DESIGN

Bezel

The center of our Bezel features the cherished namesake of the Brass Rat: the beaver. We proudly adorn our beaver with a 2026 Brass Rat and a key, representing the post-pandemic opening of MIT’s campus to the public. A spider(man) web and fire hose can be found entangled in the railing of the Harvard Bridge. Along the Cambridge side, you’ll find the Stud wrapped in caution tape leftover from its construction. Floating above is a feather, a nod to the newly created tenure-track faculty position in Native American studies. Below, students play soccer on Killian Court in the spirit of the 2022 World Cup. Down the road, the speakers from our freshman formal are aflame. A thrown traffic cone and the CS50 duck drift across the Charles River; across the way, you’ll see the Boston skyline, and a Boston Marathon runner who’s ~0.2 miles past the 26-mile mark. Outlined by the night sky, a disco ball and a carousel stand atop the Green Building, mementos from Reif’s Rager and Kornbluth’s Carnival. The stars provide a map of MIT’s dorms.

Class Shank

The Class Side has been an integral element of the Brass Rat from its inception. In the distance, the iconic silhouette of the Great Dome, MIT’s most recognizable architectural landmark, can be seen. Above the Dome, six comets dart across the starry night sky as a nod to the summer meteor showers, as well as the six science GIRs every MIT student must take. The twelve stars’ meanings are left as an exercise for the reader.

Framing the dome are two trees, one blanketed in a layer of snow and the other adorned with flowering cherry blossoms, symbolizing the transition between fall and spring semesters and the passage of time during our MIT journey. Perched gracefully on a branch of the wintry tree is a small beaver wearing a bycocket and a quiver, representing the archery class students must take in order to earn MIT’s Pirate License.

Kerberos is centered in the foreground, with each of his three heads representing the past, present and future. Simultaneously, Kerberos holds a wrench, diploma, and paintbrush in his mouths to represent the technical and creative prowess each MIT student needs to cultivate in order to earn their degree. The olive branches beneath Kerberos serve as a gift from Athena and a symbol of hope, an invaluable source of solace for students navigating the many challenges of the MIT experience.

Seal Shank

The Seal Shank, incorporated into the Brass Rat in 1980, serves as a symbol of our institution's commitment to bridging practicality and theory. This emblem is an adaptation of the traditional MIT design, altered to reflect the rich diversity of our student body and the evolution of education at MIT over the years.

The man represents the new Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making major within the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department. He stands beside an anvil resting upon a server which incorporates “MIT” as well as “6” and “26” in binary. This server design also highlights the renumbering of the Course 6 classes, referencing the change from 6.0001 to 6.100A, a required class for all Course 6 students. Notably, his belt buckle subtly pays homage to our Bezel.

The woman wears a lab coat with a globe on her book, symbolizing the new Climate System Science and Engineering major within the Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences departments. Nestled between the book’s pages, you'll discover our second hidden beaver, representing another requirement for the Pirate License, MIT’s fencing class. The flame of the lamp proudly reads “26,” in honor of our graduating class year.

Behind the students, the sun’s rays are partially veiled by the moon, a reference to the total solar eclipse that will occur in Spring 2024. Beneath the students’ feet, a horned owl stretches its wings across the message “Mens et Manus,” MIT’s motto, reminding us of our responsibility to apply our education to solve the world’s greatest challenges.

Cambridge Skyline

For over a century, MIT has called this side of the Charles home, and for these past two years, so have we. Departing from the conventional daytime depiction, the Cambridge Skyline is illustrated during nighttime, representing some of the most productive hours on campus and when the Great Dome shines its brightest. The columns of the Great Dome are depicted as quantum dot solutions, representative of the 2023 Nobel Prize Winner from MIT, Moungi Bawendi. The skyline highlights some of MIT’s most iconic pieces of architecture, ranging from the Student Center, where we began our journeys at CPW, to Walker Memorial, where many exams are held. Above the Massachusetts Avenue Crossing, the Artemis I mission launch lights up the night sky, marking a new era of human exploration and technological opportunities. In the Charles opposite the bridge, a beaver earning his Pirate License sets sail in a Tech Dinghy, taking a well-deserved break from his studies.

From Left to Right: Kresge Auditorium, MIT Chapel, Student Center, Alchemist, Main Campus, Stata Center, Walker Memorial, Green Building

Boston Skyline

Since MIT’s move across the Charles, students have gazed out of classroom and dorm windows at the Boston skyline. The Skyline features major Boston landmarks including the Central Library, a popular off-campus study destination, and Fenway Park, a familiar sight for students in the Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods. Above the Boston Logan Airport control tower, an airplane symbolizes the variety of places, near and far, that students call home, transformative international travel opportunities such as MISTI and GTL, and the global impact of our work. Swimming in the Charles, a beaver earning his Pirate License applies his marksmanship skills from pistol class to an aquatic environment, illustrating the adaptability of MIT students to any challenge they encounter.

From Left to Right: Zakim Bridge, Boston Logan Airport, Hatch Shell, John Hancock Tower, Central Library, Prudential Tower, Massachusetts State House, Citgo Sign, Fenway Park

Hacker's Map

The Hacker’s Map, hidden on the inner side of the band, guides explorers through the underground tunnels connecting our campus, symbolizing the unity and collaboration of the Institute. In addition to providing a quick route for students to traverse campus, the Hacker’s Map also represents MIT's rich tradition of hacking, embodying the curiosity and ingenuity of any who participate in the vibrant culture hidden beneath the campus.

Our map, designed as a constellation, integrates the night sky motif that adorns the rest of the Brass Rat. Within the constellation, like all other sides of the ring, our mascot, the beaver, can be found. The North Star serves as a guiding compass across the celestial map, where notable locations are marked: a banana under the location of the Banana Lounge, an important hub for PSETing, doodling, napping, and snacking; a chair indicating where students ride office chairs down a ramp, often as their first hack; and a ring representing the meeting place of this year’s Ring Committee. Just like how those before us found meaning in the stars, MIT students can find their own path using this celestial guide.

RING COMMITTEE 2026

Accessibility

DESIGN

Bezel

The center of our Bezel features the cherished namesake of the Brass Rat: the beaver. We proudly adorn our beaver with a 2026 Brass Rat and a key, representing the post-pandemic opening of MIT’s campus to the public. A spider(man) web and fire hose can be found entangled in the railing of the Harvard Bridge. Along the Cambridge side, you’ll find the Stud wrapped in caution tape leftover from its construction. Floating above is a feather, a nod to the newly created tenure-track faculty position in Native American studies. Below, students play soccer on Killian Court in the spirit of the 2022 World Cup. Down the road, the speakers from our freshman formal are aflame. A thrown traffic cone and the CS50 duck drift across the Charles River; across the way, you’ll see the Boston skyline, and a Boston Marathon runner who’s ~0.2 miles past the 26-mile mark. Outlined by the night sky, a disco ball and a carousel stand atop the Green Building, mementos from Reif’s Rager and Kornbluth’s Carnival. The stars provide a map of MIT’s dorms.

Class Shank

The Class Side has been an integral element of the Brass Rat from its inception. In the distance, the iconic silhouette of the Great Dome, MIT’s most recognizable architectural landmark, can be seen. Above the Dome, six comets dart across the starry night sky as a nod to the summer meteor showers, as well as the six science GIRs every MIT student must take. The twelve stars’ meanings are left as an exercise for the reader.

Framing the dome are two trees, one blanketed in a layer of snow and the other adorned with flowering cherry blossoms, symbolizing the transition between fall and spring semesters and the passage of time during our MIT journey. Perched gracefully on a branch of the wintry tree is a small beaver wearing a bycocket and a quiver, representing the archery class students must take in order to earn MIT’s Pirate License.

Kerberos is centered in the foreground, with each of his three heads representing the past, present and future. Simultaneously, Kerberos holds a wrench, diploma, and paintbrush in his mouths to represent the technical and creative prowess each MIT student needs to cultivate in order to earn their degree. The olive branches beneath Kerberos serve as a gift from Athena and a symbol of hope, an invaluable source of solace for students navigating the many challenges of the MIT experience.

Seal Shank

The Seal Shank, incorporated into the Brass Rat in 1980, serves as a symbol of our institution's commitment to bridging practicality and theory. This emblem is an adaptation of the traditional MIT design, altered to reflect the rich diversity of our student body and the evolution of education at MIT over the years.

The man represents the new Artificial Intelligence and Decision Making major within the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department. He stands beside an anvil resting upon a server which incorporates “MIT” as well as “6” and “26” in binary. This server design also highlights the renumbering of the Course 6 classes, referencing the change from 6.0001 to 6.100A, a required class for all Course 6 students. Notably, his belt buckle subtly pays homage to our Bezel.

The woman wears a lab coat with a globe on her book, symbolizing the new Climate System Science and Engineering major within the Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences departments. Nestled between the book’s pages, you'll discover our second hidden beaver, representing another requirement for the Pirate License, MIT’s fencing class. The flame of the lamp proudly reads “26,” in honor of our graduating class year.

Behind the students, the sun’s rays are partially veiled by the moon, a reference to the total solar eclipse that will occur in Spring 2024. Beneath the students’ feet, a horned owl stretches its wings across the message “Mens et Manus,” MIT’s motto, reminding us of our responsibility to apply our education to solve the world’s greatest challenges.

Cambridge Skyline

For over a century, MIT has called this side of the Charles home, and for these past two years, so have we. Departing from the conventional daytime depiction, the Cambridge Skyline is illustrated during nighttime, representing some of the most productive hours on campus and when the Great Dome shines its brightest. The columns of the Great Dome are depicted as quantum dot solutions, representative of the 2023 Nobel Prize Winner from MIT, Moungi Bawendi. The skyline highlights some of MIT’s most iconic pieces of architecture, ranging from the Student Center, where we began our journeys at CPW, to Walker Memorial, where many exams are held. Above the Massachusetts Avenue Crossing, the Artemis I mission launch lights up the night sky, marking a new era of human exploration and technological opportunities. In the Charles opposite the bridge, a beaver earning his Pirate License sets sail in a Tech Dinghy, taking a well-deserved break from his studies.

From Left to Right: Kresge Auditorium, MIT Chapel, Student Center, Alchemist, Main Campus, Stata Center, Walker Memorial, Green Building

Boston Skyline

Since MIT’s move across the Charles, students have gazed out of classroom and dorm windows at the Boston skyline. The Skyline features major Boston landmarks including the Central Library, a popular off-campus study destination, and Fenway Park, a familiar sight for students in the Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods. Above the Boston Logan Airport control tower, an airplane symbolizes the variety of places, near and far, that students call home, transformative international travel opportunities such as MISTI and GTL, and the global impact of our work. Swimming in the Charles, a beaver earning his Pirate License applies his marksmanship skills from pistol class to an aquatic environment, illustrating the adaptability of MIT students to any challenge they encounter.

From Left to Right: Zakim Bridge, Boston Logan Airport, Hatch Shell, John Hancock Tower, Central Library, Prudential Tower, Massachusetts State House, Citgo Sign, Fenway Park

Hacker's Map

The Hacker’s Map, hidden on the inner side of the band, guides explorers through the underground tunnels connecting our campus, symbolizing the unity and collaboration of the Institute. In addition to providing a quick route for students to traverse campus, the Hacker’s Map also represents MIT's rich tradition of hacking, embodying the curiosity and ingenuity of any who participate in the vibrant culture hidden beneath the campus.

Our map, designed as a constellation, integrates the night sky motif that adorns the rest of the Brass Rat. Within the constellation, like all other sides of the ring, our mascot, the beaver, can be found. The North Star serves as a guiding compass across the celestial map, where notable locations are marked: a banana under the location of the Banana Lounge, an important hub for PSETing, doodling, napping, and snacking; a chair indicating where students ride office chairs down a ramp, often as their first hack; and a ring representing the meeting place of this year’s Ring Committee. Just like how those before us found meaning in the stars, MIT students can find their own path using this celestial guide.

RING COMMITTEE 2026

Accessibility