News
HESMA Results Released
Results from Harvard’s Student Survey on Sexual Misconduct and Awareness (HEMSA) demonstrate University progress alongside room for improvement.
“We have more work to do,” President Alan Garber ’76 wrote, describing the results of the 2024 Higher Education Sexual Misconduct and Awareness (HESMA) survey in an Oct. 21 message to the Harvard community. Conducted in April, the survey polled 10 universities and gathered responses from 8,439 Harvard undergraduates and graduates, representing 35.1% of the […]
Cambridge’s Spooky Secrets
The ghostly figures lurking right outside your dorm.
Cambridge may seem like it’s just a residential town with students. Coffee shops, merchandise stores, and restaurants decorate every corner. However, Cambridge’s history extends far beyond its current bustling tourism and vibrant street life. If you’re looking for a haunted Halloween this year, look no further than the city bounds. Founded in 1630, Cambridge has […]
The Harvard Students who Vote Socialist
Harvard undergraduates have organized a new student group to promote the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s platform and Claudia De la Cruz’s presidential candidacy.
Harvard Vote Socialist, a political organization founded on campus this September, has quickly mobilized a portion of Harvard undergraduate students to campaign for Claudia De la Cruz and Karina Garcia, the 2024 presidential and vice-presidential candidates running on the Party of Socialism and Liberation (PSL) ticket. The PSL, a left-wing anti-capitalist political party founded in […]
Where Does Harvard Swing?
Polls from Harvard’s swing state voters reflect the political diversity on campus compared to the rest of the country.
Election night is less than two weeks away. With seven swing states on track to decide November’s results, students from Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin will play a significant role in determining the nation’s president for the next four years. While Harvard consciously tries to have geographic diversity in each admitted […]
“We’re Not Going Back”
A profile on Harvard Students for Harris and their promotion of Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign.
“Personal freedoms.” “Access to education.” “Affordable healthcare.” Three Harvard students voiced reasons for supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in the upcoming 2024 presidential election in a reel on the Harvard Students for Harris Instagram. Originally known as Harvard for Biden in 2020 and again in 2024, Harvard Students for Harris was officially rebranded by co-presidents […]
In The News: The Independent’s 2024 Political Survey
Results from the Independent’s political survey of 391 undergraduates.
For our 2024 Political Issue, the Independent surveyed Harvard College undergraduates on their political beliefs and feelings towards the upcoming presidential election. Over a two-day period, we received 391 varying responses. Note that all questions were anonymous and optional, so not all 391 respondents answered every question. Demographics The survey received an almost even split […]
Forum
Ten Features Instagram Should Implement
A fool-proof way to make social media even more toxic.
Each social media platform simultaneously plays imitator and innovator to keep the position of people’s favorite app. Improvements to Instagram’s algorithm make my reel feed more entertaining, but Meta’s data has so much untapped potential. Instagram can track and share more data than users could ever possibly need. Imagine if Meta capitalized on it. Yet, […]
Bring Back the Trick
Revisiting a childhood tradition at the start of adulthood.
Trick or treat, smell my feet, give me something good to eat! Some readers may read this little jingle with a bit of confusion or even disgust, but for me, this jingle takes me back to elementary school, to the gummy smiles of chocolate-stained faces and the crinkle of cheap polyester costumes. Trick or treat. […]
From Watching The News To Living In It
The international student experience of living in the U.S. during an election period.
Tensions run high every four years in every corner of the U.S. during election season. In the months leading up to the presidential election, it seems like it’s all anyone talks about. But it’s not just the Americans tuning in to watch. Around the world, people are tuning in to find out who will lead […]
Point/Counterpoint: Should Gun Control be Made Stricter?
A discussion on gun control in the United States.
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. In an age where firearms are widespread across the nation, the Second Amendment and the conversation around gun rights remain major talking points in national debates. Proponents of […]
So You Want to Work?
A guide to the professional world’s best kept secrets and job interviews.
So you’re looking for a job? Well then, you’re in the right place. Here at the Harvard Independent, we know that navigating the job market is like trying to date someone in this day and age. Confusing. Miserable. And just when you think you’re on the up, you’re hit with yet another blow. But there’s […]
Discovering Harvard’s Jewish Spaces
Reconnecting with my Jewish heritage through a reflection on Harvard’s offerings.
The past few weeks have been a very important time for the Jewish community, both at Harvard and around the world. The coinciding of the high holiday season—in which the community celebrates Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur among others—and the first anniversary of Oct. 7 provides a prime time to reflect on our campus community. […]
Arts
Anastasia: A Russian Princess’ Journey to Rediscovery
This fall’s student production of Anastasia holds a candle to the magic, wonder, and romance of the 1997 movie.
One step at a time. One hope, then another. Anastasia is an enchanting musical that explores the enduring mystery of Princess Anastasia Romanov through song, dance, and performance. The show follows a girl with an uncertain past, who teams up with two questionable con men as they try to escape St. Petersburg on a fateful […]
Ordering Mysterious Drinks
A reflection about boba.
When I drink boba, I think about my siblings. My sister Lucy sticks with the classics—black, jasmine, Earl Gray—all guaranteed to be very good. But my brother Jasper gets a little outlandish. He orders the wild, experimental drinks, like cheese and matcha yogurt with watermelon jelly—concoctions that feel like some sort of crime. Lucy and […]
Old Water, New Light
Weak I can still go to the river. Weak I can still let myself Go where the river flows. This is the freedom I needed— to return this adventure to well-worn waters. Skinvessel I am pulled together as but one temporary wetness,tightly. This is to witness, this […]
Turning Death Into Art and Joy
Celebrating Día de Muertos with art, humor, and Calaveritas.
“Quien quiera gozar de verasy divertirse un ratón, venga con las calaverasa gozar en el panteón.” – José Guadalupe Posada “Whoever wants to truly enjoy and have a bit of fun, come with the skeletons to delight in the graveyard.” – José Guadalupe Posada Imagine a poem that jokes about your death, turning the inevitable […]
Take It Off: A Night of EDM, Pashminas, and Vomit
An amateur EDM groupie attends the Fisher concert at Roadrunner.
I arrived at Roadrunner, a mid-sized music venue in Allston, at 9:30 p.m. for the Friday night Fisher show that advertised a 9 p.m. start time. Two lines snaked around the long blocks in opposite directions from the main entrance. Our foursome was told that one line was for regular GA tickets while the other […]
Haunted Houses of Cambridge
A collection of outdoor decorations.
As the crisp air settles in and the days grow shorter, the spirit of Halloween awakens, covering the streets with an array of ghosts and goblins. If you want to get in your autumn feels and into the Halloween spirit, stroll down Appleton St., Cambridge, where the leaves are falling and the decorations are out. […]
Sports
Indy Sportsbook: NHL 2024-25 Predictions
Hot takes for an ice-cold season.
Hat tricks, dirty hits, and the dreaded playoff odds circle: the NHL is back, baby! Hockey returned last week with a bang (okay, technically Buffalo and New Jersey played the weekend before in Prague, but we’re not sure anybody but Bob Dylan knew about that). We here at Indy Sportsbook have prepared some extremely premature […]
Harvard Crimson’s Midseason Update
An update on the current Crimson Sports teams.
Midterms are finally upon us. Despite the academic demands, Harvard Athletics continues to thrive, with student-athletes excelling both in the classroom and on the field. From recent victories to upcoming matchups, here’s a quick roundup of the latest updates in Harvard sports as we hit the midpoint of the semester. Football: The men’s football team’s […]
Sports Spotlight: Ben Abercrombie
A Harvard journey of recovery, football, and lots of Jefe’s.
“I like the competitiveness, and I’ve always been more fiery,” Ben Abercrombie ’25 reflected when discussing his love for football. “I grew up in Hoover, Alabama. Here in Alabama, you basically live and breathe football.” Abercrombie got recruited by Harvard his junior year of high school, he recalled in an interview with the Independent. Though […]
Indy Sportsbook: The End of the Eras Tour
How will Taylor Swift end this part of her legacy?
Cultural icon Taylor Swift has made international headlines since releasing her first album, Taylor Swift, in 2006. Her Eras Tour is the highest-grossing concert series of all time, earning over $1 billion in 2023 alone. The Eras Tour brings “Swifties” through all of her different music-making eras, from Fearless to the recently released Tortured Poets […]
Making the Team
The unique experience of being a Harvard varsity walk-on.
Every individual at Harvard has a different story of how they became a student at this university. Each unique path is part of what makes the Harvard community a special place. Within the student body, there is a very specific subset that chose to modify their experience in an extremely physically demanding way: varsity walk-ons. […]
Indy Sportsbook: UFC 307 Parlay
A (risky) road to riches.
“To do anything at a high level, it has to be total obsession,” legendary Irish boxer Conor McGregor once said. For this reason, we at the Indy Sportsbook have spent over 300 hours concocting a UFC parlay that will retire us from this rat race of life by the end of next week. While we […]