Year in Review 2024

Flat Tires: How A Divisive Debate Over Cambridge Bike Lanes Left Everyone Unsatisfied

As construction slowly moves forward on bike lanes, the physical separation on a growing number of Cambridge streets has come to represent a bitter division in the city’s politics — and many in the city are at a loss for how it can be bridged.

‘Crazy Times’: With Graduation Approaching, Seniors Reflect on Harvard Journey Bookended by Crisis

The Crimson spoke with dozens of seniors about their memories of a Covid-19-hued transition to college and how they reclaimed a vibrant student life amid four years bookended by crisis.

‘A’ Game: How Harvard Recruits its Student-Athletes

While some have raised concerns about Harvard’s ability to recruit top athletes without name, image, and likeness collectives, others have begun to ask a larger question: should Harvard be recruiting at all?

‘Last One Standing’: William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, the Keeper of Harvard’s Gates

William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, Harvard College Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, served for decades as chief architect of Harvard’s admissions program — including through Harvard’s turmoil in court.

Facing A Longstanding Racial Achievement Gap, Cambridge Moves to Standardize School Curricula

As Cambridge Public Schools takes broad steps toward ensuring students receive equal instruction with a new, standardized English curriculum, the district has found itself in a greater statewide debate about reading standards, mandating curricula, and teacher and school autonomy.

‘Bought Me In’: How Student-Run International Conferences Rake in Cash, Fund Free Vacations

As Harvard clubs have grown into full-fledged companies with six-figure budgets, some of them have come to rely on international conferences as a significant source of revenue.

Awakening the Sleeping Giant: Harvard’s Faculty Push for a Role in Governance

After months of watching Harvard endure crisis after crisis, the faculty — the University’s “sleeping giant” — have risen from their slumber. And they are demanding a seat at the table.

‘A Profession of Sacrifice’: Harvard Medical School Students, Administrators Grapple with Growing Personal Tolls of Medicine

At Harvard, future doctors are grappling with recent changes to the medical landscape that have exacerbated burnout and moral injury.

Critics Says Harvard’s Endowment Is Underperforming and Overly Secretive. Is It?

The lackluster performance of Harvard’s endowment — the largest in the world — has sparked concerns about the stewardship and transparency of the endowment under Harvard Management Company CEO N.P. “Narv” Narvekar.

The Harvard Kennedy School is Getting More International. Its Offerings Are Not Keeping Pace.

In interviews with The Crimson, HKS affiliates raised concerns that the school’s curriculum, faculty, and financial aid programs have not kept pace with its growing international student population despite some efforts from leadership.

Bad Karma: How Anonymous Social Media Platform Sidechat Shapes Harvard Campus Politics

Though Sidechat is often a platform for much-needed levity and humor in moments of stress, many students have raised concerns about its effectiveness as a medium for political debates and propensity for spreading negativity.

An Emerging Hub: How Biotech Spread to Allston

Allston, an area which has long been known as a hub for college students, immigrant families, and mixed industrial uses is now emerging as a new hub for one of Boston’s most lucrative industries: biotech.

Dilapidated Dorms: How Harvard Undergrads Cope with Run-Down Housing

Some students say they’ve grown accustomed to living with rodents and the occasional maintenance problem in dilapidated houses. But for others, housing problems raise broader concerns about how run-down living spaces may detract from quality of life at Harvard.