eGroup An Important Link Connecting First-Years

To the editors:

Re: "Alone in Annenberg? First-Years Take Heart" (News, Sept. 13):

The article mentioned many ways in which first-years might know one another--high school, national competitions, summer programs and the like--but it neglected to cover one way in which one-eighth of the Class of 2003 has already met, the famous (or perhaps infamous) "eGroup."

After the Early Action acceptances were issued, many of us immediately began to get to know one another digitally. By instinctively (proudly? pretentiously?) adding "Harvard 2003" to our America Online profiles, 20 or so first-years got in touch via e-mail. As the group grew, we set up an automated list-server using the eGroups.com service.

By Pre-Frosh Weekend, 60 to 70 2003-ers had heard, via word-of-mouth, of the eGroup. At PreFrosh, many of us met in person for the first time, solidifying what were slight acquaintances into strong friendships. By the end of this past summer, almost 200 incoming first-years had subscribed. Virtually everyone has heard of or knows someone in the eGroup.

The eGroup has been a true boon in getting to know one another. Our conversations have ranged from subjects so serious as existential philosophy and the existence of God to practical subjects like how to buy the right bed sheets.

Far from being exclusionary or "sketchy" as some might think, many of the dedicated eGroupers have been the most friendly, welcoming people on campus, extending greetings to other first-years who were not so fortunate as to have the resource we did.

For many of us, it feels as though we have been at Harvard for eight months already. Many of these friendships transcend the Internet and have become real bonds, the sort about which so many people have spoken over the past few days.

This has been a valuable resource, one which The Crimson seems to have overlooked.