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Dear Octet community,
During Advent, I pray you are experiencing a different daily rhythm—one that resists the rapid pulse of our modern living. Screens demand our attention as notifications, work responsibilities, and Christmas shopping lists absorb our gaze.
But Advent is like a fermata over the chaos—waiting and silence—a chance to reflect on the condition of our hearts and our world. And what we perceive may be profoundly uncomfortable, even disturbing. But take comfort, for this is the dissonance that leads to hope.
In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s words, “The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”
Please join us as we listen for this music together.
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Mia Chung-Yee
Executive Director
| | Interview: Danny Yamashiro, Chaplain | | |
Hear from faculty chaplain Danny Yamashiro, who also serves on the board of the Octet Collaborative.
Danny shares, “If we pay more attention to our inner lives, we will have that much more beauty and texture and breadth in the quality of life on MIT’s campus.”
| | Take the class: What is a better future? | | |
Everyone wants to build a better future. But do any of us agree on what a better future is?
In our spring course, “What Is A Better Future?” (MAS.S63 & STS.S92), you’ll get to explore exactly that. Co-taught by Profs. Rosalind Picard and Sherry Turkle, with Octet’s own Nathan Barczi, this course equips students to think philosophically and practically about the kinds of technologies we build. Grads and undergrads are both welcome!
| | IAP 2026: Van Gogh, vocation, and more | | |
We can’t wait for IAP! If you’re around in January, come join us:
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Fridays, 1/9-1/30, 11am-1pm | Register here
What do you actually want to do with your life?
Success is a tricky thing to define. Checking off boxes on a career ladder? Maybe “doing what you love”? Or getting on a 30 under 30 list? And once you’ve defined success, searching for it can leave you disillusioned, anxious, and in crisis — as most MIT students have already found out after a midnight mental breakdown.
"Finding a Place to Work, and Putting Work in its Place," taught by Cullen Buie (MechE), will work through how to navigate the big questions of work, meaning, and identity.
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Thursday, 1/29, 1:30pm - 3pm | Register here
Van Gogh’s famous suffering is inseparable from the globally celebrated body of work he left behind.
"Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart" outlines the details of the fateful night Van Gogh cut off his ear, and examines what it looks like to steward one another’s pain and suffering. Van Gogh’s life shows us that to really know a person is, at least in part, to know them by their sorrows. Be gentle. This is a hard world.
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Thursday, 1/22, 1:30pm - 3pm | Register here
National Geographic photographer, filmmaker, and founder of Vital Impacts, Ami Vitale, views her camera as a tool to help foster empathy and hope across cultures and continents.
Join us to hear from Ami’s riveting and wide-ranging experiences from around the world, touching on the deeper connections between humanity and nature, superhero goats (yes, superhero goats!), and more!
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Wednesdays, 1/7-1/28, 11am-1pm (lunch provided) | Register here
In these polarized times, what does it mean to disagree well? This mini-course of four sessions is a workshop to equip you with skills of empathic intelligence.
If you’ve ever avoided a hot-button topic because you were afraid of conflict — or if you’ve alienated people because you’ve expressed unpopular opinions — "Disagreeing Well" will walk through practical ways to disagree better.
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And, mark your calendar for next semester...
Next February, join Octet and Miroslav Volf (Yale) for a stimulating Diálogos dinner on the cost of ambition.
From sports and social media to education, business, and politics: Contemporary life is organized around the quest for superiority. What is ambition doing to us — for better and for worse? How might we strive for excellence without being eaten alive?
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Recap: Quartet for the End of Time
We had a wonderful time hosting our very first concert-lecture, featuring Olivier Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time.
First, Professor Andrew Shenton (Boston University) shared a half-hour lecture guiding guests through the themes of the Messiaen and unpacking the complex ideas behind the quartet.
Then, with our ears and imaginations primed, we heard a stunning performance of the Quartet for the End of Time. Mia Chung-Yee played piano; Eran Egozy (MIT) played clarinet; Natalie Lin Douglas (MIT) played violin; and Carol Ou (New England Conservatory) played cello.
It was a joyful way to launch our Awe & Wonder programming wing.
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Join our year-end giving campaign
We're so thankful to have raised $5,715 so far out of our $50,000 goal!
You can join the fun by giving to Octet, either directly or through the MIT Fund.
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Connect with the Octet Collaborative
on social media!
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The Octet Collaborative seeks to serve the MIT community and will gratefully consider featuring your event, news, and work. If you'd like to feature something within A View from the Dome, please reach out to the appropriate contact below.
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