Posted by April Sperry on April 26, 2010 at 10:03 pm
This is not a teepee.
It’s likely that by now, you’ve noticed that there’s something wooden and dome shaped in the middle of the Yard, in front of Matthews Hall. No, it’s not overflow housing for next year’s class; it’s a wetu. As in, it’s not a teepee, igloo, or a hut. As stated on the signboard in front of Matthews,
A Wetu is a/SDC11516.JPG)
traditional Native American dwelling that is very similar to and sometimes referred to as a wigwam. A Wetu is built by criss-crossing saplings into an upside down U shape. The frame is then covered by sheets of bark on the outside and lined with woven rush mats on the inside. A hole is left at the top of the structure in order to release the smoke .
The wetu has been left partially uncovered so that students and passersby can see its interior structure. At the Opening Ceremony this past Thursday, students, administrators, and members of the Aquinnah Wampanog tribe spoke about what it took to get the structure put in the yard and what they feel, seeing it completed.
Why is it here right now? Well, this year marks the 360th anniversary of the signing of Harvard’s charter, which called for “the education of the English and Indian youth of this country, in knowledge and godliness.” It’s presence on campus also overlaps with Harvard’s annual powwow, which will take place this Saturday at Radcliffe Yard and will be open to the public. The wetu will only be in the yard until May 3rd, so if you have questions, ask fast. And just think, how many of your friends’ colleges have wetus in their yards?? Not so many.
Posted by The Voice Staff on February 16, 2010 at 9:14 pm
Snow.
Photos by Grace Sun ’13
Posted by The Voice Staff on December 10, 2009 at 11:24 pm
by The Voice Staff
December Issue 2009
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.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by The Voice Staff on November 19, 2009 at 8:51 pm
The only thing redeeming about this is that new book smell.
What. The. Heck. Is. This?
Here on Noice, we love free things. We love them so much we devote an entire tag to it. We love them so much that we bring you copies of The Voice for free every month. Heck, we’ll even give you two copies if you like! HOWEVER, we do not like to get free crap if it’s actually just crap. This blogger’ll take a free slap in the face over what she and many others received yesterday coming into the yard.
Man, they really had us fooled! We saw some man peddling The Origin of Species 150th Anniversary Edition and grabbed it thinking “Hey! One less thing I’ll have to buy for my Science core!” But alas, a few hours later in the comfortable Snuggie™-fied glory of a common room we discovered… aghast! “THIS ISN’T WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS! TROJANS, THIS IS A HOLLOW HORSE! ”
Complete with a “special introduction” by some d-bag named Ray Comfort, this version of the out-of-copyright 19th century classic includes gems like:
After much research, I do concede that you won’t find anything in Darwin’s writings that would indicate that he in any way felt blacks were to be treated as inferior or that his views of them were do to their skin color. He just thought that they were closer to gorillas than whites (33).
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Qichen Zhang on November 18, 2009 at 1:18 am
Those who won’t be playing pre-finals academic catch-up after returning from Yale this weekend will have the opportunity to take part in a bizarre farce instead. This Sunday, the MP3 Experiment, apparently a silent and digitalized version of Simon Says, will take place in the Yard at exactly 1:15pm. Included in the informational email was an audio file that participants should download onto their iPod and bring to the event but not listen to prior to the event. Thrown by students from the Graduate School of Education, the event calls to mind October’s flash mob. According to the hosts, it offers a similar kind of spirit.
The Harvard MP3 Experiment is modeled after those of Improv Everywhere, the masterminds behind such youtube classics as the Food Court Musical and No Pants Subway Rides. This event is being run by students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Don’t worry, we’re not going to teach you anything. Except possibly how to be more awesome.
Wait–why aren’t we doing the no-pants thing instead? Next time, Harvard.
RSVP to the Facebook event here.
Photo courtesy of Robert Southers.
Posted by Qichen Zhang on October 29, 2009 at 1:40 am
Yes, we can: Barack advocates for better library etiquette.
Loud roommates and claustrophobic Dunster walk-through coffins usually drive people to settle for a long night at Lamont instead. But certain peers, like those who play Miley Cyrus at full volume through their earbuds, can sometimes make us wish we hadn’t trekked all the way to the yard in the first place. Noice sympathizes with those who can’t even find sanctuary at the library. Beware of some of these types of people who may transform what should be a studious environment an experience from hell.
The Widener Walker. Some like to take a break from reading room by browsing the books, but beware of these leisurely strollers. It’s not unusual to see a random person hovering in between the expansive stacks. What’s weird is when they inadvertently end up playing hide and seek with you as you look for that elusive copy of a circa-1960s porn manual for your Lit & Sex paper. Peek-a-boo at its creepiest.
The Cabot Concentrator. Those isolated study rooms in Harvard’s dingiest library look like prison cells for a reason. Aesthetic appeal doesn’t even make the list–people come here to get some serious shit done. Those coffee stains crusted over on virtually every desk would shock us, if not for the fact that there’s probably a guy right now sprawled over his problem set, drooling. Noice advises bringing your own Clorox wipes to get rid of all the mystery bodily fluids.
The Lamont Lurker. Please extrapolate those assumptions you’ve held all along–that kid never ever EVER leaves. Ever. An anonymous source who works a late night shift at access services confirms the fact that these Lamonters will leave their stuff on the table at around 5 in the morning to head back to their house for a quick shower, and promptly plop back at their third floor desk to stick their noses back in the books at around 7am. This urban legend appears more than likely, given…
Today’s public service announcement continues after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Kathleen French on October 15, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Okay, I get it–Harvard is purdy. But seriously? A Ziploc bag to collect our leaves with? Where is that going to go? Is customs going to be happy about that? It’s not the crew invasion we need to be worried about this weekend, it’s the clearly irrefutable evidence of LEAF THIEF on campus. Oh, and she is maniacal. Close up after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »
Recent Comments