The Week in Good News: Mars InSight, the Harvard Crimson, Reggae
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Version 0 of 1. Sometimes it seems as if we’re living under a constant barrage of heavy news. But it isn’t all bad out there. This feature is meant to send you into the weekend with a smile, or at least a lighter heart. Want to get The Week in Good News by email? Sign up here. Here are seven great things we wrote about this week: The spacecraft’s safe landing ended a journey of more than six months and 300 million miles. As InSight descended, “the hairs on the back of my neck would start rising a little bit higher, a little bit higher,” Tom Hoffman, the project manager for the mission, said at a news conference. “And then when we finally got confirmation of the touchdown, it was completely amazing. The whole room went crazy. My inner 4-year-old came out.” InSight will study the Martian underworld, listening for tremors and collecting data to create a map of the red planet’s interior. What we discover could shed light on Earth’s origins. Read more » Getting to the airport can often be a hassle. For some commuters and airport employees, cycling saves time and money. This mode of transportation is getting more attention as bike sharing expands and the travel industry looks to reduce its environmental impact. A growing number of major airports are providing free racks and connecting bicycle routes to help encourage cycling. Read more » Editors of The Harvard Crimson have gone on to big things in politics (two became United States presidents), law, business, academia and, of course, journalism — a powerful lineup that has been mostly male and overwhelmingly white. Now, Kristine E. Guillaume will become the third black president of The Crimson, and the first black woman to lead the organization, 145 years after it was founded. “If my being elected to the Crimson presidency as the first black woman affirms anyone’s sense of belonging at Harvard, then that will continue to affirm the work that I’m doing,” she said. Read more » The Times spoke to Tenzin Niles and Athan Sporek, who are alternating in the coveted part of the Prince in “George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker” at the David H. Koch Theater in Manhattan. The role is a critical one, and each boy brings something special to the part. Why did they pursue ballet? “My grandmother used to show me videos of Baryshnikov. I was really obsessed with how high he jumped and how many turns he could do. My grandmother was like: ‘You should go and train. You could be as good as him,’ ” Athan said. “A lot of my friends come and see me in ‘The Nutcracker,’ ” Tenzin said, “and they see that ballet isn’t just little girls in tutus twirling around. It’s a very serious art form. So I think a lot of them respect what I do.” Read more » It’s rousing, cool, collected and classic. Now, reggae will be included in Unesco’s list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The Jamaican music genre has bridged continents and given a voice to the oppressed and hopeful. It also inspired many other genres, including dancehall, reggaeton and reggae fusion, and is a pillar in the foundation of hip-hop. Put on some Bob Marley to celebrate its inclusion in the list. Read more » Many call the gatherings at an Atlanta synagogue Bureka Tuesdays, named for traditional pocket pastries stuffed with spinach and cheese. It has become a tradition for the group to meet and bake recipes passed down to them from their grandmothers and great-grandmothers. “The old ladies would tell us how to make the burekas uniform,” Renee Galanti Feldman, 84, said. “Now we are the old ladies, and we have a reputation and our heritage to protect and perpetuate.” The burekas will be sold at the synagogue’s 43rd annual Hanukkah bazaar, which is expected to draw more than 1,000 people. Read more » You can’t help but smile at these pictures — very special days, made even more special by furry (or feathered) friends decked out in top hats, dresses, ties and ribbons. “They were the main focus and the reason I chose my amazing venue,” Sarah Meashaw of Bethesda, Md., said. “There was no negotiating. The dogs had to be a huge part of my wedding.” Read more » What would you like to see here? Email us at goodnews@nytimes.com. You can enjoy more of this feature at nytimes.com/goodnews. |