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Can we share what we learned (and didn’t) on Paltrek and iTrek?
The author of The Citizen’s recent op-ed “What they didn’t tell you on Israel trek” didn’t attend iTrek and assumed how participants processed the published itinerary. Neither he nor I can project 282 attendees’ individual experiences. However, I’m compelled to share my perspective as an actual attendee. The status quo has serious justice implications; however, […]Explore all Articles
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Interactive fiction revolutionized storytelling: Why haven’t we realized it yet?
04.5.22
Technology allows stories to be truly interactive. Yet the efforts of creative and experimental authors too often remain obscure. The start of a story is a leap into the unknown. Familiar rituals ease us into that uncertainty- the texture of paper, a book spine creaking, perhaps the comforting weight of a tablet reader. We rest […]
Black Like Me: How the (lack of) diversity on campus affects people off campus
04.2.22
As I sat reading a book on a park bench in Cambridge Commons, a beautiful green space outside of Harvard University’s campus, a man experiencing homelessness began walking toward me, looking quizzically. He sat on the bench next to me and asked, “Do you go to Harvard?” I told him that I do. He explained […]
Home, I can’t live with or without you
03.7.22
Written by Martin Luginbühl (MC/MPA) Longing for it when I’m away, but ready to leave soon after I’m back. How do I juggle homesickness and the call of the world? Home for me is a horse farm just outside of Geneva called “Veytay” which, translated from old French, means “Old Lime Tree”. Many such trees […]
Using mobile money to increase enterprises’ sectorial turnover
01.21.22
Improving the performance of enterprises is crucial for developing countries in general and African countries in particular. African countries are characterized by a large number of enterprises that contribute to their achievement of sustainable development goals by creating jobs, accelerating industrialization, increasing economic growth, and improving the well-being of populations. However, enterprise performance is generally […]
Things You Don’t Want to Think About, But Should
05.6.21
My grandmother visibly worked to form words, her dry mouth—a sign of her body’s refusal to absorb even water—making it difficult to speak. I leaned into my computer screen, trying to make out what she was saying. “Please come to Japan,” she finally managed in English. I said I would, knowing that it was a […]
My HKS Citizenship
04.22.21
COVID-19, the Black Live Matter protests, a presidential election, the Capitol insurrection, the Atlanta spa shootings, and much more. A lot has happened during my two years studying abroad at HKS. As I lived through these experiences, they changed how I view the U.S. and myself. On June 27, 2019, my husband and parents came […]
On Repeat: The Loop of Black Death
04.21.21
Seventeen. I have seen the footage of the murder of George Floyd at seventeen times. I did not want to watch it even once, but it seemed that every major news outlet has had the video repeating in the background over the last year as they recounted the event and the trial. I could not […]
The Hate That Hate Produced
03.23.21
A deadly pandemic is gripping parts of the US. Local health officials are quick to pinpoint the living conditions of Chinatown as a main source of the contagion. Chinese and Chinese Americans are treated as unhygienic and disease-ridden, routinely banned from entering public hospitals, and city officials even propose sending Chinese and Chinese Americans to […]
Day in the Life – MPP1 Beta Cohort
03.22.21
Decolonize DEV-130: The real reason why so many countries are poor, volatile, and unequal, and what’s not being taught in the classroom
03.3.21
It was the last day of class for DEV-130: Why Are So Many Countries Poor, Volatile and Unequal. As I disconnected from Zoom, I sat back in my chair, stared at my computer screen and a deep sense of disappointment washed over me. I was disappointed because I felt invisible. My history and my very […]
Call Me by My Name and I’ll Call You by Yours
02.24.21
960. 960 is the number of school days across six years of middle and high school that I attended a private school in New York City. 960 also represents the number of days that faculty and staff had to learn my name. Nevertheless, on a spring day of my senior year, I walked to my […]
When a “Climate Refugee” Is Not a Refugee
02.22.21
Last year, Colorado and California experienced some of their most destructive wildfires to date, and the U.S. Gulf Coast saw a record-breaking 29 named storms during the hurricane season. Extreme weather, which is becoming more severe with climate change, displaces on average 20 million people worldwide annually. By 2050, it is expected that nearly 200 […]