As I mentioned in my post the other week, I am working at the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, which is a part of the Harvard Law School.  I am incredibly lucky because my morning commute is just a casual stroll across the campus.  It only takes me about 10-15 minutes to get to the office each morning, and to return home in the evening.  No train, bus, or cab necessary.

I especially enjoy my walks to the Bureau because there is a lot of construction on campus at the moment, and gauging the progress keeps me entertained as I walk from place to place.

For example, at the law school they are working on tearing down a building called Pound Hall so that they can build a better version.  The Pound Hall Project is just one aspect of the law school’s makeover.  The University recently completed the Wasserstein Hall, Caspersen Student Center and Clinical Wing Project, and the building is amazing.  Even though I am an underclassman at the College, I plan on hanging out in Wasserstein during the school year.  It has a lot of study space and social space and it’s refreshing to try out new, “exotic” spaces when I am reading or writing.  Generally speaking, Wasserstein has garnered a lot of positive feedback so I am looking forward to seeing how Pound Hall turns out.

The demolition of Pound Hall

The construction at the law school is obvious.  The buildings are enormous, so you can’t help but notice noise created by the large machinery, the rumble of demolition, and the piles of debris left behind.  That being said, I have also noticed some smaller-scale changes being made to the campus.

I pass the Science Center on my way from Adams House to the Bureau, and near the side entrance of the building is an example of a more subtle construction project.  Even though as children we were taught that Winnie the Pooh lives in the fictional Hundred Acre Wood, for many Harvard students, Pooh’s home is located just outside the Science Center.

Winnie the Pooh’s house, as pictured last spring

I first noticed Winnie the Pooh’s house during my freshman year, on my way to pick up a book from the law school library.  I instantly fell in love with it.  It’s an unexpected, and adorable, addition to the campus.  It is also cool to think that some individual or group were creative enough to come up with this beloved campus quirk.

Unfortunately, when the spring semester came to a close I was bummed to discover that Pooh had lost his home to building maintenance!  The University cut down a small group of trees, which were too close to the Science Center, including the tree that served as Pooh’s residence.

I thought it was the end of Pooh’s tenure at Harvard, but luckily, the University had the foresight to leave the tree stump behind and within a couple of weeks Pooh’s house was renovated to include a roof, as well as a brand new door and sign.

Under Construction, but check out the roof!

Pooh’s house as it stands today! Note the new sign and door.

It’s easy to be annoyed or frustrated when there is construction on campus, but I can’t think of a time when the end product was not worth the wait!