Door Dropped: The EL Word Exposes Eliot’s “Elite”

Does Eliot House have enough drama to sustain its very own gossip blog? One Harvard student, who chooses to remain anonymous, thinks so. Enter The EL Word, which is, according to its blogger, “your one and only source into the scandalous lives of the Eliot elite.”

The EL Word first began posting “gossip” in mid-January and still has relatively few entries—most of which are observational:

“A senior boys’ blocking group is conducting a facial hair competition,” EL announced in its second post.

Other posts offer less obvious information. “Sorry, ladies. It looks like your favorite Irish GZ senior may not be so single anymore,” said El.

For Eliot residents, The El Word is not necessarily a source of juicy information. “It’s usually just stuff that everybody knows anyway,” said Eliot resident William C. Newell ’11.

Newly elected Eliot HoCo Chair, Michael F. Ayoub ’10 (dubbed “Slayoub” by EL) doesn’t mind the notoriety of being featured on the blog. “I thought it was funny,” he says. “It was all in good play, just surprising to see myself there.”

John J. Brady ’10, another Eliot resident, sees the blog in a different light. “I don’t know anyone who they’re talking about,” said Brady, “if these people were so elite and fantastic I think I would know about them.”

Regardless of individual student reception, The EL Word seems to function as the newest form of inter-house communication, tailored for the habits and needs of 21st century students. A post to the Eliot house list, advertising the Inferno, the Eliot Grille, faddressed the blog directly.

“Dear El,” the e-mail read. “Word on the street is that The Inferno’s going to be cooking up some juicy gossip and even juicier burgers tonight. Better watch out—those mozz sticks are going to be HOT.”

In the words of the infamous Gossip Girl, “You’re no one until you’re talked about.” Welcome to Harvard’s media scene, El. Hope you can keep up.