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Your resident Danoff Dean expert is back and ready for more. More embarrassment, more glaze, more blackmail content for my friends to lord over me twenty years down the line. But momentary cringe is a small price to pay for the immersive, on-the-ground journalism you are all yearning for.

That’s right: I’ve decided to take one for the team and return to my humble beginnings of recreating Harvard dean photos that somehow rival the cringe factor of your grandma’s posts on Facebook. Hey, on the bright side, at least nothing can be worse than that one time I willingly got on all fours to recreate former Dean Khurana’s Harvard-Yale photos…

Ok, but back to the task at hand. Ah, Dean Deming. I must admit, I’m still kind of riding the high of seeing my “DMing with Deming” idea come to life on your Instagram. And boy, has it taken over your page. Potentially to my own detriment, I must say, because attempting to find still shots of you to recreate was as challenging as snagging a drink at Cafe Gato Rajo at 11:47 a.m. (iykyk). So, until we can diversify your content mediums a bit and put that selfie stick of yours to good use, please forgive the fact that most of these “photos” are just screenshots from your videos.

Nonchalant Male in the Wild

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In the heart of Harvard Yard, the dean moves with ease. Every step is measured. Calculated. He leaves his University Hall sanctuary, ready to extend a helping hand to overwhelmed freshmen during move-in. A burst of speed, a moment of chaos, and a tipped-over box fan. A flurry of welcomes and handshakes with eager parents leaves him in need of a reprieve… That’s where the nonchalant persona kicks in.

During these unprecedented times marked by an epidemic of nonchalant performative men, Dean Deming’s authentic, photo-op-ready self is a beacon of hope. No matcha or bell hooks in sight — just an appreciation for the stunningly crimson PAF move-in shirt and a classic pair of sunglasses. Absolutely no frills or fuss about it, just the way it should be. I urge you all to try striking this too-cool-for-school pose whenever you’re down in the dumps and starting to veer off into chalant territory. It works wonders.

Breakfast Mukbang

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Well, well, well. If it isn’t a hot breakfast sandwich in the wild, trying — and failing — to make people forget that Quincy’s the only house with hot breakfast (#besthouseforareason). But hey, I couldn’t knock it ‘til I tried it, and that I did. Do I regret the experience? Perhaps, but that’s mainly my fault for trying to recreate a breakfast sandwich during dinner hours when the only sandwich bar offerings were cheese and lettuce. Yes, you read that correctly: that sandwich I’m eating only had cheese and lettuce. Cheese. And. Lettuce. 0.2/10.

In the end, though, my lack of panini press knowledge does not truly matter. I will happily continue to be spoiled with my hot, non-sandwich options even if that means putting up with a crowded dhall. And yes, Quincy’s dhall is still packed even after the introduction of these breakfast sandwiches, so what does that really tell us… Maybe it’s time for another Deming in the dhalls video to get to the bottom of this? Put me in coach!

The Mannequin Challenge

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The longer I look at these photos side by side, the harder it is to tell them apart in my totally humble and unbiased opinion. I mean, aside from the purple karaoke mic and white wall, the essence of the original photo is there. Look at all those happy faces! Rest assured, my other roommates behind the camera are smiling too. Nothing screams joy quite like street-style interviews — just ask any of the content creators you see in the Yard.

Tonight, We Steal the Moon Ivy League Championship

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Now, it was getting way past my bedtime. My outfit changes were taking longer and longer, and my cheeks were hurting more and more from having to retake every photo. Safe to say, I was gaining a newfound appreciation for those college TikTokers and influencers. They truly are a different breed. In serious need of rallying, it was time to do what Harvard students do best. Show some school spirit.

Ok, but I am totally a hypocrite because the only Harvard merch I could find was my Housing Day shirt circa 2024. That and the “One Crimson” sweatshirt that somehow becomes every freshman’s uniform of choice from October to March (#canonevent). While the jersey numbers certainly do not match, it’s the thought that counts. 24 or 29? Potato, Potahto. It’s all the same in my books. As for the stadium full of fired-up students, Quincy’s Qube library is basically the equivalent, but with more fluorescent lighting and blood, sweat, and tears shed by the students trapped inside. New Harvard-Brown 2026 location??

Invisible String

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Before you come for me, I know this is definitely a cop-out since it’s not a recreation but rather an original in the flesh. But as part of the post that started it all for @deandeming (peep yours truly in the top right corner), I couldn’t leave it out.

In the same way a third-grade teacher would gush over her students’ class pictures, I feel like a proud mother knowing that this is the first completely leveled, head-on photo of the student body on a dean’s Instagram in a while. With a bar already this high, I cannot wait to see what other major achievements lie in Deming’s chronically online future. You already know that it’ll be the first to report on (cough cough recreate) them.

If these five photos tell you anything, it’s that the fun has only just begun. Creative ideas are a-brewing, and videos are already being pumped out faster than students flocking to a “free food in the dhall” email. So while we may have mourned the loss of the Khuranagram, it seems like the Demingram will be just as strong and entertaining. Happy scrolling, folks!