“BEEEP BEEEP BEEEP.” The blaring of a fire alarm filled Sanders Theater around 7:40 p.m. on Nov. 6. Having lived in Adams House, I found it nothing new. However, the shrill alarms and flashing strobes interrupted a conversation between Yo-Yo Ma ’76 and Stephen Colbert, cutting short a performance featuring Ma and the Crimson Cellos. […]
I am a coffee lover. Most people who say this go on to tell you the aromatic reasons why coffee is amazing, what beans they prefer, the specific grinding method, the brewing technique—yeah, sorry, that’s not me. Let me restart. I love coffee, but honestly it all tastes the same. For most coffee lovers, Harvard […]
“On GPS: Jurassic Park … in real life?” “I Have Something to Say: ‘Khaleesi’ Is a Bad Name for a De-Extincted Dire Wolf.” Since it was founded in 2021, Colossal Biosciences has found itself in the headlines. The company claims to be “the most prominent name in de-extinction,” a practice that seeks to bring back […]
The Harvard-to-finance pipeline is strong, but we shouldn’t let that stereotype keep us from enjoying our expansive arts scene. As the Arts Editor of the “Harvard Independent,” I have had a front-row seat to the wonderful theater productions, art collections, and special events across campus. For incoming first-year students, the clubs, classes, and people on […]
This summer I finally bought a ticket to Europe—a childhood dream realized. After wandering into two cafés with spotty Wi-Fi, I ended up somewhere I never expected: a Starbucks in Dublin. There’s something fitting about writing on American food from inside a Starbucks abroad. The logo is familiar; everything else isn’t. American food occupies a […]
It feels like most at Harvard have a claim to a well-known city. Whether they’re from urban centers, the suburbs, or somewhere within city limits, people usually hail from places like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C. But when someone asks me the quintessential getting-to-know-you question, I never have a simple answer. […]
Science, politics, and economics all say nuclear energy is the key to a clean future. The source currently accounts for just 18.6% of total electricity generation in the United States, despite capacity (the construction of new plants) remaining relatively steady since 1990. The semi-forgotten clean energy source has received minimal investments over the past 30 […]
On March 27, Harvard hosted its annual Housing Day—a fun-filled tradition of “dorm storming,” celebration, and welcoming freshmen to their residential House for their next three years. While the day is always filled with rituals and superstitions, the College added a new aspect this year: the Housing Day Challenge. This event offered alumni, community members, […]
In discussing spring break this year, I found that pretty much everyone goes to the same places—“Flah-dah,” “Cali,” “the D.R.,” “P.R.,” Spain—you get the point. I heard about these locations over and over—that’s not to say they aren’t great trips. However, in looking for a good, unique, yet still budget-friendly trip, my friends and I […]
From Mar. 6 to Aug. 2, the Harvard Art Museums is displaying “Celtic Art Across the Ages,” an exhibit curated by Susanne Ebbinghaus, Penny Coombe, Laure Marest, and Matthew Rogan with sculptures, paintings, and artifacts dating from 800 BCE to today. This exhibition is the first major showcase of Celtic art in the United States, […]
Eileen Gu and Alysa Liu are two of the most prominent young athletes in international winter sports, whose lives seem to run in parallel. Both were born in the United States to Chinese single parents who had their children by surrogacy with white American donors, and both rose quickly to the top of their respective […]
“For twenty-four hours, we will not sleep. We will not eat. We will not urinate. That is my promise to you. We will only improvise comedy.” This is what co-captain Jack Flynn ’26 of Three Letter Acronym said to the audience as the troupe began their 24-hour improv marathon on Feb. 21. Kicking off at […]
On Friday, Feb. 6, Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals hosted their annual global premiere of their new, entirely student-written and produced show, “Salooney Tunes.” Preceding the performance, “Batman” and “Beetlejuice” star Michael Keaton was welcomed to the stage to be honored as HPT’s 59th Man of the Year—a ceremony which included a celebrity roast, press conference, […]
In 2018, Fox News commentator Laura Ingraham went viral for telling National Basketball Association star LeBron James to “Shut up and dribble,” reinvigorating a familiar debate: should athletes use their platforms to advocate for political change, or should they stick to sports? While Ingraham’s phrasing was undeniably brash, the underlying idea is worth considering: athletics […]
With a diverse student body and numerous museums and organizations, Harvard is blessed with high-quality performing and fine arts events year-round. For Harvard affiliates, events that people would pay good money to see are usually free or discounted. Below are some events coming to the Cambridge art scene in Spring 2026. Theater: With four Harvard […]
“This is a 1956 Pennsylvanian minted wheat penny,” Grandpa remarked as he showed me the tiny reddish-brown coin. 10-year-old me grinned with pride. The almost 70-year-old coin was an incredible find; the average coin’s lifespan is only 25 years, and most collectors had grabbed up all the wheat pennies when they ended their production. But, […]
Harvard College Danoff Dean David Deming hosted an open forum in the Winthrop House Junior Common Room on Nov. 12, inviting undergraduates to discuss the updates on institutional policies, culture, student engagement, and more. Approximately 20 students attended, ready to ask questions ranging from increases in the student activity fund, free laundry, and an initiative […]
Last year, I got my first chance to see “The Game.” There are really only two football rivalries that share this name. Growing up in Michigan, I had often watched Ohio State face Michigan, but this was my first time experiencing the storied Harvard-Yale match-up. The atmosphere was unlike any other Harvard athletics game I […]
With the demanding academic and extracurricular schedules of many Crimson undergraduates, one might wonder: how much sleep do Harvard students actually get? To answer this question, we asked twenty students across Harvard’s campus to keep a sleep journal for a school week smack dab in the middle of two major midterm seasons and compiled their […]
“Today’s gift will help continue that legacy by making SEAS a 21st-century engineering leader. It provides a solid endowment for faculty development, research, scholarships, and financial aid.” That was John A. Paulson’s—Harvard Business School Class of 1980—objective when he donated $400 million to the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences—now named in his honor—in […]
On Aug. 18, pre-freshmen began moving into the Yard for one of Harvard College’s six pre-orientation programs: First-Year Retreat and Experience, First-Year Arts Program, First-Year Outdoor Program, First-Year Urban Program, First-Year International Program, and Leadership Institute for the First-Year Experience. Designed to build connections between incoming students, upperclassmen, and the Harvard community, the ‘pre-frosh’ programming […]
Throughout Harvard College’s annual academic calendar, one thing rarely leaves an undergraduate’s mind: summer internships. As the spring semester comes to an end, students anxiously confer with each other about their suitably prestigious occupations, often citing consulting in New York, public policy in Washington, D.C., or start-ups in Silicon Valley. However, not everyone follows Harvard’s […]
On April 16, the Trump administration first threatened Harvard University’s ability to host international students across its 13 schools. After weeks of contention between University leadership and the federal government, foreign undergraduates have started to join administrative push back and speak out against the government’s actions—despite clear federal disdain for international enrollee activism. “A visa […]
This summer, I’m challenging myself to complete a watchlist of movies. I could share a collection of any old films, but what’s better than a list tailored to the season? Join me as I share the movies I plan to watch during the slower, more relaxing days of summer. “Mamma Mia!” (1 and 2) Until […]
While sports fans regard fall as the coveted football season, as the NFL and NCAA run parallel, spring is the time for some of America’s most popular sports: baseball, softball, and lacrosse. This year, Harvard has seen success in many of its teams, from the most recognized to the least mainstream sports. With some teams […]
The Spring 2025 season has been another for the history books for Harvard Sailing. The co-ed squad won the Intercollegiate Sailing Association National Championship on April 24. The women’s team followed this with a third-place finish on April 27 at the Women’s ICSA National Championship. Heading into the Open Fleet National Championships, the No. 1-ranked […]
“100% of students can graduate debt-free.” That bold promise greets visitors to the Harvard financial aid website. It sounds like a great guarantee—until you read the fine print. In reality, this pledge often falls apart for students who use outside scholarships to fund their education. Harvard’s financial aid policy is clear: grants and scholarships from […]
This past weekend, at Harvard’s first annual Cambridge Day, the No. 10-ranked men’s lacrosse team welcomed its largest crowd ever at Jordan Field. The high-profile game for this team made the event a success on a day full of athletic competitions. Despite their 12-20 loss, the men’s team stayed within four points against the NCAA […]
Ever wondered what a more modern-day version of Jesus might look like? Do you think you would be on Jesus’s side of history? The hit rock opera musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” sets out to answer these very questions. Created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the musical follows Jesus in his final days of […]
“Hey Tommy!” is a phrase one will hear many shoppers say to the cashier at Tommy’s Value on a typical afternoon. Located at 47 Mount Auburn St., this family-run market has become a community staple in an area that lacks convenience stores, serving students and Cambridge locals alike since 2002. Though it briefly shuttered during […]
A few weeks ago, the Harvard Independent published an article asking Harvard students about their hottest takes. Many of the opinions shared ended up being food-related, with one first-year claiming that “HUDS banana bread pudding is pure fuego” and another student saying they’d “rather eat foods with Red 40 because…they’re more visually appealing.” But what’s […]
Most Harvard undergraduates will take 12-20 courses for their chosen concentration, three classes that fulfill general College writing, language, and quantitative reasoning requirements, four general education courses, and three divisional distributions of arts and humanities, social sciences, and science and engineering across their four years on campus. This does not account for the many students […]
As tuition fees soar and the job market evolves, the true value of a college degree has sparked intense debate. Proponents argue that a degree offers a necessary ticket to entry for many high-paying jobs and that college serves as a period for exploration and personal growth. On the other hand, critics point to the […]
Richard T. Greener ’1870—the first Black student to graduate from Harvard College. George L. Ruffin ’1869—the first Black student to graduate from Harvard Law School. However, Clemont Morgan was the first Black student to graduate from both Harvard College in 1890 and Harvard Law School in 1893. After graduating, Morgan helped found the NAACP and […]
Harvard’s extensive list of accomplished alumni is teeming with figures who have been a part of global controversies for decades. From politicians like Al Franken ’73 and Henry Kissinger ’50 to business magnates such as Mark Zuckerberg ’17, Harvard graduates can be counted on to change history—for better or worse. Even the infamous Unabomber, Ted […]
The chill of February lingers in the air, but love is already blooming in Harvard Square. With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, students are scouring the internet and local shops for thoughtful gifts that impress their special someone. Among the series of Yelp reviews and promising storefronts is Love Pop, which offers customers a twist on […]
The Harvard Institute of Politics brought in record-breaking application numbers for the Spring 2025 semester. As of Feb. 10, the IOP received 788 applications across its 16 programs—including nearly 200 first-time submissions. At such a critical juncture in American and global politics, this growth speaks to a rising interest in civic leadership and public service […]
Despite the Chiefs defeating the Bills and the Eagles storming past the Commanders, our eyes are anywhere but Sunday. Super Bowl LIX will be a quarterback rematch between the back-to-back Super Bowl winner Patrick Mahomes and the newly reinforced Jalen Hurts. Football fans face a tough choice: sing along to the “illustrious” lyricism of “Fly, […]
Boston is a world-class city. Each year, the city receives around 23 million tourists, along with people moving from all over the world to Boston to get an education, advance their careers, and build their lives. Yet, for years, the city has struggled with a subpar transit system—the MBTA, or simply “the T.” Don’t get […]
It’s the holiday season, so we know what everyone is thinking about: food. The Independent surveyed students to determine which foods they enjoy most at this time of year. Food during the holidays is more than just fulfilling nutritional needs—it symbolizes togetherness, tradition, and family. As the semester draws to a close and finals loom […]
Harvard Kennedy School and College Professor Jason Furman ’92 discussed the future of the American economy under President-elect Trump’s second term at a panel this Monday. The event was organized by the Charles River Economics Labs (CREL), a team of undergraduate pro-bono researchers. CREL co-presidents Julien Berman ’26 and Abhay Duggirala ’26 asked Furman questions […]
Cold Fall The air holds a chill. A cold dampness hits my face. The cold fall is here. Candy Sweet sugary yum, I take a bite happily, Chocolate goodness! Pumpkin This is for the porch; I carve the Jack-O-Lantern, Light it with candles. Early Night Darkness is around, Stars twinkle the sky above, Night comes […]
Election night is less than two weeks away. With seven swing states on track to decide November’s results, students from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin will play a significant role in determining the nation’s president for the next four years. While Harvard consciously tries to have geographic diversity in each admitted […]
There has never been a more exciting time to be a Harvard engineer. With the recently built $1 billion campus in Allston and its ever-growing student body of engineering, computer science, and applied mathematics concentrators, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has seen a meteoric rise. The most impressive part […]
On the first night of October, I joined the Harvard Democrats at the Harvard Kennedy School for their watch party of the 2024 Vice Presidential Debate. As the table gathered, the room filled with excitement for the candidate they affectionately called “Coach Walz.” Around twenty-five people lined the room, loud chatter filling the space as […]
