It was humid enough to force a mid-day change of the essentials, crowded enough to make Nat Sci 118 seem relevant, and for the few thousand Harvard students who were wandering semi-aimlessly around the Yard yesterday, it was the opening day of school.

Of course, it seemed more like a hazy August afternoon at the beach, or a Saturday morning at the Stop & Shop when the steak costs less than the frozen lasagna, but it was all for real, even those courses that had neither final nor hourly, papers nor reading lists.

Camp Harvard

Walking out of one crowded lecture, an over-ripe freshman stated that he couldn't believe Harvard was like this. "Why, I haven't had this much fun since summer camp eight years ago," he said.

Some students were hardly as frivolous, however, as evidenced by a remark overheard in Gov 124, Archibald Cox's baby, "I know I'm sweating," said one obese sophomore, "but I don't know whether it's because of the heat or this reading list."

Over at that bastion of credit, the Coop, the notebook lines were double-figures deep. While most freshmen were purchasing five apiece--one per course and one to get a head start on next semester--many upperclassmen were spotted with nothing more than a can of Right Guard."

"Why buy notebooks today," offered one, "when school doesn't begin for another four months. Besides it's really hot out and I'm sweating bullets." He then made the most of his purchase.

And when the sun finally set yesterday evening over Cambridge, and the Coop finally closed, and the course-shopping finally concluded, there was really little to do. Except wait until this morning and start the 200 all over again. See you around Bio 106, sport.