('

{shortcode-1d5ecf1e8daa757858e70dc796391f9f0dbbd337}

\r\n\r\n

Imagine this: you’re having a peaceful morning grabbing breakfast at Berg while scrolling through your phone, but then you suddenly receive a LinkedIn notification: You have notifications from ____. Curious, you click on it, and see a classmate posted:

\r\n\r\n

I’m excited to share that I’ll be starting my position as an analyst intern at Goldman Sachs this summer!

\r\n\r\n

Let that sink in for a minute or two. You reread the post to make sure you read it right, then click on their bio: Harvard ’28 | CS + Econ | Passionate about Investment Banking. Open to chat!

\r\n\r\n

The sad truth is that a significantly large number of Harvard students are LinkedIn warriors. While you are trying to figure out the difference between Gov 10 and Gov 20 (answer: don’t take either), others are sliding into recruiter DMs, spam requesting connections until it reaches the maximum limit, and posting about how eating that ripe banana for dinner changed their life. Riveting stuff, really.

\r\n\r\n

\r\nAnd they are everywhere (both physically and on LinkedIn). You’ll see them comment their emails on internship opportunity posts, congratulating others on their accomplishments, and at every club event possible, resume in hand.

\r\n\r\n

So, how do you tell a LinkedIn warrior apart from a normal LinkedIn user? We’re here to break it down for you.

\r\n\r\n

Using lowercases everywhere on their profile

\r\n\r\n

Yes, we’re quirky (teehee)! We don’t want to use proper grammar or follow capitalization rules because we’re unique! The classic LinkedIn warrior. One size fits all tbh, especially in the Computer Science department.

\r\n\r\n

And while having “yapping” in your skill set is not funny, I must admit that it’s a great skill. Goldman is calling, pick up babe <3. Add a few more of those short and sweet descriptions like “made some phone calls and worked on cool projects” and you’re bound to get that return offer. Embrace the nonchalance (source: trust us, we’re unemployed freshmen).

\r\n\r\n

Rushing to update their profile as soon as they get into a club

\r\n\r\n

After the consulting club comp process — dominated by all-nighters, completely nonsensical slide decks, and constant contact with the connections that got you in (don’t be shy now, spill) — it’s time to reap the real reward. Putting “Harvard Undergraduate Consulting Club” in your LinkedIn, along with that copy-paste description about the market cap and acceptance rate. Ahh, there’s no more cliché activity than this. I call cap.

\r\n\r\n

The sappy posts that turn everything into suffering

\r\n\r\n

No, you genuinely don’t need to make a post about every little thing that has happened to you. No need to reflect on how rejection from The Lampoon made you realize that perhaps life is more than the Harvard bubble. We here at Flyby already knew that #comp :)

\r\n\r\n

Dropping out of Harvard for an AI startup

\r\n\r\n

In just a few short months, we’ve already learned that, besides consulting, there’s only one other path out there for the overachieving eldest child: drop out of Harvard and work at an AI startup. Every day our classmates drop like flies.

\r\n\r\n

So, if you see your Ec 10a friend make a LinkedIn post about this, let it be known that they’ve embarked on a dark journey to becoming a LinkedIn warrior! And there’s nothing you can do to stop it… but, hey, you’re not allowed to drop out unless you live in Wigglesworth or Currier House. Why walk when you can just sit at a desk all day coding?

\r\n\r\n

Having your parents promote your posts

\r\n\r\n

There is actually nothing worse than this. Except when you find out that their parents are consultants, so maybe everything about them does make a lot of sense. Do you think they sit around the dinner table and discuss LinkedIn strategies to increase engagement? The capital expenditures of Cyber Monday?

\r\n\r\n

Thank goodness, my family is not a LinkedIn family. *shudders* Might be worse than having an almond mom…

\r\n\r\n

\r\nThey say these will be the best four years of your life. Maybe that’s true, or maybe it’s just a time for you to meet the most interesting people you’ll ever come across — whether it’s on a leisurely dilly-dally through the Yard, or the [redacted] website where you will announce your new BCG position! Remember when you said you wouldn’t sell out? Yeah so….how’s that going now?

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-1d5ecf1e8daa757858e70dc796391f9f0dbbd337}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2023/09/28/190747_1365242.png.1500x1025_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption=None, hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-54c270b4cfd59d1babc32922cb0db0806fb2eb75}

\r\n\r\n

Hi, everybody! I’m so excited for you all to be reading this article. To introduce myself: I’m Charlotte, and I’m a first-year in Canaday concentrating in Applied Math.

\r\n\r\n

…Yawn. I’m surprised you’re still here. Even I got bored writing that, and trust me, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who likes talking about herself more than me.

\r\n\r\n

As a Harvard community, we need to do better. I have yet to find the person responsible for instating this bland introductory template (stay tuned), but believe me, when I do, we’re going to have a chat. Absolutely nobody likes using it, and even fewer people like hearing it.

\r\n\r\n

At the end of the day, though, I get it. We can’t all be social butterflies, and it’s all too easy to fall back into the comfort and familiarity of the name-house-concentration-hometown feedback loop. So, to make things easier on everybody, I thought I’d propose some alternatives to spice things up a bit:

\r\n\r\n

1. How many BoardPlus dollars you have remaining

\r\n\r\n

This can tell you a lot more about a person than the house they happen to live in. After all, anyone could be in Dunster, but only a select few have already cashed out their entire $65. Not to mention, how frugal the stranger you just met in your section chooses to be can say a lot about their fiscal responsibility. Perks of using this salutation: potentially taking advantage of a friend’s underutilization of their BoardPlus.

\r\n\r\n

2. Your go-to dining hall fruit

\r\n\r\n

While this greeting may yield limited responses (after all, how much fruit do we really consume on the daily??), it certainly invokes more conversation than saying you’re an Econ concentrator. Consider: if your friend says they like kiwis, ask them if they eat the skin. I’ve personally engaged in riveting conversations on this very topic.

\r\n\r\n

3. Whether or not you’ve touched John Harvard’s foot

\r\n\r\n

This is pretty self-explanatory. Albeit borderline taboo, it’s important to know what kind of person you’re dealing with. If your companion’s response is “yes,” though, I do implore you to ask at what age that ghastly tragedy occurred. After all, we can’t be faulting people for their misgivings as a five-year-old. But if they say last week… consider swiping left on your friendship. Or telling them that if you say “green beans” fast enough, it starts to sound like the word “gullible.”

\r\n\r\n

4. Your study spot of choice

\r\n\r\n

Widener has class; the Science Center does not. Watch out for the Lamonsters — I’m pretty sure they feed on other students’ anxiety. And who knows? Maybe you’ll find a new, underground location to crank out those psets. Regardless, this greeting is a great way to meet people that frequent the same spots as you and ensure you’ll always have someone to smile at during dark, dark times.

\r\n\r\n

5. Where you tell people you go to college

\r\n\r\n

Is the person you’re talking to a straight shooter (i.e. “Harvard”), or are they one of those people? We’re not “a small liberal arts school in Boston,” guys. Honestly, it’s easy to come across as more pretentious with a start like that. Minus for this salutation: awkward to get going, and leaves a large possibility for misrepresentation. Potential aura loss.

\r\n\r\n

6. Your snack source

\r\n\r\n

Let’s face it: you kind of have to outsource to get legitimate snacks around here. A valid objection to this greeting might be that too many people go to Trader Joe’s, but to that I say: the more, the merrier. When it comes to Trader Joe’s, there exists an infinite amount of subject matter. #notsponsored.

\r\n\r\n

All jokes aside, it’s time to move past the monotonous introductions that have come to dominate club meetings, slideshow presentations, lecture encounters, and the like. If you’re even half as passionate about change as I am, try giving one of these a go every once in a while. You never know what could come of it.

\r\n\r\n

Sincerely,

\r\n\r\n

$65 BoardPlus left :)

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-54c270b4cfd59d1babc32922cb0db0806fb2eb75}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/04/165843_1382727.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Spontaneity!.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-3ad445901f1419642fd91f40fade0840e04b6901}

\r\n\r\n

Dear you flashy green containers,

\r\n\r\n

Hi, it’s Jay. I won’t lie, I’m not your biggest fan. I know, I know. You hate the environment! Uh, actually no — I’m an EPS concentrator bud. So, what do you actually hate? Well, where do I start?

\r\n\r\n

To all of you certified green container haters, how are you hanging in there as you attempt to simultaneously enjoy a delectable Veritaffle and not be 20 minutes late to that dreaded Friday 9 a.m. section, or watch a friend lug this surprisingly small cargo around through their 12-hour trek throughout the Science Center Plaza? I feel like everywhere I look now, I somehow see the little goblin that has quickly integrated itself into Harvard life and culture. Oh, and what about those conversations of “remember when we could throw these away,” with the occasional “shoot! I accidentally threw mine away.” (Just me? Oh okay…). Why are these containers making me feel unc…

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Frankly, the introduction of these to-go boxes has certainly been polarizing. I’m sure sophomores like me vividly remember the neat and compact paper vessels we used to be able to pile high in our arms with HUDS brownies, then just toss away when we were done without a care in the world. I’m sure we all remember the limitless packs of utensils that we could dispose of to our hearts’ content. Perhaps the juniors and seniors have imparted their ancient wisdom about the even better times. Those must have been the good ol’ days, right?

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Now, as our psets and readings pile up, our to-go boxes pile up even higher, because it can be such an inconvenience to go out of your way to return them. Sometimes, we’ll return one and immediately need another, feeling like Sisyphus, always having to carry the weight of a to-go box all day. Sometimes, we’ll throw it out, forgetting we can’t do that, or somehow lose it despite it relentlessly being in our grasp or our backpack (or so we thought…still just me? Ugh, okay).

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Don’t get me wrong, they’re pretty decent boxes, but what was wrong with the paper boxes anyway? Was this change for the environment? Probably, but Harvard should be changing many other things for the benefit of the environment — don’t take it out on our dining experience!

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I’m probably too passionate about this, but these boxes are a major inconvenience when I need to get food and walk to the Science Center in under 10 minutes, the nail in my coffin of doom, of being cursed to be in the plaza area for the rest of my day. Lunch-less, definitely, perhaps dinner-less, too. And although I’m somewhat getting used to the habit, I’d really prefer we go back to the olden days of disposable boxes again. At this point, HUDS is tired of me continuously asking for to-go boxes (knowing dang well I have five on my desk) and, heck, I’m tired of me too. Harvard, please hear my plea. Please make our days merry and bright again.

\r\n\r\n

Sincerely,

\r\n\r\n

A fed-up sophomore. Emphasis on fed, though — thank you.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-3ad445901f1419642fd91f40fade0840e04b6901}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/04/041938_1382724.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='To-go boxes.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-afa594b55eab924783c17a0c2894fd3e4096131e}

\r\n\r\n

I am an addict. Like down bad, lost in the trenches addict. My choice of poison? Sidechat.

\r\n\r\n

There is something special — some would even say beautiful — about your first week on Sidechat. I sit in class restless, desperately craving that surge of dopamine I know will flood me when I finally clock out for the night. All my midterm worries and psets are put aside for my delightful hour of being an iPad kid. You may view me as a fallen soldier, but that pink tear-drop smiley face will never leave my home screen, not even after graduation. It’ll be the one thing keeping me from becoming washed up and also unc…

\r\n\r\n

Truth be told, that icon has become the last thing I see before I hit my pillow, and the first thing that greets me in the morning. Both my most embarrassing habit and favorite activity, Sidechat, is ingrained in my routine now, whether I like it or not. My naive freshman self thought I was too good for the app, that there was no need to know everyone else’s thoughts. But that just makes for a dull, insipid evening (source: the poor souls who have to pull an all-nighter in Lamont without a glorious five minute scroll break). I’m so glad I finally caved and joined the app I had been depriving myself of for TWO whole months. Wow.

\r\n\r\n

Now I know it sounds like I am chronically online and need to put the phone down. That I am the living embodiment of why instructors might put device-free standards in place. But the ironic thing is, I consider myself generally offline. For the past two years, I have gone TikTok free (one of my more valiant achievements, in my opinion), have set screen limits on apps I find myself stuck on (but don’t ask me if I always adhere to those), and try to end my nights off with a book in hand. Are you proud, mom?#nobluelightafter10pm. And yet somehow Sidechat has made habits years in the making go to sh*t.

\r\n\r\n

What can I say? The allure of its anonymity really draws you in. What if I know the man who is going off online about how he did not get into Spee? He could be in my section, or walk right by me after hitting post, and I would be utterly oblivious. In this great sea of people, I somehow feel immersed in the lives of others, constantly refreshing the app to see if there are any new scandals or Remy photos to catch up on. If this isn’t the greatest indicator of campus culture being fostered, I don’t know what is.

\r\n\r\n

With its Twitter-esque style of just perpetual doomscrolling to no end, it makes me kick my feet with glee. I’m not scrolling with the deluded belief that every post I come across is going to make me laugh, but I know one that is looming just three swipes away will. 100%. And when I find that hidden gem that makes me stifle a little laugh in the middle of my 9 a.m., it makes all that time wasted worth it.

\r\n\r\n

Sure, there are definitely probably more optimal choices I could be making, but I don’t want to. When I open Sidechat it means the only thing I have the energy to do is Sidechat. If I tried to finish a paper at that moment, my productivity would still be lower than during reading period. So why wouldn't I choose brain-rot instead? Sorry, Laibson and Furman. I wish I could be a better economic agent, but I have to face reality.

\r\n\r\n

I acknowledge that the relationship between me and Sidechat is unhealthy, but you just don’t get her the way I do. And even though I know that, in two weeks’ time, my honeymoon phase will start to fizzle out and my obsession will subside, for now I choose to soak up every second of my first week on Sidechat. It only happens once, ladies. Consider my cherry #popped.

\r\n\r\n

Anyone resisting the inevitable, you cannot stop it. If you think you won't succumb to the App Store download, I fear FOMO is no match for that mindset. But I promise you, life will become so much brighter once you open the door to this next chapter. What Sidechat and I have is precious, and my college experience would not be the same had I not clicked install. Just like how people are reenergized by seeing their friends, one hour on Sidechat is the battery that keeps me running for the day. No Blank Street daydream latte needed.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-afa594b55eab924783c17a0c2894fd3e4096131e}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/03/153705_1382712.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Down bad for Sidechat.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-d5dd3142bf46d34a9394702cf0cb612d5fc9e012}

\r\n\r\n

Let’s be real: wherever you go, there will be something that screams “tspmo” ( “this pisses me off,” for all you uncultured folks). That’s equally true at Harvard.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Hoarding Laundry Machines

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Let us all remember that the machines take 30 minutes to wash and 60 minutes to dry, so if you can wake up to an alarm and take a test within that time frame, surely you can pick up your laundry on time. It is not that hard. Actually.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I shouldn’t be camping for an hour in the unventilated, steaming underground laundry room for you to come get your finished laundry. There are limited machines, and we have limited time. We can give you guys the benefit of the doubt, but I start drawing the line when the light on the machine literally changes from “open the door” to “1.75.” At some point, a girl’s gotta put her own needs first and toss your laundry on top of the machine. Sorry not sorry.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Electric Scooters Traveling at the Speed of Light in the Yard

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What happened to “walking your wheels”? And why are you riding like you are Paul Revere? Can we at least get an “excuse me” or “on your right”? The number of times I’ve almost been run over by these diabolical machines is outrageous. If you wouldn’t walk straight into someone, then you probably shouldn’t be crashing into them either! I fear these e-scooters should require a driver’s license at this point (RIP to all you unlicensed New Yorkers).

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nosy Tourists

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Listen. I know Harvard is a tourist attraction, and half the time, there are more tourists than students. Ironically, they are somehow more punctual to their 6 a.m. tours than I am to my 9 a.m. section. But mind you, I live and study here. So why are they judging me in my messy bun and mismatched PJs carrying a sack of laundry on a Saturday morning? Just because you caught me lacking doesn’t justify you just trespassing into my home. Someone get Macaulay Culkin on the line…

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

And the number of times I’ve opened my door and almost swung a gaggle of tourists off my steps has gotten to a ridiculous point. The purpose of a door is to be opened and closed, so if you wouldn’t stand in front of a random person’s door, please don’t in front of my dorm just because it is at Harvard. Mind. The. Gap.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Three Math Psets a Week

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As if one pset doesn’t already make me upset, three a week?! You’re joking! On top of all that, I have pre-readings, pre-quizzes, and CAs grading like I owe them interest. What even is a 4.98/5?? I understand that math requires a lot of practice, but each problem labeled from A to Z and each of those subcategorized into “i”s is overboard.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Monday, Dec. 1

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

That’s it. This Monday will always — without a shadow of a doubt — capital P, capital M, capital O. PMO. It’s a day full of dread and disbelief at the fact that you are somehow back in your cold dorm room instead of your fluffy, cozy childhood bed. A day of bargaining with yourself about what is actually feasible within the next 48 hours before LDOC. Will that 30 page paper of mine be complete by Wednesday 11:59 p.m.? Will my organic chemistry midterm (another thing that PMO! Just call it a final, please) be my elimination mechanism? Uhh, your guess is as good as mine! Send thoughts and prayers.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Of course, this Harvard PMO List is to be continued, because you all keep doing things that raise the bar. (T)hank(s) (p)eople, (m)any of y’all r(o)ck.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-d5dd3142bf46d34a9394702cf0cb612d5fc9e012}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/02/142310_1382675.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='At my final straw.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-196f380a2ab524c32874e3bdafa5b702fe4013ea}

\r\n\r\n

As a plant lover, I always wondered why Harvard only had glass flowers but no live flowers. While contemplating my psets and long schedule, I subconsciously summoned my inner Robert Frost and took the road less traveled to my lecture in the Northwest Building. And it made all the difference because I stumbled on a sign:

\r\n\r\n

{shortcode-83690c361e69c335cf07e626a747dd534dcb866a}

\r\n\r\n

OEB Greenhouses? What could these places be? Harvard is pretty well known for sometimes being compared to Hogwarts from Harry Potter… could this be the place where we add another piece to the puzzle and find the Mandrake plants? After seeing this sign for weeks every time I walked to my class in the Northwest building, I had to quench my curiosity somehow.

\r\n\r\n

Fortunately, I was able to ask my Organismic and Evolutionary Biology professor, Charles C. Davis, who told me the greenhouses are located on the roof of the Biological Laboratories. Davis also connected me to the Plant Growth Facilities Manager, Peter Wiggin, who has been in charge of maintaining the greenhouse for our students and researchers (and master wanderers, like me).

\r\n\r\n

Field Trip, Anyone?
\r\nWhen I reached out to Wiggin to see if he actually had any mandrakes, he offered me a tour of the facilities — see, cold emailing really does work! Excited to finally figure out what these mysterious greenhouses had, I joined him on a lovely fall afternoon to travel to the roof of the BioLabs. Although the greenhouse sadly didn’t have any crying mandrakes, I got to see many, many more fabulous plants!! In fact, there were plants from all around the world, ranging from ferns and orchids to ginormous pitcher plant vines, passion fruits, pineapple, olives, and astounding flowers.

\r\n\r\n

{shortcode-884399e150d07f1cb55264d47e0df0c95288f560}

\r\n\r\n

These greenhouses are “primarily a teaching facility” used by three OEB faculty: Charles C. Davis, Elena Kramer, and Noel M. Holbrook. These three faculty members teach introductory plant biology courses that rely on the collection as a vital teaching resource, with the goal being to have “as robust representation as we can from as many different plant lineages as possible to help supplement those kinds of classes,” Wiggin said.

\r\n\r\n

{shortcode-005d328037c642376c4dbf4441402675c81b979d}

\r\n\r\n

Day in the Life

\r\n\r\n

Wiggin’s day normally starts around 7 to 8 a.m., but his day-to-day tasks vary widely from basic things like weeding and repotting to meeting students and faculty to discuss research projects. #hisGCalisstacked. But just like any social media influencer can tell you, a day in the life is often filled with much more reality than glamorous expectations. The first cold hard truth being, well, the cold.

\r\n\r\n

As brutal as the weather is for the students — especially those embarking on the grand journey from the Quad to the Yard — the weather is equally, or perhaps more, unforgiving to our best buds (ha, get it). Without the proper climate control in the greenhouses, “much of the collection died in the summer because it was too much of a challenge to keep the place cool enough that everything could survive,” Wiggin said. “I kind of made it my mission to make nothing die.”

\r\n\r\n

Where’s Marvel Studios at with a hero edit for our favorite green thumb? While we wait, maybe this is enough to convince your Aunt Tina that climate change isn’t a hoax.

\r\n\r\n

{shortcode-cf99980492fc2ab5631b095790b6cf6922c5f2f3}

\r\n\r\n

Concepts of a Plan

\r\n\r\n

Wiggin has successfully implemented aluminum shade cloth in the greenhouse to reflect most of the sunlight, which is “critically important to making everything survive” when temperatures skyrocket to 110 degrees in the summer. But prepping for the winter is a trickier battle.

\r\n\r\n

A humidifier doesn’t accompany the greenhouse’s heating system — so the air can become dramatically drier in the winter, when the heat is on. That can pose a challenge for plants that need humidity to thrive. So while keeping the greenhouse cool in the summer and warm in the winter seems like an obvious solution, that’s not the only line Wiggin has to walk. Making matters even more complex, a plant from the dry Cape Floristic Region of South Africa might sit three meters away from its buddy from the tropical rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra. That’s like asking a CS concentrator and a Folklore and Mythology kid to cohabitate. #notopportune

\r\n\r\n

{shortcode-5a58039ba087ef1cf8dae529d6e96631ec1e8c89}

\r\n\r\n

Defying Gravity Expectations

\r\n\r\n

From my conversation with Wiggin, it’s clear that there’s still a lot to be done to protect the teaching collection and ensure it remains as much of a gem to the university as Math 55! “Just trying to stay on top of managing the conditions in the greenhouse is a lot of work,” Wiggin said.

\r\n\r\n

But with a proper modified atmosphere system and automated climate control, Wiggin is confident that “we could focus on growing the collection more and the health of the plants, and make it really a collection that Harvard could be proud of.” With a diverse collection with rare representatives from around the world, “then it starts to transcend just the classes, and you might have things that folks outside of plant biology or OEB might want to see.”

\r\n\r\n

So the next time you find yourself in need of a crashout walk (say, during finals), consider paying the greenhouse a visit. The man, the myth, the legend will be eagerly awaiting your arrival! “I would never turn somebody away,” Wiggin said.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-196f380a2ab524c32874e3bdafa5b702fe4013ea}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/01/132715_1382621.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='We have a greenhouse!!!', hovertext=None, contributors=, ]>), ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-83690c361e69c335cf07e626a747dd534dcb866a}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/01/133119_1382622.png.1500x730_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='medium', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='OEB Green House???', hovertext=None, contributors=]>), ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-884399e150d07f1cb55264d47e0df0c95288f560}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/01/133119_1382623.png.1500x691_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='medium', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='From left to right, a pitcher plant, a violet passion fruit flower, a red powder puff from Bolivia, a hibiscus plant, and a carrion flower in the Stapelia genus.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>), ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-005d328037c642376c4dbf4441402675c81b979d}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/01/133119_1382624.png.1500x748_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='medium', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='This diverse set of ferns (left) and mosses (right) from across the world help teach plant physiology and biodiversity classes at Harvard.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>), ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-cf99980492fc2ab5631b095790b6cf6922c5f2f3}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/01/133119_1382625.png.1500x1017_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='medium', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption="From top left to right, the tropical plants, succulents, and pineapple (yes, you read that correctly!) all require very different climate conditions that aren't the typical New England weather.", hovertext=None, contributors=]>), ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-5a58039ba087ef1cf8dae529d6e96631ec1e8c89}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/12/01/133120_1382626.png.1500x702_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='medium', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Orchids are one of the most diverse categories of plants on Earth. When there are only less than 25,000 species of birds, amphibians, and mammals combined on Earth, orchids boast more than 30,000 species among themselves, according to Wiggin. They are also the plants that need the tropical warmth and humidity.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-ac750146027da3fe3321c0ac2dfe7ceddb1be43b}

\r\n\r\n

Thanksgiving break is, for many people, a much-needed, long-awaited time of rest and relaxation. For others…not so much. Those of you who were consistently on the grind this semester can now enjoy time with family, sleeping in, and generally recalibrating before finals. The rest of you, the people who had too much fun at Harvard Yale, Halloweekend, National Dictionary Day (10/16) National Metric Day (10/09), etc., this is a time to write the entirety of that 25 page paper that was supposed to be halfway done two weeks ago, watch the months-worth of lectures that you just didn’t show up to, and otherwise get your life together. But, because we’re Flyby and we’re amazing, we’re providing a quiz to show you exactly where on the spectrum you fall.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

What’s Your Current Grade

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\t
1. A
\r\n\t
2. A-
\r\n\t
3. I’m just trying to B-positive :(
\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How Often Did You Attend Class?

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\t
1. Every day. You saw me front and center on Monday and Wednesday in that lecture hall. I even regularly participated in section. And I went to office hours.
\r\n\t
2. Office hours and regular attendance would be doing too much for my GenEd. But I did go most of the time! Just a few emails about mysterious illnesses were sent to my TFs.
\r\n\t
3. You could not catch me in class. I have been in a perpetual state of catching up, and can’t possibly fathom learning new material while I’m still trying to figure out Week 3.
\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Do You Have Any Upcoming Midterms?

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\t
1. Nope! They all wrapped up before the break. Just finals from here; really on the homestretch!
\r\n\t
2. A paper/quiz left during reading period. My professor just wants to make sure we come back to campus.
\r\n\t
3. My professors hate us and want us to be miserable. I have three midterms during reading period and a paper due on Sunday. I’m rethinking my decision to go here tbh.
\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How Many Finals Do You Have?

\r\n\r\n

\r\n\t
1. One or two, and they’re very chill. A paper and a take-home exam. I really don’t know why I even need to go back…
\r\n\t
2. Three; they should be relatively chill if I prepare enough. But who’s to say.
\r\n\t
3. Four+; I took five classes and am now realizing that means I have five finals, two on the same day and the rest back-to-back after. I genuinely don’t know if I’ll survive this. Is it too late to withdraw?
\r\n

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mostly A’s:

\r\n\r\n

You’re actually living my dream. An absolute academic weapon; your semester has been filled with the academic experience Harvard promises. You worked hard, and now, take some time for yourself. Sleep in. Binge that TV show. Watch some movies. Read for fun (Flyby is excellent for this). Proud of you. You deserve this.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mostly B’s:

\r\n\r\n

You might need to open a textbook/pset/lecture or two. While you aren’t completely cooked, you’re potentially in the oven. You’ll probably be able to fully enjoy Thanksgiving, cooking with your family, and eating good food without that feeling of impending doom that’s become a regular undercurrent of a Harvard student’s life. Still, I’d maybe not get too lost in the holiday spirit.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Mostly C’s:

\r\n\r\n

I hate to be the bearer of bad news…but this break is not a break for you. Honestly, maybe just stay in Lamont. Uber Eats a Turkey Burger from Tasty for Thanksgiving. You should not set foot outside the library. I’m serious. Stop reading this article and get to work.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-ac750146027da3fe3321c0ac2dfe7ceddb1be43b}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/25/135618_1382546.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Going home.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-46c9c71065e01f268574e913ddc579281dd40312}

\r\n\r\n

Ahh, Harvard-Yale weekend, a weekend filled with drinks, laughter, and a dash of football. Even outside of campus, our listening ears are on, delivering you some overheards from The Game.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Harvard might have lost the game, but Yale lost me… and that’s the biggest loss they’ll ever take. —our obligatory cope comment

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

New Haven is a chopped city.

\r\n\r\n

— Someone who went to Boston Latin (probably)

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Size matters, sure. But at least we’re well-endowed

\r\n\r\n

— A Harvard student in response to a “size matters” sweatshirt comparing the two stadiums

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Four years is a long time to be in school… and a long time to not win.

\r\n\r\n

— A clever Yalie (he ate with this) (something along these lines, it was lowkey a banger)

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I woke up drunk.

\r\n\r\n

— A frat boy after snoozing his alarm to go to the tailgate to consume, yes, you’ve guessed it, more alcohol.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

They have peanut butter. But it’s not peanut butter, just butter but peanut.

\r\n\r\n

— Harvard student in admiration of the Yale dhall (shoutout Ezra Stiles)

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You have four professors on the Epstein list, four!

\r\n\r\n

— A Yalie heckling a group photo of Harvard students.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

You guys also probably have professors on the Epstein list

\r\n\r\n

— A Harvard student's comeback to said heckling Yalie.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At least we won the tailgate.

\r\n\r\n

— Harvard kids durrrr

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I just woke up from a vertical nap in the hotel lobby

\r\n\r\n

— An exhausted Harvard student who didn’t want to walk 30 minutes back to main campus. Because who would want to walk 30 minutes back to main campus.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

My heart bleeds Chi Psi
\r\n— Passerby

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Who IS that???

\r\n\r\n

— My Yale friend when we came back to randos asleep in his common room.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If I was a random person asleep in a common room I’d fake sleep and hear what they say about me.

\r\n\r\n

— My other friend

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How is there already a Crimson article out, they had to have had that prepared!

\r\n\r\n

— A passerby leaving the stadium

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The cheerleaders would have won instead

\r\n\r\n

— Anyone who watched how the game played out.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Why does New Haven give Gotham City

\r\n\r\n

— Batman, probably

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

I just want to go home and be in my blanket burrito and sleep for 15 hours after this weekend.

\r\n\r\n

You need to be swaddled and returned to the womb like Freud said.

\r\n\r\n

— A conversation at the station

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

“You’re my YUZZ”

\r\n\r\n

— A Harvard girl to a Yale guy

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

We need to go to all of the mixers to find my Yale cross-legacy

\r\n\r\n

— One Harvard girl

\r\n\r\n

Do you really want to taint your bloodline though??

\r\n\r\n

— Her friend

\r\n\r\n', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-46c9c71065e01f268574e913ddc579281dd40312}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/24/142234_1382519.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='We heard everything.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-7ab48bf6dfa3143b39e610a7096e7748c17d8ea9}

\r\n\r\n

With the Ivy League Championship title already secured, the time has come for the Harvard football team to face its truest endeavor: beating Yale. This task is not one to be taken lightly, and though our chances for a win at The Game this year look pretty good, it’s all hands on deck. So, without further ado, here is Flyby’s foolproof strategy for how you can help Harvard win Harvard-Yale.

\r\n\r\n

Step 1: Get a Spell from an Etsy Witch 🧿

\r\n\r\n

This step is crucial: take the time to scroll through Etsy to find the best custom spell. Check the reviews (and vibes) so you can bring down a good curse over Yale. Bonus points if we can get as many Etsy witches casting spells as possible.

\r\n\r\n

Step 2: Do a Seance on Weeks Bridge Before Leaving for New Haven

\r\n\r\n

For this step, it’s important to gather as many people as possible. Tell your Quad friends to get on the next shuttle out, because it's seance time! Just like the Etsy witch, there is no one seance to get the job done. Feel free to get creative here; yell out over the Charles if you must.

\r\n\r\n

Step 3: Bulldog Pinata

\r\n\r\n

Mather Happy Hour had the right idea here. Hitting a bulldog piñata serves many different purposes. For one, it brings out the energy of storming the field of the Yale Bowl when we win. On top of that, it’s a good study break to let out your stress. Why go to a rage room when you can contribute to our collective victory?

\r\n\r\n

Step 4: Offer A+ to Football Players

\r\n\r\n

This step may not entirely be up to us students, but perhaps Dean Claybaugh had a point when she presented the suggestion…

\r\n\r\n

Step 5: Sacrifice a Yalie (bonus if done at a frat)

\r\n\r\n

This step is to be done as soon as you arrive in New Haven. Find your closest Yalie and offer them up to the tailgate higher forces for good luck on Saturday. (For legal reasons, this is a joke.) Please be kind to our lovely hosts… and tell them to read Flyby!

\r\n\r\n

\r\nPreparing for Harvard-Yale is no joke. This includes figuring out how to even get to New Haven. We all have to do our part, so get your school spirit on and BEAT YALE!

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-7ab48bf6dfa3143b39e610a7096e7748c17d8ea9}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/19/063821_1382389.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Contacting my Etsy witch rn.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-b1bd9cba788cb93665c20ac2624431a760b60dad}

\r\n\r\n

Here you are: HY ticket secured, Yale library floor housing approved, and gameday outfit all planned out. You begin to feel yourself engage in the rare school spirit that has spread across campus, awaiting this year’s HY football game. However, as you observe everyone’s enthusiastic school spirit, you may notice one ever-changing figure – Harvard’s mascot, aka Crimson, aka John Harvard, aka The Turkey, aka Remy??

\r\n\r\n

Hate It:

\r\n\r\n

Harvard’s mascot is one of the strangest aspects of the College that has struck me since my acceptance. Coming from a football-loving family, it was hard to explain to my family that my school’s mascot was not a figure or an animal but a color. However, Harvard fails to stick to one shade of “Crimson”. Walking into the Harvard Shop or Coop, it’s noticeable how many different shades of deep red are considered Harvard Crimson. Maroon, Blood Red, Burgundy, Wine, Ruby. Which shade is actually the real Crimson red? Beyond how we present ourselves on campus, this leaves the Harvard student section looking like a color-by-number picture! The Yale side of the stadium puts us to shame with its more cohesive navy-blue crowd (how dare they look more put together than us!).

\r\n\r\n

Beyond color choice, Harvard’s choice for a more object-like mascot is also poor. Technically, Harvard’s official mascot is John Harvard. However, John Harvard, as a mascot, fails to generate any school spirit among students. Beyond shoving through crowds of tourists in front of his statue each day to class, Harvard students don’t have much of a connection to John Harvard. Additionally, screaming “Go John Harvard!” at the top of your lungs sounds a little strange (and dare I say not as cool as “Go Bulldogs!”).

\r\n\r\n

Love It:

\r\n\r\n

While the shade of Crimson may vary from student to student, there is no doubt that it looks great on everyone! Compared to the bleak navy blue of the Yale student section, Harvard’s students shine in their vibrant Crimson apparel and knock (the matching, boring, clone-like) Yalies out of the park. With their school spirit intensified by their radiant shades of Crimson, there is no doubt that Harvard’s school spirit is greater than Yale’s by 10,000 more men.

\r\n\r\n

Moreover, the lack of an official mascot or symbol for Harvard speaks to the age and history of our school. Since its beginning, Harvard hasn’t needed to rely on a mascot (especially an ugly dog) to unify its students. We have other icons on campus that we choose to resonate with: Remy, the Yard Turkeys, Sasha, our House mascots, and more (#iykyk). Yeah, maybe we don’t have a true mascot, per se, but can Yale tell me Handsome Dan rallies as much spirit as the DMing with Deming series (and formerly, the Khuranagram) on our campus does? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

\r\n\r\n

Love it or hate it, you can’t deny that our fiery Crimson school spirit is far superior to the obnoxious navy sea of Yalies. Your friends at Flyby trust that Harvard has this game in the bag, and we’ve been playing our part to secure a Crimson victory (which may or may not include an Etsy witch). And remember, whatever Harvard mascot you choose to cheer for, come this Saturday’s game, just make sure it's 10,000 times louder than the Yale side.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-b1bd9cba788cb93665c20ac2624431a760b60dad}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/19/063821_1382387.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Roll Crim??', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-f3f8e62fa6574e7e992994bc273fafc69fbbb72b}

\r\n\r\n

Leading into the big game, let’s see how Harvard and Yale stack up across the board. Objective metrics are everything when gauging which school truly is superior.

\r\n\r\n

1. Number of U.S. Presidents (Harvard 5 vs. Yale 3)

\r\n\r\n

Unsurprisingly, Harvard claims the most U.S. presidents as alumni. Technically, Harvard has existed longer than the presidential office (and this country). Five presidents went to Harvard: John Adams, John Quincy Adams, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy. Three others attended Harvard Law and the Business schools: Barack Obama, George Bush, and Rutherford Hayes.

\r\n\r\n

Yale has had only three presidents: William Howard Taft, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush. Here's the plot twist, though: George W. was literally born and raised in New Haven (Yale's backyard), got his undergrad degree at Yale, and then... transferred to Harvard Business School. We don't make the rules, but actions speak louder than words, don't they? Two other presidents went to Yale Law School: Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton.

\r\n\r\n

2. Books (Harvard 20 million vs. Yale 15 million)

\r\n\r\n

With 20 million books and the oldest library system in the United States, Harvard easily sweeps this round. If Harvard students went to Yale, they would run out of things to read! It’s a good thing we go to a university that’s committed to the intellectual transformation of its students.

\r\n\r\n

3. Nobel Laureates (Harvard 121 vs. Yale 48)

\r\n\r\n

Harvard has produced 121 Nobel Prize Winners — the most in the entire world. The University of Cambridge, for comparison, comes in second with 104. We’re forced to keep scrolling down the list to find Yale. With only 48 Nobel Laureates, Yale is hanging out at number 11 on the global list.

\r\n\r\n

4. Summit Altitudes (Mt. Harvard 14,421 feet vs. Mt. Yale 14,202 feet)

\r\n\r\n

In Colorado’s Collegiate Peaks Wilderness area, Mount Harvard and Mount Yale sit right next to each other in the Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, and guess what? As the higher and harder summit, it will forever look down on Mount Yale (both figuratively and geographically). Mother Nature has spoken.

\r\n\r\n

5. Number of laundry poopetrators (Harvard 0 vs. Yale 1)

\r\n\r\n

Okay, this is genuinely the only statistic where Yale wins, and honestly? They can have this one.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The numbers have spoken. Harvard really is superior across the board. We’ll see you at the game, Yalies — we can’t wait to storm the Bowl.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-f3f8e62fa6574e7e992994bc273fafc69fbbb72b}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/21/043039_1382453.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Taking down the Yale.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-8bbfe1b8fae10bcdcb518e8ac859d027ef355cd6}

\r\n\r\n

As Harvard students, it might be obvious to think of dogs when referring to Yalies. Their beloved mascot Handsome Dan is unfortunately quite cute, even if they are on the 19th iteration of him. But did you know that Dan is not the only dog strutting across Yale’s campus?

\r\n\r\n

Here in Cambridge, we all know and love Sasha, Harvard’s community engagement dog. Sasha is practically a member of the class of 2026, first joining the College in August of 2022 and was a missed opportunity for class marshal has been an integral part of all of our college experiences. She joined the Harvard family after graduating from the Puppies Behind Bars program (no, she was never actually behind bars), which trains incarcerated individuals to raise and train dogs for service. Unlike most students who get away with putting service on their resume, Sasha has actually served, logging over 10,000 hours to be exact. The Mignone Center for Career Success would probably be honored to review her resume.

\r\n\r\n

What Harvard probably did not realize when they brought Sasha on campus is that they were bringing in the friend of our greatest enemy: Yalies. Yale also boasts a campus engagement dog, and her name is Heidi, perhaps after model Klum or the young Swiss girl in your childhood reading. Heidi was trained at the same nonprofit that Sasha was, also racking up thousands of service hours and training to bring smiles to students far and wide across campus. She’s actually the one in the infamous famous Dean Khurana kneeling on floor Instagram photo (which we recreated here!).

\r\n\r\n

It seems as though the only leg up that Yale currently has over us is their surplus of furry friends across campus. More tail wags? More cute commands to watch? I hate to give it to them, but having a 100 percent increase in my chances of seeing a dog when I trudge from River East to Northwest Labs twice a week (n=1 to n=2 dogs, #stats #smart) would for sure make me a more pleasurable person to be around. This edge is about to expire, though, as Heidi recently announced her retirement from the University, leaving after five years of service. Five years can feel like a lifetime — just ask any super seniors that you know!

\r\n\r\n

Before Heidi is on her way out, I think that it is important to look at things from a broader perspective. While the feud between Harvard students and Yalies runs strong, Sasha and Heidi can teach us greater lessons that we should carry into the game this weekend.

\r\n\r\n

First, no matter if a student is decked out in Crimson or navy blue (less drippy), their shared mission is to bring smiles to all students that they meet – we should be trying to do the same (even though those smiles are all the more satisfying if they are from your team). Be nice to your Yale comrades this weekend, you never know might come of it: an invitation to a sweaty frat house, housing for the night (please), or even just a heads up with directions on how to get to the Yale Bowl from main campus (why is it SO FAR). And, hey, considering that there is a high possibility that they were waitlisted or rejected from Harvard, it would be nice to show our safety school some kindness! <3

\r\n\r\n

And, second, apart from living on rival campuses, Heidi and Sasha are truly one in the same — they have the same training, same adorable smiles, and even the same Instagram aesthetic (Heidi currently has more followers than Sasha as of now, though. That’s messed up. Harvard can do better). This doesn’t exactly translate onto our campuses, broadly speaking. Our training is far superior (the acceptance rates speak for themselves), our smiles are probably better (Yale never had a FaceMash, did they?), and Harvard’s classy red brick is simply superior to the blend of all of Yale’s beige buildings (they started the minimalist beige baby aesthetic before it was even a thing… impressive I suppose?). This does, however, translate to us as students. We were all anxious overachievers in the same classrooms just a mere few years ago (just some of us better, anxious overachievers than others)! Keep this in mind when you’re heckling the sea of navy across the field.

\r\n\r\n

So, at the end of the day, we should look up to Sasha and Heidi’s companionship. Be kind and gracious — while we may only be in New Haven for the weekend, some people actually have to live here for four years (as someone who has lived adjacent to here for twenty years, I get the pass to say this). Here’s to finding friends within our foes!

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-8bbfe1b8fae10bcdcb518e8ac859d027ef355cd6}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/19/063822_1382390.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Cuties.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-3652f11a56822786edd6f526b6d7a19293537028}

\r\n\r\n

Now, don’t get me wrong. I definitely think that Harvard is better than Yale. Obviously, there are an infinite number of reasons why: we have more Rhode scholars, more presidents, and our football team currently has an undefeated record. However, for the sake of fairness, I have to acknowledge some things that Yale is just simply better in. Like…

\r\n\r\n

1. How Isolated their Campus Is!

\r\n\r\n

You know how people say that the Quad is nice cause it forces you to take a break from the hubbub of the river? Yale is like that on steroids. With no international airport, few surrounding universities, and a population that’s a fourth of Boston’s, students at Yale don’t have to worry about being distracted by literally anything. Great for studying!

\r\n\r\n

2. Their Architecture

\r\n\r\n

Yale often gets compliments about their architecture, and I totally agree. In the winter, when the snow is falling and the landscape turns white, it's really nice to have pale, gloomy-looking buildings that blend into their surroundings. Nothing is more comforting than visions of complete grey.

\r\n\r\n

3. Their Slogan is Longer

\r\n\r\n

Yale is a school for the everyday man, and they embody that in every way, including their slogan: “Lux et Veritas.” Eerily similar to Harvard’s “Veritas,” it gives the same vibe as when people poorly paraphrase text by adding unnecessary words. Nonetheless, I appreciate their attempt at solidarity with anyone who has written an essay with a tight deadline and high word count.

\r\n\r\n

4. Boola Boola Boo

\r\n\r\n

No, it's not the shouts of a confused ghost, it's the fight song of the best university in… New Haven! Apparently, it’s the creation of Allan M. Hirsh, 1901 Yale Alum, who ripped it off of a 1898 song called “La Hoola Boola” (I’m noticing a pattern of plagiarism here…). Its appeal is really only understood by Yale students, but that’s actually something I really appreciate. It’s probably the only time in their lives that a Yalie gets to experience exclusivity.

\r\n\r\n

5. Handsome Dan

\r\n\r\n

As compared to Harvard’s mascot(s) (is it “Crimson” or is it John Harvard? Remy? A turkey?), Yale’s is concrete– and real! Yale is currently on their 19th iteration of Dan, and I can confirm that he is pretty handsome. While picking a breed of dog known for underbites, squat legs, and an inability to reproduce naturally might be an unusual choice, it does surpass Harvard in being the perfect embodiment of its student body!

\r\n\r\n

After this, I hope you can acknowledge a few ways Yale is better than Harvard. While I can definitively say that I wouldn’t choose Yale if I were to do college all over again… actually, yeah, that’s the end of the sentence. Best of luck to everyone at the game this weekend, and GO CRIMSON!

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-3652f11a56822786edd6f526b6d7a19293537028}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/19/063822_1382392.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Harvard vs. Yale.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-a3f1d477ccffacb1cd062e12b4d1115a0d4b7478}

\r\n\r\n

As we crunch to make last-minute plans with our friends for Harvard Yale, students need to be more aware of just how bad The Game being in New Haven can be. Instead of a highlight reel of your stay at Yale, we need to look at a very realistic lowlight situation, so we know what not to do. Plus, if anything goes poorly, we can return to this article and remind ourselves that it can always get worse.
\r\n
\r\nFinding Transportation From Campus

\r\n\r\n

You wake up on Friday morning, have back-to-back STEM lectures, and, while already on the verge of tears, are leaving math 21a when your shuttle ticket flies out of your bag. You scramble to recover the ticket, to no avail. Instead of feeling defeated, you send an email to your house mailing list and make a post on Sidechat. Next thing you know, they are both buried by 50 people in the same boat. You think to yourself, “will not being able to go really be that bad?” No, after today, you’ll wish you'd missed it. But alas, you find a ticket.
\r\n
\r\nThe Shuttle Ride

\r\n\r\n

You get on the latest shuttle Harvard has, and all of your friends are already at Yale. Upon unzipping your bag, you realize you did not pack anything for an overnight stay, not even a toothbrush. It should be fine, you tell yourself, nobody should be sober enough to tell my breath smells by the time I get there.
\r\n
\r\nArriving At Yale

\r\n\r\n

You tell yourself that you’re going to prioritize fun, but your patience is tested after spending over an hour trying to find your room for the night in New Haven (of all places). Once you finally find it, the festivities can begin. You rally for the first event of the night and meet up with friends again, but when you get to the venue for the first function, you’re met with a slap in the face: tickets were $30 three weeks ago online, but your friends didn’t tell you, so your only option is to pay the $50 at the door (Toad’s, we’re looking at you).
\r\n
\r\nThe function turns out not to be what it was advertised as, and your group wants to hop parties. You soon realize that everywhere is ticketing, and instead of having your pockets emptied by random Yale frat brothers, you make the call to go back and rest before the premier event: The Game.

\r\n\r\n

The Tailgate

\r\n\r\n

It’s Saturday morning now, and all bets are off — it is time to have a great time and cheer on The Crimson. You roll out of bed and begin to dress warmly, but you quickly realize you forgot to pack the staple of the game: your red knit “H” sweater. How could you show off school spirit now? The outfit mishap throws you into a panic, and you throw something together before you find yourself at the tailgate. The experience is hellish; it is cold, you have to walk through packs of people for literally anything, and all of your friends disappear the instant you get there.

\r\n\r\n

The Game

\r\n\r\n

You try to hold out on tailgate fun, but after searching for your friends for more than an hour, you give up and head into the Bowl by kickoff. As you watch the game, your head pounds, you have a nearly full-blown panic attack because of the lack of service, and your friends never show up. In a final blow, you watch as the team you dedicated your weekend to support loses tragically to their biggest rival — The Bulldogs blow the Crimson out of the water. Instead of storming the field, you storm the shuttle home.

\r\n\r\n

The End?

\r\n\r\n

All in all, hundreds of dollars and permanent liver damage later, you wonder if any of it was worth it, then realize, even during a major loss, you would rather back the Crimson than shy away from your school spirit. By the end of it all, you internalize one message: Yuck Fale.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-a3f1d477ccffacb1cd062e12b4d1115a0d4b7478}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/19/063822_1382391.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='This is going great.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-dc382956586ee4026176292ea0c962b6850b8935}

\r\n\r\n

If you’re in search of a late-night slice after spending the night out, here are some recommended spots around Yale’s campus and New Haven to check out!
\r\n

\r\n\r\n

1. Brick Oven Pizza

\r\n\r\n

Open till 3 a.m., this is a popular spot amongst Yalies to grab a slice of pizza near campus. Selections range from a classic cheese pizza to their special “Bad” Chad Dawson Pizza with sausage, meatballs, pepperoni, turkey ham, salami, and bacon. Other options include the Sweetie Pizza with peas, tomatoes, mozzarella, ricotta, and basil, and the Rafi Bildner Pizza with feta, tomatoes, olives, and olive oil. This place really has range.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

2. Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

\r\n\r\n

Established in 1925, Frank Pepe’s (not to be confused with Pepe the Frog) has been making New Haven-style pizza for 100 years. Perusing through their menu, once again, New Haven is serving up interesting combos like Patata Rustica (seasoned potatoes, bacon, mozzarella, asiago cheese, grated pecorino romano, and olive oil). We always ask whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza. But more importantly, do potatoes belong on pizza?? Kind of confused with what’s going on in New Haven with their pizza, but I’m willing to give it a chance.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

3. Bar New Haven

\r\n\r\n

Combining pizza, a bar, and a dance club, Bar New Haven is a nightclub with pizza. However, you must be 21+ to enter. For those under 21, you must be with your own parent to be inside the bar… womp womp

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

4. Modern Apizza

\r\n\r\n

Modern Apizza’s story begins with an Italian American man named Antonio “Tony” Tolli in 1911, which only adds to its authenticity. Classic and straightforward, the menu shows that Modern knows how to do pizza well. Since it’s open only till 10 p.m., maybe hit Modern Apizza before you start your night out.

\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

5. Silver Sands Pizza

\r\n\r\n

Located in Milford, the town over from New Haven, Silver Sands was on TikToker munchermatt’s pizza review channel. If you’re serious about getting an authentic New Haven slice, this could be it. One reviewer described it on Yelp as “kind of off putting,” which is maybe how we all feel about visiting Yale.

\r\n\r\n', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-dc382956586ee4026176292ea0c962b6850b8935}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/thumbnails.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/19/055954_1382376.png.1500x877_q95_crop-smart_upscale.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Mmm pizza.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])

('

{shortcode-fe98b35e3ab5b47403e51e665483deca08ed4ec8}

\r\n\r\n

Have you ever wondered what Yale’s campus actually looks like? Spoiler alert: it's no Gilmore Girls glamor out in New Haven, and quite honestly, a lot of what surrounds you will be irrelevant to your actual game day experience. Take a look at our simplified map to know what is actually worth paying attention to during your trip down to Connecticut.

', [ShortcodeImageGQL(key='{shortcode-fe98b35e3ab5b47403e51e665483deca08ed4ec8}', image_url='https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.thecrimson.com/photos/2025/11/19/061423_1382377.png', nofilm=False, pos='center', size='large', byline=True, quote=False, quotebyline=False, theme='light', caption='Just the essentials.', hovertext=None, contributors=]>)])