As a proud toll-paying member of Harvard Lovers of the Garden State (HLOGS), I take offense at the recent debates over our organizational validity. Opponents of HLOGS, New Jersey and state clubs in general argue that HLOGS does not deserve University funding.
One can only assume that these claims are made by people who suffer from the myopic view that education is restricted to what one learns in a classroom. Lectures and problems sets cannot substitute for the personal testimony that students often offer one another in the sanctity of state clubs meeting rooms.
For anyone who delights in meeting new people, Harvard affords many opportunities for individuals to meet and converse with others who are from differing backgrounds and experiences. However, as trite as it may sound, there really is no place like home. The existence of state pride clubs offers students the chance to spend time with people who know where they are coming from, both figuratively and literally. But, by not restricting membership only to people from the state, such clubs also allow nonresidents to learn about areas and regions that they might never take the time out to visit—maybe they will after meeting the people.
Endorsing state clubs fits into the University’s greater mission to not only appreciate but also explore a diversity of cultures. But the underlying issue here, however, is the all-too-common tendency to insult the glorious Garden State. Yes, Jersey has dirt. Yes, it has crime. Yes, it has some unpleasant smells. But Jersey also is the birthplace of several internationally acclaimed musicians and actors and home to one of the best universities in the world and serves as a prime location between two booming metropolitan cities.
Danny Devito, Jon Bon Jovi, Calista Flockhart, Bruce Springsteen, Jason Alexander, James Gandolfini, Lauryn Hill (and the other two Fugees) and Thomas Edison are just a few of the notable natives who have made New Jersey the birthplace of fame itself.
Any female who has met a New Jersey male can assure you that he always lived up to the name, “The Boss.” Any man who has been charmed by a New Jersey femme fatale can confirm that “nothing matters in this whole wide world when you’re in love with a Jersey Girl.”
The list of New Jersey’s wonders could go on for pages, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the pleasant surprises that await those who drive down the Garden State Parkway.
The creation of HLOGS was an altruistic act, an attempt to give non-Jerseyans a taste of what it is like to be from New Jersey. We don’t mind that it has been ill-received. Even if the Undergraduate Council decides to cut funding for HLOGS, as the richest state in the Union, Jersey won’t need your money anyway.
