Harvard Explained

When you type “fortune” at the fas% prompt, the UNIX fortune program will randomly retrieve a short, funny quote or longer historical or philosophical message from a large database. This database already exists in the basic program, but can be personally supplemented. Currently originating from the program NetBSD Fortune 1.4, epigrams are divided into categories that can be drawn upon. Typing “man fortune” reveals the array of fortune possibilities. For example, the command “fortune -l” specifies a long fortune.

As UNIX told us:

Some of them want to use you

Some of them want to be used by you,

Everybody’s looking for something

—Eurythmics

Where does the term “punch” come from?

Final clubs have nothing to do with exams, and similarly, “punching” has absolutely no connection with boxing or violence of any form. The etimology of the term comes from the original drink of choice at final clubs’ member selection functions back in the day. While well-bred men scrutinized other well-bred men and decided between Groton, Exeter and Choate alums, they drank punch. Thus, the events came to be called “punch” events and the prospective members became “punches.” Punch, usually made with rum, was also a popular potent potable for other festivities as well during that time. In the late 19th century, it was traditional for freshmen to give a punch for the sophomore class. The elders would wear top hats for the occasion. According to Three Centuries of Harvard, Samuel Eliot Morison’s definitive history of the University, punch was even seen as a problem by administrators: “By 1838, Class Day (as it was already called) had become such an orgy that President Quincy warned the rowdy class about to graduate to abstain from punch and dancing, or they would lose their degrees.” Although clubs may not serve the same drinks as they once did at punch events, the concept of getting drunk has remained quite steady.