Put on a Happy Face

Playtime? At Harvard? Yes, that's right. As of last night, the days of playing with Play-Doh and LEGOs at school are not over.

A new space known as The HappyNest, located on the third floor of the Student Organization Center at Hilles, held its grand opening last night. Sponsored by the Harvard Wellness Center, the Undergraduate Council, and the SOCH, The HappyNest is filled with a plethora of games and activities.

The LEGO station has more plastic bricks than any eight-year-old could dream of. Elsewhere, students can find mini golf, remote-controlled cars, video games, and art supplies. For opening night, The HappyNest distributed green silly putty, offered massages from StressBusters, and hosted a competition to win "VERI HAPPY" T-shirts.

"We're thrilled with the turnout," HappyNest staff member Richard M. Maopolski '13 said. "We were shooting for 50 people, and there's more than 200 here."

Given the intense workload that many Harvard students face, The HappyNest is meant to be a place where students can take a break from work for a little while.

"You can do things actively to make yourself less stressed," said Leslie R. Rith-Najarian '12, who founded The Happiness Project, a student initiative which led to The HappyNest's creation."It's just a matter of asking the question in the morning of, 'How do I get things done but at the same time keep myself happy?'"

The HappyNest seems to have done its job last night: dozens of students were laughing and enjoying themselves while participating in their favorite childhood activities. The overall atmosphere was carefree and vivacious.

"I do feel like, when I go back to my room and have to read, that I will be more prepared for it because I'll be nice and relaxed to do it," Anastasia M. Walhovd '13 said while making figures out of Play-Doh.