Op Eds
From the Quad to Allston
Still, there is one piece of the old plans that should not wait or be canceled. Harvard should build three new Houses across the river and repurpose the Quad.
Sisyphus is Happy
It is inevitable in the hustle and bustle of life at Harvard that we’ll occasionally lose sight of the greater meaning in our lives. It is precisely in these moments of desperation that we should heed Sisyphus’s example.
This Halloween, Choose Respect
When you dress in blackface or a Native American headdress for Halloween, you’re placing yourself in association with a history of Western imperialism, slavery, and violence against minority groups.
An Open Letter to President Faust
As Harvard students, we understand that America’s legal and democratic institutions have broken down. The fossil fuel industry, like the tobacco industry before it, has pursued a corrupt agenda of misinformation and political lobbying designed to prevent scientific consensus from informing public policy.
Respecting the Basic Humanity of Asian Tourists
This culture of contempt hurts me, because I know that not so long ago, my family was part of that mercilessly mocked demographic. My mother may have been the stereotypical Asian tourist—but she too deserves basic respect.
Dreidels and Drumsticks
This year, November 28 marks something truly phenomenal. For fascinating reasons relating to the interaction of the Gregorian and lunar calendars, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah will coincide for the first time in over a century, and the last time for millennia. The holiday, in all its glory, has come to be known as Thanksgivukkah. Excitement has proliferated, with recipe contests, themed gear, and cheesy videos popping up across the Internet.
Our Catonian Republic
So there we have it. Another fiscal cliff narrowly averted, another 11th hour deal— a Band-Aid on an open wound, and a two-week long government shutdown that cost taxpayers billions and benefited no one. Is this how democracy was really meant to function?
A Darker Side of Beauty
On September 15, Nina Davuluri was named Miss America 2014. She was the first Indian-American woman to win the title. She ran on the platform of “Celebrating Diversity through Cultural Competence.” This is well-established.
(A+)bove but (B-)elow Average
Grade inflation belies the purpose of grades. It crams a 0-4.0 bracket into a 3.0-4.0 one, making it harder to discriminate between similar candidates from the same school.
Why is a Card-Carrying Homosexual Democrat Running Logan Leslie’s Campaign?
I serve as Logan Leslie’s campaign manager not because he’s an expert on homelessness, crime, or city politics. I work for him because he’s an expert at listening to others, and he’s dedicated to representing the interests of all Cambridge’s residents—including students, homeowners, and the homeless.
Don’t Worry, Be Unhappy
Does this relationship between intelligence and misery hold? Statistical evidence suggests otherwise: I.Q. and happiness appear to vary together. Statistics can be powerful, and it is generally irresponsible to ignore them. But when they contradict the conclusion that you’re trying to establish, I recommend pointing out that rogue and lackadaisical econometricians can get up to all sorts of funny business, like forgetting to use heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors (the nerve of some people).
Intended Consequences
But the wildlife wasn’t just a dream; it was Lake Forest’s most crucial addition to my childhood, a vital way to fulfill my youthful desire for exploration, and one of the only things my parents could not have given me in a city.
True Life: Job Search
The Office of Career Services compares finding a job to playing a contact sport. While I have never actually played a contact sport, it sounds like it involves being knocked down in some capacity, and I am great at falling.
Logan Leslie: "Our Candidate"?
Are we entitled to one-ninth of the decision-making power in the city when we are only temporary residents, when many Council decisions don’t even affect us, and when we contribute less than one percent of its revenue?
