College
Calling for Support
Alex L. Chen '16 chants in front of the John Harvard Statue on Thursday March 27. Chen was part of an organized protest against the DoubleTree Hotel in Allston.
DoubleTree Protest
Alex L. Chen ’16 leads a chant across the John W. Weeks Bridge for protesters on Thursday March 27. Students from Harvard College and Harvard Kennedy School called for a boycott for the DoubleTree Hotel in Allston.
The Class of 1918
It was easy to get in then. No personal essays required, just a series of entrance examinations. 73 percent of applicants were admitted. Admittedly, there are lots of reasons to discount these numbers. The exams required special preparation available only at a few elite prep schools. There was no Common App, no female students, and only 937 people applied.
University Looks to Students in Effort To Drive Down Waste
Efforts by students and staff over the past 25 years have drastically cut the amount of trash each person at Harvard outputs annually, but administrators and undergraduates alike agree that more can be done.
Extension Mad Libs
As you know, I am __________ (incredibly passionate about/utterly disinterested in/mind-numbingly bored by) your class. I have _________________ (thoroughly enjoyed/briefly skimmed/never bought the textbook for) all of the reading assignments).
Get Out: Arnold Arboretum
As the school year drudges on, the brown and grey buildings of Cambridge can often feel as confining as our stacks of midterm papers and textbooks. But spring is here, and the sporadic weather can reward us with some gorgeous days. Grab some friends and escape the confines of campus for a day trip to the Arnold Arboretum, the urban nature center maintained by both Harvard and the City of Boston.
Race and Belonging at Harvard College
It’s been a big year for organizing by students of color, and particularly black students, on college campuses. And as it so often does, Harvard has become part of the discussion.
Amid Shrinking Enrollment, Romance Languages and Literatures Plans To Redesign Curriculum
The Department of Romance Languages and Literatures is exploring a variety of approaches to make the department appear more relevant to students.
Mock Trial Advances to Nationals in Mathew’s Memory
Six weeks after the death of teammate Angela R. Mathew ’15 in a car accident, the Harvard Mock Trial team qualified for the national championship tournament.
Meeting Adjourned
UC President Gus Mayopoulos (second from left) heads out from the UC's meeting Monday night in Sever Hall with UC Vice President Sietse Goffard (second from right) and Meghamsh Kanuparthy (left).
UC Endorses Capping Section Sizes
Undergraduate Council representatives, in collaboration with the Graduate Student Council, endorsed capping the size of “every graded section or lab group” at 12 students and making the limit a College policy at the UC’s meeting on Monday evening.
Despite Support, Smith Says University Will Not Fund UC Budget Increase this Year
Following a meeting Monday with Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith, top Undergraduate Council leaders said that their request for a 50 percent increase in funding for student activities this year from the University was denied, even as Smith voiced support for their efforts and discussed funding possibilities for the future.
A Runaway Tradition
As blocking mayhem winds down, Housing Day jitters take its place as the members of the freshman class begin the perennial prayers for the perfect Housing assignment. Students in all corners of the Yard can be seen with their fingers crossed and heads bowed to the Housing Day Gods, hoping they will be granted luck on the day that will determine their future abodes.
Celebrity Theses
Throughout the month of March, seniors across campus will breathe sighs of relief as they press “save” for the last time on their theses. As these students finish up the final touches on their papers, FM takes a moment to look back at the theses of some notable alumni and their choice of research topics. Not surprisingly, many of these now-famous former seniors wrote about topics that give us a glimpse of who they became. So, read on to learn more about the stars.
What To Tell People About Your House
Congratulations, 2017! You now know your home for the next three years, and have hopefully read up on everything you could wish to know about it! But it can be hard to remember all the things you have to boast about if your friends start hating on your House and you need to defend its superiority. We’ve come up with a concise cheat sheet so you’re prepared at any moment!
The Fragrant Future of Communication
When Rachel D. Field ’12 and her small team encounter a problem, she can’t simply pass off the responsibility to someone else. “I have my degree now,” she says. “In theory, Harvard University says that I’m qualified to do this, so I’m just going to figure it out.” A project that started in a classroom is now unfolding internationally and in the public eye.
How To: River Run (from the Police)
River Run. It’s a tradition as old as Harvard itself (give or take 360 years) where freshmen take shots at every upperclassmen house the Housing Day eve. Other than ritual slaughter, it is the only way to appease the Housing Gods and guarantee good housing and a plentiful harvest in the Lowell Community Garden.
Businesses in Smith Center Unclear About Future
Four months after Harvard announced planned renovations to The Richard A. & Susan F. Smith Campus Center, and almost a week after faculty and student working groups released their recommendations, the future of retailers and restaurants inside the Smith Center is still unclear.
“Hi, I’m Dean Pfister”- Currier House
Currier House brought pre-Housing Day fever to new heights with an email from “dean.donald.pfister@gmail.com.” Complete with a fungus reference, a tree-themed book recommendation, and an invitation to join “the Dean” at the park, it bore all of the marks of a classic Pfister correspondence.
With Deadlines Looming, Thesis Writers Ready for Relief
As a batch of thesis deadlines rapidly approaches, seniors who have spent the past year or more researching, writing, and revising expressed relief that they were close to finishing what is often a student’s most massive academic undertaking.
SAT Changes: Examining the New Rules in the Style of the Old SAT Essay
Prompt: Is it better to have a short and practical test, or a long, expensive, complicated one?