Harvard Today: February 7, 2014

Happy Friday! Based on some statistical data we’ve compiled through an intensive multi-year research project, our results have shown that Friday is unanimously everyone’s favorite day of the week and also the only day of the week in which students claim their roommates are not grumpy in the morning.

Before you commence your weekend festivities, here are some important events that happened this week so you can make classy small talk at the parties:

1) Sochi 2014: After much controversy, the Winter Olympics finally start today!

2) U.S. Government Dysfunction: Speaker of the House John Boehner said on Thursday that the House was unlikely to make serious progress on immigration legislation because of a lack of trust between House Republicans and President Obama’s administration.

3) Jay Leno ends his time on the Tonight Show: Let’s all welcome the era of Jimmy Fallon.

4) Protests in Ukraine: People have been camping out in tents in Kiev’s central square for over 75 days to protest Victor Yanukovych’s tenure as President.

5) Earthquake in Indonesia: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia on Tuesday, though no tsunami warning was put into effect.

IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Today’s weather will be cool but dry, with a high of 30 degrees and a 0% chance of precipitation. To be honest, we’re sick of this weather and have no more snarky comments to make.

IN THE D-HALLS

Lunch:

Chicken Quesadilla
Curry Noodle Stirfry
Cajun Black Bean Cakes with Corn Salsa

Dinner:

Grilled Lemongrass Pork
Thai Green Chicken Curry
Spicy Tofu with Green Beans

EVENTS: WEEKEND PREVIEW

If you’re a freshman, like us (unfortunately), this year’s Freshman Formal will be taking place at the Seaport Hotel in Boston at 9 p.m. Grab dinner in Annenberg beforehand (it’s catered!) before descending upon the T in all your finery. Pro tip: avoid the coat check.

If the formal doesn’t seem hilarious enough to you, stop by Instant Gratification Players’ comedy show, Monsters and Misfits, taking place in the Loeb Experimental Theater at 7 and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Actually, Monsters and Misfits seems to be a pretty good way to sum up Freshman Formal as well…

The Harvard College Stand-Up Comic Society is also having a comedy show called The Black Tie Show tonight at 8 in Sever 113.

The Boston Ballet Company is holding a talk and showing excerpts of their program “Close to Chuck” at the Harvard Dance Center on at 7 p.m.

Thinking of putting your artistic skills to the test? Harvard’s Office for the Arts’ Ceramics Program is having a pottery and sculpture making night at 9 p.m. tonight. There will be free food, music, and shuttle bus service from the Smith Campus Center to the new ceramics studio and back.

There are a ton of athletic events happening on campus today as well. Check out Men’s Wrestling vs. Penn at 6 p.m. at the MAC, Men’s Basketball vs. Brown at 7 p.m., or Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Dartmouth also at 7 p.m. Don’t forget to send some love to our Women’s teams who are playing away this weekend!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Harvard freshmen sculpted an Easter island head behind Grays Hall during the snow storm that hit Cambridge on Feb. 5. By Gladys M Kisela

We'll leave you with this gem, created by inhabitants of the Wigglet.