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| Cara Chang /Courtesy of Jane Han |
Korean student becomes president of Harvard Crimson
By Jane Han
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. ― The Harvard Crimson, the oldest college newspaper in the U.S., has elected Cara Chang, the second Korean president in the paper's nearly 150-year history, to take lead starting January.
Former U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt are among some of the notable former editors at the esteemed publication founded in 1873.
"I'm absolutely honored to lead the 150th guard of The Harvard Crimson," Chang, 20, said in an interview with The Korea Times. ''It has been incredibly meaningful to me that I'm not the first Korean or first Asian woman to lead the paper. I'm so grateful to have had many role models during my time at the Crimson.''
The junior majoring in history has been covering Harvard University's central administration as a staff reporter since her freshman year.
Chang was chosen after a rigorous five-week selection process that involves multiple rounds of interviews.
"It was a crazy time, but definitely rewarding," said Chang, who called her parents after first hearing the news she got elected to lead the organization of 350 people.
"I immediately called my parents, who are my best friends and biggest supporters,'' she said. ''They were beyond excited."
Born in New York, Chang lived in Hong Kong and Seoul before moving back to the U.S. when she entered high school in Massachusetts.
"I see myself as an American with Korean heritage," she said. "Most of my family is in Korea, so regardless of where I am, it will always be something akin to home."
"I am so grateful I spent several years in Seoul, soaking up my heritage more directly," Chang added. "There is something incredibly special about being able to fly to Korea whenever, touch down, and still feel completely comfortable being back."
Heading into her new position, Chang plans to focus on putting digital first at a time when the Crimson has recently transitioned from daily to weekly print.
"Putting digital first also opens up a new series of collaborative possibilities between traditional written content and our Technology, Multimedia, and Design boards," said Chang, who believes digital is the future of journalism.
"Journalism is adapting to how the way we consume information has changed," she said. "We need to engage readers online, which means more than just uploading the contents of a print paper. Leading newspapers are launching new ways of storytelling that are designed for the screen, branching out into all sorts of new media ― that is where journalism is headed next."
Reflecting on her student life at Harvard, Chang defined her experience as "incredible."
"Each part of my life on campus ― working with professors, the Crimson, Harvard Mock Trial, and my friends ― is so fulfilling," she said. "I'm busy, but busy with things that engage me in different ways."
To aspiring students, Chang shared the advice of not focusing too much on accomplishments.
"Your achievements are important, but they do not define you," she said. "In my experience, college is more about finding my own potential than my grades or titles. I think it's healthier to approach college admissions the same way."
"Think about how you learn and where you can best do that," Chang advised. "And let that be your guiding light."
Jane Han (jhan@koreatimes.co.kr) is an e-commerce entrepreneur who currently owns and sells several brands of products on various online platforms. Based in Seattle, she also writes as a freelance correspondent for The Korea Times.
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