The Class of 2018 ring features MIT’s mascot, the beaver, at the heart of the Bezel. The beaver rests on a dam, consisting of eight ivy leaves and a pinecone, displaying our academic dominance and reminding us of the beaver’s resourcefulness and work ethic. The beaver is situated near the Boston side of the Charles River facing MIT, representing the importance of moving forward while remembering our years spent at the Institute. The 2018 beaver holds a torch, symbolizing our intention to light the way for our generation and for generations to come.

On the left of the Bezel stands the Harvard Bridge. The 151^st Smoot mark is displayed, signifying our class year. The pillars of the Harvard Bridge are shaped to look like the Greek symbol for Pi, as an acknowledgement of both the day that many of us received our admission to MIT, as well as the especially memorable Pi day (3/14/15) that we experienced our freshman year - a milestone that only comes once a century. On the left railing of the Harvard Bridge, the number 2018 is hidden in binary.

The Class Shank centers on the Great Dome with our class year, 2018, boldly displayed above. There are 5 steps leading from Killian Court to Lobby 10, representing the five schools of the Institute: Architecture and Planning, Engineering, Management, Science and HASS. On the steps sit three Tech students, who cherish the moments when Killian Court offers a place to relax.

Two snow flakes are fixed to the facade of the Memorial Lobby on either side of the engraved “Massachusetts Institute of Technology,” an emblem to remember our Freshman Year as the snowiest winter Cambridge had ever seen. Fixed to the center of the face of the Great Dome is a digital clock, inspired by the “I Stand with Ahmed” hack in Lobby 7, displaying the time 1:51, as the Class of 2018 is the 151^st class to graduate from MIT. Beside the dome is a pair of hackers, staying low to the roof and abiding hacking rules. Whether they are performing a prank or simply enjoying the view, the hackers represent a quintessential part of MIT’s culture.

Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, courage, and resilience stands strong in Killian Court. She is showing the right hand rule while resting her left arm upon the overlapping vintage “nuts and bolts” insignia of MIT. Athena represents our endeavors, past and present and dedication to the pursuit of knowledge. Aside the insignia are circuits and gears - representing the maker spirit that is MIT.

Featured at the top of the Seal Shank is the Institute’s well-known acronym, MIT. Engraved under these letters is MIT’s seal. This year we have opted for a modern take on the seal: a craftsman at the anvil and a female scholar. Within this detail is our Latin motto, Mens et Manus – “mind and hand” – and the volumes, Science and Arts, on the pedestal, which furthermore give emphasis to our educational philosophy. Continuing with the motif of concealed 18’s on the ring, the lamp in the seal, which represents our unyielding commitment to excellence, incorporates a flame in the figure of an 18. The year 1861, written on the pedestal, refers to year the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was incorporated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Resting at the bottom of the Seal Shank is at first glance a globe swathed in the pages of a book, which draws reference to the cultural diversity inherent to the institute. But on closer inspection, a rising phoenix with its wings outstretched can be identified. By most accounts, MIT is known to be a stressful and challenging environment, with the potential to diminish our spirits. But in a similar fashion to the phoenix, we rise renewed and stronger, and better equipped to handle the challenges imposed upon us. The pages that double as flames not only act to emphasize the power inherent in knowledge, but they also draw reference to the well-known MIT firehose analogy.

In addition to these symbols, hidden within the flames is the phrase, “punt and tool”, which serves to represent the chiasmic relationship between fun and work experienced during our time at MIT, a struggle many of us know too well.

The Boston skyline is depicted in the dark, reflecting the many late nights students spend looking over the bridge at the city. The silhouettes of the familiar John Hancock Tower, 111 Huntington Avenue, the Prudential Tower, the Back Bay brownstones, and the Citgo sign are met with new additions — the Four Seasons Tower, projected to be completed late 2017, is shown as an outline next to the Prudential Tower and the John F Kennedy Memorial to the far right. Fireworks light the sky above the Esplanade, a nod to the famous July 4^th Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular many students enjoy, celebrating summers in Cambridge.

The Cambridge skyline is shown during the day, with silhouettes of the Maclaurin buildings in the center, the Kresge Auditorium and the Stratton Student Center on the left, and the Ray and Maria Stata Center, the Green Building, the Walker Memorial, and the Media Lab on the right. Also depicted is a mountain of snow, representing the record-breaking snowfalls that occurred during the winter of our freshman year. A sailboat and a crew shell oat on the Charles River in front of the Cambridge shoreline.

As a huge part of MIT’s hacking culture, the tunnels beneath our campus are not only home to a number of “inaccessible” areas, tombs and sign-ins from years past, but also serve as our way to avoid harsh weather, people, and sunlight. The hacker’s map depicts MIT’s extensive tunnel and skywalk system connecting most of eastern campus. This map also includes the new Collier Memorial near the Stata Center, and MIT.nano, to be completed in 2018, where building 12 used to stand.

May this map guide you during your time at MIT and forever remind you of the MIT campus.