I wore headphones all throughout my freshman year at Harvard. Big headphones, with earpods the size of tennis balls. At the time, I'm sure they seemed essential, a crucial aid in my ongoing romance with music. But in hindsight, it's clear they had far less to do with enhancing my sonic experience than they did with dissuading casual approachers. After only a few weeks there, in the fall of 1993, I realized how difficult conversations on the Yard could be. No... More >>>