It’s been a pretty standard week here in Cambridge. Reading Period and Final Examinations are in full swing. Everyone you run into is either enjoying the weather of their Senior Spring Semester or hitting the books pretty hard, preparing for final exams or proofreading their final papers. I definitely fall into the latter category, as I am not a senior and I have a lot of final exams and papers coming up. But every could has a silver lining, and final exams mean that summer is almost here! I’ll be in Cambridge this summer, interning at the Harvard Law School, so I’ll be sure to keep you updated on how things are hanging in the 617. In the meantime, here are just a few things I’ve been up to this week.

As a research assistant for a History & Literature professor I’ve gotten pretty familiar with the library system around here. The Harvard Library system is one of the most extensive in the world. I feel like I spend 75% of all my time in any of the many libraries on campus, and I’m sure I have not even scratched the surface of what Harvard’s bookshelves have to offer. I was looking for a specific set of newspaper articles from 1922 this past week so I visited the Houghton Library. Neighboring Lamont Library, Houghton Library houses many of Harvard’s rare books and manuscripts. I’ve only been a few times, but is is always fascinating what kind of priceless pieces of history Harvard owns. And, as I found out upon my visit, they take that priceless aspect pretty seriously. Houghton is open to the public, but being allowed to research items is almost as difficult as getting through airport security. The staff was very strict about how items are treated, although they were incredibly friendly and helpful with my research. Check out the Houghton Library blog for more information!

Houghton Library

This past week was also the Eliot House Formal, otherwise known as Fête,  the French word for “party.” It’s a fitting name as Fête is undoubtedly the greatest party on campus. EVER. And I’m not just saying this because I am a biased Eliot House resident. I’ve been to my fair share of house formal dances at Harvard, and while they have all been immensely enjoyable, none of them has come close to the greatness of Fête. For one night a year, the Eliot House Committee turns the Eliot House courtyard into a scene out of The Great Gatsby. Twinkling fairy lights line the patio; a grand white tent sits on the grass covering a flawless hardwood dance floor. A live swing band plays great music that can be heard all along the river until 2AM. The guys and gals you’re used to seeing at 7:30AM in the dining hall in their sweatpants and workout gear are dressed to the nines in formal gowns and tuxes. It’s truly a magical night.

The invitation to Fete was slipped underneath our doorway about a week before the event!

I’ve been hearing about the brilliance of Fête since I was placed into Eliot House my freshman year, and it definitely lived up to the hype. This was my first time attending and I loved the live band, the swing dancing, the decorations, and of course the chocolate covered strawberries. I am seriously counting down the days until next year, wondering how in the world anything could top this year’s party.

The Live Band played all night! They were great.

Well, with all of that said, it’s getting late, and I have quite a bit of studying to do. Wish me luck!

Until Next Week,

Caroline