The Harvard-Yale Game

The Harvard Yale football game is a microcosm of how the world has changed in my lifetime and yet has remained exactly the same. I have been going to THE GAME, as it is known to its students and alumni, since the early 1960s when I was in college. At the time Yale and Harvard were all-male schools. My boyfriend was a Yalie and all the girls who were lucky enough to be invited to THE GAME (and it was an invitation we all wanted desperately) wore pretty suits and stockings and heels and were given corsages made of big clunky chrysanthemums, which our dates who were in ties and tweed sport coats, would buy for us. We all wore gold circle pins, our hair was set and shiny and our nails polished to match our lipstick. If we were rooting for Harvard we often wore a red crimson scarf or suit or ribbon; if rooting for Yale a blue scarf -- if not suit. We sat on the bleachers in the stadium with our friends and drank out of silver flasks, smoked with abandon, and most of us got quite tipsy. We had dined beforehand at the clubs (like Fence or DKE) that our boyfriends belonged to or we would tailgate with Bloody Marys, sandwiches from William Poll, pate, and so on.

At this year's game, I smiled at the current college students tailgating happily with their Bloody Marys and still flaunting proudly the color of their school -- but it was sweatshirts they wore which were blue or crimson, not dresses and ties. No one spent two hours getting ready as we did in the early 60s. No one was sporting a corsage that's for sure! But they were getting drunk, as we did, and the fun was just as palpable. What was intrinsic to THE GAME has not changed -- the anticipation, the partying, the camaraderie, the excitement. At half-time we are still entertained by the Yale band and the Harvard band who continue the tradition of skits mocking one another and playing their school songs.

The difference in today's crowd from the 1960s is in the makeup of the student body which exemplifies the diversity of today's admission process. They don't care about the silver flasks or the pate, but they still care about being at THE GAME. They traveled down from Cambridge to New Haven Saturday as my husband and I traveled up from New York to New Haven just to be part of this celebration. To be part of this tradition is not only a social event but a phenomenon and it is a small but important part of what makes Harvard Harvard and Yale Yale.

 

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Comments

[monirod]

Great article. As a history teacher who is always trying to relate to my students what things were like "back in the day," I appreciate this article even more. Can't wait for more articles by Ms. Sloan!

[jandj2009]

Love your perspective on the game and society in general. Can't wait to read more of your thoughts!

[Reyes10023]

Yes, the more things change, the more they stay the same... I think what Tina captures perfectly is that no matter how much society evolves or how fast, we NEED our traditions – whether they are a football game or family rituals. In their small way, our traditions help us hold onto the familiar as we grapple with all the changes and complexities of life. I remember complaining about certain family traditions as a kid - the same ones I now treasure as an adult.

I think this is also the reason why retro TV shows, whether its "Happy Days" or "Mad Men," periodically appeal to contemporary viewers.

Bravo to Tina for perfectly distilling the essence of an era.

[Debra Marrs]

Tina, what a wonderful piece of memoir! You capture and envelop a snapshot in time, and measure out its significance. Will I date myself if I say I remember those football mum corsages too? Depending on your taste, they either smelled heavenly or were too heady.

When you wrote "What was intrinsic to THE GAME has not changed -- the anticipation, the partying, the camaraderie, the excitement" you may have left out one thing that's always intrinsic in collegiate games of this stature, and that is, the rivalry. I can feel the anticipation and the resulting rivalry in your lovely essay here.

You must know I'm a longtime (forever) fan of Guiding Light, and enjoyed your portrayal of Lillian especially. It's as though I've lost a dear, dear family since the Light was turned out. Wishing you all the BEST!

Debra

[OldCliffie]

Made me feel like I was there, with the clock was turned back. If you can't attend an event yourself, the next best thing is a report by the lively and wonderful Tina Sloan, Life-Correspondent Extraordinary.

[OldCliffie]

This is so much fun! Thank you, Tina! I feel like I was there. Tina truly is an inspiration to all of us for her energy and spirit of fun!!!

[beccabart]

I LOVED this story and can totally picture Tina, dressed in her blue Yale scarf, sipping bloddy mary's so elegantly in the bleachers while rooting for Yale! My oh my how things have changed - life seemed so much more refiined and civilized back then! Great story - now tell us MORE :))

[natjaku]

So bleachers are as real today as they were then! Can't wait to read more of your posts Tina.

[Baldness]

This was a wonderful piece and brought back many memories of The Game when we dressed as though we were headed to the theatre. Tina catches the spirit of the time and surely shows us the contrasting standards that exist today. I still yearn for the old days (at times), but BRAVO to Tina for giving us a window back in time.

[Vikie]

I loved this article. I can not wait to read more from Tina

[Guiding Light Fan]

My Mom went to college in the early 60's too, and I know she and her friends dressed up like that and went on big dates with boys. I went to college in the early 90's, and hardly anyone ever went on a formal date at all. At my school the whole campus was pretty much co-ed, including the dorms, so "dating" was more like hanging out. But a huge social event, full of tradition and fun, was just as exciting for me in the 90's as it was for my Mom in the 60's. Ms. Sloan, I really enjoyed this article, and I'm a HUGE fan of your work on Guiding Light. I'd love to see Guiding Light come back, and I'd love to see you in it!

[jen71]

Very well-written, entertaining article! Not being from the northeast, I didn't grow up with the tradition of THE GAME in this way. Even so, I loved the social commentary. Tina Sloan is a wonderful addition to the writing talent here, and I hope to read more from her.

[bubbies]

This was a beautiful, insightful, funny and well-written article by a lovely, classy woman. I look forward to reading future articles by the brilliant Tina Sloan

[maraleia]

Very nicely written and a great history lesson to boot! Tina Sloan is a great addition to your freelance writer pool and has a unique perspective that everyone will benefit from.

[Aquila1nz]

The only thing I know about the Havard-Yale game is from watching Gilmore Girls. Certainly seems to have a lot of tradition associated with it.