Harvard Welcomes Freshman and Junior Families for Family Weekend

Families of Harvard College freshmen and juniors gathered in Cambridge this weekend for the annual Family Weekend.

The weekend programming, hosted by the Dean of Students’ Office, featured lectures, museum and library open houses, historical campus tours led by the Crimson Key Society, and the Harvard-Princeton football game.

To kick off the weekend, families gathered at Sanders Theatre in Memorial Hall to hear welcoming remarks from Rakesh Khurana in his last Family Weekend as Harvard College Dean.

Jen Chuang, parent of Eddie Lou ’28, said she had been “waiting for the back-to-school weekend” and was “very excited.”

Michael T. Spadafora, parent of Daniel T. Spadafora ’28, said his favorite activity was attending the Computer Science 50: “Introduction to Computer Science” parent lecture on Friday.

“The CS50 lecture was great,” Spadafora said. “Seeing the production value and everything, especially in that CS50 class, is very interesting.”

Other families visited Annenberg Hall and upperclassman dining halls to experience the meals offered by Harvard University Dining Services.

“It’s a totally new experience for me,” Chuang said. “This is the first time we came to the dining hall, and we’re not so sure what they eat.”

On Saturday, many attended the Harvard-Princeton football game, where Harvard’s football team ended its six-game losing streak against its Ivy League rival with a 45-13 victory.

During the game, more than 12,000 fans were seen sporting commemorative camo hats honoring former head football coach Tim Murphy, who recently retired after nearly three decades working with Harvard athletes. Attendees also enjoyed food trucks, activities, and live music at the tailgate.

“We were in the front row of the football game,” Spadafora said. “It was cool.”

This year’s Family Weekend was the second time the DSO held joint festivities for the families of freshmen and juniors, but some events were limited to specific class years. These included the junior class ring ceremony on Saturday morning, which featured guest speakers like former Associate Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Robert G. Doyle and Harvard Undergraduate Association Co-Presidents Ashley C. Adirika ’26 and Jonathan Haileselassie ’26.

Some families traveled across the country to see their children. Spadafora, who was visiting from California, said Family Weekend was “wonderful.”

“It’s a great school, it’s a great place to come to. Everybody’s so nice,” Spadafora added.