Roommate Roulette
The moment that defined my freshman year was not move-in day—it was a late July sweaty afternoon. Arriving at a babysitting gig drenched in sweat from my 30-block walk to Union Square, I had known that it was the day our freshman rooming assignments were supposed to be released. But it was already 3:50 p.m., […]
The T-Swift Effect: New Heights Edition
It finally happened: Taylor Swift made her first-ever guest appearance on the “New Heights” podcast. Hosted by NFL tight end Travis Kelce and his future Hall of Fame brother, Jason Kelce, sports fans and “Swifties” alike have long awaited this momentous occasion since Taylor and Travis were first seen together in public in September 2023. […]
Columbia and Harvard Students Respond to Recent University Settlements
Three weeks ago, Columbia University announced a $221 million settlement with the Trump administration to resolve alleged violations of anti-discrimination laws and restore research funding. The deal followed months of tension between the federal government and higher education institutions—and may suggest that peer institutions are reaching similar agreements. With the fall semester approaching, post-secondary education […]
Elite Universities Weigh the Costs of Settlement With the Trump Administration
After months of resistance against the federal government, Harvard University may soon reach a settlement with the Trump administration. Reports of these deliberations come just weeks after Brown University and Columbia University agreed to settlements to restore withheld federal funding. Persistent funding cuts to post-secondary academic institutions nationwide now total between $6.9 and $8.2 billion. […]
A Year of Cuts: Harvard and Columbia’s Federal Funding Fight
Over the past year, Harvard University and Columbia University have stood at the center of a high-stakes fight with the federal government. Beginning in January 2025 following President Trump’s inauguration, both schools saw major funding streams frozen or pulled as the Trump administration tightened its grip on federal research expenditures. What followed: months of canceled […]
Pre-Orientation Leadership Profile: FOP
On Aug. 18, pre-freshmen began moving into the Yard for one of Harvard College’s six pre-orientation programs: First-Year Retreat and Experience, First-Year Arts Program, First-Year Outdoor Program, First-Year Urban Program, First-Year International Program, and Leadership Institute for the First-Year Experience. Designed to build connections between incoming students, upperclassmen, and the Harvard community, the ‘pre-frosh’ programming […]
How Stanford Has Escaped Trump’s War on Higher Ed
As the White House escalated its pressure campaign on Harvard and other Ivy League universities this past academic year, many of us at Stanford braced ourselves for similar scrutiny, wondering when our school would draw the Trump administration’s ire. So far, those anxieties have mostly gone unrealized. Stanford has remained outside the national spotlight, avoiding […]
Avoid the Building with My Family’s Name
The Riesman Center for Harvard Hillel was once my refuge. As a struggling undergraduate, I found comfort there, and not because my family’s name was chiseled into its edifice. I was welcomed at its dinners, warmed by its community, and guided by leaders who seemed to genuinely care about a better Jewish future. But today, […]
Thoughts from New Quincy: Dead Ends of Consensus
I still remember the first time I stayed silent in section—watching the moment slip by until someone else jumped in with a safer, more polished thought. That pause felt small then, but it lingers now, as LFDOC photos flood my Instagram feed and I step into the rhythm of “last firsts.” It makes me reflect […]
How to Stay Abreast: Sadie’s Senior Year Suggestions
Hey Shitstains, What a whirlwind it has been since we last spoke! For new readers, I went abroad to Paris last semester, and I won’t shut up about it. I traveled across Europe, met incredible people (including Harry Styles), had my apartment robbed, and finished the term a die-hard Francophile. So where does that leave […]
Satisfyingly (Mostly) Sober Summer
This summer, riding the high of an intoxicating spring semester, I decided to take a much-needed T-break. I stopped drinking, tossed out the substances stashed beneath my childhood bed, and committed to being the designated driver for boozy high-school reunions. But, as a reward for my sober pledge, I would allow myself one reprieve: my […]
The Literary Making of Robert Darnton
Robert Darnton ’60 was educated at Oxford University (B. Phil., 1962; D. Phil., 1964), where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He served as Director of the Harvard University Library from 2007 to 2016 and now continues his research on the history of books, publishers, censors, booksellers, writers, and readers in eighteenth-century France from his office […]
À La Annenberg
Ah, Annenberg Hall, the memories—and odd smells—you hold. Despite residing within the disappointing realities of the disenchanting Muggle world, the outspoken comparisons of Berg’s architecture to that of Hogwarts are not far off, as the historic hall certainly holds a palpable magic of its own. As an undeniable landmark to the first-year experience at Harvard, […]
To Bring, or Not to Bring
Just a year ago, I was scrambling to make sure I had packed everything I would need for my first year at Harvard. Despite countless checks and rearrangements of my parents’ car before our drive from Hebron, KY to Cambridge, the effort proved fruitless—I had package after package of forgotten items arriving at the mailing […]
Singles Stars and Doubles Drama: The Reimagined U.S. Open’s Mixed Doubles Championship
In a bold reformatting of the traditional championship, the 2025 U.S. Open aimed to bring the mixed doubles tournament to center stage (and center court) in a condensed two-day event held during Fan Week. With shortened sets and a $1 million prize hanging in the balance, singles stars entered the field, many in their debut […]
