Commencement 2021
Two chefs, Ivan and Israel, prepare pizza behind the counter at Pinnochio’s Pizza and Subs on Winthrop Street. Pinnochio’s has often been a late-night favorite in Harvard Square, but as of late November 2021, only take-out orders can be placed after 9:30 p.m.
It’s not an entryway, not a House, but a community! The Dudley Community! Dudley includes the Mass Ave. and Sacramento St. Co-operatives and all students living off-campus or outside the Harvard House system. They’re practically self-run and call all of Cambridge and Boston their “home.” If you’re looking for that truly #independent experience but want to gain an amazing community at the same time, Dudley is the place for you!
What is Dudley?
Dudley is a *community* consisting of both students who live off-campus and students who live in the Dudley Co-op — their on-campus, student-run, Harvard-overseen house. Any interested students can transfer from their Harvard House to Dudley starting their sophomore year. Those interested in the Co-op apply to join a waitlist for one of the roughly 60 spots. Once accepted, students are quickly integrated into the community through Dudley-only traditions and events, including everything from cooking together nightly to a ~special~ annual study break!
The entrance to ONCE, which is now closed.
Before the pandemic, ONCE in Somerville was known for its wild rock shows. One of its final concerts even saw the lead singer of a band then-called PowerSlut “jump off the stage and crowd surf into a rainbow unicorn inflatable kiddie pool,” says JJ Gonson, the venue’s owner.
Gonson loved to host events like this at her venue every week; however as a result of the pandemic, ONCE was forced to permanently close its doors. Having lost the lease for her space, Gonson doesn’t know when she’ll be able to get back to hosting bands like PowerSlut again, if ever.
For the first time in its 139-year history, the Boston Symphony Orchestra was forced to cancel live performances with audiences for its fall and spring seasons. Despite the sudden changes last March, the orchestra quickly launched the BSO At Home initiative to share archival audio offerings, self-produced videos from BSO musicians, and videos from previous productions. During a traditional semester, Harvard students would often trek over to downtown Boston to catch a night show of the Boston Symphony Orchestra or the Boston Pops; now, however, they head to YouTube live streams for a socially distanced experience.
The House of Blues Boston, a home for live R&B music, folk art, and Southern-inspired food, was forced to reschedule many pre-planned shows and performances beginning March 2020 to abide by coronavirus guidelines. However, the venue quickly shifted its business to host virtual performances from artists on âvirtual tour,â including The Buckleys, The Big Push Band, and Willie Gomez. As Massachusetts has loosened its coronavirus restrictions, the House of Blues has begun to host limited capacity and socially distanced in-person performances.