Matt McGann '00 | June 08, 2006

"Senior Week: John Velasco"

Name: John R. Velasco
Hometown: San Diego, California
Degrees: S.B. & S.M. in Political Science
What's next: George J. Mitchell Scholar -- University of Limerick, Ireland
Favorite class you took at MIT: 17.951 Intelligence: Practices, Problems, and Prospects -- co-taught by Professor Barry Posen and Mr. Robert Vickers, a member of the CIA's Senior Executive Service. The class discussed some of the theoretical and practical issues in intelligence in a post 9/11 world. Through the class we got both the academic and the practical perspectives from two experts in security studies.
Favorite professor at MIT: Stephen Ansolabehere and Charles Stewart (tie) -- both are experts in American politics in fields such as public opinion, Congress, and voting behavior.
Favorite MIT event: Fraternity Rush -- each year MIT's male Greek community gets together to welcome the new class of freshmen to MIT in a royal fashion with events ranging from paint ball to canoeing, and harbor cruises. It is an opportunity not only for us to showcase the Greek community, but to work together as a team to recruit new Brothers.
Favorite MIT memory: Traveling to Israel in May 2005 through the Hibur program, a student-led initiative to create academic connections between Israel's premiere technological institute, the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology and MIT.
UROPs: The United States House of Representatives (ok, so it's not a lab per se, but in many ways for a political science major it is the best possible lab).
Living group: Sigma Nu fraternity
Activities: Undergraduate Association, Interfraternity Council, MIT Public Service Center, Hibur, Lightweight Crew
What you'll miss most about Cambridge/Boston: the unpredictable weather!
What you'll miss most about MIT: the people, the atmosphere, the I can do it, I can change the world spirit. MIT is a one of a kind place.
Final thoughts: Work Hard. Play Hard.

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