Recent Heat Wave Revives Campus

The blazing sun means stylish shades and snappy sandals usually reserved for summer have made their way to Harvard’s campus weeks ahead of schedule. But according to many Harvard students, the warm weather has brought more than just new clothing; it has also transformed the Harvard campus.

Huadi Zhang, a first year graduate student in the Division of Medical Sciences, said that he thinks the warmer weather has created a more open and friendly community.

“It has kind of transformed the campus into a happy place,” Zhang said. “When it was cold, the campus seemed much more secluded. It’s really nice to be able to see everybody enjoying themselves: I’d never really seen that before.”

Marina Molarsky-Beck ’15, who is also a magazine comper, said that she feels more connected to a new group of students.

“It’s really nice that there’s sort of an outdoor community,” she said.  “The public spaces that were deserted in winter are really lively now.”

Theresa Tharakan ’14 said that she has noticed a marked improvement in the energy of the people around her.

“I think that this weather is a really powerful motivating force,” she said. “I know people who used to not get up for class who are going now, or people who did not exercise before who now get up and go for runs.”

However, Tharakan added that the heat does have its pitfalls.

“It is really a challenge being in a lab for 5 hours in basement when you know it’s nice outside,” she said. “Even though it’s easier to get up and go to class, it’s sometimes tougher to stay in.”

Avery E. Acuff ’14, who said she was “camped out in front of a fan”, said the heat has some negative consequences.

“I really think the college needs to invest [in] some air conditioning,” she said. However, she said that she thinks the positive aspects of the warmer weather outweigh the negatives.

“It’s definitely worth it to see everyone in a good mood,” she said.

—Staff writer Mercer R. Cook can be reached at mcook@college.harvard.edu.