Kites for Benjamin Franklin's Birthday

To celebrate the birthday of American inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin on January 17th, MIT hackers hung kites with Mr. Franklin's face on them and large keys dangling from their tails in between MIT's buildings 56 and 66 as well as between buildings 8 and 18, and dropped a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" banner next to the large Franklin inscription on the south-western tip of Building 2.

                Boston No Pants Subway Ride

                While it is not an MIT hack, the Boston No Pants subway ride is included here because the funny and harmless goals of the ride fit the spirit of the archive.

                Some hundred-odd Bostonians (including a number of MIT students) gathered at Alewife at 2:30pm one Saturday afternoon with the express purpose of riding the MBTA subway without their pants on. They were met by a large portion of the Boston local news media who came along wielding television cameras and notebooks to immortalize the ride. After a short briefing, they proceeded (with pants) to the inbound train and waited for the train to leave before removing their pants in front of the cameras. For around two and a half hours, the pantsless subway riders rode the system -- switching trains, trekking through stations, and eventually ending up back at Alewife for a group photo.

                • Boston No Pants subway ride organizer Adam Sablich addresses the crowd of soon-to-be-pantsless subway riders and media at the Alewife T-stop on Saturday afternoon. The riders divided up into groups and removed their pants after boarding a train.
                            • Participants in the Boston No Pants subway ride dance to the music of an electric keyboardist during a momentary stop at Park Street station on Saturday.
                                • Michael Snively '11 works on an OLPC XO laptop in his boxer shorts while riding the T during the Boston No Pants subway ride on Saturday.
                                      • Participants in the Boston No Pants subway ride read the Boston Phoenix in their boxer shorts while waiting for a train at Park Street station on Saturday.