Catherine E.F. Previn
Catherine E.F. Previn ’27, an Associate Editorial editor, is a Government concentrator in Lowell House.
Latest Articles
Lowell Speeches and the Case for Oration
Effective leadership does not rest solely from the strength of one’s ideas, but the ability to articulate them clearly and convincingly to others. AI will continue to undermine the historical privilege of written expression, and universities that fail to cultivate live, accountable speech risk failing to equip students for public discourse.
Dissent: Grade Inflation Won’t Fix Itself
Problems of collective action must be addressed collectively. That means that any solution to grade inflation on campus must be fundamentally centralized, coordinated, and sufficiently uniform in nature.
How AI Undermines Harvard’s Grading Reform
These shifts are often discussed separately, but they are inseparable — high variance between course policies on AI or grading, which directly affect difficulty, can lead students to try to optimize their courseload.
The Cost of Classroom Kindness
Professors should also be encouraged to critique boldly, constructively, and honestly. Harvard attracts students not because we fear difficulty, but because we seek it. If this University believes in our potential, it must trust us enough to demand more than comfort. Let discomfort return to the classroom.
Make Everything as Efficient as the Flu Shot
The flu shot didn’t just help protect us from illness, it reminded us what this institution is capable of when it wants to be effective. I hope Harvard can learn to make simplicity the rule, not the exception.
Harvard Professors Are Adapting To AI. It’s Time Students Do the Same.
Harvard, like every other institution, is figuring out what learning looks like in the AI age. It’s messy, imperfect, and evolving quickly. But if this semester is any indication, faculty are meeting us halfway.
This Housing Day, Quad Every Sophomore — Seriously
The time has come for Harvard to rethink housing. It has the opportunity to build a stronger community and a fairer living experience for its students. The University should lean into what it does best: burdening us — equally.
To the 2024 Visitas Attendees
Have fun during your visit here, and don’t take anything too seriously! And be thankful that, unlike last year, the weather forecast is clear and dry!
Stages of Quad Grief
The moment had come, and this time it was for real. We were quadded. Thus commenced the five stages of Quad grief.
Latest Media
Harvard Proposes Cap on A’s, 13 Affiliates React
Last October, a now-infamous report sparked intense debate over Harvard’s grading system. A new faculty report proposing a cap on A grades has reignited that discussion. Are grades for mastery or distinction, and will the proposal restore rigor or damage pedagogy? 13 affiliates weigh in. — Heidi S. Enger ’27 and Zakiriya H. Gladney ’27, Editorial Chairs
The Grade Debate: 11 Affiliates Weigh In
Amid funding freezes and threats from the federal government, a groundbreaking report raised questions about the bedrock of our teaching mission: grades. From faculty who have been ringing the alarm bells for decades to students worried that the cure to grade deflation may be worse than the disease, this package of perspectives from across campus showcases a range of opinions on how Harvard should evaluate students. — Max A. Palys ’26 and Saul I.M. Arnow ’26, Editorial Chairs