CSAIL Institutions

[Michael Oltmans <moltmans@>]

There is a standing debate amongst economic researchers about the causal 
links between the constructions of institutions and prosperity and 
order.  Will creating better legal, judicial, and banking systems 
decrease lawlessness and lead to order and prosperity or will increased 
prosperity lead to less chaos and in turn allowing the construction of 
more effective institutions.  We here at CSAIL have a similar question, 
do our institutions (GSL, GSB, Tuesday Hockey, IM sports, Olympics, 
etc... see below for more explanation of each) contribute to our 
academic prosperity and glee or does our academic prosperity as a 
leading research institution allow us the leisure of developing such 
fine institutions.

Unlike most economists we can actually control our environment and 
perform a thorough study of the situation.  First, we will stop doing 
research for several years, so that our stature will diminish somewhat 
but we will maintain our strong institutions throughout. Second we will 
reconvene research, if we want, and see if we can regain our stature, 
building on our strong institutions that we've had several years to 
foster.  The reverse experiment is too horrible to imagine so we won't 
try that.  But rest assured, as with any good experimental setup, we 
know the results a priori and do not need to run either experiment, 
although the first will be tried but at least a few of you I'm sure. 
The point is our institutions clearly are the source of all prosperity 
at CSAIL.  They bring good moral, collaboration, and pain dulling 
debauchery to our lives.

If you don't believe me come grab a frosty cold one at tonights special 
institution building edition of GSB!!!

*************************

For the new students, the old students who've forgotten they existed, 
and the just plain ignorant, here are some of our labs fine institutions:

GSL: A Free Lunch.  Well almost, as we know there is no such thing, but 
it is free as in food and in price, just not in effort.  Cooking lunch 
for 60 of your lab mates is a whole lot easier than it sounds and 
unimaginably more fun.

Tuesday Hockey: Everyone can play hockey, yes ice hockey.  I could 
barely even stand on my skates when I started grad school and now look 
at me.  Besides, where else can you find Israeli's and Indian's facing 
off against Minnesotans and Canadians?

IM Sports: If the sport exists it's probably part of MIT intramural, 
including all the standards plus unihoc, foosball, dodgeball, and pool. 
 The worse you are the more fun you'll have.

Olympics: yes the CSAIL (formerly AI) Olympics are indeed a sight to 
behold.  Every January (don't you dare ditch town during IAP) we turn 
the lab into a free for all, fun house, game room and make sure nobody 
gets any work done for at least a week and a half.

And most importantly GSB (Girl Scout Benefit): The institution to rule 
all institutions at the institute.  Folks from around the building and 
surrounding environs getting together and emptying bottles of frosty 
beverages, so the non-existent girl scouts can take the bottles away. 
All the details can be found here: http://projects.csail.mit.edu/gsb/

And while you're at it have some fun here: 
http://projects.csail.mit.edu/cgi-bin/gsb/fortunes.cgi



           +-                                                  -+
             girl scout benefit -+-  5:30 pm  -+- 32-G9 lounge
           +-                                                  -+

              For those coming from elsewhere: Building 32 is
               <http://whereis.mit.edu/map-jpg?selection=32>
          Once you are in 32, just take the G-elevator to the 9th
      floor and we will be in the lounge that you will be looking at
                    <http://projects.csail.mit.edu/gsb>












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