On June 16th, 1858, then-senatorial candidate Abraham Lincoln warned that “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Two years later, his prophecy would be fulfilled when the United States entered a devastating Civil War over the future of the institution of slavery. Today’s division certainly takes a different form, but, 165 years later, political discord still persists.
One in five American voters report that disagreements over political issues hurt their relationships with friends or family. Only 4% of Americans report feeling excited about politics. Division isn’t a phenomenon limited to American politics either. Polarization spans continents and crosses oceans, with growing shares of people across the world reporting heightened perceptions of partisan conflict. Social media echo chambers order our political conversation, and political-chats-turned-shouting-matches have become synonymous with Thanksgiving dinners. How did we arrive at this reality, and where do we go from here?
“A House Divided” was pitched by then-HPR Interviews Editor Jonah Simon ’26, who sought to ask “What does it mean to live in half a home, and do we need to prepare for its collapse?” This magazine will explore the underbelly of division: In the pages of this magazine, our creators question what implications division has on democracy and trust and what the inflamed state of political unrest means for our culture. From examining religious prejudices toward presidential candidates to the fragmentation of the parent-educator relationship, A House Divided brings to light the unseen — or ignored — consequences of living within divided communities, institutions, and countries.
Meet our “A House Divided” magazine contributors below:
Kritika Nagappa
Year: 2026
House/Dorm Affiliation: Kirkland
Concentration/Intended Concentration: Economics
Area of interest in politics/journalism: Role of gender in politics and data journalism.
Hot Take: Cupcakes should not come with frosting.
Nina Howe-Goldstein
Year: 2025
House/Dorm Affiliation: Mather
Concentration/Intended Concentration: History and Government
Area of interest in politics/journalism: First Ladyship, Spiro Agnew
Hot Take: The walk from Mather to the Yard is character building.
LyLena D. Estabine
Year: 2024
House/Dorm Affiliation: Lowell
Concentration/Intended Concentration: Sociology (Data Analytics Track)
Area of interest in politics/journalism: Freedom of speech/religion and education policies
Hot Take: Abortion is a human rights violation and maternal healthcare should be free.
Joshua Layne
Year: 2027
House/Dorm Affiliation: Holworthy
Concentration/Intended Concentration: Intended Joint Government and History
Area of interest in politics/journalism: American judiciary, international government systems, human rights movements
Hot Take: Raccoons are quite interesting animals despite their trash-eating tendencies.
Amen Gashaw, Endpaper: The Cult of Unity
Year: 2024
House/Dorm Affiliation: Eliot
Concentration/Intended Concentration: Government and Molecular and Cellular Biology
Area of interest in politics/journalism: International development, Faith and Politics, Political Communications, Public Health
Hot Take: Blundstones can and should be worn with everything: dresses, suits, shorts, all of it.
The intro note to “A House Divided” was written by Covers editors Liana McGhee ’25 and Nurayn Khan ’26.
