A good journalist knows when to use a quote. Joan Didion, Harvard class of nineteen ninety-never, wrote, “The impulse to write things down is a peculiarly compulsive one, inexplicable to those who do not share it, useful only accidentally, only secondarily, in the way that any compulsion tries to justify itself.” 1. The Newsies “Ummm, […]
Dear Indy Readers, My name is Piper Tingleaf and I have been the Design Editor for the Independent since Arsh Dhillon ’23 passed it on to me in Spring 2022. The aesthetic and unique design of the Independent originally spurred me to join the paper, and I strived to emulate that aesthetic throughout my time […]
Last year, Elon Musk experimented with our sacred trust in social media authenticity. He took the blue check, which has monopolized our faith in abstract virtual spaces over the past decade, and made it available for purchase. For only $8. With the departure of a streamlined authentication process came the arrival of numerous impersonated celebrities, […]
Growing up in Philadelphia, many snow days were scheduled all throughout elementary and middle school. My day consisted of hot chocolate, snowmen, and sleeping in, giving me some of my fondest childhood memories. The death of the “snow day” is another one of the many long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The once-beloved snow days […]
The purpose of a Harvard education is supposedly the joy of discovery, the thrill of intellectual curiosity, and the personal satisfaction of mastering a challenging concept. However, the prevailing vision of many Harvard students is that college is simply a pathway to a universally desired outcome—a prestigious, high-salary career. This vision is hard to escape. […]
BY JORDAN WASSERBERGER ’27 Hello Indy reader! For those of you who have listened to the Excelsior podcast, it’s nice to see you again—in writing this time—and please enjoy this deep dive into your favorite podcast. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, now’s your chance to rectify that. Let’s […]
Toxic productivity culture defines the way we interact with nearly every component of our lives on Harvard’s campus. Though it can feel insurmountable to tackle the vast and varied tasks that accumulate in light of our inattention to them, we owe it to ourselves to seize a free moment when it does arise. Though the […]
“Harvard is hard.” At one point or another, we’ve all come to the unfortunate realization that the phrase is actually true. But does Harvard have to be so academically rigorous? There’s no need to buy into the Harvard academic overachiever stereotype (I’m looking at you, LS50 and Math 55 first-years) when you can minimize your […]
“I’m so organized! I’m so OCD.” You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it. You’ve probably said it. I’ve said it, too. Except I’m not exaggerating, because I have a mild and clinically diagnosed case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It’s never been life-threatening, nor has it caused me any sort of extremely disruptive pain (though it can […]
Purge. Oust. Eradicate. Dispose. You’ve heard the stress-inducing rhetoric of professed minimalists, arguing that non-essential items are wasteful and should be removed. You’ve heard the crazy stories of libertarian minimalists who own exactly one hundred things and live in remote locations. Minimalism might bring to mind a modest lifestyle, a beige interior, and an empty […]