‘I’ve Now Memorized All of the Chants’: Freshmen Report Noise, Study Disruptions from Strike

The sound of drumming and chants from striking graduate students in the Science Center Plaza has woken some freshmen before 9 a.m. and driven others out of their dorm rooms, as demonstrations spill across Harvard Yard in the final weeks of the semester.

The disruptions come as the Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers enters its second week of strike, with members gathering weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m in Science Center Plaza and along nearby walkways in Harvard Yard.

In interviews with more than 25 freshmen, students living in dorms closest to the plaza — including Holworthy Hall, Thayer Hall, and Canaday Hall — said the noise has been difficult to avoid, even as many expressed support for the union’s demands.

Olivia K. Le ’29, who lives in Holworthy, said she has been woken up multiple mornings by the sound of the picket line.

“There was a night where I chose to sleep in my friend’s dorm in Greenough just because I knew I was going to sleep really late and I didn’t want to be woken up,” Le said.

Le said she still supports the strike, despite the inconvenience.

“The cause of the strike is so much more important than my sleep,” she said. “I’ll complain about it for sure, but it’s not the worst issue that someone has to face, because those people are fighting for their rights.”

For Herbert G. “Herbie” Baker ’29, the noise has made it harder to prepare for exams.

“Especially at an important time right before finals, that can be fairly disruptive,” Baker said. “Taking into consideration the students who don’t really have any power to change it and who are just trying to get good grades might be a useful thing to think about.”

Caleb J. Boyce ’29, a Thayer Hall resident, said the volume of the demonstrations has made studying in his room “not a doable thing anymore.”

“The chanting from outside is so bad that I’ve now memorized all of the chants,” Boyce said. “It’s unfortunate that it’s affecting the freshmen, and not the administration.”

HGSU acknowledged in a statement that the strike has caused disruptions to students, but wrote that the union viewed the resulting impacts as ultimately the responsibility of the University.

“We hoped to never have to go on strike in the first place, and we hope that the strike can end as soon as possible,” they wrote. “However, after 15 months of bargaining with the university, we have been left with no choice but to strike. In our perspective, it’s not us that are causing these disruptions but Harvard.”

Boyce added that while he has encountered picket lines near Annenberg Hall — the freshman dining hall — they have not significantly slowed him down.

“I get ticked off when they do a picket line outside Berg,” he said. “I need to eat, but it doesn’t really affect my life. I just pick up a pamphlet and keep walking.”

The strike began after more than 15 months of contract negotiations between the union and the University failed to produce an agreement. Key issues include higher wages, expanded protections for non-citizen workers, and third-party arbitration in harassment and discrimination cases. As of this week, there has been no indication of when negotiations will conclude.

The strike has also prompted changes inside the classroom, particularly for courses held in buildings adjacent to the picket lines. Some classes have canceled in-person lectures or shifted online, while others have consolidated sections due to a reduced number of teaching fellows.

Oliver G. Doty ’29 said one of his courses moved to Zoom last week, which he said he found less engaging.

“I’ve just been finding it a lot harder to learn when I have class on Zoom that I feel less obligated to pay attention to,” Doty said. “I support the strike, but it is definitely affecting my learning.”

Jennifer L. Walks ’29 said several of her teaching fellows have canceled office hours since the strike began.

“It’s not like I can be mad at it because I’m in support of it,” Walks said. “It’s just a bummer in general, because finals are coming up, and I would like help.”

In at least two of her courses, I’yanna Y. Jones ‘29 said sections were combined due to fewer available teaching fellows, resulting in larger discussion groups.

“You combine a section and now it’s a really big class,” Jones said. “I feel like I’m not learning as well as I did.”

Many other students said the impact on their coursework has been limited.

“I wouldn’t say the quality of my learning has changed,” Samuel J. Oubala ‘29 said. “I think the teaching staff has been really good about giving us resources to get around this.”

Even so, Obaula said the strike has affected how he views the University.

“It’s not good to be a student here and see your very teachers striking against the school that you are in,” Obaula said. “The school should definitely be doing more to support our graduate students.”

Harvard spokesperson Jason A. Newton referred to a Tuesday email to faculty announcing a higher wage offer and a new package of graduate student benefits in response to a request for comment.

Beyond academics, some freshmen said the strike has shaped their experience of campus events. Maia M. Abed ‘29 said she heard picketers addressing prospective students during Visitas, Harvard’s admitted students weekend.

“It’s a little disheartening to hear them say, ‘Don’t go to Harvard,’ to Visitas kids,” Abed said. “It’s just a hard thing to hear.”

Still, some students said the disruption is an expected part of a labor strike. Hadrien K. Gonzales ’29 said the visibility of the demonstration is central to its effectiveness.

“People may be annoyed,” Gonzalez said. “That’s part of what makes a strike effective.”

—Staff writer Wyeth Renwick can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on X @wzrenwick.

—Staff writer Claire L. Simon can be reached at [email protected] and Signal at csimon.13. Follow her on X @ClaireSimon.