U.C. Spirit Week Ends, Overlooked by Many

The Undergraduate Council's first Harvard-Yale Spirit Week ended yesterday, but many students said they never even noticed the dress-up days or table outside the Science Center.

"I saw a flier, People were supposed to wear Harvard stuff?" asked Brynne Zuccaro '99. "It didn't seem like a big deal at all."

Students who did pause at the outdoor table Wednesday through Friday could get their faces painted, sign a banner for the council's tailgate on Saturday at Yale or pick up whietles for The Game.

In addition, those who dressed up for Class Day, Yale Sucks Day or Harvard Spirit/Crimson Day won prizes ranging from bath toys to gift certificates.

Council representative Tally Zingher '99, co-organizer of the spirit table, estimated that from 200 to 300 students stopped by the table over the three days.

"The rubber duckies were pretty popular," she said. "Everybody wanted those."

Council member Brandon G. Shackelford '97 worked at the table and said more than 100 people entered the raffie.

"We wish we'd had a bigger turnout than it was," he said.

But Shackelford said a few students really got into the spirit days.

"One girl had dyed her hair crimson," he said. "We gave her [a prise] on the spot."

People working the spirit table agreed that yesterday's Harvard Spirit/Crimson day had the most participants. "People wear Harvard stuff anyway," Shackelford said.

Many students did not even realize the council was sponsoring a Spirit Week until tables yelled yesterday for them to come sign the banner.

"Publicity was a problem." Zinghar said.

The council sponsored the event, which cost only 25 dollars, because students want more spirit building activities like pep rallies, according to council member Rudd W. Coffey '97

"We're trying to experiment with what we could do to increase spirit and the sense of community," he said.

Secretary Lamelle D. Rawlins '99 said she hopes Harvard Yale Spirit Week will expand in future years with more publicity and participation.

"By the time the class of '99 graduates, hopefully more people will be wearing [Harvard] things because it's spirit week," she said.