News
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 in […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Forum
Un Cambio de Aires: A Solo Weekend in Madrid
What I learned on my first weekend trip away from Paris.
More often than not, I love spontaneity. However, a weekend getaway spontaneously becoming my first-ever solo trip was not the type of spontaneity I typically embrace. As a person who “doesn’t usually seek out alone time,” I was about to embark on a four-day weekend in Madrid, Spain completely on my own. I confronted this […]
Tunes and Touchdowns
Kendrick Lamar’s halftime performance was a powerful homage to culture and society.
This year, for the first time in my life, I voluntarily tuned into the Super Bowl. I am probably the furthest one can get from a football fan, but after days of listening to the frequent murmurs of excitement that Kendrick Lamar would be taking the stage during halftime, I decided it would be worthwhile […]
Love as Defiance: Celebrating Valentine’s Day in 2025 Amid Political Uncertainty
How acts of love are serving as resistance in a time of divisive politics.
As I sit cross-legged on my common room sofa, it’s hard not to notice the vibrant Valentine’s Day decorations adorning each corner of the room—strings of heart-shaped “Be Mine” notes and pink tissue paper are draped across the walls. But as I settle into the room, the ambiance is interrupted by the abrasive comments of […]
Point/Counterpoint: Should You Take “Gems?”
A discussion on how students’ perceptions of gems reflect a broader academic mindset.
At Harvard, the term “gems” is used by students to describe courses that, like a gemstone, are desirable to all: minimal work for an easy A. With a hungering survival instinct to maintain the highest possible GPA, it is no wonder that Harvard students might prefer the easiest classes. Often, students turn to General Education […]
Point/Counterpoint: What’s Your “Type?”
A point/counterpoint on hand-writing versus typing notes.
Kate: I refuse to take notes on paper in class. The moment I walk into any lecture, my bag hits the ground and I quickly open my computer. My Google Drive tab is already pulled up, and within seconds, I create a new document in its assigned folder and begin pre-formatting the page. On the […]
Thoughts from New Quincy: A New GOAT
An examination of why Future is the greatest rapper of all time.
Last March in “Family Matters,” Drake infamously said, “Kendrick just opened his mouth, someone go hand him a Grammy,” during their back-and-forth diss tracks. When the Grammys rolled around, Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” won five Grammys, including awards for both song and music video. While “Not Like Us” was widely praised, Drake’s comment raises […]
Arts
Hamm Sandwich
Hasty Pudding Theatricals honors actor Jon Hamm with their 2025 Man of the Year award.
You might be surprised by the abundant similarities between Jon Hamm and a pound of deli ham, but according to Bernardo Sequeira ’26, they do not share one thing: an Oscar win. On Friday, Jan. 31, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals (HPT) honored actor Jon Hamm with their prestigious Man of the Year award. During the […]
“Foreigners Everywhere:” A Weekend at the Venice Biennale
Rotting fruit, chalkboard walls, and a heavily beaded punching bag.
Walls of glass beads, each colored strand hugging the next as they hang from the ceiling. A pile of rotting fruit on a wooden desk, connected by long wires to speakers emanating a low and melodic hum. In a room that’s all chalkboard, names link in a never-ending tree stretching from floor to ceiling. A […]
A Night of Enchantment with Cendrillon
Harvard College Opera brings a Cinderella story to the Agassiz Theater stage.
As the first week of classes concluded, many Harvard students made their way to the Agassiz Theater to experience the magic of a night at the opera. The original “Cendrillon,” a Cinderella story and French opera, was composed by Jules Massenet from 1894-1896 before its premiere in the National Opera-Comique in Paris in 1899, with […]
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” […]
Sports
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 […]
Indy Sportsbook: Football’s Winding Down
A few NFL predictions with playoffs are on the horizon.
The days are getting shorter, the temperature is getting colder, and as the end of the year approaches, this can mean only one thing—NFL playoffs are almost here. With the Wild-Card round commencing on Jan. 11, 2025, we have little over a month before some of the most exciting (and coincidentally, most “bet-table”) football is […]
Sports Spotlight: Women’s Rugby
A look into one of the most dominant sports teams on Harvard’s campus.
Harvard women’s rugby has become a consistently dominant Crimson program in recent history. In the last five years, they have won the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association DI Championships in 2019, 2023, and now 2024, and are currently the defending national champions for rugby sevens. This past weekend, while most undergraduates were busy at the long-awaited […]
Sports Spotlight: Leo Li
A glimpse into the life of Harvard football’s newest walk-on.
Collegiate sports are a true testament to athletic ability and lifelong dedication to a singular sport. Summer training camps, recruiting events, and highlight reels are an arduous reality for many American teenagers set on actualizing their dreams of receiving a D1 offer. However, raised in Beijing, immersed in a completely different environment than that of […]
The Game: A Storied Legacy
Steeped in history, the Harvard-Yale game is one of the oldest collegiate athletic events.
“It’s The Game, Rory,” Paris says to Rory in anguish, across a Yale dining hall table. Rory Gilmore, a Yale student who is unfamiliar with the Harvard-Yale game, attends The Game with the Gilmore family in “Ted Koppel’s Big Night Out”—Season 4, Episode 9 of the series Gilmore Girls. Richard and Emily Gilmore, Rory’s grandparents, […]
The Game Beyond the Gridiron
A recap of the previous Harvard-Yale matchups across other sports.
The Game is finally upon us, or at least the American football version. While many will consider this the most important and anticipated game of the year for both schools, this is just one installment of the many matchups between the two rivals thus far. From the track to the ice and beyond, our Harvard […]