by Ricardo Ramirez Garcia Rojas ’13

“So, what are you going to do for J-term?”

Between the Fall and Spring Semesters falls the all too dynamic January Term, or as Harvard students have abbreviated it – “J-Term.” Essentially, students have to opportunity to go home to celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or Louis Pasteur’s birthday or simply the fact that they are together with their family. Some students take up internships. Some students work jobs. However, there are a select group of students that go a little against the grain when it comes to “J-term” plans.

Road Trips

With a car, company, a “twenty-hour play list,” and a good route, Will Rafey ’13 and Sophie Angelis ’13 plan to go on a “chill” 700 mile road trip from San Jose, California to Seattle, Washington.

Here is what Will Rafey had to say about his trip:

After a “low-key” Christmas, a journey “up the [west] coast” begins.

“Sophie is going to be in Southern California, so she is going to come up to the bay area. Then, we are going to drive all the way up Highway 1, which is the coastal highway that goes all the way from L.A. up to Washington.”

Starting in San Jose, which is the bottom of the Bay Area, Rafey and Angelis plan to wind up to San Francisco to “chill or probably spend an afternoon and maybe get lunch or whatever.” Next, they are going to voyage up to Point Reyes – “an amazing national park” – to “hill on the beach and go on a hike.”

After experiencing nature, they will experience Rafey’s green 1994 Acura Integra for quite a while for the next chapter is to “hop in the car [and] drive for however long until it gets dark.” But, if the driving becomes overbearing, the two will “stop off at another national park slash beaches slash whatever.”

Overall, the excursion will “probably gonna take two or three…or maybe even four days to get to all the way up to Seattle” where the two will post up with some of Angelis’ family.

There, Rafey is “not sure what [they are] going to do, but probably just going to hang out. It’s gonna be super low-key…[He] know [he is] going to bring some books to read.” However, Rafey acknowledges the freedom that a 1994 Integra gives them: “Really we can do anything since we have a car. We also might go up to Vancouver, so we can chill in Canada. The key is spontaneity. We don’t really know what were doing. We have good music, good company and a car so its all good.”

After watching Alabama Crimson Tide crush the Florida Gators in Thayer basement, Megan Miles ’13 also plans to “hopefully take a twenty-two hour road-trip…with a couple of friends.” She plans to embark on an odyssey from Gadsen, Alabama to Pasadena, California to “watch the Alabama beat Texas in the national [football] championship.” (Ironic that I am wearing a UT shirt as I was writing that very line – not going to happen Megan).

However, her big plans for “J-term” are spending some time with her grandmother…on a cruise…in the Caribbean. Essentially, Miles plans to “get a tan to replace this horrible Boston color which [she has] acquired,” “get drunk with [her] grandmother,” and relax while island hopping amidst a winter which consists of 80 degree, sunny weather.

However, all good things come at a cost. Since she will be spending the last part of her break in the Caribbean, Miles plans to fly from sunny, tropical Puerto Rico at 10 a.m. and arrive at the frozen hell that is Boston at 10 p.m., only to start classes two days later.

High football hopes and a Caribbean adventure with grandma – sure does make that travel mayhem seem worth it, no?

Ah, L’Espalier. The name alone sends a tingle down from my palate and fills me with a sense of deep-seated longing, but the “$$$$” listing tends to keep this food lust at bay. Fortunately, my mom was recently in town, and like all savvy college students, I knew how to maneuver myself into a fabulous meal.

Charged with anticipation, my mother and I strode to 774 Boylston and arrived at large metal doors. Past the entrance, we found ourselves greeted by a host in a miniature elevator foyer. We were directed to take the elevator up to the dining room. This was not just any old elevator – it was a glass elevator à la Willy Wonka. Talk about perfect prelude to my dining fantasies.

Immediately upon arrival, I was filled with a sense of sophisticated homey comfort that comes only with an exquisite interior designer. We arrived in a marble lobby adjacent to an area that very much resembled a family room, a magnum of Dom Perignon on ice and all. Well, more like family room of my dreams.

After having been seated at a wonderful window-side table overlooking Boylston, my mother and I eagerly awaited the bread service. It may seem frivolous to recount what can be a negligible preface to a meal, but at L’Espalier, every facet of the dining experience, including the bread, is exquisite. A tray of bread was brought to our table with warm Kalamata olive and sourdough, and was served with soft peaks of butter. I need to pause here for a second to talk about this butter. This wasn’t just any old mass-market variety- this was butter that would make Ina Garten and Paula Deen fall to their knees. We used the bread merely as a vehicle on which we could pile this soft, unimaginably creamy, rich, and salty primrose pleasure.

Unable to pick just a few dishes, we decided to order both the Fall Prix Fixe and the Fall Degustation. The first course to arrive was a Skip’s Island Creek oyster with American caviar. With very minimal preparation involved, the oyster was a true testament to the quality of the ingredients. Silky, sweet, and salty, the one brief slurp of oyster was like a splash of the sea.

Following the oyster was crispy black pudding with wild mushrooms and an Apple Street Farm fresh egg. Just to clarify, black pudding equals blood sausage. I have enjoyed both the Korean and Spanish varieties, soondae and morcilla, respectively, but I’ll admit that I get a little squeamish every time. This one, however, I didn’t love. The texture was too grainy for me to forget that I was munching on coagulated blood particles. I handed it over to my mom, who enjoyed every morsel.

Standing in stark contrast to the black pudding was the Thai coconut rock shrimp crepe with salmon roe. The crepe was a slightly too sweet for a savory dish, but the saltiness of the roe provided a wonderful contrast of flavors.

We were then greeted by sheer decadence on a plate: roasted foie gras with fig jam-smothered brioche and a fried chanterelle. Like, ohmygod. There was just something about the luxuriously silky goose liver paired with the sweetness of the figs and the salty crunch of the mushroom that titillated every inch of my being. Really, a textural and flavory jackpot.

After the foie was roasted lamb tenderloin with Mediterranean spices and cannellini beans. Perfectly prepared and well seasoned, but was it really that extraordinary? Eh…

The following course, however, paired the seemingly disjoint ingredients of succulent pan roasted Brussels sprouts, creamy hummus, and fall off the bone, toe-curling, sumptuously fatty duck confit. For those of you that are virgins to the confit method of cooking, any meat cooked confit means that it is ever so slowly cooked in its own rendered fat. This dish was stunning in its luscious complexity, and only had the unpleasant side effect of incessant mouth-watering during its consumption.

With our stomachs pleasantly stuffed, we took a quick breather before what we knew would be some heavy-hitting desserts. First came the cheese course. We were presented with five award-winning local cheeses that again attested to the outstanding quality of ingredients. They were presented with the saccharine accoutrements of candied walnuts, pine nut topped honey, and preserved apricots. I was then served chocolate decadence cake that was also a component of my mother’s dessert tasting. Hers was a trio of chestnut sorbet with praline crumbs, the chocolate decadence cake with raspberry coulis and Italian meringue, and panna cotta with raspberry foam, brown butter crunch, and blueberry gelé. Each individual dessert was highly respectable in its own right, but the panna cotta made both my mother and I giddy with delight. Being the sugar addict that I am (admittance is the first step to recovery), I’ve tried multitudes of panna cottas. This one, however, takes the cake. Actually, it takes the gelatinized cream. Unimaginably voluptuous, the panna cotta coated my mouth with its thick creaminess that was perfectly counterbalanced by the slurps of fresh raspberry “air” and the crunch of the sweet brown butter flakes. Perfectly conceptualized and perfectly prepared, the desserts effectively brought closure to my three-hour stop in what I can only hope will be heaven.

Yes, it was expensive, but it was also the best meal I have had since I’ve become a starved college student. Yes, I am currently saving every penny I can to experience this epicurean ecstasy once more.

by Henry Woodward-Fisher ’12
December 2009 Issue

So, it’s Fall Exam Period 2009, freezing outside, you forgot to wear your sneakers and you’re now nursing Primal Scream induced frostbite and grazed knees. How will you get through the next week or so when Reading Period was such a disaster? You’re feeling especially out of shape after running around Harvard Yard in your birthday suit and you’ve still got a lot of BoardPlus and Crimson Cash to use up before the start of the holidays. What the hell is the blood-brain barrier anyhow? How on earth are you ever going to get through this new calendar?

ON PROCRASTINATION:

White Noise Generator – Just click on www.simplynoise.com to get the Internet’s purest and highest quality white noise (y’know the sound that TV makes when it’s not on a channel), it apparently aids sleep and helps block out other distractions.

LeechBlock – Go here for a Firefox extension that blocks websites (like Facebook, I Saw You Harvard, Twitter, etc.) that you might be tempted to visit repeatedly as you study.

MeeTimer – This Firefox add-on logs how much time you have spent on each site that you visit. It can give you pop-up reminders if you are spending too much time on procrastination web sites.

Things to avoid: Never, repeat, never go to meatspin.org or hippohippo.ytmnd.com – such things will only lead to unhappiness and awkward looks from others.

ON STUDYING:

Watch lectures faster! – Enounce allows you to play any video (read: lecture videos) at the speed that you like without any loss of audio quality (aka “no chipmunk sound”). You can watch your lectures up to 50% faster and still absorb the material.

Join/make a study group – Share the work and ease the pressure. You could even use Google Wave to collaborate on study guides!

Evernote – This handy note-taking program allows you to organize notes, lecture videos, pictures, and PowerPoint presentations. Clip parts of web sites; sync between computer, phone, online account; and search text in pictures.

Avoid library depression – We know it’s bad, but break up your studying into more manageable chunks and follow the aforementioned tips to help save yourself from slipping into the abyss. Of Lamont.

ON DAILY ROUTINE:

Wake up earlier. The most productive times of the day to learn new material and get stuff done are early in the morning and just before you go to bed. Why not get up two or three hours earlier and take the evening off?

Eat apples. It keeps the doctor away and reportedly is better for waking you up in the morning than coffee. Other brain foods include fruit, nuts and Ranger Cookies (of course).

Do exercise. It may be getting dark at a ridiculously early hour, but 30 minutes running along the Charles will really set you up for a productive day of work. Get those endorphins going and reinforce those reward pathways!

Do have free time. Set time aside for things that you actually derive pleasure from – brew fresh free-leaf tea, get a haircut, play that guitar, practice for the spring semester 2010’s Female Orgasm seminar, etc.

by Ingrid Pierre ‘12
December 2009 Issue

Dear Undergrads,

If you thought four days of Thanksgiving break were hard, try this newly extended break on for size. J-Term? More like “J-Terminate me, now”! Some of you may wonder, what’s so bad about several weeks of continuous break with family-members-who-love-you-dearly-and-haven’t-seen-you-in-months-and-want-to-catch-up-really-badly-but-not-before-you-show-them-how-to-work-skype-so-you-can-call-grandma-and-then-fix-the-TV-that’s-been-broken-since-you-left-because-no-one-else-knows-how-to-do-it? (Yeah…) Perhaps that’s assuming a great deal about your home life. But that’s just the thing; you do have a home life and a Harvard life. And if you’re an ordinary person, you should know that there’s a clear distinction between the two.

So for those of you who may not know what you’re in for this break, we’ve come up with a little advice on how to ease back into Kansas, Dorothy.

Social Etiquette:

• If someone asks you about school, just smile and say it’s all good. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT mention how horrible CS50 was or bring up any readings and assignments in conversation. No one cares. We mean it. Also, tone down the big words and use of obscure eponymous adjectives. While you may fling around a “panegyric”, “heteronormative”, or “Aeschylean” on the daily here, everyone else will think you’re a tool.
• Don’t wear your COOP approved Harvard gear in public. Keep a low profile, and don’t rub it in people’s faces that you go here, besides any schmoe can get a Harvard shirt. I mean your cousins probably wear theirs all the time (for the ladies, of course).
  
• When watching movies and TV shows with friends, keep your mouth shut. Don’t point out historical inaccuracies, grammatical mistakes, physics FAILS, or try to indicate where someone is making a clever Henry Darger reference. Unless, of course you did that before you went here and then we’re pretty sure the only friends you’d have would be right there along with you.
• If you go on television for any reason over break, please don’t make us look bad. We suffered enough with that chick on Season 10 of America’s Next Top Model. (Tyra: Who was your favorite English literature heroine? EmbarassmentToHarvard: I didn’t pay that much attention in those classes.)

Personal Hygiene/Maintenance:

• Normal people sleep. You no longer have to pull all-nighters. If you find yourself going to bed at 3 and four in the morning, rethink this.  Along the same lines, waking up at 11 or 12 AM because you only have one class in the afternoon is a college-only custom. I know you may have forgotten what with the budget cuts, but the most important meal of the day is breakfast, not brain break. If you find that your sleep schedule is severely screwed up, try what we call a “hard reset”. That is stay up all night so that you’ll be tired earlier in the day, possibly even by 10 PM. Be warned, this technique only works for some and could severely backfire on you (read: falling asleep at noon). Also, do not schedule time to operate heavy machinery on reset day. And if all else fails, read some Hegel if you want to get the sleep you desire.
• Wearing sweats all day urrr-vryday, wearing pajamas outside the house… not okay. Don’t make us all look lazy.
• Enjoy your new ability to poop in total privacy, without having to share with an entire floor of dirty college kids. If you’re a guy that is. We all know that girls don’t poo.
• Keep busy. Take up gardening, contra-dancing, or needlepoint if you don’t have anything lined up. Trust us. Your Harvardian neurosis will kick in and you’ll be as jittery as a junkie stranded in rural Singapore.  Or worse, you’ll lay comatose for days on end catching up on all four seasons of Dexter, eventually resorting to shows on the CW like The Vampire Diaries. Shudder.

Familial Relations:

• Do not ask mom or dad or grandparents if they can make you a grilled cheese sandwich. That’s a HUDS deal, only at Harvard. You’re an adult now; make your own damn sandwich. Along those lines, if you want to make a parent happy, do your own laundry (that is, if your wealthy HSA-spoiled ass was doing your own laundry to begin with).
• Don’t show mom and dad Harvard FML or ISawYouHarvard. No one likes a hovering guardian, plus they’ll likely email us, and frankly, we have our own parents to deal with.
• If you have siblings in different colleges, encourage mom and dad to put their college’s stickers on the car too. Harvard FTW, but this will ease household tensions, trust us (of course you know you’re the favorite child, but why rub it in?).

That’s all for now. In any case, you’re pretty smart aren’t you? You can figure it out as you go along.

Best of luck,
The Voice

Image author unknown, source: stock.xchng

In case you haven’t stepped outside in a while (and since this is Reading Period, this probably applies to many of you), let me clue you in on something: it’s freezing! With the combination of chilly temperatures, unbearable windchill, and finals, it might be tempting to step outside wearing sweatpants, Northface, and Uggs. But just because you’re stressed and cold does not mean it’s okay to look like a walking lump of fleece. Snap out of it and look decent! Below are some great winter coats and accessories that look great and will keep you warm and toasty. Besides, who knows? Maybe looking this fashionable in the winter will get you caught on Noicethreads.

BEST WINTER COATS

The Parka
The parka is my personal winter favorite because it’s warm, often has a fur-lined hood (perfect for snowy weather), and usually comes in neutral colors that can go with any wardrobe. The nicest parkas can be pretty pricey, ranging from around $100 and up, but it’s a great investment as a classic winter coat that won’t go out of style for a while.

For the guys: All-Son National Parka, Urban Outfitters, $98.

For the girls: Fur Padded Parka, Topshop, $160.

The Military Coat
The military-style jacket or coat is a good choice for a winter coat if you’re one who likes keeping up with trends. This style has been one of the hottest trends on the runways this season (and for some of last year) for both men and women. If you want to look polished while keeping warm, this is the coat for you.

For the guys: Double Breasted Coat, ASOS, $127.66.

For the girls: Rue Royale Military Coat, Fred Flare, $72.

The Classic Trench

The trench is another staple to add to any wardrobe. Thus, it’s a piece that’s worth splurging on. A trench is sensible and versatile as you can layer it up in the winter and slip it on in the breezy autumn and early spring. My favorite trench coats have delicate details and twists on its classic form.

For the guys: Military-inspired Trench Coat, Steven Alan, $268.
(Not shown: super sweet plaid wool lining!)

For the girls: Mid-length Trench Coat, Gap, $88.

BEST WINTER ACCESSORIES

Aigle Boots (for girls)

I don’t think I actually have to explain the importance of durable, comfortable, long-lasting, warm boots in the wintertime. While Uggs are comfortable and warm (I own some too, so don’t feel bad) for cold winter days, they’re not exactly the smartest choice when trying to tread through January sludge. Snow in Cambridge is pretty for maybe a day or two. After that, it becomes gray…mush. Yuck! Aigle boots are amazing because not only are they classically stylish, but they’re completely waterproof and of incredibly high quality.

Aigle Dressage Boots, Aigle, $199.

Text-Friendly Camping Gloves (for guys)

I am sadly pretty much obsessed with these gloves. If I had a boyfriend (emphasis on “if”), I would buy these for him in a heartbeat. Hell, I might just buy them for myself! These gloves are 100% cashmere lined (aka 100% toasty and comfortable) and have an amazing plaid wool pattern. But here’s the best part: the thumbs have slits in them for easy Blackberry-ing and texting! Holy smokes. GENIUS.

Camping Gloves, Steven Alan, $78.

Warm Leggings (for girls)
Okay, girls. We all know we love wearing leggings as pants, as horrific as they may be. But it’s the winter now, so that means you might have to finally resort to wearing real pants, right? WRONG. The solution: wear thicker leggings. American Apparel said, “Let there be winter leggings.” And it was so.

Winter Leggings, American Apparel, $38.

Hand Warmers (for everyone!)
When my mother sent me a box full of these hand warmers last winter (my first New England winter–aww!), I cried. Of joy. What kind of dark magic is held in these little packets? I know not. I only know that they keep your hands bloody warm. All you have to do is tear the little rectangular pockets out of the wrapper, shove them in a pocket or two, and let the toasting of your hands begin. Amazing.

Wicked Good Hand Warmers (Pack of 10), L.L. Bean, $10.

Fur-Trapper Hats (for everyone!)
I might be biased because my favorite winter hat is my fur-trapper hat, but these things are so good for keeping your head and your ears nice and cozy! The best part is that they’re pretty unisex–meaning you could “gift” one to your boyfriend or girlfriend and “borrow” it later.

Wool Shearling Trapper (men’s), J.Crew, $168.

That’s all for now. Keep warm, keep away from sweatpants, and stay stylish! What are your favorite winter coats or accessories? Would you wear or use anything listed here?

Through a very long and strenuous interviewing process, I was able to discern exactly how Harvardians spend their week of studying. Of course you have your library addicts (c.f. “Diary of a Lamonster”) but now they’ve been amplified to levels of sleep deprivation previously unheard of. Some people simply stay awake, and then just keep trying to stay awake…to see how long they can survive. I found a few willing intellectual soldiers to share with the world how studying is done here…or not done. Alex Chivescu ’13, when not “crap[ping] out a series of words and sentences that [he] can hopefully rearrange into a compelling (or at least intelligible) argument,” engages in other activities:

“Since I have more time to do it over Reading Period than any other time in my life, I also enjoy going to the gym. Not because it helps me study, or because it’s healthy, but rather because I like working out in front of a mirror and making funny faces in exertion. I also blast music while I shower, since going to parties these days makes me feel unaccomplished, guilty, and a little bit colonized. I think my roommates are a bit annoyed but at least they know when the bathroom’s occupied. I eat for hours in Annenberg putting on weight in anticipation of my month-long J-term hibernatory period. That way, when I get home I can turn the heat up, close the blinds, and sleep for the rest of winter.”

He even went as far to temporarily deactivate his Facebook (!SHUN!) His reasoning? “to keep myself from unnecessary socialization, further pursuit of rejection, or the whole ‘keeping in touch with friends back home’ deal. It’s really just that one random kid who was never friends with you popping up in your chat box with the classic “OMGgGgGgG how’s HARVARD?!” and honestly, I just can’t deal.”

I must note, though, that as much as I am in favor of working out PROCEED WITH CAUTION. There’s a deadline for injury here (I know LOLWUT?), and FYI it passed in November. So even with an ex post facto injury, like, I don’t know—a broken finger that prohibits writing, don’t expect any extra time. So, work that treadmill…just don’t fall/trip/etc., or you’ll be investing in a lot of ibuprofen and channeling Chuck Norris during your multiple exams that require three hours of writing.

It was one individual, though, who took the cake in providing ultimate personal maxims on Reading Period. In the answer to defeat all answers, Kelly Jo Popkin ’11 writes,

“Rather than reading during reading period, I question my sexuality and establish important life goals. I study a lot during reading period by visiting alt blogs and cultivating a personality that goes against the grain. I start by studying for all the other exams. If I have time, I will study for my own. I don’t really read during reading period. Or when I’m on my period. Especially if I’m on my period during reading period, which keeps happening to me. I develop and memorize important strategies to outline how to study.”

So there you have it little ones. Go forth and read blogs. Like Noice. Studying is fine too, but if you watch House then you know that if you stay awake for a consecutive eight days…well, you die. Get some sleep y’all, don’t break anything or you’re screwed, and bonne chance.

Photo credit: chemilo

Primal Scream: it’s the weirdest yet most liberating Harvard tradition. The night before finals, students (both guys and gals) run around the Yard in their birthday suits (or bikinis and masks for those more hesitant of showing off their goodies).

This year, Primal Scream takes place this Friday, December 11th, at midnight. The Voice has compiled a guide for those who will participate in the run, whether it’s your first time or not.

1. Don’t bring a camera! Seriously, nothing screams “creeper” like bringing a camera to an event with a bunch of naked college folk with their ding-dongs and love lumps hanging out.

2. DO wear sneakers! The corners are icy, and slipping could be, well, disastrous.

3. Bring a buddy. Have a bud waiting with a robe/towel/bedsheet/pillow so you don’t have to push your way through the viewing crowds looking for your clothing with all your junk hanging out. That might have been fun when you were sprinting around the Yard with a bunch of other nudies – not so fun when it’s just you with a bunch of … not-nudies.

4. Get it over with. Do it as early on in your Harvard career as possible. In that way they will be less people that recognize you as you hurtle naked around the Yard. If you do it as a senior it’s basically social suicide (unless you have awesome abs, tattoos that you want to show off, or you’re just shameless).

5. Shave. It might be a good idea.

6. Get ready for some awkward conversations. One of your professors may see you. Or an Annenberg employee. Not that we have a firsthand experience or anything.

7. Don’t pull stunts. Like, don’t make a snow angel.. unless you want to catch pneumonia and fail your finals.

8. Beware of where your eyes roam! Don’t make eye contact, stare only ahead of you, and keep your eyes above shoulder level.

9. Be alert. If you see a girl or guy start to trip and eat asphalt, (it’s mean but…) be ready to hurdle them or you’ll go down with the ship.

10. For the gals: find ladyfriends. If you’re a lady, find some other girls to run with or find them in the crowd because guys are crazy assholes and they push. Also a skin-on-skin brush-up with an adjacent person will be less embarrassing this way.

11. Feel free to accessorize. You can keep it all off and go as as the good lord made ya. but feel to wear something special like a tiara or a piano-key tie.

12. Paint up, don’t suit up. If you’re going to paint your face or body use a non-toxic oil based face paint. Acrylic cracks on the skin and flakes as you run. Not attractive.

What do you think should be added to this list? Have you run Primal Scream before? How was it? Let us know in the comments!

Photos by Sasha Mironov ’13