The 2021 bezel features a beaver wearing his own Brass Rat, walking towards Boston and the future. Hidden in the beaver’s ear is the number 21 and in its tail is IHTFP. The bridge behind the beaver is metal as in real life, while the remainder is wood to show the beaver’s fabricator spirit and ingenuity as ‘nature’s engineer.’ On the bridge is the 154th smoot because we are the 154th graduating class; a tool box with "P&T" for our maker spirit and “punt and tool”; and an ivy leaf to represent the school up the street that we both rival and collaborate with. In the sky is the solar eclipse which occurred during our first days of freshman year. On the Cambridge side are Kresge, the Chapel, Alchemist, Building 10, MIT.nano, Walker Memorial, Green Building, and Stata. The alchemist wears a medal to celebrate our athletic victories. In MIT.nano, a working scientist is pictured above a student fighting a fire hose to show the dichotomy between what the public thinks MIT students do and what we actually do. The center door of Lobby 10 is left open- we will always be able to return to the campus we call home. The Green Building features Tetris blocks that write out “21”, a tribute to the famous hack on the building. Between Cambridge and Boston is the Longfellow Bridge with a passing Red Line train. On the Charles are a sailboat and dock depicting numerous outdoor activities that occur during the warmer months in Boston. On the Boston side are brownstones, the Citgo Sign, the Boston Clock Tower, the Prudential Center, and One Dalton. On top of one of the brownstones are party goers to show the experience of crossing the bridge for social activities in Boston. The triangle of the Citgo is replaced with a spade, a common motif for our class. One Dalton is shown with a crane to represent the constant construction occurring in Boston. The clock in Custom House Tower reads ‘Tau Time,’ the time when acceptances to the Institute are released

The Class Shank has been tradition since the beginning of the Brass Rat. The depiction of the Great Dome used to be featured on both sides of the ring until the Class Seal tradition started in the 1980s. Kerberos sits at the front of the Class Shank guarding the Gates of Hell, also known as Lobby 10. Kerberos serves as a protector for the students of MIT as well as the namesake for our emails. Kerberos stands behind a podium made from the nuts-and-bolts insignia. At the top of the insignia is a ruler with a tick for every major on campus with omitted ticks for the courses that have since been canceled or absolved. On the grass of Killian Court are two gravitational waves to celebrate Rainer Weiss’ winning of the Nobel Prize in Physics our freshman fall. Flanking either side of Lobby 10 are two massive trees as a reminder of the nature Killian Court provides on our urban campus. Sitting atop the Great Dome are two Hackers. The plaque declaring the founding of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s date has been changed to read “MMXXI” for the Class of 2021.

The Class Seal was the first major addition to the Brass Rat when it replaced the Great Dome in the 1980s on what is now referred to as the Seal Shank. The seal has been modified slightly to represent a man and woman in contemporary wardrobes. The traditional male smith is replaced with a woman to celebrate 2021 marking 150 years of women on MIT’s campus—Ellen Swallow Richards began classes at the Institute in 1871. The flame of the lamp in the seal has been changed to read “21”. Beneath the seal is a globe to represent the many countries students call home as well as the international work many students do during their time before, during, and after MIT. On the left side of the globe are olive branches representing peace and wisdom. Oak leaves representing longevity and strength are depicted on the right.

The Cambridge Skyline tradition had the same beginnings as the Boston Skyline and is featured on the upper bridge of the Brass Rat. Again following tradition, the Cambridge Skyline is depicted during the day, when we will be at work recounting fond memories of our beloved Institute. The built environment featured on the 2021 Cambridge skyline is from left to right: Kresge Auditorium, Alchemist, a pedestrian crossing Massachusetts Avenue, Main Campus, Green Building, Walker Memorial, and the Media Lab. Beneath the skyline is a shell—another common sight on the Charles River and a symbol of recreation on MIT’s campus.

The Boston Skyline tradition began with the 1990 Brass Rat and has been featured on the lower bridge of the Brass Rat every year since the 1992 ring. Following tradition, the Boston Skyline is depicted at night, a sight many MIT students are well acquainted with given their nocturnal habits. The architecture featured on the 2021 Boston Skyline is from left to right: the Boston Logan Airport Control Tower, Zakim Bridge, Massachusetts State House, 60 State Street, John Hancock Tower, 111 Huntington Avenue, Prudential Tower, Boston Citgo Sign, and Fenway Park. Beneath the skyline is a sailboat—a common sight on the Charles River and a symbol of leisure on the Boston- Cambridge Border. Above the State House is the North Star—a symbol of direction and purpose. Above Fenway Park is the crossbeams of two waving searchlights to symbolize of the Red Sox victory in the 2018 World Series Championships and the social life students have in the Back Bay and Fenway area.