My Medical Journey with POTS by Victoria Martens
“It didn’t matter that the professor watched me collapse and lose my ability to speak, or that I had that magical tilt-table test that proved beyond a doubt that I was not making this up.”
Pixel Perfect: The AI Frontier in Medical Imaging by Lila Chen
“As we navigate this transformative era, it is imperative that we prioritize not just technological advancement, but also ethical considerations, patient-focused care, and the trust in a doctor-patient relationship.”
The Good, the Bad, and the Bacterial: CRISPR and Hereditary Hijacking by Paige Lauren Kight
“Since biochemists originally hacked a bacterial immune system, it has been proven that the human genome is neither immutable nor protected from unethical experiments and exploitation.”
Cover Photograph of 77 Massachusetts Avenue in snow, January 2022. MIT Media Library, Flickr.