The Syzygy Cult is (at present) an association of four college and one high school students, forming the Syzygy Cult itself. We are mostly from in and around Portland, Maine, though we are spread all over New England at the moment.
The mission of Syzygy Cult Software is to provide quality software to the Macintosh community free of all charge. We believe that by setting such an example, we can encourage others to join in acts of creativity for the benefit of all. While such an anti-capitalist society has been condemned by some as unworkable and unrealistic, we think that if some few groups begin a trend, others will follow. This said, Syzygy Cult
Software will always do its best to provide the best in software of all kinds, and will never charge a penny for any of it.
Members: As of 5/16/97
Jake Beal is now a Freshman at MIT, where he enjoys a busy schedule of numbers and letters (18.01A, 21M.301, UROP, etc...). Although he sleeps very little each night, he enjoys his midnight excursions too much to give them up, and of course spends far too much time playing pool with the rest of the brothers at Theta Xi. Despite all of this, he still intends to go to class and plans to major in Computer Science, with a possible minor in Music.
Ben Cote: Like most members of the Cult, Ben has just entered College. On most days Ben can be found lurking around the sunny campus of Wheaton College in Norton Mass. Currently Ben in considering a double major in Anthropology and Theater. (BTW Ben is compley insane....comepletely) Someday Ben is destined to own a Jeep. However until then Ben spends his time frolecking and searching for the perfect tea. Currently Ben is suffering from one monster case of insomnia Ben ussauly sleeps only 2 hours a day. Someday Ben hopes that the blessed sleep will reutrn.
Macneil Shonle has been programming in C since he was a Freshman in high school. He is currently an undergraduate at Clark University in Worcester Mass., working on computer science, the liberal arts, and Chinese. His programming interests include object-oriented programming and compilers. In his spare time, Macneil practices Shaolin Ch'uan Fa. Macneil is also a Forum Consultant for America Online. After all of these years, Macneil still thinks that _The Catcher in the Rye_ is a good book, along with the _Tao Te Ching_. He always reads his Stroustrup and his K&R, because being orthodox is a Very Good Thing.
Gabe Ganberg is a freshmen at Vassar College. He is currently taking courses in history, calculus, macroeconomics, and chinese philosophy. Gabe is not a programmer, although after spending so much time with programmers he actually usually understands what they are talking about. Gabe's main role in the Syzygy Cult is game design, but he also is the person that the programmers (mostly Jake) bounce various
ideas off of, in regard to just about any program. Gabe is mostly an ideas guy, whose suggestions almost without fail (he did have input into an Accidental Compilation or two) lead to true genius.
Ben Birney: I am a graduating senior at Waynflete School in Portland, ME. My senior year, for those who know me, was pure Hell. That Mantra II was ever finished is testament to the existance of a higher power than humans. I also enjoy writing music (I wrote most of the score for Mantra II). When I have time, I enjoy seeing movies with my one or two friends and playing the piano. When the occaison presents itself, I am more than happy to stick one or more feet in my mouth for the benefit of a girl. Next year I will attend Williams College, where I will become either a workaholic or an alcoholic.
A bit of prose I wrote last year:
"And so, as one by one the great leaders of the once mighty Syzygy Cult staggered and fell under the brutal onslaught of the evil Senior Slack, the youngest and least respected carried on the torch of his fallen comrades. As each fell to the ground, his last gesture was to desparately hurl what they had achieved at him, in the hopes that it might prove useful in his quest. As the last great warrior tumbled, Sir Birney carried onward toward the mighty pinacle of Mantra ii..."
Silly, but accurate. I promised myself it would have a place somewhere in the Mii packet.
