The Johnson Games, an Institute-wide event making its first appearance since 1991, will be held on Saturday, April 29 in conjunction with Spring Weekend beginning at 2pm, followed by a community barbecue at 5:30pm.
The Johnson Games, sponsored by the Offices of the President, Provost and Chancellor, aim to promote the spirit of friendship and community, the joy of good-natured competition, and the value of team spirit and effort. A combination of physical and mental activities will provide opportunities for all to participate. Specific events will not be announced until the day of the Games, but team spirit and effort, not just athletic prowess, will be weighed heavily in the judges' scoring.
Activities for children will be provided while the Games are taking place. An award ceremony will be held during the barbecue at approximately 6:45pm.
The Games will be held in and around Steinbrenner Stadium. Should the weather not cooperate, the Games will be held within facilities in and around the Johnson Athletics Center. Information about the Johnson Games 2000 may be found at http://web.mit.edu/spring/games/> beginning on Tuesday, March 28.
The first Johnson Games were held in April 1987 in conjunction with the naming of the Johnson Athletics Center for President Emeritus and former Chairman of the Corporation Howard Johnson. The second Johnson Games were held in May 1991, celebrating the inauguration of Charles M. Vest as MIT's 15th president. Participation in those games topped 2,400.
Teams for the Johnson Games 2000 must have 25-40 participants. Each team should have a roughly equal number of men and women, and there should be a minimum of 40 percent students and a minimum of 30 percent faculty or staff on each team. At least one-third of the active participants must be from a named core or sponsoring group, e.g., student living groups, academic departments, Schools, labs and administrative departments, or ad hoc high-spirited groups as approved by the Games Committee. Family members are encouraged to participate.
Each team must designate a captain or co-captains who will be the contact person(s) for the Games staff and who will be responsible for organizing, inspiring and communicating with the team before and after the Games. Each team must create a unique name which will be printed on the back of complimentary team T-shirts.
Teams must register by Wednesday, April 5. They may register online between Wednesday, March 29 and 6pm on the deadline date. Registration must include the team name, core group, captain(s) with contact information, and team member names, affiliation, gender and status (student, faculty, staff or other).
Anyone with questions about team composition should e-mail Gayle Gallagher in the Information Center at gayle@mit.edu or Ted Johnson in the Campus Activities Complex at tej@mit.edu.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on March 15, 2000.
