Student Life
Harvard DSO Begins Approving New Student Organizations Following Year-Long Club Freeze
The Dean of Students Office has begun approving new student organizations for the first time since spring 2023. The DSO previously paused its recognition of new clubs in order to conduct an internal audit of independent student organizations in conjunction with Harvard’s risk management office.
Harvard Offers Just Cause Protections to Unionized Undergraduate Workers
At the Monday session, the first of 2025, members of Harvard Undergraduate Workers Union-United Auto Workers — which represents 400 student workers in non-academic jobs — presented proposals to extend grievance filing deadlines, guarantee minimum work schedules, and alter employment letters.
Harvard Launched a Platform for Student-Athletes To Land Brand Deals. Many Don’t Use It.
After the National Collegiate Athletic Association first allowed athletes to profit off of NIL deals in 2021, brand deals became a major currency in the world of college sports.
HUHS Report Reveals 17 Percent Increase in Annual Patient Visits
Harvard University Health Services reported an approximately 17 percent increase in patient visits in 2024, according to the department’s annual report published last month.
Harvard University Dining Services Ends New ‘Pub Night’ Menu After Student Complaints
Harvard University Dining Services walked back spring 2025 changes to its weekend dining hall menus on Tuesday after students complained that the new options were “junk food.”
Student Reports of Partially Nude Man in Comstock Date Back to December
Pforzheimer House administrators had been attempting to secure Comstock Hall from a man who allegedly entered the building unclothed from the waist down since December 2024 — more than seven weeks before Harvard University Police Department responded to reports of his presence.
Harvard DSO Hosts ‘Mattering’ Initiative Kickoff Event
Over 50 Harvard students shared fun facts over free Playa Bowls in Cambridge Queen’s Head Monday to celebrate the kickoff of the Dean of Students Office’s “mattering” initiative — an effort intended to instill a sense of belonging among students.
At First Spring Meeting, HUA Allocates Funds for Datamatch, Valentine’s Day
At its first meeting of the semester, the Harvard Undergraduate Association assembled virtually on Super Bowl Sunday to pass funding requests for Datamatch and a Valentine’s Day fundraiser.
Most Harvard Students Do Not Feel Comfortable Sharing Controversial Opinions in Class, Survey Finds
Only one third of Harvard’s last graduating class felt comfortable expressing opinions about controversial topics during their time at the College, per the University’s 2024 senior survey, a 13 percent decrease from the Class of 2023.
Harvard Freshmen Face Continued ‘Pervasive’ Rodent Problem
When Harvard freshmen moved back into their Harvard Yard dorms last month after winter break, several students returned to evidence of unwelcome visitors: mouse droppings and chewed-through belongings.
‘Just Take My Information’: Harvard Students Risk Leaks for Love on Datamatch
As Harvard students begin to complete Datamatch’s annual survey on Friday, memories of last year’s data leak may force them to contemplate more than just “what their Roman Empire is.”
‘A Taste of Home’: Harvard Students Celebrate Lunar New Year on Campus
Student affinity groups and upperclassmen houses hosted events across campus for Lunar New Year, which fell on Jan. 29 this year — just two days after the spring semester began at the College.
Boston College Students Bought Beanpot Tickets Through Link Reserved for Harvard Undergrads
When Harvard released the link to buy tickets to Beanpot — the annual hockey tournament between Boston College, Boston University, Harvard, and Northeastern — for its students, some reserved tickets were sold to BC students.
Faculty Report Finds Harvard College Students ‘Do Not Prioritize Their Courses’
A Faculty of Arts and Sciences committee released a report Friday concluding that many Harvard College students self-censor when discussing controversial topics and frequently prioritize extracurricular commitments over their academics.
‘Baffling’ Winthrop Dining Hall Odor Persists
Winthrop House management undertook an extensive effort over winter break to sniff out the source of a years-long odor permeating the dining hall — but when students returned, so did the smell.
Harvard To Host Comedian Jordan Klepper for Intellectual Vitality Event
Harvard College will host Emmy-winning comedian Jordan Klepper on Saturday night in an event promising both humor and serious dialogue on politics as the University faces continued pressure from the White House.
Trump Orders Agencies To Target Universities Over Antisemitism Complaints, ‘Monitor’ International Students
President Donald Trump instructed universities, including Harvard, to monitor international students who participated in activities in support of Palestine in an executive order Wednesday evening aimed at combating antisemitism.
Harvard Junior Lakota Tolloak Remembered as an Energetic Mentor, Supportive Friend
Tolloak, a junior in Pforzheimer House concentrating in Integrative Biology on the premedical track, died on Jan. 17 after a brief illness. He was 21.
Government Professor Taeku Lee, Education Specialist Shirley Lee Named Next Dunster Faculty Deans
Government professor Taeku Lee and education researcher Shirley Lee will serve as the next faculty deans of Dunster House, Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana announced in an email to Dunster affiliates Wednesday afternoon.
In Annual Elections, Students Debate Role of Zionism at Harvard Hillel
Harvard Hillel elected its new student board after an election revealed debates over how the organization can represent Jewish students with varying political beliefs, even as the group’s leaders define it as a voice for Zionism on campus.
Following Dining Hall Crowds, Harvard College Won’t Say Whether It Tracked Wintersession Move-Ins
After long lines at the Adams House dining hall on Sunday and Monday, Harvard College declined to disclose how it prepared to accommodate returning undergraduates.
Anger and Anticipation: Harvard Students Tune In for Trump’s Presidential Inauguration
Across the globe, Harvard students tuned in to Donald Trump’s Monday presidential inauguration. After the buzz and anxiety of the election, his inauguration brings a different tone: somber, angry, and — for some — excited.
Hasty Pudding To Hold Space for Cynthia Erivo as 2025 Woman of the Year
Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award-winning actress Cynthia Erivo will be the Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ 2025 Woman of the Year, the student group announced Tuesday.
‘It Was All Very Sudden’: Harvard Affiliates Displaced by L.A. Fires
As Harvard students from Los Angeles return to Cambridge this week, they will leave behind a city still battling wildfires. Several were forced to evacuate their homes.
Harvard Junior Lakota Tolloak Dies After Brief Illness
Lakota J. Tolloak ’26, a junior in Pforzheimer House, died on Friday after a brief and sudden illness, Pforzheimer Faculty Deans Erica Chenoweth and Zoe Marks announced Sunday.