Editorials
Nobody Pays Attention in Class at Harvard. It’s Time to Change That.
Harvard’s inattention problem is nothing less than a crisis. Thankfully the University need look no further for a solution than its own backyard.
The Instagram Idealism of Rakesh Khurana
A look back at Rakesh Khurana’s 10 years at the head of Harvard College reveals an idealism that was as uncommon and laudable as it was, at times, incomplete.
With New Protest Restrictions, Harvard Leans Into Hypocrisy
Harvard has no trouble talking about civil discourse. The new protest restrictions suggest the University has far more trouble actually supporting it.
Harvard Discourse 101: The Editors, on What You Hear About Our School
Because we know firsthand how little what people say about Harvard sometimes corresponds with the reality of attending it, we have asked the members of the Editorial Board to share their reflections on Harvard this past year and the discourse surrounding it.
We’re Glad Garber Got the Job. Here’s Hoping He Doesn’t Keep It.
President Alan M. Garber ’76 is just the person to lead the University through the dark times that still lie ahead, but this institution requires more than a caretaker presidency to take it boldly into a brighter future.
Harvard Has Finally Stopped the Statements. Two Questions Remain.
After a rocky fall, the University has realized, rightly, that the institutional voice is most powerful when used sparingly and consistently. Now, the task is to keep it that way.
A Year of Speech About Speech
Fickle as free speech may be, we can’t have a university any other way.
Harvard’s Next President Must Refocus on the Academic Mission
Climbing out of the current controversy will require clarity on our mission from the next president. It requires recognizing that the ivory tower’s comparative advantage comes from the prioritization of scholarship.
An Unprecedented Year at Harvard, According to the Editorial Board
The Editorial Board reflects on an unprecedented year at Harvard.
A Palestine Exception to Commencement
History should not be written over to justify unequal and arbitrary application of the rules in punishing students. Reverse the extreme punishments. Let our peers graduate.
Dissent: There is No Palestine Exception
It is a choice to view the University’s actions as a Palestine exception to free speech — a choice that brushes under the rug the long-festering antisemitism that has plagued Harvard’s pro-Palestinian movement.
Garber Ended the Encampment. He Also Helped Start It.
The tents may be gone, but they are still here. Garber would do well to engage them.
Harvard’s Protests Hit Day Six: The Editors React, From Inside and Outside the Encampment
Our editors contribute reflections on the encampment — from within and without — as it approaches its second week.
Punishment Can’t Be the Only Outcome of the Harvard Encampment
In the past week, the University has made it plenty clear that disciplinary consequences await the protesters. Here’s hoping that punishment isn’t the only outcome of their activism.
The Encampment is Safe and Peaceful. Harvard Must Keep it That Way.
The protestors have done their part; now, Harvard’s leadership must do theirs.
Time for a Residential Advisors Union
All workers deserve to negotiate with their employers on an equal footing. That’s doubly the case when your employer is also your landlord. Vote yes on HURA.
Dissent: Activists Broke the Rules. I’m Glad Harvard Enforced Them.
Harvard has rules. For the safety of our community, it must enforce them. Yesterday, the University made the right call.
By Suspending the Palestine Solidarity Committee, Harvard Guarantees Chaos
Student groups aren’t above the rules. But the rules aren’t above the good of this campus. Harvard must choose the latter.
In Support of a Faculty Senate
University governance is in desperate need of reform. A faculty senate could substantially improve how Harvard solves its problems.
To the HUA: Let Us Vote.
Our student government likes to claim a democratic mandate. Now is their time to earn it.
There Are Many Obstacles Facing Women’s Sports. Trans Athletes Aren’t One.
As enticingly clear as the rhetoric may sound, the science is far less conclusive.
The Return of Required Testing
Bringing back testing can be a step towards equity. But steps will not suffice in a post-affirmative action world: Harvard must begin taking leaps and bounds.
Interdisciplinarity Has Become a Buzzword. Here’s How to Course-Correct.
Slapping fields together at random isn’t interdisciplinarity. Conflating the two helps neither the University nor the prospects of worthwhile cross-disciplinary inquiry.