MIT student blogger Anastassia B. '16

An Olympic Hack by Anastassia B. '16

Floating rings above Brigg's Field?

Upon entering MIT, every freshman gets a list of “101 Things To Do Before You Graduate”, which varies a slightly by academic year (for example: 2011 and 2008.) On the Class of 2016’s list, number 82 tells you to Hack Something, following the proper etiquette (Hacker’s Code of Ethics) which is:

  1. Be Safe – Your safety, the safety of others, and the safety of anyone you hack should never be compromised.
  2. Be Subtle – Leave no evidence that you were ever there.
  3. Leave things as you found them – or better.
  4. If you find something broken call F-IXIT.
  5. Leave no damage.
  6. Do not steal anything.
  7. Brute force is the last resort of the incompetent.
  8. Do not hack while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
  9. Do not drop things off (a building) without a ground crew.
  10. Do not hack alone.
  11. Above all exercise some common sense.

And so, walking back to my new dorm Simmons (I just moved, again), I noticed something floating in the air:

It’s a hack! The Olympic Rings appeared today over Brigg’s field, and upon closer inspection, they were made of plastic tubes hanging from a line connecting the roofs of MacGregor and Simmons. How did they do it?

Woooo Sochi 2014!

If you’re interested in previous hacks, MIT hacks have their own lengthy Wikipedia page, in addition to a chronology at hacks.mit.edu.

(pssssst, hey 2016’s! We only have 2.5 years to do #82! Let’s go let’s go let’s go)

 

edit: I recieved an anonymous email with photographs of when the hack was higher up before it was taken down. Was it from a hacker him/herself? ;) Regardless, here are the rings in all their glory!