Indy Sportsbook: Betting on Boston
Last time I took to this column, I was discussing the ins and outs of March Madness, the annual NCAA basketball tournament. While I did correctly guess several outcomes of various games, the tournament is largely unpredictable due to its one-game nature. This contrasts with the playoff structure of professional sports, which are played in […]
The “Favorable” Physique
“We have reached a point where it is unrealistic and unhealthy to have a standard for what the … body is supposed to look like.” Modern standards for size and body types have overarching negative effects on body image throughout society at large. Certain beauty standards disproportionately affect different populations; one demographic affected in a […]
Finding Meaning in Disappointment
In those first weeks of freshman fall, Harvard’s name felt exhilarating coming out of my mouth. With every new friend made over a meal in Annenberg and each discovery of a secret corner on campus, I felt like an enthusiastic visitor to a place I now got to call my new home. Yet with each […]
Visitas for Dummies
At Harvard, the social dynamic between first-years and upperclassmen is stark. Compared to other universities, this culture of first-year-isolation is deeply embedded—first-years all live together in the yard and eat every meal in the same dining hall, upperclassmen are seldom found at majority first-year parties, and most organization structures strictly separate new compers from staff […]
Life’s a Jump Ball
Thirteen years ago, McKenzie Forbes ’23 joined the Folsom Force, a tornado of tiny sneakers, flailing limbs, and wild enthusiasm. This third-grade basketball team, coached by their mom Sasha, was one of many vibrant communities that formed the player and person Forbes is today. As we marvel at the transformation of Harvard Women’s Basketball this […]
Review: Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd
Captivating audiences with her unique brand of dreamy, vintage-inspired pop music since the release of her debut album in 2010, Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is a testament to her growth as an artist and an exploration of new sonic landscapes. With flashy, seductive songs like “Peppers” […]
In April
Yesterday I thought that I’d take the bus, yet I dreaded balancing the two luggage bags, both Plastered to my side. After deciding To stay, reluctant but certain, I now sit in the simmering Elbow of my crumpled bed, neck folded and head Hunched. Goblets of sleet line the windowsill. There’s a woman outside—hair sorted […]
Ukraine: One Year Later
Roughly one year ago, Putin announced an impending “special military operation.” The 5am declaration warned that Moscow would soon invade, fracturing the post-World War Two European peace and undermining the liberal international order. Just over a year after Russia’s unprovoked and illegitimate invasion, the Kremlin has perpetuated the bloodiest conflict in Europe since WW2. The […]
Better Half
you put me on the floor of my childhood room ripping same scrap of paper over and over infinitely—smaller—halves shred this not your insides stacked stapled collated feel the heft of unity defiled finger its edges every fault, you confirm that you can hold my battered wholeness but will never put together again.Olivia Pasquerella ’26 […]
Racism in Writing
Donald Yacovone’s research has led him to argue an unconventional conclusion: the northern part of the United States, not the south, has had a larger role in keeping alive racist ideologies and producing texts which perpetuate racism. “The most damaging volumes were written by northerners,” he said. Yacovone, author of “Teaching White Supremacy: America’s Democratic […]
Beginning (ஆரம்பம்)
On March 25, fashion designer Smriti Somasundaram ’26 made her debut at Andaaz, Harvard South Asian Association’s annual fashion show. Somasundaram is the first student designer to be featured on the Andaaz runway in the event’s decade-long history, crafting two pieces especially for the event. Somasundaram titled her line ஆரம்பம், or Arambam, meaning “beginning” in […]
Broken Beauty: Trauma and Creativity
On Monday, April 4th, Mikel Jollett joined Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience Charles A. Nelson III for an informal fireside chat on “Trauma and Creativity.” With the presence of a rockstar, the wisdom of an academic, and the caution of a survivor, Jollett shared his story. With every word he spoke, he was strikingly honest—and […]
Who Is Fez?
To put it simply, Fez Zafar is both a jack of all trades, and a man with a lot of phone numbers. A junior at Harvard College who prides himself in his ability to use humor to bring people together on campus, Zafar has spearheaded on-campus initiatives from junior assassins, On Harvard Time, and unique […]