We Need More Bodies

It’s all in how you say it: “Oh wow.”

From genuine elation to caustic sarcasm to absolute apathy, this year’s Optional Winter Activities Week—commonly referred to by its succinct and telling acronym name OWAW—evoked a wide spectrum of student responses. Some students marveled at the opportunities made possible by OWAW’s inaugural year such as spoken word performances, campaign planning workshops, and chocolate truffle classes; others criticized the administration for the inadequate length and funding of the week; yet a third faction of individuals advocated the novel idea of rest and relaxation during breaks. Regardless of the range of reactions and the fact that this year marked the week’s inaugural appearance, the burden of OWAW’s success or failure in the future ultimately rests on the student body.

Time and time again, we are told that Harvard is defined by its students. The administration can remove barriers to encourage frivolity, ingenuity, and intellectual curiosity during this non-compulsory opportunity on campus, but the actual push must come from the students. However valuable the offered activities may be, students need to realize their benefits in order to properly take advantage of them.

The beauty of OWAW lies in the latter part of the name. By nature of being an “activities week,” the innocuous interval helps students limited by the lack of opportunities to try new things. Students denied entrance to competitive creative writing seminars can now attend a workshop over OWAW, hone their skills, and perhaps reapply later with a higher success rate. Even those who are merely looking to dabble can scan the list of Undergraduate Council-sponsored events—Filipino Martial Arts, Punk Music, and Spoken Word, for example—to explore realms beyond their concentration without dedicating an entire semester to the effort. Of course, this is all contingent on student attendance, which can make or break the value of such programs.

The decentralized nature of OWAW breeds innovative spirit for those interested. Want to read the entire healthcare bill for fun? Go for it. Need money for your project? Apply for a UC Grant. Dissatisfied with all the options available? Start your own with all of Harvard’s resources at your disposal. Without the structure imposed by classes and time-filling extracurriculars, suddenly the Google Calendar is filled with quirky workshops or lectures that usually take a back seat to school work, prior commitments, and sleeping. But first, the interest must be there, and this is what the college should focus on going forward.

Certainly, the administration has room to improve on OWAW’s maiden voyage. Relatively late scheduling in the semester meant that booked planes flights and finalized travel plans prohibited some from returning earlier while increased funding for OWAW would exponentially increase available options. With a little practice, such wrinkles will be ironed out soon, allowing the week to become a week of great potential.

This is not an ode to OWAW, but rather a challenge to my fellow students. J-term extending into OWAW could very well be a time of repose to collect the frayed nerves scattered to the four winds by the previous semester culminating in exam week. Possibly by playing video games and eating junk food, before embarking on a new semester. There is nothing wrong with that.

Still, when next year’s OWAW rolls around, those who look across Cambridge at MIT’s month-long Independent Activities Period with envy should take an additional cursory glance around Harvard. This campus professes to have the most intellectually curious students in the world. If OWAW is something that the student body wishes to continue, we must commit to explore options and get involved. Be angry, be critical, be honest, but show up.

Irene Y. Chen ’14, a Crimson editorial editor, lives in Wigglesworth Hall