(pre-event post) MIT PN2K presents: Island in the Sun!

Posted on July 19, 2015August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

Get ready for our next July bike event!

Here’s what you can expect to find with us:

free minor bike repairs, courtesy of Bike Boom
a couple of new faces who will be volunteering with our crew and making the background magic happen
bike repair clinics and bike-mechanic-savvy individuals with the know-how to teach you some bike safety basics
bike registration with MIT Parking & Transportation Office (from 3-5 PM)
bike pressure washer (we know you guys love this – Newbies, read any of our blogs from the past few months to learn more)
bike lock (U-lock) cleaning & maintenance station (we know the locking mechanism can be annoying when it’s stuck!)
free food & music

We’re working on getting in bike helmets, bike lights, and high visibility PN2K bike t-shirts. Our helmets are $20, bike lights are $15, and T-shirts will be $20. All the money goes towards PN2K and helping to continue supporting the foundation’s activities so we can continue to run these bike repair events and expand!

ON THE DAY, when you come in…

Please check in with us (find the person holding the green iPad) Complete and submit the registration form.
Take your bicycle to the pressure washer (focus on the drive chain). Don’t know how to use the bike pressure washer? If another cyclist is around, ask him/her to show you!
Come back and place your bike in line (where the cones are) Make sure we know whether you are here for a quick-fix (pumping tires, lubing chains, buying something and leaving) or something more extensive (adjusting brake pads, wires, “don’t know what’s wrong…”)
Head towards the stations we have set up for ice-breakers and bike safety games (leave your bike — it won’t go anywhere!)
If you have your U-lock (also called “D-lock”), please bring that to the cleaning station as we’ll have equipment that you can use to help maintain its non-rusty condition!
Get your bike fixed!

The team will be wearing high-viz green neon shirts. If in doubt, find one of us as we are here to help you.

Please be aware that the number of cyclists in our line usually exceeds capacity before 7:00 PM. The number of repairs we can take depends upon how many volunteers we have available that day as well as the number of cyclists in line. Please note that we may have to close only the bike repair line early (other services/stations will remain open until 7 PM).

And lastly, enjoy, have fun, and pedal safely!

—

Yes! I am free to volunteer for July 31 (we need your help starting from 2pm-8pm)
Yes! I want to donate to PN2K to help support your efforts!

In Memoriam (Ghost Bike)

Posted on May 20, 2015October 21, 2015 by PN2K Team

Some of you might have seen the ghost bike set up in memory of Phyo on the corner of Mass Ave & Vassar St about 3 years ago right after the collision on Dec 27, 2011. The ghost bike was originally set up by Andrea, Phyo's co-worker and, in preparation for the winter, was taken inside and stored by MIT Facilities with Norman's help.

Today, we set this bike back up again, in memory of our friend Phyo -- and all the other cyclists out there who have fallen victim to traffic/truck collisions. In fact, thanks to Directing Samurai's prompting, we realized that we wanted to get a bike up in time for the Ride of Silence Boston event this evening (Boston City Hall Plaza, meeting at 6:45 PM).

We hugely thank Chief DiFava for helping us to propel this effort forward and reclaim the bike. I was contacted shortly afterwards by Mr. Ron Nestor who then proceeded to show me his creative engineering genius (and generosity with time!)

Ron tells me the great news about having found the bike and we're ready to go set it up now!

So I ride in their little licensed golf-cart-like vehicle that can go up to 20 mph on the driveway or even up sidewalks (always wanted one of these).

We lock it up (Ron got a chain with a padlock and everything!) -- buuuut we notice the sign is a bit dilapidated. JUUUUUST a bit.

So we decided to make a new one from scratch. In this case, scratch = vanilla folder + laminating sheets + scissors + ruler + pen + pencil + your imagination (of course).

While I was cutting and measuring things to scale and stenciling, Ron made sure I had all the tools I needed! I had a sharpie, pen, pencil, ruler ("Do you need a ruler?" "I think I'm good" "Here's one -- just in case"), vanilla folder, laminating sheets, scissors... He even brought in zip ties later. I was honestly touched by how invested these people were in a project that was not theirs -- I mean, I knew that the MIT community is one, and that Phyo was part of all of us, but the entire experience felt like we were all one big tag team.

STEAM #4: Fire & Glass

Posted on May 3, 2015January 25, 2017 by PN2K Team

What happens when you combine fire, glass, a bunch of curious high school students, Amphibious Achievement, and PN2K? You get an awesome STEAM field trip (#4). For those of you new to the scene, we invite you to read about the history of PN2K's collaboration with Amphibious Achievement to better understand the "youth educational/academia" component to PN2K's mission in our PN2K for Youth page.

May 3rd wrapped up our fourth and final collaborative field trip with Amphibious Achievement for these past two years. Phyo N. Kyaw, for whom this foundation is set up, believed in the importance of education and empowering children. Our field trips are designed to have a large hands-on focus, with the overall message geared towards inspiring students to pursue their dreams and career goals through higher education.

But why take our word for it? See for yourself! Watch the video produced by our historians, Dingfang & Yaoming, and learn more through Dingfang's personal account below.

See full album for STEAM 4: Fire & Glass (Glassblowing) field trip here.

Visiting MIT Glass lab

By Dingfang Zhou

A group of high school students and their MIT student mentors attended the workshop in MIT glass lab. The workshop is initiated by Amphibious Achrivement, a MIT student-run service organization and is aimed at introducing the high school students in Amphibious Achievement to new applications of science and math.

States, one of the mentors led the group walking across the “Inifite Corridor” in MIt Building #4. When arriving the glass lab, Patrick Barragan, instructor of the day has already waited outside the lab. He handed each visitors protective goggles and gave a brief introduction of the glass lab.

“I made this one,” said Barragan, pointing at a transparent glass vase with white stripes on the body, which was placed on top of the shelf in the display case outside the studio. He has been working in the glass lab for 7 years since his first year in graduate school in MIT.

“I went to the lottery and got really lucky. The first time I went I got in and I have been doing it ever since,” said Barragan. Glass blowing has been one of the most popular extra curricular activities on campus. Getting into the glass lab is almost as hard as getting into MIT itself.

Before entering the lab, he told the students: “If you don’t know specifically if something is hot. Assume it is. The floor is basically safe to walk.”

His colleagues in the lab were busy making a glass pumpkin together which will be sold at a fund-raise later. One of the crew dipped a metal pole with a molten blob on top into the furnace, and then pull the pole out and dipped the blob into a cement mode in order to give the glass pumpkin shape. Next, he gave a gentle blow at the other end of the pipe to puff the blob. After coloring, adjusting the shape and adding a vine, the glass pumpkin was put into a cooling cabinet for a night.

Peter Houk, director of glass lab dips the metal pole into the furnace and get some molten blob on top of the pole. The blob is dripping into a tube with cold water underneath for the annealing process. (photo by: Yaoming Duan)

After the glass pumpkin demo of making glass pumpkin, one of the students volunteered to join with Barragan and Peter Houk, director of glass lab, for the “annealing” process-- a process of slowly cooling hot glass to relieve internal stresses after it was formed. Houk made two glass columns, one annealed and the other not. The student could easily break the latter with bare hands, however, he could not break the annealed glass even with a hammer.

Workshop participant broke the glass column with bare hands under the instruction of Houk. (photo by: Yaoming Duan)

“It’s because of the stress,” said Houk. Annealing glass will increase its durability since the glass retains many of the stresses inside and becomes durable.

Then, each students got a chance to involve in glass production process such as glass blowing and shaping. The glass lab workshop is “once-in-a-life-time opportunity, even for MIT student,” said Michael Lu, a sophomore student who is also the mentor of Amphibious Achievement.

A high school girl blows air into a glass blob at the other end of the metal pole. (photo by: Yaoming Duan)

“They(students) seem really interested and they seem engaged. I’m glad that all of them got to interact with glass physically so that they can see the importance of that physical interaction. MIT ‘Mens et Manus’ (‘Mind and Hand’) type of model is always important. Not only you are learning things but you can also working with them and trying do it yourself so you can really get a solidified understanding,” said Barragan after the workshop.

“They(students) seem really interested and they seem engaged,” said Patrick Barragan, the instructor of the MIT glass lab. (photo by: Yaoming Duan)

Meet Popo the Tanuki!

Posted on March 10, 2015March 16, 2018 by PN2K Team

So you might be wondering, “What IS that squirrely looking creature on the PN2K logo?” If you were wondering that, you would not be alone. We’ve had a couple people ask us in passing about the mysterious creature on our logo. Meet Popo and he is a tanuki (Japanese name for “raccoon dog”). In folklore, tanukis are considered jolly and mischievous creatures. Some would describe them as friendly and playful social animals. Others consider tanuki as mysterious animals with shape-shifting abilities. Who knows? Our Popo the Tanuki was designed to be an animal caricature of Phyo, after whom our foundation was named. During Phyo’s freshman year at MIT, he and a couple friends decided to draw themselves as their brethren animal spirits for fun. Phyo ended up with the raccoon dog because of his outer appearance and his habits. When Phyo first arrived at MIT, many of his close friends considered him like a big teddy bear. He also seemed to never sleep, and so it was fitting that a cute bear-like creature with dark rings around the eyes be his brethren animal. Finally, Phyo was mysterious in how he managed to appear everywhere (at social events, parties, TA office hours) then suddenly disappear when he did not want to be found. Thus, the tanuki became Phyo’s choice brethren spirit and the original Popo the Tanuki was born. Popo is not the first famous tanuki out there. You may have seen Nintendo’s Mario sporting a raccoon-looking suit (that was actually a tanuki suit) or Studio Ghibli’s animated film “Pom Poko”, a film all about tanuki using their magical powers to fight urbanization!

Bike Lights Dance Party

Posted on November 27, 2014August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

Some of the funner parts included "ticketing" people (PN2K mock tickets for those cycling without lights, and inviting them to our event at the Student Center). It was extremely satisfying to see people coming to us as silhouettes and then cycling away distinctly more visible. We know there are still more of you out there. If you need lights, our next event is Friday, Dec 5: Winter Bike Fest! Come out, mingle in the Student Center, bring your bike & your cycling companions.

A huge THANK YOU to PLANET BKE for your partnership and popular Spok lights!

Link to full "Bike Lights, Camera, Action!" photo album

STEAM #3: We fly high like planes

Posted on November 22, 2014October 21, 2015 by PN2K Team

Saturday, Nov 22nd found us, PN2K, partnering again with EcoVent's Dipul Patel and his stealthy side-kick, Nick Lancaster, while they worked their magic and awed the Amphibious Achievement crowd with planes. This PN2K-organized Amphibz adventure is the third in a series of field trips PN2K has collaborated with Amphibious Achievement to organize in the past calendar year.

Achievers:
1) Learned why and how college can be an asset to their future careers
2) Spent a majority of time in application (building, flying, racing planes)
3) Debriefed and took away some sweet souvenirs, courtesy of EcoVent

It was incredible to see the amount of effort and thought that Dip and Nick put into making this event truly hands-on. For our new readers, Dip from EcoVent helped host our second STEAM field trip with rockets in MIT Killian Court (it was a blast, in every sense of the word!) Being familiar with our obsession on the experiential learning component, it was no surprise that when we met with Dip and Nick before the Achievers arrived, who had a box full of rubber-band-plane kits ready to go! And the way they guided these high school students through step-by-step instructions towards building successful plane kits gave them a glimpse into being engineers.

Here is a glimpse of moments caught on camera.

Fava beans + photo + candy = bike safety?

Posted on November 7, 2014August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

MIT PN2K presents: Spooks & Spokes!

Posted on October 31, 2014April 26, 2018 by PN2K Team

The most awesome aspect of our bike events? The people. PN2K strives to work with partners that truly care about bike safety and getting you in and out without spending more than needed. As a result, our events are free (admission ticket: $0 for you and your friends), including the food, music, education, and entertainment. Instead of helmets for $40-60 bucks, we have "Kyaw helmets" that go for $20.

This October 30, MIT PN2K hosted Spooks & Spokes in which Armando and Rob from Bike Boom came out to help with free minor bike tune-ups and repairs again. If you don't know of this bike shop in Davis Square (off the Red Line), you should definitely check them out.

Furthermore, we had Robynn and David from the MIT Parking & Transportation Office helping students to register their bikes with MIT (free -- just in case their bikes are stolen or random bike racks are removed, these owners can be contacted). Surprise volunteers popped up and helped with overall event execution plus fixing of bikes and making the flat tire repair stations possible! WMBR kept the energy high with the eclectic range of music and high energy in their participants. And Star Market, we thank you guys for making so many Halloween sweet treats available.

The next day, Oct 31, a smaller group of MIT PN2K cyclists gathered to join 700+ other cyclists in the 2014 Boston Halloween Bike Ride, as part of a monthly bike ride organized by Boston Bike Party. Immense crowds, cycling in solidarity, wearing eclectic costumes, blasting loud music. What could be better? It was amazing to see the ginormous numbers of cyclists (they definitely surprised critical mass) who all banned together to ring their bells, shout out in support of cyclists' rights, and defend each other in the face of motorists who honk in annoyance rather than the friendly ones encountered along the way who honk repeatedly in support! Here, here! These Friday evening bike rides might just become a thing. Let us know if you want to help lead one!

Got helmet?

Posted on October 25, 2014August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

October 24-25, 2014: Family Day Weekend, PN2K helmets fundraiser

In memory of Kyaw and to support bike safety, “PN2K Kyaw helmets” were available at MIT from 11-5 PM. Over the course of two days, about 52 helmets were distributed, raising $1040.

What interested me the most was how I had a front seat towards witnessing some of the greatest outpouring of care from the community - from parents buying helmets for their kids, to students buying helmets for their friends. Strangers were helping others make sure the helmets fitted correctly. Kids became intrigued (better to teach bike safety when they're young and easily impressionable!). Even Tim the Beaver gave us the thumbs up on bike safety!

[Left] Will, MIT student, picking up a helmet with his family, and an extra one for his friend Carlos [Middle] MIT community (strangers) helping each other to make sure the helmet is fitted appropriately and adjusts easily [Right] me and TIM! Thanks TIM for your unwavering support!

Thanks everyone for keeping not only yourself safe but thinking of those you care about around you and helping them to protect their noggin. 'Til next time!

Link to Family Day Weekend PN2K helmets fundraiser photo album

MIT Bike Fest 2014 (the launch)

Posted on September 7, 2014April 23, 2018 by PN2K Team

It was the first time we ordered helmets and dispersed them widely to the MIT community (and at Cambridge/Boston at large) for a subsidized $5 price (priority for those on our bike ride as helmets were mandatory). It was the first time we designed our own neon-green bike t-shirts, worn proudly by our three-member organizing team (GSC Sustainability co-presidents Becky and Cherry, plus myself), ~29-30+ volunteers, and ~40 bike riders. It was the first time PN2K co-hosted a large-scale event at MIT and managed so many logistics and people all at once -- all to great fanfare on Sep 7, 2014.

Ok, we're just kidding, although a parade celebrating bike safety wouldn't be a bad idea. Our event actually coincided with the 22nd Cambridge Annual Festival, which boasted huge 18-wheelers coming down Main and Vassar Street (part of where our bike tour ran). To this end, we want to thank the Cambridge Police Department and the transportation and event planning departments of Cambridge City Council for working with us to support and approve our bike route tour and ensure its safety for cyclists participating in our guided bike tour. Thanks also to the MIT Student Activities Office and MIT Police Department for your time in meeting with us!

WINNER OF BIKE FEST TREASURE HUNT TOUR RAFFLE
$100 Zipcar Gift Certificate: Halide Bey

WINNERS OF BIKE FEST GENERAL RAFFLE
$25 gift certificate to Landry’s Bicycles: Wesley Cox
$25 gift certificates to Broadway Bicycle School: Erica Santana
$25 gift certificates to Broadway Bicycle School: Jennifer Apell
$25 gift certificates to Broadway Bicycle School: Jun Yong Khoo
$25 gift certificates to Broadway Bicycle School: Harun Sugito
Bike lock from Bike Boom ($42 value): German Parada
Starbucks gift basket ($45 value): Nevin Daniel
Hubway Annual Membership ($85 value): Nadia Elkordy
Urban Adventours gift certificate (valued up to $100): Jennie Zheng
$100 Zipcar Gift Certificate: Victoria Dean

Please check your email for details on raffle prize pick-up. Thanks to all who participated in the raffle - we're thrilled everyone had a great time at #MITBikeFest. And of course, thank you donors for making these prizes possible: Zipcar, Landry's Bicycles, Broadway Bicycle School, Bike Boom, Starbucks, Hubway, Urban Adventours

Photos of our prize winners here.

Got bike lights?

Posted on May 29, 2014August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

FREE bike lights – tonight, 8 PM on the corner of Mass Ave & Vassar Street. Christina Clarke Genco Foundation totally made it happen and they were kind enough to invite us along.

The point was to increase road safety on Massachusetts Avenue by installing free bike lights for cyclists riding past with a missing front light, back light, or both. We waved them down, yelled “free bike lights!”, chased them down until they were visible (ok, maybe not the latter), but the idea was to get everyone more visible and, thus, safer.

What I learned? There are probably some fascinating psychological social experiments that could be conducted here, probably around the idea of studying the differences between diverse cultural and social perceptions cyclists have without lights. While the vast majority of cyclists were thrilled to have lights (“Free bike lights? Heck yeah!”), even wondering if this were too good to be true (“Really, free bike lights? What’s the catch?”), there was an occasional odd occurrence of a cyclist momentarily hesitating before shaking his* head and leaving the scene without any added visibility (*most, if not all, of these incidences occurred with males, but then again, the sample size probably was not large enough to draw any significant conclusions about male vs. female nighttime negligence).

So, this brings up the question: When cyclists knowingly cycle without lights, what would their mode of thinking and rationale be, given that they are not price-sensitive (i.e., “free” is not a strong enough enticement)? Maybe they think:

– “Oh, these will just get stolen anyway”
– “Free? No such thing.” *pedals away in denial*

At any rate, more of these bike light giveaways can only be beneficial right now. Here’s to saturing this city in blinking red and white!

Link to bike lights giveaway with CCG & PN2K photo album

Pizza for PN2K

Posted on May 15, 2014May 16, 2017 by PN2K Team

For the first time ever, PN2K is partnering up with Kendall Bertucci’s for a Dine for Dollars Night, this coming Wed, May 21st. Bring the coupon below with you to Bertucci’s in Kendall. If you order take out/delivery and tell them about PN2K, 15% of what you pay for will go towards buying bike lights, helmets, and other bike safety equipment for the MIT community. Treat yourself to a good meal and support a good cause while you’re at it!

And of course, a BIG thank you to Bertucci’s for making this event possible!

Cat is out of the bag

Posted on May 14, 2014August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

Finally, PN2K makes its first public appearance!

On Wednesday, May 14, we worked with Robynn from the MIT Parking and Transportation Office and received their blessing to move forward with setting up a table for PN2K during their Bike Awareness Day event. So from 11 AM - 2:30 PM on MIT's Student Center Plaza, Juan from Sigma Nu (Phyo's former fraternity) and I were out there handing out fliers, bags of chips (courtesy of Star Market) and getting the word out about PN2K and our intentions for setting up an MIT chapter (MIT PN2K) as we hope to establish a presence at MIT focused around bike safety.

During this event, many cyclists brought over their bikes for registration, receiving minor bike repairs, winning bike-related giveaways, and enjoying refreshments (popcorn!), and T-shirts, courtesy of MIT Parking & Transportation's Commuter Connections. In the end, MIT logged 7,037 miles, pushing it into first place as the winning school for the Masscommute Bicycle Challenge 2014. Very well-organized, and it is exciting to find that the interest (and community support) are definitely there!

Bike Awareness Day full photo album

PN2K Achievement Award 2014

Posted on May 10, 2014August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

PN2K ANNOUNCEMENT: A big CONGRATULATIONS to LUCIE SANON, recipient of the 2014 PN2K Achievement Award, and first girl in her family to attend college! This award includes a $500 check written out to Lucie that will go towards her college expenses.

The Award, set up in memory of Phyo, is presented to an Achiever to continue encouraging him/her to pursue college and cover educational-related expenses. Candidates are assessed along the following criteria: dedication, potential, vigor of character as demonstrated through scholarship and athletics, commitment.

Lucie Sanon (left), PN2K Achievement Award recipient with Ye Yao (right), PN2K Foundation Co-Director

Lucie: We welcome you into our PN2K community with wide, open arms. We are proud of your achievements, but most of all, we are very proud of YOU for your dedication, commitment, potential to overcome life’s obstacles, and vigor of character as demonstrated through your improvement in academics and rowing.

Rock on, Lucie!

******************
If you are an Achiever of Amphibious Achievement, you might be eligible for the annual PN2K Achievement Award. Check out our website for more info (www.pn2k.org) and make sure you don’t miss our Spring application deadlines.

Where did the $500 come from?

From the erg-a-thon fundraiser organized by Amphibious Achievement on Thursday, April 17, 2014, $500 of the total raised was allocated towards The Phyo Nyi Nyi Kyaw Achievement Award, a joint scholarship award made possible in 2013-4 through the collaborative efforts of MIT Amphibz and PN2K.

[Video] Bike Safety Movement

Posted on May 10, 2014August 28, 2015 by PN2K Team

In preparation for the Masscommute Bicycle Challenge (May 10 – 18)

A tremendous thanks to Will Beale in Malaysia, Diana Birdsall from the US, and Shorts And Sweet Productions for working with us on such a tight deadline and producing this amazing video!

Stop by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Stratton Student Center Plaza on Wednesday, May 14 from 11 AM – 2:30 PM and celebrate Bike Awareness Week with PN2K and MIT Parking and Transportation Office. You will have the chance to register your bike, receive minor bike repairs, win bike-related giveaways, and enjoy refreshments, courtesy of MIT Parking & Transportation Office. See you there!

STEAM #1: Danger(ously)!Awesome

Posted on April 5, 2014January 25, 2017 by PN2K Team

PN2K and MIT Amphibious Achievement jointly held the first Amphibious Achievement company tour on April 5th, 2014. Achievers had the chance to visit the dangerously awesome Danger!Awesome, where they learned about lasers and how art and engineering can come together to make very cool things, like wooden star-shaped keychains engraved with our names! Throw in some potential new summer internship opportunities, food and games in the sun, and what more could a person ask for on a Saturday afternoon? Thank you Danger!Awesome for hosting us. Thank you MIT Amphibious Achievement for your hard-working Achievers — what a great group of students! PN2K looks forward to working with all of you more. We hope you were inspired to learn and explore.

See our full photo album for Danger!Awesome STEAM Field Trip #1

What is this PN2K initiative?

From Spring 2014-2015, PN2K started “STEAM” (science, tech, engineering, arts, maths), experiential-based learning field trips for high school students, organized in collaboration with an MIT student group called Amphibious Achievement. Learn more.

Fundraiser: Marie Mercado

Posted on March 20, 2014April 16, 2018 by PN2K Team

PN2K Benefit Recital – March 29, 2014: One spring evening, 5 talented artists living in Japan came together to create a night of music and friendship in honor of PN2K. A BIG THANK YOU to performers KINAMI TSUBASA, KARI MEDALLA, MARIE MERCADO, ROBERT TAIRA WILSON, and JON BENSON for sharing your talents with the community and raising over $300 from your PN2K Benefit Recital! Thank you also to Mr. Paul Apice, owner of Z Rooms, for the event space, and director/editor/cinematographer Kaori Kamoto, as well as to our concert guests! Concert proceeds will go towards PN2K's educational and philanthropic initiatives. See highlights of the evening in the video below.

Author Archives: PN2K Team