In many different ways, the Harbus newspaper has proved to be an enormous asset to the HBS community since its establishment 65 years ago. One of the great services the paper provides is a snapshot of the events, issues and concerns that mould the experience of being part of the HBS community. I’d like to replay some of the major stories that made it onto the front pages during this past year.
Exactly a year ago, Abby Cohen, Goldman Sachs’ Chief U.S. Investment Strategist, spoke on campus, advising HBS students of “muted recovery” in 2002, and advocating a year-end 2002 S&P500 level of between 1,300 and 1,425.
In spite of Ms. Cohen’s moderately bullish predictions on the economy, January saw the announcement of HBS MBA Career Services’ new campaign to assist EC and RC students in their networked job searches.
The campaign consisted primarily of intense targeting of alumni and alumnae, and approaching portfolio companies of venture capital and private equity firms to grow the market of available full time and internship opportunities.
In February, Richard (Dick) Tofel, Vice President of Dow Jones and Assistant to the publisher of The Wall Street Journal was on campus to describe how the Journal kept publishing during the terrorist attacks of September 11.
Also in February, the HBS administration launched the MBA Service Leadership Fellows Program, in which the school planned to subsidize competitive remuneration for year-long positions in select not-for-profits.
March saw the election of Annemarie Jensen (OI) and Salman Khan (OD) as new SA co-presidents. Also, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed Harvard students across the river on her views on the War against Terrorism.
The School’s ability to continually attract some of the world’s most famous CEOs was demonstrated in April with Lord John Browne of BP visiting campus to speak about Globalization, Gerald Levin of AOL Time Warner addressing the topic of leadership and values, and Rupert Murdoch of Newscorp dropping into Aldrich to address an EC class.
In September, the new Class of 2004 was welcomed, and also given the news that, with 18 per cent of the Class of 2002 without a job offer at graduation, a challenging recruiting environment lay ahead. Also in this month, Dean Kim Clark lead the HBS community’s commemoration of the first anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
During October, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Paul O’Neil addressed the RC cohort on corporate governance, and Mary Robinson, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on HBS to engage in the debate on human rights.
November’s front pages carried happy news of members of the HBS community celebrating the Hindu New Year (Diwali). Unfortunately, this month also heralded the unhappy news of the resignation of The Harbus Editor-in-Chief, Nick Will (OI).
And so it has come time to hand over the reins of The Harbus to the Class of 2004. It has been my pleasure to have held the position of News Editor during 2002, and I wish next year’s Harbus editorial staff an enjoyable and rewarding year at the helm.