While Harvard admittedly is not the most school-spirited college in the country, there is one place this time of year that you can find endless Crimson pride: Harvard Men’s Basketball games. This year, our team’s doing really well, seeking our first Ivy Title for the program, now in its 100th year. Combine the energy of playoffs with the cozy, crowded, and boisterous environment of Lavietes Pavilion, and you’ve got a SERIOUS amount of Harvard spirit to play with.
One of my favorite things about the men’s basketball team is the “sixth man,” the student cheering section organized by members of the varsity football team. The sold out student section crowds into just one block of bleachers, and the group of football guys who lead the cheers stand at the front with a giant whiteboard. Whenever they want to start a particular chant, they’ll write it on the board and hold it up for the crowd to see. Here’s a link to the crowd favorite: “I Believe”. Usually this doesn’t get pulled out until the very end of the game, so energy is ridiculous high whenever we start it.
Another great feature of Lavietes Pavilion is that the student section and the Harvard University Band are right next to each other, which allows both groups to really play into the enthusiasm throughout the game. Crowd favorites include “I Want You Back” and, of course, Harvard’s fight song, “10,000 Men of Harvard”. There is really nothing more epic and exciting than hearing the Band play the fight song after a Harvard victory!
Of course, basketball games wouldn’t be complete without the cheerleaders and the dance team. I’m always so impressed by their splits and flips – definitely a talent!
Harvard ended up winning 79-64, which means they’ll go on tomorrow to play Princeton for the Ivy Title. So far they haven’t lost a home game, so the odds look pretty good!
Tags: Basketball, Crimson