Harvard University's only conservative student publication, The Harvard Salient, has reclaimed the right to deliver its print editions to campus dormitories after nearly a year of pushback from administrators, according to student leaders, Breitbart reported.
The Salient, which is published in print and online, was launched in the 1980s. It went dormant during the Obama administration and returned in the fall of 2021.
Sarah Steele, president of the Salient and a senior at the Cambridge, Massachusetts, institution, said its relaunch was met with heavy resistance.
"While it seemed that it was an incredibly hostile time when the Salient was revived in 2021, it was also like our political movement was ready to say, 'Conservatives on campus cannot be treated as pariahs anymore,'" Steele told Breitbart.
Administrators first halted the paper's ability to be distributed to dorm rooms in February 2024. Steele said officials claimed door-to-door print deliveries were a "fire hazard" and not "environmentally friendly," even though other student publications did not receive similar complaints.
The Salient was placed on probation during final exams, but Harvard lifted that status after students appealed to higher-level administrators.
"We were put on probation in examination week. It was lifted 36 hours later, and then we basically spent most of winter break appealing to the highest levels of administration about what a liberal speech policy at Harvard should look like," Steele, who is a senior studying government, said Wednesday. "And just today, they let us know that we're going to be able to distribute freely without interference."
Despite calling the situation "delicate," the Salient's leadership expressed "hope" that recent gains would hold. Editor-in-chief Caleb Chung, a sophomore studying economics, emphasized caution.
"So we hope so, and we're optimistic about the future. One thing we know is that all it takes is one student complaint or one upset DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] officer to bring administration back onto us," he told Breitbart News.
Chung said the Salient's staff, roughly two dozen undergraduates, remains "vigilant" in the face of ongoing hostility, including a death threat allegedly sent via email by a fellow student.
"We've built a flourishing conservative community at Harvard. Even though there are few of us, we're very active, and I think we're better for it.
"Whether we like it or not, for the foreseeable future, Harvard exists to produce leaders. Even if they're predominately leaders on the left, I think it's important they be exposed to conservative viewpoints," Chung said when asked about the university's reputation for turning out liberal graduates.
"We started four years ago unsure of what is going to happen. Our organization has grown quickly," he added.
The publication's board includes former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who served in President Donald Trump's first administration.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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