Ahead of The Game, Harvard and Yale Establish New 'Sister' Relationships for Freshmen

Following the opening of Yale’s two new residential colleges, Harvard freshmen will now be able to stay overnight for The Game under new “sister” relationships between Harvard and Yale.

The Freshman Dean’s Office sent an email to Harvard freshmen on Thursday, informing them that 80 students would be allowed to stay overnight on Nov. 17 in the common rooms of Yale’s newest residential colleges, Pauli Murray and Benjamin Franklin.

As of Tuesday afternoon, all 80 spots were filled, according to FDO employee Lisa R. Viola.

Relationships between Harvard upperclassmen Houses and Yale residential colleges stretch back over 80 years. This year is the 134th meeting of the Harvard Crimson and the Yale Bulldogs.

Harvard freshmen were first paired with Yale residential colleges in 2005. Previously, students were forced to rely on personal connections in order to find places to stay overnight.

These new housing options will add to a number of other Office of Student Life initiatives centered around the football game.

“There are events going on every night this week through the CEB,” Dean of Students Katherine G. O’Dair said.

Prior to The Game on Nov. 18, students will face new, stricter tailgate and alcohol regulations. Yale will ban outside alcohol at registered tailgates and shorten the tailgates sponsored by the two schools.

The College’s OSL subsidizes the overall cost of shuttles from Cambridge to New Haven each year the game is at Yale. Students normally eligible for free tickets through an undergraduate scholarship program, known as the Student Events Fund, can ride to New Haven on a Harvard shuttle free of charge.

“The Harvard Yale Shuttle program is a service provided by Harvard College and sponsored by OSL. OSL provides financial support in order to keep the costs of the tickets affordable,” Miller wrote in an emailed statement. “HSA runs the shuttles as a service to the College, but does not make any profit from it.”

—Staff writer Junina Furigay can be reached at junina.furigay@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @junina_furigay.

—Staff writer Kenton K. Shimozaki can be reached at kenton.shimozaki@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @KentonShimozaki.