Despite the rain, a sunny outlook for 2013 graduates
A persistent and drenching rain failed to dampen spirits today as thousands of MIT graduates and their guests packed Killian Court, sporting ponchos and rain boots. Before 7 a.m., friends and families of the graduates began waiting patiently in line, passing through metal detectors — an added security measure for this year’s Commencement — before finding a seat in the courtyard. Whitney King was among the first guests to arrive, undeterred by the weather. His family, from Waterville, Maine, managed to grab seats in the first few rows, and came prepared with ponchos and rain pants. “They’d run us out of Maine if we didn’t dress for the weather,” joked King, who came to see his daughter Carin receive a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. King’s daughter Sarah returned today to Killian Court, where she received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 2010. That day, she remembered, was on the...