Exploring the Role of TFs at Harvard
Harvard has long prided itself on its ability to foster intellectual curiosity and excellence among its students. However, this ambitious educational undertaking inevitably requires an extensive faculty. Among this robust staff are teaching fellows. Both professors and undergraduates appreciate the instrumental role that these instructors—known by students as TFs—play in educating the student body, but […]
A Love Letter to The Humanities
In practically every finance internship interview, I’m asked some variation of the same question—why Art History? I’ve come to understand art history as the history of culture: how we creatively express ourselves, respond to the world around us, and protest. Art is constantly in conversation with itself; artists revisiting and reinventing themes, variations, and […]
When Will the Ivory Tower Speak Again?
On the morning of March 8, federal agents entered a Columbia University-owned apartment and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student, campus activist, and lawful U.S. resident. Officials cited unspecified national security concerns, stripping his green card and transferring him to an ICE facility in Louisiana, without trial. No formal charges were announced. The detention […]
Semicolons
Editors’ note: this narrative contains graphic depictions of suicide and self-harm that could be triggering for some individuals. If you are having thoughts of suicide, or are concerned that someone you know may be, please reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or text HOME to 741741 for support. […]
Harvard’s Very Own Battle of the Bands
Though Harvard is known for its academic excellence, students have proven their talents span across disciplines. For one, there are many skilled student musical groups on campus, and each spring, they come to the stage at Harvard’s annual Battle for Yardfest. Yardfest is a concert hosted by Harvard’s College Events Board where student performers showcase […]
Technically Speaking
On a brisk Friday afternoon, after exiting Harvard Yard, we had the opportunity to see the Harvard Art Museums’ new exhibit, “Edvard Munch: Technically Speaking,” on its opening day. The experience felt like more than a casual weekend stroll through a gallery; it was a journey through a man’s fractured and perhaps disturbed psyche, stretched […]
Higher Education’s Fiscal Crisis
$53.2 billion. $22.3 billion. $14.8 billion. These are the respective endowments for fiscal year 2024 of Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University. Collectively, the eight Ivy League schools’ endowments exceed $185 billion. While these robust provisions are paramount in supporting student financial aid, faculty salaries, research, and other university programs, federal funding […]
Ode To The Residents of the Charles River
I walk along the river, wondering how the great poets claimed to love and how I might write this unordinary love letter. The idea of mimicking Shakespeare seems futile and unprepared. My mind momentarily errs as if to stop my aimless wandering, meeting me with a moment of clarity. Suddenly, I no longer remember where […]
From Studio to Showcase
From March 28 to March 30, about 20 Harvard students will display more than 50 original artworks, including photography, watercolors, acrylics, ceramics, basket weaving, and other mediums, at Harvard’s Office for the Arts Student Art Gallery. This pop-up exhibition in the main OFA offices will showcase artwork from both undergraduate and graduate students, celebrating the […]
Stand With Her: A Call to Action at Harvard’s Institute of Politics
The Institute of Politics celebrated International Women’s Day with a conversation centered on the #StandWithHer movement, a global initiative inspired by the Academy Award-winning film “To Kill a Tiger.” Held on March 11, the event spotlighted stories of resilience, gender justice, and the role of solidarity in addressing gender-based violence. The panel brought together voices […]
How Mad is March, Really?
Every March, millions of Americans dive into brackets, search for Cinderella stories, and brace for the chaos of the NCAA Division I basketball tournament. Affectionately known as “March Madness,” buzzer-beaters, bracket-busters, and No. 15 seeds knocking off Blue Bloods are the heart and soul of the spectacle. But, let’s take a timeout. Is March really […]
I’m NEON Green
As an Android user, I stick out like a neon green bubble in a sea of blue. If you’re in a group chat with me, then yes—I’m the one making them green (oops!). Don’t poke fun at me, though; this is a monumental confession. Back in middle school, when we first discovered the joys of […]
Indy Sportsbook: March Madness Part II
While some chose to spend their last precious days of spring break lying on a beach or battling the Sunday scaries, others were glued to their computer with a multi-view of the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament, also known as “March Madness.” Thus far, all of our Sportbook picks are still dancing, yet our underdogs […]
A Controversial Future Looking at Harvard’s Complicated Past
More focus than ever is being cast on Harvard’s diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives as universities across the country, such as Columbia and Johns Hopkins, face crackdowns due to external government pressure. So, when Harvard itself laid off all 12 internal members of the Harvard Slavery Remembrance Program this past January, many were surprised and […]
Thoughts from New Quincy: The Death of Counterculture
Every few weeks, the Independent hears a quieter kind of silence: a writer backs out. “I started drafting something, but I’m not sure I want my name on it anymore.” I feel a pang of sadness with each of these withholdings. These hesitations do not always stem from controversial exposés or radical manifestos—often, they’re thoughtful […]
Making English Official: A Blow to America’s Diversity
“This order designates English as the official language of the United States.” —Exec. Order No. 14224. With President Donald Trump’s reelection, many anticipated sweeping changes to American life. From economic policies to foreign relations, the United States was poised for a dramatic transformation—whether for better or worse. In early March, the administration made a bold […]
China Bowls
On the left side of my mother’s kitchen, a cabinet is filled with mismatched china bowls. At family dinners, we all eat from different portion sizes, but through second helpings, we somehow eat the same amount of rice and chicken. Usually, I use a white china bowl, its rim lined with a blue pattern, and […]
Dispatch from New Jersey
The Nass was founded in 1979 as an outlet for alternative, creative, and journalistic pieces. Below are a series of short essays by members of the magazine’s upper masthead that meditate on counterculture and the role of alternative publications on college campuses. … When thinking about the role of counterculture, there are a series of […]
A Broad, Abroad: Between Constants and Cafés
On Housing Day my sophomore year, as I walked into Eliot Dining Hall for an enhanced dinner, I was greeted with the smells of lobster ravioli and fresh apple crisp and the excited energy of new and old Eliotites mingling for the first time. Little did I know that this space in my new House […]
Beyond the Headlines: The Real Costs of Slashing USAID Funding
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump announced that his administration would cut over 90% of the US Agency for International Development’s foreign aid contracts and reduce overall U.S. assistance worldwide by $60 billion. Since then, headlines have captured the widespread shock among international development agencies, as many critical programs face funding cuts, directly impacting those […]
Abreast on Abroad: Letter Three
Hey chicas, Happy Spring to those who celebrate, and happy it’s-still-fifty-degrees to those already wearing jorts. In this week’s letter, I tell a rather sad tale—with an optimistic, dare I say even happy, ending. When I first came to Paris, I aspired to be a little more Jane Birkin and a little less Emily-in-Paris. While […]