By Julie Fox

If you’re looking for a good example of MIT’s practical, hands-on approach to education—expressed in the motto Mens et manus, or “Mind and hand”—visit the courtyard of East Campus (EC) just as first-year students arrive on campus each fall. There you’ll find residents of the dormitory, one of the oldest and most beloved on MIT’s campus, building an astonishingly complex structure designed to entertain those newcomers—and show off the sense of community and building prowess that allow the dorm to pull off such feats year after year. 

EC students and alums alike say the annual tradition of building giant rides exemplifies the camaraderie and can-do spirit of MIT. 

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Not all dorms create something so elaborate to welcome first-years. But Mark Feldmeier ’96, SM ’03, PhD ’09, a former EC resident and an MIT Media Lab lecturer since 2009, explains that it wasn’t always like this at EC; small projects turned into bigger builds, and the enterprise slowly grew over time. In the ’90s, Feldmeier says, the dorm’s theme for rush week was “carnival”—complete with a dunk tank, a moon bounce, cotton candy, palm reading, and more—and anyone could set up a booth. “It was a good theme for EC, as it showcased the eccentricity and range of interests,” he says.