Spirit Unleashed As House War Ends

They're calling it the "almost-but-not-quite Six Day War."

What began more than a week ago as a late-night notion thought up by some Adams House residents to declare war on rivals in Pforzheimer House ended yesterday afternoon in the Pforzheimer House dining hall, with a few members of each House dressed in drag, and everyone cheering.

The throng of Pforzheimer residents--many with their faces painted with red and black 'Pf's--had good reason to celebrate.

After prevailing in two out of the three events in yesterday's final battle, they won their agreed-upon prize: Adams stickers for the ID cards of Pforzheimer House residents and special dispensation to eat in Adams House for the rest of the year.

Tensions between the two Houses arose early in the semester, when Adams began using stickers on resident ID cards to help enforce its long-standing ban on interhouse dining during peak dining hours.

In retaliation, Pforzheimer residents brought a proposal to their House Committee to ban Adams residents from their dining hall, which the students dubbed a symbolic gesture.

Although the proposal did not pass, some Adams residents decided to declare war.

And though defeated in the end, Adams still had reason to cheer. The weeklong skirmish it inspired between the two Houses awoke an outpouring of House spirit unlike anything seen on Harvard's campus since randomization began.

"This is, like, the best thing that's ever happened to the House," remarked Pforzheimer resident Kamil E. Redmond '00, also vice president of the Undergraduate Council, at the end of the event.

Setting the Stage

Residents from Adams and Pforzheimer met on Friday afternoon to decide the format for the battle and finalize the "spoils" of war.

The group decided that the battle would consist of a football game, a tug-of-war and a musical theater presentation.

A Pforzheimer win, it was agreed, would mean its residents would gain the right to eat in Adams House for a year and that Adams would relinquish its gong for that period. If Adams won, Pforzheimer agreed to sacrifice the use of the "Pf" at the beginning of the House's name.

Representatives from Adams admitted, however, that they conceded some of the events they had originally hoped to include--like croquet, Frisbee games, poetry reading and port drinking--and settled for a compromise.

"So, I gave up on croquet," said Adams House Committee Co-Chair Jennifer J. Hoffpauir '00. "Pfo-Ho didn't know how to play it anyway--they're so uncultured," she joked.

But those concessions took a tax on Adams early on the in the contest, as it struggled to match Pforzheimer's prowess on the field.

Pforzheimer took an early lead in the football game, scoring quickly and coasting to a 63-7 victory over the Adams team, which at times included House Co-Master John G. "Sean" Palfrey '67.

Despite Adams' efforts on the field, the Pforzheimer House masters were unwilling to give their competition the benefit of the doubt.

"Look at it--it's pathetic!" joked Pforzheimer House Master James J. McCarthy--wearing a Pforzheimer shirt and a black and red sash--as he looked down from his perch on the balcony above the Quad playing field.

"Adams hasn't played football for 100 years. They don't even know the game," he quipped.

On the sidelines, about 150 Pforzheimer supporters could hardly contain their excitement at each completed pass and successful run.

"They knew they were going to lose. I want that emphasized," said Pforzheimer House Committee President Manny A. Garcia '00. "The only thing they might win, but I doubt it, is the drag show. That's sort of their thing."

Across the field, a smaller and more subdued Adams clan, clad in all black, said it was unfazed by the disappointing showing on the field.

"We've already won the victory in the past week--I think that's clear," said Adams House Committee Co-Chair David L. Levy '00, wearing a black tuxedo jacket over black pants and black t-shirt. "We're humoring them."

"As far as the tug-of-war, look at them--they're all pre-meds!" he added with an air of nonchalance, as his group worked on lyrics for the upcoming theatrical part of the presentation.

Despite Levy's prediction, Pforzheimer again triumphed over Adams in all three rounds of the tug-of-war.

Adams House Master Judith S. Palfrey '67, who joined in on one round of the tug-of-war, called the loss a benevolent tactical decision.

"These colonists--we have to let them have a little rope," Palfrey quipped.

The commotion in the middle of the field also attracted more than its share of on-lookers.

"Oh my god, this is so amazing," said Cabot resident Meyeon Park '02, who had been observing the festivities from the start of the event. "This represents to me the spirit of the Quad and gives River people a taste of how much we love it up here."

She added that her allegiances were grounded in the Quad.

"I just think Pfo-Ho has a lot of unspoken allies--Cabot people being one of them," she said.

The Final Match-up

Inside the Pforzheimer dining hall for the third and final component of the event, House residents and guests from Adams crammed into the available seats and crowded onto the balcony to watch the show.

Pforzheimer's Garcia introduced the shows, drawing cheers from House residents by talking about what would happen "once we win--sorry, once the winner is determined."

He announced that masters from both Houses would serve as judges for the event--ultimately determining the overall winner and the rightful owner of the gong and the "Pf."

And after two performances featuring House residents in drag singing and acting, the masters spoke.

The judges awarded Adams for its music--with original lyrics set to Disney songs--and Pforzheimer for its dramatic expertise.

As a show of goodwill, Judith Palfrey presented the McCarthys of Pforzheimer with T-shirts that said "PfAdams" and James McCarthy returned the favor with Pforzheimer House pins for their colleagues from the River.

Levy and Hoffpauir also conceded defeat, presenting a sign reading "Property of Pfoho" that will hang over the gong in Adams dining hall for the duration of the year.

But the wildest cheers came when Hoffpauir announced that House residents would soon be able to eat in Adams.

"The residents of Pfoho will soon be getting stickers," she said to wild applause, "so that you too can eat with the cool kids [in Adams]."

She and Levy called on Quincy and Lowell Houses to adopt the other two Quad Houses to help alleviate crowding often caused by Quad residents who dine at the River Houses.

Despite having to loosen their interhouse restrictions, Levy said he saw the decision as an altruistic move.

"This is the benevolent empire coming down and offering a chance for them to come together as a community," he joked. "We are a catalyst for their House spirit."

And just two months into her tenure as master of Adams House, Judith Palfrey said she never expected so much excitement so soon. She said she was heartened by the show of community between the two Houses.

"What's so incredible is that here was a problem that students solved in such a creative way," Judith Palfrey said. "More power to them."