The Photos That Captured 2023
Throughout 2023, photojournalists at The Crimson published more than 1,000 photos documenting stories across campus — and beyond. Here, The Crimson looks back at some of the most intense and powerful photos capturing the past year at Harvard.
In early January, demonstrators rallied on the steps of Cambridge City Hall following the police killing of Saiyed Faisal. A Bangladeshi American student at UMass Boston, Faisal was fatally shot by a Cambridge Police Department officer on January 4, igniting months of protests across the city.
Facing allegations of sexual harassment and professional conduct violations, African and African American Studies and Anthropology professor John L. Comaroff returned to the classroom in late January. In response, students walked out of his first class, protesting the University’s handling of Title IX claims. In March, students occupied University Hall in protest of his continued employment and the school’s sexual harrassment policies.
At the Harvard Art Museum, painting conservator Kate Smith showed The Crimson her practice of art restoration. “I can’t believe I get to work here,” she said. “Our cultural heritage — of any kind — it’s part of our human soul. Making sure that it lives as long as it can is really important to me.”
In April, Eleganza returned to the Bright-Landry Hockey Center for “Rebirth,” featuring more than 40 cast members. The fashion and dance show originated in 1994 under Harvard’s Black C.A.S.T. with a mission of “redefining beauty and aesthetic style on campus.”
The University’s 372nd Commencement Exercises kicked off in Harvard Yard early on May 25, celebrating thousands of graduates across all schools. In addition to accepting an honorary degree, Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks also delivered this year’s Commencement Speech.
As students dispersed for summer break, the Supreme Court ruled against Harvard’s affirmative action admissions policy in a landmark decision on June 29, effectively striking down race-conscious admissions in higher education. In the aftermath, pro- and anti-affirmative action protestors clashed at rallies on Capitol Hill.
As summer came to an end in East Cambridge, residents celebrated the 98th Feast of Saint Cosmas and Damian. A tradition started by Italian immigrants in 1926, the annual festival boasts musical performances, carnival games, and dozens of food stands.
Internationally renowned figure skaters came together to perform at the 51st Evening with Champions in early September. The non-profit benefits the Jimmy Fund, which supports cancer research and treatment at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
The beginning of the fall semester saw the inauguration of Claudine Gay as the University’s 30th president, making her the first person of color to hold the office. Despite the rainy weather, hundreds gathered in Tercentenary Theatre to witness her appointment, including three former Harvard presidents, Lawrence H. Summers, Lawrence S. Bacow, and Drew Gilpin Faust.
In the days and weeks following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Harvard Hillel and Chabad held vigils for Harvard affiliates to mourn for victims and pray for the release of hostages. At this Oct. 8 candlelit vigil, more than 200 Harvard affiliates gathered in front of Widener Library.
In November, following numerous vigils and protests, the Harvard Palestinian Solidarity Committee organized an art exhibition in Harvard Yard to mourn the lives lost in Gaza. The one day installation, titled “Life Under the Rubble” included everyday items such as furniture, clothing, books, and medical equipment, all spray-painted red and damaged.
The Boston Ballet debuted its 60th season with “Fall Experience,” a vibrant and powerful synthesis of classical and contemporary dances. The show proved to be a refreshing celebration of innovative choreography and provocative musical arrangements.
The annual Harvard-Yale football game returned to New Haven for its 139th iteration this fall. Yale took home the win this year, beating Harvard 23-18 and securing a portion of the Ivy League title in a three-way tie with Harvard and Dartmouth.
On Nov. 16, affiliates of the student group Harvard Jews for Palestine occupied University Hall, demanding Harvard administrators call for a ceasefire in Gaza, make a statement saying that antisemitism was not the same as anti-Zionism, and create a committee to investigate Islamophobia and the suppression of pro-Palestine speech on campus. The occupation ended 24 hours later with the demands remaining unmet.
Cambridge residents ushered in fall by planting the city’s first-ever residential Miyawaki garden, planting more than 40 species of native New England plants in an effort to protect biodiversity.
In early December, President Gay and other university presidents were called to testified before Congress about antisemitism on college campuses. President Gay subsequently apologized for her remarks at the end of her testimony, which sparked fierce national criticism and led the leadership of Harvard Hillel to say they don’t trust her to protect Jewish students at the University. Weeks later, Gay remains in the national spotlight under allegations of plagiarism in her scholarship, which an ongoing congressional investigation into Harvard has been widened to include.