On Criticizing Harvard

If you take a look at The Crimson’s opinion section, criticism of Harvard is the norm. In fact, it’s the preferred template for most pieces. Recent articles include calls for Harvard to install AC units for the unbearable September heat and even a nostalgic essay commenting on life before Harvard's schedule change, which made it necessary to attend class on-time.

To many outside the Harvard bubble, these complaints seem juvenile. Although the Editorial Board usually opines on issues far more serious than air conditioning, I oftentimes wonder how many people (myself included) possess genuine perspective. Perspective — an ingredient that is nearly impossible to pick out between the lines of any article — is the difference between meaningful commentary and whiny complaints.

If you’ve been keeping up with this column you will have noticed that I’ve spent a lot of time criticizing Harvard. My last piece was particularly harsh. I castigated Harvard for being one of the worst colleges in the country in terms of overall social mobility. The slight irony in writing this piece was transparent to me: I am a paradigmatic example of social mobility at Harvard while simultaneously criticizing the university on this very topic. The entire column has navigated this gray area, an odd region between my gratitude towards Harvard and a need to elucidate institutional failures.

My personal connection, and immense appreciation for Harvard, cannot be overstated. This school has always been a part of my surroundings; I grew up in Cambridge and attended high school merely a few steps away from the Yard. Harvard has allowed me to get a remarkable education without any concerns about cost. Unlike many of my closest friends from home, I will never have to worry about student debt or repaying my parents. I have been granted four years to explore, learn, and make connections with some of the brightest young minds in the country. Truly, it’s an experience that I don’t take for granted.

Harvard means even more to my family — far beyond the practical measures of affordability and commitment to financial aid. As many students of immigrant parents can attest, Harvard holds a near-mythical status. It stands alone at the peak of the American Dream cliché. Immigrants dream of coming to the United States and sending their kids to Harvard. For my mother, and the rest of her family, this was a reality. News of my acceptance spread like wildfire, and I could never picture a situation where my mother would criticize Harvard in any way.

This story, although highly personal, is not unique among Harvard students. Many low-income and first-gen students feel the same gratitude and have a clear understanding of how much Havard means to their family. Interestingly, this also implies that many students share in my hesitation to criticize Harvard — a hesitancy that stems from a feeling of personal debt to the institution.

While the strain between gratitude and genuine complaints about Harvard is present for all students, it is particularly onerous for those receiving financial support from the school. When in a reflective mindset, it can feel difficult to complain about classes or deadlines when you attend college for free; it can even feel disingenuous. This tension, however real it may feel at times, shouldn’t exist. The entire purpose of financial aid is to remove worries about cost, not create emotional debt.

Part of an authentic Harvard experience is complaining about the college, making it better, and even writing a scathing column in The Crimson. We want Harvard to be a place where all students can participate equally in important activities, including the realm of productive criticism. In fact, it might be more important for those who hesitate to criticize Harvard to do so — complaints from these students are necessarily coming from a foundation of gratitude. Thus, we cannot let our acknowledgment of privilege impede our fair criticisms of Harvard, a reorientation especially necessary, and difficult, for students receiving support from the school.

Harold Klapper ’25 is an economics and philosophy double concentrator in Eliot House. His column “Practical Progressivism” usually appears on alternate Tuesdays.