On Friday, Van Allsburg, whose notable works include “Jumanji” and “The Polar Express,” visited the Brattle Street Theatre alongside Lois Lowry to discuss his new book, “The Chronicles of Harris Burdick.”

Despite an unexpected October snowstorm blanketing Cambridge in a wet layer of snow, Harvard students sloshed through soggy streets to celebrate Halloween—if in somewhat dampened tones—in a variety of ways, from Fright Fest in Annenberg Hall to the annual Heaven and Hell party in Currier House.

Starting this Tuesday, a group of about ten Harvard freshmen plan to participate in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), an event that challenges people nationwide to pen a 50,000-word novel in the month of November alone.

Former home of Cambridge natives Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, Central Square is just a short T-stop away from Harvard and hosts a variety of shops, eateries, and bars, along with a vibrant music scene. Students looking for a break from the usual weekend routine should check out a few of the places Central Square has to offer.

Anyone who has walked through the Yard lately may have noticed that Tercentenary Theatre is still recovering from a rough weekend of partying. The combination of rain and thousands of wandering feet at last Friday's 375th Anniversary Celebration have left the grass (much of which has been replaced by dirt and mud) looking less than spectacular. Fortunately, Facilities Maintenance Operations has plans in the works to restore the Yard to its former grandeur.

The Harvard football team's 41-31 victory over Cornell wasn't the only exciting part of Saturday's game. During the third quarter, actor and Saturday Night Live alum Bill Murray made a surprise appearance in the bleachers after the band finished playing theme song "Ghostbusters" from Murray's popular film of the same name.

Nassim Kerkache likes to get to work early. Supervisor of the Harvard Yard Mail Center, he rises at 4:30 a.m. every morning so he can arrive on campus by 6:00 a.m. "I don’t start till 8:00 a.m. or 8:30 a.m., but I come anyway," he said. "I love this job."