“What would be a good idea, I think, is to find ways to encourage students to work together while studying whatever the normal academic subject matter of the next curriculum will prove to be,” he wrote.

Looking Forward

So far Kirby hasn’t revealed a grand plan for curricular review in general or answered the most pressing questions regarding where his vision leaves extracurriculars.

However, some students are concerned that with all this talk about academics, extracurriculars will be de-emphasized.

“I was a little concerned this year when we had a lot fewer auditionees than normal,” says Jackson, who served as the music director for the Callbacks and CityStep, an after-school dance program. “I sense there is an increased attention from the administration to focus on academics…and I fear that students might think that they can’t put extracurriculars ahead of academics.”

Jackson acknowledges that the decreased interest in the Callbacks and CityStep could have been an anomaly this year. But he says he worries about the future of extracurricular activities because the success of many student groups depends on the willingness of their leadership to place academic work on the “back burner.”

Chopra says stressing solely Harvard’s academic experience ignores the diverse talents of the student body.

“There needs to be a better understanding of students as a whole instead of just academic creature and non-academic creature,” says Chopra. “I don’t want to see just a strict focus on academic life.”

—Staff writer Nalina Sombuntham can be reached at sombunth@fas.harvard.edu.