BY KATIE FROST A 10-kiloton nuclear blast in New York City’s Times Square would instantly annihilate everything within half a mile. The shockwave would crumble buildings from Union Square to Central Park, breaking windows up to ten miles away from ground zero. Fires would rage for at least a mile in all directions, indiscriminately destroying […]

BY NATALIE BLACK “Tell me this,” Mohammad says. “Why, when NATO has the best technology in the world, does it allow its bombs to kill innocent Afghan civilians?” I do not get the chance to answer. He continues, “Why does NATO go into people’s houses at night? Why does it kill people when they are […]

BY TRACEY L. STARK We could end the tragedy of divorce in one fell swoop. Nearly half of marriages in the United States end in divorce. All divorces are the result of marriage. End marriage; end divorce. Marriage is a health hazard. Married people are twice as likely to become obese as single couples. No […]

By Rosalia Gutierrez-Huete Miller, Culture Editor, MC/MPA ‘12 The room was dark, except for the brightly lit stage. Amidst a conglomeration of musical instruments parked along the sides of the packed room, close to the stage, was a small-frame woman holding her guitar, getting ready to perform. Allison Shapira was about to make history at […]

By Litcy Ludvic, Culture Contributor, MPP ‘13 Hailing from India, I was used to the idea that the masculinity of men in Indian society would be threatened if they carry a glass of water from the kitchen to the hallway. That was an unquestionable cultural secret passed on from generations. So, the easiest option for […]

Do you prefer your president to be a delegate or a trustee? The “delegate vs. trustee” problem is almost as old as democracy itself. If you are an elected representative, you are expected to faithfully represent the interests and opinions of the voters who put you into office. But you are also expected to represent […]

This Valentine’s Day, declare your love to someone. Eat chocolate. Stalk a crush on Facebook. But don’t take a day off from contemplating the world’s greatest policy challenges. Because your government might have it wrong when it comes to love. Six years ago, I met someone incredibly important. Someone who made me realize my life […]

There is a core disagreement within the student body on matters of the heart. There are some students who believe that love is universal, and then there are those who believe that love is intensely cultural and full of potential faux-pas for those attempting to make an international love connection. I consider my American mother […]

This January term saw the successful implementation of the inaugural Harvard Kennedy School Alumni Shadowing Program, allowing current HKS students the chance to connect with alumni in professional fields of interest. Unlike other similar programs, which are typically initiated by alumni associations or career services, HKS’s J-Term Shadowing Initiative was championed by Natalie Fabe, the […]

Carlo Rotella is Director of the American Studies Program at Boston College. He writes for the New York Times Magazine, the Washington Post Magazine, and the Boston Globe. He is also a regular commentator for WGBH FM. MB: In a recent essay in the Boston Globe, you talked about the relative absence of experts on […]

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual By Michael Pollan 112 pp. Penguin, 2009 U.S. President Barack Obama spent a good bit of 2009 struggling to pass health care reform, sapping considerable political capital. While the historic bill is now law, the U.S. has a long way to go before it achieves truly comprehensive health care reform. […]