Crossing the Charles procession and competition

**Please note: Competition is now closed to entries. Registered competitors may email rivercrossing@mit.edu with questions. Thank you**

Moving Day at MIT kicks off on May 7 with an innovative parade over land and water that celebrates the Institute’s historic relocation to the City of Cambridge in 1916. All are invited to participate in this uniquely MIT event by either entering the Crossing the Charles community competition or by joining the procession over the bridge—led by Grand Marshal Oliver Smoot ’62—and cheering on competitors. Come in festive spirit...costumes and props are optional!

Crossing the Charles community competition

Competition topics:

(1) About
(2) Eligibility
(3) How to participate
(4) How to earn points
(5) Examples of competition entries
(6) Judges
(7) Dates and deadlines
(8) Rules and regulations
(9) Next steps
(10) Contact

Download rules as a PDF

About (1)

The MIT community is invited and challenged to compete in a procession honoring the Institute’s first century in Cambridge! We ask you to help us transport the spirit of the MIT charter, namely, “the advancement, development and practical application of science in connection with arts, agriculture, manufactures, and commerce.”

Part of the Moving Day celebrations, the river crossing community competition revives the spirit of the 1916 ceremonial crossing in which the Bucentaur barge transported the Institute charter across the Charles to MIT’s new home in Cambridge. More

The 2016 competition invites community entries to cross the river by land or water. They may move autonomously or not; they may be representations of transport through artistic expression; and they may demonstrate types of transport other than physical, such as that of thought or emotion. Those who wish to participate in the crossing but prefer not to compete are encouraged to join the procession—we are one MIT!

Eligibility (2)

All MIT faculty, students, staff, and alumni are invited to form or join teams.

How to participate (3)

 - Teams must have an MIT lead member and contact email ending in mit.edu (including alum.mit.edu and ll.mit.edu).
 - You may participate in teams of any size.
 - There are no composition requirements for teams—groups may comprise any proportion of MIT students, faculty, staff, and alumni. **Exception: while you may invite friends of the Institute to participate, external members must make up no more than 25% of your team.**
 - Submit your proposal for approval by Crossing the Charles faculty co-chairs Professor Anette Hosoi (Mechanical Engineering) and Professor John Ochsendorf (Civil and Environmental Engineering/Architecture). Contact: rivercrossing@mit.edu.

How to earn points (4)

Although each of the attributes listed below will not apply to all entries, points will be given for

 - Creativity of all kinds
 - Expressing humor, school spirit, and/or a sense of “only at MIT”
 - Community inclusiveness
 - Elegant engineering design
 - Speed
 - Aesthetic beauty
 - Evoking wonder and the excitement of learning and discovery
 - Expressing MIT’s celebration of a century in Cambridge
 - Reflection of the advancement and practical application of science

Examples of competition entries (5)

 - Artistic performance
 - Mobile sculpture
 - Things that cross the bridge / move on land
 - Floats or boats
 - Autonomous underwater vehicles
 - Amphibious things
 - Etc.

**Please note: Due to current FAA regulations, autonomous aerial vehicles will not be permitted in this event. We are guided in these parameters by MIT Police, Boston Police, Cambridge Police, and the Massachusetts State Police. Public safety is paramount for any proposed entry. Thank you for your cooperation.**

Judges (6)
_{(as of 1/19/16)}

The contest will be judged by

 1. Chancellor Cynthia Barnhart
 2. Dean Hashim Sarkis, School of Architecture and Planning
 3. Provost Martin Schmidt
 4. Professor Janet Sonenberg, Head of the Music and Theater Arts Section
 5. Dean Ian Waitz, School of Engineering
 6. Professor Maria Zuber, Vice President for Research

The judges’ box will be at the midpoint of the bridge, with views to water and land. The awards will be given at the discretion of the judges and the top four (4) competition winners will be invited to cross the stage during the evening celebration pageant on May 7, 2016.

Special category: BeaverKits (in which all team members, exclusive of adult chaperone, are age 10 and under)

Dates and deadlines (7)

**March 21: Team sign-up is now closed. Questions and late-occurring ideas may be directed to rivercrossing@mit.edu. Thank you!**

 - Monday, February 15: Deadline to sign up your team.
 - Friday, March 11: Deadline to submit WATER entry preliminary schematic plans.
      Coordinator Diane Fiedler will be in touch with all registered teams about this step.
 - Friday, March 18: Deadline to submit LAND entry preliminary schematic plans.
      Coordinator Diane Fiedler will be in touch with all registered teams about this step.
 - Friday March 25: Feedback returned to teams, including Environment, Health, and Safety confirmations or recommendations.
 - Friday, April 8: Deadline to submit FINAL entry descriptions.

Rules and Regulations (8)

1. General principles
    a. This competition is intended to create opportunities for all members of the MIT community to participate in the river crossing celebration.
    b. Teams are requested to represent MIT spirit and values, whether through expression or by transporting the ideals of the MIT charter across the river.
    c. Entry types that are safe, legal, and not specifically prohibited will be allowed. If there is any ambiguity, please ask!

 2. Coaching or advice
    a. Teams may seek the counsel of anyone not listed as a judge.

 3. Timing
    a. Competition assembly will begin at 1 pm on Saturday, May 7. If you need extra time to set up your entry, you may arrive earlier.
    b. The procession will embark in waves beginning at 2 pm. Your start time will be assigned by Professors Hosoi and Ochsendorf once registration and project approvals are complete. 

 4. Power
    a. Pending approval, entries may be powered by any combination of sources.

 5. Dimensions and constraints
    a. Entries must be able to traverse the bridge or the river (alongside the bridge)
    b. If your proposed entry is of unusual dimensions, please contact rivercrossing@mit.edu to discuss.
    c. Autonomous aerial vehicles will not be permitted in this event.
    d. Excessive noise is not permitted, as it impedes the enjoyment of contestants and spectators. If your entry makes noise, you will be asked for an advance video or in-person demonstration.
    e. Please remember that other contestants will be in close proximity to your team. Give some consideration to how your movement may affect them.

 6. Control of moving entries
    a. Control may be achieved via a radio and, if desired, either another radio or wireless device approved by Professors Hosoi and Ochsendorf.

 7. Sporting conduct and safety
    a. Interfering with other teams’ progression across the river is not allowed.
    b. Each entry will undergo a review by the Office of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS). If EHS recommends revisions or adjustments, teams will be given an opportunity to make those changes and resubmit for confirmation.

Next steps (9)

 - Mark your calendar, form your team, and sign up, providing preliminary information.
 - Identify your lead contact—this is the person to whom we will send updates, confirmations, instructions, and alerts about the competition. Reminder, the team lead/contact must have an email ending in mit.edu.

Contact (10)

Professors Anette Hosoi and John Ochsendorf are the faculty co-chairs of the Moving Day | Crossing the Charles competition. Contact: rivercrossing@mit.edu
 

We look forward to crossing the Charles with you!