Location: Great Dome
Date: 5/17/99--5/18/99
On the first day of spring finals and two days before the release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, students arrived on campus to find the Great Dome transformed into a likeness of R2-D2, the famous droid from the Star Wars saga.
Replicating R2-D2's hemispherical "head," hackers attached a number of colored fabric panels to the exterior of the dome. The panels were decorated with black paint, shiny lame fabric, and red burlap to match those on the droid. In addition to the fabric panels, a painted tent was affixed to the side of the dome to represent R2's holographic projector.
When physical plant workers inspected the hack in the morning, they found detailed disassembly instructions, addressed to ``Imperial Drones'' and signed ``Rebel Scum''. After a thorough safety inspection, MIT announced that it would leave the hack intact for three days; a relatively long time for an outdoor hack to remain in place. ``It's one of the more professional hacks I've seen from a structural and safety standpoint,'' said Safety Officer David M. Barber. The hack was removed the next day, however, due to concerns of upcoming bad weather and material deterioration.
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Last modified: Date: 2001/03/25 18:16:53
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