d'Arte Magazine Spring 2011

d’a r t e m a g a z i n e | 1

COME

ONE! COME

ALL!into our

world

A B A N D O N T H E E X P E C T E D

d’ARTE MAGAZINE 3N O.

2 | d’a r t e m a g a z i n e


EDITORIAL TEAM brier avil anh bui hanah ho victor ng efi turkson

DIRECTOR OF MARKETINGurna biswas

CONTRIBUTERSStylist: peter dolkas

Costume Designer: kim o’callaghanMake–up Artist: mimi gianopulos, yun lee

Assisstant Stylist (Lunar Gala): jennifer hwangProp Stylist: isabella scannoneProp Assistant: molly hellring

SPECIAL THANKS TO:boris brenman, josh debner, carolyn johnson

great escape cast: amanda thorp, curtis gillen, catherine urbanek, dylan

putas, stephen tonti, rodney jackson, denver milord, josh wilder, avadeluca verley, grey henson, cameron margeson, ginna le vine, jessie

shelton, margaret bridges, dylan shwarz wallach

lauren beckwith, joanne ong

cream of the crop cast: libby adams, melody lee

e.b. pepper5411 walnut streetpittsburgh, pa 15232

412.683.3815

max alto5429 1/2 walnut st.

pittsburgh, pa 15232412-683-0508

www.maxaltofashion.com

d’ARTE MAGAZINE


>ISSUE NUMBER THREE SPRING 2011

6 untitled

senior art major reflects on his four years

12 cream of the crop

the best of this years lunar gala

18 long exposure

a semester abroad in a world away

30 black & yellow and everything in between

how well do we really know each other

36 a day in the life of... cmu’s only female army cadet

46 the great escape

spring carnival like you’ve never seen it

54 mythbusters

race to the moon

d’ARTE


eople can surprise you; a sentiment I’m sure

we can all agree on. Our third issue focuses

on exploration, searching for the unexpected

in people we think we’ve got figured out. We

all have something within us that would surprise others, so why

are we shocked when others are the same? Take Carolyn Johnson,

the gorgeous cheerleading, sorority girl, one glance at her and we

think we know who she is. But Carolyn is a cadet in the Army rotc

program, set to work for the US Army as engineer after graduation.

Or Josh Debner, the engineer who moonlights as a photographer

and videographer, documenting his journey in Peru for the One

Laptop per Child organization through stunning photographs. We

are all guilty of it, defining ourselves and others by what we do. The

first question we ask when we meet someone is “What’s your major?”

attempting to size them up by their response. However, we are all

more than the degree we will receive after our time here is up.

They say stereotypes are based on a grain of truth; but blown out of

proportion, used to generalize an entire group of people. At a school

so diverse stereotypes run rampant, with students stereotyping

fellow students based on hasty observations. In this issue we explore

these stereotypes, and how they relate to the touchy subject of race.

team letter

greetings

We ask cmu students to discuss this; why at a school so diverse,

students choose to segregate themselves; content to remain in

seemingly exclusive groups rather than explore foreign cultures.

We’ve changed things up for this issue, revamping and

experimenting with the content we put in our issues. We want to

give you more than beautiful photographs, but amazing stories.

Stories about people who explore new and different worlds, eager to

find out what else they can become by stepping outside of what they

know. Our stylist, Peter Dolkas and cover girl, Amanda Thorpe,

interpret this in “The Great Escape”; a photo story featuring a

socialite who lives every child’s fantasy, running away to join the

circus. Abandoning societal conventions and expectations to enter

a thrilling world filled with “carnies” and clowns, finding happiness

among kindred spirits.

But enough with the profound musings on exploration and

abandoning expectations. We are a fashion magazine and of course

we are always going to give you just that, fashion! Be sure to check

out our Lunar Gala photo spread, featuring some of the best looks

from the runway and two amazing models from the show! And our

“Great Escape” shoot, which isn’t just above exploring something

different, but also about fashion and fun. Hey it’s a Carnival!

P

phot

o: j

oan

ne

ong

6 untitled

senior art major reflects on his four years

12 cream of the crop

the best of this years lunar gala

18 long exposure

a semester abroad in a world away

30 black & yellow and everything in between

how well do we really know each other

36 a day in the life of... cmu’s only female army cadet

46 the great escape

spring carnival like you’ve never seen it

54 mythbusters

race to the moon



UN-TITLED

AS SENIOR ART MAJOR BORIS BRENMAN PREPARES TO GRADUATE, HE REFLECTS ON HIS FOUR NEARLY SILENT

YEARS AT CARNEGIE MELLON

b o r i s b r e n m a n i s a q u i e t g u y . I wheel my camera equipment

in as light floods in from his studio skylights. He inspects one of his

larger-than-life paintings hanging from the wall: a man and a woman

pleasuring each other under an expansive picture window (During the

Announcement.) In each of his paintings, it is these windows that take

the viewer into a world larger and more real than reality itself. His work

speaks about a struggle for acceptance in a world defined by paradoxical

standards. As an artist, Brenman attempts to understand the world

through his work. But it is the words we speak that Brenman struggles

to understand. He was born with degenerative hearing impairment

that has significantly shaped the way he perceives the visual world.

PHOTOGRAPHY AND STORY BY VICTOR NG


SOCIALIST RALLY ON HILL , 2010 : The figures inside the blue box represent political figures that live in an alternate universe.

We began our portrait session by quietly moving some tables

to the side so Brenman’s work could be better showcased. The

loudness of his paintings was only punctuated by the gentle way

in which he handled them. Like many artists, Brenman found an

expressive outlet through making things. The music he creates with

every brush stroke, shutter release, and carved figure sings to the

universal search for a unique identity in the world.

a s a c h i l d , b r e n m a n w a s a r t i s t i c a l ly i n c l i n e d . Born

in Ukraine to parents with normal hearing, Brenman and his

sister Victoria, who is also deaf, were encouraged to communicate

with lip-reading and traditional speech. His parents put him in

art classes when he was four. What he learned in those classes

served as the foundation to skills he later use to express his feelings.

Brenman and Victoria grew up speaking English and Russian

fluently, requiring very little use of sign language. But integration

into the public school system was not an easy transition. Brenman

relied heavily on lip-reading to understand the conversations

going on around him, picking up some audible words through

his hearing aid. His hearing continued to worsen and he was

confronted with a choice. Learn sign language and give up on

“oralist” traditions, officially termed being Deaf, or continue to

make use of his observational skills, reading lips, to understand

the world, being termed “deaf.” While his sister leaned towards

the former, Brenman decided to rely on his eyes to understand

the world. This division, which remains a decision made by many

deaf and Deaf people, became the seed of a thesis that Brenman

explored in his artwork.

Arriving at the yellow-bricked landscape that is Carnegie Mellon

is intimidating for most freshmen. The fanfare of House Wars and

the raucous nature of Playfair are hyped up throughout Orientation

“ANGER ERUPTED INSIDE OF ME. I COULDN’T BELONG. EVERYTHING

WAS GOING WRONG.”


week. That experience is much different without sound. Awkward

handshakes followed by the obligatory “So what is your major?”

proved a challenge for Brenman. “Somewhere during this time,

anger erupted inside of me. I couldn’t belong. Everything was

going wrong.” Living alone in a single dorm room, he became

more distant from potential friends and even the fraternity he

was pledging. Brenman turned to what he knew best – art. He

channeled his frustration onto the canvas and into clay, producing

several works directly related to his deafness. The work received

little positive feedback from his professors. One piece in particular,

a sculpture depicting ears in place of eyes, received criticism for

being too literal. Feeling that deafness was not a subject matter

that was well understood, Brenman decided to move away from

work that expressed his condition. Yet there was still a strong desire

to depict his struggle for acceptance, but in a less literal way. What

resulted was a series of works Brenman collectively calls The Obamats.

“ i f o u n d a w a y t o p r o j e c t m y o w n f e e l i n g s into the

subjects and portray a world where the subject is isolated and

‘different’ from the general population.” These tiny figures, with

their necks extended far above their bodies, resemble humans in

form but are undoubtedly from another world. And so Brenman

began to explore issues of isolation, cultural taboos, and acceptance.

By removing his relationship with the subject, he is able to make

a statement about the pressures society places to conform. “For

most hearing people, it is difficult to understand how it is like to

be in a deaf person’s shoes, even less so in mine.” The viewer may

begin to sympathize with the struggles of the Obamats in their

quest for “normalcy” – their necks straining, in a way, to be seen

“ANGER ERUPTED INSIDE OF ME. I COULDN’T BELONG. EVERYTHING

WAS GOING WRONG.”

and acknowledged. And attention was received. This body of work,

which is ongoing, has been met with much more positive reviews.

As viewers enter these Lilliputian worlds, they come to appreciate

the humanity in these creatures.

Naturally, photography was a medium that Brenman could easily

transition into. With a camera kit in one hand and a tripod in

another, his eyes are constantly scouring the environment – looking

for candid and often voyeuristic moments to capture. “I do not

know the dozens of conversations that are happening around me. I

cannot just listen to a stranger speak behind my back.” But through

a lens, he is able to mediate the disconnect he feels with strangers:

a photo of a man at an atm or a woman leaving her car. The tip of

someone’s leg as they watch tv in bed. In a strange way, Brenman

feels more connected the farther he removes himself from the

subject. Because “no matter how connected we stay or how deaf we

C I T Y O F L O A , 2 0 1 0

n n n



are, we still manage to feel a disconnection from others.” And in this

way, he finds a stronger connection to the subject than they even know.

Brenman is not defined by his deafness. In any other situation, he is

an average 20-something college student. On my way back from the

airport, I happened to run into him in the baggage claim. We asked

each other how our winter breaks were and decided to split a cab.

The funny thing is, during the entire ride back to cmu, we didn’t say

a single word. Instead, we clicked away feverishly at our Blackberrys,

carrying on a normal conversation through these devices. We joked

about the amount of work we already had to do and the stranger we

had also decided to split the cab fare with. Every now and then, if a

joke were actually funny, I would hear a chuckle from the front seat.

He tells me, “Art becomes your life and art becomes your vehicle of

self-expression.” We pull up to the corner of 5th and Morewood and

Brenman steps out of the taxi. As we back out, the driver turns on

the radio. “I hope you don’t mind, you guys were being so quiet but I

really want to listen to the game.”

“NO MATTER HOW CONNECTED WE STAY OR HOW DEAF WE ARE, WE STILL MANAGE TO FEEL A DISCONNECTION FROM OTHERS.”

D U R I N G T H E A N N O U N C E M E N T:2010

BORIS: In his studio


p h o t o g r a p h e r : v i c t o r n g m a k e u p a r t i s t : y u n l e e a s s i s ta n t s t y l i s t : j e n n i f e r h wa n g

CREAM O F T H E C R O POUR TOP PICKS FROM THIS YEARS LUNAR GALA

HIS YEARS LUNAR GALA WAS A SPECTACLE OF CHAINS, MILE HIGH SHOES, AND WEARABLE CARDBOARD. AFTER MONTHS OF MAKING AND PLANNING, MELANGE SHOWCASED THE CREATIONS OF 22 DESIGNERS, EACH PRESENTING WORK WITH A DISTINCTIVE VOICE. WITH THE HELP OF STYLIST PETER DOLKAS (DRAMA 2011) D’ARTE BRINGS YOU THE LOOKS THAT STOPPED THE SHOW.

T


OUR TOP PICKS FROM THIS YEARS LUNAR GALA

1MELODY WEARS

DRESS: All ison TranSEQUINED JACKET:

Alana Fusaro


2LIBBY WEARS

DRESS: Sophia Chan and Chi-Chi Chuang


3MELODY WEARS

ALL BY Kristin Staab

LIBBY WEARSVELVET PANTS: Kristin StaabRUFFLE BRA: Jennifer Hwang


4LIBBY WEARSDRESS: Efi Turkson


5MELODY WEARS

DRESS: Ibrahim Garcia-Bengochea

SHOES: Gabriel Jack


3,000 MILES AWAY FROM PITTSBURGH WHERE THE CLOSEST THING TO A “MEAL BLOCK” IS A HUNK OF GOVERNMENT-ISSUED BREAD AND INFORMATION IS DERIVED FROM CHALK INSTEAD OF PIXELS, ONE CARNEGIE MELLON STUDENT TRAVELED TO FIVE RURAL PERUVIAN VILLAGES WITH THE ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD PROJECT TO DELIVER MORE THAN 800,000 LAPTOPS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN. WITH A CAMERA IN HAND, ECE SENIOR JOSH DEBNER SPENT A SEMESTER CAPTURING THE DRAMATIC LANDSCAPE AND PEOPLE OF PERU’S COUNTRYSIDE.

LONG EXPOSURE

A SEMESTER ABROAD IN A WORLD AWAY

p h o t o g r a p h e r : j o s h d e b n e r


OVERLOOKING a large valley, children in the small town of Colcabamba play soccer before school starts.


FIRST GRADERSlook up at the camera while being taught the alphabet with special programs on the XO laptop


FRIENDS share a bonding moment in front of their mud-brick bouses in Colcambamba, Peru.



A BIRDS EYE VIEWof Quichuar, a mountain town that overlooks a large valley. It only has a single road that goes through the small town.


TWO BOYS race each other to the store after school to buy little pieces of candy for 5 soles (about 1.5 cents.)


MOTHER AND DAUGHTERsit outside their home with their baby lamb reading a book. Many animals would be included as household pets until they get big enough to survive on their own in the fields.


LIVING IN THE MOUNTAINSof Peru has its benefits, this is one of the many beautiful sumsets that would set in the valley illuminating

the clouds above and below.



A SCHOOL NAMED TINCOtakes pictures with their XO laptops to celebrate their new school uni-forms which will be many of their first things with their name on it.


SECOND GRADE BOYSplay in front of the camera with bread they receive as a supplement from the government while at school, called PaPa-Pan (potato bread.)



AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEENBLACK

S TO RY B Y A N H B U I, E F I T U R K S O N , & U R N A B I S WA SI M A G E S B Y V I C TO R N G

& YELLOWwhite. black. brown. yellow. these are colors, but also representations of the cultural segments of carnegie mellon. as diverse as the cmu community is, this becomes the general breakdown for everyone’s ethnicity. we simplify unique cultures, form stereotypes, and make judgments.


BOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD“WE CLIQUE TOGETHER. WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER.

WE DON’T LIKE TASTE OF INDIA. WE DRINK QUITE A

LOT. WE ARE CHEAP. WE LIKE SPICY FOOD. WE DON’T

SPEAK ENGLISH PROPERLY. WE ARE ALL TECH MAJORS.

WE ARE NOT PUNCTUAL. WE ARE GOOD AT GETTING

WORK DONE. WE HAVE CONNECTIONS. WE ALL

BHANGRA. JUST WATCH RUSSEL PETERS. YOU’LL GET

ALL THE INDIAN STEREOTYPES FROM HIM.”

WE ALL KNOW EACH OTHER “For me, I wasn’t initially

a member of the Indian community. The thing with Indian people

is if you know one person, you’re bound to meet other brown

people. It just happens. There was this girl on my flight from India.

Later on she recognized me on campus, tapped on my shoulder at

Gingers to introduce herself, and we’ve been friends ever since.”

–Radhika Koyawala

WE HAVE CONNECTIONS “Stereotypes are never justified.

They don’t apply to everyone. When I came in as a freshman, I only

knew people from New Delhi. A month after joining Mayur SASA,

I met every brown person. Even if I’ve never met him or her, I still

know his or her name from conversations. People on Mayur SASA

board were really easy to become friends with, once you’re friends

with some people, it becomes easier to become friends with their

friends.” –Sid Madan

Contributions from Radhika Koyawala, Sid Madan, Vidur Murali,

Sanil Shah, & Esha Shanbhogue

SEOUL TRAIN “WE ALL SMOKE. WE ALL HANG OUT WITH EACH

OTHER, AND WITH NOBODY ELSE. WE SPEAK KOREAN

within cmu, there are several cultural groups that draw attention as cliques that are exclusive and close-knit. Among them are the Indian community, the

Korean community, and the black community. Their strong presence on campus tends to

make their exclusivity more noticeable, but the cultural enrichment they bring to our campus

is illuminating. This trade-off is bittersweet and it is from the sentiment of “outside looking

in” that makes us build our assumptions. However, members of these different cultural

communities are very well aware of the stereotypes levelled against them and they give d’Arte

their insights into some of the preconceived notions about their culture.

V i s h a l A g r a w a l a n d A a s h n a S i n g h r e h e a r s e f o r t h e M a y u r S A S A s h o w.


ALL THE TIME. WE ARE WELL-DRESSED. WE WEAR

EXPENSIVE CLOTHING. WE ARE SKINNY. WE PLAY

STARCRAFT. WE HAVE A LOT OF PRIDE. WE SPEAK

KOREAN ALL THE TIME.”

WE SPEAK KOREAN ALL THE TIME “To a certain

extent, I feel that it might be true since some Koreans do fall into

[these stereotypical] categories. However, I think it is not necessarily

true to assume that all Koreans are like that. I have seen some of

these Korean people hang out with non-Koreans on campus. Also,

some of those people who seem to speak Korean all the time are

actually pretty good in English. I feel that they tend to hang out with

Koreans since they like to be in their comfort zones. I don’t think

they are trying to be exclusive and hang out with Koreans only. I

bonded with some of my Korean friends by watching Korean shows

together. Three or four of us would just order in Chinese food and

Tw i n s i s t e r s Ye o n j o o a n d H y e j o o K i m e n j o y a m e a l w i t h f r i e n d s a t a K o r e a n r e s t a u r a n t .


Carnegie Mellon. You cannot really label the black population as

representing these stereotypes as a whole because there are many

students who engage in social activities (clubs, organization, parties)

with people of other races. A lot of my friends including myself

also have diverse academic study groups. I’d say although you

may see “all” of the black people congregated at parties or at spirit

events... that doesn’t represent how we interact with other people

of different races on campus. There are still professional, academic,

and organizational avenues in which black students on campus are

involved. So there’s more to us than meets the eye. I came to be a

part of the black community at cmu through the ethnic minority

pre-orientation program called origins which is organized by the

Carnegie Mellon Advising Resource Center (cmarc). They created

a great academic, professional, and social haven for ethnic minority

students (African American, Native American, Hispanic, and

students of Biracial Heritage). I don’t think the rest of the campus is

aware, but spirit is actually really diverse. We have students that are

of Indian, Asian, Caribbean, African, White, and Hispanic descent.

This is seen through campus activities such as Multicultural BBQ’s

and Activities Fairs, spirit Buggy, spirit Booth, and the spirit

Fashion Show.” –Libby Adams

watch these Korean shows together in the lounge. Sometimes, we

would go to the gym together to get back in shape and get ready for

Spring break/summer.” –Yeonjoo Kim

WE HANG OUT WITH EACH OTHER AND

NOBODY ELSE “Koreans are very banded with themselves

because they are more comfortable with Koreans, and it’s hard to

make friends when you first come to America. We are never forced

to interact with people of other cultures. Something I find odd is

the tabling at the UC. The cultural groups are very divided and

they seem difficult to approach. Only friends and members of the

organization seem comfortable. A lot of us met in Korea before

coming to Carnegie Mellon. It feels like we’ve known each other for

a long time. It changes the effort put into making other friends. I

have Korean friends and American friends. They’re rather different from on another but I like them both equally.” –Paul Kim

WE ARE WELL-DRESSED “I think some [stereotypes] are

justified. Koreans are really good at Starcraft and a lot of them

smoke. But just like all stereotypes there are exceptions. Like I don’t

have any designer bags and wear heels to school.” –Sunny Chang

Contributions from Paul Kim, Yeonjoo Kim, & Sunny Chang

THAT’S THE SPIRIT“WE ALL GOT INTO CMU VIA AFFIRMATIVE ACTION.

WE ARE REALLY CLIQUE-Y AND DON’T KNOW MEMBERS

OF OTHER RACES. WE ARE ALL IN SPIRIT. WE DO NOT

PARTICIPATE IN CAMPUS ACTIVITIES. WE ARE ALWAYS

LOUD. WE LISTEN TO HIP HOP MUSIC. WE DON’T GET

OUR WORK DONE. WE ARE LAZY. WE ARE

ALWAYS LATE.”

WE ARE REALLY CLIQUE-Y AND DON’T KNOW

MEMBERS OF OTHER RACES “I do not think these

stereotypes are justified across the board for the black students at

D a n i e l B e l l o m y i n S P I R I T ’s a n n u a l f a s h i o n s h o w t h i s y e a r.


n n n

WE ARE LAZY AND ALWAYS LATE “I believe that no

stereotype is justified as a blanket way of describing an ethnicity,

because every person is unique and has qualities that may be

stereotypical of another ethnicity. Sometimes everyone is loud,

listens to hip hop (whether they like it or not), falls behind on

work, has a lazy day, or overslept. Seeing this instance happen once

is in no way a justification for the stereotype against the entire

black community nor a justification for stereotyping a particular

individual.” –Aliesha Jones

Contributions from Libby Adams & Aliesha Jones

We all feel comfortable with the familiar, and we naturally

gravitate towards people similar to ourselves. Yet by forgoing

relationships with those outside our race in order to stick with

what we know keeps us locked in our well-crafted schemas. We

miss the opportunity to understand our community and thus, we

let our cultural diversity become our cultural divide. Whether or

not the stereotypes ring true, Carnegie Mellon students have the

opportunity to break them and experience unfamiliar cultures.

However, we are all aware that befriending someone new is no

simple feat, especially when that person seems completely different

from you. However, the joy in attending a university as diverse as

cmu lies in what happens when we do step out of our comfort zones

and engage with others. Exploring different cultures is far more that

grabbing lunch at Taste of India or Asiana. It calls for an open mind

and a challenge to oneself to see the similarities and embrace the

differences.


YOU KNOW HOW you should never judge

a book by its cover? You also should never

judge a cmu student by their interests, case

in point: Carolyn Johnson, a senior Civil

Engineering and Spanish double major from

Los Angeles. From her sorority sweatshirt,

to her résumé that reads like it belongs to

Miss America, it would be hard to guess that

in-between teaching Spanish at elementary

schools, performing leading roles in Greek

Sing, and being Captain of the Varsity

Cheerleading team, that Carolyn is a part of

the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Her

father, a retired Army colonel, went through

the rotc program in college, and it was a

requirement that his children do the same.

Every morning, Carolyn goes to UPitt’s

campus for their Army rotc program.

Stereotypes would have you think that

being a female in therotc would mean

you were treated differently than your male

counterparts. But Carolyn assures any

young women who are interested in the

program that, “there is no male or female

in the Army, there is only a soldier,” and

she has “rarely felt less significant because

of [her] gender.” Even though some may

think that females are less tough, Carolyn

says that her experience with every female

in her program has proven that idea to be

completely wrong.

Armed with a disposible camera, Cadet

Johnson takes you through a week in

the Army rotc from her vantage point.

Each scene captured offers a candid, yet

illustrative glimpse into the skills, strengths,

and personal relationships Johnson builds

every morning in her military training.

–brier avil

THE ONLY FEMALE

MEMBER OF ARMY ROTC

AT CARNEGIE MELLON

INTRODUCING ‘A DAY IN THE LIFE OF’, A

NEW SECTION WHERE D’ARTE BRINGS THE

STORY TO YOU DIRECTLY FROM THE SOURCE.

THIS ISSUE WE HANDED THE CAMERA TO

CAROLYN JOHNSON, THE ONLY FEMALE

STUDENT AT CARNEGIE MELLON IN THE ROTC

AND LET HER TELL THE STORY OF TRAINING

TO SERVE HER COUNTRY.

p h o t o g r a p h y b y c a r o ly n j o h n s o n

a day in the life of:

port

rait

: vic

tor

ng














photography by v i c t o r n g styling by p e t e r d o l k a s

THE

GREAT ESCAPEGREAT

ave you ever wanted to escape your own life; discover something new, something different,

something thrilling? it’s every kid’s fantasy to run away and join the circus, enter a ‘fantastical’ place of magic and wonder. at times we all want to abandon our responsibilities, throw caution to the wind as we unleash our free spirit; eager to relinquish our duties, if only for a short while. join our cover girl amanda, as she ventures on her ‘great escape’ leaving high society behind to join the electrifying world of carnival.

H


1LURED ING o w n p r o v i d e d b y E . B . P e p p e r


2BALANCING ACT

T I G H T S : A m e r i c a n A p p a r e l B L A C K D I S C O S H O R T S : A m e r i c a n A p p a r e l

S E Q U I N E D T O P : B y r o n L a r sS H O E S : V i n t a g e Y S L


3TAMING THE LIOND R E S S : B y r o n L a r s

F I S H N E T S O C K S : A m e r i c a n A p p a r e l


4CLOWNING

MOMENTS T R I P E D R E D B O W

T O P : B y r o n L a r sE V E R Y T H I N G E L S E :

V i n t a g e


6ENCORE

R E D S T R I P E D D R E S S : B y r o n L a r s

S E E R S U C K E R J A C K E T: B e t s e y

J o h n s o n



d’parture

THERE ARE A NUMBER of mythical things that students at Carnegie Mellon hear about. There’s plutonium in the fifth basement of Doherty Hall. There are underground tunnels that link the academic buildings. There are moon robots in the Field Robotics Center. There’s no confirming the plutonium or the tunnels, but the moon robots are there. Junior Michael Mackin introduces the rover built for the Google Lunar-X Prize Challenge. The rover sits in a hanger space in the Gates Center next to an abundance of other technological gear. Strangely enough, the robots themselves are not the most impressive element of the Field Robotics Center at CMU.

It is the students who have found time outside of their classes and extracurricular activities to program, weld, and create this technology that are truly impressive. Mackin has carved a niche for himself here among the robotic parts. His passion for the construction and design of robotic parts is evident. Following his freshman year at CMU, Mackin joined the Field Robotics Center team working on the NASA Moon

s t o r y b y a n h b u i

Diggers project. He followed up by working on a NASA contract to create a thermal management system for lunar rovers, which he then integrated into the Google Lunar-X Prize Challenge rover. He discusses the physical aspects of the rover with expertise.

If that wasn’t enough, Mackin has developed a carbon fiber battery cover that has garnered the attention of NASA and Lockheed Martin. Mackin is also working on building a robot that he received a $600,000 NASA grant to create. His personal connection with the work he does extends beyond the more than 30 hours he devotes to the robotics cen-ter. “I named the robot Ellen, she’s awesome.” The way meteorologists name the hurricanes is the same way Mackin names his robots. “She’s the fifth generation.” There is one exception. None of his robots are named after guys. “It just didn’t feel right to work on a dude,” Mackin explains. Regardless, his hard work has paid off. This summer, Mackin will be interning with SPACE-X in Los Angeles, a commercial flight company. Mythical? Maybe.

MYTHBUSTERS

d’a r t e m a g a z i n e | 55 port

rait

: vic

tor

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d’ARTE MAGAZINE

F O L L O W U S O N T W I T T E R @ D A R T E M A G A Z I N E

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d'Arte Magazine Spring 2011