The Cold Call is a venerable Harbus tradition. This week, the new EICs Daniel and Alex sat down with their legendary predecessors – outgoing EICs Kate Lewis and Bart Clareman.
The Year in Review
Harbus: So, HBS is time-consuming, Like, really time-consuming. What motivated you to take on the EIC role in the first place?
Bart: I’ve always loved newspapers. I worked on them in high school and college, and I found myself missing the excitement and stress of the newsroom.
Kate: To be honest, by the end of RC year, I wasn’t taking my academics seriously and those who know me know that I don’t necessarily take myself seriously. But I wanted to make a worthwhile commitment and I thought the paper would be a good place to do that. It totally was. Running the Harbus is like running a small business; as editors we are on the hook for the company’s financials, employees, and of course the paper’s content.
Harbus: So what was the best thing about working at The Harbus? And don’t say something lame like “working with a great team.”
Kate: I really enjoyed hearing from other students, both as writers and readers. I think that a person’s writing style says a lot about them, and I loved editing articles submitted by friends and classmates on issues important to them.
Bart: Working with Kate and the rest of the team.
Kate: Yeah that too. Luv ya B.
Harbus: What was your funniest moment from the last year?
Bart: Either the time we met with the editors of The Crimson, who were brilliant in spite of their peach fuzz, or the time we convinced a couple of gullible RCs to take over from us.
Harbus: If we were to rifle through the back issues, what’s your favorite article from the past year?
Kate: I had a great time writing the “Menugate” article about Restaurant Associate’s decision to label a Middle Eastern dish as an Israeli dish. Only at HBS would this be a “thing.” It was also a damn good article if I do say so myself.
Bart: Katie Peek’s “Hapless Harvardite” column. Touching, poignant and beautifully written. Easily the highlight for me.
The Road Ahead
Harbus: What will you miss most about HBS?
Bart: The people, easily. It’s a really amazing thing to live so close to, and share a similar schedule with, so many of your close friends, and so many great people that you haven’t had a chance to meet yet.
Kate: It’s also pretty amazing being in a political economy class, sitting across from the son of the sovereign you’re discussing. I can’t think of any other time in your life that’s going to happen.
Harbus: Let’s say hypothetically I’m an RC reading this article, soiling myself with fear and excitement at the thought of becoming an EC. What advice do you have for me?
Bart: The end is every bit as close as you fear it is. Enjoy yourself, stop to smell the roses, and whatever you do – don’t take a job to have a job.
Kate: As the word “elective” implies, a lot more things in second-year are just that. Make sure you follow through on what’s important to you. Otherwise you’ll find yourself in your bed watching Homeland at 2pm on a Tuesday.
Harbus: What will you be doing after graduation?
Kate: I’m going to work in McKinsey’s Dubai office. I’m equal parts excited and terrified.
Bart: I’ll be working at Tiggly. The company won FIELD 3 last year, and has an opportunity to do some really great things in early childhood education.
Harbus: What are you going to buy with your first post-graduation paycheck?
Kate: A large portion of that paycheck, and every other paycheck for the next ten years, will be going straight to Sallie Mae. Hmmm. That’s depressing.
Bart: Convert all my VHS to DVD.
Random Musings
Harbus: What was the hardest part about founding Facebook?
Kate: I’m not good with computers. Seriously, the Winklevi had to teach me how to update my relationship status once I started dating them.
Bart: Yeah, those f*cking Winklevi. Seriously guys, it’s enough already.
Harbus: What are your thoughts on cloning?
Kate: I think the world would be a better place with more me’s in it.
Bart: I think the topic will be mostly moot when the singularity sets in in like 15-20 years.
Harbus: If you were an animal, what would you be?
Kate: I think the lobster is a noble creature. With evolution continuously disrupting its ecosystem, the lobster has managed to maintain its primordial, dinosaur-like shape without becoming extinct.
Bart: I’ve been told I would be Clifford the Big Red Dog, and I’m comfortable with that.
The Happy Couple
We asked Kate and Bart the following questions about each other. Let’s see how much they’ve learned from a year working together!
Harbus: What was the best thing about working with [Bart/Kate]?
Bart: I’ll hold on saying something sarcastic here and go sentimental. She was the perfect co-editor – smart, funny, and always a pleasure to be around. I was very lucky to work with her.
Kate: Bart’s an ideas guy, in the Don Draper sense of the phrase, except without the alcoholism and the mood swings. He is incredibly creative in his thinking, whether it be on the content side or the business side of the paper.
Harbus: What was the worst thing about working with [Bart/Kate]?
Bart: What could be bad about working with Kate?
Kate: Bart sings a lot, mostly songs by The Killers, which is his favorite band. The kind of irritating part is that he thinks he’s really good. He’d regularly show off his pipes in the Harbus office on Friday afternoon layout marathons.
Harbus: What is [Bart/Kate]’s favorite song?
Bart: Either “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues, or anything I would sing. She had a profound appreciation of my musical talents.
Kate: Bart’s music revolves around the Killers, but I think he might hold the top spot for a classic about his hometown, the Big Apple. Perhaps Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind”.
