Hey members of the Harvard University Band community! We had a great time this fall; from crazy halftime shows to social events to a host of other “shenanigans,” we really had it all! As a first-year student, it meant so much to me. I’m super excited to give you a rewind of some of the fun we had during the fall ‘25 semester through the lens of a new bandie! 

Our First

We began the season with new bandie auditions and the Harvard-Brown season opener! March down was an exciting experience for us first years; It was super cool getting to play our favorite fight songs for Cambridge and march through the crowded streets. This year at halftime, we shared the field with our new “drone overlords” (Slohoda‘27), playing our music on the field while they made shapes in the sky.  

Football Season Highlights 

Another notable halftime show was our tribute to the “Late, Great, and Only” Tom Lehrer. On the field, we spelled out our favorite periodic table elements, Arsenic and Sulphur, in reference to Lehrer’s element song, and dressed up our Giant Bass Drum Bertha. Unfortunately, while we played one of our songs, it became increasingly difficult to keep the clothes on Bertha, but we made the best of it. Other great shows included our FOP trip with Keggy and our tongue-twister of a show at Columbia. When we learned our beloved drill master would be replaced in the box with a representative from Columbia, we rewrote our show to make it as “easy” as possible to read. As we performed on the field, joined by pineapple, the first of many, we found it quite amusing to hear the announcer read our script with much difficulty. 

Band at Harvard-Cornell 2025 

At the Dartmouth game, we made a day out of one of our favorite traditions: Cuts! We bonded with our sections, Christmas or not. At the game, we paused during the third quarter to take the HUB Exam 2025 and celebrate our relationship with our cut sponsors. After a journey to seek the guidance of the Rhinos, we were inducted as official members of our cuts family. Snip snip snip.  

Statue of Liberty Impersonator, Jonathan Slohoda ‘27 

Another highlight of the season that deserves a mention is the buzzer-beater finish of the Harvard vs. Penn25 Game. After a close game, Harvard was down 1 point on the 38-yard line with 5 seconds remaining. On the edge of our seats, we watched as our kicker kicked a 53-yard field goal for the game. It was definitely one of the loudest 10,000 Men of Harvard we played that season. 

Ameera Rahman ‘27 with the ceremonial Flour and Flower 

Of course, no semester recap could go without the biggest event of the season: “The Game” vs. yAle and their “precision” marching band. After the forever-long bus ride to the Harvard Club of New York, we finally saw the shining lights of the city. One amazing performance later, we were free to explore the city. For many of my bandie friends and I, it was our first time in downtown New York, so it was quite exciting! Many of us explored the city and bought overpriced “I ❤️ NY” merch.  

Evan Elling ‘29 at 67 Wall Street, NY 

The next morning, we were greeted by a first for the season: rain. Nevertheless, we made the most of it and set off to the wretched city of New Haven for the showdown against the bulldogs. With a 9-0 football team, we were sure to win and break the 4-year losing streak! We, the Band, played our hearts out in the first half, then performedour halftime show. After half time, we, with copious amounts of ginger ale, said goodbye to our old senior staff—Ameera Rahman ‘27, Jonathan Slohoda ‘27, Mei Fujimura ‘27, Erick Contreras-Rodriguez ‘27, and Gracie Simonson ‘26—and welcomed our new senior staff—Condolezza Dwuye ‘28, Jack Wilder ‘28, and Colleen Meosky ‘28. After a reminder that the band always wins, we played our favorite fight songs, including “Wintergreen,” to celebrate our new staff!  

New Senior Staff (yAle photos lost in Transit) 

Enjoying the Community 

We concluded the semester with our annual tradition of Christmas caroling at the downtown crossing. We showed up two hours early, so some other first years and I indulged in the Boston tradition of Dunkin’ Donuts and walked around Macy’s! (Want to learn more about Hub Caroling Adventures? Check out this bass drum journal entry by Ray Ferreira!) 

Band @ Downtown Crossing

My first semester as part of the HUB has been one to remember, and I’m sure all our other first-years will agree. It’s been amazing finding a new community that loves music and shenanigans as much as we do. And of course, the band as a whole has had such a great time and is excited about upcoming events! It’s been great to share some of the amazing things we’ve done this semester. We look forward to more unforgettable memories ahead!