Crimson opinion writer
Harold H. Klapper
Latest Content
In Defense of Trigger Warnings
Trigger warnings serve to protect the autonomy of students with histories of trauma. It would be a mistake to abandon them because of a few errant examples of overreach. We have to affirm a culture of reading and discussing difficult works, with trigger warnings serving as a tool for this end, rather than an obstacle.
The ‘Privileged Poor’ at Harvard
The tale we tell about low-income students at Harvard is simple and affecting. It’s also mostly inaccurate.
On Criticizing Harvard
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.
Harvard’s Faux Social Mobility
Looking at financial aid and diversity statistics are important, but they obscure what truly matters: worthy and disadvantaged students using Harvard as a vehicle for social and economic improvement. What does Harvard have to brag about if only 1.8 percent of its students come from poor families and become wealthy?
Why I’m Not Latinx
It has been a longstanding fear of mine that I will become disconnected from my Hispanic family. Matriculating to Harvard has only amplified these concerns. The Ivy League bubble only serves to complement my other non-traditional Hispanic qualities. Latinx, at times, feels like the final straw. The last step to the top of the Hispanic Ivory Tower. It’s one I just cannot take.
Reflections on Friendship, Wealth, and College
College has created new and more subtle social barriers, all of which are predicated on wealth. Friendships are formed in a new, more particular, manner. People no longer bond over pick-up basketball and biking to classes. Instead, we choose friends by using subtle cues about background, political affiliation, and socioeconomic status, curating social groups that reflect our carefully selected priorities.
The Irony of Our Selling Out Discussions
For many low-income students and their families, Harvard is a vessel for financial success, not a flowery exploration of the liberal arts. Let’s encourage everyone to work in socially beneficial roles, while also acknowledging that financial comfort is a reasonable goal for all students.