Small portions of the following statement are fiction, but most are
true.  I dare you to guess which parts are which without referring to
the Stata Complex web pages at http://ciis.lcs.mit.edu/

------------------------------------------------------------

A mere few hours ago, they broke ground.  I don't mean the ground
outside our building -- that's been broken for weeks, and they're
breaking it further every time you turn around.  No, I mean the ground
across the tracks -- the future site of the Stata complex, destined to
feature both the Dreyfoos building and the William H. Gates Computer
Science building.

Those of you who haven't heard the latest details of the architectural
evolution of the Stata complex will be pleased to hear that the Space
Defense Shield -- a giant angled sheet of glass which was going to
shield the central courtyard from the North side, while leaving the
other sides open to the weather -- has been scrapped.  

Since the glass has already been purchased for the Shield, however, an
alternative application has been developed: the glass will be melted
down and cast into the form of a giant crystal ball, destined to be
embedded in the roof of one low structure near the Vassar and Main
Street intersection.

Some of you may recall that earlier designs featured one tower
consisting of randomly stacked brick blocks, and a second tower
consisting of squashed, dented metal cylinders.  To assuage jealousy
issues between future occupants of the towers, the latest design gives
both towers some of everything: randomly stacked brick blocks;
squashed, dented metal cylinders; squashed, dented brick cylinders;
and randomly stacked metal blocks.

In response to concerns that light might get into the building,
windows on the metal portions of the building are "outset" to give
each office occupant a view which is literally light at the end of the
tunnel.

Some things have remained constant between designs.  The popular
American Gladiator's Arena remains true to its original amphitheater
form at the back of the building.  Giant Light Pipes are scattered
around the courtyard to insure that the LCS Hummer doesn't feel too
claustrophobic in the underground parking lot.  And, of course,
persons subject to vertigo are still strongly advised not to look at
the building at all.

If all these details makes your head spin, calm it down by coming to
tonight's...

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