[Gsc-hca-offcampus] Upcoming Events

[Jeffrey T Chambers]

Hi Off-Campus Grads,

I hope the end of term is treating you well.  Just one more week of 
classes!  Below are some upcoming events that may be of interest to you.

~Jeff Chambers
GSC Off-Campus Chair

Events:
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1. Ashdown Brunch - Sunday, May 8
2. $4 Dinner at the Thirsty Ear - Wednesdays
3. Flapjacks for Finals 2011 - May 15
4. Get involved with GSC
5. MBTA to ban strollers on buses - voice your opinion
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Event Details:
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1. The Next Ashdown Brunch will be held on Sunday 5/8/09 in the Hulsizer 
Room at 12:00pm.

This is the last brunch before the finals.  Don't miss out the chance to 
enjoy great food with us and catch up with your friends and colleagues!  
We will be serving eggs, sausages, fruits, croissants, French 
toasts...and more.  Please bring your own plates and utensils to help 
keep the planet green!
See you all there!

Rong Yuan, Brunch Committee Chair, Ashdown House
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2. $4 Dinner at the Thirsty Ear

Every Wednesday, let the Thirsty (Ashdown House, NW35) satisfy your 
hunger. Kitchen opens at 6:00 PM.
Free soft drinks with food purchase!

Come try our chef's pasta ($4), grilled cheese sandwich + fries ($4), 
quesadilla ($5), burger + fries ($6), or chicken parm sandwich + fries ($6).

Stay for trivia / pub quiz starting at 9:00!
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3. Flapjacks for Finals 2011
Lobdell, W20
Sunday, May 15
8:30 - 10:00 pm

A FREE late-night pancake breakfast for MIT students.  Join us for 
pancakes (and other breakfast foods), chair massages and relaxation 
tips.  Students, stop by any time between 8:30 and 10:00 pm.
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4. If you are thinking of getting involved with the Graduate Student 
Council (GSC), this is the prime time to do so! As GSC's Academic, 
Research, and Careers (ARC) committee is undergoing leadership 
transition, it is looking for coordinators for its diverse initiatives. 
Become a coordinator to gain valuable leadership experience, and to 
prepare for more senior positions within the GSC. The current six open 
positions are described here:

http://gsc.mit.edu/Committees/ARC

Many of these positions have well-defined tasks that will not require a 
large time commitment. To apply (first come first served), please send a 
short paragraph explaining why you are interested in a position to 
gsc-arc at mit.edu, and we will follow up.
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5. The MBTA is considering "launching a pilot program on buses that 
would require anyone with a stroller to fold it before boarding. The 
policy, to be phased in with announcements asking people to stow their 
carriages, could later be broadened to include trolleys and subways." 
(from 
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view/20110501pram_jam_mbta_rolls_out_rules_for_stroller_traffic/srvc=home&position=recent 
)

For many parents, this would make riding the bus extremely difficult.  
How do you hold a squirming baby, a diaper bag, and your own stuff, then 
fold your stroller? (Does your stroller require more than one hand to 
fold it? Mine does.) Once you're done with that, your task is not over-- 
you now have to carry all of the above mentioned stuff PLUS the folded 
stroller, find your wallet, pay, and wrangle everything onto to bus.  
Will that really decrease the nasty looks from other riders, or speed up 
anyone's commute? I doubt it.  For people traveling with more than one 
small child, it could well be impossible.

I can understand asking people with strollers to board through the rear 
doors of the bus, or stand in the area reserved for wheelchairs on the 
subway, but banning strollers altogether is, in my opinion, 
unreasonable.  There are many other things that irk me about public 
trans here more than strollers getting in the way.

Anyway, I'll step down from my soapbox now, and point out that you, too, 
can voice your opinion (whatever it may be) through a survey on the MBTA 
website ( http://mbta.com/ )
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