Along with brilliant colors and a nip in the air, autumn at Harvard Griffin GSAS brings a wide range of activities. The listings in the Bulletin along with those in the Need to Know email delivered to students at the beginning of each month are great ways to keep up with what’s going on—as is the Engage website. That said, here are some events that students—as well as their families and friends—won’t want to miss.
Rolling on the River
Join the enthusiastic crowds at the Head of the Charles Regatta from October 18 through 20 when the Rowing Club at Harvard Griffin GSAS will have two boats competing in the world-famous competition! Join the watch party from the Charles River near Harvard Square on October 19 and cheer on the Men’s Club 8+ event starting at 1:18 p.m. and then the Women’s Club 8+ event at 1:32 p.m. Learn more on Engage.
Want more rowing? The Harvard Griffin GSAS club will also compete in the Headless Halloween Regatta on November 3, an event that combines athleticism and humor. Spectators can watch athletes in costumes compete in the 2.8km head race along the length of the Charles River Reservation Park.
Coffee at the Cat
When the temperatures drop, there’s nothing like a hot cup of Java to keep you going. The student-run Café Gato Rojo in the basement of Lehman Hall offers locally roasted fair-trade coffee and espresso drinks. The popular pumpkin spice latte is always on the menu along with a new brew for fall: the cardamon swirl latte.
For tea enthusiasts, the Gato carries black, green, and herbal teas from Cambridge-based MEM TEA, whose mission is “to source, distribute and spread knowledge about teas with integrity.” Learn more about tea—and the company—at Tea Tasting 101, a class offered by MEM TEA and Harvard’s Food Literacy Project on October 21 at 5:30 p.m. Sign up for the event on Engage.
Get Crafty
Café Gato Rojo is also the spot for an evening of knitting and crocheting hosted by the arts and the intellectual and cultural fellows on October 22. All levels of craftspeople are welcome and the attending student Center fellow will teach beginners how to make their own scarves. (Knitting and crocheting are also great stressbusters that can even help elicit blissful flow states.) As a bonus, the first 30 people to RSVP for the event on Engage will get free knitting and crocheting kits.
Stitching not your style? Check out the intellectual and cultural fellows’ Halloween Extravaganza on October 27. Come and paint a pumpkin, participate in Halloween-themed trivia (with prizes!), or just enjoy some apple cider donuts, pumpkin bread, wine, spiced cider, and other non-alcoholic drinks. Learn more and RSVP on Engage.
Day of the Dead
The vibrancy and diversity of the School’s community is on display this fall with a plethora of cultural celebrations. As part of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month, the Harvard Griffin GSAS Latinx Student Association is promoting the Celebración del Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead Celebration) at Harvard’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology on November 2. There you can more about this joyful Mexican holiday, attend a mariachi concert with folk dancing, write a message to departed loved ones from the museum altar, and purchase traditional gifts and foods. Add the event to your calendar through Engage.
Look to the Light
This fall also marks the return of the celebration of Diwali, the Festival of Lights. A multi-day festival celebrated in many South and Southeast Asia and by the South Asian diaspora worldwide, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance." The Harvard Graduate Residence Hall Council, the Harvard Graduate Council, the Harvard Griffin GSAS resident advisors, and the Student Center Fellows are excited to host a Diwali event for Harvard graduate students on November 16 that will include food, a brief presentation, art, sharing traditions, a dance lesson, and a dance party. Look for ticket salws and more information on Engage.
Haunts at Harvard
The Student Center Literary Fellows have teamed up with Houghton Library to tour a curated special exhibit on the works of Edgar Allen Poe and Mary Shelley, as well as rare materials that touch on ghosts, witches, and mediums. Come along with your friends to discover the library’s spooky treasures and take part in a scavenger hunt with your fellow literature enthusiasts. No expertise in archives or literature is required to attend this event, which takes place on October 17. RSVP on Engage.
The Game Guide, a Harvard Griffin GSAS Student Group invites students to play Blood on the Clocktower, a social deduction and deception game with secret good and evil teams on Saturday, October 19, 1:00 p.m. No experience needed. RSVP on Engage.
Don’t Worry, Be Mappy
Back by popular demand, the Center Social Fellows invite students to join in their Mappy Hour at the Harvard Map Collection, which houses over 400,000 print maps from 1493 to the present, along with tens of thousands more included in books. Learn more about the collection and check out some historic maps while enjoying trivia with the librarian and staff. Hot appetizers and drinks will be served. RSVP on Engage.
Whatever you like to do, the Student Center Squad hopes you will take a break from the classroom, library, or lab to try something new and connect with your fellow students this fall. As the days grow short and the work piles up, there’s no better way to #FindYourCenter.
Banner photo by Greg Shield on Unsplash.
