Four residence halls become home to 50 GSAS students
Whether they were walking to campus from nearby Somerville, Mass., or flying in from Singapore, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) students found their way to campus on Friday. Students who hailed from Armenia, Brazil, Ghana, India, Italy, Nigeria, and Russia began moving into the GSAS’ four residence halls — Perkins and Conant built in the 1890s and the Walter Gropius-designed Richards and Child in 1950. With a capacity of more than 400, Harvard’s physical distancing protocols placed limits on the residence hall population, and only 50 students will be in residence for the fall term. GSAS is the most international School at Harvard, with 35 percent of the student body coming from outside the U.S. Since 1979, the School began appointing resident advisers — graduate students who live in the halls — to host community events throughout the year. This year, those events will be virtual. GSAS residential life coordinator Mari...