As the day wore on and the initial bustle of unloading cars died down, many first-years found themselves waiting for their roommates to arrive so they could split living space.
"I feel bad staking any claims--we'll have to wait until everyone gets here," said Quemby E. Iandiorio '95. "But I already know what I want. This desk, that bed."
Decorating common rooms could not really get under way either without room-mates around, as Minna J. Hahn '95 soon found. "My roommate's bringing a couch, and I have chairs," Hahn said. "But I'm afraid everything's going to clash."
Other first-years had put varying degrees of thought into how they would furnish their suites. Marion B. Gammill '95 was in the furniture section of the Harvard Coop on Friday afternoon with her mother. "I need a stand for my printer that I can put together without a craftsman's degree," she said. "I might buy a bean bag, too. My roommates and I are bringing a refrigerator, TV and VCR from home."
On the other hand, Murray A. Rabinowitz '95 seemed too busy carrying his computer up the stairs to consider aesthetic arrangements. Asked about his decor plans, Rabinowitz said, "Pink flowers. Not."
Practical Ideas
More practical ideas came from Thayer Hall roommates Carlyle I. Lincoln '95 and Josh D. Liston '95. "We need a couch," Liston said. "We've heard that the yard sales around Cambridge are probably the best deals." On a more whimsical note, the two wondered if the strips of wood on Thayer walls would support a swinging hammock.
As the day slowly mellowed from the initial morning move-in chaos, immediate concerns about rooms and luggage and furniture took a back seat as first-years began congregating on their entryway steps.
"You can tell who the kids are because we're all like 'agghhh,'" said Anna C. Volinkaty '95.
"I'm relieved to finally be here," Codrington said. "I had two weeks to waste before coming here, when everyone else was already starting at their schools. I'm glad I'm here now."
By 4 p.m., a frisbee game picked up on the lawn in front of Matthews. The Class of 1995 had finally moved in.
Many upperclass students, as well as first-years, moved into their rooms on Friday. At top-left, Ming Yo Tsai '93 of Eliot House, brings a full-length mirror into the new DeWolfe St. dorm. At top-right, Lawrence E. Tanz '92, a senior, carries his sofa into Lowell House. At bottom-left, Vincent P. Fiorino '95 signs in, while Sean C. Casey '95 finds his room key to the Yard.