Antiguan-American novelist Jamaica Kincaid is often described as “angry.” Kincaid is best known for her candid and overtly critical approach to themes such as colonialism, racism, and gender. In her 1988 novel A Small Place, Kincaid condemns the colonial legacy of Antigua, extends her criticism to the modern tourist industry, and even criticizes her reader. … Read more
“I never really questioned the fact that I was going to go to college. I didn’t really think there were other options.” For Gaby Díaz Quiñones ’17, the idea of attending college was always assumed and influenced a great deal by her mother’s completion of a bachelor’s degree, she told the HPR. Díaz Quiñones’s circumstance—being … Read more
“It’s ridiculous. It’s 2015. Pretty much every other college in the United States has a Latinx Studies program; at this point, it’s almost like Harvard is deliberately trying to not have one.” As I sit at the Dunster House dining hall table over dinner, Itzel Vasquez-Rodriguez ‘17 explains her dissatisfaction with the lack of a … Read more
The world of crime has changed and the United States government has not prepared itself. Online drug marketplaces and cyber warfare have changed the face of criminality in the country and represent the largest impending threat to the nation both domestically and abroad. Addressing the threat requires acknowledging the country’s lack of preparation and finding … Read more
One day during my sophomore year in high school, the director of a summer program that I had been participating in pulled me aside and looked at me with regret. “I’m sorry, Jin, but I’m afraid foreign aliens are not allowed to be a part of our program.” I descended into stunned silence and in … Read more
Editor’s Note: Several weeks ago the HPR received a series of letters from one of our former staff writers, who currently works as a journalist in Washington, D.C. She has recently been following a prominent politician and has transcribed the following narrative without him knowing. Apparently, he began to watch House of Cards, and subsequently … Read more
Yemen, situated at the southernmost end of the Arabia peninsula, has a long history of derailing the goals of global powers. When discussing the Egyptian military’s long term attempt to influence Yemeni politics during the North Yemen Civil War in the 1960s, historian and former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Oren wrote that … Read more
California’s two candidates for state superintendent this past November didn’t agree on much when it came to education. Tom Torlakson, a former teacher, wanted to make school funding more equitable and support teachers. Marshall Tuck, a former charter school executive, wanted to increase the number of charter schools and tie teacher evaluations to test scores. … Read more
A single instance of incarceration in a young person’s life increases the risk of future imprisonment, at a cost to taxpayers of $240.99 per day. Living in jail worsens the mental, emotional, and behavioral problems with which these children and adolescents must struggle. And mental disorders and youth incarceration already share an alarmingly strong link. … Read more
In 2000, Portugal completely overhauled its policy on narcotics, decriminalizing the use of all illicit drugs. Portugal maintains that narcotics are illegal; however the offense was changed from a criminal one to an administrative one. If someone is caught with less than a ten days’ supply of any drug, they are given a relatively lenient … Read more