New Blog Humanitarian Work At MIT

New Blog Humanitarian Work At MIT My name is Ali Wyne, and Ill be this years host for the new Humanitarian Blog. I wanted mitadmissions.org to have an area devoted to the many people at MIT who are working to change the plight of the worlds impoverished whether by war or famine or disease or any of the other myriad ills that afflict so many. This blog will be for, and about, them. To tell you a bit about me Im a senior in Management and Political Science. It wasnt supposed to be that way because my heart was set on Economics when I got into MIT. Having been on autopilot during high school, I decided to take a year off to learn more about myself and figure out what my interests were. I deliberately decided not to come up  with a plan for that year. Sure, I did some things here and there my family  and I traveled to Pakistan for a month, and I interned at Amnesty International for a short while. For the most part, though, I stayed at home, reading and thinking.     It was in the process of doing so that I discovered my true passion (albeit a  latent one): political science. The way I see it, the study of politics is little more than the study of people, except that the stakes are a lot higher. I guess  that Course 17 makes sense for me, then,  since  my favorite thing to do is talk to and learn about people. What are your  dreams? Passions? Fears? Oddities? Everyday, I try  to meet someone new or find out something new about someone I already know. At MIT, most of the activities with which Im involved center on politics in one way or another. I started Forum on American Progress my freshman year to increase student discussion of American foreign policy, and, along with a friend, founded the MIT International Review to spotlight global problems and solutions. I also serve as UA Vice-President, write opinion pieces for The Tech, and participate in interfaith dialogue sessions as a member of the Addir Fellows. No introduction would be complete without some random tidbits, so Ill list the ones that first come to mind. My favorite band is Slipknot, with Simon Garfunkel coming in as a close second.    I like doing impressions of people: in particular,  Ali G, Borat, and Steven Thoen from American Idol. Im easily amused, partial to corny jokes, and prone to explosive laughter.   I love people who do things spontaneously for no other reason than to feel alive. Im hoping to go into public life one day and redress some of the injustices of which Im daily made aware. Change is possible if we believe in our power. I dont labor under any illusions the political road is a tough one, fraught with unexpected challenges. If Ive learned anything, though, its that while reality should guide our  mind, idealism must always kindle our heart.