March 2009

Lena LOVE IN THE TIME OF

ELIZABETH NICHOLAS SITS DOWN WITH AND DISCOVERS A DIFFERENT LENA CHEN.

REINVENTING HARVARD’S

T V

AN INSIDE STORY OF DEREK FLANZRAICH’S VISION

professor guzzetti: “ITUNES COULD SAVE THE FILM INDUSTRY”

A DATE WITH

mike einziger

THE INCUBUS GUITARIST IS JUST ANOTHER HARVARD STUDENT.

the voice an official harvard college student publication.

VOICE TO VOICE WITH

ISSUE 15, March 2009

the strongest man on earth

2 AGENDA

the voice

march 2009 INDEX OF THIS ISSUE’S CONTENT

agenda

buzz map with some events. you can check them out. if you want to. pages 2-3 (you’re looking at it, actually.)

your monthly agenda

the voice

MARCH 17TH, 7 PM

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dropkick murphy’s

some events you don’t want to miss.

ST. PATRICK’S DAY SHOW AT THE HOUSE o n” B os t OF BLUES f f to cing it s o o g t ra pin

Ship d is g r way h “ I’m orld, an at bet te ston wit gg n w so wh g in Bo to swa their d the . So n for ur aroun ick ’s Dayf par t yin ’t forget w o n r at ,k don a to ht o bandck, is on t on St. P ood nig ep, and k c o t i g r nk R oundtra rish spi s and a r Irish s s u I ic-Pu Celt par ted s ith it ’s of Guine ctice yo s i h e t on w l ot s a T r D p e , in Th e in Bos an with r friends h o m b r a t e t h r a b yo u cele music? Gly. l i ve S e r i o us ger.

12th Annual Roger Tory Peterson

memorial lecture columns from 3 of ours columnists + editor’s intro. check out our site for more breaking views. pages 4-7.

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Harvard Science Center, One Oxford Street.

lem prob d on e h t on lace eech alarm p affected p s a inly liver is reasing ill de he incre ave cer taentalist ormity w r nm ith t e en ch h meie ritter ar th. W nge, whi an enviroyes to th biodive M .

E t A a t e c l n l h o te c e ha ur Russ tinction climate urprise t ll open o is to pro f x t i s i o e of issues it ’s no ut he w or tant uired. the iversity, ward. B ow imp kets req biod ing the a m and hgies. Tic ceiv e proble strate of th with new sity

intelligence professor guzzetti discusses documentaries, bad art, and the future of film industry. exciting. and intelligent. pages 8-12.

propaganda votegophers! pages 13-15 harvard TV! pages 16-18 lena chen. a fantastic essay by Elizabeth Nicholas, don’t miss. pages 19-26

out & about the strongest man alive talks to the voice. fierce. pages 28-29. fashion: ‘breaking green’ (green as in money, not the color. our pages are in b&w so it wouldn’t make much sense. pages 30-35 a date with a rock star: mike einzinger (he’s the cover, a great photo by sophia. yup, sophia’s fantastic.) pages 36-39

MARCH 15TH-27TH

restaurant week ALL OVER BOSTON

It’s here again, and that means it’s time to go out and eat. Check out that restaurant you’ve always wanted to try because now you’ll get the best the restaurant has to offer at a discount price.

PRICES: Two-course Prix-fixe Lunch Menu: $15.09* Three-course Prix-fixe Lunch Menu: $20.09 Three-course Prix-fixe Dinner Menu: $33.09

MARCH 19TH-26th

underground film festival KENDALL SQUARE CINEMA

Love indie films? We do too. Kind of. That’s why recommend the 11th Annual Boston Underground film festival running from March 19-March 26. With titles like “Psychideliccinema,” “Registered Sex Offender,” “Make Your Own Damn Music Video,” and “J. Cannibal’s Tapas of Terror,” we think this will be a wonderful alternative to a Saturday night at The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Be sure to buy tickets in advance. A $75 season pass will get you into see all the shows at Kendall Square Cinema and Brattle Theater as well as all the festival parties. Single Tickets $8.

4 AGENDA

the voice

Jacob Benson

Miran Pavic WHAT DO

POLITICS OF FEAR AND

indiana jones

AND THE VOICE HAVE IN COMMON?

Virtually every one of my favorite character met a violent, brutal, monstrous death in this past cinematic year. Batman was butchered beyond recognition. The genocidal torture that was Indiana Jones is not even worth mentioning. And the spectacular debacle called ‘Quantum Of Solace.’

I

could tell Ogi’s mind was somewhere else. It was 2 a.m., and we had been already redesigning the website for hours. The Quincy dining hall was mostly empty, with occasional characters pretending to do some work. One of them was Zach, who walked up to us, opened his laptop, and urged us to watch the fantastic South Park episode ‘The China Probrem.’ Ogi, our website director, and I both needed a break. The episode in question is hilarious, with Cartman trying to learn the supposed Chinese invasion plans. But that night, I was more interested in its subplot, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas raping Indiana Jones.

Virtually every one of my favorite character met a violent, brutal, monstrous death in this past cinematic year.

Batman was butchered beyond recognition. It would have been quite a decent spy thriller – bank robberies, SWAT teams, murdered police commissioners, New York City (or rather, Chicago) streets, hospital bombings - if not for a guy who, for no apparent reason, runs through the streets in a cape and talks in a morbidly fake voice.

I’ve seen lamp posts with

‘Dark Knight’ would have been a decent spy thriller if not for a guy who, for no apparent reason, runs through the streets in a cape and talks in a morbidly fake voice. better acting skills. And then you had the brilliant Heath Ledger walking around in make-up. I’ll admit Ledger’s performance was good, but that only enhanced the sense of him being extremely out of place, a comic book character in a wanna-be Bourne movie. And the deep, deep dialogue! “He is not the hero we need… he’s a hero we deserve.”

Woooosh.

The genocidal torture that was Indiana Jones is not even worth mentioning. Why, for the love of Jesus, would anyone think it was a good idea to put a 60-year-old

Harrison Ford through a 45-minute CGI car chase that made absolutely no sense, and left most of the audience screaming

for cyanide pills? (None were ever provided.)

Oh, and let us not forget the spectacular debacle called ‘Quan-

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the voice

tum Of Solace.’

I suspect the producers simply got sick of the character, and wanted to massacre the franchise once and for all. Or perhaps they somehow became utterly moronic in the short span between this crap and ‘Casino Royale’, which was pretty decent. How else do you explain a Bond movie in which he doesn’t even attempt to bed the leading female character, but shares a tender 3-second kiss with her, is so worried about the water supply of Bolivia that he runs around the world to prevent its prices from going up, decides to put the body of his best friend in a dumpster for no absolutely no logical reason, and destroys the only decent car in the movie within the first 4 minutes?

I’m getting perilously close to the end of this column, and you

are probably wondering whether this has anything to do with The Voice, Harvard or the real world in general. It has - a lot, actually. As we were sitting there in Quincy DHall, watching the Indiana Jones episode, I realized that’s what we did to The Voice. Last semester was hectic for everyone, and in a wild struggle to get an issue out each week, we didn’t have time to really work on the articles, the photos, the story ideas. As the local businesses found themselves in severe problems after the summer, it was hard to survive financially.

They owed us money, and we ended up owing money to our printer.

Our team, though small, was devoted, and we managed to keep up the weekly rhythm since last year’s April. But our product suffered – got raped, Matt Stone and Trey Parker would remark – and it was time to do something completely different. This is a major re-launch of The Voice, which will now consist of an active daily website, and an extended, featurebased monthly edition.

This marks our return to quality, up-market journalism, investigative articles, great photography, and an in-depth coverage of issues and protagonists important to the Harvard community. And sporadic rants by its editor. Enjoy!

cheap populism ARE WITHERING THE DEBATE ON GLOBAL WARMING

It’s important for everyone to consider all sides of an issue - but particularly ones that involve complicated and predictive science. Long-accepted scientific theories in many realms have been relegated to the trash, and we should not haughtily assume that can’t happen again.

T

stunted the debate over this issue. And because the opposing arguments are silenced, the onesidedness of the issues he politics related to climate change of fear practiced by the (C’mon Sabrina, haven’t most die-hard environyou gotten the memo mentalists over how to that “global warming” is address climate change out of fashion?) is further is old news by now. It is exacerbated. simply another example

I’m no scientist, of the use of scare tactics and I’m not denying the in politics. And in charcase made by much of acteristic fashion for the the scientific commubeacon of progressivenity. What I am saying is populist thought that is the following: The type The Harvard Crimson, of rhetoric used by the February 20’s editorial climate-change hysterics by freshman Sabrina Lee, has no place in science.

“Global Warming,” offers This issue has become so the following: politicized that politicalcorrectness, speechify“Those who deny the ing, and playing to the geological deterioration public’s emotions have all that is likely already unbeen injected into what derway are both foolish should be a scientific deand disrespectful to fubate. There are ture generations of our scientists out species and others. there who If preserving life reject cer“I’m on Earth as we tain asnot going to know it is not pects of trash talk about reason enough the “acthe show or the to pay higher cepted university.” taxes, take pubt r u t h ,” lic transportaand there tion, and err on are econothe side of caution, mists out I cannot imagine there who accept what else is.” much of the climate change theory, but cauClassic. This is exactly tion against haste in this sort of rhetoric, adtaking measures that opted by many scientists, may not help, and may politicians, and pompous even worsen the global students alike that has situation. Many of these

I’m not denying the case made by the scientific community. But the type of rhetoric used by climatechange hysterics has no place in science voices are being silenced by exactly the dismissive, disrespectful, and condescending attitude that Lee espouses in her editorial. Open debate and peer-reviewed study, which are at the heart of scientific inquiry, should be heard on both the scientific issues of climate change, and the related economic and political ones.

Those of you with an open mind should check out Bjorn Lomborg’s book, Cool It. Lomborg is an economist and self-professed environmentalist who generally accepts the thesis that

the earth is warming, and that humans have contributed to it. Nonetheless, he criticizes much of the proposed economic solutions being peddled by environmentalists and politicians all over the world. He sees better and more productive ways of spending the money. He is only one of many underground voices in the climate change debate.

It is important for everyone to consider all sides of every issue, but particularly ones that involve complicated and predictive science.

Long-accepted scientific theories in many realms have been relegated to the trash, and we should not haughtily assume that we are at a point in technological advancement where doubt is no longer an issue for scientific theories and modeling. I doubt that most politicians and students (including Sabrina Lee) have any sophisticated understand of the scientific details of climate change. To speak so adamantly on one side of a debate, just because it is the accepted, politically correct truth, could not be any less in the scientific tradition. Questioning the common and accepted theories, however, is.

6 AGENDA

The Harvard Hooligans

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the voice

SENIOR

spring break

THE ‘RIGHT OF PASSAGE’ FROM BOYHOOD INTO MANHOOD.

In a new monthly column for the Voice, Harvard Hooligans explore, mock, and mythologize numerous aspects of our campus life: Eliot House is crap. The only good thing about it is the view of Winthrop house. Drinking without your glasses helps save money, and offers an enhanced feeling of intoxication.

S

enior Spring Break... is the American “right of passage” from boyhood into manhood.

Sadly, this has replaced the more cost-effective tradition of venturing into the woods and bringing back the soul of a squirrel.

Instead of going alone into the woods, we now go with a group of “friends” to more distant and dangerous locations-far from American law enforcement officials and mature adults. If you survive the poisonous levels of alcohol, hoards of MTV-watching morons, and tainted “all-you-caneat” buffets, you’ll be a Man, my son.

The joy of senior spring break begins long before you squeeze into the cheapest seats on a plane for the six-hour flight. It begins when some toolbag says, “Let’s go on spring break together!”

Thus begins the “planning stage” which generally kills off all the lesser spirits who have not the courage of a thousand warriors.

I have done more research on spring break destinations than on my senior thesis. My research assistant, Hillbilly Hooligan, worked at Morgan Stanley last summer and is therefore able to “run the numbers” using complex algorithms to determine the combined cost of food, drink, and shelter. It is inevitably too expensive, so we no longer factor in food and

shelter.

he whispers, “hockey is a physical game.”

With this in mind, I sat down on the bench. Beginners on our team don’t get to play unless we’ve already secured a 10-point lead.

Drinking without Glasses…

I have discovered a phenomenal new way to save money when going to overpriced Cambridge bars: remove your glasses.

I arrive at the bars wearing my prescription spectacles to safely judge the quality of the women present and appear knowledgeable. After consuming my first beverage, I remove my glasses to achieve an enhanced feeling of intoxication for a quarter of the price. The higher your prescription, the more it works its magic. You will convincingly bump into people and things, spill your drink, and lower your standards because you can’t see your new partner.

Given the hard state of our economy, this method is an effective way to reduce college costs without reducing fun.

Eliot House is crap…

The only good thing about Eliot House is its view of Winthrop House. I remained on campus during Intercession because I’m poor and they forced all of us to eat in Eliot as if we were in a Dickens’ novel.

In addition to serving raw chicken, Eliot’s dining hall has an “ambiance” that makes me want to vomit. Its brown wood walls look like crap, and its “courtyard” reminds me of a Soviet prison yard.

As Harvard continues to consider expanding into Allston, it should

Housewife Hooligan dominated the ice during the

“It’s not a coincidence that Winthrop and Winners both start with the letter ‘W’.”

also consider demolishing Eliot House and using the lot as a landfill for renewable energy.

Harvard chose a Dante expert (Professor Pertile) to be Eliot’s House Master because the place so closely resembles the inner circles of hell.

Hooligans on Ice… Housewife Hooligan

invited me to join Winthrop House’s intramural ice-hockey team. My only prior experience with Harvard hockey was watching “Love Story.” But I also watched Mighty Ducks I, II, and III as a child so I believe that anything is possible.

In Disney movies, even fat kids can be athletic champions!

The legendary general manager of Winthrop IMs, Sir Anthony Niblett, gave me a fist bump and encouraged me “to beat the beans” out of our opponents. Sir Niblett led Winthrop House to its first Strauss Cup victory in decades last year, and he is determined repeat the feat. “Remember,”

first period. He is a large man with only mediocre skating skills–a dangerous, yet common, combination in hockey.

When the score was Winthrop 11 and Lev 1, Sir Niblett told me that my time had come. I burst onto the ice with more passion in my heart than a caged dragon. After about sixteen seconds I nearly collapsed from exhaustion. So I decided to strategically place myself in front of the opponent’s goal. Whenever Housewife launched a slap-shot from the blue line, I was there for the “rebound” when it bounced for the goalie’s ridiculously large pads. The gods of puck physics allowed me to score twice.

It’s not a coincidence that Winthrop and Winners both start with the letter W.

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the voice

Allison Baum DEAR ALLISON, HAVE I BECOME a mere object TO MY BOYFRIEND? (yes, you actually might have, says a princeton study.)

Dear Allison, I love my girlfriend, but I am so freaking sick of hearing about how much she hates her roommates. It doesn’t even make sense to me. She gets pissed about the tiniest things, and all of a sudden it means that her friend isn’t trustworthy or doesn’t care about her or thinks she’s stupid (what?!).

I’ve lived with the same two guys since freshman year, and we all get along just fine. How do I tell her that she’s whining about stupid stuff and should just accept her roommates for who they are and have fun with them instead of complaining all the time?

equal?

Sincerely, Objectified and Offended

Sincerely, Stuck with a Griping Girlfriend Dear Stuck, I hate to break it to you, but girls are whiny. Maybe you should come to terms with that before I continue. I’m half kidding, but actually, it’s scientifically proven that girls have more trouble getting along with each other than guys do. I always thought it was just because we have higher standards, but apparently it’s a biological fact.

Even Harvard says so—a study reported in Psychological Science found that males are more tolerant than females of unrelated same-sex individuals.

The males in the study rated their roommates as being “more satisfactory and less bothersome” than females did, and the researchers also found that women in college are more likely to switch roommates than men.

So, maybe you should start by facing the facts that you’re not going to get your girlfriend to stop complaining. Ever. That said, you can definitely be

the “good boyfriend” and try to “make her a better person” by delicately encouraging her to look at the bright side of things.

Whenever she says something negative, try to twist it into a positive.

And if she just can’t see the light, gently remind her that she can always live by herself.

Dear Allison, I’m a second semester freshman and I really don’t understand what is wrong with Harvard professors. I am pretty sure I got into Harvard because I’m both smart and have a tremendous work ethic, if I may say so myself. I have never missed a paper deadline nor have I ever waited until the last minute to study for a test. I haven’t even missed a single lecture or section this entire year. So then why am I getting C’s in my classes here?

I know everyone at Harvard is smart, but come on. It’s

“I never missed a paper deadline or waited until the last minute to study for a test. Why am I getting C’s in my classes here? not like I’m slacking or anything. What’s the deal?

Sincerely, Grade Inflation Impaired Dear Impaired, Yeah, I would agree it’s really shocking when

you get to Harvard and realize that all that stuff you read about grade inflation was total bullshit.

Getting good grades is no longer about doing what is required of you, and I understand that is a rude awakening for all of us over-achieving high school valedictorians. In fact, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, found that a third of students surveyed said that they expected B’s just for attending lectures, and 40 percent said they deserved a B for completing the required reading.

It seems like you might be in one of these two camps. Professors, however, seem to think that now that you’re in college and you’re paying almost $50,000 to be here— you should do all those things anyway. Now, it’s the quality of your work that’s going to get you an A, and not just the fact that you do it. Maybe

try getting over your ego, and pumping out some real genius work for once.

Or at least something interesting and original. It looks like that’s the only way to boost your GPA. Good luck with that.

Dear Allison, I know that hot girls at Harvard are rare (no offense to us all) but sometimes I feel like my boyfriend of a year only loves me for my looks. I mean, I agree that it’s nice to feel wanted, but I fell in love with my boyfriend because we were both smart and had some intellectual interests in common… and he’s cute and everything, of course. But it seems like lately all he does is tell me how hot I look in those jeans, or in that halter top. We never have any good conversations anymore because he’s too busy looking at my chest. How can I tell him to stop treating me like a trophy and more like an

Dear Objectified, That must be really difficult for you- being smart, perceptive and too beautiful and all. Even though there are thousands of women who would die to be in your shoes, it is a legitimate problem if men (and your boyfriend especially) refuse to look past your exterior. I was surprised (well, not really) when I came across a recent study that suggests this might not be your fault; it might just be the way his brain works.

The Princeton study, presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s annual conference, found that when men look at images of women in bikinis, they use the part of same part of the brain used for “objects” (like tools, for example… no pun intended). The part of the brain used to discuss feelings or interact with other humans does NOT light up. Yes, you heard right.

Your boyfriend looks at a picture of his friend— emotions part of brain is used. He looks at a picture of a hammer—object part. He looks at picture of you—object part.

Starting to make sense, now? While this may be true, if you’re not happy in your relationship, and you can’t get him to use the emotions part of his brain when you’re trying to really talk to him, you should just dump him and move on. From what it sounds like, there are thousands of other guys knocking down your door for a date. Based on statistics alone, you’ll eventually find one that’s not a total douchebag.

8 INTELLIGENCE

the voice

POPULAR VES PROFESSOR alfred guzzetti JUST HAD HIS MOVIE OPEN AT moma. OUR CHAT WITH HARVARD’S legendary filmmaker.

“the itunes model could save the film industry” The softly spoken professor and artist sits down with us to discuss his latest movie “Still Point”, which just had its premiere at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art. In a dynamic interview, Professor Guzzetti shares this thoughts on contemporary documentaries, film industry trends and bad art

by henry woodward-fisher photos by sophia w. chesrow

P

rofessor Alfred Guzzetti, a legend of Harvard’s VES department, and I are sitting in his small-windowed office in the basement of Sever. The softly spoken and expressive artist and filmmaker turns to his enormous, archaic computer monitor attached to a slightly swankier Apple desktop, however, this incongruous pairing seems in harmony with the rest of his office. Shelves and boxes

and chests and books City is important too beoverflow with film reels, cause films are seen in NYC and in Los Antarnished film-cases, papers, images and geles and that’s reports. a place where

‘ We l l , people come “MoMa to together it’s an exciting is special who are high profile because they have venue that interested an interest in innothey do every in where vative documenyear’ Guzzetti documentary.” tary is goturns to me. He ing’. Profesrecently debuted his latest film Still sor Guzzetti, a Point for an event man at the forefront at New York City’s of documentary filmMuseum of Modern making, forever has his Art ‘Documentary Fort- finger on the film indusnight’. ‘So it’s an impor- try’s fast-beating pulse. tant event’, he continues, ‘The MoMa ‘the location in New York documentary fortnight

is special because they have a special interest in innovative usage of the documentary. Where documentary is heading, as opposed to simply what’s good or what’s high quality.’

I ask how he got involved in the prestigious MoMa event and about how the material was submitted. ‘Well, I sent the piece to the curator’ he looks at me quizzically, his silver hair shining under the fluorescent basement lighting, ‘actually a year ago, so she’s had it to look at. Often in the film world you cross

“I think I wanted to try make a film that had no words in it and was purely a succession of images and sounds.”

paths with one another.

Still Point, a film that lacks any immediate narrative, offers an inspired shot across a great range of trans-American locations. ‘It’s shot in: Boston, around New England, not sure if there’s anything in Maine that got into the film’ he looks up at the ceiling, deep in thought, before continuing. ‘Philadelphia, New Mexico, Cape Cod. I did the first shooting in New Mexico, I went there looking for landscapes. I also looked through a lot of books. I looked about books about Iceland and

the voice

9 “There is nothing more discouraging than to see mediocre and bad art. It fills you with a feeling that nothing is possible.”

things like that’, a kind of serene look comes over his face.

‘Could you answer a question like that?’ he laughs in response to my question about the driving inspiration behind the film. ‘Ermm, I think I wanted to try to make a film that had no words in it and that was purely a succession of images of sounds, where the logic would be in the images and sounds. This comes out of things I have done before, although I haven’t often tried to do that. I happened to see a big retrospective in New York

by Lee Friedlander, a still photographer. I always thought that Lee Friedlander was one of the stars of the firmament.

When you see something good you feel energized;

On his latest film, Still Point: “I wanted to try something that wasn’t based on fancy editing, which I sometimes tend to do.” there’s nothing more discouraging than to see mediocre and bad art because it fills you with a feeling that nothing is possible, but when you see something good you feel that amazing things are possible.

Still Point proves itself to be no exception; amazing things really are possible. So does this latest film mark a shift in direction for Professor Guzzetti, or is it rather an extension of an area of inquiry? ‘It’s both an extension and a shift; I also wanted to try to do something that wasn’t based on fancy editing, which I sometimes tend to do’.

CONTINUE AT PAGE 10

10 INTELLIGENCE

the voice worth suing me, because CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

Never a conven- the film isn’t worth anytionalist, I get the thing.’ Before quickly feeling that the art- adding: ‘commercially.’

‘I know the world ist in front of me has a much greater per- that these videos inhabit spective and depth quite well, so I know than it first appears, where a piece like this can and a voice of au- potentially go, and where thority given to him it can be seen. Since this by many decades of one is in high definition experience. ‘It’s very this narrows the possibildifferent’, he begins ities tremendously. There to come alive before are only a certain number my eye, ‘there’s no of places, as I’ve discovother work that’s like ered, besides Circuit City, that exactly, so it’s which went out of busidifferent, but I think ness. High definition, I’ve a film-person-critic discovered, is something would go and look at for people to watch footthe things I’ve done ball games on, but there in the past ten years are a bunch of venues in and you could find the United States. There’s threads of continu- the Museum of Modern Art, the Lincoln Center ity.’

A very memo- Video Festival, the San rable portion of the Francisco Cinematheque, film includes shots of the Gene Siskel Center in Chicago, and the billboards in urban list isn’t long. areas. ‘Did you So inevitahave to get bly you the rights “High think that to have definition if I reach them in is something for out to your movpeople to watch v e n u e s, ie?’ I ask. football games those are Professor on.” the venues Guzzetti I’m going to turns sharpreach. ly, ‘No!’. His ex I wonder whethpression softens er we’re going to get the and he continues.

‘Whether I have to chance to see more of or not, I don’t know; this film nationwide. The I mean, it is a legal Gene Siskel Center, the issue, I just decided San Francisco Cinemato be my own law- theque, these are all inyer and though that ternationally renowned if they’re in pub- venues. ‘Always, always, lic I figure they’re yes’. His articulations fair game. It’s not and expression has be-

“It’s incredibly interesting to me that there are people all over the world, who are in little corners, doing incredibly interesting stuff. The world is really big.”

come more than usually excited, his hands fly up in the air around him, the office shrinks in size and the professor before me grows. ‘Many of those places have two issues. It turns out that high definition is a very great problem, because not only are few places equipped for it, but it isn’t one thing, it’s actually a family of competing standards. Often the people who are programming don’t really understand what their venue is capable of showing, they think they can show things, but sometimes they can’t. The Dallas Video Festival did show this piece last summer, one of its venues was the Dallas Museum of Art that happened to be equipped for this; so it’s complicated’.

Some lesserknown Brazilian directors’ film was paired with Still Point, ‘I thought it was a good pairing, in lots of ways’. I ask why he thinks this. ‘The subject of the Brazilian film was nominal, it was a region they were interested in, moreover there’s no information that makes sense. So in that way it makes sense; it’s imagistic, it was built of images.

Then the length relationship was right; short one followed by a long one.

It’s incredibly interesting to me that there are people all over the world, who are in little corners, doing incredibly interest-

A very memorable portion of the film includes shots of billboards.

‘Did you have to get the rights to have them in your movie?’ I ask. Professor Guzzetti turns sharply, ‘No!’. His expression softens and he continues.

‘I just decided to be my own lawyer. It’s not worth suing me, because the film isn’t worth anything.’

Before quickly adding: ‘commercially.’

11

the voice

“when i was younger, i liked commercial cinema more.” ing stuff. The world is really big. You keep turning corners and finding interesting people.’

‘Building onto that increasing globality - what do you think is the new direction we’re going to see in documentary filmmaking?’ ‘I don’t know.’ Professor Guzzetti pauses, and slowly and quietly deliberates. ‘On the one hand documentary has gotten much more conventional, and much more slick. They all have music, they have high production values, lots of money was spent on them and they’re more formulaic because they’re competing in a market place. It’s like brands of soap in the supermarket, they’re very numerous and they’re more alike each other than a range.

So if you wanted a very different kind of soap you’d probably have to go out of the supermarket someplace. The Internet in some ways doesn’t help because there’s not enough economic base to it for distribution. Everybody has this utopian view of technology that it’s breaking down barriers. I don’t know. The story’s more complicated.’

Technology and the age of digital film means that the face of film is forever rippling and evolving, the analogue medium and the

“Documentary has gotten more conventional, and more slick. They are more formulaic, like brands of soap in the supermarket.”

“Harvard students are more conservative aesthetically.”

He hums a little bit.

“They are oriented towards the mainstream.”

images from “Still Point”

move from that we witnessed at the turn of the century opened up many doors, but also shut others. ‘Well, things are changing so fast that I think that anything that anyone says may not be true by the summer.

Many of the predictions that my friends and I may have made turned out to be wrong. We thought, for instance, that there would be a conversion to digital video when it came in the late 1990s, and that over a period of years computer editing would push out analogue editing, but actually that happened, but it happened in about eighteen months, not over four or five years. So, the technological and the creative future, also, are very murky. It may be that using the Itunes model will make film flourish.

One of the things that was said about videotape was that videotape gave a boost to comedy; the legibility of the image can be very important with certain kinds of very serious dramas. However, when comedy is language dependant, or largely, and it’s legible without any large detail.’

Having worked at Harvard College for a very long period of time, Professor Guzzetti is most certainly a voice of authority within and

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12 INTELLIGENCE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11 outside the Harvard arts community. I wonder what impact working at the College and with its students has had on his body of work and how our students stand up against other across the United States.

‘I think, aesthetically, if you compared a group of Harvard students to a group from RISD, the Harvard students are much more conservative aesthetically.’ He hums a little bit, musing over this scene. ‘They are much more orientated towards the mainstream and they respond to conventional forms much more than say if you went to an art school.’

Finally, what’s next for Alfred Guzzetti, what more can we expect from this master of film?

‘Oh, I don’t know, maybe a conventional documentary.’ He pauses for a minute and chuckles. ‘And in terms of projects and career?’ I inquire. ‘It’s hard to play tennis with the net down, after a year or two you want to put the net back up to find where it was for a while. I think when I was younger I liked the commercial cinema more than I do now. Now, I rarely really respond to it, but I never identify to it. I’m very interested in careers of people that have come out of her and tried to make commercial cinema and tried to keep their identity and not become employees of Hollywood making other peoples’ films. That’s really, really hard to do and I admire those people.’

the voice

VOICE ATTENDS THE PREMIERE OF ‘STILL POINT’

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13

VES alumni, fans, Mira Nair and bodily tensions

W

ith a pleasantly surprised startle, Alfred Guzzetti, jerks from his conversation to see three students and the TF of his VES 50 class bustling through the rotating door of Museum of Modern Art in New York City. We had arrived only an hour earlier that day, having taken the bus to get down to New York.

We are at MoMa to support Alfred’s new film “Still Point.” The lobby seems a bit empty, but as we reach the large theater in which the film would premier, we see it’s filled with fans, artists, and fellow VES alumni.

Alfred is wearing his usual attire: a sweater over a button down shirt and dark trousers, white hair still swirling from his balding head as it usually is in class. This isn’t a glamorous premiere—yet if feels more real. It’s for those dedicated to exploring and furthering the medium of film.

We pick seats not too far back, with a

good view of the audi- Mira Nair is a brilliant ence. Some are old, oth- filmmaker—one of the ers seem like most famous in the film students world, who has diin college. rected the likes This As we’re of “Monsoon is not a looking We e d i n g,” glamorous around, “Vanity Fair,” premiere - yet it a woman “The Namefeels more catches sake,” and real. my classmore recently, mate’s eye, did a short in an Indian “New York, I Love woman who You.” Alfred nolooks oddly fatices her as well, and is miliar. And sudthrilled that a friend and denly, my classmate is colleague of such importrying to be inconspicu- tance has come to see his ous while squealing, “Oh latest work. my God! It’s Mira Nair!”

Before the film

is shown, Alfred is asked to give a few words. He quickly gets up and begins to preface his film.

The remarks are simple, careful, brief, not to infringe upon the audience’s perception. He’s just as articulate and thoughtful here as he normally is in a seminar group of six students. He returns to a seat with his lovely wife. After fifteen minutes of beautiful footage—both in color and black and white of mountains, pools, billboards, trees, and the Moon—the audience is

in awe.

MoMa’s curator opens up the floor to a Q&A session, where audience members share their reactions.

One woman remarks, “I have two points. First I wanted to mention that at certain points I felt a real tension in particular areas of my body, and in other moments I felt completely relaxed by the serene images...”

The second point is lost in her discovery of bodily sensation. Other remarks are not as bizarre, but are still, I’m sure, amusing to Alfred. One man asks, “How did you structure the film and decide which shot would be next?” Alfred had said this was an experimental film, where he grappled with the idea of where the film could go if he only thought about what the next shot could possibly be. The result is an intellectually (and I guess physically) stimulating film that takes the viewer through the city and through nature, through places where things remain stagnant but transient things pass through time. The audience loves it.

by brian shen

THEIRS WAS THE HOTTEST ELECTION WEBSITE. HERE’S WHAT votegophers ARE DOING NEXT. Behind-the-scenes story of two Harvard minds behind VoteGopher.com, the election website that offers a blend of sober issue analysis, non-partisan documentary and... cute pictures of gophers.

The election circus has left town, and they unveil plans to re-create the website as a ‘watchdog.’

by jack holkeboer

photos by sophia w. chesrow

14 PROPAGANDA

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W

gophers acting o u t

ill Ruben looks a lot like a collegiate internet CEO, mostly because he looks nothing like a traditional one. But the laid-back Quincy junior’s brainchild, VoteGopher.com, is not your traditional political website.

Its original blend of sober issue analysis, non-partisan commentary, and cute pictures of gophers has won praise from monoliths like the Washington Post and the New York Times. t h e As the presidential electopic. tion was ramping up in For examearly 2007, Ruben wanted ple, the Midto “focus the conversadle East page feation on the issues, but tures a gopher wearing a most people were talkyarmulke shaking ing about the hands with a gohorserace: who pher wearing said what to “We a keffiyeh, all whom, who learned the while a Westwas gethard lesson that ern diploting in and we hadn’t planned mat gopher out of the the marketing looks on aprace, who strategy.” provingly. was raising

the most monWhy gophers? ey…”

“I was looking for

“…

Hila fun name,” Ruben says, lary Clinton’s “and I needed to find one cleavage,” interjects that wasn’t taken. I got Ruben’s roommate and into the realm of animals business partner Alex and I was like, ‘What Lavoie, who serves as animals dig up things?’

VoteGopher’s COO. because we’re digging

“Yeah, all things up information. The gothat I thought didn’t rephers made our site stand ally matter in deciding out.” The top-left corner who to vote for,” Ruben

15

the voice think it can be used by anyone.

My

grandmother uses it.” I’m sure she appreciated the gray-furred Social Security gopher, who sports an argyle sweater, bifocals, and a cane.

Initially, the site had trouble attracting traffic. “Once the content was done, we really learned the hard lesson that we hadn’t planned the marketing strategy to the same level that we planned our product,” says Ruben. But a write-up in the New York Times Caucus Blog gave VoteGopher an initial spike in readership.

The biggest break came around Super Tuesday, when the Washington Post came to Cambridge and interviewed Ruben

thing in the Washington Post and the New York Times,” says Ruben.

Much like a devoted campaigner’s confusions once the election is over, VoteGopher is searching for ways to stay fresh and relevant between elections.

“We’re looking to redesign the site to become a watchdog,” says Lavoie, “comparing what Obama does in office to what he talked about during the campaign.” But the dozens of candidate in the 2010 midterm congressional contests present a lot of information to dig up, even for this team of dedicated gophers. “We’ve found that it was really hard to do the same thing for smaller races,” says Rubin. “It requires fifty times as much research and the reward is not as high.” Instead, they plan to keep following the Obama presidency and start over for the 2012 elections.

It’s difficult for any Harvard web start-up to avoid comparisons to Facebook and its founder Mark Zuckerberg, whose meteoric rise from a Kirkland dorm room revived the Bill Gates dream for a new generation. The same prospect of internet millions that lured late 90s entrepreneurs to Silicon Vallley now lures college students into CS 50. But Ruben was motivated by his concept, not the money. “We had this

Why gophers? “I was looking for a fun name, Ruben says. I got into the realm of animals, and I was like, ‘What animals dig up things?’, because we were digging up information.” continues. So we decided to create this study guide to hopefully help that process.” He spent the summer after his freshman year assembling volunteer teams to design the site and research the content. The result was VoteGopher version 1.0, which went online in time for the primary season in October 2007.

In the dizzying media circus surrounding the election, VoteGopher is a valuable resource. Each hot-button issue, from homeland security to gay rights, has its own page with a no-nonsense bulleted list of each candidate’s opinions, accompanied by an image of a goofy cartoon

of every page features a gopher swinging a shovel through a flurry of papers with the slogan, “We dig, you decide.”

Unlike donkeys, elephants, hawks, and doves, the gopher lacks a political valence – which complements VoteGopher’s goal of non-partisan analysis. The site lets the candidates’ positions speak for themselves and shows no trace of bias.

The layout is clean and easy to navigate, an essential trait given their target audience’s limited political attention span.

“Our goal is primarily to reach young people, and our site is tailored toward that,” says Lavoie. “But I

and Lavoie. idea, we went with it be“We didn’t have to do a cause it would be a good whole lot of work after project, and then we realthat reaching out to press ized when it was because more people popular that started coming to we might The us,” says Lavoie. be able biggest “It was a real to make break came snowball efmoney when Washington fect.” Another from it.”

Post interviewed boost came The site Will and Alex when Votemade revGopher won a enue, but $10,000 grant from only enough the Harvard Innovato help sustain tion Challenge, which its operations. “We they used roll out a new learned that an ad-supversion of the site once ported website isn’t realObama and McCain se- ly sustainable long-term cured their parties’ nom- unless you have a huinations. When VoteGo- mongous amount of trafpher 2.0 launched, “we fic,” says Ruben. “But it were able to use the me- was successful in other dia contacts we already ways.” had to again get some-

16 PROPAGANDA

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INSIDE THE VISION TO REINVENT HARVARD’S

TV The newly-appointed co-president of Harvard Undergraduate Television (HUTV) Derek Flanzraich decided to completely rethink the way his TV network works. Set for a huge April 6th re-launch, HUTV promises to bring a revamped website, new shows, and Steven Pinker destroying a TV set

by brian shen

T

he first thing you notice about Derek Flanzraich are his expressive eyebrows. They move with every word, adding a dramatic emphasis to what he’s saying. But they also give him a sense of being genuinely enthusiastic and energetic when the Currier junior, without the slightest hint of irony, says things like “I think I’ve got a real passion for working with people and a real passion for making things happen, and I saw that there was a real opportunity here for someone to make an impact on campus.” The newly appointed co-President of what used to be known as Harvard-Radcliffe Television will need genuine energy in his ambitious attempt to completely reinvent Harvard’s television network. Extreme amounts of genuine energy, it seems, as even the first step, the name change of the network, had not gone without serious problems. The University promptly rejected

photos by sophia w. chesrow

“I think I got a real passion for working with people and a real passion for making things happen. I saw there was a real opportunity to make an impact on campus.” their initial idea to use the bold-sounding name Harvard Television Network since it would imply their student group represented the whole Harvard University, not merely the students of Harvard College. Though Derek’s team was already getting used to the name, they had to settle for Har-

vard Undergraduate Television (HUTV) instead.

Derek and I are sitting at dinner in Adams House dining hall.

His style – a gray sweater over a pink button down paired with faded jeans – gives him a sense of authority. He’s gotten himself a full plate of meat and vegetables, and I worry he won’t get a chance to eat everything and answer my questions before the contents of his plate turn cold. But Derek quickly jumps into promoting his TV network before even getting a piece of food in his mouth. “So we’re re-launching officially to the public on April 6, [2009]. And we’re doing a lot of really exciting things...” It’s six o’clock and I’m starving, so I let him speak for a minute or so while I quickly eat a few bites. He says things dramatically—as if each idea he mentions is somehow completely new and very important, and he drops his voice to make sure you realize that. The glint in his eyes and the grin tell me he’s truly enjoying himself as he speaks. “We’ve got a

ton of initiatives to really get people involved,” he continues. Derek’s pitch is deliberate but fluid, as if some parts have been rehearsed. In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard a part of this same pitch at HUTV’s meeting the day before.

The HUTV Executive Board’s ten students meets every Monday for about two hours in Kirkland’s Junior Common Room, a dark wood paneled space lit by chandeliers. The space could not be more ironic for an organization that is all about new digital media. The nine students at the meeting I attended (Eric Paternot, the other co-President, hadn’t been there for a few weeks) sit on red sofas arranged in sat circle, eating slices of pizza and discussing random matters. Derek was in a single armchair, a pen and notebook in his hand. The air was a bit heavy in this dark room, as everyone waits for Derek to begin the meeting as his presence commanded the decorum.

Just as I thought my ears were going to implode from random noises of

“We’re officially relaunching on April 6th. (...)

We’ve got a ton of initiatives to really get people involved.”

Derek’s pitch is fluid, as if some parts have been rehearsed. the nthusiastic crowd, he began speaking, rather animatedly, about the video which will announce their re-launch, which features “Steven Pinker carrying and smashing a TV against the pavement, then wailing at it with a metal rod.” Then, as in any other student group

meeting, he went around the circle to check progress: making sure the footage was shot well, whether it has been edited, who was preparing what, what the deadlines were.

As they go into technical details, I notice the chandeliers again. In a perverse way, the juxtaposition of old architecture of the room and the new ideas of technology mirrors the relation between the “old network”, HRTV, and the new television marvel they claim to be creating. Derek and his team are working to override the ancient and ineffective infrastructure with a completely new outlook – “this re-make has been in the making for 15 years, and we have the potential to do so much” – and yet, the meeting never seems to show what exactly will be so new and different.

In that sense, it was a bit of a let down. Perhaps under the influence of his poise – or his eyebrows – I had imagined something far more dramatic,.

But they just continue to discuss budgets for other shows, the new website,

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17

18 PROPAGANDA their revamped logo, a partnership with Harvardwood. Sure, there were occasional parts of the rehearsed pitch he would give me during our dinner the next day, but in the meeting, Derek was more of a methodical manager than an inspirational salesperson.

Finally, Derek stabs some potato and puts it into his mouth.

He’s chewing fast so he can get on with telling me more. Yet, while he’s happy to talk a lot, and doing a fantastic job of promoting HUTV’s new initiatives, he’s noticeably reluctant to reveal too much before the launch. “We want to make sure we deliver”, he remarks at one point as we eat. The new website is the most important aspect of the new television network. People affiliated with its development say it’s “simple, clean, very effective, a vast improvement over Crimsonclips. tv.” It will feature a widescreen, high-quality video player, and each of the network’s show will have its own individual pages.

Even those who aren’t affiliated with HUTV will be able to have their video shown on the site, provided the videos “are cool and they’re a Harvard student,” Derek says. The re-launch of the website plays an integral role in tearing down the wall that separated the TV world from the student population, something that the new team at HUTV feels was a major problem before.

I wonder how he got involved in television in the first place. A distant look comes into his eyes, he’s just gone for a second. It’s a sudden realization of how much time has passed. “I had never done anything television related when I got here. If you had asked me when I came here if I would be doing television, I would have probably not even considered it”, he slowly says. Then he snaps out of it and smiles, re-animated. “I kind of fell into it. When I was a freshman, two girls came up to me and said ‘Hey, do you want to be on our news show. We’re thinking of starting a news show. Do you want to be the anchor?’ and I said, ‘Yeah’— Well duh! Because who doesn’t want to be anchor.” From there he continues to describe the story of the formation ‘On Harvard Time’, which was “very much inspired

by The Daily Show.”

Derek pitched the idea of creating a comedy news show because he wasn’t “sure anyone would watch straight news. At least not the students here... It’s something the students would enjoy and watch. You know—bring levity and bring fun to the community. And satirizing what’s happening at a school like this

is awesome.”

The two girls stepped down after two weeks, and Derek was on his own.

The experience that followed taught him how hard it sometimes was for students who just joined then-HRTV to do anything. He had to send lots of emails, make phone calls, and ultimately hunt down the person who could point him towards the resources he needed to make his show work.

He was finally able to recruit “six people— started from nothing.” They used an abandoned library in Pforzheimer House to build a studio which now belongs to HUTV. “We turned that studio space with just a light rigging and a curtain into a full fledged studio building—putting in the desk, putting all the video equipment, setting up wires, setting all the technical resources, the prop closet— cleaning it out, painting it, and e ve r y t h i n g.”

‘On Harvard Time” grew to more than forty people, and is today one of the network’s most popular shows.

“We figured it out, made tons of mistakes,” Derek says matter-of-factly.

“HRTV, at least need, at significantly in the time that I was lower prices than at the here, was incredibly inef- Science Center. The team fective.” He reaches over will also provide trainto one of his glasses of ing workshops for those water. The one he picks who don’t have experiup is cloudy. He makes ence. And when the show a face. We laugh. “Oh, is made, HUTV will help that doesn’t look safe,” I publicize it. “If you want say and he nods his head to shoot something fun his eyes squinting, smile with your friends, there emitting a deep chuckle. should be a place where He picks up the other you can go that’s not glass and takes a sip. a professional “There was no video dealer. infrastructure.

We want to “We No paperwork. support figured it It was all just that beout, made tons of very confuscause ulmistakes. We were ing.” timately inredibly ineffec H i s we want tive.” own story to support showed him the every kind importance of of digital cremaking HUTV more ation,” declares open to the communiDerek. They also created ty, well organized, well a “Comprehensive HUTV funded, and essentially Show Application” that more consumer friendly. provides a centralized A number of initiatives grant process for any have been taken to do new show. The point is so: for example, students to let the students know will soon be able to rent exactly what kind of help whatever camera or they will get, and how lighting equipment they much work they have to

the voice

put in. As long as they are dedicated and submit a concrete idea, HUTV will help.

We have been talking for well over a half an hour now and he has still barely touched his food, while I’m almost done. I feel bad, but he’s as enthusiastic as ever.

No sign of hunger or fatigue, just his constant smile and mouth moving a mile a minute. He became the co-president in November 2008, when former president Michael Koenigs stepped down.

Being a senior about to enter his last semester at Harvard, it wasn’t surprising Koenigs wanted to install a young team to take over. “Maybe he wanted to have some fun”, Derek says, then abruptly stops —“oh, maybe you shouldn’t include that”. He realizes he needs to be a bit more careful when talking about former members, since a broad alumni outreach is one of his major

plans. “We’re working on 15 years of alumni that haven’t really been reached out to...[HRTV] lost touch with a lot of the alumni that haven’t really been reached out to. Because as HRTV sort of got more and more disorganized, they let these things go. But there are legitimately 15 years of history and an honorary board that includes John Lithgow, Jim Kramer, and Mira Sorvino—a lot more people are on the honorary board.”

A loud eruption of laughter comes from the table behind us, jolting both of us from thought. Slightly annoyed at the interruption, I ask him how he sees HUTV positioning itself in Harvard’s entertainment world. He has been talking about HUTV as the only resource students have to learn about and get into entertainment, ignoring organizations such as Harvardwood. “I think the difference between us

and Harvardwood at a basic level is that Harvardwood is for people who are interested in the film and entertainment industry—maybe like for summer jobs, maybe like preprofessionally. And that does have a lot of overlap with HUTV because we have a lot of the same things. However the thing we do is that we have over a hundred members in actual television, media, and content production.

Like we have people doing it.” And that’s the real beauty of HUTV as compared to HRTV: the equal access students get to do something, to make something that hundreds, if not thousands of people could watch.

He is surprisingly un-offended by the question, partly because he knows he answered it well. Derek, it becomes obvious to me, knows how to work the media.

Everything he says has a slight taste of something routine, almost like PR statements, but somehow he conveys it as genuine and truthful. I can tell he’s very good at connecting with people, making them immediately feel like they’ve known each other for some time. His words sound so honest and effective because it feels like he’s taking an honest interest in you, personally. His food is probably cold by now and the cloudiness in his glass of water has settled, but I plow away at my last question: how is this huge TV project being funded in this failing economy? “Drew Faust’s Task Force on the Arts will probably take note of this group’s challenges and see all it has to offer”, Derek says with a frank grin. He knows he has the ace to put on the table. He puts down his fork, stretches out a bit, and then sets his hands out in front of him palms up gesturing for me to see the beauty in the situation. “We’re lucky that we’re re-branding and re-launching now. The Task Force For the Arts momentum is there and I know a lot people don’t want to spend on stuff now, but if they’re going to spend on anything now, it’s kind of on arts— and we epitomize arts.”

The second I tell him my formal questions are over, there is an unexpected change in demeanor. He loosens up a bit and we start talking about the busy week ahead of us. The reality of midterms, papers and parties seems to sink in.

He now seems like any other student, focused on passing his upcoming midterms rater than big TV ideas. And yet, before we part ways, the ambitious HUTV leader tells me, “I can’t wait to make another show, though I really shouldn’t with all I already have to do.”

19

the voice

Lena LOVE IN THE TIME OF

Harvard’s most popular blogger sits down for a dinner with us, and candidly discusses her freshman year, the nude photos that appeared online, and her relationship with a TF. Finally in love and content, one of our most eloquent writers seems to be headed in a direction far less tumultuous

by elizabeth nicholas

photos by sophia w. chesrow

LENA CHEN IS WEARING open-toe heels IN A SNOWSTORM.

CONTINUE AT PAGE 20

20 PROPAGANDA

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21

the voice

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

To be fair, she did not plan on this- the day started out a relatively balmy 50 degrees, and had devolved into a blizzard by the time she met me at Grafton for dinner, but pitifully shod she is nonetheless. “Hi!” She rushes in the door to meet me at a table at the back of the restaurant, taking off a sensible trench to reveal a dress I might wear to a cocktail party. I look down at my Converse and jeans and suddenly feel a little square.

For most of Lena’s life, however, sundresses and heels in February would have been absolutely appropriate.

Although L.A. born and San Francisco bred, and attire notwithstanding, Lena can’t quite see herself returning home for an extended period of time. “I can’t drive,” she

Upon hearing that I almost went to Wellesley, Lena laughed.

“But then you’re just stuck in Wellesley, and you’re still fucking Harvard guys. If I’d gone to Smith, I think would have just caved and become a lesbian.” I have known Lena for five minutes. says with a shrug, “and there are just too many people I’m related to.”

Lena went to Alhambra High School, “a mediocre, under funded public school,” and planned throughout high school to go to the Medill Journalism School at Northwestern. She was thus an odd one out early on, as almost everyone at Alhambra wanted to stay in state for college, although she says that several of her close friends ended up at Berkley and UCLAthe California school system’s most elite universities. When I ask Lena if her high school love life was a harbinger of collegiate adventures to come, she says that due to “parental influence” her love life was limited, but that she “managed to hook up with more guys

SHE DIDN’T START OUT TO WRITE A “sex blog” PER SAY. SHE INTENDED TO CHRONICLE HER LIFE that most other girls in the AP/Honors set.”

I asked Lena if she ever considered going to Berkeley, given its proximity to San Francisco and its reputation. “I would only be three hundred miles away from my mother,” she said, which seemed to settle the matter more than entirely for her. “It wouldn’t have been very helpful for my personal development,” she added.

When I ask her what induced her to apply to Harvard, it was quasicomically, in fact, a postcard. After getting one of the admissions office’s mass postcards, Lena figured she might as well apply, and upon getting

in, found Harvard’s mys- would have just caved tique too alluring to turn and become a lesbian.” I down. Lena claims that have known Lena for five her grades were not stel- minutes. I have had crass lar, and that she once friends in high school, used as a first day of sec- who have been delighttion fun fact that she’d fully and otherwise open about their sex lives, but gotten a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 on various AP there is someexams, laughthing different “I ing at herself about the way managed and met Lena talks to hook up with about sex. with crickmore guys than Her voice ets from her most girls in the is matterclassmates.

AP/ Honors of-fact. She

set.” shrugs a lot.

Upon hearGet her talking that I almost went to ing about writWellesley, Lena ing or Beacon Hill or laughed. “But then her boyfriend, and her you’re just stuck in cadence and mannerisms Wellesley, and you’re still are that of any eloquent, fucking Harvard guys. If self-possessed college I’d gone to Smith, I think woman. But the sex in

her past seems like a fact she’s bored with, but reliant upon referencing.

As the night wears on, it becomes evident that sex is something that has become far more ingrained into her life outside the bedroom than it ever is for most people. A quick perusal of her facebook albums shows one entitled “Merry Sexmas,” and another called “Photobooth of Porn.”

Lena let loose during Freshman Week. “I don’t think I slept in my own bed for the first three weeks of school,” she said.

When my eyebrows involuntarily shot up, she was quick to clarify, “I wasn’t hooking up with someone every time. I was a

Lena let loose during Freshman Week. “I don’t think I slept in my own bed for the first three weeks of school,” she said.

When my eyebrows involuntarily shot up, she was quick to clarify, “I wasn’t hooking up with someone every time.

I was a total squatter, and totally wasted every night.”

22 PROPAGANDA

the voice total squatter, and totally wasted every night.”

First put in Canaday and then housed in Mather, Harvard seems to have had an instinctual sense that perhaps Lena should be put in riot-proof housing. “I was on the Social Committee for the freshman dance,” Lena says with an almost innocent smile. “It was actually one of the best nights I had at Harvard. I didn’t have a date, but I met a great guy, and we went home together, although he turned out to be an illustrious douchebag.”

Of her extracurriculars, Lena had one complaint that umbrellaed everything from The Crimson to punch—the fact that “everything is such a process.” In her escapades with boys her sophomore fall, Lena says punch stood out as one of the most strenuous things she had seen men put themselves through.

“It the same amount of pressure as writing a thesis,” she said, “you just have to constantly be ‘on,’ hone your reputation and constantly be making a presentation.”

When asked if she’d felt the same pressures go-

When I ask her for hilarious party anecdotes from her this period of her, she is surprisingly circumspect, or simply has little to say. She vaguely recounts an “incident” at the Owl the morning before a vacation.

She showed up at the airport the next morning, mortified to find that all the guys involved were on her flight. ing through the female punch process, Lena cracked a huge smile. “I was only punched for the Isis because I was hooking up with this one guy.”

Her grin grows even wider, “I was drunk throughout the entire first event.

I almost vomited on the president.

23

the voice

And then, Lena began to blog. Although Lena didn’t start writing Sex and the Ivy until the beginning of her sophomore year, by the time I arrived at Harvard a semester later, the blog was so ingrained in popular undergraduate discourse that Lena was a Harvard icon, or at least zeitgeist, that I learned about far before I did the Spare Change guy outside ABP. But while I heard the story of the condom lost inside Lena for 48 hours and that she’d been banished from final clubs, I didn’t actually read her blog until writing this article.

Lena says that she didn’t start out to write a “sex blog,” per say, and instead intended to chronicle her life, whatever it might include, for the benefit of a few close friends. “I never anticipated that anyone who didn’t know me would find it interesting,” she said. And indeed, plenty of what she blogged about had more to do with pathos and turmoil than it did sex. In the midst of her sophomore fall, Lena blogged after a particularly intense weekend, “I am self-destructive. I over-

the sheer volume of her hookups differentiates her from most people, I’m doubt their content differed greatly. The only difference between Lena’s life and the lives of most people I know seems to be that she wrote about it in a public forum.

So what exactly about writing about sex, as opposed to writing about race, religion, an eating disorder, depression, or other topics that are in some way taboo, made Lena so controversial? I suspect it has something to do with the involvement of another person, or in Lena’s case, or many other people.

When I ask Lena if she has ever felt as though she was selling a story that wasn’t entirely hers to sell, she looks at me as though I’ve just suggested something repulsive. “They knew what they were getting into,” she finally says. But this doesn’t entirely jive with what I read on her blogon Halloween 2006, she reports that a hookup came up to her on the roof of The Crimson and said, “‘do you have any idea how much trouble your blog has caused?’… I had

“When you write about someone,” she said, “you try and figure them out. You romanticize them.” This sort of extrapolation can lead to a fairly yawning dichotomy between the person someone is in a tenth blog post and the person they actually are running into you on Mt. Auburn the next day.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BET WEEN LENA’S LIFE AND LIVES OF OTHERS IS THAT SHE WROTE ABOUT IT IN a public forum. indulge in sex, shopping no idea I’d sullied someand food to distract from one’s name…” Although life’s problems. Basically, she doesn’t seem especialI’m just a big fucking ly repentant about it, and mess.” later in the post reports

When I ask going to have “mad sex her for hilarious party in the FM office,” I can’t anecdotes from her this imagine that a lifetime of period of her, she is sur- feeling, writing and beprisingly circumspect, or ing read haven’t at some simply has little to day. point made her long for She vaguely recounts an the privacy of sorrow or “incident” at the Owl the disappointment or regret morning before a vaca- that accompanies most tion. She showed up at the college relationships airport the next morning, gone awry. mortified to find that all The afterefthe guys involved were fects of writing about a on her flight. She re- hookup have extended members showing up for Lena beyond the at the tri-house publicity such formal her reporting has “Most sophomore brought her. of what I fall to find “When you did didn’t ever that somewrite about make it on to the one she’d resomeone,” blog. Around 80% cently been she said, just weren’t ininvolved “you try teresting. was parading and figure around with them out. two new women, You romanticize upon which she got them.” This sort of exdrunk “very easily trapolation can lead to a and very quickly” and fairly yawning dichotoafter that remembers my between the person only two flashes- vomit- someone is in a tenth ing on the faculty club blog post or a Word doc, couch and being carried and the person they actuout on a stretcher. While ally are running into you far from being a common on Mt. Auburn the next experience, her anecdotes day. And Lena is quick don’t seem like they’re to point out that she althat different from many ways concealed people’s party girls at Harvard, identities by using fake and although perhaps names and deleting inap-

propriate comments, and that plenty of her conquests weren’t shy about relying their adventures with her to third parties before they made it on to the blog. “Guys at Harvard are concerned with Googleability,” Lena says, (I would posit that most of us are worried about Googleability) “far more so than their name being associated with me.” And done a good job she has— although I’ve scoured Sex and the Ivy, I can’t identify a single person she’s writing about based on her description. “And most of what I did didn’t even make it on to the blog—“ Lena added. “I’d say about eighty percent just weren’t interesting enough. I had guys ask me in mid hookup if I was going to write about them, like they hoped I would. And if it was just a run-of-the-mill hookup, nothing special, the odds are good that they wouldn’t have made it on to the blog.”

But isn’t it one thing to use a jerk’s bad exit line or extravagant fantasy as fodder for a blog post, and another entirely to write about moments that were sad or serious or sentimental? “It’s impossible to tell a writer not to draw on their own

24 PROPAGANDA experiences,” Lena responds, “and there’s also a huge emotional relief writing about something traumatizing. I express myself best in words, which is more of a liability than people who express themselves best other ways, because with words, you’re dealing with a permanence.”

Lena then quickly and definitively sums up the “too private to make public” segment of our dinner with a definitive “If I wrote about them on the blog, I didn’t care, and neither did they.”

As much as detached writing would be the most in line with the striking professionalism Harvard students can oft-times manage their personal lives with, invested writing almost always makes better writing. As Lena said, it’s almost impossi-

about it, she came to the arresting realization that he, and all of their mutual friends, were reading her blog posts, and put a halt to them. “The entire affair and the aftermath were chronicled in real time,” she said. “My readers were basically watching a car crash in front of them.” And she posted in the winter of her sophomore year in a post headed “Would I Date Me?” that she understood the trepidation that came along with dating her. But on the whole, Lena says she doesn’t regret opening up to the public about times she’s been hurt, confused, sad or angry at the state of her love life or one of her lovers. “I’ve never truly wished I hadn’t written about something,” Lena said, and then attached the addendum, “until

the voice ing Patrick, but that the story got thousands of hits, and was circulated widely enough to fall into the hands of the College.

Since TF-student relationships are prohibited for the term the student is in the TF’s class, an investigation was launched to see if anything improper had happened while Lena was in Patrick’s class.

“I think it was totally absurd,” Lena told me. “I mean, I got a C+ in the class. So I either give really bad head, or there was nothing going on.”

Lena says she thought about taking legal action against Juicy Campus’ publisher. “I can’t sue people for slamming on me,” she said, “but I can sue people for lying.”

In the end, she decided against the headaches that legal action would entail, but said it the fire

In the winter of her junior year, Lena began to date her current boyfriend—Patrick Hamm, a 2004 Yale alum and her TF in a sociology course.

Since TF-student relationships are prohibited for the term the student is in the TF’s class, an investigation was launched to see if anything improper had happened while Lena was in Patrick’s class.

“I think it was totally absurd,” Lena told me. “I mean, I got a C+ in the class. So I either give really bad head, or there was nothing going on.” ble for a writer not to im- now.” bue their words with the Blogger and sometime nights and the other lives sharer of other’s lives, that have crisscrossed Lena has no soft spot for paths with their own, and the great aggregator of Lena acknowledges campus gossip- Juicy as much when Campus. In the talking about winter of her “I the very first junior year, can’t sue person she Lena began people for slamwrote about to date her ming on me. But I in Sex in current boycan sue people for the Ivy. A friend—Patlying.” senior to her rick Hamm, s o p h o m o r e, a 2004 Yale he lived down alum and her the hall from TF in a sociology Lena in Mather, course. Wanting to keep and they shared a her relationship away number of mutual from public scrutiny, friends. Lena went to Lena only wrote about him with all her con- him obscurely on Sex in cerns about the blog, as- the Ivy, and largely veiled suming that since he was his identity on Facebook. featured, he would have Lena says she has no a stake in the success of idea how the publisher it. After the pairing went of Juicy Campus found south and Lena blogged out that Lena was dat-

it put Patrick through at the beginning of their relationship more than tested his mettle.

Although going on a witch hunt for a TFstudent hookup seems malicious and petty, I can’t help but wonder to what extent a girl puts her private life up for public auction when she blogs about it. Presumably there is a difference between a discussion on the perils of putting on a condom with your teeth in the comments section of a post, and having aspects of your personal life that were not part of your blog ripped apart.

But the men who Lena wrote about on her blog weren’t always asking to be written about, although most must have known that they might

end up on the Internet if they went home with her. The distinction Lena makes is that she wrote about something she was a part of, and Juicy Campus published something that did not concern them.

Which brings us to the end of Sex and the Ivy. In January of her junior year, an old boyfriend of Lena’s gave her an unpleasant taste of what it might be like to have a private moment published. Lena maintains that the anonymity she gave her hookups is her saving and differentiating grace- they might recognize themselves, but relatively few others would. The nude photos of Lena her ex circulated around the Internet (although they are damningly hard to find now, as most of the links are broken or removed) left Lena’s identity in no question to anyone who had ever seen them and would ever see her. “It was probably the worst period of my life at Harvard,” Lena says of the month or two that followed. The photos rapidly became the most viewed webpage on IvyGate, and Lena had a self-described “freak out.” She had panic attacks, including one on the shuttle on her way to therapy, and got extensions on all of her work, including a paper that she ultimately never turned it to her then TF, now boyfriend.

The exposure didn’t ultimately alter Lena’s attitude towards sex or her writing, but it did give rise to another forum for expression- her new blog, Chicktionary.

Lena went to Switzerland with her blockmates and stayed in a friend’s chateau, where, she is quick to insert, she had “a lot of sex.” Lena now says she came to realize that to expose her to such an asymmetric degree, her ex must have been “coming from a bad place to have done this to someone,” and seems to harbor only residual little shivers of anger at him for having done so.

Lena now seems positively calm in her relationship with Patrick.

She doesn’t esoterically bring him up, like so many girls are wont to, and seems to genuinely like his eccentricities.

She tells me his dogs are named after Shakespearean characters— there has been a Puck, a Henry and a Hamlet.

The couple has finally moved in together into a Charles Street walkup in quaint, quiet Beacon Hill. Although I don’t ask about their sex life, her relationship with Patrick seems to be the one thing that Lena is strictly sexually taciturn on, telling me about Patrick’s devout anticonsumerism but nothing about his fa-

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25 vorite positions.

But while Lena and Patrick justifiably dodged the bullet for an improper conduct her junior spring, Lena was put on academic probation by the college for the scholastic fallout of her tumultuous semester at the beginning of her senior year. She now writes web content for an education non-profit, and “plays with her dog and boyfriend” a lot. Although she says she is ready to return to Harvard, she also admits to being a bit nervous about what she’ll do without her friends, and plans to transfer to Eliot, where she has friends in the junior class.

And as for Harvard’s voyeuristic life post Lena, there isn’t really anything like Lena’s blog that has sprung up in her wake, no widely read message board that people from all walks of Harvard life read with the regularity I’ve heard some people say they used to read Sex and the Ivy with. Gossip Geek flirted with ubiquity for about a week last winter, but quickly devolved into repetitive snark about the same ten people, and faded from the radar soon thereafter.

Lena is friends with a number of her contemporaries, citing as particularly lively Jenna Bromberg, the former Cornell sex columnist who now blogs for Hotelchatter.com, a thor-

An old boyfriend of Lena’s gave her an unpleasant taste of what it might be like to have a private moment published. The nude photos of Lena her ex circulated around the Internet left Lena’s identity in no question to anyone who had ever seen them “It was probably the worst period of my life at Harvard.”

26 PROPAGANDA

the voice of a publication, she cuts but in the eyes of people me off. “Ok,” she admits, who have had quite a few “I may be under some nocturnal escapades of influence from my boy- their own? What is the friend. A year ago I would difference between what have been fascinated by Lena wrote on Sex in the magazine world. But the Ivy and the quite exI think consumplicit recap of last erism is gross night I overheard “I now, and I from the trio can’t relate don’t want of quasi-athto women’s to be shown letic looking magazines. I come odd clothes sophomores from a different I can’t afsitting next to socioeconomic ford.” me at breakbackground.”

fast in Lowell Lena also this Tuesday mentions that morning? after graduation, I don’t think it lies wherever her salawithin the aforemenry comes from, it will tioned Googleability, and be used to ultimately pay would guess it has more for half of her sister’s col- to do with highlighting lege tuition. As such, the and selling of moments choice to abstain from that were, from one perthe dismally low-paying son’s perspective, meant publishing world makes to stay where they were sense even without the made. To read Sex in the boyfriend’s values, espe- Ivy is to find Lena elocially when coupled with quent, interesting, interLena’s self-confessed in- ested and adventurous, ability to manage money. and also to believe after Lena says Patrick has a while that the entire shown her the merits on purpose of sex and love is cutting down on wasteful for it to be translated into spending, and only pur- words that are eloquent, chasing truly beloved or interesting, interested necessary items. In her and adventurous. next breath, she tells me Writers know that this is Patrick has just acquired not the case- that no matnight vision goggles. ter how special or private Lena says that her moth- a night is, writing about er has resigned herself it is barely a choice, and to the idea of her being a the real choice comes writer, despite the highly with what to do after the variant cash flow. Her proverbial pen has been younger sister aspires to put to paper. If a writer’s art school and a career in work is to light up what painting, and Lena says they’ve learned of the that her parents would human condition, in prefer their daughter’s dark rooms or otherwise, interest themselves with perhaps a more frightenmore secure professions. ing work lies in weighing

As far as writing the worth of publishing is concerned, Lena is far something lovely and further on than most col- true against the selling legiate writers. While we of a moment that may both bemoan the lack of indeed have meant the a creative writing con- world to the two people centration at Harvard who made it up. If there (“too professional,” is the was distaste towards official reason given to Lena, it seems to stem eschew one of the least more from the fact that career-friendly academic with her blog she seems

TO READ ‘SEX IN THE IVY’ IS TO FIND LENA eloquent, INTERESTING, INTERESTED AND ADVENTUROUS. oughly acarnal subsidiary of CondéNet. “She’s so creative,” Lena says of Jenna, “she came up with the term ‘baby gravy.’”

When asked where she fits in to the spectrum of sex/relationship bloggers, from Carrie Bradshaw to Jenna Bromberg, Lena cracks one of her frequent and fast selfdeprecating grins- “no one else is as whiny as I am.”

As we wrap up dinner, I surmise that Lena seems like a fairly typical Harvard girl outside of the spotlight she’s thrown on her nocturnal adventures. She recently

went to Germany to visit a friend studying abroad, loves The Bell Jar and contemporary “old English guy” fiction, has grown less and less enchanted with New York with every visit, and thinks the puritanical restraint of Boston concerts is pitiful in comparison to the lighter-waving, sing-along happiness of California. When pressed to name a few designers she likes, Lena picks out Nanette Lepore and Milly, and then somewhat rightfully rolls her eyes and calls them the archetypal Harvard girl designers.

She then admits to a lib-

eral guilt (or boyfriend?) that induced her to try secondhand and vintage stores, and her enthusiasm for anime inspired clothes, and “obviously,” she says, sweeping her hands towards her feet, “I still like heels.”

Maxim was interested in hiring Lena to write a sex column, but Lena says it ultimately didn’t work out. She snatched an internship at New York Magazine off the waitlist after one of her closest friends bowed out at the eleventh hour, and ultimately chose not to take the internship herself.

One place Lena is not in-

terested in working is at a “women’s magazine.”

Lena says she finds the articles in such magazines to be poorly researched and the journalism without real methodology. “I can’t relate to most of those magazines,” she says, “because I come from such a different socioeconomic background than their target demographic.” When I raise my eyebrows at her and start to lecture on the merits of aspirational reading, Joan Didion’s Vogue contributions, and the transfusion of style across price point to be picked up from the spirit

interests to have) Lena has had far more scrutiny over the intersection of her private life, her public life and what she writes than most writers will have until they publish their first successful book.

All of which begs the question- why do Lena and her blog inspire such ire in people? If she is not to be castigated for writing about things that have happened to her, or for writing them in a firstperson format, what is the crime that Lena Chen has supposedly committed in the eyes of not only True Love Revolution,

to have abrogated this dilemma entirely.

But as Lena and I step out into the snow and she heads back to Beacon Hill, I can’t help but think that her life is going in a direction far quieter and less tumultuous than it has been these past few years. She’s carved out a niche and a brand for herself in an industry that usually ends up championing those that can do so, and as long as she can maintain her brand even in a happy relationship, Lena seems to have made it for herself, even in open-toe heels in a snowstorm.

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27

28 OUT AND ABOUT

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VOICE TO VOICE WITH

WW

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29

W.J OH NW OO TE N.N ET

the strongest man on earth

“I BECAME THE CLOSEST THING TO SUPERMAN.”

J

by miran pavic “Freak of nature, genetic wonder, I’ve been called all sorts of things. I’ve had bad press, but I’ve had good press.

All press is good press. I just do unsual things. But I’m also a smart guy.”

ohn Wooten says he’s the strongest man alive. “I became the closest thing to Superman,” he tells me with only a slight chuckle. Unfortunately, as the ability to fly isn’t on the list of similarities between Wooten - originally from Boston but now enjoying the Florida sun - and the iconic superhero, we had to conduct our interview via phone. Not that Wooten hadn’t tried. “I had an aunt who lived in Brighton, MA. She was Italian, from the old country. I got on the top of her garage, jumped down and tried to fly,” he recalls. This was before his sensational strength became apparent to him. “Just to make sure I wasn’t crazy, I put some boxes down there.

Didn’t work. So I got up, this time with a spaghetti war with a 7000 lbs Elecloth, turned it around, phant”, winning that tug made a knot, wrote a big of war, and “back lifting ‘S’ on it, and I tried again. that same Elephant”. But Didn’t work.” And then, what seemed really comit hit him. “I couldn’t fly, pelling about Wooten is so just decided to work that he’s about more than out like mad, and become just mere power. As he dethe closest thing to Su- clared on the site, “thank perman I possibly could. God I have a Brain and And guess what? I have.” not just muscle.” Later on, he uses a witty

The idea to comparison to interview Woohone that point ten came as “I a bit: “Arnold a good nemused to esis of mine eat 20 pounds a day. Now I’m much sent me a more selective, I link. Having eat 10 pounds a no idea what day.”

Schwarzenegthat could be, ger, brains but knowing and brawn, John Mike usually Wooten, brains and sends noteworthy brawn and many others!” stuff, I clicked on I concluded John might www.johnwooten.net.

The first thing you notice have some constructive as it loads in the browser tips for Harvard students is quite an audacious who also seek to combine headline: “The World’s brains and muscles.

“Homework, paStrongest Man And A Holder Of 143 World Re- pers, errands… I know cords.” Examples of these how it is. I know what it’s records include pulling a like to be in school. But no “280 ton train”, pulling matter how busy you are, “727, 737 and 747 Jet Air- you have to find the time, liners”, having a “tug of you have to make the time

to work out,” he says as I ask how busy Harvard students could follow in his gigantic footsteps.

His voice is resolute, but not as deep as one might expect. His sentences are short and brisk, with only occasional moments of silence. “You gotta develop your brain both by working out, and by studying.” Wooten speaks from deep personal experience. Whenever he has enough time, our planet’s version of Superman writes screenplays and ideas for TV shows and movies. “I write 15 pages, go on a real blasted workout, nap a bit. My mind is then clear, my imagination really opens up, I can concentrate.” The comprehensive formula for a balanced life definitely works for Wooten.

A few years ago, he got a chance to write, produce, shoot and act in a live TV show in Vegas, called “The Strong Talk,” clips of which are available on his website.

Doing a TV show was not enough for a man of Wooten’s ambition. His website offers a 4-minute trailer of his upcoming, yet-to-be-produced movie ‘The Mob Connection’. “A couple of years ago, me and my ex got together on this script. Money is becoming scarce, I don’t have to tell you that. But we have a major motion pictures studio that’s commited, we have an indepent filmmaker to put the other half in.” Though he can’t tell me what the studio or who the filmmaker might be – “I can’t tell you who these people are, we got a meeting in two weeks” – Wooten puts the movie’s budget at $5.9 million. “We’re very close. You cannot sell a script just by writing a script and sending it. You need to do a trailer, you can’t only send a script to people. The trailer we did was good enough to get

John Wooten’s website says he’s the strongest man alive, a holder of 143 world records, bu also an accomplished filmmaker. In our phone interview (he can’t fly like his favorite superhero, at least not yet), Wooten offers some workout tips, remembers an old Radcliffe love, and writes a poem

Wooten pulling a huge truck, setting one of his 143 world records someone interested, to get 6 million dollars. We have some heavy people that have commmited to the film. It’s the question of power, we’re going use this producer or this director. I wanna stay involved, though. You gotta do a trailer.”

After the brief venture into the man’s brain, our conversation goes back to muscles.

Could a Harvard student become as powerful as he is? “Male or female?

I think both could. Both should be doing weightlifting and cardio. Just push yourself to try, you’re gonna love it.”

But could someone from Harvard actually become that strong? John doesn’t say anything for a few

seconds. I hear a loud important to create a sigh. “Listen, I’ll give you proper diet for yourself.

“When I was startmy true gut feeling, ing, I used to and my professional feeling. eat 20 pounds “Me Anyone going of food a and my ex to Harvard day.

Now got together on this script. We will have the I’m much have a major stumore selecgenetics to dio that’s comtive. I eat become that mitted.”

10 pounds a strong.

But day.” proper diet and

Wo o t e n sleep is so imporacknowledges there tant. Eating, sleephave been some negaing, working out.

Then the mind comes tive reactions to his feats. to play.” And, absolutely “Freak of nature, genetic no steroids, he declares. wonder, I’ve been called “No drugs, no steroids! all sorts of things. I’ve I’m not gonna mention had bad press, but I’ve names, but some of my had good press. All press peers died from steroids. is good press. I just do unBut I’m not gonna men- usal things. There is no tion names.

They’re trickery. But I’m also a dead.” No drugs, but smart guy. When there is Wooten claim it’s really an advantage I can use to

push or pull, I’ll use it. It’s not always strength. It’s a mental thing. Mind. Mind over matter. Mental inner strength.” And that’s where he sees Harvard’s fundamental advantage.

“Let’s say, a John from Harvard, if he knows how to use his mind, he’ll pull it off, it’s ‘mental strong’, strong mind as well.” Then suddenly, with no prior warning, Wooten goes political. In his opinion, Washington is not ‘mental strong’.

“I think we should stop giving money to these banks, stop bailing out these banks,” he remarks angrily. “This particular person, I can’t say who, owned a condo. It was worth $800,000, and they invested in a new disco, a

new bar, evertyhing. Now it’s worth $200,000. We’re the closest we’ve been to the Great Depression,” the pundit in him concludes.

As we’re about to wrap up our chat, John has another surprise for me. At first I can’t understand what he was saying, so I politely ask him to repeat his words.

I senses his nervousness as he utters the following: Snow must lead a hale at night, Will stop a man with all his might, He’s pulling for Harvard University, Tonight and every night Harvard University is number one, Tonight, just like every

night

That’s right. John Wooten, the strongest man alive, the holder of 143 world records, an acclaimed filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and a well-known Vegas TV host, wrote a poem for Harvard. As I thank him and promise to publish it, he reveals the deep roots of his connection to our school. “I lived in Cambridge for a year, worked as a life guard at the Holiday Inn on Mass Ave. I met a girl at Radcliffe about 30 years ago, absolutely gorgeous, I wrote down her room number.

I wonder if she’s still there...?”, he says with only a slight chuckle.

ELIZABETH AND HER BEAU ARE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK, BUT THE LACK OF GREEN DOESN’T DRAG DOWN HER ELEGANCE.

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breaking green.

30 OUT AND ABOUT the voice

31

32 OUT AND ABOUT

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33

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34 OUT AND ABOUT

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36 OUT AND ABOUT

the voice

MY DINNER WITH A

rock star

THE INCUBUS GUITARIST IS TRYING TO BE JUST ANOTHER STUDENT.

Mike Einziger, the famed Incubus guitarist, is spending a year at Harvard. How does it feel to replace the stadium arenas filled with thousands of fans with classrooms filled with... us, and the professors? Well, he seems to sincerely enjoy studying here.

by alisha ramos

photos by sophia w. chesrow

M

ike Einziger leisurely strolls into our meeting ten minutes late. Before his arrival, I constantly glanced at my phone to check the time.

I nervously go over my emails to make sure I was not in the wrong place.

And I wasn’t – Mike Einziger, the Incubus guitarist and a Harvard student, is just late. As I walk up to greet him, I’m a bit taken aback – his smaller stature is not what I had anticipated.

I had naively expected something else – he is, after all, an international rock star. Perhaps a mohawk? Or the Jewfro he sports on the photo of his Wikipedia page? Or a tattoo on his arm? Something even remotely badass? No. My search for some symbol of status seems to be in vain as I quickly scan him over once more.

We are seated in a quiet corner of Bombay Club, by windows overlooking the bustling evening streets below.

The restaurant is nearly empty, and I can’t help but notice the intimacy of the atmosphere. The restaurant was his pick – I suggested Café Pamplona in our earlier ex-

change via email, until he convinced me that Pamplona would be “really loud” for an interview and suggested Bombay.

“My treat if you’d wanna eat,” the email read. Einziger seemed to be a pretty cool guy even before I met him. He might even

pass as a little nerdy. See him on the street, and you’d never be able to tell he’s playing in an idolized band that has seen multi-platinum sales and does gigs in front of thousands of fans. He seems like just another student rushing off to finish a problem-set. Einziger is a LA dude in every sense

of the phrase. His clothes seem a smidge out of place amidst the drearyhued, heavy winter coats and scarves of the local Cantabrigians and diners around us; he wears a royal blue zip-up hoodie with a simple plaid collared shirt underneath.

Some tufts of his mousebrown hair are askew. He seems completely and utterly at ease.

Our two hour chat over chicken tikka curry, samosas, and naan – all of which was shared between us – left me with the feeling that we could easily become buddies. He is currently a

“special grad student” at Harvard University, and is enrolled entirely in undergraduate courses.

“There’s so much here,” he says. “The most difficult part is figuring out where you’re going to focus your attention.”

During his time at Har-

vard, Einziger tells me he’s focused mainly on composition and music theory. “But,” he adds, “I’m also very passionate about the sciences. It’s been a huge passion of mine.” Einziger explains that he wants to learn more about physics and biology. “I’ve always been fascinated from a cosmo-

“How’s your food?” he asks, perhaps concerned about the frantic manner in which I take down notes, neglecting the delicious chicken tikka on the table. logical perspective. What the hell are we doing here?” This is the part where Einziger becomes intensely passionate. His eyes seem to glimmer.

You can see the triggers going off in his mind, one inquisitive thought clicking after another as he attempts to explain what he means by these words.

“We take a lot of things for granted. I mean, we’re floating on a rock

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37 in a massive aquarium.

We have no idea about a lot of things, but we’re learning a significant amount of information at a crazy rate,” he says.

He says that studying the sciences has changed his “perception of the normal world.”

“How’s your food?” he asks, perhaps concerned about the frantic manner in which I take down notes, neglecting the delicious chicken tikka on the table. One can’t help but feel the contagious fervor with which Einziger speaks when he discusses evolution or physics. We launch into a long philosophical discussion on the origins mankind, during most of which I prefer to listen to his views and ask him for elaborations. I interrupt to ask what he wants to do with all this knowledge. Einziger pauses to think. I offer if it’s purely for his own benefit. Einziger dons a wry smile and answers, “Everything we do is for our own benefit. But that’s a whole other philosophical discussion I won’t get into right now!” The question seems to stump him, as he finally replies with, “I don’t know.” One thing is becomes evident to me – Einziger loves learning for learning, attempting to piece together as what he sees as this great and marvelous puzzle of life and the universe.

The experience of be-

“I mean, we pay people to keep people away from us,” he says. He goes onto explain the surreal feeling of being “caged in” and blocked off from the rowdy crowd at concerts. ing a student once more stands out as a stark contrast to Einziger’s rock star days. Although he undoubtedly had enjoyed and continues to enjoy being in the band, he confesses, “there are still sacrifices.” The often tumultuous culture of being a part of such a wildly popular band with a huge fan base seems to

38 OUT AND ABOUT

the voice

Brandon Boyd, the vocalist of Incubus, is visiting him soon, and the duo wants to “play somewhere really random” at Harvard, for the students. . “Like in the stacks at the library.”

have taken a toll on Einziger’s social experience.

“I mean…we pay people to keep people away from us,” he says. He goes onto explain the surreal feeling of being “caged in” and blocked off from the rowdy crowd at concerts.

“It’s kind of an isolating experience,” he reflects, a hint of regret in his voice. He expresses though, that his time at Harvard has allowed him to become “reimmersed into the regular world.”

Here, Einziger feels that he is “just another student.” He admits that although he is a bit of an antisocial, he has “taken a great effort to get to know people” and has already made some “really great friends here.”

Einziger’s schedule for the spring semester aptly coincides with his two biggest obsessions – music and science. He is currently enrolled in Science A-41 (The Einstein Revo- clip of him in which he lution), Music 51 (Music poses some seemingly Theory), and Music 5 profound questions: “Is a (Intermediate Composi- note still a note if no one’s tion). He is also pursuing there to hear it?” After an independent study meeting with Einziger, I with a visiting composer. can’t help but think that “Every week I listen to the video (and perhaps a piece of music that’s the performance itself) assigned. The pieces seems to be an accurate, are vastly different. We eerie glimpse or snapshot analyze them, pick them of Einziger’s own mind. apart, and write response He singlehandedly compieces to them.” Einziger posed the entire orchestells me one of his favor- tral work; it also includite movies growing up ed a visual component was Fantasia; he listens that corresponded to the to pieces from the movie music. The project was a like “The Rite of Spring” one-time-only show, perby Stravinsky and says formed in August in Los he gets to “pick it apart Angeles. and analyze that, and it’s Besides being a full time amazing.” He enthusias- Harvard student, it is tically describes the pro- clear that Einziger is still, fessor, Richard Baldwin, in his core and essence, a as an “amazing guy.” The part of the band and selcourse is a great experi- dom forgets it. He reveals ence in composing music that Incubus is putting for Einziger. “I’ve never out a “greatest hits” rereally read or notated cord in May. At first, he music before.” He also waves this little bit of adds that he purposefully information away. “It’s a tries to away from com- contractual thing. Just puters which often do the an obligation we have to work for you. He firmly fulfill.” He pauses a mobelieves that composing ment, and reconsidmusic sans computers. “But when I er “really makes look back on it Upon visualizing the now, a lot of receiving music a necesthe music I the Harvard sity.” discovered acceptance letter, Einziger has when I was “I did a happy also had a younger dance”, he hand at comwas found recalls. posing an enthrough tire orchestral ‘greatest hits’ performance. Afalbums!” He reter undergoing an flects on the meaning operation in March of the band having a of 2007 for Carpal tun“greatest hits” album at nel syndrome, he used all, and appreciates the the time off from his legacy the band is leaving guitar to complete a side behind and creating still. project, ‘end.>vacuum’. “It was really fun putting ‘End.>vacuum’ is de- [the album] together.” We scribed on its website share a laugh as he says as “a realization in nine that most “greatest hits” movements; a jagged albums only contain uneven collection of one or two songs which mind shattering musi- people can recognize. cal theories.” The video “We actually have a legit on the website reflects ‘greatest hits’ album.”

Einziger’s science-and- Einziger refers to the fact music-oriented psyche: that Incubus has prothere are images of the duced a slew of number cosmos, swirling galax- one hit singles, includies, the large hadron col- ing “Drive”, “Megalolider, and the launch of maniac”, “Anna Molly”, a rocket ship. There’s a and “Love Hurts,” just to

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the voice name a few.

Surely, being a musical genius and international rock star would make him a “shoe-in” at the admissions office. But he assures me that this was not the case. “[The admissions office] was very cool to me, but they were clear that being in a rock band doesn’t get you in.”

Einziger initially became interested in Harvard through a current undergrad, who is a “very good friend” of his. Last year, the two planned to co-write an article about evolution, and wanted to interview a professor at Brown, an expert on the matter. Einziger planned to spend a day at Harvard and then visit Brown to conduct the interview, but plans fell through.

Through happenstance, Einziger found himself meeting instead with Thomas Kelly, a music professor at Harvard. The two instantly connected, much to Einziger’s surprise. “He’s a classical music scholar…I’m in a rock band. I didn’t know he would have any interest in talking to me.”

The two shared “a really great discussion about music” and soon Einziger was being encouraged to apply to Harvard.

Upon receiving the acceptance letter, “I did a happy dance,” he recalls with a grin. He also remembers with amusement the delight his parents expressed when they received the news.

“Selling eleven million records doesn’t impress my parents that much, but going to Harvard does!” When asked why he chose Harvard instead of a conservatory, Einziger replies matterof-factly. “The music department is amazing here. The professors are incredible. Students are amazing. I have the luxury of meeting all these people...it’s overwhelming to be a musician and come here.” I share with him my own story of acceptance to Harvard, and the constant realization of how lucky I am to be here. “Me too!” Einziger replies with zeal. “I feel like it’s really a privilege.”

Einziger dropped out of high school as a teen to play with his own band; attending Harvard seems to be a sort of reawakening for him. “I value education in a different way than when I was younger.

I never enjoyed school when I was younger,” he confesses. He continues to describe his rebellious high school years. “I was very nonconformist. But at a certain point, being a nonconformist makes you conformist,” he laughs. He shares with me his wonder at the amazing amount of resources Harvard offers its students, and the tremendous amount of support he has received so far. “It took me a while to figure

out that there are people out there who want to help you do whatever you want to do in life.”

Incubus plans to go on tour all summer. He mentions they will play at the Boston Comcast Center in July, and is “trying to figure out a way so that Harvard students can get in for free.” He even reveals to me that Brandon Boyd, the vocalist of Incubus, is visiting him soon, and that the duo wants to “play somewhere really random” at Harvard, for the students. When asked where, Einziger gives a vague answer as they haven’t yet finalized plans. “Like in the stacks at the library or something. Just something really random.” On top of

He reflects on the transition from being in the band to being a student again.

“I’ve been doing what I’ve done for a living for such a long time.

It feels good to be working my brain in a different way.”

this “top secret” mission for an impromptu concert, Einziger has found yet another way to contribute to the Harvard community in the future.

He is composing music for a play called “Quartet” by Heiner Muller.

The play will be will be performed by Harvard students.

The engaging experience at Harvard has inspired him to agree to teach a class during Jterm next winter, titled “Modern Song-writing.”

The class has yet to be planned, but he is excited about the opportunity.

“I didn’t come here planning to teach, but I was asked to. I can’t think of anything cooler to do, to be able to teach at Harvard! The students are so inspiring. People are so smart here.” These are words may come off as cliché, but hearing them from Einziger makes you believe he sincerely means it. He frequently reiterates how incredible the students are, along with the remarkable things they have accomplished. After all, he takes classes with us every day, struggles through problem sets, and chats with people every chance he gets. When asked about the experience of taking undergraduate courses, he admits, “There’s a bit of an age gap between me and the undergrads.” He reflects on the transition from being in the band to being a student again.

“I’ve been doing what I’ve done for a living for such a long time. It feels good to be working my brain in a different way.”

His elaborate plans for the future are not just musical. Just as end.>vacuum

was a testament to Einziger’s fascination with music, science, and the bonds which they share, his next project seems to be of the same nature.

“I’ll be working on a documentary project for BBC over the next six months.

It’ll be like Planet Earth, but about the solar system.”

Einziger will compose music for the documentary which will correspond with its visuals. “It fits right in with my love for science and music!” he declares with a smile. The project is still in its “developmental stages” but looks very promising, considering the fact that BBC’s Planet Earth was such a phenomenal success.

My dinner with Einziger has drawn to a close, and I appreciate his candidness and open mind. He seemed like a friend, someone I could talk to about normal things like the crappy weather.

When asked what he dislikes the most about Harvard, he answers with, “It’s fucking freezing here.” Yet the most enjoyable part in speaking with Einziger is having a stimulating discussion and genuine exchange of ideas. We cover everything from evolution to morality to Plato to homosexuality to the afterlife and more. We agree on some things and disagree on others. Our conversation soon tapers off into banter about intellectual design and creationism.

He promises me to email me a documentary about intellectual design (he did), and asks to chat with me again.

I see him now as more than just a face in a band.

Perhaps the only big difference between Einziger and the typical Harvard student is his sincere and un-jaded appreciation for the university and its people. “It’s a shame not everyone in the world gets to experience it,” he says. Mike Einziger may be a rock star, but he also sees himself as just another student. He wants to be your friend. He wants to share his story, his thoughts, his mind – but most of all, he wants to hear your story too, and learn from it. “Looking forward to another chat with you,” reads an email he sends me later that week. I have yet to respond (damn you, midterms and papers), but I can already sense our next meeting will be just as enjoyable.

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