The History of Crush Lists

As acclaimed literary theorist Umberto Eco once said “The list is the origin of culture.” And here in Middfinalapocolypse, there is no greater need for a culture of love. Though the Crush List conjures confusing feelings for the future (omg, girl who wears skirts in proctor, that’s totally me!!?), I have spoken to the very first lister to explore their past.

I wish my crush ate in Ross so I could study his list without being embarrassed that he'll see me through the bagel window

Jason Lockhart ’05 brought the institution of Crushlists from his former high school, joining the Senior Committee for the class of ’05 in advance to spread the idea. After a series of class-wide emails around 40 lists went up in Ross Dining Hall the last Friday of classes in Spring 2005.

“The first senior crush lists were as simple as you can get. They were titled “[Name's] Senior Crush List” and then you had a list of names. Nothing more, nothing less.” said Lockhart.

He and his friends put up butcher paper on the Ross windows, taped the first lists and “put a table next to them with pens, paper and instructions on what to do.”

After only 15 more put up their own, Lockart “was ready to declare it a failure at the end of the day, but people suggested that we just leave them up, in the hopes of it catching on eventually.”

And it clearly did, Lockhart said that the first lists produced results in subsequent relationships and expressed a fascination in how they’ve since evolved.

“Leave it up to Midd Kids to take an idea and evolve it into the most creative way possible. Last year, the most memorable one was the poem titled ‘I Crush.’ This year I give it to the guy who made the QR Code.”

Read on to see pictures of current lists up in Proctor.

Tunnel Of Love