To the editor:

I’d like to respond to Mr. Fernandez’s letter (“Is it a true sibling rivalry?” 11/17) regarding Harvard’s position on the Yale-Harvard rivalry. I think that his assertion that the rivalry does not exist inherently contradicts his point that Harvard is a better school. They say it’s lonely at the top — but is a school that prides itself on being full of loners really a top school? Yale and Harvard are both excellent institutions and offer educational opportunities that are among the best in the world. But there is more to a university than education in the classroom. The camaraderie that develops among students on each side of school rivalries is an integral part of going to a school and helps to reinforce bonds among students that will exist forever. Mr. Fernandez, the pedestal you’ve placed yourself on is so high that your head is in the clouds, blinding you of the very real rivalry that exists between our schools. Yale students recognize that Harvard doesn’t like to acknowledge the rivalry, but we know the real reason: when you’re only competing against yourself, you can’t lose. I pity the student at either school who thinks he’s above the pride that a victory at The Game will produce.

David Margines ’04

November 17, 2003