The beach stretches endlessly into the dark. It’s the early season, still too cold to go in the water. I can see boats with their lights on far in the distance. I scan across the water’s edge, catching glimpses of buoys bobbing up and down. The air pulls tight against my skin, cold enough that […]
“I think Confucius would critique Menzi’s emphasis on rewards and punishments.” “I think men have a higher social dominance orientation than women.” “I think the limbic system and prefrontal cortex are in a tug of war.” At Harvard, no class statement seems complete without an “I think.” It slips out unconsciously, often going unnoticed by […]
One of my closest friends recently experienced a Harvard student’s worst nightmare: a mid-semester concussion. What shocked me more than her text sharing the news was how it happened: a walking accident. My dear friend was speed-walking to class when she collided with another student, leaving her encounter with a new head injury. While this […]
At 10:30 a.m. last Wednesday, I turned to my friend and noticed that nearly half the usual students were missing from our linguistics lecture. “Where did everyone go?” I asked. As I later learned, most had gone home for the long weekend—it was, after all, ‘no big deal’ to skip an optional-attendance class. Since starting […]
The classroom has evolved throughout the years. Handwritten notes and chalkboards have slowly changed to Google Doc tabs and PowerPoint slides. Lengthy textbooks are now available online and in condensed formats. And technologies like AI allow students to rapidly consume information. With the add/drop period behind us, most students have already learned which of their […]
At Harvard, midterm season sees students celebrating a 48% because it’s above the class average. Yes, Stat 110, I’m looking at you. Every semester, these midterm scores bring about an onslaught of headlines from news outlets that haven’t written about Gen Z’s “academic decline” in a while. It’s nothing new. But the question remains: is […]
Laura. Pérez. Cremer. When I turned 14, I began to feel a visceral rejection towards my first surname: Pérez. In Spain, every citizen’s ID includes both surnames—usually the father’s first, the mother’s second. In most cases, it is that of the mother’s which is left in second place. And like most things placed second, it […]
It starts with a story. Two teenage girls in a quiet suburban house whisper about a cursed videotape—one that kills anyone who watches it seven days after viewing. They laugh, half-believing, half-scared, until one admits she’s already seen it. That night, the curse keeps its promise. I first saw “The Ring” in high school and […]
“Do the readings.” I open Canvas to see what my assigned reading is for the week. A 35-page research paper, a chapter from a book written in 19th-century jargon, and a seemingly endless textbook excerpt on convoluted theory. Professors, TFs, upperclassmen, even Dean Amanda Claybaugh in the freshman training modules, repeat this mantra: “Do the […]
Once again, the time of the year has snuck up on me: it’s October—or, as it’s esoterically translated in German, Oktober—and that means it’s time for Oktoberfest (literally “October Festival,” another toughie to figure out). Now a college sophomore, it’s been two years since I’ve celebrated Oktoberfest in Germany with friends. While I haven’t shuffled […]