Even history hates Harvard. In his packed “Constitutional Law” class, professor Akhil Amar ’80 LAW ’84 noted that though Benedict Arnold was a great American hero at one point, his decision to turn traitor marked a “devastating” blow. “And the most important thing to remember from that,” Amar continued, “is … he’s a Harvard grad.”

It’s not porn in the morn, but… When professor Aleh Tsyvinski asked his “Introductory Macroeconomics” class what college students typically consume today, he received a wealth of answers: food, energy and, according to one male student, porn. Tsyvinski’s response? “Single ladies, this is the man for you.”

Forging relationships. University President Richard Levin accepted an honorary doctor of law from the Chinese University of Hong Kong for his work in education and Yale’s development. The degree was presented by CUHK President Joseph Sung and CUHK Secretary Eric Ng.

Even gnomes like snow. As a blanket of snow coated Yale for the first time this semester, several Davenport students took the opportunity to build a gnome-shaped snowman, or “snowgnome,” complete with a hat and beard.

Honorary Whiff. A New York Times reporter moonlighted as a Whiffenpoof and published his experiences in a Jan. 13 article for the Times. Henry Alford, the reporter, discussed his brief experience singing with the a cappella group and participating in a movement he dubbed “fakeappella” — loudly singing the parts of songs he knew best and prudently staying quiet during the other parts.

Yale to YouTube. Two Yale alums Peter Furia ’04 and Michael Rucker ’07 produced a YouTube video, entitled “Rewind YouTube Style,” that garnered a whopping 83 million views just one month after its release. The video is a mash-up of “Gangnam Style” and “Call Me Maybe” and highlights the “culturally defining moments of 2012.”

Elevate your resolutions. The Yale College Council is holding a New Year’s party tonight at 10 p.m. at Elevate to kick off the new semester. Attire is semiformal, and there will be an open bar for those who are at least 21 years old.

Also, academics. The YCC is also seeking input from students on the new academic calendar and has created an online survey to gauge student opinions. The survey will close by the end of the day on Friday.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY 1962 Yale acquires a parcel of land in Argentina to construct an astronomical observatory.