20 Quincy St. Cambridge, MA 02138

Tel: 617 495 5758 | Fax: 617 496 8754

Email: hfc@harvard.edu

December 2007 at The Faculty Club

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor. Eagerly, I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Leonore -- For the rare and radiant maiden who the angels name Lenore -- Nameless here for evermore.

Rare now is the house where logs burn into embers, rare is the man who finds solace in books. This was a time when "evermore" seemed a safe estimate, and the worst future one could anticipate was an unending tristesse from a "lost Lenore." Happily, "radiant maidens" (and their brothers) continue to bless us, and it is for them and the likes of them that our thoughts turn from romantic loss to concerns of a future that promises to be anything but safe.

On reflecting, you will not be surprised to hear the news that Harvard collected the Sierra Magazine award for the country's "Second Coolest Campus" in taking the most active measures to fight global warming. Ask Tom Vautin in University Operations how his team is transforming the energy production at the Blackstone Steam Plant. Or check out Harvard Real Estate, where Jim Gray will fill you in on information about buildings new and renovated at Harvard that have earned the U.S. Green Buildings Council's Gold Standard for sustainable architecture.

"Sustainable" is The Word at Harvard, describing everything from designing buildings to fishing practices, from energy usage to digging potatoes. In short, practicing sustainability simply means accepting responsibility for an environment that will support a renewable ecosystem.

When a member raised a query, had The Club considered making a commitment to environmental issues, it was clear that we needed to do some P.R. "Good gracious," we said, "for the last five years we have been exploring all sorts of good practices, beginning with ferreting out a source for the freshest organic eggs (laid by hens so pampered we sometimes wonder why they bother) to the creation of a prize-winning dishwashing team that reduced the use of soaps and detergents by thirty per cent."

Our plan is not only to "put a face on our farmers" as Alice Waters advised, but on our fish mongers and meat suppliers. We scrutinize the ranches that raise our venison, quail and game hens. We dream not of sugar plums but of organic grapes, of the relative merits of hydroponics as opposed to soil-raised tomatoes, of debates between wild and farm raised salmon judged by lobsters wearing green t-shirts.

Let us assure you, however, that the Club not only embraces those environmentally prudent practices which save energy, concentrate on 100% recycling of our waste, favor organically raised fruits and vegetables and respect the wisdom of preventive maintenance, it is just as steadfastly committed to renewing YOU.

Come and let down your hair after a strenuous bout of performing in the role of Unexampled Virtue. Think of the Club, dear members, as a haven of serenity and beauty, a respite from the world of business and, yes, we can say it, even from the classroom. Pampering is the Specialty of the House. We remain as passionate about the springiness of the down in our cushions as we do about the quality of our cuisine. And on occasion we so forget ourselves that we print unabashedly out-dated poetry, just for the fun of it.