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Students celebrated the first day of reading period with food trucks, raffle stations, and back massages on the Malkin Athletic Center lawn on Thursday, attending the Dean of Students Office’s annual “Finals Fest.”
The event, co-sponsored by the Center for Wellness and Health Promotion, turned into a casual picnic Thursday afternoon, with T-shirt tie-dying and dozens of students camped on the lawn with blankets and food.
“It’s a good vibe,” Addison Gaddy ’27 described.
Upon entering the gated event and receiving a red smiley face stamp on their hands, students were greeted with two raffle tickets — one for a meal and another for dessert.
Cailin Campbell, a health promotion graduate intern at Harvard University Health Services, explained that CWHP, a center within HUHS, “promotes holistic well-being on campus.”
“We use this as a harm reduction strategy for students to engage in food and massage and just promoting human connection during a pretty stressful time for undergraduates, especially on campus,” she said.
Students said they appreciated the brief respite from studying to decompress outside.
“I came because I enjoy free food and going to social events no matter who hosts them,” said Uzma A. Issa ’25, the First Marshal for the Class of 2025.
“Having cute little events like these are a good space for people to come together in their free time,” she added.
Ahead of a forecasted rainy reading period, students enjoyed the sunny first day of May relaxing outside with friends.
“I dropped by with a friend, but it was such a beautiful day outside, and I thought it’d be fun to dye some shirts,” Arsema A. Aklog ’26 said.
The festivities welcomed students who remembered last year’s Finals Fest and wanted to attend once again.
“I was here last year, and I thought it was fun, and the food was good, so I just wanted to swing by again,” Naomi Mulugeta ’25 said.
The food station featured grilled cheese, Indian food, and “gigantic” donuts, Gavin Smith ’27 described, leaving students with a choice on how to spend their ticket.
“I really want Indian food and the grilled cheese,” Gaddy said. “You got to pick one or the other. And I’m like, ‘How come? We’ve suffered enough this semester, please give us both types of food.’”
Gaddy added that she did not want to get a massage in the middle of the yard, but appreciated the option.
“Lowkey that seems cool, but I feel like I wouldn’t because it’s too exposed,” she said. “I feel like this isn’t very zen for me, but it does seem chill.”
Others said they appreciated the free food to celebrate the end of the school year and kick off studying for finals.
“I think students really love the opportunity to be with one another, get free food, free donuts, just engaging with different staff members that you might not on a daily basis,” Campbell said.
Correction: May 4, 2025
A previous version of this article incorrectly stated on one reference that Finals Fest took place Tuesday. In fact, the event was held Thursday.
