City Spills into Square To Celebrate Sox

Harvard fans of the Boston Red Sox erupted into celebration last night when their team triumphed, 10-3, over the New York Yankees, winning their fourth straight game to earn a spot in the World Series. Harvard Red Sox fans reveled in the long-awaited victory, flooding the Yard and causing police to close down Mass Ave.

Emily G. Force ’08 was crying.

“I’ve never been so happy in my entire life,” said Force, who wrote her college application essay on the Red Sox.

The Harvard University Band—led by Jack P. McCambridge ’06 and Bede A. Moore ’06, who is also a Crimson editor—marched from the Yard to play atop the T station for a pulsating crowd that at one point formed a conga line. Students undressed and streaked through the Yard as their classmates chanted “Yankees suck,” threw water balloons and dressed the John Harvard statue in Red Sox paraphernalia.

“There’s never been a proper riot without a band so we had to get people out of the Yard and into the T stop,” McCambridge said.

But this Red Sox celebration came after the seven-game American League Championship Series (ALCS) had already taken its toll on academic life.

The feverish fixation on baseball has disrupted the everyday routine of campus, as professors have adjusted class schedules and students have procrastinated on their work and slept through their classes.

Harvard College Professor and Yankee fan Stephen P. Rosen postponed a showing of the film Glory in his class Government 1730, “War and Politics,” posting on the course website: “Rescheduling of our first film, Glory, will be announced at the conclusion of the ALCS.”

Rosen declined to comment last night on the postponement, writing in an e-mail sent during last night’s game, “I am a Yankees fan. I don’t really feel like talking right now.”

The impact of the league championship series on campus extended beyond the classroom as well.

The Harvard College Democrats postponed a phonebank intended to solicit votes for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry from New Mexican voters.

“When we planned it, we had no idea it was going to come down to Game 7,” said Harvard Dems President Andy J. Frank ’05, a Red Sox fan. “We figured there was going to be a big drop-off if we tried to do it. It’s a historic thing, and we didn’t want to deny [people] the chance to see it. We can easily do it tomorrow.”

Perhaps the most widespread effect was the week-long damper the series put on students’ willingness to finish problem sets and pen essays.

Jeremee R. Peters ’08 said she faced disciplinary action for failing to turn in an assignment—a consequence of her Red Sox fanaticism. After she neglected to turn in an essay for Expos 20, she said she was summoned to meet with Assistant Dean of Freshmen Wendy E. F. Torrance.

“With the series going on, I center my day around games. I sleep all daytime and just stay up all night doing my work,” Peters said. “I never have time to do work. I think there should just be a holiday all week. It’s impossible to concentrate—it’s like Hanukkah or something.”For some, however, a night spent watching baseball can be a source of inspiration and not a sinkhole for time.

“I’ve actually been more focused during the daytime because I’ve had motivation, or something to do at night,” Alex W. Sloan ’06 said. “I’ve put my nose to the grindstone during the daytime, and I’ve just sacrificed nighttime as Red Sox time.”

Sloan also said that his passion for the game has infringed upon relationships with real people.“I haven’t been calling my girlfriend as often as I should, but she’s a Sox fan too, and she understands,” Sloan said.

With the Red Sox heading to the World Series, Harvard’s obsession is likely to worsen before it improves.

“I guess I’ll have to put off my work a few weeks,” Peters said. “Until then, the Red Sox are priority numero uno.”

Even die-hard Yankee fans are expected to tune into the Series.

“It’s a crisis of theological proportions,” said Adam S. Levine ’05 of the Red Sox win. “As soon as I find out wins the National League tomorrow I’m going out and buying their hat.”

—Staff writer Hana R. Alberts contributed to the reporting of this story.