Our paper.
Not unlike an HBS case discussion, editing The Harbus has been both enlightening and chaotic, and occasionally leaves me wondering if anyone is actually doing the reading. When I first took the role, I thought editing was just about fixing typos. Turns out, it’s much more about bugging people to fill out polls, bugging people to submit articles, and bugging people to keep the word count tight.
It’s less writing than I thought. In fact, I’d give 75% credit to ChatGPT for the opening paragraph. I miss writing some, and I’m excited to get back to it in the Spring. But – treason though this may be in the journalistic community – what we write for you is hardly my favorite part of The Harbus.
My favorite part is that we are a platform made by and for a community of amazing humans. I did just see Wild Robot, and may have shed a tear, but I don’t think AI will ever be able to replace that community. This year, we wanted to help HBS engage in difficult conversations ahead of the election. That succeeded because classmates volunteered to debate each other, and their friends came with open minds to learn from and support them. We wanted to diversify our media suite, contribute more content to the community, and bring our Harbus team closer together. That succeeded because our Editors raised their hands to take on special assignments, and first-time Contributors overcame fears (and three-case days) to put their work out into the world. We wanted to grow our readership and build the brand. That succeeded because of shameless self-promoting, a readership willing to give us a chance, and at least in part because someone apparently dressed up as The Harbus for Halloween.
I always chuckle when a club reaches out asking if The Harbus wants to cover an upcoming event they’re hosting. Sadly, there is no stable of journalists hidden in our dungeon/office in the Gallatin basement, jockeying over who gets to take the camera crew and cover the next breaking HBS story. My answer is often “I’d love to run the story, but you’ll have to write it.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, these often end up being the best pieces – let the experts flaunt what they’ve got.
My point is this: The Harbus belongs to all of us. I am eternally grateful to CEO Edouard Lyndt (MBA ’25), our EC Editors (Abhi, Chuck, Danielle, Delaney, Jay, Maya, Mazz, Regina, and Sam), our RC Editors (Jake, John, Meredith, Michelle, Nikole, Peter, Ramya, Santi, and Tyler), our Contributors, and our invaluable behind-the-scenes team (Garrett, Natasha, and Vaughn). But ultimately, this is your paper as much as it is ours. It depends on your engagement, so I hope we’ll collectively keep writing, reading, and making our voices heard together.
As my time as Editor-in-Chief comes to a close, I’m reminded of what they say about every ending being a new beginning – I’m just hoping the next chapter involves fewer Google Docs. We are thrilled to share that Michelle Yu (MBA ’26) will be stepping into the Editor-in-Chief role, and I couldn’t think of anyone more deserving.
In this final edition of 2024, we leave you with plenty to read over the holidays. We start with a reflection on politics at HBS, including our community’s engagement with the electoral process, reflections from community members since November 5th, and results from our inaugural Harbus Presidential Election Poll. We then profile the incredible journeys and accomplishments of community members and guests to campus, with a particularly sporty bunch including a UEFA president, a professional volleyball player, and a Yale-beating soccer team. We proceed to explore the tech landscape and data ecosystem, and in particular, what we look for in business leaders today. From there, we recap two groundbreaking student-organized conferences in Women’s Health and Hospitality & Travel. Finally, we take things home with reflections on HBS, thoughts on 2025, and a crossword and poetry corner.
Happy reading, happy holidays, and see you in the New Year.
Tim Ford (MBA ’25) is originally from New Jersey. He graduated from the University of Virginia with degrees in Commerce and Spanish, and completed an M.Phil. in Latin American Studies at the University of Cambridge. Prior to the HBS MBA, Tim worked in growth equity at TPG in San Francisco.
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