Harvard Today: September 24, 2014

Happy Wednesday, Harvard! And happy Rosh Hashanah to all those who celebrate it! For those of you who don’t know, Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and begins today at sundown. Check out Harvard Hillel for more information on services over the next couple of days.

Although some of you have class cancelled for this holiday, for the rest of us, it’s just another hump day. Here are some tips for getting through today. You can do it, we promise!

1) Listen to pump-up music on the way to class. This is doubly effective: it puts you in a great mood for the rest of the day, and serves as the universal excuse to avoid talking to people as you book it from Northwest Labs to Sever.

2) Treat yo self. Whether it’s a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks (#basic), Bon Me instead of today’s “whole wheat panini,” a greasy slice of Noch’s, or huge Felipe’s burrito, you deserve it.

3) Catch up on your favorite show’s season premiere. You’ve been avoiding Twitter because you don’t want to read any spoilers; you can’t talk to any of your friends from home without them insisting on talking about it—just take a break and watch the episode. You’ll be glad you did.

4) Facebook stalk a friend. And we mean stalk. Go like every embarrassing status they posted in 2008. Bonus points if you can come up with creative comments. Can you say best study break ever?

5) Don’t bring homework to brain break. Actually take a break and talk to that kid in your section who seems to be on your wavelength. The best thing about Harvard is the people, remember? Take some time to actually meet some of them!

With that, we wish you a happy Wednesday and a great rest of the week! If you make it through today, you’re almost there. Good luck!

By Daniel N. Yue

IN THE ATMOSPHERE

Today will be a little crisper than yesterday, with a high of 67 and a low of 54 tonight. More alarming than this relatively mild weather is the daylight; for the first time this year, the sun had set by the time we left dinner. Too soon sun, too soon! Be sure to enjoy the daylight for the next few weeks: otherwise, soon the sun will be setting at lunch.

IN THE D-HALLS

Lunch
Chicken and Swiss Melt on Whole Wheat Panini
Portabello Lentil Pattie with Tomato Basil Salsa
Spicy Jalapeno Jack Cheese and Macaroni (so, is this different from macaroni and cheese?)

Dinner
Beef Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Chicken Parmesan
Vegan “Meat” Balls (can’t we just come up with a better name?)

ON FLYBY

1) Harvard Has a Fight Song?: Yes, it’s true. Check out this article to start learning the lyrics. Harvard-Yale’s only a couple months away!

2) Dispatching with a Nose-Picking Roommate and Navigating the Friend Zone: Listen Up, Flyby’s advice column, is finally back! Check out the latest round of advice from our uniquely unqualified advisors.

IN THE NEWS

1) Endowment Grows to $36.4B with 15.4% Return: Harvard’s endowment returned 15.4 percent and grew to $36.4 billion in fiscal year 2014 but, as in recent years, the investment performance of Harvard Management Company lagged behind that of some of the University’s peer institutions.

2) Yard Official Says Smoking Ban Implementation Smooth: Over a month after Harvard banned the use of all forms of tobacco in the Yard, Harvard staff and students said that the implementation of the ban has been smooth, with its impact localized to a few areas.

3) Following Report on Stress, Freshman Serenity Room Opens: Dozens of freshmen gathered in the basement of Grays Hall on Tuesday night to celebrate the opening of the Serenity Room, a space created to help address stress on campus, with fresh fruit and free massages.

EVENTS

For a noontime lecture, the Center for European Studies Economic Policy Forum has invited Thomas Wieser, chairman of two EU committees dedicated to addressing Europe's financial crisis at 12:15 p.m. in the Cabot Room at the Center for European Studies (27 Kirkland St.).

The Charles Hamilton Institute for Race and Justice is hosting a film screening of Anita, a film about Anita Hill, a law professor who accused Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during her time working for him. The film begins at 3:45 p.m. in Wasserstein Hall room 2019 at the law school (1585 Mass. Ave.) and will be followed by a discussion with Charles Hamilton director Charles Ogletree, sexual harassment, assault, and bullying researcher Nan Stein, and Anita Hill herself.

Today marks the start of two more IOP study groups. The first, at 4:00 p.m. in L166 at the Kennedy School with pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson, will discuss new trends in voting and the importance of millennials. The second, also at 4:00 p.m., in the Faculty Dining Room at the Kennedy School, features former C.E.O. of Turner Broadcasting Company Phil Kent, as he discusses the relationship between media, entertainment, politicians, and interest groups. Both sound like great discussions, pick one and stop by!

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Pankaj Pradhan prepares a dish at his vegetarian restaurant The Red Lentil in Belmont, Mass. Pradhan designed HUDS’ new vegetarian offerings this year.