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{shortcode-6dc93219b8fbf84a2ca12c3fe0384175c62804d5}How do you measure a year in a life? In daylights, in sunsets, in… Flyby articles? The year has truly flown by and now that we’re nearing the end of 2023, let’s do a quick Flyby Wrapped of our favorite Flyby moments.

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Flyby vs. Mice

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It’s an ongoing battle and I don’t think we’ve gone a year without hearing about yet another crazy encounter between Flyby writers and a type of rodent. We don’t think we can ever get over Janani Sekar’s story of a mouse leaving, *ahem*, “black sesame seeds” on her bed. A month later, Katharina A. Ravichandran blessed us with a comprehensive guide on the most and least effective ways to combat a mouse. So next time you’ve got a furry critter in your dorm, Flyby’s got you covered!

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Flyby Offers Advice

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In addition to the lovely ~advice column~ we added to our Blog this year, Flyby offered great advice addressing all of your concerns. Such as whether or not you should drop one of your classes, or how to spend your BoardPlus. We also gave great suggestions to our Class of 2027 on things to do during Visitas that’s not on the programming. Congrats on finishing your first semester, by the way! Why don’t you avoid the unavoidable freshman fall existential crisis by going through the things on this list again and reminiscing about being accepted to Harvard without actually having experienced Harvard yet.

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Finally, as a NYC girlie, please read through J.J. Moore’s lovely advice on how to walk faster. This is specifically targeted towards people who walk really slowly in the middle of the sidewalk (of all places!). At least let me walk around you if you’re going to walk that slow. I’ve got places to be (my bed) and people to see (Tom Blyth’s picture on my bedroom wall).

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Flyby Predicts

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Looking back on our last year’s Yardfest predictions, we truly had high hopes for this school. But new year, new Yardfest. Manifesting Taylor Swift, once again.

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PSA: Flyby Reminds You Once Again…

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That we have an art museum on campus. Want to romanticize a light academia lifestyle after seeing Yale’s buildings compared to our red brick ones? We can help.

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Flyby Is Confused

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I didn’t even know they could change course registration more after killing off Shopping Week like that. Although the academic gods have blessed me with all the classes I want (yes, this is a flex), I’m still not sure if I like this new system. Let’s talk about it again.

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Flyby in Print

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A monumental step as Flyby goes in print! And again! And a third! That’s right y’all, Flyby became a little less digitally exclusive this year.

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Flyby Cries a Little

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It’s been a year of ups and downs. We’ve laughed, we’ve loved, and we’ve left the old days behind. Reflect with us on the things we’ve missed at Harvard (and will miss during this winter break). Also, as the class of 2024 approaches their last semester, let’s cry, once again, while reading this Open Letter to the Class of 2023.

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And with that, another year is in the books. As a parting gift, I will equip you with Flyby’s comprehensive list of student affirmations that you can repeat to yourself as you struggle through Finals Week. Flyby wishes you a happy, happy new year and manifests a great spring semester to you all (or at least the best it can be in the frigid New England winter that awaits us).

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{shortcode-6bc092a009ac954e9880728063a4b6c95f7aacc6}

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’Twas the night before midterms (“midterm” even though it’s the last week of classes), and…. Oh no, you haven’t finished memorizing the material! Luckily for you, do we have the study methods to help you memorize the material much, much faster and still get to bed before the wee hours of dawn. While they may require some effort, we can promise that after trying these strategies, you’ll never forget what you learned. Go on, pick a study method based on your self-perceived level of unhinged-ness.

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Level 1: Turn your notes into a bad Tumblr poem

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Ahem. Allow me to demonstrate.

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an under-damped oscillator

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oscillates at least once

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before dying out

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with exponential decay.

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my bank account balance

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also seems

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to be dying out

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with

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exponential

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decay

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- p.s.2

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Level 2: Explain the concepts to a turkey

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This is similar to rubber ducking, except much more effective. After looking over the concepts for a while, stand in front of a random turkey in the Yard and explain what you learned to the turkey. Don’t worry about the looks you get from the tourists walking around, searching for the statue, or taking pictures of Widener. They’re just jealous of your vast knowledge, admiring your confidence and passion for learning. Sure, you could just stay in your room and explain your notes to a stuffed animal or a pillow, but who does that? Spice it up, y’all!

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Level 3: Write a parody of a song based on the material.

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Pick a song you love. There’s no way this strategy could possibly ruin the song for all eternity! Here’s the important part. You MUST sing it to your professor so they can give you feedback in case you got any of the concepts wrong. I must stress to you that the entire process is worthless unless you sing it to your professor in the most crowded possible office hours (so the other students can also learn from your song). Sure, you could just make a one-pager, but that’s no fun! The world is missing out on the singing skills you honed in the shower.

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Level 4: Create an expressive dance routine

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Use props, all of your limbs, and all of your brain cells to perform an expressive dance routine based on the concepts you just learned. For example, Naruto-run down Mass. Ave. to demonstrate an electrical signal traveling down the axon of a nerve cell (don’t jaywalk, because you need to stop and hit the Griddy at all the crosswalks to show saltatory conduction). I promise the look in everyone’s eyes will be from pure awe. Also, if your section crush is staring at you oddly the next day, it’s because they fell in love with you the moment they saw you Naruto-running down Mass. Ave. Yeah, you could have just used a whiteboard in one of the libraries to diagram the neuron, but who has time for that?

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Level 5: Steal the moon

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Take a practice exam. If you reach your target score, treat yourself! Enlist your roommates and travel to the SEC and construct a replica of the SR-6 Shrink Ray (if you need help, ask any student passing by — this was on the first ES 50 problem set). Use it to steal the moon. While yes, you could just take the practice test and go to bed if you’re satisfied. But that’s no fun! You worked hard and deserve a little treat.

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No, I am definitely not writing this the night before an exam. And if there is an exam, I am well prepared for it.

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{shortcode-076994a789adb563aa71a235610afe306d649514}Every year on Nov. 1 when Mariah Carey starts to thaw, some people rejoice, others despair. The moment the weather turns a bit crisp, we’re stuck with her whether we like it or not. She takes over social media, we hear her haunting us over the speakers at Macy’s, and there is nothing we can do to stop her. Don’t get me wrong — Mariah Carey is a phenomenal singer and a Christmas icon. I’m as big a fan of “All I Want For Christmas Is You” as anyone else, but we all crave a little bit of variety from time to time. So, I present four Christmas album alternatives for when you need a break from Mariah’s angelic voice this Christmas season.

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For those who want to take a step back from the pop tunes and Christmas commercialism – “Christmas Classics,” Bing Crosby

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What more can I say except that this album absolutely lives up to its title? These songs are total classics, and Bing Crosby knows how to evoke a feeling of utter nostalgia with every word he sings. Perfect for snuggling up next to the fireplace with a fuzzy blanket, this album is giving dim candlelight ambiance and the scent of baking cookies. What more could you want? If you’re looking for a traditional and nostalgic holiday that brings you back to those late Christmas Eve nights you stayed up waiting for Santa, this is the album for you.

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Best Songs: “The Littlest Angel” (the lyrics to this make me cry) and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/It Came Upon a Midnight Clear - Medley.”

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For those who want to give their Christmas a quirky twist (and those who go a little too crazy every time Mr. Brightside starts playing) – “Don’t Waste Your Wishes,” The Killers

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I can’t lie, these songs are absolutely unhinged — but that doesn’t mean they aren’t amazing. In fact, I personally think that is what makes them so fun. This album has a great blend of everything — the slower, more nostalgia-based songs, as well as the hyped-up Christmas jams that keep us going through the holidays. Some of them seem super goofy when you first listen to them (check out “Joel The Lump of Coal”), but if you take the time to listen to the words, they’re packed full of beautiful messages that are actually quite touching when you pay attention. If you’re looking for some new Christmas fun, give this album a try — you’ll be in for a wild ride!

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Best Songs: “A Great Big Sled” and “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” (I don’t even know where to begin with this one. The kid is homicidal, Santa has a hit list — you know what? You just gotta listen to it).

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For my country lovers – “An Inconvenient Christmas,” The Oak Ridge Boys

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This album is my personal favorite. Don’t ask me why I listen to this stuff, my dad found this album before I was born and I grew up thinking it was totally normal to listen to country Christmas music. Does my family like country music? Not particularly. Had my dad ever heard of The Oak Ridge Boys before this album? No, not at all. But it was totally normal to me and I didn’t realize that this album was weird until I went to college. That being said, I stand by the fact that every single song on this album is an absolute banger, you just have to give it a chance.

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Best Songs: “The Most Inconvenient Christmas” (This is my #1 favorite Christmas song, I listened to this at midnight on Nov. 1 — yes, I’m one of those people) and “The Hallelujah Chorus.”

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For my theater nerds and people who love show tunes on the DL – “The Christmas Album (volumes 1-4),” The Glee Cast

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Really, there is not much for me to say here. We all know “Glee,” and we all either loved it or hated it. But there is no denying that as annoying as some of those characters were, they could damn well sing. If we’re being honest with ourselves, Rachel Barry may have been a danger to society, but her vocal chords were crafted by God himself. So if you appreciate excellent singing, and want to find some fun different versions of your favorite Christmas songs (“All I Want For Christmas is You” sung by Amber Riley? Sign me up) then give these albums a try.

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Best Songs: “Extraordinary Merry Christmas” and “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”

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So there you have it, folks. If you find yourself flinching away from Mariah’s incredibly impressive but undeniably deafening whistle tones this holiday season, now you’ve got a whole bunch of alternatives to keep that festive spirit going. Happy Holidays!

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{shortcode-85b19fd0514635a99dac6680cb4c61366b916505}While my bank account may disagree, I can vouch for the popularity of the Starbucks Christmas menu. In fact, these drinks are so popular that we may be slowly becoming them. Which brew are you?

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{shortcode-4415d57d923edd2fc2fb8b757d75837ea6eaf04a}We all know the moment when you are sitting in the library, trying to get work done, and the group beside you starts arguing over passionately discussing the pset answers. Next time this happens, use this chart to expose them for who they really are.

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{shortcode-433a039726c9ec0f98f26d6113be586e17874a1f}Choose your fighter: where does your professor fall on this alignment chart?

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{shortcode-9a9b4c791ec8f8b0197daa26fc5645bdd2ee7251}It’s 1:20 p.m. on a Wednesday. I’m only five minutes into my lecture, and I’m already bored out of my mind. I also happen to feel a bit peckish. My next move? Pulling up the HUDS online menu. Oh, HUDS menu, which I love just enough that I type you into Google two times a day but not enough to actually bookmark, how I could ramble on about your wonderfulness. And so I will!

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Its Reliability

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Hungry late at night and want to know what Brain Break has to offer? The HUDS menu is there for you. Feeling cold and a little sick and wanting soup? The HUDS menu is there for you. Want to pretend you’re busy on your phone as you avoid a semi-stranger semi-acquaintance’s gaze? The HUDS menu is there for you. The HUDS menu never fails you, and it should be applauded for that.

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How it Fosters Exploration

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Sometimes, knowing what I’m going to have for dinner that day isn’t enough. Sometimes, I want to know what I’m going to have for dinner in six days. And the HUDS menu lets me do that. The HUDS website always has the answers, and the answers are (usually) delicious.

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Plus, when I do my obligatory daily browse, I often find food options that I wouldn’t otherwise know were available — or even existed. I’m not ashamed to admit that the HUDS website is the only reason I know what “gremolata” is (for you non-HUDS-ites it’s a green sauce made of parsley). Those days, I end up trying something new and with another thing to thank the HUDS menu for.

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Its Morale-raising Abilities

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Integral to my love of the HUDS menu is of course its ability to literally act as a menu — which means it’s the messenger of my favorite type of news! The reminder that there’ll be smoked salmon and ice cream on Sundays? It’s enough to instantly raise a girl’s mood. The HUDS menu is essentially my mood ring.

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Plus, I mean, how could I love anything more than something that tells me that chicken and dumpling soup is being served that day?

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Honorable Mention: The HUDS website

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Although my love for the HUDS menu is everlasting and limitless, I do want to give a special shout-out to the rest of the HUDS website! Tons of useful information on there, like BoardPlus-eligible cafes and dining halls, hours of operation, and information about interhouse restrictions.

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I don’t know when exactly this habit-turned-compulsion-turned-love began. Perhaps it was the first month of freshman year, when I had to strategically plan for the days when Annenberg was no longer even passably edible. It also could have been around winter, when the fear of finals forced me to look to do literally anything except study. Nonetheless, no matter how this love began, it will regardless live forever. I love you, HUDS menu.

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{shortcode-0aaa1ba68e9b17f9a9e8cb51af47032ff20b5248}Annenberg offers a fair variety of beverages, including its classic soft drink fountain (Root Beer, Sprite, Ginger Ale and the like), Fogbuster coffee and Bigelow’s tea array, juice and milk options (low fat 1 percent, anyone?), and the slightly ominous sparkling water station. Yet, even with such vast possibilities, the drink scene of Berg can get old quickly. Every now and then, you need to refresh your flavor palette with a creative, sometimes unsettling drink combination. Thus, I set out to try a few of the combinations I’ve witnessed and discovered in the first-year dining hall.

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Sprite + Cranberry Juice

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This combination has to be one of my all-time favorites. I mean, Sprite Cranberry exists for a reason, right? This drink is bright, flavorful, and suitable for any meal. The Sprite balances out the cranberry juice so you can appreciate the cranberry flavor without its intense bitterness. This may just be me, but the drink also feels a little fancy, somewhat sophisticated (it was my drink of choice at the student-faculty dinner). I will be making this combination time and time again.

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Powerade + Lemonade + Sprite

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This drink is very customizable and very popular. I’ve seen Powerade combined with lemonade, Sprite, or both. I guess it’s a versatile base. In a single sip, I feel like I can appreciate each individual flavor as well as how they blend together. Drinking this stark blue combination makes me feel like a student-athlete for a moment, but unfortunately, even Powerade can’t improve my athletic ability.

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Lemonade + Gold Peak Green Tea

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It’s a DIY Arnold Palmer. These two drinks were meant to be together. The combination of sweet, tart, and bitter flavors is simply delightful. Plus, since you’re creating it yourself, you can determine the ratio of lemonade to green tea that best suits your tastes – customization at its finest. This combo is a good go-to for any time of the day, and it almost tastes like you didn’t get it from a dining hall! Just pretend it’s in a can and imagine yourself sunbathing. Maybe this drink is your escape from the frigid winter air.

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Pomegranate-Blueberry Sparkling Water + Orange Juice

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Alright, I was skeptical, too. I watched, in awe and wonder, as a classmate ahead of me in line created this oddity. I just had to try it. Although, it took some courage to create the drink. I suppose citrus and sparkling water is a well-received recipe, but something about this combination didn’t sit right with me, and I cringed as I pressed the dispenser buttons. Once I got over that initial discomfort… It wasn’t bad. I couldn’t taste the pomegranate and blueberry, but maybe my ratio was faulty. Regardless, all I tasted was orange juice. But the real overpowering factor was the bubbles. If you need a fizzy wake-up drink in the morning, try this. It should get the job done. Those bubbles certainly awakened my taste buds.

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Sunday Sundaes + Soda

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Don’t overlook the potential of Sunday Sundaes. If you’ve exhausted the sprinkles, hot fudge, and caramel sauce or just want to switch things up, consider making an ice cream float. The soft drink fountain is just a few steps away, lying in wait. A scoop of ice cream and a cup of Root Beer, for example, is always a solid option. I can confirm the Root Beer float is a reliable source of nostalgia and deliciousness. Especially when the soda makes the ice cream ~crusty~ and you can enjoy a more textured, vanilla-heavy bite. Ok, that description may sound a bit gross. But you know what I mean… right?

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The drink combinations at Annenberg are endless, so keep exploring! Try these ones or make your own Frankenstein drink. Who knows, maybe hot chocolate and grapefruit juice will be the next big thing!

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{shortcode-55481b7c492d795a442fe0001a8e98149ef3b88e}The CVS in Harvard Square, which is a mere 30-second walk from the Yard and open 24 hours, is certainly a convenience for Harvard students. But does this convenience come at a cost? After a certain experience where I walked out of CVS with $30 less in my pocket and only a box of Cheerios, bag of pretzels, and pack of medical face masks in my hand, I started wondering.

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CVS reportedly stands for Consumer Value Store (I knew you were wondering!), and after this experience, I wondered whether the Harvard Square CVS lives up to the name. I burst the Harvard bubble by taking my bike as far as I felt I could: to two other CVS stores in Cambridge. I compared their pricing to the JFK Street CVS for some basic college necessities: Cheez-its, Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Shampoo and Conditioner, Pilot G2 Fine Point Rolling Ball Gel Pens Black, and Trojan Pleasure Pack Lubricated Latex Condoms.

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The locations investigated were the Harvard Square CVS (6 JFK St., Open 24 Hours), Central Square CVS (624 Massachusetts Ave., Open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.), and the Porter Square CVS (36 White St., Open 24 Hours).

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The Results:

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Family Size Original Cheez-It

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Harvard Square: $8.99

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Central Square $8.79

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Porter Square: $8.99

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CVS.com: $8.99

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Pilot G2 Fine Point Rolling Ball Gel Pens Black Ink 5 Pack

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Harvard Square: $8.99

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Central Square: $8.99

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Porter Square: $8.99

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CVS.com: $8.99

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Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Shampoo 12 FL OZ

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Harvard Square: $6.29, 3 for $15 Deal

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Central Square: $5.99, 3 for $15 Deal

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Porter Square: $6.29, 3 for $15 Deal

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CVS.com: $5.99, On Sale for $5.29 and 3 for $15

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Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Conditioner 10.4 FL OZ

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Harvard Square: $5.99, 3 for $15 Deal

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Central Square: $6.29, 3 for $15 Deal

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Porter Square: $5.99, 3 for $15 Deal

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CVS.com: $5.99, On Sale for $5.29 and 3 for $15

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Trojan Pleasure Pack 12 Condoms

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Harvard Square: $18.79

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Central Square: $19.49

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Porter Square: $18.79

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CVS.com: $18.79

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My complete findings are presented above, but in summary, I spent 42 minutes and biked 4.53 miles for minimal results. If I were to expand this investigation, I’d trek farther outside the Harvard bubble. Since Central Square and Porter Square are still relatively close to college campuses (MIT and Lesley, respectively), the prices at these CVSes, too, could be higher than average. However, as seen below, the prices are nearly equivalent to the prices on the CVS website (which even has a disclaimer… “Prices may vary from online to in store”). Apparently, they kind of do.

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A noticeable finding is that the Central Square CVS is quirky. Maybe it’s due to its slightly reduced hours, but who honestly knows. This isn’t an Econ final project. But, I can tell you that a box of Family Size Original Cheez-Its is 20 cents less, and the Pantene shampoo and conditioner inexplicably swap prices compared to the other locations. The Central Square condoms, however, are a whole 70 cents more than the other locations and online. Demand drives up price, so… MIT?

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To my relatively naive consumer eyes, the prices do seem high. Nearly $9 for Cheez-Its? The good news is that CVS has a lot of savings and rewards options. Signing up for Extra Care might not be a bad idea (this is not an ad, but I actually signed up for it yesterday). Be like me and save money! Or save money by buying your conditioner locally, and shampoo in Central Square, it’s up to you. My 4.53 mile escapade was refreshing, if not too insightful, but I wouldn’t recommend it for the everyday.

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{shortcode-48f93fa15141089626aa0d532091d2305c54bce4}Oh soup, the peak of any HUDS culinary experience. From hearty stews to clear broths, its soupy goodness has the power to transcend our differences and bring the Harvard community together like the Jefe’s line at 1 a.m. on a Saturday night. As a self-described soup connoisseur, I believe the soup is worth the awkwardly slow walk as you try to ferry your bowl to your seat without it spilling or slightly burning your tongue after digging in too soon. With a diverse lineup of HUDS soups to feed the hungry masses, no matter what oddly specific Harvard experience you’re going through, there’s always a soup for you.

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When You’re Homesick: New England Clam Chowder

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Are the washing machines always broken in your dorm and you miss doing your laundry at home? Do you have a meeting in the Quad in 10 minutes and PassioGo! is malfunctioning again? Did the 10th person this week say: “We should grab a meal sometime?” Are the closest thing you have to pets at school the rats in the River Houses? The stretch before Thanksgiving break can feel unending, and, with the amount of nuisances that Harvard has to offer, we all miss home sometimes. New England Clam Chowder, however, is the perfect HUDS soup to get you through your homesickness. Nothing makes you forget your troubles and embrace fall quite like some pumpkin spice donuts, a Gilmore Girls marathon, and a steaming bowl of soup. Have some New England Clam Chowder (PSA: it’s always on Fridays) to start your weekend off right.

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Feeling Bougie: Lobster Bisque

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Mr. “I sleep in business casual attire,” this one’s for you. Did Dean Khurana post you (at a weird angle that did you dirty) on his Instagram? Did your campus celebrity randomly say hi to you? Are you wearing your mom’s blazer and your roommate’s shoes en route to your first recruiting event? Did you just strut past the tourists outside of Widener to go procrastinate on your EXPOS 20 essay? A creamy lobster bisque and a dash of superiority complex are the perfect complements to your new main character era. Though a little funky tasting at times, the bisque offers a certain HUDS-flavored charm to it.

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Feeling Sassy: White Bean Escarole

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We’ve all had those days where everything seems to piss you off, and you’ve had it. Maybe the section kid was being a little too talkative in class, your roommates made you fill up the Brita like always, your TF wrote you a passive-aggressive email, or a kid from Yale opened their mouth at Harvard-Yale. Have a bowl of white bean escarole at lunch, and I promise you’ll be equipped with the snarkiest comebacks imaginable for your 3 p.m. Ec10a section. The flavor of the soup packs a perfect punch, just as you will too.

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About to Pull an All-Nighter for Computer Science 120: Broccoli Cheddar

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Did you just find out that each question on your three-question Math1b pset is actually 7 parts? Do you have your HCCG final presentation due in the morning? Did you use up all your extensions on the first essay for your GenEd? Does your flight tomorrow leave from Logan at 5 a.m. because it was the cheapest option? The Sunday Scaries are back this week in full force. You’re going to need as much sustenance as you can if you’re going to lock in and survive the night. Luckily for you, HUDS is serving Broccoli Cheddar soup at dinner. After consuming this delectable cheesy concoction, maybe you’ll start to feel as smart as your 11th-grade self again.

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‘Does my Comp Director hate me?’: Roasted Vegetable Soup

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For this next soup, a certain amount of self-pity is required. Maybe you just came out of your Chem 17 midterm and everyone you’ve talked to got different answers, your Datamatch never messaged you back (they weren’t even that cute), your friend ignored you at a punch event, or the national boyfriend day IG stories were too much for you to stomach. Regardless of the reason for your sour mood, HUDS has got just the soup to match: their Roasted Vegetable Soup. This constant, yet always disappointing, presence in the weekly soup lineup is sure to sit untouched meal-after-meal, student-after-student. After all, you have to hate yourself (even just a little) to eat it.

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In the Trenches: Chicken Noodle Soup

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Got Frat Flu? It’s the end of November and you still have that pesky flu you caught from a MIT frat party you were talked into trekking to on the first night of orientation. Everything in that frat was weirdly sticky, including this cough. Or maybe Cabot (Science Library) is a little too cold but your whole FAP friend group hangs out there and you refuse to wear a sweatshirt because you don’t fear the cold, it fears you. No need to fret, the age-old cure for sickness also happens to be a hot commodity at HUDS. Get yourself a nice bowl of chicken noodle — after all, it’s good for the soul, and for your sinuses. The chicken noodle soup always goes fast, though, so you have to get there early.

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Feeling Bold: Thai Chicken Soup

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Has Sidechat been feeding your delusions lately? You sat next to your section crush today (you’ve never talked before, but this is the first step in your 20-step marriage plan). The dhall chicken was looking really pink, but you still ate it (what’s salmonella anyways?). You skipped your 10-person seminar the day before your midterm. The Thai Chicken Soup from HUDS has a slight spicy kick to it that’s sure to get you in the mood to take risks. Plus, it’s okay to be a little delulu sometimes. You have Flyby’s approval.

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Feeling Grateful: Lentil Soup

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The classic lentil soup is the perfect backdrop to self-reflect on your “transformative educational experience” at Harvard. Whether you’re biking along the Charles on a Sunday morning, saying hi to your favorite HUDS workers, sleeping in because your professor canceled your 9 a.m., or spotting the elusive Remy in the Yard, lentil soup has got you covered for life’s most serendipitous moments. This hearty, fan-favorite soup is a reliable staple of HUDS, even more reliable than your sneaky link over winter break.

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All jokes aside, mealtime is truly the best part of the day. Whether you’re making a Veritaffle in Annenberg, waiting in the Fly By (not flyby — that’s us) line between classes, grimly cutting into a dry slab of chicken, or slurping up a nice bowl of soup, take some time to appreciate the people and things around you. After all, mealtime (and HUDS soup) has a magical ability to bring people together.

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{shortcode-0365f3193b756277eb6e563f3371a81ba4d2d6c2}After procrastinating once again on my Math 1a pset (to no one’s surprise), I take my walk of shame down the sterile halls of the Science Center third floor into MQC. After greeting myself to the busy herd of confused students crowded around tables, my friends ask me, “What question are you on?”

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“Question 1,” I respond with seemingly too much pride.

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Despite my initial setback, I (thankfully) end up completing my pset before the center closes at 11 p.m. Simply put, I owe my life and soul to the MQC, and here are some reasons why this seemingly dark and stressful place is one of my favorites on campus.

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The MQC enforces collaboration

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Teamwork really does make the dream work at the MQC. This place enforces collaboration with my fellow Math 1a peers and with the Course Assistants (CAs). And while sometimes it is embarrassing to ask questions (I once asked what 12 times 13 was, so don’t worry, your question cannot be worse), I know that MQC will always be there to help ~unstick~ me. In the land of MQC, there really are no dumb questions. Everyone’s in the same boat. Did someone say trauma bonding????

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The MQC makes me feel like I am doing groundbreaking work

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One of my favorite things about the MQC is the chalkboards. Every time I confidently stride to the board to solve a problem, I channel my inner Oppenheimer and pretend I’m solving a new theorem to be named after myself. The L’eon James Principle. Doesn’t that have a nice ring to it? Although my Math 1a pset isn’t as groundbreaking as the Math 55 psets, this chalkboard empowerment gives me the extra motivation to complete my pset and not resort to using a pset drop.

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The MQC is controlled chaos

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I can think of very few places where the idea of “controlled chaos” is more prevalent than in the MQC. The endless line of students flagging down CAs to coax the answer out of them ask insightful questions, the messiness of the chalkboards (not to mention the stained pants that you always wipe the excess chalk from your hands on), and the loudness of the room all contribute to a perfect storm of chaos. Yet, all of us students have one goal in mind: complete the pset as fast as possible so we can go to Brain Break and munch on Marshmallow Mateys. This environment is so Harvard-core and makes me proud to be a Crimson.

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Dear MQC, I cannot thank you enough for the hours you have saved me throughout the week. Please never change your collaborative, stimulating, and chaotic self. I love you and all you have to offer, and the day Harvard gets rid of you is the day my GPA tanks.

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{shortcode-2dd05b3f2c0bbc8764b7f9578bbe4bdcaa93879f}As a freshman at Harvard, I have often been told that some of the best moments of my undergraduate experience would come at Harvard-Yale. I couldn’t wait to don my crimson H sweater and see our esteemed institution battle Yale on the field. So, here’s the expectations versus reality for “The Game.”

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Expectation:

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The Game! If you don’t attend this event that gives off the biggest #yuckfale vibes each fall semester, I don’t think you can graduate from Harvard (I’m not joking). I expect this to be the pinnacle of my Harvard transformative experience, perhaps with an Obama sighting or Yardfest close behind it. The New Haven School for the Gifted against the small liberal arts institution J.O.B. (just outside of Boston) is always the culmination of the football season and boasts two former NCAA champions (the year doesn’t matter…).

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To begin, I don’t think that any team at Harvard could lose to any school in Connecticut — I mean, what even is in that state? Harvard football has had a great season thus far, and one little hiccup at a safety school in New Jersey shouldn’t stop us from achieving our solo Ivy League title. The Crimson are rolling, and no Yale student-athletes, pranks, or stadium will stop our team.

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Once in New Haven, I must decide which school city has better pizza (Frank Pepe’s can’t possibly be better than Noch’s). Then, when I get to Yale’s campus, I’m basing all of my weekend shenanigans off solely the Gossip Girl and Gilmore Girls episodes I’ve seen occur at Yale. Yes, this means I want to see people (maybe my TF who keeps grading my paper too harshly?) snatched up by a Yale secret society or find my Serena van der Woodsen. I’d also expect little coffee carts in the campus courtyards, proud alums who can’t close the yearbook from 30 years ago, and RVs decked out with food and private chefs. C’mon, this is the Ivy League.

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I have, however, heard that the festivities revolving around the game at Yale are epic. Whether people are going to the frats or hitting up Toad’s, the 3 a.m. bedtime to 4 a.m. tailgate rally is going to be something that every Harvard student might come back telling mythical stories about to everyone willing to hear at their Thanksgiving table.

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This is going to be a great, fun Harvard tradition….

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Reality:

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First off, I’m very disappointed in the Crimson faithful. If you looked across the gridiron (another term for the field, btw), Yale’s section was filled to the brim, while we failed even to fill two sections with students (yes, I’m calling out all you students who sat on the Yale side — be better). They made us look like fools, and the only chant we could come up with in our Ivy League brains was “safety school!” I mean, c’mon peeps, I’ve seen Sidechat; we can come up with better crap than that. Harvard State needs to step up its game.

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Now, to the Yale Bowl… the entrance situation was chaotic, and there was no way to avoid waiting at least 20 minutes behind some Yalies, many of whom tend to cut the line. Whenever I tried to check my phone to text friends about where they were, zero bars of wireless connection made for complete and utter chaos, and I will never wish that kind of chaos on anyone.

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I will, however, rate the party scene there as a great time! Though New Haven might be close to the worst town to go to school in, this was the only thing every student seemed to get behind, and I’m all for forging community. Friday night and Saturday morning, the Yale students seemed to fully support the integration of Harvard nerds and we all danced the night away.

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As I like to remind myself daily regarding the Bullpups from New Haven — it’s all right, it’s okay; they’ll all work for us one day. I can’t wait to see next year’s game on home turf, and even though we lost in heartbreaking fashion, I know that the 10,000 men (and women) of Harvard will gain victory today, tomorrow, and for as long as New Haven School for the Smart and Gifted is open.

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{shortcode-5ce0301c171d4295318fc681071e803a9c35f6d5}Dear Sundae Sunday,

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Every Sunday night, the Sunday Scaries start to creep in, perhaps foreshadowing a long night in Lamont of psets and essays. After pushing snooze on my alarm one too many times and panicking over a morning of procrastination, I spent my entire Sunday afternoon running between comp meetings and cranking out assignments in between. Then, I realized that I forgot to clean the en suite bathroom, and groaned at the thought of spending yet another night at MQC. Not a single white space is left in my GCal for the week.

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Then, a glimmer of hope returns when I remember: it’s Sundae Sunday.

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Even though I spent dinner wondering how much pink is too pink for a piece of chicken, or constructing the same HUDS salad for the 100th time because “Red’s Best Catch” doesn’t look very appealing, I know that an ice cream sundae will be there to save me. With so many toppings to choose from — sprinkles, hot fudge, chocolate chips, M&Ms, whipped cream — what more could turn one’s Sunday around? With the 4:30 p.m. sunsets nowadays, I need a sundae to brighten up the night ahead.

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There are a few… downsides to Sundae Sunday. For one, there’s always a long line. You’re guaranteed to see everyone you’ve ever met in that line, from that one Visitas friend to the elusive suitemate you only see huddled in Lamont at 1 a.m. grinding on their pset. Second, there’s that interesting water and ice cream concoction to “clean” the scooper that looks like sewer water. There’s also the chance that your bowl will be piping hot and turn your Sunday Sundae into Soup Sunday, which is kind of counterintuitive for a frozen dessert. However, these minor details just add to the charm of our beloved Sunday Sundae. It’s not an event for broke college students without some added mishaps.

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Whether Berg dinner was enjoyable or not, Sundae Sunday never fails to bring me joy. I love debriefing the weekend with my friends and gearing up for the week ahead over a nice bowl of free (ish) ice cream. Who doesn’t love a sweet treat?

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I am eternally grateful for Sundae Sunday.

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With love, gratitude, (and much anticipation for next Sunday),
\r\nAAM

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My freshman year, I made the (admittedly questionable) decision to stay on campus over Thanksgiving for the express purpose of not feeling extra homesick after break. (I ended up feeling homesick during break instead!) Whether you’ve chosen to stay on campus for a similar reason or for a much more legitimate one, here are a few tips to make your on-campus Thanksgiving an enjoyable one!

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Enjoy the quintessential Harvard Thanksgiving — emphasis on Harvard.

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If you must enjoy Thanksgiving on Harvard’s campus (or chose to do so), you might as well experience Thanksgiving the way you only can on campus. Hop in line for Berg’s Thanksgiving dinner (or, honestly, any HUDS meal for the five-ish days of break) and alternately revel and sob at the fact that HUDS can create delicious food when it actually tries. When you’re done feasting, camp out in the Yard (with an appropriate number of layers) to watch the turkeys and snap artfully composed photographs that’ll make all your friends regret not staying on campus with you. (If you can’t find any turkeys, locate an empty common room whiteboard to start devising conspiracy theories about the source of Berg’s Thanksgiving meal.)

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…Get your life together.

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Let’s face it: sometimes there’s just not enough time during the school year to be a fully functional person. Letting a few tasks fall to the wayside — like sleeping a reasonable amount, or not treating your dorm room floor like a trash can — while not always healthy, is perfectly understandable. That said, you probably don’t want to charge into finals period with your life in (mild) disrepair, so take advantage of the extra free time over break to get your affairs in order. Let yourself sleep a full eight hours (or twelve hours) every day! Finally use the cleaning supplies that have been living under your bed! And if you still have some time left after catching up on chores — give yourself a chance to rest, too! — you can ensure that your life doesn’t fall into disrepair again by working ahead on psets due next week or planning for the summer.

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Escape the Harvard bubble!

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Even if you can’t make it home for Thanksgiving, you don’t have to spend all of break on campus. Accompany a friend to their family’s Thanksgiving dinner. Catch a train to New York! Or rent a Zipcar with some friends and venture down to Plymouth to visit a holiday-appropriate museum. Failing that, venture out into Boston to explore all the local haunts or to partake in the free (or discounted) opportunities that you haven’t found the time to visit while courses are in session.

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Know you’re not alone.

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While it can feel a little bit lonely staying on campus during a holiday centered around togetherness, you are absolutely not alone in staying close to school for the break. Given the shortness of the break, plenty of people stay on campus for Thanksgiving; it’s likely that more people in your social circle will stay for the break than you’ll reasonably be able to hang out with before Sunday. Even if no one in your current social circle is staying for the break, you can always make some new friends! The holiday season is all about gratitude and connection, so there’s no reason to restrict that togetherness to people you already know. Beyond those present on campus, you can also spend time (virtually) with your loved ones located far from Harvard! Schedule some video chats to ensure that you don’t have to travel home to feel those you love around you.

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Hopefully, these tips will help you enjoy your break, even sans the opportunity to actually go home for a few days. Regardless, keep in mind that your break is meant to be just that: a break — so even if it’s not the most fun experience in the world, your focus should be on resting and recovering, anyway. Plus, there’s always winter break!!

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We know you’ve missed us. We’re back with our weekly, super credible, and professional advice column — Dear Flyby. This week, we all finally get a bit of a break. In an ideal world, we would all be full couch potatoes during these few days of freedom. However, some of us have no excuse but to finally tackle all the work we put off until Thanksgiving break. Here’s how we’re going to get it all done.

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Q: How do I get work done during Thanksgiving break?

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A: If you’re like us, maybe you left the entirety of your 25-page paper to write during Thanksgiving break because what’s more #thankful than stressing about school when you don’t even have classes? Or maybe, you have to catch up on three Canvas discussion posts that were due a month ago. Perhaps, you’ve got 10 lectures to watch for your midterm that’s right after the break. (Or was it 12? You’ve lost track of how many lectures you’ve skipped.) But without the pressure of having to get your attendance point from filling out the Poll Everywhere quiz or the Learning Catalytics questionnaire, what will get you out of bed?

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Set an alarm (or 10) and get up early. Extra points if it’s the siren iPhone alarm sound that wakes up everyone around you as well. Rise and shine to the whole family! With the sun setting at 4 p.m., try to do the bulk of your work in the morning. If you’re a night owl, sleep until 4 p.m. and then work until midnight. Make sure to stock up on snacks (check out our fall Trader Joe’s snack roundup!) and if you’re not too busy watching lectures, play some Netflix in the background to make work time more relaxing. Unless you’re an iPad kid, in which case you should put on Subway Surfers. During your study breaks, fantasize about Thanksgiving dinner and sing along to Christmas carols to celebrate the fact that winter break is only a few weeks away (!!!). You got this, we believe in you!

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Xoxo,

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Flyby Blog

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{shortcode-eff54ad0ab9a62f91c3738252d4dea3fd934375c}Before coming to Harvard, you may have heard about the athletics-oriented nature of the school, aka the only time you might not be able to get a game ticket is to Harvard-Yale. Now that The Game is finally upon us, it’s time to dust off that football knowledge buried deep within you. If you expect to find great food, a packed crowd, and an exciting game, you might not be entirely in the right place, but hey — you can still have fun! For instance, try to see if you can spot these five types of Harvard students in the game crowd this weekend…

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The Obnoxious Ultra Fan

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You know that kid that’s standing in front of everyone else, cheering as loud as possible, and making it known that they love football? The obnoxious ultra fan might block your view of the game for 55 of the 60 minutes, but they’re there to watch (unlike you), so why shouldn’t they be able to? As annoying as it might be to sit behind an obnoxious ultra fan, it’s likely equally annoying to sit beside them. You will know way more about football than when you did before, whether you want to or not. Hence, the correlation with the mansplainer (see below).

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The Student Who’s Only There for Pictures

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There’s always that one person that you see at tailgate and hope to catch a glimpse of during the game but never end up doing so. It’s likely because they didn’t even attend the actual game. As long as they got a couple pictures, it happened. If they do make it to the game, you can always spot them by their fit vlog camera and perfect outfit. These people are often the opposite of the ultra fans: they don’t care about the game, nor do they care about learning. They look good and the pics came out cute. They came, they saw, they conquered. Slay.

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The Mansplainer

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The mansplainer is often in correlation with the ultra fan, but there are a few key differences. The first is that they come to the game not to show that they love football, but that they know football. You can find them intentionally hunting down poor clueless spectators who just want to enjoy themselves, forcing lingo, rules, and league-happenings down their throats. If you try to talk football with them because you do know the sport, you’ll definitely hear “Well, who’s your favorite team?” followed by “Oh, you like them? Name five players.” They need to prove that even if you are familiar with football, you don’t know it like they do.

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The International Student That Finds It Ridiculous

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The international students are always the first to point out the faults of the game. If you find them at the game, you might hear the term “American football” thrown around frequently. They will constantly be at odds with the ultra fan, pointing out that the obsession with football is in some way or another way worse than any form of obsession with soccer (real football?).

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The Student Who Isn’t There

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You really thought that there would be five students at a Harvard athletic event? While Brown’s section at the first Harvard home game was packed, the Harvard student section emptied out pretty quickly. Where is everyone, might you ask? Probably in Cabot, crying about an essay due next Sunday, or maybe about the upcoming midterms. There is always some kind of work to be done, and Harvard students are set on doing it, even if that means sacrificing a fun night of football for a slightly less fun night of psetting.

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Harvard football games are not something that the school promotes as a high point of its offerings, but it can be fun if you put in the work. Enjoying the game is all about surrounding yourself with people who make any situation fun, cheering whenever something happens, even if you don’t know exactly whether it was good or bad, and making sure to avoid some of the less appealing people on this list. We challenge you to try to spot each of these people at Harvard-Yale! Go Crimson!

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