Aden Barton
Latest Articles
How Harvard Students Got So Stressed
Kids these days are not alright. The erstwhile pillars of college — self-discovery, exploration, and growth — have given way to an anxious stasis in which students languish in their own fear of failure.
Dissent: The Cost of Easy A’s
These days, it feels like there’s a new grading system in place at Harvard. Although not officially declared, Harvard’s grade inflation models a shadow pass-fail system — students consider an A or A- as passing and regard a B+ or below as failing.
Nothing New Under John Harvard’s Statue
Mark Twain said history rhymes but does not repeat. He must not have been to Harvard. History seems to recur here, with students and administrators caught in a Nietzschean cycle of eternal return.
Dissent: Don’t Donate to Harvard, Reprise
The Editorial Board's satire is well-taken, but the Board missed a chance to investigate mega-donations to Harvard. Our verdict is quite simple: They should never occur.
Leveling the Playing Field on Aristocrat Sports Preferences
While our admissions department should attempt to cultivate excellence in the incoming class, it should not sacrifice fairness to do so. World class rowers are world class. But that doesn’t mean they deserve a spot at Harvard.
Dissent: A Welcome Addition to Campus Discourse
We were disappointed by the Board’s assumption today that the Council of Academic Freedom at Harvard’s mission is not a genuine effort to support academic freedom. By calling the council’s explanation for its formation “dishonest” and thereby assuming malicious intent from the signatories, the Board has failed to practice the very credit and kindness it has called upon others to extend in civil discourse.
How Harvard Careerism Killed the Classroom
As Harvard transitioned from a patrician school to a seemingly meritocratic one, students increasingly began to view their degrees as financial investments, attempting to maximize return while limiting downside risk. It is this new, pecuniary approach to one’s college education that is to blame for the vertiginous increase in consultants and bankers.
Dissent: Don’t Donate to Harvard
Given the host of things the uber-rich spend their money on, donating to an educational institution like Harvard is somewhat praiseworthy. It is, however, not the most effective use of $300 million — not even close.
Housing Day Midterms and the Culture of Non-Fun
Housing Day is a venerated tradition — and one that entails a really fun morning. That won’t be the case for two of us this year, as we’ll be in class, taking midterm exams at 10:30 a.m. At Harvard, with its near-constant slog, why must we sit for exams on one of the singularly most fun days of the year?
Five Theses on the Humanities Crisis
There are a million articles on the death of the humanities with a million different opinions as to why the decline is occurring, leaving the scholarship surrounding the issue fairly disjointed and multi-layered. So, I decided to write five theses instead of one overarching argument, Martin Luther style.
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