Conversations
The Mind Behind the Chairs
“I was always thinking, ‘Is there something inexpensive and not too crazy that we can do to make the Yard friendlier for a public school kid from Ohio?’” says Michael R. Van Valkenburgh, Graduate School of Design professor. The consensus answer was to purchase a number of bright Luxembourg chairs and place them throughout the Yard.
15 Questions with Lester Brown
Lester Brown: "I’m often asked, am I an optimist or a pessimist? I like to think I’m a realist. We’re going to have to move very fast if we want to prevent climate change from spiraling out of control."
10 Questions with Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio R. Villaraigosa sits in an armchair at the Institute of Politics, his hair slicked back. The former Mayor of Los Angeles and 2012 Chairman of the Democratic National Convention, now a visiting fellow at Harvard's Institute of Politics, is ever the genial politician as he sits down with Fifteen Minutes.
Daisy Chain: What We're Listening To
FM set out to find the students on campus with the best taste in music. The chain started with Henry Kennelly, a freshman in Greenough, who then named his “best music friend” (BMF), who named their BMF, and so on. Listen in!
10 Questions with Gail Collins
Donning a purple pant suit, Gail Collins seems quirky and laid-back—a far cry from the intimidating personality one would expect of a journalist of her stature.
Who will win the World Series?
There is a palpable buzz in Boston this week surrounding the World Series, which will feature the hometown Boston Red Sox versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Here on campus, it’s not hard to guess who we’ll be cheering for. But statistically speaking, which team has the higher chance of winning? FM decided to talk to Carl N. Morris, statistics professor and sports analysis guru.
Bill Baxley Reflects on 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
William J. “Bill” Baxley, the former Attorney General of Alabama, spoke at Kirkland House on his role in prosecuting one of the men involved with the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing—a moment often thought of as a turning point in the civil rights movement.
Scholars at Risk
“Will I be safer?” Birtukan Midekssa echoes. She lets out a laugh, pauses, then shakes her head, but her wide smile doesn’t flicker. “I don’t know,” she says. “Honestly.”
