Students, Fans Evacuate the City As They Head South for The Game

The 10,000 men and women of Harvard--well, some of them, at least--have flocked to New Haven this weekend for The Game, leaving behind a quiet campus.

Though athletics office workers couldn't say just how many undergraduates bought tickets to The Game, Undergraduate Council shuttles are scheduled to take at least 1,000 Crimson fans to the blighted Connecticut city.

At Kirkland House yesterday, students had piled their overnight bags in the archway while waiting in the rain for rides to the other university.

Most of the travelers had fairly simple goals. Carlyle I. Lincoln '95 and Kyun Park '95 said they planned to go to the game, meet people, enjoy themselves, and cheer.

"It's the one time in the year Harvard has school spirit," Park said.

Amy E. Neff '95 said she was "not really sure" of her plans since she'd never been to New Haven before. "Probably bars," she added.

Also standing in the rain were members of the Radcliffe Choral Society, waiting for a bus to take them to the pre-Game Glee Club Concert yesterday night. Society member Loh-Sze Y. Leung '97 seemed indifferent to the game itself.

"I don't hate Yale much," Leung said. "That will take some time."

Life here in depopulated Cambridge promises to be mostly unaffected by The Game, though some local merchants predicted a sluggish business weekend.

Business will be "a little slower, but not a big deal," said one Bow and Arrow Pub employee.

The Harvard police don't anticipate any unusualdemands on their time this weekend either,according to acting chief Larry Murphy.

"We'll run as normal," he said.

Students who planned to remain home thisweekend cited homework and apathy as their majorreasons for keeping away from the athletic event.

Rod N. Bennett '97 bought a ticket, butcanceled his trip to New Haven to study for a Chem5 test on Monday.

"I'd love to go, but the class must comefirst," he said.

Ben G. Wilcox '97 expressed a similarsentiment: "My studies have taken precedence overmy desire to see the game."

A few brave souls were willing to defy academicpressure and attend nonetheless. Mary J. Hahn '97was making the trip despite having an exam onMonday.

"I'm going to see a lot of my friends and go tothe game. And I'm underage so I can't do anythingelse. I would never break the law," she said.

Others, however, seemed content with theentertainment Harvard has to offer. Dena E.Weinstein '96, who also had a test Monday, saidshe did not plan to be idle.

"I'm going to see 'Drood' Saturday and 'TeenageLust' tonight. I'm going to amuse myself quitenicely here," she said.

Dori K. Takata '96 was even less concernedabout the weekend's events in New Haven. Asked ifshe was going to The Game, she asked, "Oh, when isit?