(groovy music)
(groovy music)

- I'm Sam Clark with Crimson Education.
- I'm Sam Clark with Crimson Education.

We're here at MIT to ask some big questions.
We're here at MIT to ask some big questions.

What is the best thing about MIT?
What is the best thing about MIT?

- I'd probably say the people,
- I'd probably say the people,

thing is, people at MIT are very spontaneous
thing is, people at MIT are very spontaneous

and they're all about like just doing it,
and they're all about like just doing it,

if I have an idea and let's go do something crazy,
if I have an idea and let's go do something crazy,

build a frickin' roller coaster on East campus,
build a frickin' roller coaster on East campus,

we're gonna build a friggin' roller coaster,
we're gonna build a friggin' roller coaster,

we're gonna do it.
we're gonna do it.

- Are you building a roller coaster?
- Are you building a roller coaster?

- No but like that happened last year.
- No but like that happened last year.

- You built a roller coaster?
- You built a roller coaster?

- I helped build a roller coaster.
- I helped build a roller coaster.

- That's awesome.
- That's awesome.

- The people for sure.
- The people for sure.

Lots of diversity, lots of great people here.
Lots of diversity, lots of great people here.

- I would agree, they're also very nice,
- I would agree, they're also very nice,

he didn't mention that, nice people, diverse people.
he didn't mention that, nice people, diverse people.

- You get to know a lot of people who seem very normal
- You get to know a lot of people who seem very normal

but they're actually super brilliant
but they're actually super brilliant

and you don't know that initially
and you don't know that initially

but after you hang out with them
but after you hang out with them

you realize that people are super smart
you realize that people are super smart

and super cool and these people are my friends.
and super cool and these people are my friends.

- Also I would say the people,
- Also I would say the people,

it's all very down to earth people
it's all very down to earth people

are the people that I am with.
are the people that I am with.

You wouldn't necessarily expect them to be
You wouldn't necessarily expect them to be

the most smart people in the world
the most smart people in the world

but then when you start doing stuff with them
but then when you start doing stuff with them

you're like, oh my goodness, they're a genius, so.
you're like, oh my goodness, they're a genius, so.

- I think it's just like acceptance
- I think it's just like acceptance

of having a passion for something nerdy.
of having a passion for something nerdy.

- Just not even something that grandiose,
- Just not even something that grandiose,

like just really little nerdy things, silly things
like just really little nerdy things, silly things

that we share that like connects us
that we share that like connects us

and then the support they give me
and then the support they give me

and then I give them back,
and then I give them back,

I think that's what I like about MIT the most.
I think that's what I like about MIT the most.

- What's the worst thing about MIT?
- What's the worst thing about MIT?

- The work is very challenging,
- The work is very challenging,

but I think that also is a great thing as well,
but I think that also is a great thing as well,

I don't think there really is a bad thing
I don't think there really is a bad thing

about this place.
about this place.

- For me I think it's between
- For me I think it's between

either some of the really intense academic pressure,
either some of the really intense academic pressure,

like the culture here is very much like,
like the culture here is very much like,

if you're not sleeping you're doing it right,
if you're not sleeping you're doing it right,

or if you're not taking as many classes
or if you're not taking as many classes

or as many units as you can, you're not doing it right,
or as many units as you can, you're not doing it right,

and it's not always the best environment
and it's not always the best environment

for people's mental health,
for people's mental health,

for people who maybe don't have the same academic background
for people who maybe don't have the same academic background

coming into MIT,
coming into MIT,

and I think that kind of culture of like
and I think that kind of culture of like

if you're not suffering you're not doing it right
if you're not suffering you're not doing it right

and like you should be able to enjoy MIT
and like you should be able to enjoy MIT

and take things you love and not be drowning.
and take things you love and not be drowning.

- I'd say the worst thing is the homework.
- I'd say the worst thing is the homework.

- The homework?
- The homework?

- The homework.
- The homework.

- Here in particular,
- Here in particular,

you have to know what you're getting into,
you have to know what you're getting into,

like it's hard work, and you gotta be prepared
like it's hard work, and you gotta be prepared

to do it, basically.
to do it, basically.

- Lack of free time.
- Lack of free time.

- Research universities in general,
- Research universities in general,

a lot of the professors are incentivized
a lot of the professors are incentivized

to focus on their research
to focus on their research

and do what may not necessarily
and do what may not necessarily

be in the best interest of the student
be in the best interest of the student

but what will get them tenure
but what will get them tenure

and what will get them more funding for their research.
and what will get them more funding for their research.

- What does a typical Saturday night look like
- What does a typical Saturday night look like

for you guys?
for you guys?

- What happened last night?
- What happened last night?

- Party scene's pretty big,
- Party scene's pretty big,

people love to go out and party on the weekends.
people love to go out and party on the weekends.

- I don't remember what happened.
- I don't remember what happened.

- So is that a good night then?
- So is that a good night then?

Yeah we'll call that a good night, okay, perfect.
Yeah we'll call that a good night, okay, perfect.

- Weekends night, usually hang out with friends.
- Weekends night, usually hang out with friends.

- Great.
- Great.

- There's no such thing as typical,
- There's no such thing as typical,

I might go out partying, I might be working,
I might go out partying, I might be working,

I might be building a friggin' roller coaster.
I might be building a friggin' roller coaster.

- As you do.
- As you do.

- Yeah so there's nothing, like what did I do last night,
- Yeah so there's nothing, like what did I do last night,

what was last night, Saturday?
what was last night, Saturday?

Friday night I was at a concert,
Friday night I was at a concert,

Saturday night I was chilling and watching a movie
Saturday night I was chilling and watching a movie

with my cousin who came up for the weekend,
with my cousin who came up for the weekend,

yeah so there's certainly craziness if you want craziness
yeah so there's certainly craziness if you want craziness

but there's also quietness if you want quietness, so.
but there's also quietness if you want quietness, so.

- There's a lot to do on Saturday nights.
- There's a lot to do on Saturday nights.

A good portion of fraternities are having social events
A good portion of fraternities are having social events

most Saturdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
most Saturdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

- Pizza parties.
- Pizza parties.

- Pizza party.
- Pizza party.

- Just kidding.
- Just kidding.

- What is a pizza party?
- What is a pizza party?

- We eat pizza and chill.
- We eat pizza and chill.

- Pizza and chill, great, great, love that, love that.
- Pizza and chill, great, great, love that, love that.

If you remember, what did you write
If you remember, what did you write

your college application essay about?
your college application essay about?

- So MIT is a bit different
- So MIT is a bit different

because they don't do the Common App,
because they don't do the Common App,

so MIT is like five or six shorts, one paragraph essays,
so MIT is like five or six shorts, one paragraph essays,

so I did one about,
so I did one about,

in my hometown jumping off the local bridge
in my hometown jumping off the local bridge

into the river below,
into the river below,

that's something that everyone does,
that's something that everyone does,

I did something about that.
I did something about that.

- They asked kind of what do you do with free time,
- They asked kind of what do you do with free time,

what do you do to kind of release
what do you do to kind of release

and I said play guitar,
and I said play guitar,

and just kind of went in on what music means to me,
and just kind of went in on what music means to me,

and I don't know, how I just kind of like to
and I don't know, how I just kind of like to

spend my free time, how I like to relax.
spend my free time, how I like to relax.

- I'm working in a HIV vaccine lab,
- I'm working in a HIV vaccine lab,

and I wrote something in the line of that.
and I wrote something in the line of that.

I got interested in a HIV problem
I got interested in a HIV problem

while I was senior at college
while I was senior at college

and I related to that, and it worked.
and I related to that, and it worked.

- I wrote about woodworking,
- I wrote about woodworking,

which is something I was really involved in in high school
which is something I was really involved in in high school

and like playing piano I think.
and like playing piano I think.

- I think I honestly just wrote about singing,
- I think I honestly just wrote about singing,

I was in an a acapella group here,
I was in an a acapella group here,

and I just have always since I was little sung,
and I just have always since I was little sung,

and it was just cool to me to be able to be like,
and it was just cool to me to be able to be like,

okay, they just wanna hear
okay, they just wanna hear

about something I genuinely love.
about something I genuinely love.

- So, for me, the one that I remember the most
- So, for me, the one that I remember the most

is they wanted us to talk about
is they wanted us to talk about

a leadership opportunity that we've had,
a leadership opportunity that we've had,

and for me I wrote about the time
and for me I wrote about the time

when my family and I we went on a mission trip
when my family and I we went on a mission trip

to Juarez, Mexico,
to Juarez, Mexico,

and I talked about how kind of like
and I talked about how kind of like

interacting with that culture
interacting with that culture

and having a leadership opportunity,
and having a leadership opportunity,

of kind of being in charge of the construction,
of kind of being in charge of the construction,

we built a house for a family down there,
we built a house for a family down there,

and being able to use Spanish
and being able to use Spanish

to mingle the cultures together,
to mingle the cultures together,

I just talked about that
I just talked about that

and how that kind of influenced my leadership approach.
and how that kind of influenced my leadership approach.

- I wrote about my commitment to martial arts,
- I wrote about my commitment to martial arts,

I've been teaching in Cambridge,
I've been teaching in Cambridge,

martial arts for a few years
martial arts for a few years

and I've been practicing for like 10 or 11,
and I've been practicing for like 10 or 11,

oh 13 years now,
oh 13 years now,

and so that's just like a big part of my life
and so that's just like a big part of my life

and I'm just giving back to communities
and I'm just giving back to communities

something I love doing.
something I love doing.

- Amazing, amazing, what martial art?
- Amazing, amazing, what martial art?

- It's called Soo Bahk Do it's a derivative of Taekwondo.
- It's called Soo Bahk Do it's a derivative of Taekwondo.

- Oh very cool.
- Oh very cool.

- So apparently when you walk around MIT,
- So apparently when you walk around MIT,

sometimes you walk past this.
sometimes you walk past this.

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(groovy music)

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