The bezel of the 2019 Brass Rat features MIT's mascot, the beaver, sitting on the Harvard Bridge between Boston and Cambridge. In the beaver's hand, we have the the stages of our time at MIT: our silver acceptance tube for the day we get in, the MIT sticker for our four years here, and the diploma for the day we graduate. Tim wears a Brass Rat with his hand halfway down the tube to mark the halfway point of our MIT career when we get our own Brass Rats. The beaver's ear is in the shape of a '19' for our class year, and the inside of the beaver's tail displays a '152,' as we are the 152nd graduating class of MIT. The 26.2 Smoot on the bridge represents Marathon Monday, one of Boston's most celebrated days and a staple holiday throughout our time at MIT. The railing of the Harvard Bridge is a blend of DNA and circuitry units, a symbol of the growing presence of biotech in Kendall Square.

In Boston, the quintessential brownstones and Hatch shell lie along the Charles. Above, the the Prudential Center displays the early decision super Pi date '3/14/15 9:26.' The Citgo Sign, made a historic landmark our freshman year, holds our unofficial motto 'IHTFP' instead of the usual 'CITGO.' The seats of Fenway Park form a 'P' and 'T' for the MIT dichotomy in work ethic: punt and tool. Above, a lightstand displays the number '34' as homage to David Ortiz, a Boston icon, who retired our sophomore year from the Boston Red Sox. Wrapping around Fenway, a rocket launches into the sky, representing the momentous SpaceX landing of the Falcon 9 our freshman year, as well as representing the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing that will occur our senior year. In the rocket smoke's wake, eight ivy leaves are left in the dust, and in the Charles, a pinecone drowns.

Moving across our bezel, depicted is the recently repaired Longfellow bridge with salt and pepper shakers as the towers, in honor of its nickname - "The Salt and Pepper Bridge." Within the river, a rippled wave runs down, representing the discovery of gravitational waves by the LIGO group of MIT and Caltech our freshman spring. The two sail boats docking at the MIT Sailing Pavilion form a '1916' with their sails. This embodies the move from Boston to Cambridge 100 years ago, celebrated our freshman spring with the momentous "Moving Day."

On the Cambridge skyline, tents are featured in front of Kresge Auditorium in honor of the Moving Day parties and the enormous tents that frequent Kresge Lawn. The fireworks exploding in the evening sky above the Great Dome are a reminder of the extravagant display that ended the Moving Day pageant. An 'XIX' replaces the 'MCMXVI' on the Great Dome to signify our class year. Next to the dome, a group of hackers can be found on the roof of Walker Memorial, a frequent hacking destination for beautiful Boston views. The early decision release time, '12/13/14 15:16,' on the Green Building mirrors the regular decision time on the Prudential. Additionally, BB-8, the Star Wars droid, replaces the weather balloon on the top of the Green Building to pay tribute to the first installment of the new Star Wars trilogy. The Cambridge skyline also features many familiar sights, such as the Stata Center, a group of tourists with a selfie stick, and the Media Lab. The night sky, the remainder of the bezel, embodies the many late nights of psets and (un)forgettable memories that we have shared at the Institute.

Our Class Shank showcases the Great Dome with our year, 2019, across the top. The five steps leading up to the doors' entrance symbolize the five schools housed within the Institute: the School of Architecture and Planning, the School of Engineering, the Sloan School of Management, the School of Science, and the School of the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Kerberos, the three-headed dog that protects the entrance to the underworld, guards the steps in front of three students sitting in Killian Court. Kerberos represents our security system as well as the puppy lab initiative, which started our freshman year.

This past year we have seen many major music releases from some of the most influential artists of our generation. To celebrate this year of great art, we depicted the hack that paid tribute to the release of Drake's new album, 'Views', in which a student perched himself on the side of the dome resembling the cove r of the album. Hanging in front of Lobby 10 are the Mind+Hand+Heart banners, commemorating the movement towards a more passionate and caring community spirit. They are modeled after the virtual banners that overlooked Killian during the Moving Day celebration.

In the foreground, Athena, the Greek goddess of courage, wisdom, and resilience, presides over Killian Court. She boldly points a spear off into the distance, indicating how MIT students are ready to tackle problems head on. The chariot she rides carries the nut-and-bolt insignia, with the Tower of Pharos sitting at the center. Together, Athena, Pharos, and Kerberos represent the three key aspects of our operating, printing, and security systems. Resting across Athena's chariot is a ruler with marks noticeably missing the values 13, 19, and 23, denoting the MIT courses.

Proudly emblazoned atop the seal shank is "MIT," set above a contemporary take on the seal, depicting a craftswoman at the anvil, and a scholar, book in hand. On the pedestal between the craftswoman and the scholar, encircled by laurels, is the year the Commonwealth of Massachusetts incorporated MIT. Resting regally on the pedestal are tomes of Science and Arts. A lamp sits on top and a flame burns in the figure of a '19' to signify our class' undying zeal for excellence. The MIT motto 'Mens et Manus' (Mind and Hand) is presented underneath, embroidered onto a flowing banner. Embossed to the left of the craftswoman are gears representing our desire to understand the mechanics of the universe. The maker spirit, ubiquitous to our community, is captured in the essence of the gears and is embodied in the Project Manus symbol at the center of the upper gear. Engraved onto the right of the scholar are symbols of MIT's world-renowned School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences: the Euro references the Nobel Prize won by Professor Holmström in economics, as well as Britain's historic EU referendum, otherwise known as Brexit; the grapheme æ references linguistics and the importance of language and communication in science; and the bass clef represents the foundational role that music plays at MIT. The Alchemist's symbol-strewn hand stretches across the base of the shank to embrace the hand of a student. This represents the collaboration among students, as well as between students and faculty, both necessary to succeed at MIT.

The Boston skyline is depicted during the day with the hustle and bustle of city life across the river. Fenway Park and the iconic Citgo sign, now a historic landmark, are shown on the right as a statement of Boston pride. Above Fenway is an airplane leaving Logan Airport, symbolizing the international places many of us have come from and the places MIT will send us. The silhouettes of the familiar Prudential Center, 111 Huntington Avenue, and the John Hancock Tower are joined by new additions this year: Faneuil Hall, the State Room, and the State House. The State House features the logo for the much-frequented and essential MBTA. To the left is Custom House Clock Tower, a famous symbol in Boston, as can easily be recognized on a Boston Snapchat filter. A boat rows down the river, as we can often see at both sunrise and sunset. Finally, the distinct Zakim bridge guards one entrance to Boston and completes our skyline.

On the opposite side of the Brass Rat is the Cambridge skyline, depicted at night to represent the many late nights we spend on campus working, participating in our vast array of extracurricular activities, and simply enjoying one another's company. Starting from the left, we see Kresge Auditorium, followed by the newly acquired Metropolitan Storage Warehouse. Originally intended as a new living space, the Metropolitan represents the ongoing changes to the MIT housing landscape, as well as the creativity of our engineering community, since it will soon be converted into a makerspace. In the center, we see the Great Dome, the most recognizable building of our skyline. To the right are the Ray and Maria Stata Center, the Green Building, and the Media Lab. Finally, a sailboat coasts along the Charles for a midnight cruise beneath a full moon.

The hacker's map reminds our class of MIT's culture of collaborative exploration, attributes valued by both the avid hacker and scholar. This year, we decided to solely showcase the tunnels. They not only connect our campus and provide a reprieve from Infinite foot traffic, but also house some of our most famous labs and workspaces, such as the blacksmithing, glassblowing, and Pappalardo labs. Furthermore, within the underground network are numerous hidden murals, sign-ins, and tombs from past years. Whether for pragmatic or adventurous intentions, let this map be a guide during our time at MIT and a reminder of our Institute's uniqueness.