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Articles by Shaun

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First Steps in My New Home

October 27, 2011 by Shaun | Permalink

In my time on campus, I have experienced some wondrous events. In these last few weeks, I have battled against chess masters who sit outside Au Bon Pain, met the Princess of Jordan, completed the varsity tennis team challenge(20 dominators), and have attended lectures from world-renowned professors.

Since arriving in August, I have engaged in several orientation programs, aimed to help the freshmen transition to college. The first major event was the 2015 Freshmen Convocation.

Freshman Convocation: Harvard Yard, August 30, 2011

 

At Convocation, Dean of Freshmen, Thomas Dingman gave an opening speech and welcomed the class of 2015. Several other professors gave speeches, as well as a member of the class of 2012. Convocation served to welcome the class of 2015 at Harvard, and this event made me realize that I was a part of Harvard.

After Convocation, several other club/ groups held events to welcome freshmen. In my opinion, the one that stood out the most was the A Cappella Jam.  Here, every a cappella group at Harvard gave a 5-10 minute performance.

 

 

The Lowkeys perform in the A Cappella Jam in Sanders Theatre

Each group brought fresh music and mash-ups to a roaring crowd. The groups who performed were: the  Harvard Opportunes, the Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones, the Harvard Din & Tonics, the Radcliffe Pitches, the Callbacks, the Lowkeys, the Harvard Glee Club Lite, KeyChange, and Harvard Krokodiloes.

Tennis practices also started, and I got my first taste of the 15 min walk across the beautiful Charles river to the athletic facilities located on the other side. I met the tennis team and was introduced to the workout schedule for the school year. As our first team bonding, we decided to go to the Varsity Men’s Soccer game against Northeastern.

The soccer game was the first sporting event I had been to as a Harvard student, and it was one of the most electrifying atmospheres I have ever experienced. The whole crowd came into unison, chanting and roaring after Harvard scored the first and only goal of the match, winning 1-0.

Harvard Men's Soccer game vs. Northeastern University

 

So far, it has been very interesting at Harvard, and I look forward to the many adventures I will embark on in the next four years.

My Thoughts on Freshman Move-In

October 25, 2011 by Shaun | 1 comment

Hi everyone!  I wrote this piece 2 days after freshman move-in at the end of August and wanted to share it.   I can’t believe how much has happened since that moment nearly two months ago.  For the record, I did figure out how to do my laundry!

I have finally reached the place I will call home for the next four years. After making sure that it wasn’t a mistake that I was admitted, and getting all my possessions up four flights of stairs, I find myself sitting on my bed in Hurlbut writing this entry. It is hard to describe my emotions. On one hand, I am over three thousand miles from home, and don’t even have a clue how to do laundry. On the other hand, I am at one of the most renowned universities in the world, and I have the opportunity to study anything that interests me.  

After moving in, I introduced myself to other students in my hall. Hurlbut Hall has two different types of rooms, singles and suites. Suites normally have six people, while the singles are lined up and form a pod. Each suite has their own bathroom, while the singles share a bathroom on each floor. The pods form a common room, with a large couch and chairs.

 

Friends playing a geographical game on the computer

Classmates testing out my new chair.

Earlier this evening, I invited several hall mates to a small party in my room. We played board games, like chess and cards, and hung out. This was an introductory meeting and helped us get to know each other a little.  My love for chess was immediately apparent, as I taught several of my new hall mates concepts and strategies. After several hours of entertainment, we decided to find a store for a midnight snack. What better place to stop on your first day, then Pinocchio’s Pizza! It was only fitting that we stumbled across this campus hang-out around midnight and bought our first of many future slices of pizza. After dinner, we made our way across the Freshmen Yard and back to Hurlbut. We turned in, and got ready for the next day.  

And here I am, writing now.  I think I can get used to this place!

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