Events
Harvard, Cambridge and Boston offer an incredible variety of talks, performances, lectures and other events to augment your classes and activities organized by the Nieman staff. The Harvard Gazette is a great way to stay up to date on what’s happening, but there are also many individual email lists you can receive that detail events in specialized areas of interest. Here’s an overview of some of the many organizations you might want to learn more about.
Harvard University Gazette
- Harvard Gazette Events Calendar: The Gazette has the most comprehensive listing of all events at Harvard, updated daily. It includes the arts, lectures and talks, nonacademic classes, religious services and events, support services, public-service opportunities and opportunities to participate in Harvard research studies.
- The Harvard Crimson
School Calendars
Center, Department, and Institute Calendars
- The Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society
- Carr Center for Human Rights Policy
- Center for European Studies
- Center for Middle Eastern Studies
- David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies
- W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research
- The Hutchins Center for African & African American Research
- Joan Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy
- The Institute of Politics
- Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
- All Kennedy School Centers (check sites for their events calendars)
Coop Calendar
- The Harvard Coop, the university’s official book store, sponsors readings and other events.
Arts, Music, and Cultural Programs
- Harvard Outings + Innings: Discount tickets for a wide variety of Harvard and Boston-area entertainment, sporting and cultural events (requires Harvard ID number and PIN).
- Office for the Arts
- The American Repertory Theater at Harvard University (the A.R.T.)
- Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts
- Harvard Art Museums
- Harvard Museum of Natural History
- Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
- Arnold Arboretum: Walking tours of the Arboretum’s plant collections and landscape features.
- Harvard Forest: Self-guided trails and interpretive tours.
- The Harvard Box Office: Sells tickets for events at Sanders Theater, Agassiz Theatre and other university venues.
- Harvard Film Archive
- Harvard Neighbors: Volunteer organization promotes a sense of community at Harvard through cultural and educational programs and events.
Events Beyond the Yard
- Harvard Book Store. This independent book store sponsors readings and lectures.
- Cambridge Forum, one of public radio’s longest running public-affairs programs. Recorded live each week at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church near Harvard Square.
Newsletters you should sign up for
Extracurriculars
House Affiliations
Fellows may choose to affiliate with a House, Harvard’s version of the undergraduate dorm. The experience of affiliating with a House can range from taking part in seminars or salons to performing in a theatrical event to playing on an intramural sports team. There is no general rule on how much you have to interact with students at the House, and each House differs regarding the number and types of activities hosted. Affiliation may come with the perk of a small allotment of meals for the fellow, but with the expectation that you engage with students.
What is the Harvard House System?
The Houses serve as the foundation for the undergraduate experience at Harvard College. Ninety-eight percent of all undergraduates live in one of the 12 residential Houses. A thirteenth House, Dudley House, serves nonresidents and includes graduate student members. Each House accommodates 350-500 students, with its own dining hall, common rooms and facilities for academic, recreational and cultural activities.
With its central goal of forging a link between learning and living, the House system cultivates an assortment of intellectual activities and traditions. In addition to lectures and seminars, each House hosts a collection of informal opportunities for students with common interests to meet, exchange ideas and learn or fine-tune particular skills.
Houses are home to their own film, music, art and drama groups that range from small-scale jam sessions to full operas. In addition, Houses also support a variety of sports teams that compete in an intramural program. A variety of social functions, such as open houses, formal dances and coffee hours, provide students an opportunity to relax and interact with members of their House community.
How do I affiliate with a House?
If you want to affiliate with a House, first choose the one you’d like. Unless there’s a particular faculty dean you want to engage with, it makes sense to select the House with a location that’s most convenient for you. Second, please tell Nicole which House you want. She will then write to the Faculty Dean of that House to introduce you; you can then follow up directly to discuss possible affiliation. Affiliations are limited to two fellows per House.
This directory includes brief information about the Faculty Deans: Knowing about their areas of expertise might be helpful in deciding on a House. (Please note that Pforzheimer House requires payment of an affiliation fee, which is the fellow’s responsibility to cover.) For profiles of each of the 12 residential Houses written by students, read last year’s Harvard Crimson Housing Market overview.
The Crimson also published a three-part series in 2015 about the changing nature of the House system and its role in the undergraduate experience. This map shows the location of each House. If you’re curious about famous residents, click through to each House page from this Wikipedia entry.
Other Fellowship Programs
- The Carr Center for Human Rights Policy Fellows Program
- Radcliffe Fellowship Program
- Loeb Fellowship at the Harvard Design School
- The Joan Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy Fellowship Program
- The Weatherhead Scholars Program at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs
- The Institute of Politics Fellows
- MIT Knight Science Journalism Fellows