Visitas Welcomes Class of 2030 Admitted Students to Harvard Campus
On Sunday, April 26, Harvard College welcomed over 1,300 admitted students and their family members to campus for two days of the annual Visitas admitted-students weekend. Programming gave prospective undergraduates insight into life at the College through the Visitas Academic Fair, club and departmental info sessions, overnight stays with current students, and attending classes for […]
The Slow Dismantling of the Department of Education
On April 22, Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics’ John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum hosted a conversation between Margaret Spellings, the U.S. Secretary of Education under President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2009, and John King ’96, the U.S. Secretary of Education from 2016 to 2017. The forum was moderated by Virginia Secretary of […]
Sarah Lewis Shapes Narratives
I met with Professor Sarah Lewis ’01 over Zoom, anxiously prepared to make the most of the 45 minutes I’d managed to secure in her busy schedule. Sitting in her History of Art and Architecture class, “Unseen Black Art,” last semester, always left me with a lasting impression of her attention to detail—evident in her […]
To Be Seen
“It’s one thing to be looked at, and another to be seen.” These words come from Caleb Azumah Nelson’s “Open Water” and speak to a question I’ve found myself grappling with this semester. What does it mean to be seen? I have a running bit with some of my close friends where, if we spot […]
Study Abroad in The Quad: A New Harvard Tradition
Every Housing Day, Harvard College witnesses a wide array of emotions from first-year students. After receiving news of their future dormitories from upperclassmen, some leap for joy, while others break down crying. This disparity often arises from one location in particular: the Radcliffe Quadrangle, affectionately known as the “Quad,” not the River. Located on or […]
The Official “Harvard Independent” Guide to Rainy Days
I’m sure most of us are familiar with the iconic children’s song: “It’s raining, it’s pouring, the old man is snoring.” How did you spend your rainy days when you were in elementary school? Did you abhor them and resign yourself to staying in bed like the old man from the classic nursery rhyme? Or […]
Exploring American Hometowns: Dear Chicago
A SoundCloud remix of Frank Sinatra’s “My Kind of Town” bellows out of the car’s stereo as we barrel down Lake Shore Drive. We speed south, maneuvering through congested city lanes. Time feels briefly arrested. Across the windshield, I can only see fuzzy streams of red car lights, apartment stoops, and skyscraper windows. The headlights […]
Aesthetic Nostalgia in “Singin’ in the Rain”
It seems like the best time to live is always the past. Romanticizing the aesthetics of bygone days happens in every culture, every year. “Singin’ in the Rain,” one of the most beloved films of the 20th century, is no exception to this nostalgia. What often goes forgotten is that “Singin’ in the Rain” is […]
Soundtrack of Violence
In the 1952 movie musical “Singin’ in the Rain,” protagonist Don Lockwood tap dances down the dark New York City streets in the pouring rain after escorting his love interest, Kathy Selden, to her door and kissing her goodnight. Overcome by joy at their budding relationship, he discards his umbrella, opting to embrace the downpour […]
When the Rain Stops Looking Like the Movies
On rainy days growing up, my family and I would cuddle up on the sofa under a pile of blankets, make a cozy cup of tea, and turn on our favorite comforting romantic comedies. By the time the credits rolled, the storm would have subsided, and my face would always be soaked with tears of […]
Vermin
In the early morn, she flutters down the damp walk, Looking for her writhing, sodden breakfast: a worm Dispelled from its home, flooded from the pelting rain— Easy pickings when they have no place to return; She nibbles at the granite, probes through dewy blades, And gobbles each bug for her baby bird back home. […]
Uneven Playing Field: The Gender Wage Gap in Sports
In Jan. 2023, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Cantwell-Capito Act into law, guaranteeing equal pay for women on Team USA ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics. It was hailed as a landmark victory and a turning point for gendered wage disparities among athletes. But progress in one area does not reflect the whole picture: […]
Two Titles and Counting
When Ella Schneider ’26 scored in the fourth sudden-death period to give Harvard an 8-7 win over Princeton in the 2026 CWPA Championship, the Crimson became the first program in school history to win back-to-back conference titles. The game had taken four quarters, two overtime periods, and four sudden-death frames to decide. Under head coach […]