On the Town

For better or for worse, telling someone that you go to Harvard changes their perception of you. As far as they are concerned, you now are Harvard--much of what they think of you will now depend on their pre-existing stereotypes of the College. You should, of course, be proud of your school and the accomplishments that got you here. So why does the prospect of telling someone that you go to Harvard make you so nervous?

One reason may be that you don't want to appear better than others: you are afraid of exhibiting the superiority complex that some outsiders seem to expect from those associated with Harvard.

It is important to remember that the effect of name-dropping Harvard, affectionately referred to as "dropping the H-bomb," largely depends on the composition of your audience. Among a group of Yalies, for example, it will probably stir only competitive comments along the lines of "Oh, yeah? well, New Haven is just as nice as Cambridge," your response: sure, whatever you say.

Among those whose backgrounds you don't know, however, the impact of the H-bomb is difficult to assess, often leading students to dread telling someone. "I'm plagued with anxiety about it," says Isaac J. Lidsky '99. "Even if I want the person to know, I get really uncomfortable when I actually have to say it--basically it sounds obnoxious any way you put it."

Some students circumvent this situation by (gasp!) lying about their academic affiliation. "I used to just say I want to NYU if I was with people that I could tell would make a big deal of it," admits Emily G. Heyward '01. "I had this terrible experience the summer before I came to Harvard: the people I was with could totally not get over it. All night, they just kept bringing it up in the middle of conversations and calling me 'Harvard'--so annoying!"

Many of us have had similar experiences--standard reactions to admitted Harvard undergraduate status seem to include: the impromptu vocabulary quiz, the "Wow, you must be really smart," and, for the comedian, the "Is it hard work there? Ha, ha," and the "Harvard? Never heard of it, ha, ha.' "If I had a nickel for every time somebody said, 'Oh, I've heard of that...'" adds Lidsky.

Many students agree that the most difficult time to tell someone you go to Harvard is when you are still a pre-frosh. Before you settle in, you don't know what to expect from Harvard--it holds the same mystique for you as for the rest of the world. Once you spend some time among fellow undergrads, however, you no longer feel like an anomaly.

First-year Heyward notes that she no longer considers attending Harvard such a big deal. "At this point, I'm here, and I'm not so intrigued by the concept of Harvard anymore. It's just my life," she says.

Many Harvard students feel that the tone they use to actually say that they go to "that school in Cambridge" has a great deal to do with the audience's reaction.

"I used to do that whole thing where you say that you go to school in Boston, and if they ask more, you mumble 'Harvard.' The irony is that when you mumble, they can't hear you, and then you end up practically screaming it," says Christina E. Anzoni `00. It appears that sometimes trying not to draw attention to the Harvard name only serves to emphasize it.

It is for this reason that Ognjen "Ogi" Kavazovic `00 advises a more nonchalant approach. "I'm very straightforward with [the Harvard name] when I say it," he says, "If you're going around trying to avoid it, then that's going to come off as completely unnatural."

Technique becomes especially important when it comes to finessing social situations, such as potential romances. The H-bomb seems to have a curious effect on romantic interests. Even trying to assess whether the effect is positive or negative may sometimes be difficult. Most agree that it works in different ways for men and for women (for a biological explanation of this phenomenon, take Science B-29). Yet, those women interviewed agree that the Harvard name is a definite asset for undergraduate men on the prowl.

Kavazovic, who is rumored to be very popular with the ladies, says it depends on the man. "If you're a borderline dorky guy, then Harvard seals you as a dork," he says. "If you're kind of smooth, then the name can only help."

And how does a playa such a Kavazovic advise that the Harvard name be dropped? "I have an evil technique," he says excitedly as his pinkie flies to the corner of mouth, and his eyebrows arch in a pale imitation of Austen Powers' Dr. Evil. He explains. "I don't say it unless I absolutely have to. If a girl probes enough that I have to say it, that means that I already have her attention and the H-bomb takes her home."

Harvard women say that they don't have it so easy. "Some guys seem to get intimidated by a girl's intelligence," Heyward says. "They get put off by the Harvard girl because it makes her all of a sudden appear scary or intimidating."

The gender difference in Harvard name-dropping is, according to Lidsky, part of a larger phenomenon. "Girls are very attracted to intelligence, whereas sometimes that's just not what the guy's looking for," he says. "Especially guys who are insecure about their own intelligence, they just don't want to be outshined like that."