A year ago, Bob, decided that he would like to attend his 55th college reunion at MIT. He missed all the other years, and at age 75 it was now or never.
In 2017, the Massachusetts Insitute of Technology was ranked by Quacquareli Symonds, an organization specializing in eduction and study abroad, as the number one university in the world. They based this ranking on academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, student-to-faculty ratio, proportion of international faculty and proportion of international students. MIT earned a perfect overall score of 100.
In 2017, MIT brought together all reunions during the second week of June, the same time that graduation ceremonies are happening. MIT is vibrating with excitement. This is not your average ivy league school, nor is it able to do anything without panache, so I was in for a treat as the observer. Having attended CCNY in New York and Cal State Fullerton in California, I had no idea as to how different reunions could be.
For the class of 1962, 55 years out and all classes at least 50 years out, the graduates become members of the Cardinal and Grey Society. All these elders wear red jackets, grey and red stripe ties and grey slacks. Needless to say, they stand out from the crowd of attendees that may be 5, 10, 15 etc. years since attending. A very subtle way of honoring those who made such a difference in the world of technology so long ago. These were the engineers that developed the silicon chips and entered the world of semi-conductors. They figured out how to produce the ICBM missile. They graduated the Koch brothers.
And there were the 50 attendees and their mates back together again. Starting in Maine for the pre-reunion get together in York, and then at the Hyatt Regency, Cambridge or in the dorms to partake in meals, lectures, tours, and the highlight: the Boston Pops.
It was at the Pops that those red-jacketed folk were most prominent as all classes took over the auditorium. So much so that my wearing a red jacket elicited a remark from a younger woman who told me she was so glad to see a woman who was a part of that auspicious group. I felt like an imposter, because I was.
As luck would have it, I ended up sitting next to a woman who was among the eight women who graduated from MIT 55 years ago with a PhD in nuclear physics. She now owns my red jacket. It was a memorable moment for me when she accepted my gift, humbly, and allowed me as a woman to applaud her.
There were lovely moments for me as I talked to this group and heard their stories. What was surprising to me was how humble these very intelligent men and woman were. I surmised bringing together the best and brightest and working them to the limits of their intelligence set the stage for a hard working modesty.
As part of the offerings, we attended three lectures. One was on gravitational waves-the team proved Einstein’s theory was correct- a discovery that has no practical use, but then this is academia. Another was on osteoarthritis, and the reasons they are not able to cure this problem as cartilage not receiving blood cannot be replaced, at least not yet. And the third was on pollution and the affects of particular matter. I got a taste of what it means to understand mathematics (algorithms) at the level that is necessary to attend MIT.
In the course of the few days, I met Joe. Joe is a fireball. At 75, he is teaching high school physics in inner city New Jersey. He stated that he had received a world-class education, and he wanted to give back what he was lucky enough to have experienced. For me, I would like to go back to school, not just college, but to have teachers like Joe who can set the flame going that can last your entire life. For me, I am content that I had the education I did that has informed my choices, but you can always wonder what were the reaches of your ability, IF….

Ellen Blaufarb is a marriage family therapist.

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