j1

Illustration by Kevin Lee

After months of social distancing and selective socializing, the first weeks of ITP in-person in the fall of 2021 created an overwhelming wave of joy, friendship, and gathering.

The weather was still warm; all our classmates were freshly vaccinated; and we were all falling in love with everyone’s talent, skill, knowledge, and ambition. TNO was relegated to outdoor venues, so we were only able to enjoy a few together before cold temperatures crept in. In its place, we formed our own rituals to not lose out on the grand ITP tradition of partying til dawn.

The ITP ritual for the first year cohort to take Applications together resumed in person, occurring every Tuesday late into the night. At 9:00 we rolled out of class, but some did not venture home. Those of us not completely wiped out by a full day of classes continued on to a nearby watering hole, for just one drink.

Adnan used the term “j1” (just one) the second time we planned to get together, and I thought he was referring to the name of a bar at first. j1 became a weekly gathering of our classmates at different bars after class and there was always an online debate over which new place to patronize. Just one drink was enough to wash the day away and crawl into bed at a reasonable hour to be rested and ready for the next day. ‘Just one’ isn’t intimidating and doesn’t require a huge commitment. You can have a drink and leave or stick around and hang out for a while. Then when you’re ready to go, you’re sent off with a warm farewell.

The timing of performing this ritual was key: Tuesday night was the one time that the entire class was together in one place, and you could get to know classmates you don’t typically spend time with. Applications was only a 7-week course so j1 has been paused for now. However, we’ve promised to resume j1-ing when thesis meetings roll around for us next year, but our local bars will find a completely different group of seasoned ITP-ers. In the meantime, the spirit of j1 continues in our daily lives whenever we need a bit of relief from a heavy day or dense week at ITP.

One of Kevin’s (ITP ‘23) first goals at ITP was to get to know each and every one of his classmates. Unable to truly socialize during Applications to fulfill his ambition, he became a devout j1 participant, extending this mentality to activities beyond drinking. He created this illustration as an homage to j1 and the ITP class of 2023, incorporating characters drawn by classmates on the floor. Together, all these characters represent the activities that we’ve done together and all the fun we’ve had so far. Marching forward in the ITP experience together, the Class of ‘23 is bonded by companionship, admiration, and excitement for what our futures hold.