The Harvard-Yale Issue by The Harvard Independent

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11.20.14 VOL. XLVI, NO. 9 CONTENTS

FORUM 3 Nothing Changes in New Haven 4 Harvard State 5 An Eviction Notice NEWS 6 A First Rate Education SPORTS: HARVARD-YALE 7 An Old Rivalry 8 The Game Plan 9 Get Your Game On 10 Fantasy Football? 11 Tales from the Field

As Harvard College's weekly undergraduate newsmagazine, the Harvard Independent provides in-depth, critical coverage of issues and events of interest to the Harvard College community. The Independent has no political affiliation, instead offering diverse commentary on news, arts, sports, and student life. For publication information and general inquiries, contact President Albert Murzakhanov (president@harvardindependent.com). Letters to the Editor and comments regarding the content of the publication should be addressed to Editor-in-Chief Sean Frazzette (editorinchief@ harvardindependent.com). For email subscriptions please email president@harvardindependent.com. The Harvard Independent is published weekly during the academic year, except during vacations, by The Harvard Independent, Inc., Student Organization Center at Hilles, Box 201, 59 Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Copyright ÂŠ 2014 by The Harvard Independent. All rights reserved.

11.20.14

The Harvard-Yale Issue

The Indy is excited for College GameDay at Harvard.

Inside: YUCK FALE

Cover design by Anna Papp

President Albert Murzakhanov '16 Editor-in-Chief Sean Frazzette '16 Director of Production Anna Papp '16 News Editor Forum Editor Arts Editor Sports Editor Associate Sports Editor Associate Forum Editor Associate Arts Editor

Milly Wang '16 Caroline Gentile '17 Sarah Rosenthal '15 Shaquilla Harrigan '16 Peyton Fine '17 Aditya Agrawal '17 Michael Luo '16

Illustrator Yaara Yacoby '17 Designers Alice Linder '17 Abigail Parker '17 Business Managers Farhana Nabi '16 Staff Writers Whitney Gao '16 Manik Bhatia '16 Terilyn Chen '16 Yuqi Hou '15 Chloe Li '16 Dominique Luongo '17 Orlea Miller '16 Albert Murzhakanov '16 Carlos Schmidt '15 Frank Tamberino '16 Jackie Leong '16 Andrew Lin '17 Madi Taylor '16 Shreya Vardhan '17 Peyton Fine '17 Michael Luo '16 Eloise Lynton '17 Caroline Cronin '18 Hannah Kates '18 Chris Riley '18

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#ThrowbackThursday B

elow is an article from the 1994 Harvard-Yale issue, entitled “Yale Sucks”, by the associate sports editor at the time, Eric Baker. The parallels between the state of Yale now and twenty years ago are striking! Still, their Gothic architecture and “urban setting” remain some of the many reasons why Yale does, in fact, suck…

extracurricular activity is its Neighborhood Watch. And although I applaud the effort, I don’t think anyone is buying the line in Yale’s admissions brochure touting the New Haven “urban experience.”

So it’s time to choose a new home. Take out a map of the Northeast, close your eyes, and point to a spot. As long as your finger doesn’t ompetition: It’s the only way to improve land on Harlem, you’re improving. and remain on top. All true champions had rivals who pushed them to the limits of 3) Money: So it turned out to be a greatness. Athens had Sparta. Magic had bad idea to invest half of your endowment Bird. Ali had Frazier. Beavis has Butt-head. in Chia Pet stock and to put the other half Without such a competitor, potential greatness may be wasted. This is why I fear for my school. Who is there to push Harvard? We used to have Yale. But now, as our stranglehold on the top spot in U.S. News and World Report tightens and the Elis slip into economic ruin, we are in danger of being left all alone. This leaves us with two alternatives. Either we lower our standards and come down to Yale’s level of mediocrity, or we help raise up the Elis and make Yale a behind the movie Howard the Duck. But viable opponent once again. The answer is everyone makes mistakes. The key is to clear: we must throw a bone to the Bulldogs. recover before all of your students are forced Just like Apollo Creed helped out Rocky to live in tent cities and use port-a-potties— Balboa, we must help Yale regain the Eye of New Haven has enough homeless people. the Tiger. For not one stands taller than he who stoops to help the less fortunate. Just hire a couple young Harvard grads to So here are some tips that might help manage the little money you have left, and raise our pals from New Haven back into the you’ll be back in the black in no time. And realm of the elite. if you can’t lure any of the best and the brightest to take your charity case, then 1) Fashion: As Billy Crystal used just pull some alumni strings and ask Yalie to say, “It is better to look good than to feel Hillary Rodham Clinton to hook you up in good.” Well, I don’t know about your feelings, the commodities market. but as for your looks…stop dressing like cast members from that old Saturday Night Live 4) Architecture: There’s a skit Sprockets. Ditch the black turtlenecks place and time to be surrounded by Gothic and the John Lennon spectacles. You guys architecture. Unfortunately, that was 15thcan’t keep emulation Harvard’s pretentious century Europe. In other words, such Gothic Signet Society. architecture was in vogue when Yale last had the cash to renovate its dorms. Today, 2) Location: It’s hard to lure the juxtaposition of Yale’s dreary Gothic students to a campus where the most popular buildings with New Haven’s urban squalor

creates a disturbing Count Dracula meets Ice-T effect. While this might work for the rap star’s next video, it is not the best setting for higher education. And although I’m not an architect, I feel fairly confident in saying that rapidly peeling ceilings and decaying walls are not aesthetic positives. While the falling plaster might help keep young Elis awake during the boring lecture of some Yale prof (i.e. someone who couldn’t get tenure at Harvard), it could be hazardous to their health.

“There’s a place and time to be surrounded by Gothic architecture. Unfortunately, that was 15th-century Europe.”

The Harvard Independent • 11.20.14

There you have it. Four quick tips on how you guys in New Haven can turn things around. I know I’m not McKinsey consulting, but I think this represents a start. Anyway, with your cashflow problems you couldn’t afford McKinsey, so take what you can get.

Let’s put the bark back in the Bulldog. This “rivalry” is getting ridiculous. Harvard’s beginning to feel like Michael Jordan. It’s just no fun without any challenge at the top. And, unlike his Airness, we can’t retire and we’ll never lower ourselves to the minor leagues.

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Not Too Different

Some thoughts on acting “Like a Real College.” By CHRIS RILEY

“I love the Game!

It’s the one weekend where we get to act like we go to a real college.” So goes the refrain of the stressed Harvard students who has logged way too many hours in Lamont and way to few nights taking a breath. And that’s a good thing. The Harvard-Yale Game is awesome because of the tradition and because of the tremendous (unprecedented?) amount of school spirit. But it is absolutely true that one of the Game’s best qualities is that it provides us a weekend to “act like we go to a real college”…that is, if you define “a real college” as a place where you can go out both nights of the weekend, go to a proper tailgate, actually care about a sporting event, and not feel the need to go to bed at a reasonable hour out of crippling fear that your CS50 pset will be an all day affair on Sunday. Whether it is because the Game is really that important or because we only have one day of class next week and professors are tragically unable to give us an unreasonable amount of reading (or both), the Game is a great way to unwind before Thanksgiving, reading period, and final exams. And I’m all for labeling it as a time to act like we go to “a real college.” But ESPN’s College GameDay will be at Harvard-Yale this weekend (which is awesome if, like me, you used College GameDay as an excuse not to do homework on Saturday mornings in highschool…and college). And I am 100% certain that somewhere, in some comment section, some urchins from the darkest corners of the Internet are going to take shots at Harvard. Some Alabama fan is going to have an eAneurism because the sacred College GameDay is not being held at an SEC school (or even a PAC-12…I mean an Ivy?!?!). Some commenter is going to wonder why those nerds in Massachusetts are pretending that they know anything about football. All that misplaced, comment-section vitriol is fine. And frankly it’s hilarious. Hopefully no Harvard student will take it seriously and will shrug it off and remember how fun Harvard-Yale was this year. Maybe if we’re lucky On Harvard Time will do a topical crowdsourcing video where they ask students what a defensive back is and record all the hilarious, definitely not staged responses. But I think that it is worth noting that when we say we get to act like a “real” college for the weekend, we mean we get to act like a “normal” college for the weekend. We get to act like the Harvard bubble isn’t about to burst because of stress, type-A personalities, and all-nighters. And we get to care about football for a weekend, and drink more than we normally would, and tailgate. And we can justify College GameDay being here because the matchup is so “historic.” But we should remember that the reason the festivities surrounding Harvard-Yale are an outlier and not a weekly occurrence is because we chose not to go to a “real” college. We wanted the Harvard experience, and we put up with the stress that goes along with it. That built-up stress is what makes the Game such a fun release, and we shouldn’t apologize for that, even if we are nerds who don’t know anything about football. 4 harvardindependent.com

Chris Riley ’17 (criley@college) would like to apologize to any Alabama fans he may have offended with this article. He knows you know more about football and have better tailgates. He’s just trying to make the nerds feel better about this weekend. Picture courtesy of collectibleivy.wordpress.com; photograph courtesy of Shaquilla Harrigan. 11.20.14 • The Harvard Independent

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Nowhere To Go

Boston’s Long Island Shelter abruptly closes. By A CONCERNED GROUP OF HARVARD STUDENTS

magine you are coming back to your house after a long day of class only to be told that Harvard officials deemed your residence unsafe. You are unable to go to your room and gather any of your belongings or important documents. Harvard has made no concrete plans to relocate you and the other 450 displaced residences from your house. While the eleven other houses have a few open beds, navigating the system to gain access to them proves incredibly difficult, especially because you do not have the necessary paperwork to apply for housing. It is November, and you know that New England's harsh winter is fast approaching. When you ask around, trying to gather clues as to why your house was closed down, Harvard offers no response. Was there a fire? Did some sort of natural disaster happen? When can you return? This sounds like an extreme hypothetical out of some sort of apocalyptic film, right? Unfortunately, this situation is real, and just happened in Boston. On Wednesday October 8th, in what appeared to be a doomsday-like situation, Long Island Homeless Shelter officials were given 4 hours to close down their facilities, pack their belongings, and leave the island. The island, home to 450 shelter guests and 265 people in residential substance abuse treatment programs, was closed after the bridge that connected the island to Boston through Quincy was decommissioned. For the large number of homeless people who were not at the shelter at the time, important possessions were left behind. Items such as medication and documentation were left stranded on an island they could not return to. In a recent Boston Globe article, a nurse from the detox unit of the shelter says, “These are the most vulnerable people in our society, and they were just put out, like trash.” Within the last five years, homelessness within the state of Massachusetts has increased by 40%. Massachusetts is believed to have the fastest growing homeless population in the nation. For the 450 homeless people displaced from the shelter, the city of Boston has failed to provide adequate interim housing. While an estimated 200-300 temporary beds have been The Harvard Independent • 11.20.14

created in the city, this is not sufficient to house those displaced from the shelter. Moreover, a number of issues have been raised with the setup of these emergency facilities. The South End Fitness Center, where 250 of the emergency “beds” are, has only 3 bathrooms, and 50 of the “beds” are actually mats on the floor. There are only 45 emergency beds reserved for women, down from 68 on Long Island. The current state of affairs fails to uphold current “right to shelter” legislature that has been a hallmark of Massachusetts’s commitment to the homeless. Without promise for an increased number of emergency beds in the city, advocates continue to push for the city to reopen of Long Island’s shelter, and provide ferry service for travel to and from the island. While this continues to be debated, what remains clear is that a quick and adequate solution needs to be made within the next few weeks to secure winter housing for Boston’s large homeless community. Currently the city has shut down the Long Island shelter for the foreseeable in order to make repairs to the bridge. It is estimated that this bridgework will take between five and seven years to complete. In the meantime, many activist student groups on campus are organizing various events to engage the greater Harvard community and work with Boston officials to outline a plan of action. The Phillips Brooks House Association along with representatives from its Harvard Square Homeless Shelter and Youth Housing Initiative, and members of Harvard's Partners in Health Engage chapter attended a meeting on November 12th at the Blackstone Community Center in Boston to have an open forum with city officials, which was to have included Mayor Marty Walsh. Yet despite several officials in attendance stating that Long Island’s closing is Mayor Walsh’s number one priority, Mayor Walsh did not attend the event, the cries of “Marty! Marty! Marty!” throughout the event reflected the crowd’s frustration at his absence. The mayor’s leadership is needed because the plan that was presented had some important failings. None of the replacement shelter beds will be reserved for women. Several homeless women at the community meeting made their

displeasure about that clear. While prior to Long Island’s closing, there were 265 addiction treatment beds, city officials only presented plans to open 75 replacement program beds. Finally, while City Councilors Tito Jackson and Ayanna Pressley spoke eloquently about the needs for affordable and mixed housing in Boston in order to decrease the need for shelter beds, city officials presented no plans to build affordable housing. The poignancy of the lack of affordable housing was brought home by a homeless woman who stood up to speak at the event and described herself as a professional—she works full-time as a patient care assistant. Despite working, she is homeless because she can’t afford rent. When she was staying at Long Island Shelter, she could get up early, eat breakfast, shower and change for work, get there on time, and get back in time to be assured a bed. Now, because of the bed shortage, finding a shelter bed requires getting in line early in the afternoon. However, she can’t afford to leave work early to wait in line, so she’s forced to sleep outside in order to maintain employment. With many state officials and non-profits advocating for more shelter beds — Boston can do better. Even though city officials seem to be trudging their feet on taking action, various student groups on campus are working hard to spread the word about the Long Island Shelter. These groups are also trying to engage other major student organizations to continue discussions on meeting the needs of these displaced shelter guests. For more information and to learn how to get involved, contact editorinchief@harvardindependent.com. The Indy hopes Boston can accommodate the needs of these individuals very soon.

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News

This is (Yale) CS50 Harvard's decision to move its most taken class.

By HANNAH KATES

n the near-final step of what has been a longtime consideration for both schools, Yale faculty voted Thursday to concretely approve the adaptation of Harvard’s CS50 course into the Yale curriculum. On Monday, Rob Bowden, a member of CS50’s technical staff, answered some questions about the move, and about the course itself. CS50: Introduction to Computer Science I, one of Harvard’s most popular classes, currently enrolls 848 students, a full 12% of the entire college population. Because it offers a rigorous instruction in the basics of a discipline whose popularity is currently exploding (a point reinforced by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer’s recent visit to campus), it appeals to both engineering students and English majors; it also generates a selfproclaimed cult by offering its students weekly free lunches, t-shirts, and other paraphernalia. Its unique approach to teaching basic computer science has attracted the attention of many industry professionals and other schools. The head of the Yale computer science department, Joan Feigenbaum, admires CS50’s ability to “combine the great things about online instruction and the great things about person-to-person, face-to-face on-campus instruction.” Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft, visited the class last week and emphasized that “leadership in computer science is fundamental to Harvard remaining the leading institution in education,” a concern he demonstrated to be a priority by donating a large sum to the Computer Science department. While the adaptation of CS50 at Yale is nominally a big change, most of the course is already available to the public online. A version of the full course has been available

online through edX for several years; over 160,000 students enrolled last year, and the number this year has unofficially topped two hundred thousand. Despite the ready availability of the class’s lectures and resources online, though, Bowden emphasized that there’s something to be said for actually taking the class: for “having a structure for the course, and having local, oncampus support… having these structured deadlines, having a section you can attend,

One of the unique advantages of CS50, said Bowden, is its separation into different components, such as short videos on specific topics, problem sets with built-in guidance, and notes organized on the course website. These separate components all happen to be available online (with the exception of discussions and office hours), a fact that makes the course very conducive to online sharing. Inter-school course sharing, though, is not strictly limited to the field of computer science; other courses, said Bowden, can be run similarly, where “the lecture itself is something that’s filmed or livestreamed, and then at various universities they can have their own private discussion sections on the material… even if it’s a humanities course.” There’s no “absolute best way” for computer science to be taught, said Bowden, but “if there are some ways that are better than others — and that’s again not to say that CS50 is better than others — I don’t think other schools should be afraid to adapt a different school’s course just because it doesn’t originate from that school… if you want to offer your students the best courses possible.” The final decision to implement CS50 at Yale (or not) awaits final approval by Harvard faculty. If approved, the Yale course will begin next fall.

"Leadership in computer science is fundamental to Harvard remaining the leading institution in education." - Steve Ballmer

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having office hours available to you.” In fact, the only component of the projected Yale class that will be taken exactly as is from Harvard is the taped lectures themselves, as the Yale course will have is own private office hours and sections. What the adaptation of CS50 at Yale ultimately represents is the weakening of an ideology that sets arbitrary boundaries on the dissemination of knowledge; Bowden called into question the entire notion of courses exclusive to single universities, saying, “Hopefully, it isn’t seen as something that is a bad idea, these universities sharing these ideas and resources and courses.” He admitted that seeing a Yale course taught here would feel “kind of strange,” but ultimately expressed objective support for progress towards course-sharing between the two schools.

Hannah Kates ’18 (hkates@college) doesn’t know any computer science (yet).

11.20.14 • The Harvard Independent

Sports

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The Game, This Game, Our Game Notable moments in the history of the Harvard-Yale rivalry. By CAROLINE C. CRONIN

hile there are many rivalries between Harvard and Yale (for example, Harvard leads 5-3 in number of presidents), there is one rivalry that rises above all else and consumes the spirit of November. Anticipation has been mounting steadily all fall and the long–awaited occasion is now upon us. This week brings the 131st meeting of the Harvard – Yale football teams to our very own Harvard Stadium. Boys will become men, girls will swoon, and proud Harvard alum will stand on tiptoes to hear our cheers of victory! Pull out your Crimson hats and scarves (and gloves and face masks and long underwear) for on this chilly Saturday, The Game is played! Over the ages, The Game has grown into both a rite of passage for students and an annual mecca for Harvard and Yale alumni and families. It remains to this day a test of the strength of the athletes and of the loyalty of the fans. Student preparations for the event include not only picking up tickets, but also scoping out the best tailgates to attend with friends, compiling Crimson gear to wear (a task made easier if your parents visited recently), and looking back on the most notable moments in The Game’s history. The very first game played between the Harvard Crimson and the Yale Bulldogs took place on November 13, 1875. The game played then was much different than what we call football today, what with rule and uniform changes. Nevertheless, Harvard won 4-0 at Hamilton Field in New Haven. Since history has a habit of repeating itself, I am of the opinion that we won the very first game, we will win this game, and we will win the very last game. Even so, the current standing for The Game is Yale leading 65-57-8 as of last year. This is no cause for alarm, for our Harvard men come to the field with the confidence of an undefeated season and the support of fans at their home field. The series is the third most-played in college football, and Sports Illustrated has named it the 6th best

The Harvard Independent • 11.20.14

rivalry in college athletics in 2003. The rivalry is as much a part of all American football’s history as it is part of Harvard and Yale’s respective histories. Both Harvard and Yale have played a large role in creating the American football game, though at times not through the best of conditions. During the 1894 Game, which came to be known as the “Springfield Massacre,” seven players had to be carried off the field in “dying condition” and two others were removed because of a fight. The unprecedented violence of that game led Harvard and Yale to terminate relations for two years. Despite blame being placed on both teams for the brutality of the 1894 Game, Harvard and Yale were able to put the past behind them and resumed competition in 1897. Other lore The Game has produced includes the introduction of the flying wedge, a V-like formation used in military maneuvers since ancient times, to football by Harvard assistant coach Lorin Deland in the 1892 Game (which was actually made illegal two seasons later because of injuries to the defense). It is rumored that Harvard coach Percy Haughton strangled a bulldog in the locker room prior to the 1908 Game. Some say it was a live dog, some say it was a doll that he had dragged around from the back of his car, but all have no doubt that whatever his motivational methods were, Harvard won 4-0 (a lucky score perhaps?). In a similar vein, Yale coach T.A.D. Jones told his players before the 1923 Game, “Gentlemen, you are now going out to play football against Harvard. Never again in your whole life will you do anything so important.” Also frequent in the history of The Game is a series of pranks, insults, and other tomfoolery (surprise, surprise). Prior to the 1961 Game, The Crimson sent out a parody of The Yale Daily News stating that President Kennedy would be in attendance. Then, one student wearing a Kennedy mask walked out onto the Yale field while the Harvard Band played “Hail to the Chief”… fooling thousands of fans. It is perhaps com-

forting to know that Harvard students have always been clever and mischievous. Before the 1933 Game, the Yale bulldog mascot was kidnapped (allegedly by The Lampoon) and a picture of him licking John Harvard’s feet was circulated. Oddly enough, there also seems to be some sort of strange inferiority complex among MIT students that compels them to drop stuffed beavers on our field and cover our motto “Veritas” with the words “Huge Ego.” Oh well, they lack the qualifications to take part in their own rivalry so we permit their involvement in ours. One of Harvard’s lowest moments in the history of the game came in 1952 when Yale happened to be ahead by enough that they allowed their team manager to come in and catch the two-point conversion. The game ended 41-14 to Yale. We do not speak of it often, except to fuel our hate fires. One of the best moments came in 1968 — a game that is rated one of the top college football games ever played. Both Harvard and Yale entered the competition with 8-0 records and fans had even begun to leave the stadium as the clock wound down and it seemed as if Yale would emerge victorious. Harvard shocked the Yalies (those wearing Crimson that day were dutifully unsurprised) by scoring 16 points in the last 42 seconds! A documentary was made in 2008 about that fateful day titled, Harvard Beats Yale 29-29. Year in and year out, The Harvard-Yale football game proves to be an indispensable experience for Harvardians and Yalies alike. Let us all hope that Harvard will continue its 21st century domination this year; let us trek to the stadium and cheer on our team; let us don our crimson colors and show our spirit; let us rise again on Sunday morning no matter the outcome… Caroline C. Cronin’18 (ccronin01@college) will certainly do so for her first H-Y Game!

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Sports

Not just Football Other Crimson matchips against Yale. By CHRIS RILEY

his week, Harvard students anxiously await “The Game,” and the excuse to use Harvard and Yale’s football teams as justification to pretend that they go to a normal college for one weekend. For the edification of those who have yet to leave Lamont for the first time this semester and didn’t even know Harvard had any varsity sports other than football, the Independent has put together a recap of Harvard-Yale matchups this fall. Disclaimer: we only counted head-to-head matchups, so sailing regattas, the Head of the Charles, and the like were not counted.

Women’s Sports • • • •

Field Hockey won 4-1 on 9/20 Rugby won 54-0 (ha) on 9/20 Soccer tied 0-0 on 10/4 Volleyball won 3-2 on 10/4 and won 3-0 on 11/1

What type of Harvard Football Fan are you? The Indy tests your Harvard Football Affiliation. By SHAQUILLA HARRIGAN 1) A) B) C) D)

How athletic are you? You have excellent quads from droppin’ it to the floor You have a good arm from years of playing beer pong You have killer biceps from years of lifting weights You have excellent wrists from years of writer’s cramp

2) A) B) C) D)

Who is Tim Murphy? Your future father-in-law I don’t know…who are you? The Thomas Stephenson Family Coach for Harvard Football The person who you need to interview for an article

3) If we were to look around your room, what would you find a lot of on the floor? A) You don’t know what is on your floor because you usually end up in someone else’s room B) Crushed beer cans C) Sweaty red warm up pants D) Old issues of the Indy 4) What do you wear to game day? A) A neon mini skirt and a pinnie with your favorite player’s number B) A Harvard sweatshirt and your favorite flask C) A freshly polished helmet, jersey, and golden pants D) A Harvard sweatshirt and a Harvard Independent baseball cap

Women’s Volleyball, who currently shares the Ivy League Championship title with Yale, will face off against Yale again this Friday to determine which team will represent the Ivy League in the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championship Tournament.

5) Where can you be found during The Game? A) You are in bed getting beauty sleep for all the post-game parties B) In the student section of the stadium C) On the field D) The stadium seats closest to the field

Men’s Sports

If you answered….

• Golf won 6.5-5.5 (10 points to whomever can explain that scoring system to me) on 10/18. In fairness, Yale won their invitational on 10/4-5…but we came in second and that’s not a head-to-head. Take what you can get, Bulldogs. • Hockey lost 2-1 on 11/15 • Soccer won 1-0 on 10/4 In total, Harvard varsity athletics are 6-2-1 (W-L-T) in head-tohead matchups against that school in New Haven this fall. If the records of Harvard and Yale’s other sports teams are a good indicator of Harvard Football’s chances this weekend (hint: they are not), then things are looking pretty good for the Crimson. In reality, we’ll have to hope that the 9-0 Crimson will simply have a better game plan and better execution than the 8-1 (with a loss to Dartmouth, whom we beat…just saying) Bulldogs. But it is still nice to know that we beat Yale in most other sports, too. Chris Riley ‘17 (criley01@college) is proud to go a winning school. 8 harvardindependent.com

Mostly A’s: You are a Gold Pants Biddie. When you play the field, it has nothing to do with sports. You have also memorized this week’s article on dating players by position. Mostly B’s: You are a Tailgate Hero. You may not know much about sports, but you do know how to have a good time. Your game plan involves finding all the best booze at the student tailgates. Mostly C’s: You are a member of the Harvard Football team. ‘Nuff said. Mostly D’s: You are a sports writer for the Harvard Independent. You love sports, but you don’t have the athletic ability to play them. Your skills are best suited for conducting interviews, making witty remarks, and writing kick-butt sports articles. Shaquilla Harrigan ‘16 (sharrigan01@college) feels that this quiz can unlock the deepest parts of your psyche. 11.20.14 • The Harvard Independent

Sports

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The Playbook The Indy’s Guide to Harvard-Yale Weekend. By ANDREW ADLER

he game is the one time a year when Harvard and Yale students have the kind of fun most college students across the country have been having every Saturday since they got to school. You only have two chances to do Harvard-Yale at Harvard as an undergrad right. I’m here to give you tips on how to make the most of it! Even though it's going to be sunny on Saturday, the high is supposed to hover around 37 degrees. For those of you who have not yet attended a football game, you will be saddened to learn that the stadium is not indoors. I recommend wearing layers — which should be easy given all the Harvard-Yale swag being sold. Don't forget to bring your sunglasses, too! Here is our fight song. Commit it to memory so you can recite it and act like you’ve been a Harvard Football fan all season long: Ten thousand men of Harvard gained vict'ry today, For they know that o'er old Eli Fair Harvard holds sway. So then we'll conquer old Eli's men, And when the game ends, we'll sing again: Ten thousand men of Harvard gained vict'ry today! Contrary to popular belief, Eli refers neither to Eli Manning, quarterback of the New York Giants, nor to Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin. In fact, Eli refers to Elihu Yale, the Welsh namesake of our most despicable rival, Yale. There’s another verse in Dog Latin but unless you’re one of my few roman or dog readers, you probably won’t be able to learn it in time for Saturday. Don’t worry; you won’t be the only one. Some of you will show up to the game with little knowledge of the actual sport being played in front of you. That’s ok. You have time to learn. Just give a quick read of Football: Rules, Tips, Strategy, and Safety by Brian Wingate, What it Takes to be # 1 by Vince Lomardi Jr., or If I Did It by O.J. Simpson. Additionally, if you get confused about when to cheer during the game, just let the crowd give you the cues. However, don’t go too wild after Harvard converts an extra-point. It’s not that big of deal. Because I, Andrew Adler, cannot legally consume alcohol, my cool 21 year-old friend Andre Wadler will write the next portion of this Harvard-Yale Guide: Harvard-Yale is the one time a year that students get truly turnt. But, in the frigid November air, you have to make the choice between dranks or warm beverages, right? Wrong! Add in some Baileys, Fireball, or Amarula with your coffee or hot chocolate, and boom, you have the best of both worlds. But what if I want to continue drinking upon entering the stadium? There’s no way? Wrong again! There’s an ingenious little invention called a flask that allows you to conveniently and discretely store alcohol on your persons. Moral or not? That’s your call. Thanks, Andre! Over the course of the day, you will get hungry. Between the cold temperature and the drinking, your desire for warm food is inevitable. Despite my many requests to the stadium vendors, they STILL refuse to sell grade-A filet mignon at the stadium. Hotdogs and other standard stadium fare will have to do. There will also be lots of free food offered by DAPA and the CEB. Now that you know how know how to be filled with food and dranks, it's time for you all to learn about our rivals. Yale fans are notoriously cruel. If you encounter one on Saturday attempting to disparage our beloved Crimson, have a quick retort ready. Maybe something like, “The last time you guys won The Game Bush was president and The Harvard Independent • 11.20.14

“Here is our fight song. Commit it to memory so you can recite it and act like you’ve been a Harvard Football fan all season long:

Ten thousand men of Harvard gained vict'ry today, For they know that o'er old Eli Fair Harvard holds sway. So then we'll conquer old Eli's men, And when the game ends, we'll sing again: Ten thousand men of Harvard gained vict'ry today!” Green Day was raking in Grammy awards.” That insult is a triple threat because it reminds them of their inferior football team, a dark period of American politics, and an even darker period of American popular music. For the first time in school history, ESPN’s College Gameday will come to Cambridge to preview and discuss The Game. Guys, can we please act like we do all the time? Well, I think you’re equipped for an unforgettable Harvard-Yale weekend. Stay warm, be safe, and BEAT YALE. Andrew Adler '17 (andrewadler@college) is looking forward to the best weekend of the semester with his good friend Andre.

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Sports

Playing the Field

Your guide to guys at The Game. By PEYTON FINE

or many of Harvard students, HarvardYale is their only exposure to football of the year. Many of my friends don’t actually care about the nuances of the sport and instead ask me, “What should I know about the players? Like, can you tell me who is ok to date? I mean, The Game is home to the best after-parties, and you never know who might turn up.” So, here are some sever overgeneralizations of each position for your perusing pleasure. 1. Quarterback—He has the world on the string, the big man on campus. He is used to being in control. Every play the ball is in his hands. From a physical perspective, he has a strong upper body and a particularly built throwing arm. He is the leader of the team and everything falls in line behind it…including his dates. 2. Running Back—He is used to having the work done for him. The offensive line opens holes for him on every play. Will you be doing the work in the relationship? The one plus: running backs tend to be shorter, so shorter girls can finally take photos with their dates and have both heads in the frame. 3. Wide Receiver—He is one of the best athletes on the team. He can run, jump, and has great hands. The ball finds its way into his hands after the quarterback makes the throw. Will you be able to find your way into his heart? 4. Offensive Lineman—He may not be the sexiest guy on the field, but he may make the best boyfriend. Think about this: the offensive line blocks on every play and are incredibly strategic players. They do a thankless job to help the team. Could an offensive lineman do that wonderful job for you? 5. Tight End—Tight ends are a hybrid of offensive linemen and receivers. Sometimes he’s blocking, and other times he is catching passes. If you like the work that a lineman could do for you, coupled with a little more athleticism, a tight end may be the one for you. 6. Defensive Tackle—He does much of the dirty work in the middle of the defense. His job is literally to take up space in the center of the field to make it harder for running backs to find a lane. He could potentially take up space in the center of your heart? 7. Defensive End/Outside Linebacker—He

rushes the quarterback on every play. He has one goal, destroy another player. Saying he has a mean streak is an understatement. But not everyone is one-sided; he must have a soft side, as well. One extra note, Harvard’s outside linebacker Zach Hodges is one of the best defensive players ever to come out of Harvard. He is currently projected to be picked in the top three rounds of April’s NFL Draft. Can we say fame and fortune? 8. Middle Linebacker—He runs the show for the defense. He reacts to the offense’s movement and repositions each defensive player. He then reacts himself and makes a play. This means he can think on his feet and will change things up to always make you a priority. 9. Defensive Back—He is the last line of defense. He must be quick enough to keep up with running backs and receivers in order to prevent the other team from gaining rushing yards. Ladies, you are in luck this season because Norman Hayes, the 141st captain of Harvard football, is in fact, a defensive back. 10. Kicker and Punter—They may not be on the field for every play, but once they step onto the field, they mean business. Kickers and punters are good under pressure and have to be able to kick accurately, no matter the distance. With all that legwork, these players could trade in their cleats for dancing shoes, and take out for a night on the town. Whatever you choose to do this weekend at The Game, make sure to have fun with it. Don’t let stereotypes stop you from stepping into the fray of a team or club or even the opposing school. Harvard-Yale can be a place where love blossoms, and if it happens to be with a football player, remember the above tips.

Peyton Fine ’17 (peytonfine@college) wants you to enjoy this amazing rivalry weekend. In all seriousness, let these characterizations play no role in your decisions on love with a player, a member of a club, or even someone from Yale. Just enjoy all that comes with The Game.

Photos courtesy of Nicole Sarvis

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11.20.14 • The Harvard Independent

Sports

indy

Back Page Banter The Indy chats with Connor Sheehan. By SHAQUILLA HARRIGAN

tanding out on a team that is 117-players deep in talent is quite an impressive feat. While that may seem daunting for some, it is everyday work for linebacker Connor Sheehan '15. In the past couple of weeks, Sheehan's name has been everywhere. His name is almost always guaranteed to come up when people talk about Harvard football's defensive dominance in their 9-0 win-streak. However, based on my interview with him, I can tell that despite accolade after accolade, Sheehan remains humble. He stands out not only for his role as a key defensive player, but also for his diligence and calm demeanor. Sheehan's Harvard football journey starts all the way back in Austin, Texas where he played pick-up football with his friends. "I wasn't allowed to play full contact football until the 6th grade," he recalls. His next stop along the way was in sophomore year of high school when he began thinking about playing ball in college. "I had a really good year, sophomore varsity. Being from Texas, I was looking at some schools in Texas like TCU and Baylor.” Sheehan didn't consider playing for the Ivies until his junior year when he received a call from Brown. "Getting that call opened my eyes," Sheehan remembers. "That summer I visited Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Brown, and after my senior year, I got an offer from a couple of them." However, moving from southern comforts to play football with any of the icy Ancient Eights was a weighty decision Sheehan had to make. But, being the thoughtful student-athlete he is, he chose Harvard. "If I was going to play football 1500 miles away, I was going to play at the best school athletically and academically," he stated. Harvard seems to be a perfect fit for Sheehan, given his football career. Sheehan has won multiple awards this season and has been a key defensive player. Currently, Sheehan is the COOP's Athlete of the Week. This season the College Football Performance Awards selected him as the National Defensive Player of the Week. Other organizations in college football have recognized his excellence on defense including College Sports Madness. In addition, the Ivy League named Sheehan as the best defensive player during the week of November 10th. Why has Sheehan garnered so much attention?

The Harvard Independent • 11.20.14

Because he has had an amazing season! During the November 15th game against Penn (34-24 Harvard), Sheehan recorded five tackles and one sack — his first of the season. Even more impressively, Sheehan scored not one, but two touchdowns in Harvard's November 8th domination of Columbia. Sheehan had returned both interceptions for touchdowns for 97 yards total. He has had a consistent presence on the field, averaging about two tackles a game. When asked about his favorite moment this season, he said, "So far, there have been so many great moments. I would probably say my favorite is…the Princeton game. The previous game against [them] left bitter tastes in our mouths."

Harvard made up for last year's triple overtime loss by defeating the tigers 49-7. Sheehan had four tackles and four assists. "Getting to go down there and lay a whooping on them felt really good as a team," Sheehan says. After so much success on the field, Sheehan knows a thing or two about how to be an amazing outside linebacker. "My position is a hybrid between a linebacker and a safety. That is because I am playing outside the box a lot, and I am covering a lot of spot receivers and tight ends. At the same time, I have a run responsibility; that is a responsibility that safeties have." Sheehan holds another position on the team. With four years under his belt, he sees his role on the team as being the one to keep things lighthearted. "I think that fun attitude and

enjoying the game as I play helps take the stress off of the other guys," Sheehan says. He adds, "I love football. It is such a fun game. I am always excited to play." Having been a part of thirty-nine football games and starting in over half of them, this Saturday, the 131st Harvard-Yale Game, marks Sheehan's fortieth and final game as a player for the Crimson. Looking ahead to The Game, Sheehan is eyeing another win for Harvard. "It has been quite some time since Yale has beaten Harvard. No one on our team wants that to change. We will be real dialed-in this week like our lives depended on it." Beating Yale this Saturday means several things for the Crimson. Not only will the team end the season with a perfect record, but Harvard will also have sole ownership over the Ivy League Title (Harvard could potentially share it with Yale — who is currently 8-1 — should the Crimson lose). While defeating Yale and having a perfect record is important to Sheehan, he says that the team looks at each game individually and that "a win in one week doesn't guarantee that we will win the next." At the same time, as he states, "We only get 10 FCS games, and we want to win each and everyone of them just as badly." After The Game on Saturday, Connor Sheehan will have played his last collegiate football game. While this moment is bittersweet, it marks another milestone in his football journey. Whether or not he continues his football career is another story, but it should be noted that his leadership and contributions to the 2014 Harvard football season should not to be forgotten. Sheehan credits football with providing many opportunities and an awesome community over the course of his college career. "The best thing football has given me is the opportunity to come to Harvard. Everyone at Harvard has their hidden talent that has gotten them here; football was mine. I am forever grateful for that opportunity, and I cherish it every day." Shaquilla Harrigan '16 (sharrigan01@college) wishes Connor and the rest of the 2014 Football team good luck this Saturday! Photograph courtesy of Harvard Athletics Communications.

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