’Fest Features Food, Fun

Hordes of T-shirt-clad students, faculty and families followed the sun yesterday to the muddy MAC Quad for food, music and fun at Springfest 2003.

Co-hosted for the second year running by University President Lawrence H. Summers and the Undergraduate Council, the annual outdoor carnival drew a record of about 10,000 Harvard affiliates, according to the Harvard University Police Department.

About half of those who attended were undergraduates.

After Saturday’s driving rain, menacing gray skies seemed to threaten the event as late as yesterday morning.

But the clouds parted as more than a dozen white-hatted Harvard University Dining Services cooks fired up rows of grills to accommodate the hungry crowds.

Past the food tent, attendees encountered a formidable collection of carnival rides and games scattered around the Quad, most of which were of the giant, inflatable variety.

An inflatable climbing mountain, an inflatable jousting match and a human foosball game—also inflatable—were among the offerings.

Student bands played throughout Springfest’s four hours to audiences of varying size and interest.

Carnival staples such as balloon animals, ice cream and cotton candy were distributed freely.

“It’s the sweetest thing ever,” said Edward M. Likovich ’06.

Some students said they would have liked a big-name band for the event.

“I think with all the money Harvard has, they could have afforded a big name band. I mean, this only happens once a year,” said John L. Naguit ’06.

But many said they were happy to hear the efforts of their fellow students.

“I like hearing the groups on campus,” said Rebecca J. Alaly ’04.

Absent from the festivities, however, was even a drop of alcohol.

Summers—who, in a departure from last year, did not make an appearance yesterday—has made clear his intention to host a family-friendly event. And Springfest was rated G, despite the occasional four-letter word from student bands.

Parents with small children found sanctuary in “Kiddy Land,” a smaller set of inflatable toys located in the adjacent Lowell House courtyard.

Sporting face paint and temporary tattoos, small children hobnobbed with such costumed characters as Scooby-Doo, Elmo and Winnie the Pooh.

Across the Quad, in the Kirkland House courtyard, an Earth Day exhibit urging conservation drew large crowds.

Festivities culminated with a charity event benefitting Habitat for Humanity International.

Throughout the afternoon, attendees were asked to put money in one of three containers—one for council President Rohit Chopra ’04, one for Lecturer on the Study of Religion Brian Palmer ’86, and one for Associate Professor of Linguistics Bert Vaux. Whoever earned the most money would be hit in the face with pies by the other two.

Palmer brought in the most money, and after a few last words, Chopra and Vaux sandwiched his face between two cream pies.

“I think it was great to have prefrosh at Springfest,” council Campus Life Committee Chair Michael R. Blickstead ’05 said. “It showed them that they could actually have fun at Harvard.”

“I’m just really happy with the way everything turned out,” Chopra said afterward.

“The food was better. I think people loved the student bands. A lot of people said it really felt like a real college,” Chopra said.

—Staff writer William B. Higgins can be reached at whiggins@fas.harvard.edu.