"1570."

You'll find a lot of competitiveness among Harvard students--and not just among the ones who have their sciencefair award-winning volcanoes on display in their common rooms. Often the cut-throat impulse hides, lurking just below the surface, ready to spew forth when you casually suggest a friendly game of Computer Risk, or even worse, when you begin playing...

The High School Glories Game.

"So, what kind of things are you interested in?"

"Well, I was into physics in high school. You might have even heard of me. I was the Nebraska state physics runner-up last year."

"That's great."

"What are you into."

"I'm kind of into journalism. You know, I was editor-in-cheif of my high school paper--for three years straight."

"Hmmmm."

"So I might write for the newspaper or a magazine here."

"I see."

High school achievements are nice, of course. But now, they're scrapbook material, memories. Class presidents, editors of yearbooks and newspapers, math and physics whizzes, soccer and cross-country stars abound here. We all excelled in high school; otherwise, we wouldn't be here. It's time to start over.

The Trash-Orientation-Week Game

"You having a good time so far this week?"

"Yeah, it's been OK. How about you?"