HarvardX Has an Anthem, and It Gets Better

Nothing screams educational innovation and massive open online courseware like dubstep.

The 2014 edition of HarvardX’s “anthem,” released just last week, already has 725 views and 19 upvotes, a sure indicator of future billboard success. The elegantly noisy dubstep track, punfully (and painfully) titled “Beauty & the Bass,” is intended to inspire students worldwide because yes, a Harvard education is yours too, for free! (Unless you want to earn a “verified” “certificate of achievement” for Cs50x. Pay up $90+ for one of those.)

The video features professorial giants like Robert A. Lue, Peter K. Bol, and Elisa New, who’s shooting hoops with Harvard’s prized men’s basketball team. When the poetry professor shoots the ball, it nervously teeters on the rim. The suspense and excitement are palpable, akin to the hype every student feels when clicking ‘play’ on a lecture video. What will happen? Will the ball make it in? Will the video load? Nothing like an online education to always keep you on edge.

And let’s not forget the tasteful black and white cuts. You can’t have an emotionally-wrought video about online learning without these subtle nods to the masterful filmmaking of Federico Fellini, because yes, those LS1a lectures will be as touching as La Dolce Vita.

This song is definitely the anthem for online education—just wait for the drop.