Year: 2025

Books Open, Gates Unbarred: Citizenship

Books stacked on a table: "Democracy and Petition" by Daniel Carpenter and "Playing Indian" by Philip J. Deloria.

Citizenship has been a core aspect of the American Dream for centuries, promising anyone who immigrates to the United States – and their posterity – a certain quality of life. In recent times, questions about the meaning of citizenship have become increasingly salient as governmental policies shift. Though this change may seem unprecedented, historical exploration…

A Night with The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper

Jordan Klepper and David J. Deming seated on a stage, engaged in a conversation in a wooden-paneled auditorium.

Intellectual vitality – a spirit of open and rigorous dialogue and a commitment to curiosity over certainty – can often feel like an abstract ideal that is difficult to put into practice. While the classroom might appear to be the most direct application of these skills, one can also engage in intellectual vitality through light-hearted…

Jordan Klepper Talks ‘Bonkers’ Republicans, Tough Conversations at Intellectual Vitality Event

Comedian Jordan Klepper sitting down with David K. Deming speaking into a microphone

During a Saturday night event hosted by Harvard College’s Intellectual Vitality Initiative, comedian Jordan Klepper advised listeners on how to navigate conversations across the political aisle — but pulled no punches in his condemnation of President Donald Trump, saying the American right has “gone to bonkers.” Read more on The Harvard Crimson…

Books Open, Gates Unbarred

Light shining into Harvard Yard

Launching in Spring 2024, “Books Open, Gates Unbarred”, is a dinner and dialogue series so named as an allusion to the poem Seamus Heaney wrote for Harvard’s 350th anniversary. The series will consist of monthly dinners at the Faculty Club, where students will gather to hear two faculty discuss an issue of current concern and…