Design

Bezel

At the heart of the Brass Rat is the beaver: nature's engineer and the traditional face of the ring. Our beaver proudly wears a 2025 Brass Rat and holds its diploma as it looks back fondly on its time at MIT. Sitting next to the 158 Smoot mark, the beaver celebrates the 25's as the 158th graduating class of MIT and showcases the 66 countries the 2025's call home in its tail. The bezel is an eastward snapshot of the Charles River highlighting many of the Boston and Cambridge landmarks we know and love.

For the first time, the bezel features both the days and nights we spend together on campus, the Lisa T. Su building, and the Boston Public Library. To commemorate our MIT experience, the bezel also illustrates many of the events that have taken place during our time on campus so far: the filming of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the Alchemist wizard hat hack, the disappearance of the Random Hall milk, and the Institute-wide dance party honoring the retirement of President Reif. In typical MIT fashion, the scene is also dotted with hidden messages and references including some in binary and morse code.

Shanks

Class Shank

Under the 2025, rests our beloved dome, featuring the 21 Courses as tick marks along the length of Lobby 10. Framing the dome are two branches representing the autumn leaves of Fall semester and the cherry blossoms of the Spring. Above the dome shine 12 stars, each representing one of the 11 dorms with a 12th for the FSILGs. Weaving through the scene is an Aurora Beaveralis inspired northern light show, reminiscent of the lighted beavers we received in our CP＊ package. For the first time in Brass Rat history, the faces of our ring are unified by the Aurora traversing across the shank and onto the bezel. On Killian, Kerberos is surrounded by olive branches, a mythical gift from Athena, goddess of wisdom. Kerb stands alert and guards a globe, representing our diverse and international Class of 2025.

Seal Shank

On the seal shank, our design incorporates the traditional seal with modern touches to encompass today's MIT. he revamped figures capture some of the diversity of our class and the wide range of activities we take part in. On the left, the anvil rests on a circuit board engraved pillar commemorating the significant presence of EECS on campus and the renumbering of Course 6 classes. On the right, the traditional book is adorned with a gear and paintbrush as a nod to the combination of engineering and the arts at MIT. At the center of the shank, MIT's establishment year is surrounded by a 25 leaf wreath. From the seal lamp, sun rays beam upwards, spilling onto the bezel and illuminating campus.

Skylines

Cambridge Skyline

After graduation, the wearer will flip their brass rat so the Cambridge Skyline is facing them, symbolizing looking back at their time at MIT. This depiction of the skyline features some of the MIT buildings most significant to our class. Kresge sits on the far left of the skyline, followed by the Stratton Student Center and the MIT Chapel. These buildings mark the western side of campus: spaces for expression & beliefs. The most recognizable part of campus, the notorious Great Dome sits in the center of the Cambridge Skyline. Stata, the Green Building, and the MIT Museum are featured to the right of the dome, showcasing our unique architecture and value of history and ideation. Situated in the Charles River below Kresge, a beaver swims fiercely, resembling the MIT athletics logo and the endeavors of our student athletes. A pair of crew boats is present in the right side of the Charles, one with two rowers and the other with five.

Boston Skyline

As we finish our undergraduate careers, we will wear the Brass Rat so that the Boston Skyline faces us. The Boston Skyline is a symbol of Boston as a memorial to revolution and monument of innovation. The sky is pitch-black to match the view of the city students have at night, complimenting the day and night scheme of our Brass Rat. In the sky, an airplane departing from Logan Airport reminds us of our origins spanning continents and our potential to service the world. A rising meteor above the Harvard Bridge reflects the success of NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test our freshman and sophomore years. On the left hand side, an obelisk from the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge protrudes into the night sky adjacent to TD Bank Garden. Faneuil Hall, a key feature of Quincy Market and Boston's colonial past, stands to TD Garden's immediate right. From left to right, the Hancock Tower, 111 Huntington, Prudential Center, and One Dalton emblaze our night sky, representing Boston's High Spine. Harvard Bridge serves as a link between Cambridge and Boston. Past the Harvard Bridge, the iconic Citgo Sign and Fenway Park (spotlights included) encapsulate the Bostonian culture and spirit. Adrift in the Charles River, below the Zakim Bridge, a sailboat with a unique 25 sail, sets sail towards our campus home.

Hacker’s Map

A tradition set by the Class of 2009, the Hacker's Map represents MIT’s deep-rooted hacking culture. On our map, we have included a banana under the location of our beloved Banana Lounge, an important hub for PSETing, doodling, napping, and snacking. With a chair icon, we mark the location of the chairing tunnel, a sloped passageway where students ride office chairs, often as their first “hack”. Just as the tunnels sprawl beneath the main corridors of MIT campus, our Hacker's Map is concealed underneath the bezel as a discreet guide for those curious enough to explore. To help wearers find their way, the map is completed with a compass with vectors familiar from our time with the right hand rule.