“We Real Cool”
Reflections on the Black Arts Collective’s coming of age.
Founded by friends in 2021 out of freshman-year jam sessions, the Harvard Black Arts Collective is still coming of age. For the 2024 fall semester, Comp Directors Helena Hudlin ’27, Najya Gause ’26, Santi Kelly ’26, and I welcomed the largest comp class to date into our fold. Despite our recent establishment, this comp class […]
Spring 2025: What’s on at the HRDC?
A preview of the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s spring 2025 theater season.
At the beginning of every semester, the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC), Harvard’s primary undergraduate theater organization, announces the productions that will take the stage across Harvard’s theaters. This semester, the HRDC has announced an exciting mix of original student work and established productions that students can audition for, staff, or mark in their calendars as […]
Looking Beyond the Flames
Investigating the latent issues and heartbreaking toll on Harvard students from the Los Angeles wildfires.
Three days before the fires, Los Angeles and the surrounding area were idyllic. The Daily Pilot, an Orange County newspaper, even featured an article about the wintry beauty of Laguna Beach on its front page. However, on Jan. 7, fierce winds and a region parched from drought combined to create one of the most devastating […]
College Without Crossing the River
Why some Harvard varsity athletes quit their sport.
Playing Division I sports is an aspiration for many high school athletes, and a common narrative is using college to pursue sports rather than academics and bask in the glory of a full-ride scholarship. However, at Ivy League Schools, all registered in the NCAA Division I, athletes do not receive athletic scholarships. Harvard athletes choose […]
Trump Returns to Office
Harvard students react to President Trump’s second inauguration.
President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term on Jan. 20 inside the Capitol Rotunda, making him the second person in American history to serve two nonconsecutive terms as chief executive. Following a contentious and unprecedented election season, Trump narrowly won the national popular vote—the first Republican presidential candidate to do so since […]
Indy Sportsbook: Ins and Outs of Betting
Bets we are leaving behind in 2025 and ones we’re eyeing for the coming year.
With the start of a new year, many of us are setting goals and making resolutions—so why not extend that mindset to sports betting? Whether you are a seasoned bettor or casual gambler, 2025 is the perfect time to refine your approach. It is time to embrace strategies that maximize value and leave behind the […]
The 92 Report: Harvard Then & Now
Will Bachman ’92 is on a mission to interview every member of the Harvard and Radcliffe Class of 1992.
“So, tell me about your journey since graduating from Harvard.” Each episode of Will Bachman ’92’s podcast, The 92 Report, kicks off the same way—but from there, Bachman lets his guests take the reins and lets the conversation flow organically. The 92 Report, which first debuted in February 2022, follows Will Bachman as he speaks […]
The Enduring Attack on DEI
The Trump administration issues an executive order committed to rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
In his first week back in office, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the executive branch and the broader United States. From anti-bias training to federal funding for minority farmers and homeowners, Trump’s order effectively dismantles such programs from all aspects of the federal […]
The Fragile Reality of “Ceasefire Now”
Momentary peace amidst the Israel-Hamas war.
Jan. 19 marked the first day of a long-anticipated ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war that began over 15 months ago. The attack on Oct. 7, 2023 left 1,200 Israelis dead and over 240 captured by Hamas. Since then, more than 45,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel’s retaliation, along with hundreds more […]
Diversity on Trial
Experts offer their thoughts on the sharp decline in Black student enrollment in Harvard Law School’s JD Class of 2027.
Harvard Law School’s mission statement offers a glimpse at the central tenets of the institution’s academic experience: “The unique strength of our community is that it brings together, from around the world, so many exceptionally talented people of different backgrounds, lived experiences, interests, ambitions, approaches, methodologies, and perspectives.” However, after the number of Black enrollees […]
MBTA: A Chapter of Renewal
Boston’s public transit system is receiving its much-needed improvements.
Boston is a world-class city. Each year, the city receives around 23 million tourists, along with people moving from all over the world to Boston to get an education, advance their careers, and build their lives. Yet, for years, the city has struggled with a subpar transit system—the MBTA, or simply “the T.” Don’t get […]
My First Letter From The Editor: The Power of the Pen
Editor-in-Chief Layla Chaaraoui ’26 on the influence of journalism and learning to listen.
I had a plan before arriving on campus. I had read the horror stories about joining too many clubs or getting caught up in the Harvard “bubble.” In my notes app, I kept a list of the organizations I was eager to join after hours of research—Expressions Dance Company, the Institute of Politics, and WHRB […]
The War on Truth
How artificial intelligence fuels the machine of misinformation and propaganda.
“Beta, did you hear the news? As of February 2025, working from home is going to be banned!” exclaimed my dadima, my paternal grandmother, visibly worried as she clutched the stairway. “How are people going to keep their jobs?” I looked at my sister—she looked back at me—and we both nearly keeled over laughing. Clutching […]
Dedans ou Dehors?: The Ins and Outs of Study Abroad
How I plan to make the most out of my four months in Paris.
While riding in a taxi to the airport two weeks ago, I felt a mix of apprehension and a need for contemplation. I was simultaneously reflecting on an adventure-filled winter break and fall semester and forecasting my next semester in Paris. I jotted down a list of ins and outs in anticipation of this article, […]
What We’re Watching
A list of book, show, and movie recommendations from the Harvard Independent staff.
The past month has been filled with long-awaited releases across the publishing and film industries. Like the majority of college students over winter recess, the staff of the Harvard Independent took full advantage of our Canvas-free lull by diving into such binge-worthy narratives. Now that the start of spring semester and the inevitable need for […]
From Rejection to Rapture
2Hollis electrifies the Boston crowd in a sold-out Paradise Rock Club show.
Through a haze of flashing strobe lights and pounding bass, 2Hollis burst onto the stage at Paradise Rock Club on Jan. 24 to the deafening screams of a sold-out crowd. The 933-person venue, packed with teenagers and young adults in Opium-inspired all-black oversized outfits, teemed with excitement for the 21-year-old singer, rapper, and producer. For […]
Jules Sanders’s 2025 Ins and Outs
The only 2025 in-and-out list you need to read.
For the past month, countless people have come to me asking for my personal 2025 in-and-out list. As the CEO of Good Taste, I knew my peers would inevitably levee this responsibility—nay, burden— onto me. Never one to disappoint those counting on me, I’ve worked diligently to compile the comprehensive index below. Embrace each “in” […]