Day 31: We have a match! We play Oklahoma, ranked No. 22 at the time. They have all scholarships athletes from Eastern European countries, and I thought I overheard one of the Sooners discussing his recent 25th birthday party. I don’t get to play, but Coach lets me keep score.

Day 42: Well, here’s the home stretch! Last week! The team is starting to like me, and I’m really getting into a groove with my forehand. And I’m getting into shape. Just a few more months of conditioning…

Day 46: One of the juniors on the team gives us flyers for a PBHA program he’s involved with.

Day 49: Last day. Coincidentally, the team has to start its seven-week dead period today as well. I feel bad for that freshman who was just starting to make his mark, and could probably have used some extra instruction. Oh well, at least he has an education to fall back on.

I returned to The Crimson a better man, I suppose, though I did injure my typing fingers since I hadn’t kept them in typing shape. Looking back, I’m glad the Ivy Presidents put me on that seven-week hiatus so I could re-enter the Harvard I had so clearly been ignoring due to my journalistic segregationist tendencies.

It was a good time—so much enjoyment, so much learning, so much socializing.

So much bullshit.

—Staff writer Rahul Rohatgi can be reached at rohatgi@fas.harvard.edu.