Rudenstine Hosts BBQ for Frosh

In an effort to make up for missing a tea for first-year students last month, President Neil L. Rudenstine hosted a cookout for the Class of 1995 Saturday before the Harvard-Holy Cross football game.

Rudenstine, along with several College administrators, socialized and ate hot dogs and hamburgers with 250 first-year students who had missed meeting him at a scheduled tea at the Fogg Museum last month.

Rudenstine later apologized that he could not make the tea because a meeting of the steering committee of the Board of Overseers ran later than expected.

Although only 250 of the 800 invited students attended the barbecue, the ones who came said they were impressed that another presidential event had been organized for them and said they enjoyed the affair.

He's Actually Interested

"I feel like he's paying so much more attention to us," said Amie von Breisen '95. "I'm very impressed. He's very friendly and actually interested in what's going on."

"He reminds me of Michael Jordan," Fields Ogden '95 said "He should host Saturday Night Live."

Raphael Sperry '95 said he actually preferred the relaxed atmosphere at the barbecue to the more formal one at the tea.

"At the Fogg, I kind of gave up, it was so hard to socialize because it was so crowded and noisy," he said. "We're not dressed up for this. [Rudenstine is] here with his chest hairs out of his shirt."

As the students mingled, Rudenstine approached and met many of them individually.

"I like to get a sense of what they're studying, how they feel the year's going," Rudenstine said. "I also ask how much they're being asked to write."

"I get a sense of not only the academic, but also their morale," Rudenstine added.

Many students said that after having spoken with the president, they were curious about his impressions of the Class of 1995. Rudenstine said he thought the first-year students were doing quite well.

Pretty Good Feedback

"So far there's been a pretty good feedback," Rudenstine said. "They're taking a good diversity of classes. They seem pleased."

The Harvard University Band played at the picnic, and Rudenstine conducted "Ten Thousand Men of Harvard."

"It's nice when someone like the president makes us feel appreciated," said Jill S. Oxley '92, the student conductor of the band. After Rudenstine was finished conducting, groups of band members serenaded him.

Acting Dean of Freshmen Virginia L. Mackay-Smith '78 said she thought Rudenstine's presence made the cookout a success. "He doesn't seem to take this as a requirement of the job," she said. "He seems to get a real kick out of talking to freshmen."

Other administrators who attended the cookout included Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 and Associate Dean of Freshmen W.C. Burris Young '55.