As if Harvard’s speech culture hasn’t been lambasted enough, new data has added more fuel to the fire. Read more on The Harvard Crimson…
It’s Our Turn To Save Harvard’s Speech Culture
Most Harvard Students Do Not Feel Comfortable Sharing Controversial Opinions in Class, Survey Finds
Only one-third of Harvard’s last graduating class felt comfortable expressing their opinions about controversial topics during their time at the College, the University’s 2024 senior survey found, reporting a 13 percent decrease from the Class of 2023. Read more on The Harvard Crimson…
Books Open, Gates Unbarred: Citizenship
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
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
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
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…
Intellectual Vitality Is More than Op-Eds in The Crimson
It’s clear Harvard faces big questions. Their answers are rarely as obvious. Read more on The Harvard Crimson…
Why I changed my mind
I’ve had a lot of conversations with my peers at dinner and in class about religion. I grew up very Christian, but when I came to Harvard, I started questioning a lot of the beliefs I grew up with: Maybe what I believed to be true wasn’t exactly what I thought it was. Read more…
Harvard in the Political Spotlight: Faculty and Students Tackle ‘Why So Much Attention?’ at Intellectual Vitality Books Open, Gates Unbarred Event
Harvard has always drawn national interest, but last year presented an especially challenging and emotional time for our students, faculty, and staff. As the community found itself at the forefront of national political conversations, the College’s Intellectual Vitality Initiative sought to create a space for meaningful discussion through the insights of Harvard’s own faculty. As…
Books Open, Gates Unbarred: Pursuing Reconciliation After Ethnic Conflict
Why do people fight along ethnic lines? How do scholars explain and study ethnic conflict? As the world continues to be shaken by ongoing ethnic conflicts, the College’s Intellectual Vitality Initiative brought students together for the fourth Books Open, Gates Unbarred, for an evening of interdisciplinary conversation with Government professor Melani Cammett and Psychology professor…