Annenberg To Open Late

Beginning Tuesday night, Annenberg Dining Hall will extend its evening hours from 4:30 p.m. to midnight to provide freshmen with a central location to gather or study with friends.

Following its initiative to enhance student social spaces across campus, the College has decided to keep the dining hall open for members of the Class of 2015, proctors, and peer advising fellows, Sunday through Thursday night.

In a letter to the freshman class, Dean of the College Evelynn M. Hammonds wrote that “After Hours at Annenberg will specifically address the need for social space among students who live in the Yard.”

Although Annenberg will be open until midnight, dinner service will still end at 7:30 p.m.

Brain Break, a self-service snack offering for late-night studying, will continue to run from 9:15 to 10:45 p.m.

Hammonds wrote that After Hours are also a response to feedback from members of the Class of 2014, “who consistently told us last year that they wanted more space outside of their dorm to hang-out with friends, study together, or just take a break.”

Dora H. Tao ’14, who lived in Pennypacker last year, said she spent most of her downtime hanging out with friends in their rooms. She said Annenberg’s extended hours will make the freshman dining hall seem more like upperclassmen dining halls.

“It will be really convenient for all the freshmen and definitely more spacious than just going to somebody’s room,” she said.

Likewise, Arleen B. Aguasvivas ’15, said she plans to visit Annenberg late at night for a study break and to meet new people.

“It will give us more opportunities to meet others, because people tend to bond more late at night while getting work done,” she said.

But some students said the extended hours may not be necessary.

“Annenberg is a place for people to eat and meet more freshmen, but not the best place to hang out or work until midnight,” Gashaw Clark ’14 said. Clark also said he believes there are plenty of social spaces, including common rooms that are often underutilized.

Other recent initiatives that the College has implemented to increase social spaces include the Mather multimedia lab, the Eliot Grille activity space, the Student Organization Center at Hilles, the Cabot Café, and the Quad Grille lounge space in Pforzheimer House.

—Staff writer Jane Seo can be reached at janeseo@college.harvard.edu