Drew Chamberlain

Drew Chamberlain

My sketch of a map of Harvard Square and the Harvard Campus was not that far off from the actual layout of the area; however, there are many major differences. First, the orientation of my sketch is so that JFK Street runs directly north through the square. In reality, JFK St runs northeast more than directly north. This shift in orientation is likely due to the fact that, while living on campus, the river seems “down” and the area around the science center and the Law School seems “up,” so my orientation made them directly north and south. Another major difference is that the Quad in my sketch is almost directly west of the yard, when in reality it is northwest, almost closer to north. This difference is likely due to the fact that the road to the quad seems to be perpendicular to the yard; however, it is only actually perpendicular for a moment and then bends slightly north. Another major discrepancy of my sketch is the river houses. Because I live in the Quad, I am much more familiar with the route to and from the Quad and the area around the yard; I am much less familiar with the exact layout of the buildings and streets around the river, and my sketch reflects that. I tried to include some paths that I use frequently in the yard, in Cambridge Commons, or in JFK Park, though some of those were not exactly accurate either. Overall, this sketch really made me reflect on how the different areas around Harvard’s campus are connected, and made me appreciate the very strange circular and triangular layout of some of the roads around the square.