En charrette

A week or so ago I explained to my class the etymology of the term en charrette. Evidently, architecture students in 19th century Paris would still be working on their models as their models were transported through the streets from their studios to the places where their work would be judged. The phrase has come to refer to furious activity just before a deadline.

En charrette is a generally useful term around MIT, especially now, when a student may have a thesis and several term projects all coming due, along with a final exam or two, in the week ahead.

Of course, all nighters can happen at any time, but a walk through the Stratton student center affirms that all nighters are in season: passed-out students sprawl everywhere.

I was chatting a few days ago with one of my tired-looking, en charrette students in the coffee line at the Forbes Cafe in the Stata Center. He asked me if professors had any idea how hard students work. I said, “Let's see. You have the concepts of thesis proposal and final exam?” “Yes,” he answered. “Ok,” I replied. “Those are a lot like the concepts of funding application and site visit.”

It turns out professors go en charrette a lot too.