Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Just when you think the hallowed halls of Harvard couldn’t get any more theatrical, they turn the campus into a live remake of Les Misérables, sans the singing, unfortunately, which might have added some much needed entertainment. Students at Harvard have decided to pitch tents faster than you can say cum laude. This isn’t your usual collegiate outdoor fun; it’s a full-blown protest because talks about something as thrilling as a just cause have failed.
And why did these talks fail? Because apparently, having a reasoned discussion is too low-brow for our Ivy Leaguers. There must be a special class at Harvard, “Protesting 101: How to Continue Your Encampment Even After Everyone Has Stopped Caring.” I’d enroll, but I might end up just screaming into the void, which I can do without the student debt, thank you very much.
Camp Harvard: More Tents Than a Circus
Imagine walking through campus, expecting the usual sight of stressed students and overworked professors, only to stumble upon a field trip of tents. What’s the lesson today? Economics? Political Science? Nope. It’s a crash course in stubbornness and the fine art of not budging an inch, taught by none other than your fellow students and possibly a weary professor who thought they were getting into academia, not tent assembly.
The demands? They’re about as clear as my understanding of why kale became popular. But the intent is clear: something needs to change, and until it does, these tents are gonna be popping up like mushrooms after a rainstorm. It’s as if every student read Henry David Thoreau and took extremely detailed notes on civil disobedience—only, this isn’t Walden Pond; it’s more likely a puddle formed from the tears of parents paying full tuition.
Who Needs a Diploma When You’ve Got a Tent?
Now, I’m all for a good protest. After all, what’s college without a bit of rabble-rousing? It’s practically a rite of passage. But, Harvard protesters are taking it to a new level, one where your academic credentials might just include how many nights you’ve survived the great outdoors of…Cambridge, Massachusetts. Who knew that alongside your degree in Philosophy, you’d also earn a minor in Outdoor Survival?
Let’s be real. Harvard’s administration, facing this tent-laden protest, must be scratching their heads. Negotiations broke down faster than a cheap tent in a hurricane. What were these negotiations about anyway? More pressing issues like sustainable food sources and ethical investments or how many times the salad bar should feature avocado toast?
Protest: Advanced Ivy League Edition
Of course, this protest isn’t all fun and tents. There are serious undertones here about what these students are passionate about: justice, transparency, and a better future. It’s just a pity their execution involves living like a Boy Scout on a bad camping trip. If only their demands could be met as swiftly as their tents were pitched, we’d all sleep a bit sounder, on actual beds.
In conclusion, next time you think of Harvard, don’t just think of it as the breeding ground for future presidents and Supreme Court justices. No, think of it as a place where you can learn the fine art of tent pitching, public speaking against a backdrop of canvas, and perhaps, just perhaps, where you might talk your way into some actual, lasting change. Or at least, into a better, bigger tent.
Source: Harvard Protesters Vow to Continue Encampment After Talks Fail
