To the Editor:

I find it charming that the News can find some small victory over Harvard in the prank that was pulled on about 1,800 elderly alums at The Game (“Elis outsmart Harvard with prank at Game,” 11/29). Especially given the masturbatory nature of the prank, which even now many Harvard students remain unaware of, the praise lavished on the creators is probably very gratifying. It must be a relief for them to go back to the graduate school applications, thesis research and regular meals that they had been delaying for, apparently, the past three years. Perhaps some generous Yale alum will pledge a donation to a New Haven homeless shelter to match the funds spent on the trick?

I must also congratulate you on drawing a parallel between this prank and the happiness of students at Yale, which in an almost desperate non sequitur one of your interviewed students called a “genuine difference” between her high school friends who go to Harvard and those who go to Yale. I would like to ask, however, and correct me if I’m wrong — why does the Yale Daily News find it necessary to include at least three articles or editorials about Harvard every week?

Patrick Hosfield

Dec. 6, 2004

The writer is a senior at Harvard.