Does Community Input Speak for Cambridge? According to the Data, No

That’s not to say Cambridge shouldn’t listen to its residents. But when public comment becomes a ritual stage for a tiny, unrepresentative minority, it’s worth asking whom that process really serves.

Per-Unit Assessed Value

Owner Occupancy by Group

Public Comment Volume by Month

Cumulative Shares of Public Comments by Unique Speakers

Racial Composition by Group

If Cambridge Wants To Spend, It Has To Build

In order to deliver on expensive candidate promises, Cambridge desperately needs extra income. Building is the way to get it.

Since When Does Trump Care About Grades?

If the Trump administration swaps maximalist hostage-taking for more subtle and fundamentally reasonable asks, it may be appropriate to reconsider Harvard’s stance. If the Oval Office has changed course and opted for a project of durable institutional reform, that would be a nice change of pace. For now, though, those are pretty big ifs.

Harvard Exists for One Reason and One Reason Only

Although it’s impossible to predict the future, it’s a fair bet that Harvard will remain top of mind in our political debates. As myriad actors seek to impose their political projects onto our campus, it will serve us well to remember our core purpose.

Harvard Must Confront Trump’s Demands for What They Are, Not How They’re Made

The real danger for Harvard is not reforming under pressure, but defending itself only on the grounds of pressure. If we let “who gets to tell Harvard what to do” replace “what should Harvard actually do,” we cede the substance of the debate.