Sophia Gonzalez
About Sophia Gonzalez
Posts by Sophia Gonzalez:
Keeping Score: The Sport of One’s Body Count
“What’s your body count?” It is a question that seems to circulate casually (and crassly) among modern generations. Its meaning: “How many different people have you had sex with?” The question implies a transactional, impersonal maneuvering through sex, reducing a partner to the noun of a “body.” More importantly, it raises the question: why does […]
Vive Les Étudiants
Flames, shattered windows, and riot police have dominated the media coverage of the recent protests sweeping France, particularly Paris. These acts have given the movement the unsavory but headline-grabbing label: riot. It is understandable why the media condemns, but pushes, videos of shops being looted, cars burning, and Paris seemingly in shambles. The coverage reinforces […]
Exploring American Hometowns: Topsham, Maine
First of all, it’s not “Top-sham,” it’s pronounced “Tops-um.” I am what you call a true Mainer, born and raised—we are very proud of our status, and transplants are almost eternally outsiders. If you’ve ever met someone from Maine, they’ll make it a key part of their personality; I’m no exception. I suppose it’s a […]
“Canna-Curious”: Legalization and Medical Marijuana
Despite Massachusetts legalizing marijuana more than a decade ago, it remains prohibited on Harvard’s campus, highlighting a disconnect between state law and university policy as national attitudes become increasingly positive. An addiction specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Peter Grinspoon has used medical cannabis in treating […]
Before the Binge
For as long as I can remember, my family would gather in the living room for dinner and tune in to the newest episode of “Survivor.” Unfortunately, this only happened every Wednesday, so on non-“Survivor” nights we’d trade cable for streaming and browse for something new, or an old favorite. My top pick quickly became […]
Jeff Buckley and the Art of Yearning
Listening to Jeff Buckley feels like being trapped in purgatory, suspended between heaven and hell. Waiting defines his album “Grace,” lingering in the space after love ends but before the ache fades. More than 30 years after its 1994 release, “Lover, You Should’ve Come Over” has surpassed 440 million Spotify streams. In 2026, it entered […]
Journey to Oxford: Harvard’s 2026 Rhodes Scholars
On Nov. 15, eight Harvard undergraduates were awarded the 2026 Rhodes Scholarship and will head to Oxford in Fall 2027. Five recipients are from international constituencies—Sazi Bongwe ’26, Je Qin “Jay” Choi ’26, Will Flintloft ’26, Hairong “Helen” He ’26, and Fajr Khan ’26—and three from the American constituency—Anil Cacodcar ’26, Yael Goldstein ’26, and […]
Sex and Salary Transparency
There are a few subjects that you just don’t bring up at the dinner table; sex and salary are at the top of the list. Not exactly what you want to unpack with your grandparents over pie. Yet it isn’t just among relatives that people hold back on discussing these “taboo” topics. Sex and salary […]
Conservatives and Controversy: On Recent Tensions Within the Harvard Salient
The Harvard Salient’s Board of Directors announced on Oct. 25 that the conservative student publication would suspend operations pending an internal investigation, citing “reprehensible, abusive, and demeaning material” in recent articles and “deeply disturbing and credible complaints about the broader culture of the organization.” Days later, Editor-in-Chief Richard Rodgers ’28 denounced the board’s statement as […]
“No Kings” in the Boston Common
“No Kings” protests swept across America on June 18 in opposition to President Donald Trump’s Military Parade celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary, which coincided with his own 79th birthday. The summer unrest amassed approximately five million participants across nearly 2,600 rallies—one of the largest single-day rallies in history. Four months later, on Oct. 18, […]
First-Year Perspectives: Why Harvard
Over the past five months, Harvard University and the Trump administration have clashed in a series of policy disputes. On April 14, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion of federal funding from Harvard; on April 16, the federal government threatened Harvard’s international student enrollment eligibility; and on April 21, Harvard filed suit against the administration. […]
50 Aprils Later: Remembering Saigon
50 years ago, on April 30, the capital of South Vietnam fell to Northern Vietnamese forces, unifying the two nations under Communist Party rule. The Fall of Saigon signaled an end to one of the 20th century’s most controversial and bloody wars—both at home and abroad. The deaths of over 3.4 million Vietnamese, as well […]