Review: A Night of Strauss
A Love Letter to the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra.
As the first movement of the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO) “A Night of Strauss” performance concluded, a lonely, misplaced clap from an enthusiastic concertgoer echoed through Sanders Theater. Clapping between movements is commonly frowned upon, but this spectator evidently lost themselves in the music. They weren’t the only one. O[1] ffstage trumpet fanfare battled the onstage orchestra. […]
A Slice of Bread, a Dill Pickle, and a Grape.
How the TikTok trend “Girl Dinner” is both feminist and anti-feminist.
We’re tired, we’re hungry, and we want food. To respond to these classic urges, female social media creators artistically craft their combination of leftover chicken, carrots, and bread and posting it on TikTok under #girldinner. The Girl Dinner trend, in showcasing nontraditional and arguably incoherent dinners, has unveiled a fine line between promoting disordered eating […]
Empowering & Accessible: The Climate Fresk Workshop
The discussion surrounding the causes and consequences of man-made climate change has made its way to Harvard’s campus.
Considering the dull, repetitive way in which the threats of climate change are often presented in academic settings, it should be no surprise that many students are tired and disillusioned by the climate change crisis. Professors and textbooks often portray climate change as either unfathomably large or highly complex, and this can drain our motivation […]
The SAG-AFTRA Strike
Student Actors and Filmmakers Hit Hard.
“For a lot of people, this is their full-time job. This is their career. And to have it leaked that one of the studio executives said,‘We’re going to make them strike until they start losing their housing,’…I think it’s just absolutely mindblowing,” said sophomore actress Kathleen Benson ’26. Benson stars as the lead actress in […]
The Heart of Harvard
From dining hall cooks to mailroom employees , the success of Harvard relies on its staff.
Each day, Harvard students rely on the school’s vast support resources to help them navigate campus life. Without the employees behind programs like Securitas, Harvard Yard Operations, and Harvard University Information Technology, this school, quite literally, would not operate. Harvard University Dining Services keeps us fed, the Harvard University Police Department protects our safety, and […]
Rebuilding the Ivory Tower
The inauguration of President Gay moves Harvard toward a new age of diverse thought and inclusivity.
A sea of plastic ponchos and soaked umbrellas swarmed Tercentenary Theatre on Friday, September 29th, as students, faculty, and alumni huddled under the downpour for the inauguration of President Claudine Gay. Attendees braved numerous bag and ID checks and waded through a muddy Harvard Yard all to hear the words of their university’s new leader. […]
From Crisis to Community
When natural disaster strikes, Harvard students mobilize for Libya and Morocco despite silence.
“This is a tragedy, but it is not the end of the story,” Wasan Rafat ’27 exclaimed to a crowd that gathered around the steps of Memorial Church to mourn the over 10,000 recent victims of Morocco’s recent 6.8 magnitude earthquake and Libya’s devastating floods. The vigil on Tuesday, September 26th, was a joint effort […]
Party Hard, or Hardly a Party?
International students shine some light—or throw some shade—on the Harvard party scene.
The expectation: Pitch Perfect, American Pie, Superbad. Frat bros standing over kegs. Packed dorm parties. Loud American music. The reality: “kinda awkward,” “not enough dancing,” “why are people so stinky,” and “no more Pepas, please!” Despite being warned by friends and family or social media that Cambridge party life wasn’t all that, and that Harvard […]
Getting In: Not the Hardest Part
Harvard students may not get frat flu, but imposter syndrome spreads like a virus.
Why did I get into Harvard? It’s the question that plagues every admitted high school senior and new Harvard first-year. Everyone remembers Ivy Day: every nerve in your body awake, hands shaking as you typed in your portal password, involuntarily screaming at the sight of confetti. But soon, the initial shock wears off, and you’re […]
I am More than My Sob Story
Students should not be pressured to exploit their pain in college applications.
I am haunted by a lineage of four words: You are your trauma. My mom died a week into my senior year of high school. As I approached and navigated the chaos of the college admissions process, my whole world was fractured. Between drafts and drafts of varying personal statements, everyone around me seemed to […]
Harvard’s Poisoned Heart
Inside Harvard Square’s multi-decade architectural identity crisis.
During our time serving as archivists for the Independent, we have had the opportunity to read and reflect on many past pieces. The Indy continues to serve as a place where counterculture opinions are not only accepted, but encouraged. While there are no longer half-page advertisements, entire sections of jokes, or numerous local news stories, […]
