Editor's Note

Dear FM, In fifth grade, there was only one thing I really wanted: YouTube stardom. I made dozens upon dozens of Minecraft videos with hopes of online fame and fortune — but my artistic masterpieces rarely cracked 15 views. Little did I know that my dreams would come true, in a way, over a decade later. So get in loser FMLover. This week we’re going viral. In our cover story, KJK and AML take a deep dive into the booming college influencer economy. Leveraging the Harvard brand, a growing crop of students have gained massive platforms on TikTok and Instagram. Yet along with celebrity status and tens of thousands of dollars in brand deals, these students must navigate an unprecedented and sometimes harsh spotlight. This article is just the type of thoughtful-funny-fascinating that makes me grateful to be part of this magazine. Whether, like me, you’ve always wondered what’s going on behind the curtain of virality — or you can’t imagine putting your life on display like that — this is the scrutiny for you. Elsewhere in the issue, VRW visits the Eliot house darkroom, where newly-minted Faculty Dean David Elmer is bringing film photography — and House seminars — back to life. DCB talks to Lauren Scruggs, a senior whose celebrity extends all the way to Paris, where she won gold and silver medals in fencing this past summer. For this week’s 15 Questions, CS Professor Finale Doshi-Velez tells JL all about her work on explainable AI, her forthcoming novel, and how purple unicorns unwittingly became her lab’s mascot. Finally, SAL closes the issue with a meditation on her time stripping — climbing holds, not clothes — at Central Rock Gym in the Square. As usual, there’s lots of gratitude to go around: to my scrut writers, for the brilliance, joy, and care they brought to (many, many hours in) 14p. KJK & AML, you might not have gone viral (yet!), but I’m certain you both have that dog in you. To AEP, thanks for seemingly seamless scroofing — in my book, that’s a triumph. Thanks to JND, OWZ, and especially XCZ for conjuring a last minute John Harvard selfie. Thanks to LLL, BHP, and the rest of Multi for anchoring the scrut with fantastic portraits and superb adminning. Thanks to MJH, EJS, and CY for putting up with suggestion mode, and, as always, thanks to KT for holding FM together and appreciating my memes. FMLove, HD + KT