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Everyone knows the best way to reach college students is with free food — every club advertisement I have seen has had free Trader Joe’s snacks or ice cream from the Square. If you have found yourself tapping your card daily to get your fix of caffeine or want to avoid the often underwhelming taste of HUDS, this guide will show you how to get a full day’s worth of good food for free (or heavily discounted).

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Early risings: Caffeine needed ASAP

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If you have committed, like many of my sleep-deprived peers, to walking into your first class every day wielding a Blank Street coffee, you know how expensive it can be. Thankfully, you can make this flex a far cheaper endeavor. Convince a friend to invest with you in Blank Street’s Regulars program. For $17.99/week, you can get 14 coffees for free, meaning you and your bestie can be caffeinated every morning for a fraction of the cost.

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But, if you’re like me and want something truly free, you may want to consider a different caffeine source: energy drinks. Spend a bit of time on the weekends to head out to local events (Head of the Charles Regatta, Oktoberfest, etc.) and stock up. Additionally, if you find a free vendor, push them for everything they will give you. Get as many free caffeinated and carbonated beverages as you can handle: your bank account will thank you.

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Feeling ravenous after 9 a.m. section: Time for breakfast

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Now that you have already fueled from your favorite coffee spot, it's time for the next most logical thing: go back to a café for a quick breakfast bite! And there’s no better place than Dunkin Donuts. Joining Dunkin’s rewards program and checking the daily deals has given me countless free or very cheap breakfasts, and it's a great option if you are on the go.

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Classes have been grueling: Lunch

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Need something more filling to counteract the coffee effects? Head to CAVA for a free lunch! It’s another rewards program to join, but CAVA’s is especially worth it. When you sign up, on the day of your birthday, CAVA will give you a $9 credit to spend! If you play your cards right (the kid's meal can be very filling if you get the most from it), that is a free or heavily discounted and delicious lunch! Reuse that birthday trick as much as you want — a free meal will always taste better than a paid one. If you are willing to jeopardize your zodiac sign and become a Scorpio for the day, tomorrow might just be your CAVA birthday.

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Dinner plans with friends fall through once again: Time to scavenge on your own

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If your dinner plans seem to never make it out of the groupchat, have no fear. Flyby has the perfect solution so you don’t have to suffer through HUDS dinner alone. Most clubs on campus often have evening time meetings, and, in my experience, love to provide free food. I am not saying to join clubs solely for the sake of a complementary sandwich, but it should always be a factor. Most students do not join clubs for actual reasons other than the LinkedIn grind anyways. Having a club or two that you are a member of and can count on for some free Joe’s or Felipe’s is pretty much common sense.

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Beyond a last-minute dinner, club snacks can help you stock up for grind season. If a club meeting ever has an excess, ask if you can take those chocolate-covered pretzels from Trader Joe’s home! I promise you will be doing club leadership a favor.

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Psets are kicking your butt: Pause for a sweet treat

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Looking for something ooey-gooey (and free)? Insomnia Cookies has your back. Their rewards program gives you a free classic cookie upon sign-up, and you can make a new account every night! A good dessert can make or break your night, and even though Chip City is far better than Insomnia, a free cookie is a free cookie.

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I, like most, need to be in a certain mood for a cookie to sound good. Something I always have the appetite for, however, is ice cream. In the square, ice cream is SO expensive (talking about you, J.P. Licks). My go-to, and the way cheaper option, is Lizzy’s! While it is not free, it will save crucial dollars, and every dollar counts when it comes to cheap food options. Plus, it tastes significantly less chemical.

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From free birthday rewards to taking as many free snacks as your heart desires, there are several ways to eat free on campus. You can effortlessly steer clear away from dhall concoctions without draining the bank account. The best-tasting food is free: happy foodie-ing!

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Your Harvard Student ID: you’ll need it for pretty much everything on campus. From getting into your dorm and the dhall to taking exams, this little plastic card you receive during orientation week is your golden ticket throughout your four years here at Harvard. But again, it’s just a small plastic card that can slip out the back of your phone anytime.

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When you are on the steps of Annenberg, ready to finally get lunch after five hours of morning classes, you dig through the bottom of your bag and feel only dust bunnies… Your ID isn’t there? Here’s what you do:

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Step 1: “Can you scan me into Annenberg?”

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Call up a friend who’s probably busy and drag out the situation as long as you can. You keep telling yourself, The ID will magically reappear — because hey, manifesting is a skill, right? My mom finds missing stuff all the time when I could have sworn it wasn’t there when I looked.

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Step 2: Backtrack like a detective solving a mystery

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This is when you pull out your Google Calendar and start retracing every spot you hit today. LPSA (Life and Physical Sciences A)? Time to head back to the lecture hall where you caught that quick nap before the attendance poll of the day.

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No luck? Next stop: Econ 10a. Check up in the balcony where you snuck in a second nap. Still missing? Guess it’s onto the next location...

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Step 3: Tear apart your room like a raccoon in a trash can

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It could be in my drawer? No… Hmm… Maybe under my pillow? Or under this book I thought I was going to read but haven’t yet touched?

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Now it’s time to look through every crevice — dig through your laundry pile, shake out your blankets, and even check inside your shoes. It could be anywhere!

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Step 4: “Did you happen to see my ID somewhere?”

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Now you're getting desperate. You’ve looked everywhere, and the thought of shelling out $35 for a replacement stings. So, you turn to the ultimate Hail Mary: asking everyone you’ve ever met. You text the numbers you've gathered over the year, drop a message in the massive Harvard ’28 group chat, and even ask the security guards at Lamont and Cabot. At this point, you’re basically on a first name basis with half the campus.

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Step 5: 1033 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138

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If nothing works, head over to 1033 Massachusetts Avenue. Why? Because the Harvard Police probably has it locked up in their locker!!!

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What’s worse? HUPD doesn’t even notify you when they have your ID. They’ve got all your contact info, but instead of reaching out, they just lock it away. Honestly, why don’t they just leave it where I dropped it? At least I would’ve found it by step 2.

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TL;DR If you can’t find your ID anywhere, it’s probably at HUPD. Thank me later :))

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Sick of JP Licks? Want more flavor options than Sundae Sunday at Berg? We’ve got the place for you: Honeycomb Creamery, a 15-minute walk up Mass. Ave.

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Honeycomb’s been on our go-to list for a while now, but this weekend we decided to actually embark upon this side quest. Of course, as soon as we picked a day the weather dropped ten degrees. Ice cream in 50-degree weather — why not? Undeterred, we set off from campus at a brisk pace, enjoying the fall foliage and peaceful Cambridge vibes on an overcast but otherwise lovely day.

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The walk itself was short but memorable. We encountered several turkeys, learned that a group of turkeys is called a rafter (and not, disappointingly, a gobble), and watched a man feed said rafter of turkeys. We’d also like to shout out Flyby’s wonderful investigation into the turkeys of Cambridge here.

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Once we got to Honeycomb, we found ourselves in a warm, cozy ice cream parlor. The walls had cute murals, paintings, and leaf garlands, plus relaxing music playing, creating an aesthetic vibe all around. There wasn’t much seating space, though — depending on the crowds there, you might want to consider taking your treats to go.

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Now for the ice cream. Honeycomb has a variety of staple flavors, plus seasonal ones that rotate in and out frequently. They also have vegan/gluten free options and unique soft-serve flavors like chai and horchata. If there’s a flavor you love, you can check their website beforehand to see if they’re offering it that day!

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Between the two of us, we tried three flavors: milk chocolate stracciatella, brown butter pumpkin cheesecake, and mocha hazelnut. Honeycomb was generous with their scoops — two flavors in a single small cup was more than enough to satisfy a sugar-craving Flyby writer. If you don’t want ice cream, or want even more sugar, the pastries and cookies looked fantastic, too.

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We both agreed that the texture of our ice creams was great — super creamy and thick.

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If milk chocolate’s your jam, you’ll love the stracciatella, but if you’re more of a dark chocolate person, you might find it a little too sweet. No worries, though, because Honeycomb has plenty of flavors for all sorts of chocolate aficionados.

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The highlight was definitely the seasonal flavors. Brown butter pumpkin cheesecake had chunks of cheesecake inside, and it wasn’t too sweet even with the browned butter. The ice cream had flecks of pumpkin and a distinctly autumnal taste. We also tried their mocha hazelnut with granola topping for a bit of texture — would definitely recommend it!

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The only drawback is that Honeycomb doesn’t have many conventional flavors. If you’re a mint chocolate chip girlie or a plain coffee lover, you’ll be better off sticking with the classic ice cream parlors around the square. But if you’re in the mood for some unique ice cream, definitely check it out! And although one ice cream run is probably enough sugar for this weekend, we're looking forward to our next trip there.

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As we approach 4 p.m. sunsets and Canada Goose season, finding the right place to grab a warm cup of coffee in the square becomes a top priority. Luckily, there are so many (at least 12) options! But which one to choose… Your house might be an indication!

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Eliot: Flour

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Both places capture the classic Boston (Cambridge) vibe. Very demure, very mindful.

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Kirkland: Capital One Cafe

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This caffeinated workspace is the perfect spot for any future Zuckerbergs needing the corporate vibe to get them through their startups. A little bootstrapped… but gets the job done.

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Winthrop: Black Sheep Bagels

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Look no further than these two objectively delicious options, although both have historically been known for a particular smell that detracts. Notably, both have improved their air fresheners this year.

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Lowell: Tatte

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Some may say that these are both overrated and a little bit bougie, but you can’t really go too wrong with either. And you always know that it will be bustling (and noisy)!

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Quincy: Blank Street

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As you trip off the Red Line, both venues are a quick, central stop on any Harvard student’s loop. You are bound to see every classmate — friend and foe — in these spaces!

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Adams: Starbucks

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Not my first choice and peninsular…next!

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Leverett: Peet’s

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I’m not sure why this one makes so much sense in my head, but it does. It might be something with the aesthetic of the towers matching Peet’s, or maybe it’s just that the green of the building matches the crest.

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Mather: Pavement

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Their shared Brutalist, concrete aesthetic should make this choice self explanatory. Just a stone's throw from the more aesthetic options to rest your legs, like Dunster or Tatte.

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Dunster: Blue Bottle

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These two share a newly renovated look to them while still maintaining a classic charm that perfectly fits into Harvard.

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Pfoho: Dunkin

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This one hurts a little bit. Dunkin is my own personal favorite (medium iced coffee with almond milk everyday), but we have to go off of general public opinion here, and neither Dunkin nor Pfoho has a great reputation. Both are more of an acquired taste (only one of which I’ve acquired).

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Currier: Life Alive

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I know Life Alive is technically not a coffee shop… but hear me out. Tree mascot? Tree (plant) in the middle of the dining hall? Sure sounds like a place vegans would like to me.

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Cabot: Swiss Bakers

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It’ll take you about a 20 minute walk to get to either place, but once you get there you have a great time I’m sure, though I have yet to take a trip to either this year. (Sometimes the Quad is just not worth it.) Also, rest assured, no first-years have heard of either spot.

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At the end of the day everyone has their own coffee shop pride just like their house pride, but in the end, you really can’t go wrong with any dining hall or study spot.

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As we inch closer to finals season, you may find yourself wanting to shake off any attachments you’ve made in your free-er days. That, or you want a step by step of what not to do if you’re looking to keep a significant other (S/O) at Harvard. Either way, here is a list of surefire ways to end a relationship at Harvard (exercise caution):

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1. Ask to grab coffee and not a shot (i.e. seeing them in the daylight)

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Time is a precious resource at Harvard, which is why threatening to take away the few daylight hours is a definite no-go. Those are reserved for classes and clubs, which is why attempting to encroach on that will 1,000 percent end badly. If you’re looking to deter all future invites, try inviting them to a coffee chat rather than a one-in-the-morning shot, and see how it goes.

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2. Plan for the future

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The chances are that most Harvard students are already attempting to juggle more than a few long term commitments. Whether it’s CBE or Hum 10, most quotas are already filled, so the best thing you can do to lose your partner is enthusiastically talk about the future. I would personally pull out the G-Cal and start trying to block out all their weekends for the next month — I guarantee you will never hear from them again.

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3. Respond quickly

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Nothing is more repulsive than someone showing avid interest in you, so try your hardest to demonstrate that you actually enjoy talking to them — they'll turn and run. Also like #2, being too available is always a deterrent; who wants someone they’d actually be able to see? Respond quickly and enthusiastically, you’ll never hear from them again!

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4. Be a Harvard student (and, if you’re straight, a woman)

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This one might work for everyone, but it works best for straight women looking to lose a guy. Harvard men hold their pride close to their hearts, which is why they will see any threat to that as an immediate turn off. That’s why the best thing for you to do is subtly flex things that no one, let alone a man at Harvard, wants to see — like a better pset grade than him. This may work with papers too, but something about a woman in STEM is terrifying to the average man at Harvard.

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5. Want romance

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Unfortunately, this campus is not known for its plethora of romantic opportunities – the standard seems to be dhall or library dates. Fortunately for you, this makes it a great idea to vocalize your expectations for lots of romance and intimacy from a Harvard student. A mention of a moonlit walk along the Charles or dinner at Toscano’s will be enough to send any romantic interest running! Ask for maximum effort dates — preferably ones that involve swiping a credit card and not an ID.

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Closely adhering to these 5 points should guarantee that you will be single (and, honestly, happy!), probably for a long time. Of course, this list is meant for a stereotypical Harvard partner, so you run the risk of not deterring someone who doesn’t exactly fit the grossly generalized archetype this is based off of. That being said, hopefully it gives you some inspiration for your next victim/talking stage.

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{shortcode-585d96f43de3d22401d75c5486b57e3a2ea368d3}Regardless of how you (or your professors) feel about it, President Donald J. Trump will be back for a second term in 2025. This got us thinking… if we’re headed towards a 2025 that looks more like 2017 part two, what else should we bring back from that era? We took a look at Flyby’s very own coverage from that hallowed time to determine how we might make Harvard return to 2017.

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Rihanna on Campus

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Apparently Rihanna was in Sanders in 2017, where she not only gave a speech but kissed Dean Khurana on the cheek? Maybe we can get him one more happy moment before he leaves Harvard forever.

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The Curious George Store

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In perhaps one of the most tragic real estate losses of Harvard Square, the iconic store closed its doors in the summer of 2019. As the days get shorter, having this store readily accessible could have been our cure for seasonal depression. Alas…

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“Another Day of Dunster”

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Still one of the most iconic Housing Day videos of all time, “Another Day of Dunster” was released just a few months after Trump was first inaugurated. Maybe this year we should just get Dunster to do a round two.

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A White Christmas

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It was technically not recorded as a white Christmas, but 2.9 inches of snow allegedly fell on Christmas Day in 2017. With unprecedented warm weather in the middle of November, dreams for a white Christmas seem far off, but one can hope for a Christmas miracle.

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Cafe Algiers

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This North African café and restaurant was a mainstay for 45 years, until it closed in 2017. Can we bring it back? We need some good coffee from somewhere that isn’t owned by a bank, the University, or people who don’t let you take your laptop out.

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Shopping Week

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We wonder if they’re still putting this in campus promotional materials? R.I.P. shopping week, gone but never forgotten. Honestly, we’d settle for course registration happening at a time when professors actually have syllabi ready.

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Joe Biden at Class Day

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He’s a bit of a bigger ticket now than he was then, but grandmas across the country would rejoice at the chance to see him in person at their favorite grandchild’s Class Day. Maybe he could “break the internet” with Dean Khurana again.

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As we look ahead to the (quickly approaching) new year, and the next four years, there’s a feeling of déjà vu and a reminiscing of years past (maybe it’s because we’re seniors). Here’s to reliving only the best parts of the past and hoping for a better future (a.k.a. us recovering from our midterm grade).

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{shortcode-747a59fae50c0ed2c234c59d99a20ab3ed22804d}If you are as chronically online as we are, you will probably agree that fall is the best season for entertainment; from “Survivor” to “The Golden Bachelorette,” there is never a drought of shows premiering right in time for cozy sweater weather TV marathons. Recently, the two of us have been sucked into a TikTok black hole of “Dancing with the Stars” videos from the current season’s star-studded cast of actors, Olympians, and con artist Anna Delvey. As a subpar ballroom dancer (Ava) and a former Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade child dancer (Gabi), we decided to throw our hats into the ring and try to replicate some of the most iconic DWTS moves. Key word being try. Enjoy!

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The Spin and Dip:

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Starting off strong with a throwback from Season 32, we attempted to recreate DWTS Pro Rylee Arnold’s Cha-Cha dance with her partner, Harry Jowsey. Although their moves are nothing too crazy (i.e. a simple side step, twirl, and dip), Arnold and Jowsey’s dance went viral on TikTok because of their palpable on-screen chemistry. Thousands of users chimed in to recreate their iconic moves and make ship edits of them dancing, a movement which propelled the pair to week nine of the twelve-week-long competition (despite Jowsey’s frat boy-esque lack of rhythm).

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So, when thinking about how best to approach replicating their dance, it was clear to us that we had to focus more on embodying Arnold and Jowsey’s iconic chemistry than on perfectly executing the steps. To that end, we had to take our roommate connection to the next level and add more passion, more energy, and more footwork. This meant more smiling, faster twirls, and a more dramatic leg to add extra pizazz, goals which we effortlessly accomplished in less than three tries (source: just trust us bro).

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The Creepy Kangaroo Hold:

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With our first dance beautifully executed, we moved onto our second with newfound confidence. That was until we realized that we had chosen DWTS Pro Daniella Karagach’s Emmy-nominated dance with her basketball-star partner Iman Shumpert and started to feel a bit of imposter syndrome. It also didn’t help to know that not only was their dance nominated for an Emmy, but Karagach and Shumpert later went on to win Season 30 of DWTS and take home the coveted mirrorball trophy. So, yeah. It was safe to say that we had big shoes to fill…Shumpert’s size 14 shoes.

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As we watched their reimagined contemporary take on the Jordan Peele-directed film Us and shook off our nerves, we began practicing their creepy lift that resembled that of a kangaroo mother carrying her baby in its pouch. After stretching our arms and squatting for a few seconds to activate our glutes and quads, I got ready to flip Gabi onto my quads. Unfortunately, our height difference worked against us. Since Gabi’s legs were too long to be as swiftly flipped onto my legs as Karagach’s were onto Shumpert’s, we decided to abandon the flip and shift all our focus to the hold. After one more attempt, we finally mastered our pose – legs interlocked, standing tall like a proud kangaroo and her joey. The real challenge? Resisting the urge to break into laughter. One wrong giggle and we would collapse. Luckily, we held the pose long enough for our suitemate to snap a photo before collapsing onto the couch behind us.

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The Itsy Bitsy Spider:

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At this point, we were seasoned pros (cast us for the 34th season @dancingwiththestars). In search of an even bigger and bolder move, we looked to none other than robbed Mirror Ball partners, Milo Manheim and Witney Carson. Featured in one of their many dances that received a perfect score, the move that I believe won Carrie Ann, Len, and Bruno’s favor the most was Carson’s extremely smooth spin then leap onto Manheim’s back. After some kind of simultaneous cartwheel and pirouette, Manheim flipped into a barrel roll, after which Carson performed a split in midair and landed on his back, one leg on his shoulder and one leg on his waist.

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Almost immediately, we faced a small barrier. Given our slight height difference (Ava is 5’9” and Gabi is 5’4”), we were having trouble figuring out if it was physically possible for this jump to happen. After spending painfully long trying to solve this dilemma that not even Math 55 students would be able to crack, we employed the couch behind us and maximized the set pieces our stage had to offer. Ava grabbed one leg and secured the other and in the middle of Gabi’s hysterical laughter, Gabi spread her arms, achieved the perfect ballerina’s toe point, and posed for the pic. Safe to say that we nailed it, and our audience thought we ate it up as well (peep Son Heung-Min and the 1D boys in the background). In comparing our recreation to the reference photo above, one thing comes to mind: corporate needs you to find the difference between this picture and this picture. As Pam from The Office worded so gracefully, they’re the same picture!

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The Lift:

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{shortcode-3a1374145c28e21ce2dab14c910b734c5b2e58d7}

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We had no choice but to conclude the evening with a show-stopping grand finale: the TikTok leg lift. If not evident enough, much of our time spent in the suite is spent rotting and doom-scrolling (with a ~healthy~ side of big-backing). Amidst the Brooke Nader and Gleb Savchenko drama and Ilona Maher praise, Carson’s effortlessly executed and choreographed leg lift is definitely the talk of this season. The move is simple — she positions one of her feet at the correct angle on top of Danny Amendola’s, creating enough tension for Amendola to pull her up by her other foot while she arches her back and maintains impeccable core strength. After watching countless videos of failed attempts, we were confident that everyone else was simply incapable of this easy feat and decided to try ourselves, thus leading to the inception of this entire article.

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With our backup dancers (suitemates) in place and a couple of verbal affirmations, we had liftoff… or close enough. Turns out this move was just as difficult as it seems, if not even more so. We scoured online for tutorials and slowed TikTok’s down to 0.5 speed but still could not figure out the mechanisms behind it. Attempt after attempt, Gabi tried to activate her core and engage her back, and Ava anchored herself to the ground and readjusted her grip on Gabi’s achilles. We were determined to produce some iteration that resembled the original. Our ex-ballerina suitemate subbed in, as did our walk-on athlete of the suite, yet we still had no luck. We even called in the reserves, deploying the suite’s resident boyfriend, who faced even less success.

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Unfortunately, the one time that we seemed to have done it was off the record. For now, the GIF below must suffice. I can’t say for sure that we would have received all 10s on this performance but we gave it our all and, for that, we deserve 10s in spirit. Legend has it that to this day, Ava is still sore.

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{shortcode-6c379cebc2ca626bf1dfcbe713e413f7d525dad2}

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In a shocking turn of events, we have since retired from our prodigious dancing career. Perhaps we should leave the dancing to AADT, EXP, and UNIQUE. But, if the “Dancing with The Stars” Tour ever comes calling, don’t be too surprised if you see our names on the cast list.

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('

{shortcode-8acf152046a5aadd5daa32cc682db64ca36a202b}Another Halloweekend (or two) has come and gone, and Harvard students find themselves once again in that peculiar limbo between spooky season and holiday festivities. It’s a three-week stretch that defies categorization, leaving us all wondering: What exactly are we supposed to do with ourselves now?

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For freshmen, this period can feel less like a mere transition and more like an existential crisis. November at Harvard is when you learn the true meaning of academic resilience, a.k.a. trying to convince yourself that two midterms per class was the plan all along.

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The social scene during these three weeks is like a strange afterparty where everyone’s too tired to dance but nobody wants to go home. Plans get floated —“Should we go out tonight?”—and then, just as quickly, shot down: “Nah, I have an exam.”

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The weather doesn’t help either. It’s cold enough to regret not bringing a jacket but not quite cold enough to justify wearing that Canada Goose parka you bought “for the Boston winters.” Not to mention the ups and downs of the temperature lately that is certainly reminiscent of my pset grades.

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And just when we think we’ve settled into this strange routine, Daylight Saving Time ends. Suddenly, it’s dark by 5 p.m., and our internal clocks are left in disarray. While the extra hour of sleep is nice, it comes at the cost of feeling like you’re living in perpetual darkness. I’m already exhausted walking out of section, so the dark certainly isn’t keeping me from jumping into bed right when I get back to my dorm.

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While these three weeks can feel like a transitional period — or maybe just a fever dream — in reality, they make up the bulk of the rest of the semester. Coming back from Thanksgiving break, there are only three (!!) days of class left before reading period begins. So, while it can be easy to disregard this time, use it to enter your academic weapon era: go to those office hours you’ve been meaning to attend all semester, start your pset early, and actually absorb your assigned readings. It’s never too late to become the perfect Harvard student.

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Whether you’re a freshman still figuring out the ropes or a senior soaking in your last fall at Harvard, embrace these next few weeks. Let the early sunsets fuel your late-night study sessions, with the promise of Harvard-Yale and Thanksgiving break as motivation to keep you pushing forward.

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('

{shortcode-240063f6236df2888b3b95cd27c04f9afad6ed3b}Walking detours, noise, and so many other eyesores appeared on our campus over the summer and this fall. Trust me, I’m all for renovations and making Harvard Square better, but as a student and seasoned campus tour guide, I’m over the mass amounts of construction I am forced to encounter every day. I think I speak for all of us when I say that I’m tired of the mental gymnastics I have to go through just to show up for a lecture that I don’t even understand.

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My biggest complaint is Dunster Street closing for construction, but for reasons you probably couldn’t predict. Yes, the walking detour to cross the street between the Smith Campus Center and Mike’s Pastries is trifling. However, it’s especially daunting as someone who is 4’ 11” and an avid fan of both Blank Street and CVS.

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Since the path makes you turn 2 corners to cross the street, there’s a 50 percent chance that there’s another person also turning at that same corner, not expecting someone to be at the other side. I’m tired of the looming threat of being run over by someone tall to grab a coffee.

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I miss the quick and smooth one-minute walk from Blank Street to the Smith Campus Center.

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Okay, now let’s talk about the noise. The construction is so loud, even if I yelled no one would hear me. If you are standing by Lehman Hall, it’s almost like playing that game where you try to lipread while wearing noise-canceling headphones. But in this case, the noise is the noise-canceling headphones, and both parties in the conversation are losing their voices trying to have a normal conversation between classes.

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Though I’m excited to see the pretty things that come out of the current construction projects, I’m so tired of its disruptions to my normal Harvard routine.

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('

{shortcode-7c6ff341d9266e56c2c47d343907c082224e80d0}With spooky season and off-putting girl October coming to a close, it is time for us to enter whatever new, exciting era TikTok has to offer us. When cuffing season peaks as the consequences of Halloweekend finally calm down, you’ll probably be wondering what’s happening now. Well, the same app that brought you brat summer and held us all hostage to demure fall brings us our next season: winter arc.

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Winter arc is the perfect predecessor to the cuffing season and exactly what you need after Halloweekend and brat summer (and age gap autumn to all those who celebrate). Your winter arc is time to reflect on your year thus far. Consider getting back in touch with your goals and focusing on self-improvement. As the temperature drops, let’s let go of “do it for the plot” and instead start protecting our peace.

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According to the experts (a 15-second TikTok clip I watched last night), even if we haven’t started our winter arc checklist yet, it’s not too late. They tell us that starting to focus on our mental and physical health goals in the final months of this year will enable us to achieve our New Year’s resolutions.

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Your winter arc can include anything from getting back to that gym routine you attempted in January and haven’t revisited since (because who has the time at Harvard anyway). Or maybe you want to focus on eating a balanced diet (impossible with all the sweet treats in the Square). Maybe you want to use your winter arc to reflect on your relationship (or situationship… no judgment). Or, if you’re like me, you’ll be using this time to reflect on whether a secondary in Econ was really the right choice (especially after that Ec1011 midterm).

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This Thanksgiving break, instead of leaving Harvard stressed, frazzled, and overworked, maybe leave feeling settled. Instead of prioritizing your deadlines and weekend plans, prioritize yourself. Take these cold months to practice self-care and recenter yourself.

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So, as October comes to a close and midterm season becomes finals season, it’s time for us to finally stop playing “365” by Charli XCX and instead listen to the sounds of nature (or whatever music mentally sound people listen to... I have no idea). No more chaos and craziness. Time to recenter, relax, and rejuvenate. You’re in your winter arc.

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('

{shortcode-a80627c2f8059f15f9302518ad7e94dfe8f8236c}

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If you’re like at least a thousand other Harvard students, you may have seen a Sidechat post yesterday morning of an unknown girl enjoying breakfast in Leverett wearing an extremely tall witch’s hat. And if you’re anything like me, you were delighted by the Halloween whimsy! So imagine my surprise when, as I was eating dinner in Dunster on All Hallow’s Eve, the very same girl in the very same hat entered the dhall! Like Sidechat commenter #1, I had to know: “Who is this diva?”

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{shortcode-b837791fc964220f408acb5ce34f618b2e88bfb5}

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The diva in question turned out to be Bimba I. Carpenter ‘26, a Leverett resident, who made the hat herself. I asked her if she would “walk [us] through the thought process” behind the hat.

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She answered: “As long as the thought process that I’m walking through is taller than 12 feet, then I can walk you through it.”

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It turns out that the hat is made entirely of copies of The Crimson, proving that the print issue of our newspaper is worth something despite the fact that Flyby Blog is almost entirely online. (Just kidding! We love print media.) Carpenter “built an armature out of Crimsons,” wrapped it in more painted copies of The Crimson, and “attached it to the top of a bike helmet for security reasons and general safety.”

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{shortcode-714164542a655fb537faec506f054d4768429b8c}

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I asked her the question on all our minds: why? Her response: “I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be funny if the entire costume is just a really big hat?’” And she was right! It is funny!

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Carpenter knows about the Sidechat post, and is very pleased. She says, “I’ve brought so many smiles to people’s faces today, it’s been amazing.”

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Before letting her go eat her dinner, I had to ask Carpenter about the biggest witch’s hat in the zeitgeist right now: the one in the Wicked movie coming out soon. Her statement was, “Any hat that is shorter than this hat, I disregard entirely. Honestly I have no thoughts regarding the hat. It could be fine, but it’s out of my wheelhouse.”

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Carpenter’s final comment? “The word haberdashery is great, and it means a hat store.”

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('

{shortcode-7a56597eef82ddf97da9b71476217cddf8fda6ce}

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Halloween is in the middle of the week this year, which raises two questions: which weekend is actually Halloweekend, and how to celebrate Halloween Day if you technically should be student-ing. Fear not, because Flyby is here to give you ways to celebrate without putting you behind on your color-coded gcal.

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Wear Your Costume to Class

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This is the most obvious move. But if you still have to ask your professor for a recommendation letter, I would be minimal with this one (perhaps skip the Halloweekend costume and instead do a PG-13 version) Regardless of costume, you will spook those around you, as they may assume you are a final club punchee. Do this at your own risk.

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Wear Black and Orange

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A more classy version of my advice above. If you want to be *that* person who has their life together so much that they have time to color coordinate their whole wardrobe for this day, this is the move for you. You might even get an Instagram post and compliments out of it! Whether you do this in a fashionable way or in an obsessed with Halloween way is up to you.

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Eat Candy All Day

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It’s bad for your health, but good for the spirit! I recommend going to CVS and getting the biggest bag of sugary candy that you can fit in your backpack, so you can eat it all throughout the day. I am not officially endorsing this, but the choice is yours! I’d be lying if I didn’t do this when I’m really in the trenches studying anyway.

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Offer your Classmates Candy

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Embrace the trick-or-treating spirit and hand out treats! Pretend it’s elementary school again and offer your classmates candy. But don’t do this in a big lecture class: remember, you’ll need enough for everyone, and you don’t want to go bankrupt.

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Scare People

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Whether it’s sneaking up on your friends or making up little surprising lies to startle your roommates, you can embody the “trick” part of “trick-or-treat.” Be cautious with this one though: you don’t want to become an actual menace.

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Set the Mood

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Listen to spooky music, watch Halloween movies, and decorate your room. This is the least public version of celebrating Halloween, but you can still keep the Halloween spirit alive!

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No matter how you choose (or not) to celebrate Halloween, Flyby is wishing you have a day full of treats. Don’t forget Halloween is only once a year and homework is never ending, so make sure to self-indulge in some way.

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('

{shortcode-7effd68abb3c9ae3cd1db9bf649d1b3d461b35e4}

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As someone who refuses to believe that November is around the corner and that Crimson Cart is (already???) open, I strongly argue that Halloween should be everyday. If not for the reason that dressing up and scaring people is fun, then at least because I can live in constant denial that Thanksgiving Break and Reading Period are in fact approaching. The great thing about this year’s Halloween season is that the spooky holiday lands in the middle of the week, making it socially acceptable to dress up multiple days throughout the week without getting strange looks. So, whether you are in denial like me or you just want to party it up multiple times, here are some ways you can reduce, reuse, and recycle your costume.

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Every day is Halloween if you truly believe.

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Who says you’re not allowed to dress up everyday of the year? The only thing stopping you from dressing up as a dinosaur or a chicken on a skateboard is yourself and the possible fear of public judgment. Embody the character. Become one with it.

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Gaslight people into thinking it’s still Halloween season in November.

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Why aren’t you dressed up?

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Incorporate pieces into daily wear.

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Cat ears and angel wings are great additions to your outfit. Accessorize with what you have and add some unique flair to your just-woke-up-in-time-for-lecture hoodie and jeans.

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Dress up for every major holiday.

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A Winter costume party? New Years? Valentine’s Day? Dress up for any occasion or holiday that you vaguely celebrate. Halloween doesn’t have to have all the fun. Yes, a sexy cat is on theme for Arbor day.

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Use it as pajamas.

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When in doubt, just wear it as pajamas. I am constantly on the lookout for clothes I can wear as pajamas. Free t-shirt from a career fair? Pajamas. Club merch? Pajamas. My Halloween costume? It, too, can be pajamas.

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Your costume deserves to be worn more than just for Halloweekend! Let it be appreciated by all the people all year round.

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('

{shortcode-bb259603f2278e960241e21c351550b0286d4e55}

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Being one of the most anticipated weekends of the fall semester, Halloween weekend is no small matter. It’s a weekend of endless parties, both big and small, from the infamous Crimween to dorm parties galore — there’s no question why college students go crazy for it. After all, who doesn’t love a good costume party, especially when everybody gets hyped up for it? But this year, we college students are faced with a question: Which weekend is Halloweekend? With the beloved holiday landing on a Thursday, everyone is left wondering whether they should be celebrating the weekend before or after. Well, Flyby has an answer for you!

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First, let's lay out the options.

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Before:

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Tradition would suggest that when Halloween doesn’t fall on a Friday or over a weekend, you should celebrate the weekend before. It makes sense — the anticipation has built and people are eager to party, so why not let them? Besides, the best Halloween party of the year is being held on the weekend before (truly, there is no party like Crimween). Need I say more? If the Crimson says Halloweekend is the weekend before, I believe them.

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And if you were to celebrate the weekend after? Well, that’s not really spooky season anymore. With the start of November, some are preparing for Thanksgiving, making the transition from ghosts to turkeys, while other particular holiday-lovers are skipping right to candy canes and Christmas. Regardless, November is a time for cozy sweaters and blankets to block out the chill down your spine still lingering from all those ghouls and spooks!

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After:

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But on the other hand… Halloween on a Thursday? That’s practically the weekend already. Maybe it’s the senioritis in me talking, or the fact that I (and many others!) don’t have Friday classes, but Thursday itself has just as much potential for partying as Friday or Saturday. And if people are going out on Halloween Night, well many would consider that an extension of the following weekend. It makes sense, after all — you pick the weekend that’s closest to the holiday.

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Besides, is it really going to hurt anyone if we extend spooky season just a tad bit longer? Why not stretch out the witching season and go crazy for one more weekend? Really, it’s a wonderful excuse to keep the party going with a Thursday through Saturday bender for all you party animals out there.

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Verdict:

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So which weekend is the better weekend? Both seem like good options, with valid reasons, but Flyby has decided…

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Just do both! The big club parties were the weekend before, so save the dorm parties for the weekend after. If you’re stuck between two costumes, now you can do both (Or, if you’re a minimum effort kinda person, just rewear, nobody really cares)! Really, all this confusion leaves us with an excuse to just have two Halloweekends — and who wouldn’t want that?

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('

{shortcode-75c1aa62b68833b6951990c25d19b37233f6a707}

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It’s that time of year again: when the leaves turn golden, the air gets crisp, and the undergrads start getting… spooked. But not by ghosts or ghouls — oh no. At Harvard, the real horrors come in much more familiar, sinister forms.

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Leave Your Pset to the Last Minute

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Nothing is more terrifying than realizing your pset deadline is hurtling toward you at the speed of light — especially when it’s Friday night, and you’re still convincing yourself you’ll be able to make it to that party (we have those here?) later. The real horror? The blank pset staring back at you, reflecting your sadness and silently judging your life choices. Cue the existential crisis: “Is it too late to drop this class?” Spoiler alert: it is.

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Turn on Canvas Notifications

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Few things send chills down your spine like waking up, grabbing your phone, and seeing those haunting words — Assignment Graded: Midterm 1. You hesitantly swipe, heart pounding, only to find your grade for that midterm you swore went fine. The plot twist? It didn’t. And just like that, your GPA becomes the protagonist in its own tragic horror story. Should’ve gone to office hours.

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Don’t Check the Weather

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You left your dorm in what felt like a brisk fall breeze, but halfway across the Yard, it’s basically an Arctic tundra. Now, every gust of wind feels like the ghost of your poor life decisions coming back to haunt you. You know you’re way underdressed, but at this point, it’s too late to turn back (Should’ve subscribed to Harvard Today). And to top it off, you’re pretty sure your situationship saw you shivering like a leaf in the wind. Perfect. Just perfect.

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Don’t Do Your Readings

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It’s section time. You confidently stroll in like you’ve got your life together. But in reality? You didn’t even look at the readings. The TF starts scanning the room, and you sit in dread, avoiding eye contact, heart racing every time the TF looks your way. But of course, to facilitate a transformative conversation, they call on you. “Can you unpack the argument from the second reading?” You’re left with nothing else to say but, “I think it’s profound…” while your soul quietly leaves your body. News flash: it wasn’t profound, and neither was your answer.

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Skip Class

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You know you deserve an off day. Don’t go to that class. Surely nothing important will happen. You roll out of bed and casually check your phone — only to see it flooded with messages about the surprise in-class quiz you missed. Time to email the professor with your best “family emergency” excuse and hope for the best! (For legal reasons, Flyby does not endorse skipping class and cannot take responsibility for any of these actions if you choose to participate in them.)

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Grab Fly-By

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You thought you’d be in and out of Fly-By in five minutes. You thought wrong. The line is winding through the Annenberg basement like a giant, coiling snake, and it becomes very clear: lunch is not happening today. Staring at the back of the line, you begin contemplating your life choices. Do you wait? Do you just get a coffee and call it a day? At this point, caffeine seems like your only friend. You wonder if there’s a greater hell than this, but then remember — there’s still that Friday night pset.

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Harvard life is spooky enough without the costumes. So, this Halloween, embrace the true frights: psets, Canvas grades, and the eternal struggle of surviving the Fly-By lunch line. Stay safe, stay caffeinated, and remember: the only thing scarier than midterms? Your inbox.

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It’s Halloween, but you may not have noticed, since Harvard is a pretty scary place year-round. Midterms lurk around every corner, and HUDS can often jumpscare with diversions from the online menu. But the scariest thing about Harvard might just be some of its buildings. To celebrate this, we’re rounding up some of the most frightening places you may have the misfortune to visit while you’re a student here.

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Massachusetts Hall

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We’ll start with the scariest email 20 or so unlucky prefrosh receive each summer. We can imagine it’s very nerve-wracking to live right above the president’s office. Plus, FM says it’s haunted.

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Pusey Tunnel

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This tunnel has literal phones in case you get lost! Is there, like, a minotaur lurking around the corner or something? One can only guess, but it's definitely eerie enough to make you think twice before entering.

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Annenberg in September

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There is literally nothing scarier than walking into a room with your entire class and not really knowing anyone. Plus you’re carrying your lunch on a plastic tray — high school levels of trauma for sure.

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Tatte on a Sunday

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A full family complete with two toddlers and a dog spawns every time you turn your back. Don’t make eye contact. Get your coffee and run! RUN!

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Vanserg

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If you told us Harvard was developing a vibes-destroying engine in the basement of Vanserg, we would believe you. What an unsettling place. Why are we walking on rocks to get inside?

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Any alumni tailgate

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These people get SO MAD when you so much as glance at the trunks of their brand-new SUVs. The look I got from this one blonde lady at the last H-Y game? Genuinely bone-chilling.

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Lowell House’s secret laundry room

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We’ve only heard legends of this place. But we worry that more than socks could get stranded there, left for dead, never to be found again in a forgotten, mysterious corner of the house.

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Make sure to stay away from these places if you can to avoid being terrified. But don’t worry, your dorm is probably haunted anyway. Especially if you live in Eliot or Kirkland. Or the Yard. Or Dudley. Or—

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(Cut-off to imply I’ve been taken away from my computer in a very scary and mysterious way…)

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