Sports have always shaped the seasons of my life. In middle school, every change of temperature brought a new team. Fall was soccer and tennis season. Winter featured basketball, ice skating, and indoor soccer. Spring was filled with lacrosse games and more soccer. And summer had horseback riding. I used to resist the idea of […]
Every Housing Day, Harvard College witnesses a wide array of emotions from first-year students. After receiving news of their future dormitories from upperclassmen, some leap for joy, while others break down crying. This disparity often arises from one location in particular: the Radcliffe Quadrangle, affectionately known as the “Quad,” not the River. Located on or […]
While I’m proud every day to be the great-granddaughter of Irish immigrants, there’s one day a year when I feel an extra sense of pride in my heritage: St. Patrick’s Day. Since I was a child, “St. Paddy’s” has been one of my favorite holidays. I always looked forward to donning green from head to […]
Every year since 2012, Harvard eschews its Puritan roots and shines a spotlight on a topic often deemed taboo in higher education: sex. Between Nov. 2 and Nov. 9, the campus organization Sex Education by Harvard College Students puts on its annual Sex Week. The week offers informational seminars on topics such as sexually transmitted […]
One of my closest friends recently experienced a Harvard student’s worst nightmare: a mid-semester concussion. What shocked me more than her text sharing the news was how it happened: a walking accident. My dear friend was speed-walking to class when she collided with another student, leaving her encounter with a new head injury. While this […]
On a warm September morning, the steps of Widener were crowded with students smiling for photos with friends. Their signs read “FDOC,” commemorating the First Day of Classes. Beyond the unusual pre-10:30 a.m. cheer, one thing stood out: their outfits. Every year, students don their finest polos and sundresses for the first week to impress […]
The coffee shop where I’m writing this isn’t as charming as my favorite cafés in Paris, like Café Vavin or Candle Kids Coffee, but it’s a holdover from my abroad days. When deciding where to work today, I debated between a West Village coffee shop and the Harvard Club of New York. As my roommate […]
One of the saddest parts of studying abroad during junior spring is saying goodbye to all the graduating seniors in December instead of May. I found it hard to properly bid adieu to all the wonderful people who shaped my first three years at Harvard—especially those at the Indy. So, to make up for it, […]
The other day, sipping on a macchiato while struggling to finish my art history final paper in a café near the Sorbonne, I overheard two abroad Americans chatting. They were discussing their excitement to return to the States—eager to see friends and family, ready to be home. As I listened to them rationalize why they […]
Last week, I reunited with my family’s former host daughter, Lola, in Kraków, Poland. Unlike my usual weekend getaways, this trip was a full-fledged week of living with Lola’s family, allowing me to be more of a visitor than a tourist. I participated in all kinds of Polish Easter traditions and experienced Kraków with someone […]