Although some of us do not express our affinities so publicly on our bodies, all of us--whether we work with first-year students, Key-latch kids or volleyball teammates--are part of the Harvard and Radcliffe community. We know what HRO, IOP and PBHA stand for. What we wear is a legible emblem of our pride in our teams, our houses and our University.
Part of my advising prospective and new students has been to encourage their participation in campus activities. By staying informed and involved, we all have a stake in the community and will strive to make it a more cohesive, humane place to live.
Throughout sophomore and junior years, I devoted time to meeting and acclimating new students, and my T-shirt collection reflects that commitment.
As a prefect, I got a nice hunter green shirt so I could dispense advice and plan study breaks in style. As part of the Undergraduate Admissions Council, I hosted countless pre-frosh and telephoned dozens of high school students to answer their questions about college. The T-shirt from that organization displays a large Veritas shield and the cheery "Welcome to Harvard."
In total, I have three bright-red Crimson Key shirts, each worn for seven days straight before being consigned to the back of my drawer after washing.
This last year my drawer reached capacity with a T-shirt momento of the play "The Real Class of '96." In blue block letters on the front, the shirt reads simply, "COLLEGE." I am proud to be in college and in one that promotes both intellectual growth and the opportunity to make fun of it.
When I more out on Friday, packed in along with the anthropology books and thesis notes will be the multi-hued collection of T-shirts that represent my color-fast dedication to Harvard. Each time I were one of those shirts in the future, I will be both reasserting my pride in my almamater and continuing to build a community of Harvard students outside the confines of the Yard.
Peter S. Cahn '96 is Harvard First Class Marshal.