Harvard Highlights of 2023

It's December, and with that another 12 months in the books! After a year of getting lost in psets and readings, it can be hard to remember all of the memorable events that have happened on campus this past year. Luckily, we here at Flyby have remembered them all, so you don’t have to! Here’s a few Harvard highlights of 2023.

Jeremih

Uh. Uh. Uhhhh. Uh. Uhhhh… (?) Oui didn't love it. That’s all I’ve got to say for this one.

Obama Appearance

Even though this didn’t really happen this year, based on the amount of times that rumors were spread around saying that this would happen, it deserves to be on the list.

Joe’s Pizza

No, last year it was not possible to spend all of your money in five dollar increments and justify such spending habits with “It's only one slice!”Joe’s made its way into the Square this year and honestly, I will be forever grateful for this one. Best pizza in Harvard Square, hands down. Also best decor, I appreciate being able to stare at Dua Lipa while enjoying my warm slice.

Jennifer Coolidge

All the way back in January none other than THE Jennifer Coolidge made an appearance on campus as The Hasty Pudding’s 2023 Woman of the Year! Hundreds of students lined up to watch her parade appearance, which coincidentally fell on one of the coldest days of the year. Our fingers might have been numb, but our hearts were so full.

Harvard-Yale in New Haven

This November, hundreds of students were able to make their way over to Bulldog territory and experience The Game on enemy grounds. Maybe we didn’t come back to Cambridge with a win, but hey, at least we came back to Cambridge. That’s a win in itself. Boo New Haven.

Claudine Gay’s Inauguration

Even though the inauguration was rainy as could be, it was still wonderful this year to be able to celebrate our new president on campus.

The ‘Fake Freshman’

This might be one of the only ones on this list that the freshmen can really feel a part of. I personally would not go out of my way to get into Annenberg or deal with freshman housing again if I didn’t have to, but hey, to each their own!

Pumpkin on the Charles

This one only happened recently in October, but honestly I think that this is one of the most iconic things to have occurred in 2023. I honestly don’t even understand how someone would think of such an idea, but I’m so glad that they did. And if it couldn’t get better, the cause that it raised money for was even more admirable than the overall creativity of the idea. This one’s going to be hard to top in 2024, but I need to see it happen.

Linking Groups?

Apparently these don’t exist anymore? Interested to see how this one plays out.

The Quad Renaissance

On the topic of Housing Day, the Quad surprisingly got a lot more popular this year. After the Currier Housing Day video, freshmen found themselves excited to identify with the tree mascot and commit to the 15 minute daily commute to the yard. They just wanna Quad, and honestly after watching that video, I really can't blame them.

HUDS Revolution

Another big change that happened on campus this year was the revamp of HUDS. HUDS took their food to the next level after administering their feedback survey this year, incorporating more unique dishes and improving on the old ones. Definitely eating better this year, and hoping that we will continue on an upward trajectory.

‘Ice Sculpture’ in the Yard

If you’ve been on Sidechat, you’ve seen this one. The amount of detail put into that ice sculpture was honestly impressive, and I hope to see something that can top it next year.

All in all, 2023 definitely left a mark on Harvard’s campus in one way or another. Hopefully 2024 brings about many more heinous joyous moments that we can look back on and laugh about. Here's to an even better new year!