12.11.25: Bon Voyage
“What Would Brooke Davis Do?”
On Dec. 3, American actress, activist, and podcast host Sophia Bush took the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum stage for the final panel of the year. Titled “Activism and Entertainment,” the talk was moderated by JFK Jr. Forum Director Aaron Goldman. Bush is known for her starring roles on television and film, including Brooke Davis […]
End of Semester Updates in Harvard and Cambridge
As of Dec. 9, President Donald Trump has signed 218 executive orders, issued 112 proclamations, and declared 55 memoranda throughout his second term in the White House. 14 executive orders have explicitly related to American education, and six of these focused on the post-secondary landscape—targeting elite institutions including Harvard University. On campus, this political upheaval […]
Letter from the Editor: Doing the Things That Scare You
Every semester, the Harvard Independent holds a meeting with our Graduate Board—a group of alumni from the newspaper who provide guidance, support, and help steer Indy operations. This fall marked my seventh one, and last as Editor-in-Chief. The feeling I experienced during those three hours, surrounded by the leaders who have inspired me to dedicate […]
Au Revoir: A Tale of Growing Pains
As November swiftly passes and December takes her place, the coming of the new year awaits me. Every year, I vow to make one significant change in my life, with promises like cutting out sugar, exercising daily, stopping myself from procrastinating on assignments until four hours before they are due, and, finally, addressing the wounds […]
A Sweet Escape: Reading Period Reflection
Full from Thanksgiving’s feast, Harvard students return to campus in early December ready for a palate cleanser. Only three days of classes stand between us and reading period, which arrives just in time for relaxation, preparation for finals, and a moment of pause from the academic feast we’ve consumed. But what if reading period were […]
No Place Like Home
“Why do I love this place / That’s never loved me?” These are the opening lines from “No Place Like Home,” a song written by composer Stephen Schwartz for the box-office triumph: “Wicked: For Good.” For many, it was just another song in the movie, but for me, it resonated on a much deeper level. […]
Thoughts from New Quincy: Where the Light Thins
It is a matter of some debate in Lumenford—though “debate” is too energetic a word for that languid settlement—whether Elias Noct ever truly lived among its residents. Some claim he passed through the dormitory halls the way a shadow crosses a wall: distinct enough to register, yet curiously unattached to any source. What is undeniable […]
Harvard’s Holiday Lights
Jordan Wasserberger ’27 (jordanwasserberger@college.harvard.edu) is the Photo and Podcast Director of the Independent.
An Evening at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
When I entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum through a heavy glass revolving door, I could only think of one word to describe it: pristine. The large, elegant lobby narrows into a hallway that is flanked by a gift shop on the left and a coat check area to the right. At the end of […]