May 7, 2016 (Explored)

The Sunday Challenge: Take a picture of what you are doing on this day, whether it be working, ironing, shopping, walking the dog, staying in bed, visiting friends/family etc etc.

May 7, 2016 celebrated 100 years since the date that MIT moved its campus from Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

My husband and I arrived at MIT early to get parking and avoid road closures. We visited the MIT museum and saw wonderful exhibits on holography and scientific photography. After a quick lunch, he left to perform in the MIT Gilbert & Sullivan's production of "Patience." I had done 3 performances but I was not playing this one so I decided to catch the parade and the sail from Boston to Cambridge. The grand marshall of the parade was Oliver Smoot '62, who is well known by all in the area for a fraternity prank where he was flipped end to end to measure the length of the bridge from Boston to MIT (364.4 Smoots, plus or minus an ear). I don't know whether this sparked an interest for measurements but he later became Chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and President of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). For more information, see alum.mit.edu/news/AlumniNews/Archive/smoots_legacy.

After the parade and sail, I arrive only a wee bit late for "Patience". Following the show, my husband and I attended the barbecue dinner sponsored by the alumni associate and then headed out to see the pageant. It was very entertaining, featuring a light show, a video call from the International Space Station, dancers, humorous hosts and giant bobble heads of famous scientists affiliated with MIT. Fireworks followed the pageant and the night was completed with food and dancing. It was a grand celebration.

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