Harvard Square Kiosk Reopening as Community Space
The historic Harvard Square Kiosk is going to reopen in early 2025 as a community space.
The City of Cambridge announced this news in a press release sharing that the space will be named the Cambridge Kiosk which will also act as a “vibrant cultural incubator” and a “visitor information center.” The city announced the space will be be run by the new Cambridge Kiosk Advisory Committee. Those interested in serving on that committee can apply here.
Cambridge City Manager Yi-An Huang said in a statement, “The activation of the Cambridge Kiosk represents a significant milestone for our community. By transforming this historic landmark into a dynamic public space, we will provide greater opportunities for creativity, connection, and collaboration in the center of Harvard Square.”
The kiosk has existed since 1927. Notably, it featured the Out of Town Newsstand from 1983 until the kiosk closed in 2019.
Commissioner of Cambridge Public Works Kathy Watkins said in a statement, “The Kiosk has adapted over its nearly 100 years to meet the needs of the community and it is exciting to see it transform yet again. The current renovations have been led by a dedicated team of architects, engineers and historians and will support this treasured building becoming a modern amenity, while honoring and celebrating the historic details that make it special.”
9 Massachusetts Colleges in Top 100 of U.S. News & World Report’s College Rankings
Nine Massachusetts colleges have made the top 100 in the latest college ranking from U.S. News & World Report.
The following Massachusetts colleges made the top 100, and their rankings are:
-Massachusetts Institue of Technology (#2)
-Harvard University (#3)
-Boston College (#37 tie)
-Tufts University (#37 tie)
-Boston University (#41)
-Northeastern University (#54)
-University of Massachusetts–Amherst (#58)
-Brandeis University (#63)
-Worcester Polytechnic Institute (#86)
For those wondering who beat out MIT and Harvard to take the top spot in the ranking, it was Princeton University.
How Were These Colleges Ranked?
U.S. News and World Report offers a very detailed explanation about how they calculated their 2025 Best Colleges Ranking. In total, there are 17 ranking factors that determine the list. They are, along with the percentage of importance to their overall ranking:
-Graduation rates (16%)
-First-year retention rates (5%)
-Graduation rate performance (10%)
-Pell graduation rates (5.5%)
-Pell graduation performance (5.5%)
-College grads earning more than a high school grad (5%)
-Borrower debt (5%)
-Peer assessment (20%)
-Financial resources (8%)
-Faculty salaries (6%)
-Full-time faculty (2%)
-Student-faculty ratio (3%)
-Standardized tests (5%)
-Citations per publication (1.25%)
-Field-Weighted Citation Impact (1.25%)
-Publication share in the Top 5% of Journals by CiteScore (1%)
-Publication share in the Top 25% of Journal