MIT has gotten a bad rap in the press lately after sodium that may have come from the school burned volunteers cleaning up the Charles. It only got worse when MIT student Star Simpson spaced out, forgot to take off a sweatshirt with a circuit board on it, and freaked out Logan Airport staff.
Right after Simpson was arrested and hauled to court, the MIT brass put out a statement calling Simpson's actions "reckless." That statement made students angry and led to a small protest against the administration. One upset student said that MIT was "bending over to media" because Simpson made a mistake (a big one), but MIT administrators threw her to the media wolves. For the record, Bostonist only nibbled at Simpson because we thought she was crazy, but the Herald went after her and the entire student body.
It's admirable that MIT students are rallying around Simpson instead of treating her like a laughingstock. Her friends and peers have her back. But it's hard to say what else the administration could have done. The administration acts as a liaison between the students and the rest of the world, and sometimes the rest of the world sees sweatshirts with sparkly lights on them differently. Colleges can't always provide protective bubbles for students.
The administration can, however, pitch in to make sure Suffolk County doesn't overreact when determining Simpson's punishment. They can testify about MIT Career Day, which is the reason Simpson said she wore her getup in the first place, and they can explain the MIT culture and why it really didn't occur to her to change her clothes before going to Logan.
No one wants to clamp down on MIT's creativity (Exhibit A) - what would Greater Boston do without it?
Image of the Herald's reaction to Star Simpson's decision to wear a light-up sweatshirt to the airport.
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Historically, MIT students were productive and a little eccentric. I think it's the decrease in the former and the increase from just a little in the latter that bugs people. "Hacks" are fine but they must be performed in the context of the world in which these students live.
you wrote:
"Right after Simpson was arrested and hauled to court, the MIT brass put out a statement calling Simpson's actions "reckless."
I don't think her actions were reckless. I think the security personnel were the reckless ones. This should never have ended up with charges being made. Think of all the people that wear flashing lights around Halloween or Christmas time. Think of how any remotely sensible bomber would try to hide the device. Think of how easily this could have been merely investigated, then Ms. Simpson sent on her way, with apologies. She would have understood better how overwrought the security people can get, and they could have had built their understanding of normal human creative expression. If we are to thrive, we must learn be less fearful. I think the situation is made unsafe when people with guns are nervous.
It was really weird for MIT to release the 'reckless' statement within hours of the incident. If they had made the statement after a couple of days of investigation, it would have been less weird. But arriving to judgment so fast... for a research institution that's unprofessional.
MIT needs to do a better job educating these children. Maybe they need babysitters when they go off campus.