Contributing writer
Sam E. Weil
Latest Content
Fifteen Questions: Gaia Bencini on Egyptology, Hieroglyphics, and ‘Dreaming the Sphinx’
The Egyptology PhD candidate sat down with FM to discuss Ancient Egyptian artifacts, translating hieroglyphs, and misconceptions about the ancient Near East.
Most Mysterious: Alexander Chen
Even those who know the real Alexander are absolutely mystified by how he manages to do so many goddamn things.
Fifteen Questions: Andrew Manuel Crespo ’05 on Plea Bargaining, Playing Football in High School, and a Fateful Coop Dance Party
The law professor sat down with FM to talk about the potential of collective plea bargaining, meeting his wife on the dance floor of the Dudley Coop, and what’s kept him coming back to Harvard. “The Harvard degree does not confer on you a guarantee that you will use the privilege and power that you get by virtue of being here to make the world better. That’s a choice. It’s always a choice,” he says.
Nesting in Ephemera
I sliced up some magazines, printed out a few photos from my camera roll with a sticker printer I’d just received for my birthday, and stuck it all above my bed. The mere presence of color, and the memories each small picture held, felt like a balm — something consistent and bright and mine to return to. With a couple scraps of paper, I’d planted roots.
Millions of Missing People: Seeking Southeast Asian Studies at Harvard
Faculty and students have long vocalized the need for an institutional home for Southeast Asian studies. What’s at stake goes beyond just an administrative formality. At stake is the recognition that historically neglected regions are worthy of study, and ultimately, the question of who belongs at a place like Harvard.
Sustainability at HUDS, from Crop to Compost
This piece dives into the nitty-gritty of HUDS’ operation, revealing the motivating factors behind their choices. From sourcing produce locally, to composting every scrap during food preparation, all the way to recycling the grease from fryers, HUDS has buckled down on integrating sustainability into their everyday practices.
ChatGPT, Cheating, and the Future of Education
Professors are grappling with whether to ban ChatGPT or let students use it. But beyond this semester, larger questions loom. Will AI simply become another tool in every cheater’s arsenal, or will it radically change what it means to learn?
Our Little Interview with DJ Dinos Mekios
Constantinos “Dinos” Mekios, a 51-year-old resident DJ at WHRB, is a philosophy professor at Stonehill College by day; by night, he selects a record to play out of his collection of over 55,000.
“Tasty Basty” and the Freshman Party Scene
There I stand, on the corner of Mt. Auburn and JFK St, in a pool of my slightly inebriated peers, all of us fidgeting with our phones, eavesdropping on the bouncer’s conversation with the group that’s arrived just before us. Turns out we can get in by Venmoing some guy five dollars.
Wait Wait … It’s Emma Choi!
Emma E. Choi '22 had no expectation that she’d become the host of a new NPR podcast. In fact, she recounts that her supervising producer took aside and told her candidly, “Emma, I don’t think we can hire you. You’re a college student. We’ve never done that before. We just want to see what it’s like.” But to her surprise, she landed the gig.
The Artist Who Watches Over Widener
Cunha has served as a janitor for Widener, Lamont, and Pusey libraries for the past 16 years. He moved to America in 2002 and first saw Widener as a tourist when visiting Harvard with his family. When he walked in, he thought to himself, “This is the place I would like to work.” He identifies art and history in every aspect of his job, from the contents of recycling bins to the architectural elements of each library. Leaning forward and clasping his hands, Cunha begins, “My life is an artist’s life” — and, indeed, he is also an avid painter and visual artist.
Ill Met by Stagelight
Welcome to Shit-faced Shakespeare. Three times a week, five actors gather in The Rockwell Theater in Somerville to put on a play — but one of the actors, selected at random each night, performs completely drunk.
24,000 Miles: From Harvard to Eden
The Out of Eden Walk, described on its website as “a collective pilgrimage, conducted at boot level, that gathers and braids a multitude of voices together in order to describe the human experience across the globe,” traces the route that humans took millions of years ago that populated the world as we know it. Before Salopek embarked on his journey, he made a pit stop at Harvard. Salopek received a visiting fellowship from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism, and in the spring of 2012 arrived on campus ready to build a network of experts to support him on his impending journey.
