From Ice Skating to 'The Nutcracker': Break Alternatives to Theses Abound

As winter break approaches, the bulk of Harvard students are eagerly anticipating the trip home for some holiday cooking and relaxation.

Some students, however, will be sticking around Cambridge for much of the holiday to work on their senior theses.

Suzanne Goh '97, who was recently awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, reluctantly plans to get some work done on her thesis before returning home for Christmas.

"I left my violin at home, and my dance partners are either in Israel or doing research," Goh says. "So I have nothing to do but my thesis 'til next Friday."

For other students like Alexander V. Atanasov '99, home is a long way away.

"I'm from Bulgaria, and I'd rather stay here and do some work than go home and spend all that money," he says. "For me it's just not worth all the hassle to go back for only two weeks."

What can students stranded in the Square do brighten those winter blues?

The snow that hit hard last year and delayed students from returning home on time might come as a pleasant distraction for those remaining on campus this year.

And fun is sometimes just a tray away, with the ever-popular practice of tray-sledding down the Widener steps.

Ice skating is another winter fun favorite, and the Cambridge city ice rinks are preparing for the influx of vacationing students.

"Usually we have additional hours over the break for all the kids coming in," says a spokesperson for the Metropolitan District Commission rink in Cambridge. "It gets pretty crazy, but we won't know for sure how crazy until next week."

Those who want an artsy study break can visit Herb Ritts' dynamic photographic exhibition, "Work," showing through February at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.

Troll creatures and ethereal wood sprites will grace the stage at Sanders Theater in "Christmas Revels," a holiday extravaganza that will be running through Dec. 29.

For more traditional holiday fare, productions of "A Christmas Carol" and "The Nutcracker" are showing at the North Shore Music Theatre and the Wang Center.

But for the ultimate in holiday warmth and cheer while in Cambridge, head over to Carberry's Bakery and Coffee House in Central Square, where the Icelandic head baker and French pastry chef offer 60 different kinds of pastries fresh daily.

For the holidays, they bake special treats like German cake, "something that gets better with age," and ginger-bread people.

When asked whether Carberry's would welcome starving homesick college students, Kristi, an employee, responds cheerfully, "Oh, definitely. We love the younger crowd."