03.06.25: Meltdown
“From the Briefing Room”
Karine Jean-Pierre takes the JFK Jr. Forum stage at Harvard’s Institute of Politics.
In her first public event since leaving Washington this past January, former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre took the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum stage on Feb. 26 to discuss the Biden administration, journalism, and democracy. ABC News national political reporter and Spring 2025 IOP Resident Fellow Brittany Shepherd joined Jean-Pierre, as well as […]
Putting a Cap on Time Caps
A look at the movement to end limits on non-tenured Harvard staff contracts.
A university as expansive as Harvard requires thousands of teaching staff to preserve its academic reputation of integrity and curiosity. Though they are known by various names—professors, senior lecturers, preceptors, and College fellows—each faculty member’s mission is to educate. Tenured professors like Jason Furman ’92 and Michael Sandel enjoy unlimited lengths of stay at Harvard, […]
Is the Grass Greener at Other Schools?
Students voice concerns over uniquely Harvard inconveniences.
Do Harvard students melt down over the minuscule? Or are their complaints of campus crises completely justified? Whether it’s sprinting across campus to make Annenberg Hall’s slim 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. dinner hours, battling the printers in Lamont Library, or making the outdoor trek in 20-degree weather to another building to do laundry, minor […]
HOLA: A Home Away from Home
A look inside the Harvard Organization for Latin America.
Harvard College is home to a wide range of unique student organizations. However, the Harvard Organization for Latin America stands out due to its vibrant combination of culture, connection, and celebration. While many of Harvard’s students primarily hear about consulting or networking organizations, HOLA’s rich Latin American community makes its presence just as critical for […]
Abreast on Abroad: Letter One
Why Sadie Kargman became your favorite self-proclaimed “Shitstain in Paris.”
To whom it may concern in the Harvard vicinitas, Greetings from the beautiful city of Paris, also known as my home for the rest of the spring semester. How’s Cambridge? Don’t answer that. In this new column, “Abreast on Abroad,” I want to write a love letter from across the pond, detailing my wild life […]
Thoughts from New Quincy: Popping the Bubble
Why stepping off campus might be the best lesson Harvard has to offer.
Ask any student rushing from their dorm to a morning lecture, clutching a cup of Blank Street coffee, about their day ahead, and you’ll hear a whirlwind of commitments: guest speakers, club meetings, and networking events. At Harvard, everything—friends, food, a library shelf with your name on it—feels just a few steps away. The proximity […]
The Social Cost
Navigating the costs of social life for first-years at Harvard.
I’ll never forget the day I got into Harvard. I was standing by my gate in the middle of Newark International Airport with my parents. It was around 7 p.m., and my flight to Orlando was taking off in 50 minutes. As the hum of flight announcements and the sound of rolling suitcases filled the […]
Inconstant Senses
Recounting memories of the hospital at 14.
Trigger warning: mentions of suicide. We remember hospitals to be quieter than they truly are. Their hallways form “private rooms:” large spaces partitioned by sheets of blue instead of walls, so that while a patient might not see anything around them, they hear everything. Footsteps reverberate off the tiled floor while noise grows and fades […]
Surviving a “Harvard Meltdown”
Harvard’s institutionalized stress culture is taboo: it’s time for a change.
About 10 weeks into my first semester at Harvard, I sat down with a friend for a catch-up, and we both ended up breaking down over our Harvard journeys so far. Although it was difficult to express how burnt out we were feeling, I was unexpectedly reassured when I realized I wasn’t alone in experiencing […]