Op Eds
The Privilege of Not Having to Be Afraid
Navigating a still slightly unknown city without fear is a privilege — one that usually isn’t afforded to students who identify as women or are femme-presenting.
On Decolonization, African Countries and a Postcolonial Nairobi
The Africa the rest of the world fantasizes about is not the Africa that exists in reality. Africa is evolving on its own path, and it is high time the rest of the world contends with this.
Make Sleep A Gem Again
The faculty of the Sleep Gen Ed and members of the Committee on General Education have a choice: to join the revolution of rest or to succumb to the system. In a pile of cold, hard stones, Sleep can be a gem again.
More than Just Fabric: Freedom, through Mahsa Amini’s Road to Revolution
The women’s movement in Iran runs much deeper than a piece of cloth covering the hair. It is rooted in a long-brewing exhaustion with authoritarian regimes that continue to deny women freedom and agency. Mahsa Amini’s death and the protests that have erupted in response are not a demonstration against Islam, but rather, the broader issue of policing a woman’s ability to choose — to choose to wear the hijab, however one pleases.
Leave the Infographic Girlies Alone
I’ll admit it — it’s disquieting when I open Instagram only to be hit with my younger sister’s friends posting about genocide, especially since I have only ever used Instagram for aimless pleasure. But the purpose and presence of social media is evolving. We cannot deny that many people have fallen victim to a habit of scrolling through slews of followers’ photos and videos on the daily. Maybe infographics are just the start of a movement to make social media platforms more meaningful.
The Right to Choose
I believe myself to be in a constant state of protest. The minute I step out of my room wearing my hijab, I am shouting my beliefs out to the world. Despite the skeptical glances and occasional temptations, my desire to feel spiritually connected through my hijab is enough to spur me on against its potential dangers.
The News Isn’t Objective — and It Shouldn’t Be
Journalism can retain its mission of creating informed, active members of society without attempting to be objective in the strictly-defined present sense.
Harvard Must Work to Bridge the Politics-People Divide
An insular Harvard helps no one but its direct affiliates, but a Harvard whose institutions embody humility and open-mindedness has the capacity to pacify some of our country’s deepest and most destructive fault lines.
El Acento de mi Mamá
Accents tell a story that we will never begin to understand unless we listen. Our general impatience for those who speak differently burns the bridge between their unique perspectives and our own. And let’s not forget that Hispanic accents typically mean that person knows at least two languages — more than the average American.
Woman, Life, Freedom: The Time for Harvard to Support Iranians is Now
Throughout Iran, calls of “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” or “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” ring not only in the streets but in the halls of schools and universities. Instead of echoing these calls for “Woman, Life, Freedom,” Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow has remained silent in the face of student demands for an expression of solidarity.
El Miedo a lo Desconocido: Overcoming My Fear of Change as a Mexican-American Student at Harvard
Growing up, my family always reminded me that there’s beauty in the unknown; something that is new isn’t necessarily something to be afraid of.
What the Harvard Climate Report Doesn't Mention
Climate change is a shared problem. Its solutions must be shared too.
Diamonds are a Desi’s Best Friend
Listen, we’re gonna need the diamond back. You lot barely even use it. And yes, this may not necessarily change in an Indian museum, but here’s the difference: For us, it’s a beacon of our cultural heritage, a jewel that represents the journey of a billion people’s ancestors through history, a special representation of the country; for y’all, it’s just another big, ill-gotten diamond.
Nonbinary People Don’t Want to Owe Androgyny, But We Do It to Survive
This LGBTQ+ History Month, as we celebrate the queer trailblazers who have carved our passage towards civil rights into the deepest granite of time, I also want us to look to the future birthed by today’s history. I want us to make the choices now that will lead to broad acceptance of nonbinary people and reduce trans and nonbinary death down the line.
How to Trauma Dump Responsibly
Trauma dumping doesn’t have to be awkward or upsetting, like the common definition suggests. With just a few simple steps, you can pull off a better version of a trauma dump: one that maximizes positive vulnerability and sharing, without triggering any embarrassment, shock, or discomfort.
