Crimson staff writer

Simon J. Levien

Crimson staff writer Simon J. Levien can be reached at simon.levien@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @simonjlevien.

Latest Content


A Secret at the Hearth of Adams House

A fireplace in Adams House has racist caricatures sculpted into its pillars. Without a word, administrators boarded them up to divert attention away. Three years on, they have yet to formally, publicly acknowledge these sculptures or their literal cover-up.


Fireplace Two Closeups

A side profile of the middle figure on the left pillar of the Westmorly Court fireplace, and a close-up of the inner figure on the left figure, both thought to be racist caricatures. In either sport or war, these are purported to depict an Indigenous person and Asian person respectively.


Fireplace Encased

What the boarded-up fireplace looks like in the Westmorly A-entryway lobby in 2022. The panels enclosing the sculptures on either pillar are noticeably oversized and off-color.


Westmorly A

The entrance portal to Westmorly Court’s A entryway, which opened in 1902. Westmorly Court was a private dormitory known for the lavish lifestyle its residents afforded.


No Pants? Snow Problem. Primal Scream Makes a Hollering Comeback

Baring it all in the season’s first snowfall, hundreds of Harvard students gathered outside Wednesday night in jackets, underwear, and little else to resume the boisterous tradition of streaking around Harvard Yard the midnight before finals.


Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Pledges $500 Million for AI Institute at Harvard

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan ’07 pledged $500 million over the next 15 years to found the Kempner Institute for the Study of Natural and Artificial Intelligence at Harvard, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative announced Tuesday.