VO 1 (BIRDI): LAST SATURDAY NIGHT, MIT OPEN SPACE PROGRAMMING HOSTED THE FALL EVENT AT THE KENDALL/MIT OPEN SPACE. IT WAS AN OPEN EVENT WITH FREE ADMISSION THAT HOSTED A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES.

VO 2 (OLIVIA): THE EVENT HAD CELESTIAL ACTIVITIES WITH MIT STARGAZERS, FALL-THEMED TREATS, AND MUSIC FROM FLY BY BRASS BAND AND ANNIE AND THE FURTRAPPERS. THERE WERE DRINKS AND LAWN GAMES AS WELL AS FACE PAINTING FOR KIDS.

VO 3 (BIRDI): THIS EVENT BROUGHT IN MANY DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS FROM ALL PARTS OF GREATER BOSTON. SOME HAD COME FOR A SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT ACTIVITY WHILE OTHERS HAD PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO THE EVENT. DANIELLE METZGER, AN ATTENDEE, SPOKE TO THAT PERSONAL CONNECTION.

SOT 1 (METZGER): “I’M HERE BECAUSE I AM FRIENDS WITH BOTH BANDS WHO ARE PLAYING. WE PLAY MUSIC TOGETHER. I CAME BECAUSE MY SISTER AND NIECE ARE VISITING AND SHE’S AN MIT ALUM AND MY FRIENDS ARE PLAYING THIS GIG SO FAR.”

VO 4 (OLIVIA): ONE OF THE MUSICIANS THAT PLAYED DURING THE FESTIVITIES WAS KEVIN, WHO HAS BEEN PLAYING THE GUITAR SINCE HE WAS A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE. HE TALKED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AT THE FALL FEST.

SOT 2 (KEVIN): “I’VE DEFINITELY PLAYED RANDOM THINGS OUTDOORS BEFORE. I’VE NEVER PLAYED HERE, NEVER WITH THIS BAND ACTUALLY. I HAVE SOME MORE GIGS WITH THEM COMING UP, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST ONE WITH ANNIE AND THE FUR TRAPPERS.”

VO 5 (OLIVIA): ANNIE AND THE FUR TRAPPERS ARE A BOSTON-BASED BAND THAT HAS BEEN AROUND SINCE 2016. THEY WERE FOUNDED IN ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI AND SPECIALIZE IN TRADITIONAL JAZZ AND BLUES. MOST OF WHAT THEY PLAY REPLICATES MUSIC FROM THE 1920S AND 30S. KEVIN DESCRIBED WHAT HE ENJOYED ABOUT THIS YEAR’S FALL FEST.

SOT 3 (KEVIN): “IT’S REALLY NICE. THE MUSIC I LIKE. IT’S BASICALLY A SUMMER FESTIVAL IN FALL SO I HAD TO LET MY CIDER COOL OFF A BIT BEFORE I DRANK IT. BUT I DIG IT, AND IT’S KIND OF NICE OUT NOW. I LIKE HOW THEY HAVE A TRADITIONAL JAZZ BAND. I DIG THAT MUSIC AND I LIKE THAT IT HAS - AS I’M SURE YOU CAN HEAR - WE HAVE THIS SOMERVILLE-STYLE JAZZ BAND.”

VO 6 (BIRDI): WE THEN MET THE MIT STARGAZERS, LEARNING THAT MOST OF THE INDIVIDUALS RUNNING THE STARGAZING ACTIVITY ARE ASTROPHYSICS STUDENTS. MEGAN, A STUDENT, SAID THIS WAS THEIR FIRST TIME ORGANIZING EVENTS AT THE FALL FEST.

SOT 4 (MEGAN): “THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME AT THE FALL FEST, BUT WE PARTNER WITH - WAIT WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN AT FALL FEST LAST YEAR - BUT WE PARTNER WITH THE OPEN SPACE VERY REGULARLY SO WE’LL BE BACK ON MONDAY FOR ANOTHER OPEN SPACE EVENT.”

VO 7 (OLIVIA): THE VENUE FOR FALL FEST WAS CALLED ‘OPEN SPACE’-- A PROGRAM THAT ORGANIZES EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO ENGAGE AND CONNECT CAMBRIDGE, MIT, AND KENDALL SQUARE COMMUNITIES. MIT STAFF AND STUDENTS OFTEN WORK WITH THIS SPACE, INCLUDING THE USE OF A STARGAZING EVENT. MEGAN DESCRIBED WHAT YOU COULD SEE THROUGH THE TELESCOPE.

SOT 5 (MEGAN): “WITH OUR BIG TELESCOPE OVER THERE, THE DOBSONIAN, WE’LL BE ABLE TO SEE SATURN TODAY, AND THEN WE HAVE A NEW TELESCOPE THAT WE ARE TESTING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME TODAY WHICH IS ABLE TO DO STACKING, BASICALLY TAKE LONG IMAGRATIONS SO WE ARE HOPING TO SEE MORE EXTENSIONS IN INMITON MAYBE LIKE A GALAXY. MAYBE ANDROMIDA.”

VO 8 (BIRDI): ON TOP OF THIS, THEY ALSO HAD HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES LIKE SEA SALT SCRUB MAKING AND A VARIETY OF FOOD TRUCKS AND VENDORS, INCLUDING THE NADA CART, GOURMET KREYOL, AND TANDOOR AND CURRY! HOWEVER, ONE VENDOR, THE ‘MORE THAN WORDS’ MOBILE BOOK STORE, STOOD OUT FROM THE CROWD. STEFANIE ALLEN SPOKE AS A BUSINESS TRAINING MANAGER FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

SOT 6 (STEFANIE): “SO I'M ACTUALLY HERE WITH MORE THAN WORDS MORE THAN WORDS IS A NONPROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, WHERE WE BUSINESS TRAIN YOUNG ADULTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 16 AND 24, ON HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS. AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SIDE. SO ON THE BUSINESS SIDE, WHICH IS I AM A BUSINESS TRAINING MANAGER OF THE MOBILE BOOKSTORE. SO USUALLY I TYPICALLY HAVE A YOUNG ADULT UNFORTUNATELY, NONE OF THEM COULD MAKE IT TODAY BUT THEY WOULD HELP SET UP THE STORE AND THEN ALSO CASH PEOPLE OUT ON THEIR ON REGISTER, DO CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT. THEY GET TRAINED ON WHAT THAT MEANS, LIKE CUSTOMER SERVICE, WHAT IS LIKE DISPLAY WORK LOOKS LIKE ALL THESE THINGS. AND THEN ON THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT SIDE, THEY WORK WITH THE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT MANAGER THAT HELPS THEM WITH WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN SO IF IT'S, YOU KNOW, GETTING SUPPORT AT DCF MEETINGS GETTING SUPPORT AT THE IN THE COURT SYSTEMS, OR WHETHER THAT'S JUVENILE COURT OR ADULT COURT SYSTEM IF IT'S GETTING ACCESS TO HOUSING. YOU KNOW, WE TRY AND HELP OUR YOUNG ADULTS GRAB OLDER SITUATIONS JUST TO GET THEM IN A PLACE WHERE AFTER THEIR TIME AT MORE THAN WORDS, THEY ARE CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING AND GETTING A HIGHER PAYING JOB. SO THAT COULD ALSO INCLUDE LIKE, POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION PLANS, SO WE DO A LOT MORE THAN WORTH IT. THIS IS JUST LIKE A SMALL SNIPPET. OF WHAT WE DO. SO EVERYTHING WE SELL HERE TODAY ACTUALLY GOES TOWARDS OUR YOUNG ADULTS, KEEP THEM EMPLOYED, BUT THEN ALSO HELP THEM OUTSIDE THE FOUR WALLS. SO IT'S ACTUALLY A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM. WE HAVE USED BOOKS AND THEN WE ALSO PURCHASE NEW BOOKS. SO TODAY WE HAVE LIKE I SAID, THE NEW BOOKS OVER HERE, WHICH ARE A RETAIL PRICE, AND THEN THEY USE BOOKS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE.”

SOT 7 (STEFANIE): “WE REALLY TRY TO GO TO AS MANY LOCAL CAUSTON NEIGHBORHOODS AS POSSIBLE SO NO, THAT'S OKAY. AND JUST YOU KNOW, TRY AND GET LITERACY OUT THERE. WHATEVER IT LOOKS LIKE SOMETIMES WE DO A FREE BOOK FAIR. SOMETIMES IT COULD BE JUST HAVING ALL USED BOOKS, SOMETIMES IT'S A MIX OF USED AND NEW BOOKS. SO IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON THE LOCATION AND WHAT ITEMS WE REALLY HAVE AVAILABLE. FOR THAT POP UP.”

VO 9 (BIRDI): WITH THEIR MESSAGE, MORE THAN WORDS’ MOBILE BOOK STORE IS A NEW ADDITION TO THIS ORGANIZATION’S GOAL. AND WITH THIS NEW GOAL, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STRUGGLES.

SOT 8 (STEFANIE): “IT’S JUST SO BIG, AND THEN YOU KNOW, SO WE HAVE TO CONVINCE PEOPLE TO LET US COME OUT AND TRY IT OUT? BECAUSE IT IS SO NEW. WE JUST THINK YOU WAIT IT'S OKAY. WE JUST ACTUALLY JUST HAD OUR GRAND OPENING A FEW MONTHS AGO. SO IT'S BEEN MORE GETTING THE WORD OUT WHAT IS MORE THAN WORDS, WHAT IS THE MOBILE BOOKSTORE? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DO WE PROVIDE? SO IT'S MORE JUST LIKE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT WE DO AS A BUSINESS.”

VO 10 (BIRDI): EVEN WITH OUR DAY-TO-DAY ROUTINES, THE CHANGING OF THE SEASONS IS SOMETHING TO BE APPRECIATED AND NOTICED. PICKING OUT YOUR FAVORITE PART OF FALL CAN BE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE, BUT ALLEN AND METZGER NOTED THEIR MOST-LIKED PARTS OF AUTUMN.

SOT 9 (METZGER): “I MEAN IT’S BEEN KIND OF HOT RECENTLY BUT THE LEAVES HAVE STILL BEEN BEAUTIFUL.”

SOT 10 (ALLEN): “IT IS REALLY GETTING TO CHANGE INVENTORY, AND LIKE SEEING NEW TRENDS AND LIKE BOOK SALES AND THINGS LIKE THAT? I KNOW THAT SEEMS WEIRD, BUT I LOVE SEEING WHAT PEOPLE ARE MOVING AWAY FROM LIKE ROMANCE AND LIKE SUMMER READS TOMORROW, LIKE DARK READS SOMETHING WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A STORY TO IT AND NOT AS LIGHT SO IT'S FUN, LIKE SEEING THAT CHANGE RIGHT NOW AND THEN FIGURING OUT LIKE, OH, WHAT BOOKS SHOULD WE GET NEXT AND GETTING THE YOUNG ADULTS EXCITED ABOUT THAT, TOO.”

VO 11 (BIRDI): FOR YOU ARE HERE, I’M BIRDI DIEHL.

VO 12 (OLIVIA): AND I’M OLIVIA FLANZ.