Spring 2016 Journal by The Harvard Foundation

The

HARVARD FOUNDATION Journal

SPRING 2016

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

VOL. XXXV NO.2.

RICHARD T. GREENER, FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN GRADUATE OF HARVARD COLLEGE (1870) PORTRAIT UNVEILED AT ANNENBERG HALL

Actress Lucy Liu was honored as the 2016 Artist of the Year by Harvard students and faculty including Dean William Fitzsimmons ’67 and Dean Rakesh Khurana.

Nobel physicist Dr. Takaaki Kajita is named the Harvard Foundation 2016 Scientist of the Year.

Dr. Per Wästberg ’55, chair of the Nobel Prize Committee for Literature, shared some wise words with David Damrosch, chair of the Department of Comparative Literature.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

Table of Contents Director’s Letter 3 The First African-American Harvard Graduate 4 Letter from Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust, President, Harvard University

Greener Portrait Brings Fresh Color to Harvard’s Walls

Dr. Per Wästberg, Chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee for Literature

6-9

Cultural Rhythms Adds Mission to the Merriment

10-11

Cultural Rhythms: Talk, Celebrate, Act 12-14 Albert Einstein Science Conference 15-16 Important lessons from a Distinguished Educator

17-19

Frank Talk About Political Rhetoric 20 Harvard Students ‘Meet the Patels’ 20 Harvard Foundation Awards and Aloian Dinner 21 Student Advisory Committee:Year in Review 22 Student Grant Summaries 23-25 Visit from the the Abuhashem Family 26 Visit from the Consul General of Sweden

Director’s Letter Continued 26 Student Advisory Committee Member Organizations 2015-2016

Harvard Foundation Faculty Advisory Committee Members 2015-2016 27

Acknowledgements

We express our appreciation to: The Faculty and Student Advisory Committees, Harvard Foundation student interns, the President of Harvard University, and the Dean of Harvard College for their support of the work of the Harvard Foundation.

The insignia of the Harvard Foundation consists of five interconnecting circles in the colors black,brown,red,white, and yellow, symbolizing the major recognized ethnic groups of the human race under the Harvard motto Veritas (“Truth”).The symbol,“the unbroken circle of humanity,” was designed by Dr. S.Allen Counter in 1981. The Harvard Foundation Journal has been produced semi-annually since 1982. The publication is designed to inform the Harvard family about the intercultural programs sponsored by the Foundation throughout the year that address a variety of salient topics related to race, culture, ethnicity, and religion. The Harvard Foundation Journal is produced by the Harvard Foundation staff, interns, and director. For more information please contact: The Harvard Foundation B02 Thayer Hall, Harvard Yard Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone: 617-495-1527 | Fax: 617-496-1443 | harvfoun@fas.harvard.edu

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

Director’s Letter To the students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation, We are delighted that the spring semester was replete with a variety of excellent programs that served the mission of the Harvard Foundation. Our longstanding focus on diversity, inclusion, and equity remained the theme of each of our programs as we reached out to different ethno-cultural and ethno-religious groups at Harvard College for advice and guidance on student-initiated programs and the Foundation’s flagship programs. The spring semester began with the annual Cultural Rhythms Festival. The 2016 festival featured a week of discussion on ethno-cultural challenges, conflicts, and misunderstandings, with talks led by Harvard Foundation student directors Nuha Saho ’18 and Olutoyin Demuren ’18. The entire Harvard community was delighted with the selection of the acclaimed actress Lucy Liu, star of “Kill Bill,” “Charlie’s Angels,” and “Sherlock,” as the 2016 Artist of the Year. According to the students, Liu was one of the most gracious guests they had ever met at Harvard. She engaged our students in a wide-ranging discussion about art, film, and theater, and all appreciated her intellect, charm, and humor. The co-directors of the 2016 Cultural Rhythms Program were Avni Nahar ’17 and Jonathan Sands ’17, who skillfully guided the week of programs that culminated in the student performances at the Sanders Theatre. As part of the Harvard Foundation’s annual tribute to Martin Luther King Jr., we hosted a special program featuring Jamye C. Williams, who was a speechwriter for many of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement. The 98-year-old distinguished professor of rhetoric and speech emerita taught a number of American leaders, including Oprah Winfrey, who holds her in the highest regard. She delivered a remarkable speech titled “The Way It Was,” and was surrounded by adoring students of all ethnic groups following her presentation. The student director for this program was Harvard Foundation intern Doni Lehman ’17. Our second flagship event, the annual Albert Einstein Science Conference: Advancing Minorities and Women in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics, was held March 24 and 25. The 2016 Scientist of the Year was Dr. Takaaki Kajita, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in physics. Serving as co-host was Professor Masahiro Morii, chairman of the Harvard Physics Department, who presented excellent remarks at the annual conference luncheon. The luncheon was attended by Harvard undergraduate and graduate students as well members of other science faculties. The student coordinators for the 2016 Annual Science Conference were Olutoyin Demuren ’18 and Nuha Saho ’18. In April, the students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation hosted the prolific author (of more than 60 books) and chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee on Literature, Per Wästberg ’55. His visit was co-sponsored the Department of Comparative Literature and hosted by Professors Sandra Naddaff and David Damrosch. During his three-day visit, Dr. Wästberg lectured to several classes and met one-on-one with Harvard undergraduate and graduate students concentrating in comparative literature, as well as with students and faculty from the Harvard College Writing Program. He presented a lecture to the Nieman Foundation that was followed by a Harvard Faculty Club luncheon for their fellows. By all accounts, his visit was one of the academic highlights of the year. The student coordinators for the 2016 Literature/Writers Program were Cary Williams ’16 and Mahnoor Ali ’19. The Harvard Foundation also participated in a student vigil to recognize the suffering of the people of Syria and to commemorate the loss of life. Continued on page 27

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

THE FIRST AFRICAN-AMERICAN HARVARD COLLEGE GRADUATE

he walls of Annenberg Hall are lined with Harvard luminaries: University alumni, professors, and benefactors depicted in paintings and sculptures. This year, a new portrait joined the array, that of Richard Theodore Greener, Class of 1870, the first African-American to graduate from Harvard College. Mr. Greener was an outstanding student who won the prestigious Bowden Prize for elocution in his sophomore and senior years, and was a Class Day speaker at Commencement. A Stoughton Hall resident, he was well respected and went on to a distinguished career in education and public service. L to R: Colin Marts ’16, Black Men’s Forum; Thalia Orphee ’18, Association of Black Harvard Women; Sheldon Reid ’96, director of The Kuumba Singers of Harvard

Mr. Greener’s portrait, by artist Ste- College; Devontae Freeland ’19, Harvard Foundation intern; Dr. S. Allen Counter, Foundation director; and members of The Kuumba Singers of Harvard phen Coit ’71, was commissioned as Harvard College. part of the Portraiture Project, overseen by the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. Dr. S. Allen Counter, the foundation’s director, presided over the unveiling ceremony, which included a performance by the Kuumba Singers, an African-American student group directed by Sheldon Reid ’96. The group performed a musical arrangement of Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise.” Mr. Reid, speaking briefly after the performance, called Mr. Greener a trailblazer. Mr. Reid spoke of the challenges faced by black Harvard students past and present, as did several Harvard College students who are active in African-American student organizations. On behalf of the Harvard Black Men’s Forum, Colin Marts ’16 said Mr. Greener’s portrait was “a small step in the right direction.” Thalia Orphee ’18, president of the Association of Black Harvard Women, noted that the overwhelming majority of portraits on campus — in Annenberg and elsewhere — depict white men. Mr. Greener’s presence, she said, “helps us begin to paint a more complete picture of Harvard’s history.” After graduating from Harvard, Mr. Greener became principal of the male department at the Philadelphia Institute for Colored Youth, which became Cheyney University. He later taught philosophy, mathematics, languages, and history at the University of South Carolina, where he also served as librarian and earned a law degree. Mr. Greener served on the Supreme Court of South Carolina and worked as a lawyer in the District of Columbia. He later became a diplomat, holding positions including United States consul to Bombay, India, and Vladivostok, Russia. He was the first American to hold the latter post. David L. Evans, senior admissions officer for Harvard College (whose portrait hangs in Lamont Library), concluded the ceremony by exhorting the students present, some of whom he has advised and mentored, “Greener is a part of the Harvard community, but he also belongs to you. “His portrait represents an important change” in the University’s history, Mr. Evans said, “but don’t let this be the last change. Continue the change.” by Katie Gibson, Harvard Correspondent Courtesy of the Harvard Gazette

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

APPRECIATION OF AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN TRAILBLAZER: REMARKS FROM HARVARD’S PRESIDENT

Commemoration of the life and legacy of the first African-American graduate of Harvard College:

ichard Theodore Greener, Class of 1870, embodied the ideals of fortitude, perseverance, and self-determination that we continue to admire and celebrate in our graduates today. He defied birth and circumstance to study on this campus, to receive prestigious awards, to achieve an aim that few could imagine. He defied his time to make history. Today we mark a milestone in the legacy of one of Harvard’s own. We acknowledge an educator, scholar, leader, and statesman who made of his life, in the words of Mary Oliver, “something particular and real.” We acknowledge a person who made our present possible. His likeness will watch over our community from this day forward, a lasting reminder of how far we have come toward realizing our aspirations of diversity and belonging, in opening this extraordinary place to more people than our predecessors could have imagined. But the work of making Harvard better is perennial. It is a task shared by every member of our community. I am grateful to everyone who has had a hand in bringing Richard Theodore Greener back to the Yard, and I acknowledge, in particular, the undergraduates who are here today to unveil his portrait and to elevate this moment with prose and song.

Thank you, Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust President, Harvard University

uring his extraordinary lifetime, Richard T. Greener traveled from Philadelphia to Harvard to Washington, D.C., to Imperial Russia. Now, and for posterity, the Class of 1870 alumnus — the first black graduate of Harvard College — has returned to campus, where his portrait hangs on the north wall of Annenberg Hall. The painting was the most recent production of the Harvard Foundation Portraiture Project, which aims to diversify the faces on Harvard’s walls. It shows a 20-something Richard Greener standing in front of his freshman dorm, Stoughton Hall in Harvard Yard. Mr. Greener was born in Philadelphia but spent his adolescence in Cambridge. He attended preparatory school at Oberlin College and Phillips Academy Andover before matriculating at and graduating from Harvard with honors and several high accolades. Mr. Greener later went on to a professorship at the University of South Carolina during the Reconstruction Era, and later became dean of Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C. He also spent time overseas as a diplomat in Russia in the McKinley administration. Mr. Greener’s portrait was unveiled during a brief dinnertime ceremony in Annenberg, the first-year dining hall. Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter did the honors, alongside Kuumba Singers Director Sheldon Reid ’96, Foundation intern Devontae A.B. Freeland ’19, Harvard Black Men’s Forum representative Colin H. Marts ’16, and Association of Black Harvard Women president Thalia Orphee ’18, who jointly unveiled the painting. Artist Steve Coit ’71 explained the significance of some of the portrait’s details, as well as some of the findings of his extensive research on his subject. His remarks followed student addresses from Mr. Freeland, Mr. Marts, and Ms. Orphee, as well as a performance by the Kuumba Singers. David L. Evans, senior admissions officer and Foundation Faculty Advisory Committee member, gave closing remarks. Harvard is proud to honor this most distinguished alumnus. Mr. Greener’s portrait in Annenberg will serve as a source of enlightenment and inspiration for Harvard College students of all backgrounds. . by Devontae Freeland ’19

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

DR. PER WÄSTBERG ’55, CHAIRMAN OF NOBEL PRIZE COMMITTEE FOR LITERATURE VISITS HARVARD COLLEGE

L to R: Mahnoor Ali ’19, Harvard Foundation intern, Dr. Per Wästberg’55, and Cary Wlliams ’16, Harvard Foundation intern, speak during his lecture at Harvard Hall 104. Photo credit to Rose Lincoln, Harvard Gazette.

n April 19, students and faculty members gathered into Harvard Hall to listen to a lecture from Dr. Per Wästberg, chairman of the Nobel Prize Committee on Literature. In a talk that focused on the Nobel selection process, especially the barriers posed by judging novels in languages that the members of the selection committee — although multilingual — do not speak, Dr. Wästberg discussed past winners and offered insight into the reasons for certain selections. He addressed the power of prose, language, and literature. After Dr. Wästberg’s lecture, Harvard Foundation interns Cary Williams ’16 and I facilitated a discussion with the audience. Dr. Wästberg joined in, highlighting the importance of taking cultural narratives into account and speaking to the different kinds of cultural impact spurred by literature and journalism.

Professor Rakesh Khurana, Danoff Dean of Harvard College, greets Dr. Per Wästberg’55 at Adams House.

Dr. Wästberg, who is also an influential author, journalist, and activist, graduated from the College in 1955. He was invited by the Harvard Foundation, and co-hosted by Harvard’s Comparative Literature department as part of its “Complexities of Color” program. In addition to his lecture and appearances at different comparative literature courses, Dr. Wästberg held office hours during his three-day visit, meeting with students one-on-one to discuss their writing, the Nobel Prize, and anything and everything else they wanted to chat about. His interactions with students were characterized by brightness and enthusiasm, and his sincere intention to thoughtfully engage. A final reception for Dr. Wästberg was held in the Dana Palmer House, hosted by the comparative literature faculty. Wine and cheese were the order of the night, as faculty and students reflected on the interactive and meaningful visit.

by Mahnoor Ali ’19

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

DR. PER WÄSTBERG: A WAY WITH OTHER WORDS exism, racism, and even neglect can stand in the way of a great writer receiving a Nobel Prize. But of all the barriers, it is language that remains the most significant, Per Wästberg, the chairman of the five-member Nobel Committee for Literature, told a Harvard audience.

Although committee members read English, German, French, some Spanish, and Russian, and rely on a network of experts in 15 languages, they cannot possibly read or understand the thousands of languages that exist around the world, Dr. Wästberg said. India, for example, has 16 official languages; South Africa 11. “The Nobel statutes make it clear that prize proposals written in other languages that the Academy cannot interpret ‘without great trouble or considerable expense’ need not be taken into account. This applies to the vast majority of the 6,000 languages around the world,” he said. Some have suggested that the Academy try to identify people who write in “neglected” languages such as Urdu, Swahili, or Yoruba by using sworn experts, “but such a procedure would politicize the prize,” said Dr. Wästberg. He said that “practically every prize is somewhere seen as a political gesture,” and cited Mo Yan, who he thinks is “perhaps the greatest prose writer in the world today,” but is “wrongly seen as a tool for his government.” Dr. Wästberg said when he first joined the Swedish Academy almost 20 years ago, “I expected to be traveling across the globe with a GPS to find hidden treasures. Not at all! One did not look for a dark-skinned Inuit, though they do exist, or for a lesbian in Tonga in order to cover human variety or just minorities,” Dr. Wästberg said. That year, the prize went to Jose Saramago, a Portuguese writer. Dr. Wästberg called Alfred Nobel, who established the eponymous awards, “a cosmopolitan who prescribed his prize to be awarded to individuals regardless of nation, gender, religion, and to those who, in his words, had ‘conferred the greatest benefit to mankind.’” But, “Because of the attention it receives around the world and because of its prestige, Nobel laureates have inevitably come to be seen as forming a canon which has provoked critical reproach that many of the greatest 20th-century writers are missing from the list. That includes too few women, too few non-Europeans, and too many mediocrities.” After World War II, Nobel Awards went to “‘the great precursors’ — Hermann Hesse, Andre Gide, T.S. Eliot and William Faulkner — which, regrettably, meant that women were overlooked, [such as] Anna Akhmatova, Karen Blixen, Elsa Morante, and Simone de Beauvoir,” Dr. Wästberg added. Other giants in literature, such as Virginia Woolf, were “overlooked by the proposers in their own countries,” he said. “The early Nobel Committee interpreted Nobel’s words as ‘an ideal direction’ to imply edifying and God-fearing writers. Thus Ibsen, Strindberg, Tolstoy, Zola, Henry James, Georg Brandes were out, Thomas Hardy was branded deterministic and with immoral heroines.” Nonetheless, while some great writers have not been recognized, Dr. Wästberg said “the Academy may pride itself on discovering great writers ahead of the general public” — such as Faulkner, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Elias Canetti, Rabindranath Tagore, Naguib Mahfouz, Wole Soyinka, and Derek Walcott. The Swedish Academy, which awards the Nobels, receives 230 literature nominations from nearly twice as many individuals, universities, and other institutions each year. That number is narrowed down to an “expectancy” list of 25, from which five writers are singled out in May “for intensive summer reading,” followed by three days of discussion. “Then we meet an unbelieving world press. Jubilation and outrage follow,” Wästberg said. Wästberg’s talk, “Nobel Prize Winners: The Selection Process and Related Stories” was part of an annual writers program, “Complexities of Color.” His visit included speaking to classes, meeting with individual students, and a luncheon with Nieman Fellows. The visit was sponsored by the Harvard Foundation in collaboration with the Department of Comparative Literature. Harvard College senior Cary Williams, who interviewed Wästberg after his talk, said, “It was an honor to get to be in dialogue with Dr. Wästberg and to hear his stories of a life dedicated to the production and love of the written word. In this climate of tense race relations in America, many of my peers have turned to writing, in many genres, as a way to raise their voice.” by Robert Mitchell, Harvard Correspondent Courtesy of the Harvard Gazette

8 HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

L to R: Dr. Sean Palfrey, Faculty Dean of Adams House, Mrs. Sofia Wästberg, Dr. Per Wästberg ’55; Mr. John Williams ’67 and Dr. Wästberg; Mr. B vard College Students; Devontae Freeland ’19 and Dylan deWaart ’19, Harvard Foundation interns; Dr. Wästberg and Mrs. Susan Gelbart; Harva L. Evans; Dr. Wästberg answers a question from a Neiman Fellow; Dr. Counter, Mr. James Geary, deputy director of the Nieman Foundation, Dr. W Counter, Dr. Sandra Nadaff, Dean of Harvard Summer School, Dr. Wästberg, and Dr. Damrosch, chair, Comparative Literature Department.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

Brian O’Connor ’78 and Dr. Wästberg; Dr. Burgard, Professor of German with daughter Zoë and Dr. Wästberg; Dr. Wästberg and Harard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter, Mrs. Swerein-Olsson, Consul-General of Sweden, Mrs. Wästberg, Dr. Wästberg, and Mr. Davild Wästberg, and Ms. Ann-Marie Lipiniski, curator of the Nieman Foundation; Freshman Dean Thomas Dingman ’67 and Dr. Wästberg; Dr.

10 HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

n Saturday, Feb. 20, hundreds of students and faculty members gathered in Sanders Theatre for the 31st Cultural Rhythms Festival, the Harvard Foundation’s annual celebration of diversity on campus. The festival has always been the Foundation’s largest and most joyous event, offering students of all cultural backgrounds the opportunity to exhibit their heritage with performance and food while also honoring an outstanding artist. This year’s festival, directed by Avni Nahar ’17 and Jonathan Sands ’17, preserved its enduring traditions while laying the groundwork for more substantive engagement regarding cultural diversity in the future. Publicizing a weeklong engagement with race, identity, and culture on campus under the slogan “Talk, Celebrate, Act,” Olutoyin Demuren ’18 and Nuha Saho ’18 planned five discussions and panels moderated by Foundation interns that gave all students a chance to participate meaningfully in Cultural Rhythms 2016. Topics ranged from the future of ethnic studies and faculty diversity to the tension between the right to free speech and maintaining an equitable, inclusive, and respectful campus. Looking to next year, the Foundation hopes to provide additional opportunities for students of different backgrounds to come together and engage in race- and identity-related discussions by partnering with members of other student organizations and hubs of student life. After the week of dialogue, the day of the festival was a time to celebrate. In keeping with tradition, the students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation nominated the honoree, the acclaimed actress and philanthropist Lucy Liu, who received the 2016 Artist of the Year award. Ms. Liu has appeared in a number of films and television shows, and has spoken eloquently on race in Hollywood, drawing on her own experiences as one of few Asian-American actresses in the business. On the philanthropic front, Ms. Liu has worked with UNICEF to promote the welfare of children worldwide, has been involved in numerous campaigns against human trafficking, and has championed causes including gay rights and marriage equality at the national level. The staff and interns of the Harvard Foundation, as well as the students and faculty of Harvard College, were honored to have her as a guest. The day started with a tribute in Kirkland House, organized by Foundation intern Cengiz Cemaloglu ’18, which moved right into a luncheon in Ms. Liu’s honor that featured a number of student and faculty tributes. Students were impressed by Ms. Liu’s generous spirit, as evidenced by her willingness to chat with them, pose for pictures, and take questions.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

CULTURAL RHYTHMS ADDS MISSION TO THE MERRIMENT Then it was time for the show itself. After a brief introductory video, co-directors Ms. Nahar and Mr. Sands kicked off the performances with short remarks before welcoming Foundation Director S. Allen Counter and then Ms. Liu to the stage. Ms. Liu had the opportunity to watch a number of performing groups, from the Kuumba Singers to the Candela Dance Troupe to Harvard Bhangra, the Passus Step Team, and more. After every performance, she talked to representatives from each group about their artistic skills, their academic and professional interests, and their cultural background and heritage. Hasani Hayden ’19 and Faith Jackson ’16 hosted the show, keeping the audience entertained with witty banter and jokes between acts. After intermission, William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid, joined Dr. Counter and the Cultural Rhythms co-directors to present the award. Ms. Liu made a few remarks of acceptance, reminding the audience of the importance of intercultural and interracial alliances and solidarity. “Diversity is about unity,” she said. “Separation and segregation — that’s about fear and ignorance. It is our job to present who we are and stand up for it.” Her speech was met with a standing ovation, and followed by a presentation of a Harvard sweatshirt. The show was followed by a food festival in Northwest Labs, sponsored by the Undergraduate Council. For the first time, tickets for food were free for all attendees. More than 30 different student organizations served up different dishes, and most booths quickly ran out due to the incredible turnout. Senior Foundation interns and former Cultural Rhythms co-directors Cary Williams ’16 and Irfan Mahmud ’16 shared some reflections to close the event and the day of the festival as a whole. To cap the week of dialogue and day of celebration, on Sunday, February 21, students gathered for a town hall meeting with Danoff Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana to discuss his office’s continued work to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion at the College and to chart a path forward to further these efforts. The Thompson Room in the Barker Center was packed with students from a number of different organizations and backgrounds who hoped to raise their concerns with the dean and attempt to find solutions. The meeting began with statements from the Cultural Rhythms co-directors, Dr. Khurana, and the leaders of the Undergraduate Council before opening the floor to questions. Topics included being able to access the administration more frequently, diversifying campus artwork, support for Muslim students and religious diversity, the need for a multicultural center, and funding options for public service internships. Dr. Khurana promised further responses to these questions at ensuing town hall discussions over the remainder of the semester. With the conclusion of its mission to “Talk, Celebrate, Act,” the 2016 Cultural Rhythms Festival finally came to an end. While maintaining the traditions and legacies of the 30 that came before it, this year’s festival was broadened to include discussion and avenues for action on issues related to race and identity. The staff and interns of the Harvard Foundation look forward to building on this growth in the many festivals to come. by Avni Nahar ’17 and Jonathan Sands ’17

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

CULTURAL RYTHMS: TALK, CELEBRATE, ACT

o ground Cultural Rhythms in conversation as well as celebration, this year’s festival began and ended with substantive conversation amongst Harvard students and faculty. As dialogue directors, we worked in conjunction with the festival directors and other interns to host discussions on relevant issues addressing culture, identity, and diversity at Harvard and beyond.

We began with a panel on Monday examining “Ethnic Studies and Faculty Diversity,” with a mix of Harvard faculty, students, and alumni discussing the role of ethnic studies in a liberal arts education, and current barriers to increasing faculty diversity. Next, we held a student-led examination of “Service and Research at Home and Abroad” in order to discern the line between thoughtful service and exploitation when working in communities that are not our own. We followed that on Wednesday with “Free Speech and Intergroup Understanding,” which sought to broaden campus dialogue and determine how to have productive conversations about diversity that take into account both empathy and the right to expression. On Thursday we held a dialogue on “Race, Media, and the 2016 Presidential Race,” which addressed topics such as the current state of dog-whistle politics, the myth of a monolithic “black vote,” and accusations of pandering brought against presidential candidates. Our last dialogue connected most directly to the show. Here, we examined “Performance and Identity,” discussing the role performing plays in preserving and celebrating a culture, and how one’s relationship to a culture may impact one’s ability to perform it. These events proved to be an essential part of this year’s festival, and we hope to carry them into the future. We hope to continue to firmly tether Cultural Rhythms to conversation and action on diversity. The festival should not be just one day, one show, one event. Cultural Rhythms should be an annual moment on this campus when we remember why diversity is an asset, where we can formalize conversations that normally happen only in dining halls and common rooms, when we have the greatest chance to “enhance the quality of our common life.” In 2016 we laid the foundation for a new tradition, one that we hope will be carried on well past our days as interns. by Olutoyin Demuren ’18 and Nuha Saho ’18

CULTURAL RHYTHMS: LUNCH WITH A STAR

To feed and entertain the Harvard Foundation’s Artist of the Year, immediately after conversation with guests in the Kirkland House junior common room the actress Lucy Liu was escorted to the dining hall for a luncheon in her honor. Student tributes came from Nu Xion ’16 and Karoline Xu ’17, representing the Asian American Women’s Association and the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club, respectively. Kirkland House itself was represented by Faculty Deans Tom and Verena Conley, and House Committee co-chairs Francesca Childs ’17 and Nicholas O’Brien ’17, who presented Ms. Liu with a House sweatshirt and water bottle. Joining Ms. Liu at the head table were the Conleys; Dean Xiao Li Meng of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty Advisory Committee; Harvard Foundation Director and Professor of Neurobiology S. Allen Counter; senior admissions officer David L. Evans; Harvard Foundation interns and Cultural Rhythms co-directors Avni Nahar ’17 and Jonathan A. Sands ’17; and Cultural Rhythms luncheon director Devontae A. B. Freeland ’19. by Devontae Freeland ’19

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

BLOWN AWAY AT KIRKLAND HOUSE

2016 Harvard Artist of the Year Lucy Liu and Harvard Foundation intern Cengiz Cemalogu ’18 meet the Harvard University Band for a “Tribute to the Artist” at Kirkland House.

The “Celebrate” portion of the 31st Annual Cultural Rhythms Festival kicked off in the Kirkland House junior common room with a conversation between students, faculty, and Harvard University staff and the 2016 Artist of the Year, the actress Lucy Liu. Following the Harvard Band’s official welcome, with familiar tunes such as “10,000 Men of Harvard,” the Harvard Hellenic Society performed a traditional folk dance and the Immediate Gratification Players, one of Harvard’s premier improvisational comedy groups, acted out a thoughtful and funny roast to Ms. Liu. Interest in luncheon with Ms. Liu had been so high that the Harvard Foundation conducted a lottery, in which they asked students what questions they most wanted the actress to answer. Foundation interns summarized the most frequently asked questions into five concise queries, which they asked Ms. Liu in a public conversation. Ms. Liu offered listeners excellent advice and insight into the role of Asian-Americans in the entertainment industry, the future of acting, and the struggle between following one’s own passions and satisfying others. The fruitful conversation concluded when lunch was served. by Cengiz Cemalogu ’18

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The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College; Admissions Dean William Fitzsimmons with the 2016 Harvard Artist of the Year Lucy Liu; student show hosts Faith Jackson ’16 and Hasani Hayden ’19; Harvard College Mariachi Band; the hip-hop group Passus.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

he 2016 Albert Einstein Science Conference:Advancing Minorities and Women in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics kicked off bright and early on the morning of Saturday, March 26. Scores of K-12 students — more than 150 had registered — poured into the Science Center arcade, where Harvard College students were waiting at stations to provide them with breakfast, chaperones, and registration materials such as name tags and T-shirts. With those preliminaries out of the way, an amazing set of science demonstrations began. We started with opening remarks in which we stressed the importance of including women and minorities in the sciences. The students listened attentively and sounded eager to engage with the programming. This year we included six fun-filled presentations, four conducted by professors and the two by Harvard student groups. The first presenter was the Harvard Foundation’s own Dr. S. Allen Counter, who used electrodes to show his heartbeat on screen. Everyone in the audience was impressed by Dr. Counter’s charisma and the scientific demonstration. Then Professor Andrew Berry, assistant head tutor in the Integrative Biology Department, gave an interactive presentation on dinosaurs and mass extinction, which had the children more than happily complying with his request that they shout “mass extinction” every time a dinosaur appeared on the screen. The engaging demonstration left students with an abundance of questions, which Berry spent the second half of his time answering. Filled with information and laughs, it was truly a presentation to remember. continued on page 16

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

EINSTEIN CONFERENCE WAS SCIENCE FOR ALL AGES

L: Dr. Takaaki Kajita, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics and the 2016 Harvard Scientist of the Year. R: Dr. Masahiro Morii, Chair, Department of Physics at Harvard University

Following Professor Berry’s demonstration, the children broke off into two groups: Kindergarteners through fifth-graders strolled into Science Center Hall D for a presentation on physics with Professor Cora Dvorkin, while the sixth- through 12th-graders sat down for a presentation on the intricacies of astrophysics with John Lewis, a graduate student at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics. Both presentations featured great breakdowns of large-scale theoretical concepts, and both were a great way for the students to learn something complex while learning how to express these complex ideas to each other. After lunch came presentations by the student groups, which included the Harvard Society of Black Scientists and Engineers as well as Harvard’s premier women’s science group, Scientista. To close the science day presentations, Daniel Rosenberg, senior teaching assistant in the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department, performed a spectacular chemistry demo for everyone — the conference’s annual highlight. Rosenberg was absolutely flawless and the exicted students could not remain in their seats.

by Nuha Saho ’18

Dr. Counter and the Rosenberg family with the student participants at the 2016 Albert Einstein Science Conference.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM A DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR

he students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation were delighted to welcome Dr. Jamye C. Williams, professor of rhetoric and speech emerita. The 97-year-old distinguished educator served as the Harvard Foundation’s 2016 Martin Luther King commemorative speaker. Dr. Williams is widely known throughout the African-American community of the United States as a speechwriter to the Civil Rights Movement. During her illustrious career she worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, James Lawson, and Thurgood Marshall. She has also been a leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Church for over a half century. Dr. Williams was an organizer and participant at the memorial ceremony conducted by President Obama at the Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina, dedicated to the nine victims of the tragic racial shooting. She is widely respected for the numerous distinguished Americans whom she has taught during her career as professor, including film and television producer Oprah Winfrey; opera singer Leontyne Price; gospel singer Bobby Jones; and Olympic track and field star Wilma Rudolph, to name a few. A graduate of Wilberforce University in Ohio and former Danforth Fellow, Dr. Williams joined the faculty of Tennessee State University in 1958 where she taught rhetoric and speech for moore than 30 years. She was taught by W.E.B. Du Bois, Harvard’s first black Ph.D. graduate. Her husband of 70 years, Professor McDonald Williams, also taught at Tennessee State University as a professor of English. Dr. Williams worked for 40 years on the Executive Committee of the NAACP, along with her husband, who served as vice-president of the organization. During her lecture at Harvard she challenged the students by saying, “As I look out at you Harvard scholars I cannot resist making my usual recruitment commercial: ‘If you have not already committed yourselves to a career in academe, please do so. It really, surely, “sure enough” needs you.” Please don’t everyone crowd around me at once when this session is over.” She went on to say, “Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I speak with great pride about my many former students over 48 years of teaching in five HBCU’s—four of my denomination, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, the oldest African-American denomination in our nation, which will in this year of 2016 celebrate its bicentennial.” Dr. Williams recounted a series of events during the Civil Rights Movement, including the desegregation of lunch counters in the South, the police confrontations with college students, and her efforts to prevent marches by the Ku Klux Klan through collaborative Civil Rights initiatives with leaders such as Rabbi Marc Tanenbaum of New York, a leading ecumenist and Human Rights Rabbi of America. “I would also remind you not to be overly concerned with the pursuit of things. We should not live with only the concern for that which brings us pleasure, comfort, and security. Being products of a materialistic culture, we find ourselves primarily interested in things. We even measure success in terms of what a person has-houses, land, and money. We are often too concerned with power, prestige, and portfolios.” Dr. Williams quoted Mahatma Gandhi, “You may have occasion to possess or use material things, but the secret of life lies in never missing them.” She went on to say that, “Your generation is confronted with a multiplicity of crucial problems and issues. Tentacles of racism still permeate every facet of our society. Benign neglect and insensitivity still exist in high places. Obstacles to parity are in many aspects of American life. It’s up to you to do what you can, where you can. continued page 18

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

DR. JAMYE COLEMAN WILLIAMS, DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR,

Harvard Foundation student directors Doni Lehman’17 and Cary Williams’16, and Dr. S. Allen Counter present Dr. Williams with the Harvard Foundation Award of Appreciation for her contributions to education.

continued from page 17 “All that having been said, what can I say to you? As future leaders of the 21st century, as individuals who are more privileged than many others who are denied access to education and a better life, you have the responsibility to do what you can, where you can, to erase the last vestige of racism which negates the words of the Declaration of Independence being a creed to live by: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that we are endowed by our creator with certain inalienable rights and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.’ “What I want you to keep in your remembrance is a simple message. It is simply this: It’s up to you. It truly is. It really is! It sure enough is! You, the millennial generation, with more advantages than many in prior centuries. You, who live in a highly sophisticated, technological, advanced society with far more advantages than many of your ancestors. I urge you to take seriously all of the crucial problems of a hurting world. Look at them carefully. The writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that ‘for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.’ This is a time to evaluate with an unprejudiced, objective eye, and act in the best of interest of everybody. It’s up to you.” Dr. Williams urged the women present to always step forward and take on leadership roles in the pursuit of social justice and never stay in the background. She stressed the equality of women and men in the struggle for freedom, justice and human rights. She offered that women had made major contributions to the American Civil Rights Movement. Following her speech she received a resounding round of applause and was surrounded by admiring students from Association of Black Harvard Women, Harvard Black Men’s Forum, and other student organizations. The student directors for this program were Doni Lehman ’17 and Cary Williams ’16. Dr. Counter presented Dr. Williams with an Award of Appreciation on behalf of the students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation for her speech and participation of the Martin Luther King program. by Harvard Foundation Staff

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

SPEAKS ON EDUCATION AND RACIAL JUSTICE.

L to R: Dr. Jamye Williams poses with Harvard Foundation interns; David L. Evans. Senior Harvard College Admissions Officer and Dr. Harris Gibson, cardiac and thoraic surgeon, have an intimate discussion with Dr. Williams and her husband, Dr. Macdonald Williams; an Association of Black Harvard Women represetative shares some thoughts with Dr. Williams; representatives from Harvard Black Men’s Forum pose with Dr. Williams; Doni Lehman’17, Harvard Foundation intern, and Ellen Lehman poses with Dr. Williams, Donna Williams, and Dr. MacDonald Williams.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

FRANK TALK ABOUT POLITICAL RHETORIC

n April 7, Harvard students met in a seminar room in the Dana Palmer House to discuss the prevalence of xenophobia, othering, and stereotypical language in modern political dialogue. The event, titled “The Political Rhetoric of Race and Culture,” sought to formalize conversations students were already having, understand student perspectives on issues not directly related to campus life, and set up a framework for larger discussions that can take place next fall when the presidential campaigns are in full swing. We began the discussion by investigating the concept of the minority vote and the assumption that all minority voters will vote in the same way. From there, we discussed why damaging rhetoric is such a powerful tool. Excerpts of Donald Trump’s speeches were referenced in the conversation. Chris Hopsen ’19 said the nostalgia inherent in Trump’s slogan, “Make American Great Again,” might cause some voters to gravitate toward him, even though part of America’s former “greatness” was linked to the egregious treatment of people of color, women, and other marginalized communities. We also talked about scapegoating on the basis of xenophobia as well as generational differences as potential explanations for Mr. Trump’s popularity. Another aspect of the conversation explored the evolution of the terms “immigrant,” “refugee,” and “migrant” as they are used in this election and in American politics more generally. We talked about how specific diction was utilized to propagate specific agendas. Another facet of dialogue was an exploration of the factors that seemingly lead certain people to vote against their own interests. We talked about how, when choosing their candidate, a voter may ignore a candidate’s social policies if his or her economic policies are favorable and vice versa. The American Dream was brought into the conversation under this topic as well. Finally, we discussed the role of the media and coverage of political speech and racial perception more generally. All in all, the conversation served as a great starting point for future discussions, especially when we return in the fall. by Mahnoor Ali ’19

HARVARD STUDENTS ‘MEET THE PATELS’

n April 16, Harvard students came to Sever Hall to watch a screening of “Meet the Patels,” a 2014 documentary directed by siblings Ravi and Geeta Patel. The romantic comedy about a man’s relationship with his Indian family is one that many students found they could relate to. A discussion followed the movie, with students sharing how the film reminded them of their own family experiences. This led to a conversation about how ethnicity and culture inform the way one views one’s relationships with others, and how family and marriage are often essential and distinct aspects of culture.

Jess Erion ’19

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

HARVARD FOUNDATION AWARDS AND ALOIAN DINNER

Nearly a score of undergraduate recipeients proudly pose with certificates of honor from the Harvard Foundation

n April 27, approximately 100 members of the Harvard College community gathered in the Quincy House Dining Hall for the annual end-of–the-year Aloian Dinner to recognize outstanding contributions to intercultural and race relations at the College. This year’s dinner honored 35 undergraduates: five “distinguished seniors” who have contributed to the Foundation’s mission over their four years; 10 Insignia Awardees for contributions lasting 23 years; and 20 University community members who have advanced intercultural and race relations at the College over the past academic year and were presented with certificates of recognition. In addition, the four graduating senior interns of the Harvard Foundation were presented with a plaque. This annual ceremony unites the community to honor not only student contributions, but those of faculty. This year, the Foundation singled out Professor Diana Sorensen, Dean of Arts and Humanities, and honored with the faculty of the year award. With every seat in the dining hall filled, the attendees appreciated the opportunity to join in fellowship and celebrate the great work being done by all communities across the College to promote intercultural and race relations and enhance the quality of our common life. The event was co-directed by Harvard Foundation interns Avni Nahar ’17 and Devontae A. B. Freeland ’19. by Devontae Freeland ’19

Dr. S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation, presents Irfan Mahmud ’16 with the 2016 Director’s Award.

L to R: Avni Nahar’17, Harvard Foundation Awards and Aloian Dinner co-director, Dr. Diana Sorensen, Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Dr. S. Allen Counter

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE: YEAR IN REVIEW This year with the SAC has been a transformative experience for me. It introduced me to many new people from a wide variety of cultural backgrounds, engaged in the most interesting yet often underrated activities on campus. So often, we talk about “diversity” on Harvard’s campus through a very American-centric lens (racial diversity, socioeconomic diversity, gender diversity), but being SAC co-chair truly taught me the depth of diversity that exists here. It taught me how much students breathe life into the University’s mission, and showed me the earnest effort people put into things they care about, no matter how niche. Every time we looked over the grant applications, it was always a gratifying process of understanding the extent to which the student body is engaged in the kind of intercultural dialogue necessary to keep this campus — in all its breathtaking diversity — whole. Working with Cengiz, an incredible co-chair, and the ever-responsible Yousra (who stayed with us throughout our tenure as co-chairs) and Amanda and Dylan for a semester each, we managed to lay the foundations for a dynamic, and more importantly useful, SAC. Yet it was not in the hours in the Foundation office rewriting the grant process or conducting interviews or brainstorming new ideas with the board that this new SAC was really made, but through the SAC representatives and organization presidents. It was those moments in Presidents’ Dinners watching event ideas come to life, in CGIS watching organization leaders interacting in our icebreaker, in the PBHA parlor watching them form small groups and give us the feedback we eventually took to the dean. For every bullet point put up, it was not through us, but through the organizations that such progress was achieved. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with such brilliant, “motivated” and driven people to move the SAC forward — and I am sure this will be the most diverse group of people I know during my college years and beyond. Jasmine Chia ’18 SAC has transformed itself this year. Not only did we completely revamp our grant processes, but also the way we approach the SAC’s role as a uniquely “advisory” committee by students for students has been solidified. Through programming like the Presidents’ Dinners, liaisonship, a large introductory session, and the Uncommon Connections framework, Foundation interns, the SAC Board, and the members and presidents of the SAC member groups have been placed within a larger scheme of collaborative learning opportunities, for students to formally and informally make use of the opportunities to learn from each other and from the differences we manage to hold in one body that comprise what we call Harvard today. By honing more deeply on our mission to be advisory outside of the student body, SAC built a partnership with the Harvard-MIT Coop, the Institute of Politics’ Fellows and Study Groups Program, and the dean’s office to find more financial resources to support the student programming, connect inspirational speakers with the student representatives, and transmit the student voice to the administration effectively. SAC has been a transformative experience for me, as being involved with the plethora of programming and activity on campus while getting to know the different outstanding approaches and dedication with which student leaders approach their affinity groups has been immensely educational. I am looking forward to seeing the ways in which Dylan and Yousra, next year’s two co-chairs, will utilize their creativity and leadership to transform SAC even further, and make this important institution an essential one for years to come. Cengiz Cemaloglu ’18 New Initiatives The SAC instituted a weekly newsletter to publicize and showcase the work of the Harvard Foundation and all member groups’ events. Currently, the newsletter has 1,116 subscribers, a 53.3 percent average open rate, and is circulates news about more than 50 events in 20 newsletters. The Presidents’ Dinner initiative hosted weekly dinners at the Harvard Foundation office for the presidents of student organizations. The meals facilitated dialogue between different organizations and sparked many nontraditional collaborative events on campus. The SAC redesigned the grant distribution procedure to be fair and efficient, and explored sources for funding outside of the College. That search culminated in a partnership with the Harvard/MIT Coop’s “Coop Gives” program, which the SAC intends to maintain next year. The Harvard Foundation received $3,000 from the Coop and distributed it as three $1,000 grants for collaborative, co-sponsored events. The SAC concluded the year with the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations’ first annual report to the Harvard College community to fulfill its advocacy and advisory role.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

STUDENT GRANT SUMMARIES Act on a Dream Act on a Dreams most successful and largest events were the Senior Dinner with Jose Antonio Vargas, the Immigration Debate, and the Immigration Teach-In. All of the events had great turn-outs and reached individuals that don’t typically come Act on a Dream general meetings. After talking to audience members, a great deal of them expressed interest in immigration and seemed to have learned a great deal from the events that they hadn’t known before. Asian American Dance Troupe This semester, we had several performances at Cultural Rhythms, Eastbound, and a few miscellaneous events where we showcased Asian culture and dance. AADT consists of a diverse group of members of the Harvard community, and it has grown a lot larger and closer as a community this year. Its presence on campus has increased greatly, and we are so happy that we can spread Asian culture and awareness through the medium of dance. DHARMA Thanks to funding from the Harvard Foundation SAC, Dharma had a very successful spring 2016 semester. We organized quite a few large events, including Holi, Charles River Aarti, and Fungama. We also kept our traditional weekly aartis and discussions on Hinduism running all semester. We have been able to bring together large amounts of people on Harvard’s campus to celebrate Indian holidays and spread cultural awareness. We were also given the opportunity to collaborate with other clubs. Overall, we have had a very productive semester and would like to extend our thanks to the SAC. Francophone Society The Francophone Society had a great semester filled with cultural events exploring the rich history and contemporary diversity of Francophone cuisine, cinematography, and thought. We celebrated Mardi Gras with a French Table on the difference between historical Mardi Gras traditions in France and Louisiana, followed by making King Cake. Our professor dinner examined French colonialism in North Africa and culminated with our making a lamb couscous and mint tea dinner in Leverett kitchen. We travelled to Rhode Island for their film festival, and watched Academy-award winning film Amour. Fuerza Latina This semester Fuerza Latina put on a mixture of discussions and fun events to celebrate inclusivity and Latinidad on campus. Every single one of our events was a success, with highlights including the Afro-Latinx Discussion, which was the first of its kind, as well as Presencia and Brown Sugar which were both amazing events with multiple co-sponsoring cultural organizations. Holoimua O Hawaii This semester, Holoimua o Hawai’i has continued its work to create a welcoming community for Hawaiians and others on Harvard’s campus while also educating people about Hawaiian culture. Early in the semester we had a spam musubi study break during which we make the simple but delicious local snacks of spam musubis. This musubi study break brought together members of the Hawaiian community at Harvard and also made many new friendships. The spring Lu’au was also another major success, by bringing together over 100 community members for good food and to learn more about Hawaiian culture.

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

STUDENT GRANT SUMMARIES Hong Kong Society This semester, through events like our Hot Pot Gathering, Karaoke Night, and Visitas Toast Box Dessert, we as a community engaged with the sounds and tastes of Hong Kong. Hot pots are huge part of Hong Kong cuisine and a communal, bonding event in itself--so many interested and hungry people came. Some, never having eaten or heard of hot pot before, were curious; others, missing it for months, were grateful to return to a food of comfort. Karaoke night was no less fun, with people belting Cantonese, Chinese, and English songs. Finally, our Visitas event gave prefrosh a glimpse of HHHKS. Islamic Society Harvard Islamic Society held the Islam in America series (IAS) this spring semester. This series was an event series designed to celebrate Muslim life, educate people about Islam and Muslim issues, and spark discussions on these topics. Events covered topics from the complexities of defining Islam to the effect of the War on Terror to Islam & Muslims in Black and Latinx Radical Movements. IAS was a celebration, an exploration, a tribute, and a necessary space on campus for Muslim students, our peers, and all students on this campus dedicated to creating a thriving and pluralistic society. Japan Initiative Japan Initiative had an extremely active year with new programs as well as our signature events, well underway.Last year, we founded the HCJI Explore program, that invites high school students from all over Japan to engage in panel discussions and liberal arts seminars on Harvard’s campus. We welcomed more than 400 students over the course of the semester and had close to 50 Harvard student volunteers. This is an opportunity for Harvard students to interact with students from Japan, to inspire and in turn be inspired by the different viewpoints and experiences they bring. Latino Mens Collective Latino Men’s Collective received grants to fund two events: “Masculinity in the Latinx Community” and “Harvard and Home.” The club was able to create a safe an inclusive environment within which members could openly discuss the role masculinity has in the Latinx community. We also facilitated a conversation that focused on the Latinx experience in transitioning from home to Harvard, and how Harvard can act as home. With the grant money left over from the previous and most recent grant cycles we were able to host smaller, study break discussions that still pertained to both topics. Native Americans at Harvard College This semester, Native Americans at Harvard College (NAHC) worked to reach out to other Native students on campus as well as create a dialogue about what it means to be a Native American student at Harvard including what it means to identify with the community. It was our goal to open up our community and have a discussion about Native identity in order to overcome the stereotypes surrounding Native Americans today. Not only did we succeed in that goal, but we also opened up our community to our incoming class of 2020 to show them how we have a home at Harvard within the Native community. Phillipine Forum We sponsored an event at the beginning of the semester where a Filipino businessman and author was invited to speak. Then we also had two successful study breaks: one with Filipino snacks and balut (fertilized duck egg), and the other with a traditional dessert called turon (fried banana spring rolls).

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

STUDENT GRANT SUMMARIES Palestine Solidarity Committee This semester we held a variety of events that the Foundation was kind enough to fund. The event on Gendered State Violence and Palestine brought together people who are interested in issues of women’s rights and feminism with people interested in Palestine who may otherwise have not interacted. There is a Field was co-sponsored by many groups on campus, like RAZA, BSA, SLAM, NAHC and was a huge success. The event on Ilan Pappe was overflowing. Some receipts are not attached because I could only attach 1 thing at a time. Others were fees paid to speakers and I don’t have receipts for those. South Asian Student Association This was a fantastic semester that saw another successful production of Ghungroo, the largest undergraduate show in terms of the number of students performing. Ghungroo is a great time for the SAA community, as it brings together already existing members and attracts new members to join our community. Funding from the Foundation and the UC were instrumental in our ability to put on this show, and for that we are grateful. Beyond Ghungroo, we had our usual study breaks and cultural events, as well as an amazing academic and political series. Taekwondo This semester has been very successful for HTKD! We placed 2nd in Division III of ECTC. We attended Princeton tournament in February and Vermont Tournament in April. Our demo team also performed at Cultural Rhythms and various other events! Taiwanese Cultural Society We held a number of study breaks this year in addition to our largest annual event Nightmarket, all of which were huge successes with surprisingly large turnout. A major contributing factor for this has been the creativity and dedication of board this year in coming up with new events that the larger Harvard community wants to take part in.

Under Construction This semester, Under Construction, Harvard’s premier Christian A Cappella group, held a spring concert with a slightly different format than past performances. Concerts in previous semesters have included small skits or testimonies about the Christian faith between songs. Instead, we chose to give a brief explanation before each song regarding what it means when viewed through a Christian lens. We felt that this would be most effective in communicating the importance of song and music in the Christian faith. Vietnamese Association This semester HVA put a large effort into not only helping members with personal ties to the Vietnamese culture get a taste of home but also appealing to and educating those on campus who are just seriously interested in Vietnam, its food, and most importantly, its people. We taught students how to make Pho (not quite from scratch), put together the best Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich), helped some overcome their fear of trying out strange foods, among many other activities. We’ve had some great planned and unplanned collaborations with other student groups, and look forward to much more!

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

The Harvard Foundation and the members of the Harvard Club of Sweden were pleased to host a luncheon discussion with Leif Pagrotsky in the Lowell House small dining room on March 8. Sweden’s former Minister of Culture and current consul general in New York discussed a wide range of topics with students, faculty, and staff, with a particular emphasis on creating more educational exchange between Swedish and American colleges and universities. He also discussed cultural exchanges and touring Swedish exhibits, such as the exhibit of classical systematic drawings in the original book on biological taxonomy, Carolus Linnaeus’ Systema Naturae, sponsored by the Harvard Foundation in the Harvard Museum of Natural History several years ago. The Swedish students enthusiastically welcomed Pagrotsky, and expressed how pleased they were to study at Harvard. They heartily recommend that other students from Sweden have the same opportunity. The Foundation welcomed to its offices Anees Abuhashem and his wife, Soraya, who were visiting the College to celebrate the graduation of their son, Abderhman (Abood) Abuhashem, Class of 2016. The younger Abuhashem was the first student from Gaza to graduate from Harvard College. A human developmental and regenerative biology concentrator, Abderhman Abuhashem participated in a number of Harvard Foundation intercultural programs, including the student discussion with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. His family, including his younger brother and sister, expressed tremendous pride in his graduation from Harvard College. Director’s letter continued from page 2 The spring semester culminated with the historic unveiling of a portrait of the first African-American to graduate from Harvard College, Richard Theodore Greener. The ceremony was held in Annenberg Hall, where the portrait now hangs on the north wall. The unveiling drew 100 students, faculty, and friends to Annenberg. The Kuumba Singers of Harvard College offered a beautiful song for the occasion, “Still I Rise.” Taking part in the unveiling were Sheldon Reid ’96, Colin Marts ’16, Thalia Orphee ’18, Devontae Freeland ’19, and LeShae Henderson ’16 of the Kuumba Singers. The event instilled pride in the African-American community and joy in the black student participants, as was clear from their faces. The student-initiated projects during the spring semester were supported by Harvard Foundation grants totaling more than $25,000. These programs included the Japan Initiative, which involved a panel discussion for exchange students from Japan; the Philippine Forum program; a speech by an invited author; the Taiwanese Cultural Society’s creative study break; the Vietnamese Association’s cooking and tasting classes; the Francophone Society’s Mardi Gras celebration, with a discussion on French colonialism; and the Islamic Society discussion series on the complexities of defining Islam, to name a few of the 50 or more programs supported by the Foundation. I am most appreciative of the support of the students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation and of the president of the University and the dean of Harvard College. Dr. S. Allen Counter Director, The Harvard Foundation

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, SPRING 2016

Harvard Foundation Student Advisory Committee Member Organizations 2015-2016 2015-2016 SAC Board • Cengiz Cemaloglu ’18 , SAC Co-Chair • Jasmine Chia ’18, SAC Co-Chair • Yousra Neberai ’18, Communications Chair • Dylan de Waart ’19, Financial Chair

Africa Business and Investment Club • Association of Black Harvard Women • Ballet Folklórico de Aztlán • Canadian Club • College Students for Bangladesh • Concilio Latino de Harvard • Dharma (Harvard Hindu Students Assoc.) • Disorient Players • Dominican Students’ Association • Fuerza Latina • Harvard African Students Association • Harvard Asian-American Dance Troupe • Harvard Bhangra • Harvard Black Men’s Forum • Harvard Black Pre-Law Society • Harvard Black StudentsAssociation • Harvard BlackCAST • Harvard College Bolivia Association • Harvard Bulgarian Club • Harvard Chinese Music Ensemble • Harvard College Act on a Dream • Harvard College First Generation Student Union • Harvard College Irish Dancers • Harvard College Latino Men’s Collective • Harvard College Lebanese Club • Harvard College Sangeet • Harvard College Teatro • Harvard Francophone Society • Harvard Global China Connection • Harvard GLOW • Harvard Haitian Alliance • Harvard Half Asian People’s Association • Harvard Hellenic Society • Harvard Hillel • Harvard Hong Kong Society • Harvard Islamic Society • Harvard Japan Society • Harvard Korean Association • Harvard Latinos in Health Careers • Harvard Organization for Latin America • Harvard Peruvian Society • Harvard Philippine Forum • Harvard Polish Society • Harvard Queer Students and Allies • Harvard Society of Arab Students • Harvard South Asian Association • Harvard South Asian Dance Company • Harvard South Asian Men’s Collective • Harvard Taekwondow • Harvard Taiwanese Cultural Society • Harvard Thai Society • Harvard Undergraduate Brazilian Association • Harvard Vietnamese Association • Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association • Harvard Radcliffe Catholic Students Association • Harvard-Radcliffe RAZA • Holoimua O Hawaii • Harvard Radcliffe Chinese Students Association • Iranian Association • Kuumba Singers of Harvard College • La Organización de Puertorriqueños • Latinas Unidas de Harvard • Mariachi Veritas de Harvard • Native Americans at Harvard College Nigerian Students Association • Pan-African Dance and Musical Ensemble • Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia Association • Harvard US-India Initiative • Simplicissimus, Journal of Germanic Studies

Harvard Foundation Faculty Advisory Committee Members 2015-2016 Ali Asani, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Cultures Alison Simmons, Samuel H. Wolcott Professor of Philosophy Benedict Gross, George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Mathematics Bruce Price ’72, Associate Professor of Neurology, Chief of the Department of Neurology at McLean Hospital Cassandra Extavour, Associate Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology David L. Evans, Senior Harvard College Admissions Officer Harry Richard Lewis, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science Jay M. Harris, The Harry Austryn Wolfson, Professor of Jewish Studies John E. Dowling ’57, Ph.D. ’61, Gordon and Llura Gund Professor of Neurosciences, Professor of Ophthalmology Leo H. Buchanan, Audiologist, Harvard University Health Services Marla Frederick, Professor of African and African American studies and of Religion Michael McElroy, Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Lue, Professor of the Practice of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Director of Life Sciences Education Robin Gottlieb, Professor of the Practice in the Teaching of Mathematics S. Allen Counter, Director of the Harvard Foundation, Professor of Neurology Sandra Naddaff, Dean Harvard Summer School Scott Edwards, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Curator of Ornithology William A. Graham, Dean of the Faculty of Divinity Emeritus William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid to Students Xiao-Li Meng, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Whipple V. N. Jones Professor of Statistics Peter Burgard, Professor of German, Faculty Associate of the Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies Dr. Tom Conley, Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies and of Romance Languages and Literatures

THE HARVARD FOUNDATION TEAM STAFF AND INTERNS Irfan Mahmud ’16 Kirin Gupta ’16 Cary Williams ’16 Tiffany Ramos ’16

Jonathan Sands ’17 Avni Nahar ’17 Doni Lehman ’17

Cengiz Cemaloglu ’18 Jasmine Chia ’18 Nuha Saho ’18 Olutoyin Demuren ’18

Jess Erion ’19 Devontae Freeland ’19 Mahnoor Ali ’19 Dylan de Waart’19

Dr. S. Allen Counter, Director Wairimu Mwaura, Administrative Coordinator Hayley M. Harris, Programming Fellow

The Mission of the Harvard Foundation In 1981, the president and deans of Harvard University established the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations with the mandate to “improve relations among racial and ethnic groups within the University and to enhance the quality of our common life.” In pursuit of this mission, the Foundation seeks to involve students of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds in the ongoing enterprises of the University. The Foundation sponsors annual programs and activities that are designed to promote interracial and intercultural awareness and understanding in the Harvard community, as well as to highlight the cultural contributions of students from all backgrounds. The Harvard Foundation B02 Thayer Hall Harvard Yard Cambridge, Ma

HARVARD COLLEGE