Turning this blinking cursor on a blank page into a poignant editorial on our position on The Harbus’ independence, my optimism about the incoming editorial staff, and my excitement about the upcoming changes to the paper caused a lot of anxiety and only arrived after three previous versions of this essay. Perhaps these obstacles were of my own creation, but it’s difficult to write an introductory manifesto in the face of so many open questions. Is The Harbus truly independent after the controversy? How will the administration and The Harbus’ editorial staff manage conflict in the future? Will The Harbus manifest ways to inform its community in new ways? We at The Harbus, especially not myself, do not have all of the answers but feel confident in making educated, and optimistic guesses for the upcoming year.
First, The Harbus Newspaper will remain the independent voice of the Harvard Business School. This sentiment lies at the very fabric of why we have a student-managed newspaper: without it, the paper has no teeth and no purpose. Based on conversations I’ve had, I also believe it’s an idea that the administration and the new editorial staff will work together to revere and maintain. “Building off of” this principle, our writers will create objective and sometimes provocative articles without fear of repercussion, giving the community a wide variety of viewpoints and information to supplement their HBS experience.
Obviously, the cartoon controversy was regrettable for not only The Harbus and the administration, but because of the loss of the tremendous editorial insight of Nick Will combined with the negative publicity stoked by the outside press, the HBS community at large. Despite the scars, I think that the campus is actually better off because of the event. First, the event forced action to resolve a serious issue related to career development. Second, it exposed the need for The Harbus staff and the administration to forge a meaningful relationship mitigating polarization of the sides.
The previous editorial staff especially Nick Will not only made sacrifices for this independence, but also produced an entertaining and informative paper every week. Moving forward, the new editorial staff encompasses a wide array of job experiences, backgrounds, perspectives, and writing styles that will help The Harbus continue to grow into a true reflection of the community at large while building on the incredible legacy left by the previous editorial staff.
In the upcoming year, the New Editorial Staff will bring a lot of new ideas to the paper including an outreach program designed to forge a stronger bond between the paper’s staff, writers, and readers. We will also continue to expand the scope of the paper across the river, bringing more content from the undergraduate college and other professional schools into The Harbus.
Of course, the strengthened relationship with the administration and our ideas for bonding The Harbus’ community will not matter if the community doesn’t participate. I strongly encourage you to write articles, respond to articles with letters, let us know what you like and don’t like, promote your events, and come to The Harbus’ sponsored events as they come up.
So let’s get started because we have a lot to talk about in 2003, from the potential of war to the job market. I’m excited to see The Harbus take on its role as the platform for the free exchange of perspectives, entertainment, information and growth. Hopefully we can all make that happen together.
Allen Narcisse
Editor In Chief
