MIT Hackers Appropriate Caltech Cannon

Bob Hearn writes "Some Slashdotters might remember the story Caltech Pranks MIT's Prefrosh Weekend from a year ago. MIT Hackers have gotten even. Sometime in the middle of the night, Caltech's famous cannon appeared at the base of MIT's Green building. A plaque in front of it reads: 'CALTECH CANNON April 6, 2006 MIT hackers posing as the Howe & Ser Moving Company Appropriated this cannon on March 28, 2006. It later appeared on MIT's campus with the addition of a large brass rat made of gold-plated aluminum. In honor of its previous owners, the cannon points towards Padadena, CA.' The brass rat (MIT ring) is really a rather impressive bit of aluminum machining. Harvey Mudd College previously stole the cannon, in 1986, but later had to give it back."

Comments

From a Harvey Mudd mailing list

[andfarm]

Subject: Caltech cannon Date: 28 March 06 19:56:34 PST To: [HMC internal mailing list] Howdy, Did anyone steal the Caltech cannon Monday night/Tuesday morning? They called and said it was stolen and were hoping it was here. Chris Sundberg Associate Dean of Students Harvey Mudd College (reposting this logged in to get it above default viewing threshold - damned moderation system...)

Question

[kalirion]

Wasn't this, um, rather illegal?

isn't this a Federal offense now?

[Thud457]

Did they have the proper permit to transfer munitions across state lines?
;-P

Re:Impressive effort

[mph]

Hmmm, Boston and Cambridge not notable enough?

Cambridge is notable, but I don't think MIT is particularly close. Never heard of the other one. Why'd they name a town after that old rock band my parents listened to?

rat?

[GeekyMike]

Looks like a beaver, and since the beaver is MIT's mascot, I'd find that more likely