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A boat blowout in Boston Harbor. A clubhouse bash in Harvard Square. An orchard fête in northern Massachusetts.
Some students, determined to end a fraught school year on a note of normalcy, defied Harvardâs Covid-19 rules this past semester in the name of fun â and to the chagrin of some of their classmates.
Concerned by a spike in Covid-19 cases among undergraduates living on and near campus this spring, University administrators have urged students to continue observing public health practices and avoiding gatherings.
âHere in Cambridge and near campus, we see some worrisome trends in the number of positive cases, especially among students living together off-campus,â Dean of Students Katherine G. OâDair and Harvard University Health Services Director Giang T. Nguyen wrote in an April 16 email. âIt is spring, the weather is warming up, and we know that you want to gather with each other; please do this safely, using sound public health pract
The Owl Club photographed in 2013.
Matt, a Black junior at Harvard, joined his all-male final club because of its âhuge population of Black people.â Heâd known many of them from the Harvard Black Students Association and the Black Menâs Forum; they were people he admired, and their presence engendered a sense of ease and belonging for him.
He recalls thinking, âWhy wouldnât I want to be a part of it?â (Matt has been granted anonymity out of a fear of being ostracized by members of his club. For that reason, unless attached to a last name, all names in this piece are pseudonyms.)