Editor's Note: We've rounded up 15 highlights from this year's Fifteen Minutes, the magazine of The Harvard Crimson. Read on for Harvard history, Cambridge charm, and the biggest personalities on campus — including a one-of-a-kind Undergraduate Council president, a man with 16 master's degrees and counting, and Remy the Cat.
The Unprecedented UC President
“Harvard University claims to produce future leaders,” Michael wrote. “But constantly telling young people they’re leaders seems to bring out some of their worst qualities.”
Benjamin Bolger Has No Post-Graduation Plans
“Other people might read a magazine article in The Economist,” Bolger says. “Maybe I'll do a master’s degree instead on the topic.”
The Russian Bell Ringers Society Rings Out Support for Ukraine
When Russia launched a military invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, Feb. 24, Georgiy A. Kent ’22 watched in anger and dismay as his family’s home region came under attack.
Hell Doesn't Seem So Hot From Up Here
Morisey looks back on her experience at Radcliffe with bittersweet pride. Even as she reminisces on the difficulty of being a Black Cliffie, I sense that she sees a bigger picture, one beyond each negative moment she experienced as an undergraduate. This doesn’t necessarily mean ignoring pain and strife or dismissing her 1969 self’s experiences, but Morisey refuses to let these moments define her.
A Negotiation with Reality
Given the devastating, mind-twisting time we’re coming out of, doesn’t derealizing almost make more sense?
Molting Season
It was the ease with which the guy had done it. How simple it was for him to care for this animal, and even then, how unexpected it was that he would.
Harvard Night Shift
I’m not prone to frequent all-nighters. In fact, I’m more prone to falling asleep as soon as the movie starts. But I wanted to write an article about staying up all night, and there’s only one way to do that.
Where the Wild Things Are: The Urban Ecology of Harvard Square
To the squirrels, turkeys, and geese that make their homes here, we are mere guests for four years. FM set out to honor our gracious hosts by investigating their history and capturing their daily life. While doing so, we uncovered some pretty neat stuff.
For Some Palestinian Organizers, the Israel Trek is a Microcosm of a Broader ‘Power Imbalance’
Over spring break, about 100 Harvard students went on Israel Trek and participated in discussions with high-ranking Israeli and Palestinian officials, including the president of Israel. However, Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine — a student organization led by the Harvard College Palestine Solidarity Committee — disputes the Trek’s claim that it provides a balanced perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Disability Justice Advocates Raise Concerns over Mask Mandate Drop
For Shang and other immunocompromised students, campus policies have much higher stakes than just comfort. “The most frustrating part that I’ve had conversations about with people who don’t want the mask mandate has just been me being like, ‘I have this condition. I would basically die if I got Covid,’” Shang says. “And then people are like, ‘Yeah, but that’s your issue, not ours.’”
Remy the Cat, An Ecological Menace
With over 12,000 followers on Instagram, Remy has undoubtedly become one of the most popular animals on campus. But his celebrity obscures all the questionable actions that cast doubt on whether we should uplift him in the first place: is Remy really the friendly cat that he purports to be, or is he “purr” evil?
The Ghostly Outlines of Harvard's Fallen Foliage
Natural pests have plagued Harvard’s elms, while University administrators — more concerned with practicality than aesthetics — launched a plan to remove ivy from Harvard’s hallowed halls.