Commencement 2013
Late Night in the Square
The surge of late-night options has catered to the desire for a more robust nighttime culture and satiated the stomachs of students and residents, but it has also increased competition for existing businesses that have long been open after midnight. As new late-night eateries continue to emerge, Harvard Square is poised to play host to an even more vibrant nightlife.
A Divided Duty: The Role of the Resident Dean
The resident deans hold a dual role within the framework of the College, interacting with students both as academic instructors and as House-level advisers. Current and former administrators say that over the past several decades the position has evolved from a role that drew an equal balance between scholarly and administrative work into a job that entails a sometimes overwhelming list of bureaucratic duties.
Faust Looks Forward
While Faust's responsive leadership style has worked during tumultuous times for both the University and the world, it remains to be seen whether she can use her renowned communication skills to renew and refine inherited ideas and lead Harvard through an ambitious, 21st-century capital campaign.
Building a Community
Harvard's first director of BGLTQ student life, Vanidy "Van" Bailey, has prioritized forging connections across the University.
Despite Tough Market, Harvard Law School Is Still a Safe Bet
As law schools throughout the United States struggle in the face of a shrinking number of opportunities available to graduates, employment rates for Harvard Law School alumni have remained somewhat constant over the past 20 years.
The Entryway Reimagined
Changes to the spatial arrangement of the Houses may also dramatically change the way students use these spaces.
Collaboration Post-Gov 1310
A year after students in Government 1310 turned in their final exams, students and professors say that collaboration in the classroom remains. But with the push for faculty to clearly define their policies governing academic integrity and the proposal of Harvard’s first honor code, many say it has taken on a highly regulated form.
Mining for Gems: The Easy Harvard Class
In the wake of the cheating scandal in Government 1310: “Introduction to Congress,” a course that had a reputation as an easy course, Harvard’s academic culture has come under fire. Among the issues at hand is the shirking of scholastic rigor, a practice that many argue is nothing new at Harvard.
Turning Up The Volume
In a year when the balance of power has tipped decidedly toward administrators, faculty largely agree: the forums available for faculty voice are not working as they should.
Going Home
For a handful of students each year, Harvard’s environment is too much to bear. In search of wellness, these undergraduates leave Harvard, returning home to a world without the worries of college life. But before they go, students must navigate a complex and often stressful web of choices and procedures that at times are beyond their control.
The edX Student
While MOOC advocates hope that transformation will lead to a democratization of higher education, low completion rates and edX’s changing economic model makes increasingly relevant the question of who takes the edX course—and why.
Boss Harvard
In the wake of these difficult discussions, University employees have raised concerns over the nature of Harvard’s approach to labor relations after the financial crisis.
A Freshman Drinking Problem
Limited by the fact that administrators cannot police an illegal activity like underage drinking, many say Harvard has yet to find a solution to the freshman drinking problem.
Learning From Occupy
This year's student activists, many of whom participated in Occupy Harvard in fall 2011, say they have a complicated relationship with the old movement. They have simultaneously exploited the consciousness and connections that emerged on campus as a result of Occupy Harvard while trying to improve on the shortcomings of last year’s activism. In doing so, they have gained what Occupy Harvard never could—the support of students and administrators.