Editor's Note

Dear FM, I’m in denial. I’m in denial that the semester is ending, that this is the last regular issue I will ever admin (???!?!?! :”””))))) ), that my dinoship is approaching. I will save my sappy note for my last closeout, which I am also in denial about having to write so soon! What is *un*deniable, however, is how good this issue is. Chief among the pieces we have is first-time (!!!) scrut writers XSC and WCM’s incredible deep-dive into campus dialogue efforts on Israel-Palestine. It’s the story we have all been waiting for, journalists and readers alike. Thoroughly reported, with openness and tact and a critical eye, XSC and WCM explore why talking about Israel-Palestine has been so difficult. As they note, Tarek E. Masoud, the HKS professor who leads the Middle East Dialogues, appears to have it down when it comes to fostering these conversations. Yet efforts to replicate his event have failed, and the campus environment remains fraught with tension. Why is this? What is the University getting wrong or overlooking? And what does the way forward look like? This phenomenal scrut may not hold all the answers, but it tackles the job The Crimson hadn’t yet done in elucidating the obstacles Harvard faces in building bridges (pun intended). Sometimes, though, dialogue just isn’t the goal. With impressive reporting chops, YAK and SEY capture the absurdity and the gravity of the National Men’s March to Abolish Abortion that was met with fierce(ly hilarious?) counterprotesting from the Clown March. KJK speaks to HLS instructor Alejandra Caraballo about LGBTQ rights and activism in the incoming Trump presidency. In a 15Q, carrier of FM JKW talks to Government professor Theda Skocpol about the election results, campus protest, and how Harvard’s campus may change in the next four years. Taking a step from the politics/election theme, SEY explores the goals of and ethics surrounding Future You AI, a chatbot that “impersonates” your future self, which you can talk to about decisions you want to make in your life. In a thoughtful and cogent inquiry, CS reflects on how interactions he has had since coming to college have revealed the ways in which queerness, even on a liberal campus, can be constrained by labels and heteronormativity. Finally, pulling the issue to a close, RZN reflects on the experience of viewing his admissions file and how that reminded him that what he has really been looking for has always existed outside of grades and medals and application essays. As always, many a thank must be expressed for all those who made this issue happen! Thank you XCZ, JND, OWZ, SET, and LJPE for rapid, high-quality graphics and another beautiful glossy. Thank you BHP, LLL, JJG, and AYL for being on top of it with amazing photos as always, even with pitches disappearing from the Notion! Thank you MJH, EJS, and CY for good judgment calls. Thank you FM execs for holding down the fort with editing, proofing, and 15 seniors-ing, and special shoutout to ESKS for scroofing even while abroad at a conference! Last but most certainly not least, thank you HD — for being on the same wavelength, for commiseration, for making chairing Fun! FMLove, HD + KT