Editor's Note

Dear Reader, It’s been a year since we left campus. A long, hectic, semi-miserable year — and a year in which we grew nonetheless. In this special issue, our writers tell us where they’ve been and what they’ve felt in this year like no other. Along with the content of our special issue, we have some excellent reported pieces. From TCK, we’ve got a look into the work of Dr. Staci Gruber on the merits of CBD. FYH and OGW spoke to a graduate student whose way of life bears striking similarity to “Nomadland.” EMB tells us how, every week, the Harvard Knitting Circle comes together and builds community via fiber arts. For those critical of competitive debate, SLL takes a look at what Ethics Bowl is doing differently. And in her inquiry, TMB explores the YouTuber “Classically Abby,” and her convoluted image of womanhood, Jewishness, and conservatism. Central to this issue is the varied perspectives of Crimson writers on the past year, which range from introspective writing, to fiction (FM’s first ever?!), to photographs. TMB slows us down to the pace of her newest roommates: a pair of kittens. VTP writes on why our favorite (slightly embarrassing) films feel so comforting in this time of uncertainty. HRTW hits us with a truly funny – and surprisingly poignant — piece about none other than the 2006 MIT Integration Bee. FYH describes a shift in her appreciation for classical music, conveying the way this year has pushed us to reassess and appreciate the old in a new light. HL revisits her tendency for existential crises; LJR explores the way her sense of her own femininity has been reshaped by stress and solitude. In a series of vivid, strangely sanitized photographs, JEI captures something ineffable about the early days of quarantine. ZBRG goes where no FM writer has gone before, and imagines the perspective of an elementary schooler in the era of COVID-19. OGO writes about a stint in dishwashing at a time when sanitation is the name of the game. And IBC captures the longing of a freshman who has yet to experience college on campus. We’d like to imagine this issue as a kind of time capsule, one which we’ll dig up in years to come, and marvel at the world it represents. Another year will pass — where will we be? Until next week, OGO + MNW