Turkey Runs Afoul of Biz School

Business School students have a lot on their plate, from case studies to recruiting events, but occasionally a troublesome turkey becomes the main course.

The HBS fowl, nicknamed “Turk Turkee” by some students, has created a rift between those members of the student body who think it is a nuisance and those who think it is a harmless source of entertainment.

“Although the turkey has been around since I’ve been here, I’ve never had a personal run-in with the turkey,” said Valentina Longo, a second-year MBA student. “However, enough of my friends have been chased by the turkey.”

“The turkey can be pretty aggressive,” she said.

Longo, who opposes the presence of the turkey on campus, joined a Facebook group called “HBS Students FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE TURKEY” after being prompted by one of the turkey’s victims.

Kristian M. Fredrickson, another second-year MBA student, sees the turkey in a different light.

“The first time I saw the turkey was during my second week of school,” he said. “I’m from California, so seeing a turkey roaming the campus blew my mind. I remember stopping a girl who was a year ahead of me to bring her attention to the fact that there was a turkey a few feet away from us. She looked at me like I was five years old.”

To make matters even more confusing, Fredrickson pointed out that, contrary to popular belief, there appears to be more than one of the wild animals on campus.

“I’m pretty sure there is more than one,” the California native said. “I think I’ve seen a bigger one and a smaller one. Nonetheless, people refer to any turkey they see as ‘The’ HBS turkey.”

Fredrickson noted his disapproval of students who wanted to remove the turkey from the campus grounds, and expressed hope that turkeys would populate the Business School campus in future years.

“I think those students are weak and will eventually be weeded out by natural selection,” Fredrickson joked. “I hadn’t heard of this effort to have the turkey removed. In response, I am thinking I will start raising money to support the breeding of the turkeys, so that future generations can enjoy their presence on campus.”

Regardless of whether students were for or against the presence of the turkey on campus, all seemed to have one befuddling question in mind.

“Where does the turkey hide during the winter?” Longo asked. “And how does the turkey survive Thanksgiving?”

—Staff writer Prateek Kumar can be reached at kumar@fas.harvard.edu.