Gallery of Rogues

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Nov 172011
 

Yale’s worst alumni.

  1. John C. Calhoun. This guy would’ve set me off as soon as he entered the interview room. I’m not sure how early in his life Calhoun adopted his trademark “Crazy as the Devil Himself” haircut, but his giant, angry eyes alone would have set me running for the Northern hills. Sure he was smart (he was Phi Beta Kappa), was an outstanding, sassy orator, and filled almost every American political office, but come on, secession? Was that really necessary? I’m sure he thought so, as he was a staunch supporter of slavery and fiercely opposed any sort of government intervention. Calhoun’s legacy would culminate in a grisly war that killed 3% of the American population and destroyed the Southern lands he called home. You know that admissions file has been destroyed…
  2. George W. Bush. This is why legacies have a bad reputation. There are those who don’t do very well in school, join chauvinistic secret societies, do nothing but own a baseball team, and then ruin the country they are elected to run. No matter how you feel about Obama, at least you know he has the intellectual capacity to make his own decisions; in fact, he’s very intelligent for a politician. Bush, not so much. We were basically under the control of Satan’s sidekick, Karl Rove, for years while the country fell into the hands of the malicious evangelicals and impoverished people (literally) drown. Just to remind everyone, the economic crash happened before Obama’s election. Yes, we know, he went to Harvard Business School, but doesn’t everyone?
  3. C. Montgomery Burns. Monty Burns is the quintessential Yalie—100% evil. Before attending Yale, Burns entertained himself by injuring immigrant laborers on his grandfather’s property. He owns a pack of dogs that he releases on unsuspecting visitors to his mansion, affectionately and deviously known as “the hounds.” His catch phrase, “Excellent,” could well be the creepiest in all of history, and the fact that he is still alive is just downright suspicious. Naturally, his well-established soullessness took him down the path to Yale. (Fun fact: Burns has been known to attend Harvard-Yale—watch out for yourselves this weekend!)
  4. Dick Cheney, George H.W. Bush, Joe Lieberman, Tom Buchanan (The Great Gatsby), etc.

I could list more, but I think the point has been made: Yale both accepts and creates evil. (And yes, we know the Unabomber went here. We didn’t mean to admit a terrorist.)

 Posted by Christine Wolfe on November 17, 2011  Tagged with: , ,

A Guide to the Arts in Boston

 Arts, Guides  No Responses »
Sep 022009
 

The city of unequalled vibrancy and energy is waiting for you.

Oscar Wilde once said, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” At Harvard, and in greater Boston, it is difficult to tell which imitates which. As incoming freshmen will soon experience, life at Harvard is characterized by unequalled vibrancy and ubiquitous variety. The arts scene in Boston parallels this multitude of possibilities; almost too many to follow and choose from. Still remembering how overwhelmed I was when I first came to Harvard, I want to offer you an introductory guide to some opportunities, venues and institutions that colored my life at Harvard last year-and that you should definitely visit, sea, hear and make a part of your life.

To start our sensory journey, I have to emphasize that Boston is especially rich in opportunities for musical encounters. You have to keep a close eye on the programs of some of the most important concert halls and orchestras in order to plan ahead and not to be lost in the plethora of happenings.

One of the most important gems of the Boston cultural life is the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which has prepared an exceptionally impressive program for this year. Having had the opportunity to listen to many symphony orchestras in the world, I can confidently support the view that Boston Symphony Orchestra is one of the best,  offering the classical music lover a music feast of high professionalism and fine variety. They are opening for this season on the 23rd of September, and the program of the night includes Roman Carnival Overture by Berlioz, Piano Concerto No. 2 by Chopin, and Le Mer by Debussy. The night will also be the world premiere of “On Willows and Birches,” a concerto for harp by John Williams.  Boston Symphony Orchestra has also prepared a striking program of “Beethoven’s Complete Symphonies,” which will be performed grouped in threes and conducted by the experienced conductor James Levine. The first concert of this series is on October 22nd, composed of the 1st, 2nd and fifth symphonies. To see the detailed program Boston Symphony Orchestra prepared for this year, you can visit their website: BSO.org.

Another jewel in Boston’s musical crown is the House of Blues. Every year the House of Blues houses stars of blues, rock, jazz, electronic and pop music. The atmosphere of the House is unique, and the setup allows an exceptional proximity to the artists. Some of the most important concerts of the early season are Regina Spektor on the 21st of September, Moby on the 24th and Porcupine Tree on the 27th. For a preview of the festivities the House of Blues has prepared for the music-hungry, step into their website:HouseOfBlues.com.

Classical buffs, check out the websites for Opera Boston, Emmanuel Boston, Boston Pops, Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Chamber Music Society, and the Bank of America Celebrity Series. Student rush tickets are available for almost all of these events.

Boston is also an absolute heaven for the museum-lover. The many museums in the city display numerous collections of a wide range of specialties. Some of the most important of these museums are Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, and Institute of Contemporary Art. All these museums are free for Harvard students with an ID, extending an open invitation to all members of the Harvard community to visit at any time and with any frequency.  One event that I would definitely suggest that you note on your calendars would be the “College Night at the Museum of Fine Arts,” which has been planned for the 24th of September this year. Harvard University has many museums on campus as well; the Sackler Museum is currently most important. With the closing of the Fogg Museum and Busch-Reisinger for renovation, some art works have been moved into the Sackler to create the best representation of the museum’s complete collection. The relatively small size of the museum and the importance of the art works in exhibition give the museum a special character.

The dance and theater scene in Boston is equally vibrant and rich in offerings. Boston Ballet is one of the gems and also a very good venue for all those who want to partake in conferences on dance. In addition to various opportunities they provide for students and Bostonians, they also offer student rush tickets available for most performances at the Wang Center box office two hours before the conference or the show.

There are some theater companies in Boston offering many different shows through the year that can color your weekend nights, or maybe even a week night. These include Broadway in Boston, the Huntington Theatre, and the American Repertory Theatre. All offer student rush tickets.

The plethora of artistic happenings in Boston might be very overwhelming and even intimidating at the beginning. However, there are a few guides that can make your art quests easier and help you intersperse your free time with some memorable spectacles. The prime guide is the Beat. Sponsored by the Office for the Arts at Harvard (OFA), it includes current events, ongoing events, and opportunities to get involved. A wonderful opportunity that is also listed in the Beat is the OFA’s free BSO ticket program. The OFA provides free tickets to selected performances by the Boston Symphony Orchestra;  Harvard students can get one per Harvard ID. Another helpful source is “artsboston,” a website (ArtsBoston.org) that lists in one place almost all the events in the greater Boston area for discounted prices. For opportunities exclusive to Harvard students and events happening on campus, the art lover should look at the OFA’s website: Here. The OFA is hosting an open house on September 1st between 1 and 4 PM to introduce incoming freshmen to opportunities.

Plato said that the beginning is the most important part of any work. As you are about to start your freshman year at Harvard, make sure to remember that this is also a beginning to your artistic endeavors at Harvard and art quests in the greater Boston. This city of unequalled energy has many colors, views, melodies, scenes, dances to offer and share, and is waiting for you.

Ezgi Berektli ’12 (ezgibereketli@gmail) loves a good deal on a good date.

 Posted by Ezgi Bereketli on September 2, 2009  Tagged with:

Do’s and Don’ts for Freshman Year

 Guides  No Responses »
Sep 022009
 

Things to do freshman year:

  • Primal Scream—no matter how much you prepare, all semblance of warmth will be gone in a second. Keep a moderate pace—the Yard is longer than it seems.
  • Comp the Indy. Duh?
  • Go to a final club. Never go back.
  • Recover from final clubbing with Felipe’s or IHOP.
  • Celebrate a friend’s birthday at Finale.
  • Pregame before Harvard-Yale.
  • See Harvard Art Museum’s fabulous collection.
  • Freshman snowball fight in the yard. Lots of snow. Lots of freshmen. ’Nuff said.
  • Go sledding down the Widener steps on an Annenberg tray.
  • Join a service group at PBHA—giving back really does feel that good.
  • Watch a lecture at Sanders.
  • Fall asleep during a lecture at Sanders (second floor is more suitable).
  • Run by the river after realizing all you do is eat and sleep.
  • Play intramural sports. Meet other people. Keep playing intramurals.
  • Take a walk along the Charles, through the Business School and the Stadium, at night (don’t go alone! consider bringing that girl/guy you’re trying to woo)—anything you say will seem ten times more sophisticated and deep.
  • Go out to Oktoberfest and buy a $10 sweatshirt that would go for four times the price at the COOP.
  • Go skating at Boston Commons’ Frog Pond. Bring your own skates if you have them—the ones at Frog Pond will hurt after two minutes.
  • River Run before Housing Day—don’t skip any of the Houses! Set your boat on fire before commencing, at your own risk.
  • Watch the stars and enjoy the view from the Science Center’s observatory, with a nice bottle of…sparkling cider.
  • Fall in love with a class you had never considered taking.
  • Change your proposed concentration and/or life goal at least three times.
  • Go to a JFK Forum event at the Institute of Politics (IOP).
  • Get your favorite Mr. Bartley’s burger with friends (consider paying homage to Prof. Skip Gates with the teriyaki-pineapple burger by the same name) and discuss life between bites and sips of milkshake on the steps of Widener.
  • Buy snacks and drinks with your board plus points throughout the semester. Or stock up and buy out the Greenhouse Cafe’s entire cookie supply at the end of the semester.
  • Play Mario Kart. Become addicted to Mario Kart. Realize that your life consists of eating, sleeping, and Mario Kart. Go for another run by the river.
  • Join a tour group and ask annoying questions, or be the creeper in the tourists’ pictures of the John Harvard statue. Doing this gets difficult when you don’t live in the Yard all the time.

Things not to do freshman year:

  • Hook up with that guy/girl in your entryway when you can’t walk in a straight line.
  • Get caught up in being pre-med, trying to fit in as many lab courses as possible. Variety truly is the spice of life.
  • Become a Lamontster. Or worse: a Cabot monster.
  • Try to walk in high heels when there is 7 inches of snow outside.
  • Try to walk in high heels on the sidewalk cobblestones, period.
  • Make a room rotation agreement, then renege at semester.
  • Take a graduate level course on medieval French technical manuals because you want to “challenge” yourself.
  • Forgo laundry until Christmas, take everything home to mom.
  • Eat out for every third meal. You already paid for the dining hall.
  • Eat two portions of everything because you already paid for it.
  • Walk down a deserted street in the middle of the night by yourself while listening to your iPod.
  • Feel obligated to make your friends from pre-frosh weekend your friends for life.
  • Date two crew guys in succession. They’ll be sitting right next to each other for hours every day.
  • Sign up for five classes second semester. You’re allowed to, but there’s no reason. You’ll have plenty of time to kill yourself later.
  • Sign up for six classes second semester. Or any semester.
  • Pull all-nighters. The Indy staff is all hypocrites on this one, but really, it’s not good for you.
  • Date seniors. Soon they will be gone.
  • Not join the Harvard Independent.
  • Check out a reserve book from Lamont and then fall asleep in the chair without returning it.
 Posted by The Harvard Independent on September 2, 2009  Tagged with:
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