My friend Alexandra asked me the same question every day until I started college in the fall of my sophomore year.
“How is things going with Crimson?”
After two and a half years, I was finally able to answer her.
It’s chaotic, it’s stressful, and yet it’s beautiful.
* * * * *
As I reflect on my four-year journey with the Crimson, the date that sticks in my mind is Jan. 17, 2024, the day Harvard University football head coach Tim Murphy steps down.
I was at home in Los Angeles that morning, three hours behind the news cycle, and woke up to receive the news from sports commissioners Jack Silvers and Kathryn Forest around 7:30 a.m. My heart rate spiked and the grogginess of waking up quickly wore off.
Tim Murphy’s retirement was to sportswriters what Claudine Gay’s departure was to the news: the Holy Grail of coverage opportunities. It was a day I was looking forward to, not because I thought Harvard’s football program would be better without the winningest coach in Ivy League history, but because I knew I could write. If there’s one thing I learned at Harvard, it’s that I love writing.
That day, before breakfast, I got a call from Editor-in-Chief Miles Hasenhorn to discuss the coverage, and I spent most of the day helping write three stories: a quick introductory piece on breaking news with Aaron Shukman, the new sports commissioner; a longer piece with Nadia Fairfax about Murphy’s incredible accomplishment; and a piece with Katherine, Jack, and Nadia about the players’ reaction.
Except for a three-hour break to shop for a tuxedo for my brother’s wedding and eat dinner, I was locked in from 7:30am to 9:30pm, collecting quotes from a dozen current and former players, interviewing Murphy and defensive coordinator Scott Larkey (Class of 1999), blowing all of my self-imposed thesis deadlines, and loving every minute of it.
But building such a deep connection with an organization that my friend Joe Leman calls me “the most enthusiastic Dino he’s ever seen” was never easy or painless.
The fall of my sophomore year, I wrote 24 stories and became the first sportswriter in a long time to cover football alone. The morning after my 21st birthday, I woke up hungover to finish writing about the Crimson’s victory over Brown the night before. I wasn’t at Elliott House from 5:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. on a trip to Princeton that ended in a controversial and heartbreaking loss that gave Harvard a share of the Ivy League title. I’ll never forget the sadness in Coach Murphy’s voice when I interviewed him after that game.
My year-long stint as co-chairs was incredibly stressful at times. On the first day of print in late January, one of the stories scheduled to publish on a Saturday night fell through, and I had to unleash my version of the “Boggs Booty Call” (named after my predecessor, Will Boggs), sending a long text to two writers, begging them to send me their stories within 24 hours. It was a sign of things to come. Throughout the year, there were missed deadlines, midnight page revisions, and stories that, frankly, needed a lot of work.
That fall, I remember a nine-day stretch in which I had to write three 10-page papers for classes, conduct 40 interviews as part of the Crimson’s turkey hunt, write three articles for the Football Beat, help edit the Sports Board’s annual Harvard-Yale supplement, and keep up with the weekly production. During that stretch, I stayed in the office many nights until after 2 a.m., and the only three people left at 14 Plimpton were myself, editor-in-chief Jasper Goodman (Class of ’23), and president Raquel Coronel Uribe (Class of ’22-’24).
But the strongest bonds are forged among the hottest fires, and I would never have fallen in love with Crimson if it weren’t for the amazing people around the building who encouraged me during the toughest times.
During my year as chair, Alex Wilson and I texted more than we did with our parents, and she became one of my closest friends and someone I could rely on for so much more than just journalism advice.
We sacrificed a lot of our classes and social lives to make the Sports Committee a reality. Through it all, we believed in each other. For every argument, there were ten laughs and hugs. Serving as co-chair was one of the most stressful jobs I’ve had at Harvard, but I can’t imagine doing it with anyone other than Alex.
Alex is not the only person who helped make my time at Crimson a great experience, and I cannot thank them all enough in this writing.
Miles Hasenhorn and Claire Yuan, you are both great reporters and great friends. I have so much respect for you. Your talents know no bounds. Thank you for supporting me to stay involved in the organization after my term as president is over.
To Cara Chang ’24, you are the most hardworking and dedicated worker I have ever met. And somehow, you never stop being the kindest and funniest person. I am so grateful for your friendship.
Sami Turner, Lauryn Eugenio, and Joe Leman, you all made it possible for me to stop by your offices in the spring of my senior year. Thank you for making this Dino feel welcome and valued.
To Will Boggs and AJ Dilts, you believed in Alex and me from the beginning, pushed us to pursue the co-chair positions in the first place, and patiently answered our questions. We truly couldn’t have done it without you.
Aaron Shukman and Mairead Baker, you have taken the foundation that Will, AJ, Alex and I built to new heights. I am very proud of what you have built, and I know the future is bright for the Sports Commission.
To Kim Wimberly, Tyler Neville, Thor Griffith, and the greatest coach in the history of Ivy League football, Tim Murphy: You probably don’t know much about me outside of the context of football reporting, but you’ve all always supported me in my other endeavors, and for that I’m so grateful.
Jack Silvers, you’re such a talented writer and such a great person. I can’t wait to see where you and Katherine take Sports Board this year. There’s no one better to share jokes with at the Associated College Press Awards or in the press box at Harvard Stadium.
Dear Catherine Forst, One of your competition articles was the first article I edited for The Crimson. I was so honored that you also edited the last article I edited for this organization. Thank you for your continued support and friendship over the years.
* * * * *
This old seat has been flying 14P for 151 years and I am sure it will continue to fly for at least another 151 years.
Ultimately, my influence on Crimson was minimal. But Crimson’s influence on me was immeasurable.
I don’t know what the future holds for me, but when I look back on my four years at Harvard, writing for this newspaper will be one of my fondest memories.
* * * * *
How is Crimson doing?
After the final whistle blows, it’s a furious typing session to finish the gamer as quickly as possible.
It’s the stress of late-night editing sessions and text that simply says “Bump.”
And best of all, the people behind this organization are amazing.
—Griffin Wong ’24 served as co-chair of the Crimson’s sports committee during his time with the 149th Guard. He can be reached at griffin.wong@thecrimson.com or on Twitter @THCSports.
