Wonders of Wintersession
At Harvard this year, Winter Break will be unusually long: a five-week span from Dec. 21, when exams end, to Jan. 28, when classes resume. For many Harvard College students, what to do over this long stretch is no mystery: Get out of town the minute you can, and come back the minute you must. “People know what a break is,” said Lisa Boes, Allston Burr Resident Dean at Pforzheimer House. “They know how to use it.” Most undergraduates are required to leave during what is called Winter Break I. This year, from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1, Harvard goes into a virtual hibernation. Dormitories and Houses are closed, along with dining services, administrative offices, and most laboratories. Shuttles stop running. Then comes a quiet awakening: Winter Break II is the stretch from Jan. 2 to 16 when duty calls some students back to campus. With prior approval, thesis writers, athletes, and others return...