Universal suffrage is an essential component of a successful democracy. And as the world’s oldest modern democracy, one might expect the United States to boast high voter turnout rates and accessible re-enfranchisement for the previously disenfranchised. It doesn’t. In fact, the United States is the only democracy in the world that denies people the right … Read more
Strained US-NATO relations and fears of further Russian expansion have motivated the European Union to aggressively increase defense and security cooperation in the last five years. However, there is little indication that French President Macron’s call for a “true European army” will be realized in the foreseeable future. Rapidly Increasing European Defense Capabilities American leadership … Read more
“The man could feel his eyes filling with tears. Before him stood a spaceship, a gigantic metallic disk that seemed to be made of two immense plates joined at the edges.” These first words of Argentine Eduardo Goligorsky’s “The Last Refuge” could open any American or European science fiction story. However, the rest of the … Read more
Already, we have begun to distrust and be more skeptical of our society’s so-called experts — people whose academic or professional credentials are associated with places like Harvard and put them at the top of their field. However, even some of the strongest skeptics might be surprised at the magnitude of incompetence demonstrated by experts … Read more
First-years consistently rank the Quad (and Cabot specifically) as their least desired housing preference (2017, 2018, 2019). This is not surprising. Seniors, on the other hand, consistently rank the Quad (and Cabot specifically) with the highest satisfaction rates of all the Houses (2017, 2018, 2019). The reason for this discrepancy is that the anti-Quad propaganda … Read more
The scene: Winthrop’s beautiful dining hall, with a working fireplace, sky high windows, and a state-of-the-art overnight toaster. The time: Sunday, midnight. The beginning of the grind. Like clockwork, our faculty deans, Institute of Politics Director Mark Gearan and Mary Gearan, appear with a tray of homemade cappuccino brownies and refuse to leave until every … Read more
The Co-op is a wonderful space for students looking to be part of an intentional, hands-on community. Every Thursday evening, residents gather to democratically make decisions about the Co-op’s overall operation. Day-to-day chores like cooking, baking bread (my favorite!), and keeping the house clean are all done by students. Because the Co-op is self-sustaining, living … Read more
Penguins are among the most social of all animals; they live in large colonies, they feed, breed, nest, and winter together, and form life-long loving relationships throughout. Although we Quincy House Penguins cannot all claim to be speedy swimmers, frequent movie stars (Happy Feet anyone?), or exclusive breeding partners; like all penguins, we view our … Read more
Much like the majestic polar bear, Pforzheimer House reigns supreme as apex predator in the ecosystem of Harvard Houses. While its Quad neighbors are great in their own right, Pfoho — figuratively and literally — rises above both to claim the title of “Best Harvard House.” But what exactly makes so many students proud to … Read more
The first question I asked after getting into Mather was “where is it?” Sure, I had been to Mather before, but only for parties and it was dark and there were drinks involved, so that doesn’t really count, right? When I first really visited Mather, I was struck by its unique, brutalist architecture. The concrete. … Read more