[Gsc-hca-offcampus] Upcoming Events + Meeting Tomorrow (Mar. 19)

[Jeffrey T. Chambers]

Hi Off-Campus Grads,
There will be an off-campus meeting tomorrow, Thursday, March 19 from 
6-7pm. Free dinner will be provided and you will be able to pick events 
you would like us to pursue this term. Please RSVP if you plan to attend 
so that I can order plenty of food.

~Jeff Chambers
GSC Off-Campus Chair

Events:
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1. Off-Campus Meeting - Mar 19
2. Grad Gala - Apr 11 (buy tix now!)
3. Ashdown Brunch - Mar 22
4. Dinner with Six Strangers - Apr 7
5. Spring Concert - Apr 25
6. Minimizing Unconscious Bias - Mar 19
7. Grad Gift
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Event Details:
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1. Off-Campus Meeting
Thursday, Mar 19, 6-7pm
GSC Office (50-220)
Free (non-pizza) dinner!

Come join other off-campus grads to plan out activities for the spring
term. In the past, activities have included bowling, brewery tours, and
dining events to name a few. Have an idea for a new event, please bring
them to the meeting. As always, a free, non-pizza dinner will be provided.

Please RSVP to jtc at mit.edu if you plan to attend to ensure plenty of
food for all. Remember, this is your money, so come share how you want
it spent.
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2. The 3rd Annual Grad Gala IS SELLING OUT FAST! Over 60% of the tickets
have already been purchased-- get yours now before they sell out!

April 11, 2009
Boston Park Plaza Hotel and Towers
7pm-1:30am

Tickets are only $34!
- Three course dinner at the Park Plaza (please bring 21+ ID)
- Live band
- Live DJ after-party

Buy your tickets before they sell out (like they did for all previous
years)!! gsc.mit.edu/gradgala

Brought to you by MIT Graduate Student Council, Grad Rat, Grad Gift,
Subway, The Coop, and Anna's Taqueria.
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3. The Next Ashdown Brunch will be held on Sunday 3/22/09 in the 
Hulsizer Room at 12:00pm.  It is sponsored by the Office of the Dean for 
Graduate Education. Don't miss out the chance to enjoy the beginning of 
Spring Break with us! Fill yourself with eggs, sausages, fruits, 
croissants, French toasts...and more.  Please bring your own plates and 
utensils to help keep the planet green! Raffle prize will be provided 
for those who do =)
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4. Dinner with Six Strangers
Tuesday, April 7th
6:00 p.m.
McCormick Hall - Brown Living Room

*Sponsored by the Student Activities Office.

WHAT IS IT?
Students, Staff, and Faculty RSVP for the dinner with the expectation of
sitting with six others they do not know. The hope is they will meet, learn
about, and begin to develop a relationship with those who are sitting at the
table. We plan to facilitate this process by creating a comfortable setting
and offering discussion topics.

WHY:
The purpose of Dinner with Six Strangers is to assist in the creation of an
MIT community that goes beyond the borders of majors, sports, or student
organizations. SAO believes that this activity is a productive way to form
new relationships within the community and create a dialog that will be
fruitful for the overall community and the individuals that participate.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
When you arrive at dinner, there will be a table with your seating
assignment. At each table you should expect to sit with six people, which
will be a mixture of students, faculty and staff. In preparation for the
event think about your experience at MIT-such as what has been best, what
could be improved, and in what direction would you like to see the community
go in the future? Your insights, participation and open-mindedness will be
important to the success of this event.

PLEASE RSVP BY MARCH 27th AT THE LINK BELOW:
http://tinyurl.com/cj2fn3
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5. Announcing the annual spring concert featuring Ben Folds with Sara 
Bareilles and
Hotel Lights!

        Saturday, April 25  -  8 PM
        Johnson Athletic Center

MIT-only presale now through Sunday, March 29.

Get tickets at <http://sao.mit.edu/tickets/>
        $15 - MIT Students and Affiliates
        $25 - MIT Guests and Non-MIT College Students

Find out more about the artists at:
        http://www.benfolds.com/
        http://www.sarabmusic.com/
        http://www.myspace.com/hotellightsmusic

Tickets for all Spring Weekend events are available at 
<http://sao.mit.edu/tickets/ >.
Buy a Student Bundle and save $14 off the regular price of the  included 
tickets! Spring Weekend is brought to you by the UA and Student 
Activities  Office.
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6. Making the Unconscious Conscious: Minimizing Unconscious Bias
Date and Time: March 19, 5pm
Location: 50-220

Influence on judgment is called "bias." When assumptions and stereotypes 
influence our attitudes, we may find making a fair judgment about 
someone difficult. What we believe to be objective action may unduly 
influenced by unconscious bias. In this session, we will unpack the 
causes of bias, check for it, and with practice, minimize its influence 
on our decisions. Our
goal is to heighten awareness of our attitudes, perceptions and feelings 
as we move throughout a multicultural society. Be prepared for a 
hands-on thinking and learning experience.

Rethinking Interactions:
Speaker/Discussion Series on incorporating diversity into daily activities.
Thursday, March 19 in 50-220
Robbin Chapman: Making the Unconscious Conscious: Minimizing Unconscious 
Bias,
Manager of Diversity Recruitment
School of Architecture and Planning
Held every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month at 5pm
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7. Grad Gift
Thank you to the many interested students who joined us last night for 
the Grad Gift campaign launch at the Two Dollar Tuesday dinner! There 
was plenty of food, remarks from Vice Chancellor and Dean for Graduate 
Education Steve Lerman '72, SM '73, PhD '75, and of course information 
about the inaugural Grad Gift campaign. If you weren't there, check out 
the Grad Gift Web site for more information: 
http://giving.mit.edu/gradgift/index.html.
       
We got off to a great start last night with 80 gifts and $1,010 dollars 
raised. But more students must participate if we are to earn the full 
$20,000 to the MIT Student Dental Fund from our challenger Ani Chitaley 
ScD '68.
       
Please lead by example and make your Grad Gift contribution today at 
https://giving.mit.edu/gift/gradgift/login.vhtml. A gift of even $5 to 
the MIT Student Dental Fund, fellowships, or any other MIT fund you care 
about will really make a difference!
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