MIT Logs

A buzzing group of boys chanted, “LOGS!” before trampling over one another onto the Assembly Hall stage. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) oldest a cappella group, the Logarhythms, came to campus last Friday night, and were greeted with an ecstatic crowd.

The group was established in 1949 and has since ran the gamut regarding musical genre. From R&B ballads to funky pop, the diverse group exemplified their talents with pieces such as “White Lines,” “Fine China,” “Not Over You” and other popular songs. The group has traveled all over New England, recently performing at Boston’s World Unity Gala, the New York Fall Tour.

Upper Shak Davidson, a member of PEA’s own a cappella group, described the group as “engaging.” “Their work involved a lot of choreography and the crowd loved them because they were so outgoing,” he said. Upper Liam Oakley agreed and believed the colorful and lively outfits worn by the performers caught the audience’s attention. Simply put, Oakley described the show as “tons of fun.”

“I would like to say that the Exeter audience is the best audience we get all year and we would love to come to Exeter forever. There’s no better place to perform.”

MIT sophomore Neil Aggarwal who directed and performed in the show, commented on what he has taken away from performing with the group, saying, “I joined Logs because I wanted to explore music I hadn’t done before. Over time, however, I came to see how Logs is so much more than a music group; it’s a family. A community. That’s why I stay, because it’s something I always want to come to after classes.” He explained that MIT Logs is a group that always gives support and will care about him forever.

Logarhythms’ president, junior Jesse Adler, sees the group as creative outlet that is important to have when dealing with such academically rigorous subjects “Being a part of the group has profoundly shaped my MIT experience, and has taught me things I could never learn in the classroom—how to lead and energize a team towards a common goal, how to care for and support my friends, how to deliver products within strict time and resource limitations and of course how to be the best singer and performer I can be,” he said.

Lower Abigail Waite thought that the Logs were very entertaining since they interacted so well with the audience. “I think people have grown to know some of the performers since they come back every year. It’s a good tradition, especially since they’ve made so many connections with us,” she said.

Adler couldn’t agree more. “It our my absolute pleasure to sing for you all year after year. It is a real honor for us to give our annual Exeter performance, and we hope the relationship lasts long into the future” he said. Adler also noted that the Exeter audience is “hands down the most appreciative crowd” he’s encountered in the last three years at MIT, going on to say with a not so subtle hint to Andover, “You guys were way more enthusiastic than the crowd at Phillips Academy Andover, for the record!”

Other members of the group agreed wholeheartedly. “I love the audience at Exeter. You have great energy, always excited to see us perform. Likewise, we are always thrilled to perform for you. We look forward to it every year, because it’s always a performance where we can stay energized for the entire time,” Aggarwal said. Davidson found the performance to be an overall success, noting that as a student it was an enjoyable way to spend his Friday evening.

In his second year with the group, MIT sophomore Eric LaCava concluded by thanking the Exeter community: “I would like to say that the Exeter audience is the best audience we get all year (sometimes better than our concert at MIT) and we would love to come to Exeter forever. There’s no better place to perform.”