The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard has a proud tradition of producing innovative, risqué and thought-provoking covers. Over the years, Harvard Student Agencies (HSA) has rendered a service to the Harvard community by pushing the envelope of cover art. In 2002, the cover’s depiction of the Spare Change guy spoke deeply to the cruelty of man by highlighting the indifference of Harvard students to the plight of the poor. In 2003, the sweater vest montage spoke to another equally important social issue—Harvard students’ sense of style, or lack thereof. It should come as no surprise then that HSA’s newest cover does not disappoint, opening our minds—and our hearts.

This year’s cover, set against an intriguing hot pink background with two young co-eds in the foreground, depicts that oh-so-typical midnight Cinderella moment in the Yard. Who hasn’t been there? The electricity of the moment is palpable—so palpable, in fact, that though the students may be able to control their lust, they cannot control their letters and numbers, which embrace in the sky above them in a glowing dance of alphanumeric romance. Though the students’ distance and body language say “no,” their gaze and Unofficial Guides say “yes.” But will the magic in the air transcend their apparent differences? Will the relationship between the stereotypical skater-punk/athlete/artist and the musician/pre-med ever make it in this crazy mixed-up place temporarily called home? This dilemma is one of the essential questions that will forever plague the hearts and minds of Harvard students, and HSA has captured the poignancy of this eternal struggle.

Lost amidst the broader issue of love in strange places is a series of smaller subtle observations about the human condition. The reader is left in limbo not only as to whether these two star-crossed lovers will overcome their differences to find romance, but also as to whether they can balance their own personal activities in their hectic lives. For her, will keeping up with music lessons, chemistry labs, short-skirt fashion tips and HSA reading requirements keep her from such mundane activities as bathing? For him, will his athlete friends ever accept his metrosexual sense of style? These are the issues with which any student can be found wrestling daily, in some form or another. And fortunately, despite the traditional subversive connotations of the word “unofficial,” these compelling insights are brought straight to the doorstep of every undergraduate—officially—so that Harvard undergraduates need not flounder in darkness any longer.

With social commentary like this, we can only hope that next year’s cover will live up to the high standards set by the covers of the past years.