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{shortcode-5d49eb92bc9755c0ee7027a03910740c38f059f7}It’s Thursday, March 9, around 8 a.m. You and your blockmates are nervously and not-so-patiently sitting in your dorm, staring out of your window trying to identify and spot the group of students rushing towards you, and waiting for the fateful knock at your door. You are sleep deprived, nervous, maybe a little hungover hungry, but most of all, coming to terms with the fact that you could get (dare I say it?) quadded. You committed to River Run and prayed to the Housing Gods, but you never know where fate will take you.

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Fast forward to 9:30 a.m. Footsteps accelerate as they make their way to your door. Voices shouting “Lowell! Lowell!” fill the stairwell, and your heart swells. Loud knocks at your door echo through your room, and your blockmate rushes over to let the dorm stormers in.

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POV: It’s 9:32 a.m. and you just got Quadded.

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If this series of events is a description of your worst nightmare, don’t worry. Flyby has got you covered in terms of how to respond and how not to respond to getting Quadded.

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Don’t: cry. This one is simple (and pretty intuitive). You will be living in the same House as your dorm stormers next year, so this wouldn’t be the best way to respond.

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Do: look forward to guaranteed (ish) singles, no moldy carpets (I’m looking at you Mather) and the lack of rats/mice/rodents in general (I’m looking at you Eliot, Leverett, Kirkland, Mather again…).

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Don’t: jump under the covers and hide from your dorm stormers. Again, you are going to be living with your dorm stormers, and this isn’t the best first impression to make.

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Do: jump with joy. The Quad is guaranteed to give you great community and lots of fun memories over the next three years, including studying at Cabot Cafe with its immaculate vibes, playing spike ball or sunbathing in the Quad lawn and getting Sunday morning Bagelsaurus bagels.

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Don’t: throw anything at the dorm stormers. Not sure if this has ever happened, but just as a reminder.

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Do: get hyped for Housing Day 2024 — one of the best parts of living in the Quad is getting to be the bearer of bad news to first-years! Just kidding, of course.

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Do: forgive the dorm stormers for gaslighting you into thinking you got put into Lowell.

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Do: remember that while there is somehow some sort of stigma surrounding getting Quadded, it will all soon fade. The hype of Housing Day will eventually die down, and you will develop a sense of quad-pride. After all, the final stage of the 7 stages of grief is acceptance—you’ll get there.

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Don’t: cry. Did I say this one already?

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Do: know that housing is completely arbitrary, and that each house will only be as good as what you make it!

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As a brand newly sorted fish, tree or polar bear, getting Quadded comes with a series of inevitable emotions. We promise that happiness, new friends and exciting memories await you however Housing Day ends up. Especially if you get Quadded.

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{shortcode-418c7ccc1c46e684781a6c3ae339017a82dec8a4}Snowy weather and frigid temperatures aside, I’d say spring semester has been full of surprises and excitement. From the new HUDS upgrade to a mild(ish) winter, there must be something in the air. And there’s only so much more to come, including one of the largest student-run productions on campus: Harvard Ghungroo! Don’t know what Ghungroo is? Want to learn all about it from the directors themselves? Say less, that’s what we’re here for. We sat down with two of Ghungroo’s directors, Sarah R. Ramberran ’24 and Shraddha Joshi ’24, to give you all the inside deets and why you should all go see the show!

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TC: Can you give us a brief rundown of Ghungroo and what it is?

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SJ: Ghungroo is a South Asian cultural showcase. We have dance, music, skit, and spoken word, and it’s the largest student-run production at Harvard. It’s a celebration of South Asian culture and its diaspora.

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SRR: So we start preparing for Ghungroo, really, in the summer, and then we start doing back-end work in the fall semester, and in the spring semester, we actually get our residency in the [Agassiz Theater]. That’s when the set goes up, and that’s when people really start practicing their dances and music acts.

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TC: Could you go into what goes into Ghungroo?

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SRR: There’s many departments. What we see is skit, dance, music, acts, and spoken word. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into planning those acts, figuring out what is the plot for skit, people preparing their spoken word acts, and then dance.

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SJ: Basically for context, we have a tech team of almost a hundred people and 350+ performers from across the College. In terms of dances, we have eight regular dances, which are the non-senior dances, and they’re different regional styles from across South Asia and then also pan-regional styles, such as Underground, which is a new act that we have this year that is focused on hip-hop, and then we also have cinema, etcetera. And then we have senior dances, which are separate from the dances that freshmen, sophomores, and juniors perform in, and those are a back-to-back succession of seven dances, typically similar styles as the regular dances. And then this year we have six music acts, and each one is either a different regional style or it’s something classical and different sorts of styles from South Asia.

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SRR: Our tech team is called G-Tech, and so through the year, we try to build a nice community, especially for freshmen, and for everyone else it’s a great time for people to come together and have a lot of fun and put on a show, which I think is really gratifying at the end.

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SJ: To talk about the set, because this is the stuff that isn’t performed, obviously we have a pretty intensive set, and there’s a lot of people that also contribute to that, whether they’re the ones actively designing it or if they come in as an organization or as a group of friends to paint and stuff.

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SRR: I think that Set and Build, those are the departments that you don’t really get to see on show day, but I think they deserve a lot of credit because the acts are one thing, and then the set is another thing. The visual aspect is great.

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SJ: And it’s often sometimes the most work.

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TC: What are the best parts of directing Ghungroo?

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SJ: I think it would be the night before dress rehearsal, which is really when everything is going to come together, because we get to see the show in one go. But I think for me personally, one of the best parts is just seeing people who may have not really been involved in these spaces before just pitching ideas, like “Oh, I wanted to have this music act” and then now seeing that music act on stage, and now it’s a reality or people who haven’t really been as involved before are coming in for paint nights and stuff like that. I think just seeing really small anecdotes of a community coming together is what makes the work of being a director feel really meaningful, and it’s just really humbling to be part of something that’s super big because I think when you’re in the Ag every day, you’re interacting with the same small group of people. When you see people just come in and feel really excited, feel a sense of ownership over Ghungroo, that’s kind of what makes me feel really grateful to be part of it.

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SRR: I really love when, towards the end of our residency, people come in, and they start practicing, and like tech rehearsal was great. I think when you actually see the acts on stage with the lights and the sound, and you're like, ‘wow, everything is finally coming together.’ I think just seeing the dances, I personally love senior dance. I think that was one of the greatest things I've seen. And I think just being here and seeing people come in and out. It’s just such a great feeling to know people are really doing this because they want to do it. This is the 35th year of Ghungroo. So I think just seeing we are part of something that is much older than us and we are kind of continuing this and people enjoy it. And I think it’s great to know that people still love doing it and they look forward to it.

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TC: If Ghungroo was any HUDS dish, which one would it be? No explanation needed.

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SRR: The postickers. The edamame potstickers.

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SJ: I was going to say the Chicken Vindaloo, because I think we aspire towards South Asian-ness but we also have our own flair that’s influenced by our circumstances.

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TC: As show day approaches, what keeps you guys motivated through late night rehearsals?

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SRR: Oh my gosh, I had a dream about Ghungroo. And in the dream, I was in the hallway, right there, and I heard the audience roaring, and I just can’t wait to hear the audience, because they all love it, every show, even if it is Thursday night or Saturday night. The audience is always so engaged, and I just can’t wait to see them enjoy the show.

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SJ: I think for me, just running into people who are just like “Oh, how’s Ghungroo going” or like “We’re so excited to come see” or “I’m part of organizations that, you know, might not have a lot of South Asians in them, but now they’re dancing in Ghungroo this year because they feel really excited about it.” I’ll walk into a space and see people wearing Ghungroo sweatshirts and stuff. It feels like it’s a culture that so many people share beyond just the people that I know immediately, and I think that palpable energy in the air is definitely something that keeps me going.

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TC: Three words for why we should all go see the show?

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SRR: South Asian party!

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SJ: Do it for the community!

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{shortcode-842d3c0370872ee6c50287e2201276dcdde42455}Well, here we are again, assigning personalities to arbitrarily assigned houses. But here’s the thing: If we keep giving them personalities, one day they’ll stick. So here, have some identity in its purest form: MBTI personality types.

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For reference, the MBTI works as follows:

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First letter is ‘E’ for extroverted or ‘I’ for introverted.

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Second letter is ‘N’ for intuitive (which is…counterintuitive) or ‘S’ for observant (um, what?).

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Third letter is ‘T’ for thinking or ‘F’ for feeling.

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Fourth letter is ‘P’ for prospecting or ‘J’ for judging.

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If you feel like that makes no sense, you’re right. Now time to really invest in it!

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Adams House: ISTP/The Virtuoso

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The extremely dimly lit Gold Room is perfect for brooding, which is all ISTPs need. Plus, is it just me, or do artists disproportionately end up in Adams…?

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Cabot House: ISFP/The Adventurer

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Fish love to adventure. And it’s quite the adventure to reach Cabot from anywhere relevant. Worth it for Cabot Café, though?

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Currier House: ISFJ/The Defender

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Currier is always ~defending~ their house, so this seems apt. They also have to defend their reigning title as the best dhall on campus.

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Dunster House: ESFP/The Entertainer

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The Dunster dhall is…so loud. So somebody’s got to be entertaining somebody. They’re also always entertaining the athletes who swoop in at precisely 7:30 p.m. every weeknight.

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Eliot House: INFJ/The Advocate

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So…INFJs are supposed to be, like, mysterious. I don’t know if Eliotites are actually mysterious or if they’re just kind of stuck up. I do know, however, that a lot of them are on the Harvard Advocate, so.

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Kirkland House: ESTP/The Entrepreneur

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They really have to be entrepreneurial in order to figure out how to make a whole week out of every week. I cannot imagine the creative stress.

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Leverett House: ESTJ/The Executive

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Lev had to be one of the extroverted ones, because there are just so many people living there. And the ~executive~ function to reach the dhall from the towers? Extreme.

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Lowell House: INTJ/The Architect

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Recently renovated by ~architects~, Lowellians have plenty of INTJ strategic thinking to spare, because they don’t have to think strategically about when to leave their dorm to get to class on time.

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Mather House: ENTJ/The Commander

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Mather definitely looks pretty commanding with that phallic strong and brutalist architecture. It even commands you to walk up a whole flight of stairs to get to its dhall.

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Pforzheimer House: ENTP/The Debater

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Do I have to explain this one? We’ve all heard about the extremely active mailing list.

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Quincy House: ENFP/The Campaigner

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The People’s House is enthusiastic, optimistic, and always ready for a good time. They’re also really good at convincing you (campaigning, if you will) that it’s a good idea to hit the third party of the night when you’re ready to crawl into your nice warm bed.

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Winthrop House: ENFJ/The Protagonist

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Everyone in Winthrop has the worst case of main character syndrome I’ve maybe ever seen in my life. With love <3

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Honorable Mentions (because there are sixteen personality types):

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Dudley: ESFJ/The Consul

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The Co-op: INFP/The Mediator

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The Yard: INTP/The Logician

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Sleeping in Lamont all the time: ISTJ/The Logistician (which is somehow different than the logician)

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Actually, writing this piece has convinced me that the MBTI is all made up. But just in case it’s not, keep these in mind on that fateful Thursday. Happy housing season!

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{shortcode-642c4acd7c328a14be525247b41029f8e4a62acb}You’re finally three-quarters of the way through your first year at Harvard and feel comfortable in where you stand: you have a solid group of friends, don’t have to use Google Maps to get to class, life is good. Right? Wrong. You’re now caught in blocking drama — a group of seven with one spot left… Who will it be? We see you making waiting lists, and even deciding based on WEALTH (come on now), but trust us, there are clearly better alternatives to solve this problem. Here are five strategies to determine who will be the last person in your blocking group!

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Judge Them Based on Their SAT Score/Common App Essay

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Harvard may go test-optional, but your Canaday Clan can’t risk it. Prioritize the 99th percentile test-takers and those with beautifully written personal statements — they’ll be useful to you in the future. Or, if you want an ego boost, capitalize on the grammar mistakes and go the other way around!

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Set Up Survivor-esque Challenges for Them

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A race from Pennypacker to Holworthy. An all-out brawl in the Berg Balcony. A competition to see who will pick up the phone first and buy you Mucinex from CVS. Never before will your prospective blockmate be so glad they went to the Hem that one time.

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Have them Write a 500-Word Response Essay

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Have fun with this one! The prompts should be what is essential to know about people you may live somewhat close to for the next three years. Questions can range from “What kind of fruit are you?” to “Who in the current blocking group would you go to first with gossip?”

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Make Them Fill Out a Google Form

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Learn from the First-Year Experience office! 5 p.m. on the dot, form released. The first hopeful blocker to respond will be the person lucky enough to enter your group. To test for speed and agility, make sure that the questions vary in style: “Check all boxes that apply: Red Flags?”; “Short answer: What are your big three signs, and do you believe that they accurately represent you?”; “Multiple choice: Which blockmate is the hottest?”; etc. Get their brain juices flowing — you only want the best of the best, after all.

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Have a Required-lecture Comp

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Taking from some of the most successful clubs on campus, you and your blockmates can create a lecture format to turn the candidates into idealized versions of themselves. Maybe have a seven-lecture series where the expectations of a blockmate are presented via Google Slides presentations and Learning Catalytics polls. Make sure to attach an attendance Google Form at the end and warn them that there are no make up sessions. Only the most competent shall survive.

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At the end of the day, though, it’s not that deep. That's all. Good night.

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Disclaimer: Flyby is not responsible and should not be held liable for any friend group drama that may or may not arise from the use of these tips.

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{shortcode-7b1daa40a2436ff0d6522f0e06a1c81b16c7d896}

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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But when an academically challenging degree gives you academic challenges…? No matter how transformative of a college experience you’re having, nonstop working and class-ing and extracurricular-ing will eventually drain you. Unfortunately, the draining sometimes happens during exam season. We can’t promise we’ve got you totally covered this time, but we’re definitely going to try. Here are our tips on how to ward off that midterm malaise.

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Disclaimer: I am not a therapist. Malaise and burnout can be symptoms of mental/physical illness. If you believe this applies to you, please contact a medical professional ASAP. You are not alone. <3

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Bribe yourself

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Get yourself a smoothie because you finished that pset. Take yourself out to dinner because you finished your paper. On a hard and tiring day, promise yourself that after classes are over, you’re going to crawl into bed and watch a comedy special. Set reasonable goals and NEVER deprive yourself of nice things as self-punishment! Reward yourself for all the hard work you do!!

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Delete those mindless-scrolling apps

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After a few bleary days without funny TikToks or juicy AITA posts, your dopamine-desperate brain will even be excited about a pset. Yeah, maybe that’s bleak, but you gotta do what it takes.

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Make pretty notes

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You don’t even need to go out and buy pastel highlighters. Grab a pen and a highlighter, or Google “copy paste symbols” for free little icons to spice up your typed notes. It doesn’t need to look like the aesthetic pictures online — what matters is that you’re enjoying it. Studying is way less boring when it’s basically an art project.

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Pay attention in lecture and section

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This may seem painful, but trust me, you are saving yourself time later. Close your laptop and whip out a notebook if you have to. It’s okay (and normal!) to not get everything even when you’re distraction-free. It’s also okay and normal to not remember an ounce of it when assignments come around. Just do your best! Reviewing material you’ve heard before is a lot easier and quicker than learning all of it for the first time. Might as well get the learning and attendance down at the same time, and spend that saved time before your exams getting good sleep and having a nice meal or doing a face mask or something.

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Study with a buddy

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And by buddy, I mean a friend that looks like they have it all together. Oftentimes, their energy will rub off on you and you’ll be super productive. Also, That Friend probably doesn’t actually have it all together, so they’ll be really glad to have your company.

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Get out when the sun is out

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Sunshine totally changes your mood. If it’s too cold outside, make sure you study by a nice big window :)

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Every night, lay out the coolest possible outfit for tomorrow

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And then your alarm will ring tomorrow, and your first thought will be that this is horrible and you are exhausted and you should go back to bed. Your second thought will be, “Wait a second… Skip lecture? And let all of Chem 27 miss out on this FIT I was gonna THROW?” Then you’d have to get up and put on that outfit and go to lecture, or else you would be depriving all your classmates of the most beautiful sight they will see that day, and that would be mean.

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If none of these resonated with you, that’s okay! Motivation is not one size fits all. These are the things that have helped me, and I hope they can help you too. If they didn’t, I hope you’ve at least been inspired to think about how to brighten up your day instead of just dragging yourself along. Because let’s be honest: no one knows you better than you. So no one is going to be able to treat you better than you! Let’s treat ourselves and get through this semester together.

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{shortcode-e9ca145752c7c07c3e482b08e2f8a19dcf6ed6b5}It was 1:30 a.m. I was dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s of my pset - hi to my mom who is reading this - when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small, brown fluff scurry across my Canaday carpet. Before I could even turn, the creature had disappeared into the dorm’s darkness.

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My heart sank. It sank in the kind of way where every childhood mouse hero I had ever had, from Geronimo Stilton to Jerry, was suddenly repellent. That’s right, it sank in the kind of way where I became a Tom girl. Yet, most of all, it sank in the kind of way where I screamed.

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“MOUSEEEE!” I hollered, awaking my roommates and thus embarking on our mouse-combating journey. Follow along below for (marginally) less screaming and (somewhat) successful strategies:

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#1: Calling Securitas

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As chaos descended upon my dorm, I felt like a soldier in battle. Every experience I had been through had been solely to prepare me for this moment. My reflexes kicked into action. I declared, “WE NEED TO CALL SOMEONE!”

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My fingers flew to my phone as pride flooded me: I was protecting my home. I speed-dialed Securitas (a sign of someone who loves their Harvard community and/or regularly gets locked out). Securitas answered, I locked in:

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“Hello! We have a mouse in our common room.”

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[pause]

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[faint laughter]

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[stronger laughter]

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“A mouse?!? What do you want me to do?! Come fight it?!”

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Pride drained me. Even as I desperately flailed with, “You’re Securitas. Whatever strategy works best—,” I knew it was pointless. I was not a soldier in battle. I was a Harvard student who called security over a mouse.

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Rating: 0/10

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#2: Frantic Googling

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Ah, Google. She has been there for me through everything. From the “what song am I thinking of?” crisis of Tuesday to the “how to not crave academic validation” crisis of later Tuesday, she has never steered me wrong.

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So, once again, I turned to her: “how to combat a mouse.” And, once again, she had answers. Thousands. She broke down the difference between a rat and a mouse. She outlined the diseases I was more and less likely to contract from the mouse. And, just as my oh-so-brief attention span was waning, she provided me with a list of “Ways to Repel a Mouse.”

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9/10

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#3: Kill ‘em with Kindness Peppermint

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Five minutes later, I was nonchalantly explaining to my roommates, “the smell of peppermint repels them,” as I dumped an entire bottle of peppermint extract into my essential oil machine. Always an overachiever, I proceeded to douse every part of my room I thought a mouse might enjoy — which, recalling THAT scene in Ratatouille, meant drowning every inch.

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As the last drop fell, I took a deep breath. The smell was intoxicating. Not in a seductive, holiday-esque way but in a if-I-can’t-breathe-the-mouse-can’t-either way. Which, I guess, is a win.

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6/10

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#4: Go to Sleep Believing in my Abilities

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Did not work. Never before had the springs of my bed squeaked that mouse-like. Never before had the moonlight produced shadows that rodent-y. While I had hoped the peppermint would soothe me to sleep, it served as a pungent reminder of the ro-demon that could re-emerge at any moment.

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-10000/10

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#5: Go to Sleep Gaslighting Myself Into Thinking I Made Up Seeing the Mouse

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10/10

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Alas, despite my ratings, we shall never know which of these strategies proved the most or least effective. We have yet to see the mouse again. I live in a constant state of anxiety wondering, “Is the mouse still out there?”, or, worse, “If we never see the mouse again, will my roommates actually believe that I saw a mouse?”, or, the worst, “Did I see a mouse?” But, here I am writing this article, so it must be real. Right?

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{shortcode-18620b31b5e759cb6e22b0cf2945cbeadb2d65ac}Please tell me that I’m not the only one going through it this early on in the semester? I have no idea if it’s the groggy weather, or my two evening lab sections this semester (because I’m a ~woman in STEM~), but I’m in desperate need of some pick-me-ups lately. So today, I’m forcing myself out of my misery to share some of the things that are keeping me going this semester.

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The new HUDS updates.

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Everyone has seen THE email of the semester by now (if you haven’t, please wake yourself up and go check your inbox). From new and exciting special menu offerings and the addition of strawberry yogurt(!!) to the breakfast menu, HUDS has truly redeemed themselves. P.S. If HUDS is reading this, I love you all but please bring back the chicken-nugget-esque bricks filled with cheese and broccoli.

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The fire pits in front of Annenberg.

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I have not yet had the luxury of blissfully roasting marshmallows with my friends by the fireside. However, it always warms my heart to “scoot” (yes, I’m sorry I do own a scooter) past other people being happy by the fire. An added bonus is that my hair smells like soot for the entirety of my 6 p.m. lab section even after that one second interaction.

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The innovation that is Winthrop Grille.

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I’m a proud Thropstar and a regular patron of our beautiful grille. Not only does it have the best strawberry milkshakes — they bring all the boys to the (court)yard — but it also embodies the *pioneering* spirit of Harvard. I ordered their Valentine’s Day special which was described as chocolate covered strawberries. I received a plate of strawberries drizzled with chocolate syrup. Friends, I have never tasted anything better at 10 p.m. on a Thursday. It was *almost* enough to get me past the fact that I was single for yet another Valentine’s season.

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My blockmate who supported me while I was in the trenches.

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HOW is an exam given three weeks into the semester a MIDTERM??? That is a complaint for another day, but seriously, why was I literally swamped with tests and assignments this early on in the semester. I definitely would not have made it through without my lovely blockmate and fellow Flyby writer, Hayeon “Rachel” Ok ’25, who was so kind as to get me my favorite CVS cookies as I was on the verge of tears. Rachel, I love you.

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Elkay LZS8WSLK EZH2O Bottle Filling Station. Iykyk ;)

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I was going to try and add more things to the list but there really aren’t that many things keeping me afloat at the moment. But you know what they say, the best thing about being at rock bottom is that there is only one way to go: up (pretty sure this is quoted from the SING koala).

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{shortcode-0f3b7897477bef562887997e17e60fdb3dc18a48} Are you sitting in a lecture class with over 500 students, barely paying attention to the lecturer, no matter how interesting they try to make the topic sound? Are you sitting in the shuttle on your way to the SEC? When you’re not on Instagram, TikTok or watching flyby’s latest roving reporter, you’re on your favorite website and here’s what we think it says about you.

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{shortcode-7c01719abd7fe660ec25f6ee9935b34e49f7edfc}Fellow staff writer Katie E. Hennessey foreshadowed this best nearly four months ago to this day, writing of October: “It’s like the February of the fall semester, but worse.” But now, here we are, and somehow, somewhere (here), February has taken a sharp knife and gutted us all like one of Red’s best catches.

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Maybe it’s the weather. Somehow, Cambridge has captured the monopoly on the color gray. WHERE ARE THE LEAVES? WHERE IS THE SUN? I miss that cancerous ball of fire and plasma. And no, I don’t care that there’s some low-pressure system with a warm front and a chance of meatballs. I’m in a high-pressure academically rigorous institution with a warm spot by Canaday that I voluntarily committed myself to — we deserve those photons of happiness just as much as our friends on the West Coast. So hear my cry: STOP THE GRAY! There’s only so much romanticizing my walks to the SEC that a girl can do.

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February’s trough-ness could be the weather, or it could be the subtle strain of virus tickling the back of your throat. Based on extensive peer-reviewed and personal experience (there is no peer-reviewed experience), I can confidently and unequivocally say that February is the time that the NSAID and cold medicine people at CVS are raking in the big bucks. Somehow, we’re all sick, whether it’s not-Covid-because-I-tested-but-it-feels-like-Covid-itis, H1N1 (headache1noserunny1), or the good ole stress flu. And you’re not just physically tired. The fact that your roommate is ill and you’ve had a mild headache for the past week and you have morning practice tomorrow and an exam to boot is mentally exhausting, too. If it’s any consolation though, we’re right there with you, headaches and all.

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And we certainly can’t forget about romance, arguably the best and worst thing about February. This one’s up to you, dear reader, to decide how February has affected your love life, but I’ll leave you with this tidbit: while taking advantage of free Amorino on Valentine’s Day (thanks Datamatch!), my friend and I somehow 11th-wheel. Not third-, fourth-, fifth-, but 11th.

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So yeah, February is a pretty booty month. But there’s some great things about it too: random 60-degree days that foreshadow spring break. Pistachio gelato. The debut of the gassed up HUDS menu. Blind dates. Heavily discounted Valentine’s candy (but also the heinous appearance of Easter-themed candy two months too early). If I’ve learned anything from Math 21a, it’s that when you’re at a minimum, it’s only up from here — and that spring break is only two weeks away!

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{shortcode-57ddaccea5bea8b39c96f056408b2584e6ff47a8}Disclaimer: We love Tatte. But hey, the clickbait worked — you clicked.

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As much as we were tempted to gatekeep this treasured find, it didn’t work Faro Café’s bustling wood-white interior was just too cozy and welcoming to keep it a secret. Tucked behind Zinneken’s on Arrow Street, Faro Café is our new obsession — with warm lighting, a record player (???), and so. many. plants, it’s the perfect place for when you want to pretend that you have your life together and you did NOT spend 58 minutes in the CS office hours queue.

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If you’re trying to hold down the fort for a study session at Faro, we recommend arriving early, not long after they open at 8 a.m. True, you won’t get the pleasure of duking it out with a semi-retired couple over a one-foot-diameter glorified stool like at Tatte, but the small space does fill up quickly. True to character, Faro was packed with solo studiers at 9:30 a.m. as we wandered in, but we managed to snag a table by the window for maximum people-watching as we sipped on our coffee. Investigative journalism!

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EKR: I ordered a flat white, and to be honest, it’s the only thing I’ve ordered upon my many returns (yes, it was that good). Complete with a carefully curated latte design on top and handed to me in a warm mug, it was the perfect start to the day. I stole a sip of a friend’s iced vanilla latte, and it was evident that the vanilla syrup was house made - the sign of a high-quality cafe.

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ESD: Deep in my corporate girl phase, I ordered an Americano — with a splash of macadamia milk because don’t worry, I still have a personality. As a self-proclaimed coffee non-expert, I thought the espresso was perfectly balanced, rich and smooth and the right amount of bitterness for that morning pick-me-up.

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We only were able to try a couple drinks, but their House Latte, Maple Latte, Dirty Chai, and Gruyere Scones are at the top of our list for our next visit. And yes, we will be coming back.

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Faro is what Cambridge needed. It’s far enough from the yard that the tourists won’t find it (sorry, Tatte and Peet’s) and it is practically a warm hug in cafe form. When you want to romanticize your life, sip on a fabulous latte and forget that you’re drowning in assignments and applications — Faro is the go-to.

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{shortcode-4ee5c07cdac144644ec4ce790b1a78e5ce7bcf21} Word on the street is that some of you freshmen are making Google forms and waitlists for your blocking groups. When I heard that, I was at a loss for words. I feel it is my personal responsibility to set your generation (I refer, of course, to everyone in the Class of 2026, most of whom are about six months younger than me) on the right path. So, here are some ways to decide about who to block with that don’t involve begging your ‘friends’ to let you live with them or telling people What Father Does For Work.

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Choose Based on Freshman Dorm

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Take it from a Class of ’25er — you do NOT want to be spending Housing Day in a dorm on Prescott Street. Yeah, your friends might all live in Pennypacker, but you want a straight view to the statue the morning of. Find somebody in a dorm with a good view and block with them for the ideal Housing Day experience. Matthews has a pretty ideal location, but you’ve got to make sure their window faces into the Old Yard. It’s also nice to hide out in a separate entryway dorm, like Grays or Hollis, so you don’t have to have a heart attack every time a group of upperclassmen stampedes up the stairs.

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Block with Your Pset Group

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You guys are probably sick and tired of the first floor of Cabot Library, right? What if I told you there was a surefire way that you could all swipe into the same house library next year? Or better yet, share the same common room? Work-life balance… who’s that? It’s much better to be able to beg your classmate for the answers from the comfort of your own complimentary pleather couch.

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Pick Based on Shirt/Shoe Size

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There must be somebody on this campus who shares your exact measurements. If you room together, you’ll get double the wardrobe! No more wondering what to wear to the party/interview/blind date/office hours with the hot TF. You’ll never have to go shopping again!

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Block with the Busiest Person You Know

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Most sophomores have to live in doubles. But it’s basically not a double if you never see your roommate. You don’t even have to sexile them if they’re always in the library or at some kind of meeting. And, obviously, they won’t be sexiling you anytime soon. The toughest part about this one is holding a conversation with them for long enough to get them to agree to block with you. Steal their phone and put a meeting in their GCal. They’ll be there. They won’t know why, but they’ll be there.

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Kidnap Somebody from Annenberg

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Find someone sitting alone with headphones on and chloroform them when they open their mouth to take a bite of delicious New HUDS. Drag them to the basement of Memorial Hall — nobody’s ever down there. When they come to, say, “We can do this the easy way,” open your laptop to the blocking form, “or we can do this the hard way.” They’ll be oh-so-happy to block with you! Or, you know, you could ask them.

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Block with Your Bestie — Yourself

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You know what? You’re in your pset group. You share your exact measurements. You’re even probably pretty busy! Yeah, you’ll always be in your room when you’re there, and that’s kind of annoying. But ultimately, being a ‘floater’ is always an option, and not at all a bad one. Do you even want to room with any of your friends, anyway? They seem pretty messy to me.

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Guys, blocking is just not that deep. Yes, I have friends in my house. Yes, I blocked with a couple of them, one of whom is my roommate (and who also fits a couple of the above criteria — shoutout to Roxy!). But most of them were just assigned to the house too! Pure serendipity! And I see my non-blocking-group friends all the time, too, because at the end of the day, we all live on the same square mile anyway. Best of luck on Housing Day, and remember, don’t stress yourself out about something that truly does not matter that much!

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{shortcode-79cf3dd7acc76f5237da14b6c2b57ce6eb90f3a3}It happened folks. It happened earlier than usual this year because #globalwarming, but we have officially had three consecutive days of 50-degree weather this fine spring semester. It’s been warm enough that the dudes in gym shorts waiting to tell you they’re “immune to the cold” because they were “born and raised in New England” aren’t the only ones with their legs out. So to celebrate this momentous occasion, here’s a playlist full of sun-inspired bops to enjoy on your walk to class. Listen hard, but don’t listen too hard. The last thing we want is a good jinx sending a mountain of snow to dump on us next week.

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{shortcode-61087fc379acc39535fb077fb62a514e606fe573}

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{shortcode-3e3996fc3f0a964ea8badab70dd9c4a95d96671b}We’ll cut right to the chase: Yes, sampling TJ snacks was in fact our only plan for Valentine’s Day evening, no, none of us had real dates for the good ol’ day of love, and no, we don’t need to keep talking about it.{shortcode-0d95c27ef6024f2d84a5d6d4905288a5c0448142}

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Your favorite Trader Joe Trio (TJT) is back with another round of snack reviews. While we may have been slightly disappointed by the lack of savory Valentine’s Day items, our raging — and by our, we mean Corinne’s — sweet tooth was more than satisfied by the below treats. A self-inflicted sugar coma on Valentine’s Day may seem dark…but when it comes to Trader Joe’s, there’s nothing but love.

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Strawberry Greek Nonfat Yogurt

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We know what you’re thinking — I thought this list would be fun. How in the world is strawberry greek yogurt supposed to comfort my aching heart on the evening of the most emotionally vulnerable night of the year? Well, Ellen agrees — “It’s just strawberry yogurt. There’s nothing more.” Meanwhile, Corinne was hype about both the flavor profile and consistency of this light pink dairy snack. Pro tip: Add some of the freeze dried strawberries (keep reading…) on top.

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Strawberry Organic Creamy Cashew Cultured Yogurt Alternative

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It’s Janani’s world and we’re just living in it. Our vegan queen had us back again trying the Trader Joe’s “Organic Creamy Cashew Cultured Yogurt Alternative” — this time, strawberry flavored. While we truly wanted this to work, it just…didn’t. In Ellen’s words, “to call it a yogurt alternative is deeply unjust to yogurt.” Its texture was definitely lacking. Don’t believe us? Janani drank its remaining contents in a total of 11 seconds and it “went down like juice.” Somehow, some way, Corinne said she liked it…is this her red flag?

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Rabitos Royale Ruby Cacao Figs

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Are you sick of gifting the same ol’ Hershey's milk chocolate bar? Looking to spice up your sweets game and impress your fellow Harvard students, possibly even a lOwElL rEsiDeNt with a my-house-is-the-best superiority complex? Look no further. With the “Rabitos Royale Ruby Cacao Figs” (I am out of breath after typing that), your significant other or most definitely just a platonic friend may very well be floored by this concoction. The fig’s chocolate truffle filling combined with the white chocolate exterior makes for a whole load of sophisticated flavor. Ellen dubbed this as “an all natural milky way.” But beware…this one is super sweet.

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Gone Berry Crazy! Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pieces

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These chocolate-covered nuggets of frozen strawberry goodness somehow ascended HUDS’ Fruit Forward attempt at frozen strawberry-flavored rocks and chipped chocolate. We already knew these were good and are berry into them. Probably necessary to warn against the possibility of intense freezer burn — because that would be far worse than getting dumped the day before Valentine’s Day, right? Right!??!?!?!

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Cinnamon Bun Inspired Joe Joe’s

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Does it count as officially V-Day-themed if it spoke to our hearts? It was a seasonal new item, okay? We think that counts. This Oreo-inspired snack was a blast from the past. Consensus: it delivered in all aspects. Flavor? A little sweet, but check. Orgasmic feeling? Now that’s what I call Trader Ho. Nostalgia? Dunkaroos, and Dunkaroos alone. These are necessary — trust us. Bonus points for being vegan friendly!

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Freeze Dried Strawberries

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“I kinda destroyed the freeze dried strawberries.” —Janani

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She did. In fact, Janani is willing to bet she would win the ultimate showdown: Janani vs. Dining Hall Mouse race to finish a bag of TJ’s freeze dried strawberries. Regardless, the emptied-out bag is just evidence that freeze dried strawberries are both a delicious (and healthy!!) snack during any season.

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Chocolate Mousse Cake

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Maybe don’t get this if you aren’t a fan of mousse. Or cake. *Cough* Ellen. But for all chocolate, mousse, and cake lovers out there, this heart-shaped cake will win over your heart. Not only is it incredibly cute and a good price, but it is dense, fudgy, and will make you forget that you don’t have a date have you wishing for next year’s Valentine’s season already!

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Not pictured: red ravioli (the one and only savory themed-item!!), heart shaped macarons, raspberry hearts, XOXO candy, and heart-shaped jelly beans which were, much to our deep sadness, all not present at our local Trader Joe’s. Valentine’s Day might be over, but some of these items are very much still in stock on the shelves at our lovely Allston Trader Joe’s. So go forth, sugar-loving friends, and eat your hearts (haha haha get it? hearts for Valentine’s Day) out!

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{shortcode-95d16858b017040060cfe2f7ac168f1b2b74ea43}“Oh no! Valentine’s Day is over! Now I have no more seasonal events to look forward to!” That’s me if I cared. No, actually, Valentine’s Day is… fine, but today is even better. Feb. 15 is the only thing that makes Feb. 14 worth getting through, and I’ll tell you why.

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Chocolate!

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The most obvious great thing about Feb. 15 is that all the chocolate will be discounted. Honestly, I don’t care if chocolate is in the shape of a heart, an egg, or a pumpkin. Chocolate is chocolate, and it’s less expensive than usual on Feb. 15. Catch me storming CVS. I’m stockpiling to last me and my roommate until the day after Easter. (If you’re in charge of regularly providing an org with snacks, take note!)

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Drama!

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A less hyped but arguably better aspect of today is… the DEBRIEF. Datamatch was yesterday, as was, you know, regular Valentine’s Day stuff. Who broke up? Who got together? Who received the single rose that your section crush brought to class? Did your Datamatch crush roulette work out?!?!

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A Welcome Return to Normalcy!

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~Society~ is arguably too obsessed with romance as it is, and Valentine’s Day definitely veers into the territory of too much of a good thing. Sometimes you need a moment to relax between special events so you can appreciate the fun times all the more. This is why I’m trying to romanticize a random Wednesday in February.

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So let yourself enjoy today, even if it’s not as special as yesterday was. It’s called the present because every day is a gift, etc. etc. Happy Wednesday!

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('

{shortcode-e8efdab368d7c0100f12976d977e5fd0f102c1bd}After a week of anticipation and emails, the algorithm has spoken and your Datamatch results are out. But what’s next, you may be wondering? What’s this about free food, you say? (If there’s any way to catch a Harvard student’s attention, it’s always free food.) Whether it be your first time doing Datamatch or you just want to read about other people’s experiences, we’ve compiled a list of past Datamatch matches from our writers to help you figure out what to do with your top matches!

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Writer 1: I put my preferences to love and friendship, but ending up getting no love matches. The universe was really speaking to me at that moment. I went on a date with my top friendship match, not expecting much, but we’re now great friends and I love her. You might not meet the love of your life through Datamatch, but you can definitely meet someone you can drink *spicy juice* with on a Saturday night.

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Writer 2: My top match last year was a friendship match with someone I had met earlier on in the year through another mutual friend. As college students, we obviously decided to capitalize on this opportunity and we got to mathing: which free food deal was the most bang-for-buck? Ultimately, we decided to go to Playa Bowl, because who doesn’t love a delicious acai bowl that kind of tastes like ice cream? The serving ended up being way smaller than we had imagined, but it was still very cute. We talked while we ate and got to know each other a little better. Alas, not much came out of the friendship match, but free food is still always a win. #staywinning

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Writer 3: I matched with my roommate during Meet26. We’re in a suite of five and don’t talk much in general, so we both refused to mention it for three weeks before we finally acknowledged it. We grabbed Sunday Sundaes together after, though!

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Writer 4: My top match was someone I vaguely knew from freshman year but hadn’t really seen since. Didn’t get free food since we didn’t go on a date but my friends and I still regularly reference it for fun. There’s nothing like a good stalking session with all of your friends while figuring out what you know about each other’s matches.

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Writer 5: My friend got matched with someone she knew pretty well. Neither of them had any interest in going on the date, so she easily convinced him to let us use the free food voucher instead. It was a cute Galentine's moment, and our girls date is one of my favorite memories I’ve made. Ovaries before brovaries!

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Writer 6: I got nine friend matches and one love match, who had no picture, bio, or prompt responses, AND they lived in the Quad.

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And there you have it: real, lived experiences from your favorite student life writers. We hope that we provided some insight into what to expect for your Datamatch results, but at the same time, just have fun with it! It’s all fun and games, unless… ;)

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{shortcode-1ca53a16028440be3c733aad65cd841559f48683}The day is finally upon us: Valentine’s Day! There are so many ways to spend this day, whether it be with friends (check out our guide to Galentine’s), on your own (check out our guide to being single on Valentine’s), or with your boo. But for those of you in long distance relationships, worry not — you can still enjoy this day. Whether the distance is Quad-Mather or across a continent, here are some ideas for you to celebrate with your Valentine even if you aren’t physically together.

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Start the day off with texts!

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Most of the time, your morning alarm is the most dreaded sound in existence, reminding you to get up and go to class. Instead, brighten up the day by starting it off with a cute good morning text! It can be short and simple, or you can write a whole poem if you want to — do as your heart says, but we’re sure your partner will appreciate the heartfelt message first thing in the morning, giving them a smile to start the day.

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Send them gifts

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In this day and age of technology, you can pretty much send anything anywhere (which can be both a good thing and a bad thing, but we’ll focus on the good for now). Go classic with flowers and chocolates, or you can also send gifts that represent an inside joke to make it more meaningful and special. You can either use online ordering services (Bezos it up, I guess) or ask their roommates to be the special ~secret~ messenger on your behalf. Hey, I can’t speak for everyone here, but flowers are always a quick and easy way to bring a smile to any face.

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You asked them to be your Valentine…right?

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Yes, you still have to ask them to be your Valentine. Yes, even if you’re dating. No, it’s not implied. Yes, go call them right now and ask. You’re welcome.

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Call them!!

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While it can suck to not physically be next to each other, at least you can still stay connected through phone calls and video chats, talking into the wee hours of the night while you procrastinate on your work. The best thing about long distance is that the two of you are always talking, because honestly, that’s the only thing you can really do anyways. Start and end the day with a call so they can hear your voice. :)

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Write each other letters

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Be a little old-fashioned: pull out a pen and paper instead of your phone. Snail mail may be a little outdated, but there’s something about putting physical words on paper that just speaks differently. You can tell them you’re thinking about them, write things you may normally hesitate to say out loud (because you have a roommate in the room), and include little gifts such as photos or cute trinkets.

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Do a virtual date night

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Bring the date through the screen! Plan something the two of you can do together. It can be fancy or simple, anything as long as it’s a way to spend quality time together. You can watch a movie together, order food for each other for a virtual dinner date, or play a game together. Check out one of our past articles for Virtual Valentine’s Day date ideas!

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Send them a video/voice memo

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Phone calls and video calls are great, but consider also sending your partner something they can save and rewatch later! Instead of a good morning text, send them a good morning voice memo. Hearing your voice is another surefire way to have them start and end their day with a smile.

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Plan your next visit

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When doing long distance, it’s a huge plus to think ahead and plan when you’ll see each other next. You can plan a belated Valentine’s Day celebration and recreate the day together. But in general, get excited about seeing each other again! Hey, after all, Feb. 14 is just like any random day; you and your partner can celebrate your feelings for each other any day.

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We know you miss them, but distance is temporary, and some may even say it makes the heart grow fonder. No matter how you choose to spend the day, keep your boo in mind and think about the next time you’ll see them, which will be very very soon.

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