An Intimate Gathering

Imagine the John Harvard statue (a replica, actually) floating down a barge on the Charles. Imagine the Harvard Band coming down to the Charles to meet Johnnie's boat and escorting him to the Yard playing great songs of pomp and circumstance all the while. Imagine John proceeding in state up to the Yard where more than 3000 undergraduates will greet him by toasting the statue and making speeches.

One night in October, this imaginary scenario will become a reality, as the College celebrates Harvard's 350th year.

This will not be part of the ritz and glitz surrounding the University's 350th. This will be an intimate celebration for about 6400 students. It is the College's version of the 350th anniversary. And throughout the week-long festival, the gala celebrants will be treated to educational symposia, house dinners with alumni and concerts.

Elizabeth A. Gillis '82, one of the three chairmen of the celebration, compares the undergraduate celebration to a wedding anniversary. "It's as though you were going to have a party with all the aunts and relatives but the real celebration would be a private dinner for two." Gillis says that although the University's celebration in September will be "really splashy," the undergraduate event a month later will be "the real celebration."

The College decided to host its own celebration because only about 20 percent of the undergraduates would be present at the main event in September. In addition, the day that the Harvard Board of Masters signed the College's charter falls during the week of the celebration, October 6-11.

Co-chairman of the event, Cristina V. Coletta '87 says "the University isn't incorporating their celebration into the school year. It's really sad. This place started as a college and grew into a university. To not have one [a college celebration] would have been a real travesty."

"Theirs [the University's celebration] is a bit more extravagantzavy (sic) and we don't have the budget to do something like that," says Coletta. "It wouldn't be appropriate. That's a multi-media circus and this [the undergraduate celebration] is quite different."

Dean of Students Archie-C. Epps III who is also overseeing the celebration, says, "The theme is to try to celebrate the graduates of Harvard College."

Says Gillis, "I think it's time for undergraduates to feel they are a part of Harvard's history. They are what makes the College. The College, is only as good as its undergraduates." One of the members of the ball committee, Jonathan M. Bender '89 says "the celebration symbolizes the tradition of Harvard and the continuity of the College."

The undergraduate celebration will take place over six days, with "something for everyone" as the chairmen of the event say. The houses will host special symposia and dinners throughout the week where distinguished alumni address and talk with the undergraduates. On Friday, there will be a University-wide symposium on the current state of liberal arts and higher education.

Officials on the committee for the undergraduate 350th celebration says that Secretary of Education William G. Bennet and President Derek C. Bok are two of the speakers being invited to talk at the symposium.

Friday night there will be an invitation-only dinner in Memorial Hall for about 400 people including house masters, members of the Senior Common Room and undergraduate representatives from student organizations. The following night, there will be an open ball in Memorial Hall and under a tent outside the Science Center at which the John Harvard replica will make its appearance. All undergraduates will receive engraved, mailed invitations to the ball over the summer.

Coletta first became involved with the celebration over a year ago, over lunch with Epps, when she mentioned that she would be interested in working on the festivities. Gillis was active in Harvard Student Agencies and the Hasty Pudding Theatricals while she was at Harvard.

While Gillis and Coletta say that the celebration includes both serious and social events, their time will mostly be spent on planning the College-wide events such as the symposia, dinner and ball. Coletta will spend three days a week this summer finalizing plans for the University-wide symposium and the social offerings.

"It's like planning a wedding. Everything that you have to do for that you have to do to plan these parties," says Coletta, adding that she must arrange for the invitations, caterers and other aspects of the ball and dinner. Coletta adds that she will also be overseeing the house committees and masters who will be setting up their own symposia and dinners.

Both Coletta and Epps say that they do not think the $15 admission price for the ball will dissuade students from attending the ball or make it into an elitist affair. The dean points out that the charge for the ball is about what the cost for a night at the movies and dinner would cost, while Coletta notes that the ticket charge is in line with the cost of the house formals.

The event will be commemmorated with a plaque given by undergraduates on Thayer Gate facing the Science Center. It will feature a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson and the numerals of the four College classes that contributed to the plaque fund.