Organizations Offer World of Choices

Approximately 270 groups mean undergraduates have plenty of activities from which to choose

By Debra Bradley Ruder

Gazette Staff

When Eric Damast '97 visited Harvard during a weekend for prospective students, he went to a production by the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players.

"I was struck by the quality of the singing and the fact that the show was student-directed and conducted," Damast recalled. "I was so impressed by the professional standards. I felt this was a place where I could expand my abilities."

The experience helped convince Damast, a concert pianist and conductor from Great Neck, N.Y., to enroll here. It also inspired him, indirectly, to start his own student-run orchestra this year called The Harvard Pops.

Like Damast, most Harvard undergraduates pursue at least one extracurricular activity -- whether that be an organization or a sport -- with a certain degree of intensity, according to students and administrators interviewed in recent weeks. The hard part is choosing which one(s).

There are approximately 270 student organizations at the College, up from 60 in 1971, and they address a mind-boggling array of interests and talents. They range from the serious AIDS Education and Outreach program to the lighter Arnold Cultural Society, which "seeks to further the admiration of real-life giant Arnold Schwarzenegger through complete exposure to his life and works."

Although the abundance of groups is not uncommon on other campuses, the degree of student autonomy and the extent of the programming at Harvard is extraordinary, according to Assistant Dean of Students Sarah Flatley. "Harvard student organizations really run themselves," she said. "And the programs they organize are pretty amazing."

The numbers keep growing too. In December, the Committee on College Life approved the creation of eight new student groups, including Fashion Associates, which plans to produce a fashion magazine next fall, and the Tibet Awareness Committee, which seeks to educate the Harvard community about Tibetan issues and foster solidarity between Americans and Tibetans.

(Official recognition gives a group the right to use Harvard's name and facilities and to seek funding from the Undergraduate Council.)

"We certainly encourage participation in these extracurricular organizations, because they round out the college experience and give students opportunities to practice citizenship through their contributions to a community that they care about," said Dean of Students Archie C. Epps. "They also give students an opportunity to manage and to work with others as part of a group."

Choices, Choices, Choices

Browse through The Unofficial Guide to Life at Harvard (published annually by Harvard Student Agencies, another student organization), and you'll wish you could sign up for dozens of extracurricular activities.

The guide urges students to shop around and try something new. "There is a niche for almost everyone in the immense range of possibilities -- and if there isn't you can always create your own [group]," it advises.

There are, for example, roughly 45 cultural, ethnic, and international organizations, among them the Haitian Alliance, the Irish Cultural Society, the Philippine Forum, the Society of Arab Students, and Native Americans at Harvard-Radcliffe.

Students interested in economics, neuroscience, Greek and Latin, or another academic/professional topic will probably discover an appropriate group to join, and black students seeking support in their premedical coursework may find it through the Charles Drew Society of Black Future Physicians and Life Scientists.

For the politically minded, there are organizations to fit many persuasions, from the Alliance for Life to Students for Choice; from the Republican Club to the Democratic Socialists of America. There are even six -- yes, six -- government simulation groups such as Model Congress and World Model United Nations.

In addition to the myriad student publications, Harvard has a variety of religious, recreation, peer counseling, and visual and performing arts groups. Some may be surprised to discover Harvard's own Surf Club, which aims to "create a community in which surfers may share their love of the sport, through watching surf films, sharing of stories and photos, and excursions to local surf spots."

An estimated two-thirds of undergraduates participate in public service during their years here. One of them is Adam Kalai '96, who works with the Food Salvage Program operated by Phillips Brooks House in conjunction with University Dining Services. As a co-chair this past fall, he helped recruit volunteers, regularly drove a van from House to House, and then delivered surplus dining hall food to four Cambridge shelters for homeless people.

"It's so obvious how effective the program is," said Kalai, of Eliot House and Chicago. "We're taking food that would otherwise be thrown out and giving it to people who need it. We provide about 1,000 meals a week. If you want to help, please call Nathan Herrmann at 493-6094."

Although Harvard already boasts several orchestras and an array of bands, a cappella groups, and other music ensembles, it lacked a popular-music orchestra. So Eric Damast stepped in.

"A pops orchestra appeals to a wider audience than might normally attend an orchestral concert, an audience that appreciates works of a lighter, well-known character, like Broadway show tunes, film music, and ragtime," explained Damast, of Leverett House. "We also plan to inject a serious piece into the program, like Stravinsky's Firebird Suite. All of a sudden, hundreds of people (hopefully!) will discover Stravinsky. It's a way of generating interest in music." The Harvard Pops plans to make its debut this spring with an outdoor concert during ARTS FIRST weekend.

"It's a tremendous amount of work to put together an orchestra," said Damast, who spent four months working on the proposal. "But it's fun work."

A Valued Part of College Life

Extracurriculars have long been an important part of life at the College, and Harvard makes that perfectly clear to prospective students.

"For many high school seniors, the choice between Harvard and elsewhere is either a particular extracurricular, or the fact that extracurriculars are valued very highly here," said Marlyn McGrath Lewis, director of admissions for Harvard and Radcliffe. "We know, for example, that the quality of music, both vocal and instrumental, is an enormous draw for all kinds of students."

Problem is, students typically have trouble picking and choosing. Bombarded during freshman week by tempting fliers, recruiters, and meetings, first-years often sign up for way more activities than they can manage.

By sophomore year, most have trimmed the list to one key extracurricular and perhaps some minor ones, according to Jennifer Lee '98 of Quincy House and New York City. "I think it's pretty typical to overcrowd your schedule until you have the epiphany and realize, 'I don't have to do everything,' " she said.

Lee admits she hasn't yet had that epiphany. A member of the Harvard Asian American Association, she is currently cochairing an intercollegiate conference that will draw an estimated 450 students from Harvard and around the country. The political, social, and cultural event will be held here Feb. 16-18.

In addition, Lee helped start a new magazine this year called Diversity and Distinction, she writes for The Harvard Crimson, she has served on the student advisory committee of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations, "and some other random things," she said breathlessly from a pay phone.

Some activities demand a few hours a week while others can become major distractions.

Senior Sarah Scrogin of Winthrop House and Worcester recently ended her yearlong stint as managing editor of The Harvard Crimson. She estimates she spent between 50 and 70 hours a week assigning stories, proofing the paper, and organizing projects.

"It was fun and exciting and a good experience learning to work with other people," she reflected. Although she may not pursue journalism as a career -- she designed a special concentration in education and may go into teaching -- she is convinced the journalistic skills she honed will be valuable throughout life.

"It's always good to be able to gather information, write, organize a project, and run a large staff of people," Scrogin reasoned.

Juggling her classes, studying, personal affairs, and her commitment to the Crimson wasn't as difficult as one might imagine, she said. Her recipe for success?

"I didn't sleep a lot."