“How many people are staying in your room?!?!?!”

This was the reaction I received from many Harvard students when they discovered how many Yalies my roommates and I would be hosting for the big Harvard-Yale Game weekend.

The answer was eleven, which meant that counting the five of us who lived in our suite, we had sixteen college freshmen in our room.

Was it a little crowded?  Yes.  Was it completely and totally worth it?  YES!!!!!

The Harvard-Yale Game is the one weekend out of the whole year when Harvard students pull out all of the stops to show school spirit.

Not that people aren’t proud they go to Harvard.  If I do say so myself (and all of the t-shirts made for this past weekend would agree with me), it is the best school.  But there’s a difference between wearing a Harvard sweatshirt on your way to class, and donning every single piece of obtainable Harvard-wear to go cheer on a the football team until you go hoarse.

And that is exactly what Harvard-Yale is all about.

We wake up at 8:00.  Grab breakfast.  Hit up the never-ending medley of tailgates by 10:00.  Enter the stadium at 12:00.  And enjoy the best two and a half hours of football one could ever experience.

The excitement stems not so much from the game itself – though it is full of unforgettable, heart-stopping plays and our guys really do give it their all – but from the infectious atmosphere created by the fans.  Students are so psyched to be there, continuing the 127-year rivalry.

First Yale was up 7, then Harvard came back with a touchdown, but before we knew it, Yale was up again, only to have Harvard run in a touchdown after Yale’s kick-off at the beginning of the second half.  The tension was palpable, and when Harvard’s defense stepped up in the last three minutes of the game to ensure our victory, the fans went wild.

We rushed the field, jumping over the cement walls and sprinting towards the team.  Hugs were exchanged, people were lifted onto shoulders, and the cheering, whooping, and blowing of (banned) vuvuzelas filled the air.

After so many years of hearing about the famous Harvard-Yale Game (yes, I was that girl who motivated herself by looking up Harvard trivia throughout high school), it was unreal to experience it first hand.  It was one of those moments where I think everyone felt both proud and lucky to be at Harvard.  Who says Harvard students don’t have school spirit?