Undergraduates 'Reclaim the Yard'

Pop artist Ben Folds went from “rockin’ the suburbs” to rockin’ the campus at an event that organizers say was the largest gathering of undergraduates in Harvard Yard’s history.

Organizers estimated that over 7,000 gathered in Tercentenary Theatre, which was decked out with tire swings and balloons, to enjoy the Yardfest concert and carnival funded by University President Lawrence H. Summers’ office.

The event, organized by the student-run Harvard Concert Commission (HCC) in conjunction with College administrators, contrasted with past unsuccessful HCC efforts, including pushes to bring rap artists Snoop Dog and Wyclef Jean to campus. Both of those efforts resulted in “fiascos,” according to HCC Director Tyler O’Brien ’07.

The Undergraduate Council (UC) could not raise the funds to provide the level of security that the Boston Police Department mandated for the Snoop Dog event. And the HCC’s ticket sales for the Wycelf concert were so low that the event was cancelled.

But last night, students sprawled on yoga mats and fleece blankets to watch Folds, while others scaled the steps of Widener Library and climbed onto each others’ backs for a better view of the show.

“There’s not as many red, white, and blue bikini halter tops as I expected,” Folds joked of the crowd of Harvard undergraduates.

‘ELIOT HOUSE SUCKS’?

Jordan B.L. Smith ’06, one of the 10 students selected to meet Folds after the concert, lauded the artist’s performance.

Smith, who has seen Folds live once before, said that he enjoyed the artist’s rendition of his standard hits, but that "the most fun is the stuff he makes up."

Dressed in a black shirt, black pants, and black thick-rimmed glasses, Folds gave some of his tunes a personal touch by including references to the College.

After picking up a beach ball that flew onto the stage, Ben Folds announced that the words "Eliot House Sucks" were written on the toy and then incorporated them into his next song.

When his melodic rendition of "Eliot House Sucks" elicited negative reactions from some in the crowd, Folds switched the tune and sang instead, "Eliot House is not so bad, it’s really okay....Don’t make fun of it." Folds also encouraged the audience to chime in during some songs. The artist even climbed onto the grand piano and conducted a crowd of harmonizing undergraduates during one tune.

Following chants of "one more song" and "we want Ben" after Folds left the stage, the artist and his band returned for an encore, "One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces," parting with the words, "Kiss my ass, kiss my ass goodbye."

ANIMAL HOUSES

At the event, students slipped into padded sumo suits to wrestle their peers while others sparred in a flimsy inflatable stadium. The entertainment at Yardfest also included an oversized Twister board, basketball hoops, and an assortment of games "that embrace the often competitive nature of the undergraduate population," said Campus Life Fellow Justin H. Haan ’05, an organizer.

Harvard University Dining Services closed halls in every House except for Dunster and Currier—a tactic that some students praised. "Once people get out, they’ll probably have a good time," said Robert M. Koenig ’06-’07.

The UC granted each House Committee $100 to fund stein clubs and other events to pique interest in Yardfest, but some Houses spent far more to get students keyed up for the main event.

For example, Winthrop House threw "Thropstock" as a preview of Yardfest. With the dining hall closed for brunch, residents enjoyed pizza and cotton candy along with games in the courtyard.

‘RECLAIM THE YARD’

Haan said that yesterday’s event was the latest in a string of efforts, beginning this past fall, to "reclaim the Yard for College life." Administrators rolled out a mechanical beast in the Yard and hired a country music band for the Harvard State Fair in September. And students clubbed condom-spewing bulldog piñatas at the center of campus during a pep rally on the Thursday night before the Harvard-Yale football game.

According to Haan, senior surveys show dissatisfaction with Yardfest’s predecessor, Springfest. "Springfest was open to faculty, staff, and their families...and set a very different tone than what students were looking for," Haan said.

By shifting the event from the Malkin Athletic Center Quad to the Yard and moving it off of the pre-frosh-weekend roster, the planners hoped to make the event more "College-centric," according to Hann.

The Social Programming Board, the UC’s soon-to-be-formed sister body, will be charged with planning a major spring campus gathering starting next year, Haan said. HCC chief O’Brien said he hopes the board makes Yardfest a "landmark on people’s calendar come spring."

—Staff writer Ying Wang can be reached at yingwang@fas.harvard.edu.