This weekend, five freshmen found out the hard way what it is like to live in the Yard.

Although they are all spending their freshmen yeas in the Union dorms, which are located outside the Yard, they Knew would have to experience the Yard one way or another.

So, the five freshmen and one high school senior decided to take that initiative this weekend when they camped out in front of the John Harvard statue.

"We're from the Union dorms and we'd never slept in the Yard before," said Jennifer R. Grossman '90.

After partying Saturday night away, the six would-be campers brought their pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags to the Yard for the camp-out.

"It was definitely a spur-of-the-moment thing," said Anthony B. Romano '90. "No one wanted to go to sleep because it was such a pretty night."

The six Pennypacker and Greenough residents arrived at the statue at 3:30 a.m., but by 6:30 a.m., three of them had bailed out and headed home. While one of the Yardsick frosh got too cold, another said he was was afraid of insects, and the third of rats.

At daybreak, the remaining three were approached by a Harvard police officer who "wanted to see if we were from Harvard," Grossman said. "He said we could stay until 8 a.m."

"At first, he thought we were setting up a shanty, "Romano said.

Throughout the night, the group met questions from passer-by who "had idea what we were doing, so we told them," said Romano.

"We did it half in protest because we were Union dorm'ed," Grossman said, referring to her Pennypacker housing assignment.

"I love my dorm , but when you think of Harvard, you think of the Yard. It's the center of everything," Romano said. "It's nice to look out your window and see this rectangle with beautiful buildings around it and to see John Harvard. That night, we were sleeping right next to John."

The episode ended happily yesterday when Suzanne C. Oaks, a high school senior from Mobile, Alabama, and a Yard camper, called her father from the airport on her way home to learn that she had been granted a place in the class of 1991.

"After what happened this weekend, I think she'll definitely come to Harvard," he said.