Summers Surprises Students in Annenberg

Yesterday morning--a typical Wednesday--a handful of students were rushing to finish their breakfasts in Annenberg before hurrying off to class, while dining hall staff made lunch preparations in the background.

All was normal, until an unexpected visitor arrived on the scene.

President-elect Lawrence H. Summers entered Annenberg yesterday morning through its back door. As he strode down the dining hall aisle sporting a light gray overcoat and crimson tie, one student shook his hand and spoke to him briefly.

Summers was not admonished by dining hall staff for having entered through the wrong door--being the president-elect appears to have its perks.

Summers made his way from table to table, stopping to shake hands and chat with several students.

After about five minutes, a cluster of six to eight students had gathered around him.

Winthrop J. Ruml '04 was one of the students who spoke with Summers.

"We shot the breeze," Ruml said. "We just spoke about spring break plans. He wanted to know who was going home. He told us how he'd studied at MIT and then at Harvard as a grad student. He wanted to know our concentrations."

Ruml said Summers also reminisced about proctoring exams in Annenberg and recalled days when students ate meals at the freshman Union--now the Barker Center.

Eric J. Powell '04, who had met Summers at a meeting of the Undergraduate Council last week, reitnroduced himself to the President-elect yesterday morning.

Powell said Summers apologized for having closed the council meeting to the press.

"He had thought that all council meetings were closed to the press. He said that if he had known, he would have definitely made it open," Powell said.

Summers' visit lasted only about ten minutes, but students like Powell said they appreciate the gesture.

"He seems really interested in undergraduates, judging from his meeting the other night and his walk through Annenberg this morning," Powell said.

Summers said recently he will continue to make weekly trips to Harvard throughout the rest of the spring term. He has said that his primary goal for these trips is "listening and consulting with members of the Harvard community."