VICTORIA REIN
JOURNALISM + CREATIVE WRITING + VISUAL ARTS
PIT-A-PALOOZA FAREWELL PARTY FOR HARVARD SQUARE SOUNDED, MOSHED AND EVEN SMELLED LIKE OLD TIMES
JUNE 2022
A farewell party to Harvard Square’s “Pit” on Saturday – officially, Pit-A-Palooza – sparked nostalgia in several ways. “There’s the cheap weed I remember,” a man in the crowd could be heard saying as community members lit up joints. The event brought hundreds to the famed Pit, the area directly surrounding the Harvard Square subway station headhouse that’s due to be removed in a redesign of the brick plaza because of noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Pit, a sunken area built in 1982 for public gatherings, was adopted by the Boston punk scene and other outcasts and unhoused youth as a place to gather and hang out without judgment. Author Jen Deaderick, one of the event’s organizers with city councillor Marc McGovern, summarized the spirit of The Pit during a short speech:
‘GREATER BOSTON’ PODCAST HEADS INTO FINAL SEASONS CROWDFUNDING TO SERVE AND REFLECT ITS COMMUNITY
APRIL 2022
Until the end of the month, listeners of the “Greater Boston” podcast can contribute to a crowdfunding campaign to help creators Alexander Danner and Jeff Van Dreason better compensate actors and pay for studio time for their penultimate season. The pair long ago surpassed their original goal of $15,000 and entered stretch-goal territory by offering perks such as stickers, posters, stress balls – a reference to an episode plot point – and spoilers for upcoming episodes. Even experiences are up for grabs, such as the opportunity for a listener to play a cameo role in an episode. One fan claimed an option to buy every offered perk for $1,000 at soon as the campaign began.