August 2018 Newsletter Replies

What was your first impression of MIT?

Harry Lee Gearhart

Class of 1976, SB, Materials Science and Engineering

First impression: Logan Airport in August 1972. After getting off the plane, I joined incoming freshman at the baggage claim area. MIT upperclassmen waited to shepherd us to the ’Tute. Back then, that’s how things were done.

Our luggage should have appeared at a hole in the ceiling and then smoothly rode a conveyor belt to the moving oval below, where we’d all grab what was ours. But a bag from my flight has twisted itself in the hole and blocked all movement forward.

A few of the incoming freshmen assessed the situation in under a minute. They shimmied up the conveyer into the overhead, cleared the jam, and started throwing the bags down to their classmates. These newbies took immediate actions to solve the problem.

Looks of approval speed across the faces of the pipe-smoking upperclassman. And I got both my luggage and my first hint of how MIT students are not bound by convention. Way cool.

 

popupimg

title

content Link link