They don’t call it a newspaper for nothing…
The News Board is the heart and soul of The Crimson. From the College’s unprecedented decision to send all students home during the coronavirus outbreak to the admissions lawsuit against Harvard which has implications for the fate of affirmative action nationwide, the Crimson News Board is frequently at the center of campus conversations. We receive early access to admissions data and conduct exclusive interviews with Harvard’s top administrators. Writers get to see their bylines run in our daily newspaper and on our award-winning website which receives more than 1.5 million page views per month. We are a committed, close-knit community that extends from our undergraduate days to long past graduation.
News is a home not just for aspiring journalists, but for anyone who wants to speak truth to power, amplify marginalized voices, and make a difference on campus. A number of our stories have garnered campus-wide — and even nation-wide — attention, ultimately pushing the administration to make changes.
Our writers learn how to ask the right questions and get answers. They learn how to investigate and organize facts into writing. No previous experience in journalism is necessary: the comp process is designed to provide students with all the skills necessary for becoming a reporter.
During the comp, students are expected to:
- Attend weekly comp seminars.
- Write seven daily stories with plenty of guidance.
- Write one feature, also with one-on-one mentorship.
- Meet friends and get integrated into the news board’s social life with a number of fun, casual comp events.
- Attend optional speaker events with professional journalists — some of whom wrote for The Crimson during their time at college!
- Participate in on-going discussions about how to continue to make The Crimson a more diverse and inclusive space.
- Come and join the ranks of The Crimson’s most prestigious board, which has produced the likes of presidents and Pulitzer Prize winners.
Any questions? Want more information? Don’t hesitate to contact our News Comp Directors, Juliet E. Isselbacher (juliet.isselbacher@thecrimson.com) and Michelle G. Kurilla (michelle.kurilla@thecrimson.com) with any and all questions and concerns.
SHOWCASED WORK
‘The Shortest Notice Possible’: For First-Generation, Low-Income Students, Rapid Move-Out from Harvard Brings Unexpected Challenges
By Juliet E. Isselbacher and Amanda Y. Su
Within hours, the email sent students scrambling to pack up all their belongings and make plans to vacate. But Barton and others say it hit one group of undergraduates particularly hard: first-generation and low-income students, many of whom depend upon Harvard for food, housing, and stability.
Protected by Decades-Old Power Structures, Three Renowned Harvard Anthropologists Face Allegations of Sexual Harassment
By James S. Bikales
Senior Anthropology professors Theodore C. Bestor, Gary Urton, and John L. Comaroff have weathered allegations of sexual harassment, including some leveled by students. But affiliates said gender issues in the department stretch beyond them.
The Old Boys’ Network: Racism, Sexism, and Alleged Favoritism In Harvard’s Police Department
By Ema R. Schumer
For the most part, Harvard affiliates know Harvard University police officers as the men and women who patrol campus events, frequent the dining halls, and help freshmen move into their dorms. Within the department’s walls, though, HUPD is divided over incidents involving female officers and officers of color, and allegations of favoritism and retaliation.
Harvard, MIT Sue Immigration Authorities Over Rule Barring International Students from Online-Only Universities
By Camille G. Caldera and Michelle G. Kurilla
Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology filed a lawsuit in District Court in Boston Wednesday morning against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to University President Lawrence S. Bacow.