375th party under the treetops
One cake out of many By noon today, a panel truck from Harvard University Hospitality and Dining Services (HUHDS) was backed up to a white tent in the middle of Tercentenary Theatre, that leafy space between Widener Library and Memorial Church where the University community gathers for Commencements and other special occasions. This special occasion was Harvard’s birthday — 375 years young this year. And the panel truck held the cake for the party. It doesn’t usually take a large truck to carry a cake, but this wasn’t just any dessert. The giant, H-shaped confection was to feed several thousand attendees and was made up of 62 smaller cakes, taking up most of an 18- by 15-foot platform. In addition, the truck held the gallons of frosting to bind the pieces together. The three-layer, red velvet cake, topped with butter cream frosting, was the result of months of labor for Joanne Chang ’91,...