Spring Has Sprung: The Issue by The Harvard Independent

03.22.12 vol. xlii, no. 42 The Indy has its booty shorts on. Cover Design by

ANGELA SONG AND SAYANTAN DEB

FORUM 3 Whither the Weather 4 Stand-up Guys 5 Springing in Sever 6 Girls will be Girls NEWS 7 World Wide Web of Justice ARTS 8 T he A daptation G ames 9 G irls J ust W ant to H ave G uns 10 D ream a L it tle D ream ( of A rt ) SPORTS 11 R ough

and

T umble P lay

As Harvard College's weekly undergraduate newsmagazine, the Harvard Independent provides in-depth, critical coverage of issues and events of interest to the Harvard College community. The Independent has no political affiliation, instead offering diverse commentary on news, arts, sports, and student life. For publication information and general inquiries, contact Co-Presidents Whitney Lee and Gary Gerbrandt (independent1969@gmail.com). Letters to the Editor and comments regarding the content of the publication should be addressed to Editor-in-Chief Meghan Brooks (independent1969@gmail.com). For email subscriptions please email independent1969@gmail.com. The Harvard Independent is published weekly during the academic year, except during vacations, by The Harvard Independent, Inc., Student Organization Center at Hilles, Box 201, 59 Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. Copyright © 2012 by The Harvard Independent. All rights reserved

Co-President Co-President Editor-in-Chief Production Manager News and Forum Editor Associate News Editor Arts Editor Associate Arts Editor Sports Editor Design Editor Columnists

Gary Gerbrandt '14 Whitney Lee '14 Meghan Brooks '14 Miranda Shugars '14 Christine Wolfe '14 Carlos Schmidt '15 Sayantan Deb '14 Curtis Lahaie '15 Michael Altman '14 Angela Song '14 Will Simmons '14 Sanyee Yuan '12 Celia Zhang '13

Staff Writers Clare Duncan '14 Travis Hallett '14 Yuqi Hou '15 Cindy Hsu '14 Mohammed Hussain '15 Yuying Luo '12 Zena Mengesha '14 Marina Molarsky-Beck '15 Riva Riley '12 Kalyn Saulsberry '14 Marc Shi '14 Weike Wang '11 Faith Zhang '11 Graphics, Photography, and Design Staff Maria Barragan-Santana '14 Travis Hallett '14 Nina Kosaric '14 Alexandria Rhodes '14

Letter from the Editor Dear Readers, You may have seen the Indy sex survey circulating on your house list this week – ever wonder what the results are? The Harvard Independent has proudly brought sex to the forefront annually since the dark ages of the late eighties (we know, how could we not!). Next week we will bring you this year’s Sex Issue – our contribution to Sex Week at Harvard. Then, on Friday evening, the 30th, at 7:30 we invite you to join us at Ticknor Lounge for a retrospective of sex at Harvard as we explore our archives for the juiciest morsels of history in sexual culture. That’s right – the full annals of debauchery, fetishes, and advice from our glorious alumni about what we do in our hallowed halls and libraries (and dorm rooms for those less adventurous). We will discuss how the attitude towards sex has changed at Harvard through the words of students past and present and learn about today’s Harvardian sexual mélange. Get excited readers, because we so are (every pun intended).

Naughtily, The Editors

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Point/Counterpoint Too Warm a Winter? Think of the Polar Bears.

By GARY GERBRANDT

I write this , the digit al weather station that sits on my parents’ coffee table is silently blinking out some very bad news. “3.15.12. 18.2ºC PRESSURE FALLING”. It is showing us a crude drawing of rain falling from a cloud; we are waiting for the second thunderstorm of the day to roll overhead. Throw in the fact that I’m lying on the couch wearing sweats and an old t-shirt, and, bam!, you’ve got yourself essentially every early summer day that I have spent at home. Yet this seemingly beautiful image of a lazy, warm day is in fact a sinister one: the trees have no leaves, the softly-singing birds are still in their drab plumage; the grass is brown and still dormant; the streets are covered in sand put down just days ago to provide traction on ice. This lovely mid-March morning is more like what we here in Canada tend to have in mid-May. Today, it is virtually impossible to argue against the scientific support for global warming. A consensus has been reached, despite the vague utterances otherwise of a tiny minority (who tend to be given a soapbox by the fat pockets of polluters). We have lived long enough to see that the world is going down the path that we always hoped it would not — this gorgeous, unseasonal weather is a sign that the predictions of climatologists have begun to come true. While it is admittedly nice to leave the windows open and enjoy s

a warm breeze, we should take this weather situation with a grain of salt — if not a whole salt mine. If we embrace this kind of weather at such an odd time of year, then we should be embracing severe flooding in low-lying areas, rapid changes in precipitation distribution globally, and the immense loss of biodiversity as species of all types struggle to adapt to their new climactic paradigm. This kind of warmth should not be a rallying point. Sure, we should be able to enjoy the weather — you can take your shorts out of storage guilt-free — but we should definitely not celebrate it. It should serve as a pleasant but disturbing reminder that our planet’s climate as we know it is under severe threat from the forces of climate change. We should be impelled to act against this environmental shift — to call our politicians, stage rallies, conserve energy, wean ourselves from fossil fuels — but instead it seems like our complacency and eager embrace of any fleeting warmth will stop us. So, please, be my guest. Lounge on a beach before the water’s warmth. Show off your summer colors early. Just remember that this is not the weather we should have this time of year. And if you can’t begrudge the weather, at least remember to turn off your lights and sit in the sun. Gary Gerbrandt ’14 (garygerbrandt@college) admits to loving the crap out of this weather, but seriously, he should feel a bit guiltier.

Booty Shorts are Best. By MEGHAN BROOKS

ometime in mid -O ctober

I trekked out to a Marshall’s and bought a thick, woolen pea coat (yes, I’m from New England), so Boston-weatherproof that I was sweating within seconds of trying it on. The coat having passed the indoor sweat test, I then bought a pair of waterproof, GoreTex insulated duck boots (again, New Englander), and about ten pairs of calf-high wool socks. After spending last winter freezing my tuckus off on the first floor of Weld and defrosting my toes after venturing outdoors in my holeridden rubber boots, this winter I was going to be snug in my cable-knit sweaters and hot pink, flannel footie pajamas, sipping green tea in front of my window as I watched the snow smother the brilliant red of Dunster’s bell tower. Instead, winter never came, and this “winter”, whose fury was concentrated in a particularly fierce Halloween blizzard, was a beautiful, wonderful thing. According to a meteorologist cited by the Boston Globe, this winter was the second warmest and the fourth least-snowy that Boston has seen since 1872. Between the first of December and the twenty-ninth of February (the meteorological “winter”) the average mean temperature was an above freezing 37.2 degrees Fahrenheit, with the average high being a perfectly balmy 44.7 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, Boston’s temperatures this past season were what they normally are in the month of March, just as this March’s temperatures have been what they normally are in June. When discussing this winter’s temperatures with anyone here or in the other Midwestern, Southern, or Northeastern regions that also experienced abnormally kind weather this year, the phrase “global warming” is likely to pop up once or twice, either in jest or in a Al Gorestyle prediction of coastal doom: “dengue fever, West Nile virus… algal blooms….and most of Boston underwater!”, reads the New England Aquarium’s prediction for 2100. We get it; global warming is scary. However, one could argue that because globally, land area temperatures were the coolest in the past three months since 1994, global warming is actually

not to blame for Boston’s winter reprieve. In all likelihood, however, light jackets in January were brought to you by the climate scourge that could eventually wipe humanity off the face of the planet. Happily, I’ll be dead by then, so I’ll say it again: this winter was a beautiful thing. No, I didn’t get to wear any of my fuzzy cold-weather favorites, but with the thermostat consistently hovering around “tolerable” these past few months, this winter was not only more bearable, but more productive than winters past. This winter, unlike last, I did not have to stop typing every four minutes to vigorously rub the frostbite out of my fingertips. I did not have to spend my homework hours nested in my bed under two blankets, a comforter, multiple scarves, and my extra bath towels. I actually stepped outside to attend events, meetings, and office hours that were not entirely mandatory, and when outside, I had space for thoughts other than “It is so cold oh God why so cold make it stop so cold toes numb nose exposed so cold so cold so freaking cold.” As a result, unlike last winter, this winter I was not a prisoner of my own, fur-less body. Writing essays was physically faster; I was less likely to fall asleep when doing my reading; I took advantage of what Harvard has to offer; and I could actually think! I was elevated from the status of cavewoman, concerned only with finding a source of warmth and shelter from the biting winds, to that of scholar. That, and I was simply happier. Whether you enjoyed this winter’s weather or not — and if you didn’t, you can go back to Canada now — you’re probably dreading next winter, when, as dictated by weather karma, polar bears will be comfortable roaming the banks of the Charles. When that day comes, do as William Wordsworth suggests, and “flash upon that inward eye” and memories of a warm winter now past. If that cannot bring you solace, it might not hurt to invest in a nice pair of footie pajamas. Meghan Brooks ’14 (meghanbrooks@ college) is looking forward to today’s forecast: sunny and 84 degrees.

Photo courtesy of WikiCommons.

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A Comedy of Campaign Errors Man, it's good to be Blue. By TORI WENGER

ver the last several months

I’ve been entertained. I’ve been entertained by the antics of the Republican primary field, the Saturday Night Live skits providing reciprocal mockery, each candidate’s gaffes that need no satiric editorializing to warrant a laugh — and yes, I’ve even been entertained by a few juvenile santorum (small “s”) puns. In our day and age, if you are as nerdy as I am or even just bored enough to pay attention, politics is entertaining. Without the added stress of waiting for my own party to pick a nominee, I’ve been able to view the presidential primaries at my own discretion, picking apart the pieces that interest me, and especially those that make me laugh. What I know in earnest, though, is that none of it is actually funny. Yes, I get a maniacal grin on my face when I see one of the men who hopes to challenge Obama in the general election make a bombastic gaffe. Yes, I can’t help but laugh at the “Bad Lip Reading” spoofs of Perry, Gingrich, and Romney; it’s all good and fun in the moment. While a mediocre field of Republican candidates is good for Democratic politics, it’s not good for democratic politics. That’s not

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actually very funny at all. It doesn’t take a 21-year-old female Democrat at Harvard College to tell you that the primary field is less than ideal for Republican voters. The Republican base has been largely divided. As primaries have split, conservative voters have perpetually revealed a state of discontent with the field. Romney has failed to relate to the middle class. Santorum has failed to relate to moderates. Ron Paul has failed to relate to the human species. While a sinister part of me laughs at the predicament that Republicans face, an empathetic part of me remembers it was not too long ago when Democrats were equally uninspired by our political options (2004 = too soon?). Each of the Republican candidates is failing to please at least one right wing demographic and is revealing his shortcomings to each. Thus, it is not surprising to see disillusionment epitomized in exit polls from primaries to caucuses nationwide. Republican voters are having trouble making up their minds. There is plenty to vote against, and little to vote for. When the primaries have passed, however, I know how I’m voting. I’m not voting against Mitt

Photo courtesy of WikiCommons.

Romney. I’m not voting against Rick Santorum. I’m not voting against Newt Gingrich. I’m not voting against Ron Paul. I don’t know who the Republican nominee will be. I have my predictions, but they don’t actually matter. I won’t vote against him, whoever he is. Despite that these Republican candidates and the views they have represented on a wwwwrange of issues – from women’s rights to economic policy – have given me a laundry list of things I would vehemently vote against, what is more important is that Barack Obama has given me a list ten times as long of things to vote for. I won’t vote against the Republican, I will vote for the President. Democrats don’t have to settle. We don’t have to hesitate at the ballot box. Americans have been given a President to define a generation. Democrats have been given a candidate to stand behind. In the years and months since he assumed office, President Obama has not merely restored but sustained and progressed the state of America’s economic and political well-being within the global landscape. With the country on the brink of economic collapse, he signed a reform bill to bounce

our economy back. He bailed out the auto-industry, saving countless jobs and sustaining one of America’s largest enterprises. Within his tenure the industry has paid off its debt and recovered as a leading global producer and domestic employer. He signed Health Care Reform into law, ensuring millions the coverage they need. He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, ensuring that women won’t have to settle for a lesser wage for equal work. He ended Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. He eliminated Osama Bin Laden. He brought our troops home. He gave us change we can believe in. In 2008 I couldn’t for vote for anyone. I couldn’t vote against anyone either. I wasn’t old enough to vote until January 21, 2009 – less than 24 hours after Barack Obama was inaugurated as our 44 th president. In 2008 I had something I wanted to vote for. In 2012 I have something I want to vote for, and someone I can vote for. And I will. Tori Wenger ‘14 (victoriawenger@ college) is glad to have a man worth fighting for.

03.22.12 • The Harvard Independent

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Home for the Holidays Spring Break on campus, from the Homeless Shelter to trampolines.

By MEGHAN BROOKS

“Spring Break”, and the first image to come to mind will be of sandy beaches, tropical sun, half-naked frat brothers doing keg stands, and other related forms of debauchery, glorious or otherwise. While this stereotypical Spring Break is a reality for some students at Harvard College, most spend their Spring Breaks a little differently. Whether volunteering with one of the Phillips Brooks House Association’s many Alternative Spring Break trips, vacationing with friends or family, leading conferences, touring with their a cappella groups, or just hopping on a plane, train, or bus headed for home, Harvard students fled campus in droves last week, hoping to catch a brief respite in the rush of spring semester before finals kick in. Once the dust of the exodus settled, however, many Harvard students remained on a now-quiet campus, some by choice, and others not, like in a bad LaHaye-Jenkins novel. With dining halls closed, libraries on reduced hours, and the daily rhythm of class, extracurriculars, and work disrupted, those remaining on campus had to find ways to occupy themselves. Although foraging for food in Cambridge’s urban jungle likely took up a considerable amount of students’ waking hours, as Harvard students are Harvard students, most felt the need to engage in “productive” activities with the hours remaining. That said, the definition of “productive” is a highly flexible one, and the diversity of its meaning was exemplified by the students stuck in Cambridge this Spring Break. The first category of Spring Break productivity is arguably the best: this is the category of focused relaxation, an activity designed to heal damaged brain cells and regain lost sleep hours. It is an activity essential to the Harvard student’s wellbeing, and it is one that most perform rather well. Those who chose not to disappear into ay the phrase

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TV and junk food-induced comas could be found lounging with friends in common rooms or in various eateries around the square, enjoying the sunshine and unseasonably warm temperatures by Weeks Footbridge, baking decadent desserts and trying new spices in House kitchens, or just chilling, a word too infrequently used term-time. Those with a more adventurous side took advantage of their time off to venture into Boston to explore restaurants, the Museum of Fine Arts, Newbury Street, South Boston on Saint Patrick’s Day, and everything else the city has to offer. To encourage this sort of adventuring, this break, for the first time ever, the UC’s Student Initiatives Committee implemented a new program, “Spring Break Getaway Grants”, designed to fund creative trips and activities for students stuck on campus while their peers are away. According to Student Initiative Chair Nic Galat ’13, by the time that the online funding application closed on the Thursday before Break, the UC had received 164 separate applications, representing a total of $16,000 in requested funding for a wide range of proposals. As the UC was only prepared to spend $2,000 on the program and had set the funding limit at a generous $30 per head, the committee had some sorting to do. “We were trying to encourage students to explore different parts of Boston”, Galat said about the grants, and with the dual goals of funding creative activities and activities that would serve the most students, the committee eventually settled on funding 11 separate trips for 70 students. Between bowling, passes to an indoor trampoline park, and the Swim Team’s excursion to the New England Aquarium, among other trips, Galat deemed the initiative a success. When Harvard students weren’t spending their free time on campus having fun, they were doing what

they do best: working. Whether they were re-shelving books in Lamont for $11 per hour or catching up on old schoolwork and getting ahead on papers and readings, for some students, Spring Break was a chance to get things done. This could not have been truer for thesis writers trapped in the bowels of Widener, still racing to meet their department’s deadline or extended deadline as their friends entered the coasting phase of senior spring. And, as some concentrators in quantitative departments will not turn in their theses until early April, the extra time afforded by Break will be the difference between life and a cum minus. While some students relaxed and others worked — and others still had their relaxation ruined by the guilt of not working — undergraduates with restless hands and minds had on-campus opportunities to transfer that unfettered energy into physical productivity. Student athletes may have spent their Breaks being physically productive in the most literal manner possible, but others were able to turn their energies to volunteer work. This past Saturday, Harvard for Pakistan hosted “Safar: A Journey of Taste”, a multi-cultural dinner, in the Winthrop JCR to raise money for Pakistanis affected by the country’s recent floods. And, starting the first Friday of Break, the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter began its Spring Break volunteer shifts, which were open to anyone interested in lending a hand. Peter Grbac ’12, the shelter’s Volunteer Director, explained that because term-time volunteers are not expected to staff shifts during breaks, the shelter reaches out to other interested members of the Harvard and Cambridge communities to fill in the gaps while students are away. Although some termtime undergraduate volunteers who remained on campus during Spring Break did staff the shelter,

all in all the week of breakfast, dinner, evening, and overnight shifts saw 310 individual volunteers whose demographics ranged from 7 th g r a d e r s i n t h e C a m b r i d g e public school system to members of Harvard’s professional schools. Said Grbac of the motivations of the undergraduates who chose to volunteer this Break, “The homeless population in Harvard Square is quite noticeable…it’s unsettling. (Students) are used to talking about homelessness from an academic perspective, or from policy, but it’s a very personal experience to sit down with our guests and ask ‘Who are you?”. He continued, “There’s also a sense of not only giving back, but learning as well.” For Grbac, and, undoubtedly, for the shelter’s temporary volunteers, this Spring Break’s efforts were a success. Now, Spring Break 2012 has come to a close and the rest of Harvard has returned from wherever to an unusually pleasant Cambridge March. It is clear from the sheer number of students sprawled in the grass of the Yard and the House courtyards, however, that the student body isn’t quite ready to give up its break yet. Luckily, in many ways Spring Break continues, and not just for those lingering thesis writers. The UC is hosting a free ski trip to Wachusett Mountain this Sunday as part of its term-time “UC Outings” initiative, and the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter is glad to see new volunteers any time of the year. In any case, whether you are already nose deep in schoolwork or still spending your days lounging in the sun, the Indy hopes you had a wonderful Spring Break, and reminds you that summer really is just around the bend. Meghan Brooks ’14 (meghanbrooks@college) spent her Spring Break on campus, doing absolutely nothing. The guilt has yet to subside.

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Man! I Feel Like a Woman Men's shirts, short skirts, and the ambiguity of femininity. By CHRISTINE WOLFE

Coming Out Day was the capstone event of Women’s Week at Harvard. Hosted by the Radcliffe Union of Students, Speak Out Loud, and the Queer Students and Allies, the coffeehouse style event was meant to raise awareness of the feminist movement’s goals and the people who represent it. Portraits of campus feminists lined the walls – an exhibit of the diverse array of races, genders, sexualities, and interests that constitute the feminist population on campus. However, the diversity of support for the feminist movement is unapparent: people tend to associate it with an extreme, when in reality, it encompasses a wide array of demographics, female and male alike. Who is the face of the feminist movement? For those less familiar with the movement, the name of the portrait-unveiling event, “Feminist Coming Out Day,” might indicate that the feminist movement is one most strongly connected to the lesbian community. “Coming Out” most often refers to the process of a gay or lesbian individual making their sexuality publicly known. This angle is further supported when considering the sponsors of the event: why didn’t one of the sororities, who are by definition more targeted towards women than the QSA, co-host the event? Public opinion simply drives the image home: people tend to immediately assume that feminists are lesbians (the fact that this is a negative connotation is a separate but equally important problem). Feminist commentators, especially members of the Third Wave of feminist theory, often complain

eminist

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that feminism is too often associated with straight women. While this was a pertinent historical issue, to pursue this angle on Harvard’s campus and other centers of educated communities seems misguided. Third Wave feminism does recognize many important issues, such as the importance of universal inclusivity of all races, creeds, sexualities, and genders, which is a crucial step forward for the any human rights movement. However, with so many divergent branches of the movement, it seems difficult to pinpoint just who and what feminism supports. Despite comments to the contrary, feminism is deeply intertwined with lesbianism. One could argue (correctly) that lesbians are in a particularly efficient position to be sensitive to the motivations behind feminism. These women already function outside of the traditional – and potentially oppressive – structures that constitute most heterosexual women’s lives. This unique viewpoint gives a convincing voice to the lesbian feminist, as it is always simpler to see how something is working when not entrenched in its mechanisms (namely, intimate relationships with men). While lesbians are far from united in terms of opinions regarding feminism, the vast majority of the lesbian community sees clearly the importance of gender equality and the dangerous trajectories that lead towards oppression. In no functioning form of feminism should the opinions of lesbians be ignored. However, neither should their voices overpower those of other women. A key tenet of feminism is to

retain conscious awareness of social structures and practices that discriminate against women and/ or force them into a particular role. The importance of this recognition is undeniable. However, retaining an awareness of these social structures is separate from personal choices. Wearing makeup, enjoying romance, and desiring a spouse and children are not anti-feminist practices. Firstly, if millions of women across the world share a particular desire, it should not be so easily cast aside as inauthentic. It seems highly improbable (though not impossible) that the majority of stories, art, and feelings regarding traditional femininity should arise only because of patriarchy and be in no way influenced by genuine sentiments. Indeed, much of sexism is rooted in the idea that there is something inferior in femininity. While the deep entrenchment of this disapproval of femininity would manifest most obviously in sexist practices like workplace or intellectual discrimination, it can also be found within the feminist movement itself. A feminist denigration of “girly” behavior only further categorizes it as illegitimate, which circles back to cast disapproval on those the movement wishes to uplift. Of course, these traditionally feminine practices can be undertaken due to sexist structures implicit in so many human cultures. This seems an important path for modern feminism to tread: a woman should be aware of the social influences behind her actions, but should act in whatever way she feels is most honest to her own nature. Whether this satisfaction

of one’s own identity comes in the form of cropped hair, baggy jeans, and a beat up pair of Doc Martins or wearing pink, lacy dresses and drooling over a beautiful pair of heels (or, more likely, somewhere in between), it must be recognized as a valid expression of femininity. There is no right way to be a woman, and both the sexists and the cautious activists should remember that. But of course, this is primarily an issue of rhetoric. It is important that the movement forge a united front in accepting all ranges of femininity, especially in times like these, when infringements upon women’s rights have been drawn into the spotlight. Feminists must come together and put aside rhetorical infighting to combat the real issues. When there exist even women’s groups that proclaim the fight for contraceptive rights is simply another man-hating ploy of underhanded feminists – and these groups do exist – our problems as an empowered, forward-thinking community become much more immediate than bickering over the social ramifications of enjoying The Notebook. Terminology and conjoined phrases are not going to be the way the uplifting power of gender equality reaches the common people. The only way we can deliver it is with genuine intent, thoughtful communication, and steadfast belief in every woman’s rights. Christine Wolfe ’14 (crwolfe@college) can’t help but be slightly annoyed by people who point out that they support gender equality. Duh.

03.22.12 • The Harvard Independent

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News

Kony 2012: The Legal Case Exposing the flaws of the international justice system.

By CLARE DUNCAN

for Kony’s arrest on 12 counts Facebook news feeds is simply of crimes against humanity and titled “KONY 2012,” in a 21 counts of war crimes. The court purposeful play on this year’s election also issued warrants for four of season. Clocking it at almost half Kony’s deputies in the LRA. Russell’s an hour long, the video highlights parting message is to mobilize the the atrocities committed by the public backing to strengthen forces Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in central Africa and its leader, Joseph Kony. Director Jason Russell takes personal stories from his time in Uganda to illustrate the situation; he implores viewers to share the video and participate in his public awareness campaign to stop Kony. Russell, founder of the group Invisible Children, sets his ultimate goal as Kony’s arrest and prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) — which he believes can only be done with enough American popular support to encourage the US government to act. “KONY 2012” and Invisible Children have faced criticism over methods, use of funds, and presentation, but they have managed to Courtesy of WikiCommons bring a formerly obscure central African conflict to the and arrest Kony on these warrants. forefront of American social media. As He interviews ICC prosecutor Luis of March 20, “KONY 2012” had more Moreno Ocampo, who focuses on the than 83 million views on YouTube, need for international support in order and most major news channels have to find Kony. covered the phenomenon. Russell is correct in stressing that Joseph Kony and the LRA are it will take an international effort to most infamous for their activities in arrest Kony. The ICC has a unique Uganda since the mid-to-late 1980s. structure and system that relies on its In the past several years, however, the member states for actual enforcement. group has focused more on terrorizing Their website clearly states “the regions in the Democratic Republic Court does not have its own police of the Congo, South Sudan, and the force. Accordingly, it relies on State Central African Republic. The LRA’s cooperation, which is essential to the typical modus operandi has involved arrest and surrender of suspects.” kidnapping children to serve as When states ratify the Rome Statute, armed combatants and/or sex slaves. which established the ICC in 2002, Experts estimate they have abducted they agree to the court’s jurisdiction tens of thousands of children over if the alleged criminal is a national the past two decades, hitting their of their state, if the alleged crimes peak numbers during the late 1990s. occurred in their state, or if the United Since then, however, the number of Nations Security Council refers the combatants has declined, and the case to the ICC. States can also choose LRA is thought to have only several simply to sign the Statute instead hundred soldiers today. of ratifying it, which is essentially a In 2005, the ICC issued a warrant pledge not to obstruct the workings he latest video to clutter

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of the court. Because of this structure, state participation and cooperation is crucial to the court’s efficiency and effectiveness. It is individual states’ military and police forces that actually do the grunt work and arrest those

with outstanding warrants, many of whom have been in hiding for years. This presents one of the problems that Russell highlights: central African governments often do not have the forces or power necessary to chase after Kony. Russell is thus rallying public support in an effort to convince the US government to help Ugandan forces track and arrest Kony. This is a trickier request than one might suppose, however. The US has had an ambivalent and sometimes slightly hostile relationship with the ICC. President Bush refused to send the Rome Statute to the Senate for ratification, and even retracted the US’ signature to the Statute in 2002. His administration claimed the US would be treated unfairly for political reasons. Though Bush’s stance softened during his second term, allowing the ICC to prosecute war criminals in Darfur, he nonetheless refrained from US participation in the ICC.

Obama, however, has taken a softer and more conciliatory stance. He has declared that the US will cooperate with the ICC, though there are currently no plans to sign or ratify the Rome Statute. But significant headway was made in 2010 when Obama authorized a contingent of 100 American soldiers to help the Ugandan forces find Kony, a step that Russell celebrates in his video. Despite international optimism, finding and prosecuting Kony is only the first step. His arrest will not guarantee the end of the LRA, though arresting him and his deputies would be a significant achievement. The ICC and its work represent only one part of the international justice system; the others involve disarming rebel groups and implementing effective government structures to address the problems at their roots. “KONY 2012” has started to bring one aspect of conflict resolution into the American public mind, but there are other issues that will eventually have to be addressed. Nevertheless, prosecution through the ICC is a convenient and well-publicized way to draw attention to an issue. US aid to Uganda and public interest campaigns like Russell’s are examples of the international cooperation necessary for the ICC to function, both in the Kony case and in general. Though it has the force of international law behind it, the court cannot work without the physical ground forces necessary to arrest the criminals it attempts to bring to justice. The Kony campaign has tried to bring this situation to light, and though it focuses on one specific warrant and war criminal, it has helped to bring the issue of international law and the ICC into the public mind as well. When Clare Duncan ’14 (cduncan@college) grows up, she wants to join the ICC and save the world…but actually.

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Reading Reels A look at successful adaptations of books into movies. By SAYANTAN DEB

s the world waits with bated

breath for The Hunger Games, releasing this Friday, it is interesting to note that this sort of fanboy/girl excitement for movies has been almost always synonymous recently with an adaptation from a book. Be it Twilight, The Da Vinci Code, or The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, successful books have almost always translated into box office (and sometimes Oscar) gold. There is no doubt that The Hunger Games will live up to the immense hype that surrounds it, at least in terms of ticket sales. However, while we look forward to the next big thing in the long tradition of adaptations, it is important to look back at some of the most notable adaptations. For the sake of limiting the number of movies in consideration, let’s focus on the last decade. 5. Julie & Julia (2009): Adapting one book to screen is a difficult enough job. To adapt two books and do justice to both of them in one film then seems a herculean task. In this Nora Ephron directed movie, however, Julia Child’s My Life in France and Julie Powell’s Julie and Julia not only work together, but also fit into the screenplay organically, giving Powell’s memoir a historical footing, and Child’s autobiography a modern perspective. Streep brings Child to life in a way only she can, from the laugh to the voice, to the indelible charm. She exudes a passion for life that goes beyond cooking, excelling especially in the quieter moments of intimacy. Amy Adams as Powell is lovable and at her best in neurotic moments. Most importantly, the movie manages to rise above both of its sources, and thus becomes its own entity. 4. Slumdog Millionaire (2008): Vikas Swaroop’s Q&A was a truly inspired novel, relating the globally successful game show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? to the struggles of street children in the metropolises of India. The screenplay veered away from the book and its details, even changing some of the major plot points. 8

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However, the movie was able to stay true to the essence of the book, and in its own way, transcend the scope of the novel. Danny Boyle’s interpretation of the book focused on the children, and the young Jamal, Latika and Salim captured the fascination of the western world while portraying the cruel realities of growing up on the streets of an urban jungle. Taking inspiration from Bollywood movies, the movie essentially became a western homage to the overlooked, underrated, and, ironically, the largest movie industry in the world. Replete with a frantic soundtrack by A.R. Rahman, this movie brought every nook and corner of Mumbai alive, capturing the city’s vibrancy in all of its sepia-toned splendor. 3. The Social Network (2010): Facebook redefined how our world communicates. We “profile pic” our most memorable moments. We post on each other’s walls to get attention. Our status is our stream of consciousness, and our friends the psychotherapists analyzing it. “Friending” is now a verb (although Microsoft Word seems to think otherwise) and we will soon keep track of our lives through our timelines. To bring Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires to screen was difficult not because it was a particularly challenging story to adapt. It was difficult because it was relevant. Facebook forms the backbone of our societal interactions, and the creator of this phenomenon, Mark Zuckerberg, is still very much alive. So really the task became chronicling the life of someone who can still critique the interpretation of his life while telling the story of a concept that is fresh on everyone’s mind. Oh, and computer screens with lines of code doesn’t exactly make for a pleasing aesthetic. However, David Fincher, equipped with Aaron Sorkin’s clever screenplay, looked at the making of this generation’s invention through the eyes of a thriller director, and presented it much like one. Every frame brought goosebumps, and every sharp cut in the editing made for a wildly entertaining movie. Jesse Eisenberg humanized Zuckerberg through a

memorable performance bringing to fore his arrogance, jealousy, and ego, while still making him vulnerable. The portrayal helped bring dimension to a figure who, until then, had remained an enigma in the eyes of the media. Justin Timberlake, too, delivered his career-best performance as the cocky Sean Parker. The inception of the invention was humanized as well, right back to that old dorm room in Kirkland House in the middle of a drunken, jealous, haze after being dumped. Probably one of the worst snubs in Oscar history still doesn’t detract from the movie’s genius. 2. The Harry Potter Series (2001-2011): If J.K. Rowling brought reading back into fashion, the movies proved that a children’s series could be the most successful movie franchise in film history. The series lasted an entire decade chronicling Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s journey through seven books and eight movies. In the process, audiences watched their beloved characters grow from young, adventurous tweens to mature adults who are flawed, but triumph because of their courage in the face of danger. Perhaps what worked best for the franchise was the change in directors. Moving from Chris Columbus’s literal interpretation of the first two books to Alfonso Cuaron’s artistic take on the third (and probably the most metaphysical out of the seven books), to David Yates’s dark and grim presentation of the final chapters of the Potter saga, the movie series grew up with its content. This worked especially well, because J.K. Rowling’s audience had grown up with her characters and every subsequent book as well. The books had become darker, the characters stretched the boundaries of good and evil, the danger of death had grown from a specter to a tangible presence. In this rapidly evolving world, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint (in that order) also grew up from lovable children in interesting situations to brilliant actors delivering layered performances while essaying the iconic protagonists. The franchise also featured a brilliant supporting

cast comprised of the best British talents of our generation – from Alan Rickman to Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter to Julie Walters. The eighth and final movie, in my opinion, was the best. It was a fitting (however unwelcome) farewell to the books and movies that defined an entire generation. 1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001, 2002, 2003): Speaking from experience, J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels are very difficult reads. They span the gamut of human emotional complexity, delve into the philosophical, satire society, and allude to folklore, all the while presenting an adventure in MiddleEarth, the epitome of what a visionary can create through an imagined world. An unconventional story requires an unconventional director; Peter Jackson, therefore, had a tall order to fill. Jackson decided it would be a good idea to tackle all three novels at the same time, in the span of 438 days, filming thousands of reels to finish a cinematic experience that lasts a little under twelve hours. Thankfully, it happened to be a brilliant idea. The books themselves are a unique experience that immerses the audience in a world with mythical creatures and unforeseen challenges. The task to translate this into a visual medium was difficult, but perhaps more difficult was living up to the expectation of the LOTR fandom who had combed through the series and internalized every bit of it. Thus, creating Middle-Earth was only the beginning. Casting, and then creating the technology to film this world from scratch required innovation, and most of all, courage. The result was the highest grossing trilogy of all time; the final chapter also made Oscar history, winning all eleven of the awards it was nominated for. It was only the third movie in Academy Award history to do so. Sayantan Deb ’14 (sayantandeb@college) would also like to note that his favorite adaptation from a book to a movie is Breakfast at Tiffany’s, with Schindler’s List as a close second. 03.22.12 • The Harvard Independent

Another Break, Another Show Photo courtesy of WikiCommons.

How I found my new procrastination tool, and loved it. By ANGELA SONG

ike all those who stayed on

campus over Spring Break, my roommate and I had a standard codependent routine: eat, sleep, row, watch TV, eat some more, repeat—minus the vicious two-a-day crew practices for me. So, I found myself floundering with nothing to do while my rower roommate was gone. I was hesitant sampling an episode of Rizzoli & Isles, my first new show in about two years because I know the preemptive signs of addiction. Coming into college, I had promised myself not to start watching new TV shows since the list of shows I kept up with had already surpassed any allowable procrastination time. However, the next thing I knew I was huddled in a blanket on my bed for the next two days, surfacing only to eat and sleep as I devoured the two seasons that have aired so far. Primetime TV comes in two forms: (1) ensemble casts or (2) dual star billing with the expected guy/girl interaction and, usually, sexual tension (Bones, Castle, and The X-Files immediately spring to mind). With the exception of Desperate Housewives, The L Word, Project Runway, Army Wives, and possibly The Bachelor — all of which tend to veer on the romantic side of the

The Harvard Independent • 03.22.12

drama spectrum — television, like all media, scales back on females in starring roles, which makes Rizzoli & Isles quite remarkable. The show neither focuses on romance, nor is it an ensemble where women are merely a part of the whole. In this case, TV veterans Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander get star billing in a show that is primarily a crime drama. Rizzoli & Isles is based on Tess Gerritsen’s series of novels of the same name, and though its premise is far from new — it’s a typical cop drama and crime procedural — it is refreshing to finally have a femaledominated cast. I’ve never been one to shy away from the hopeless romantic within me, and when it comes to TV, especially procedurals with male/ female protagonists, I spend about a quarter of the time focused on the actual crime committed (but when you add up all the hours of CSI and everything else I’ve seen, I could probably hide a body magnificently), and about three-quarters watching for the subtle signs that the principal cast have finally gotten together. Having a show without that kind of anticipation is wonderful because while Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles have certainly had their share of romantic frustrations, a lot more

attention is focused on their friendship. I love female leads because they are completely relatable. The quirky scientists remind me not to be that awkward, and the badass cops make me want to learn kung fu and take a guy out. Rizzoli & Isles has the best of both worlds with Homicide Detective Jane Rizzoli and Chief Medical Examiner Maura Isles, and the two actresses have a remarkable dynamic that easily lends itself to their playful banter and BFFlike interaction. It is really Angie Harmon’s Rizzoli who lifts this show from good to spectacular, although, to be completely honest, my judgment could be marred because my heart already belongs to Emily Deschanel’s lovable know-it-all on Bones who is almost too similar to Isles, or because I still see Sasha Alexander’s Isles as pre-tragic death Kate in early NCIS. Harmon’s Rizzoli is tough and fierce, and basically the cop every tomboy secretly dreams of being. Rizzoli’s family is another highlight of the show, especially her mother, whose nagging and meddling attempts to find her only daughter a man has me sympathizing immensely. The cases have all been interesting without veering into the bizarre, which tends to happen with almost

all dramas when the writers seem to have exhausted their imaginations and resorted to pulling plotlines out of their asses (read: Season 4 of Castle), although the fact that at least five of the cases seem to have fallen out of the sky conveniently into Rizzoli’s lap makes me want to pull a trademark “Really?” from Rizzoli’s endless supply of wonderful facial expressions. Finally, as the entire show is set in Boston, with the theme song, “Shipping Up to Boston” by the homegrown Dropkick Murphys, and with occasional shots from the city, it’s entertaining to pick out the clichéd from the charming. Almost every stereotype is covered, from Paul Revere to the Boston Marathon to the Boston Strangler to the occasional regional brogues, and some obvious stand-ins of “Boston-Cambridge University” for Harvard and the “Boston Pilgrims” in competition with the Red Sox. On the last day of Spring Break I trekked out to the North End to see now-familiar sights in the show I am currently obsessed with as I enjoyed an evening of Italian-flavored indulgence, blissfully remembering the break that was. Angela Song ’14 (angelasong@college) has the right to remain hooked on Rizzoli & Isles.

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Anyone’s an Artist at Night

A guide to lucid dreaming from one of Harvard’s own.

By CURTIS LAHAIE

Harvard — and really, all around the world — there’s a realm of art particularly neglected. I’d be the first to admit that I struggle in traditional artistic realms like drawing, painting, or singing, but I’d hesitate to say I couldn’t dream. Truly, a dream is like a painting, a potentially vivid, complex product of an imagination at work. But we often assume that unlike a painting, a dream can’t be controlled, that we don’t have a paintbrush or pencil to paint or sketch our mind’s creation. Instead, we think our dreams are limited by the random, uncontrollable sparks of neuronal synapses while we’re asleep. But some people challenge this notion, like Malcolm Grayson ’15, a student in the freshman seminar, “Dreams: Our Mind by Night”, and a research assistant for prominent dreams expert Dr. Deirdre Barrett. Dreams that can be controlled, namely “lucid dreams”, are not always easy to have though. So, Grayson provides a guide to becoming an artist at night.

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Step 1: Keep a dream journal. This is important for two reasons. Principally, it sharpens our ability to remember our dreams. After all, there’s no point in having a lucid dream if you can’t remember it in the morning! Secondly, it allows us to recognize patterns in our dreams, or “dream signs.” Step 2: Identifying dream signs. Dream signs are clues that we are dreaming. Many of us have recurring dream signs, and looking back at our dream journals tells us what they are. “My dreams often feature strange creatures,” Grayson says. “Now whenever I see an animal that seems out of place, I stop and question whether I am dreaming.” Step 3: Question reality. This doesn’t mean switch to philosophy as a concentration. It means always questioning whether or not you are dreaming. While we are awake, if

we habituate ourselves to question whether we are dreaming or awake, the habit will carry over into the night. This is where dream signs come in. While it’s best to question reality whenever anything strange happens, if train yourself to notice your dream signs, when you do notice them you’ll be able to pop the question.

sign, look away, and look back. If the words have changed, you know you’re dreaming. Or flip a light switch. For some reason, light acts strangely in dreams. Flipping a light switch rarely affects the level of light in the room. If you flip the switch and the light stays the same, you’re dreaming (or you need a new light bulb).

Step 4: Perform reality checks. Training yourself to ask whether you’re dreaming is one thing, answering the question is another. The trick about dreams is they feel real, so it’s not always easy to prove to yourself that you’re dreaming. Are you dreaming right now? Of course you’re going to say no, but you do the same thing when you dream. There are useful methods we use to determine whether we are dreaming. We call them reality checks. Here are a few: Read something. Text in dreams never stays the same for long. Look at a

Step 5: Do whatever your heart desires. Once you’ve broken through the veil, this world is yours to do literally anything you can think of. Fly. Battle Voldemort. Punch your expos preceptor. Anything. “I use my dreams to inspire my compositions,” Grayson says. You spend a third of your life asleep. What a waste! You might as well have fun doing it. Curtis Lahaie ’15 (clahaie@college) is practicing his art in an effort to join Leonardo DiCaprio and his team from Inception. Or wait…was that a dream, too?

03.22.12 • The Harvard Independent

Sports

indy

Eloquent Fists: Part I What Goon tells us about hockey fights. By FAITH ZHANG

he first punch comes less than

a minute in, quickly followed by the iconic image of blood on ice. That’s truth in advertising: Goon begins as it means to go on. The film follows Doug Glatt (played by Seann William Scott), a bouncer who gets picked up by a minor league hockey team for his pugilistic talents despite not knowing how to skate; his success earns him a spot with the farm team for the Montréal Canadiens. His job is to protect Xavier Laflamme (Marc-André Grondin), a former second overall draft pick who has never been the same since a brutal hit by the legendary Ross Rhea (Liev Schreiber), an aging but still formidable enforcer. As his team struggles to make the playoffs and coalesce as a team, he falls in love with a girl named Eva (Alison Pill), frequently gets punched in the face, and throws his fair share of punches himself. He’s a sweet kid, Doug Glatt; a little slow except with his fists, awkward with women, polite enough to be Canadian. A player in the penalty box calling his friend a faggot sparks the fight that initially brings him to the attention of the local team. “Hey, my brother’s gay!” he says, and then it’s on. Goon embraces hockey clichés wholly and unabashedly, providing examples of all the classic hockey archetypes: the highly skilled, prettyboy French-Canadian who parties too much (and bears more than a passing resemblance to Kris Letang of the Pittsburgh Penguins or Jose Theodore of the Florida Panthers); the crazy goalie who talks to his goalposts (dubbed Siegfried and Roy), is a little too attached to the image of his mother painted on his mask, and wants more Percocets a little bit too much; the two Russians making obscene jokes without pause; the aging The Harvard Independent • 03.22.2012

captain drinking to forget his broken marriage; the puck bunny with a heart of gold. Goon is not a polished movie; but then, its subject does not lend itself to polish. It is a comedy, but not one that is especially funny — which doesn’t mean that it’s not a worthwhile movie, only that it hovers a little awkwardly between genres, between comedy and the most earnest of sports movies. Goon is a love song, earnest and profane, to hockey and to the hockey goon — even as the latter is sliding into irrelevance. The contemporary game of hockey is one of both speed and skill, in which a deep team — one that can score from top to bottom, that is composed entirely of players who can skate and shoot, not just throw punches — is necessary in order to win consistently; there is no longer a place in the NHL for those like Doug, who can barely move himself around the ice. Take, for example, Colton Orr (formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs), who was sent down to the minors in January. In 378 NHL games over nine seasons, he had a grand total of twenty points, 921 penalty minutes, and 100 fights. His demotion was at the hands of Brian Burke, the eminently quotable general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs known for his declaration that he wanted to build a team with “proper levels of pugnacity, testosterone, truculence and belligerence.” In the press conference he gave regarding what should have been a routine transaction, he expressed regret that “You see the garbage that happened in here the other night and I wonder about the accountability in our game…. The fear that if we don't have guys looking after each other then the rats will take this game over.” He continued, “If you want a game where guys can cheap shot peo-

ple and not face retribution, I'm not sure that's a healthy evolution.” He’s not wrong: it is a problem if cheap shots go unchecked. But enforcers aren’t able to police the game these days. There’s no reason for anyone to engage with a goon who can barely skate when they can easily skate around him and score. But to bring all of this back to Goon: the film isn’t blind to this reality. Doug wants to play hockey. He can’t. When he tries, it goes about as well as one might expect, and the coach doesn’t hesitate to make his role clear. “You’re not here to play hockey, Glatt. You’re here to fight.” There’s no way to defend the presence of a goon when a game is on the line. Goals win games, not goons. There are no points awarded for winning a fight. Doug’s presence doesn’t keep Laflamme from being carried off the ice on a stretcher. The Bruins have a well-deserved reputation for pugilism, but that didn’t save Marc Savard and it didn’t save Nathan Horton, who was concussed for the second time in a year by the Philadelphia Flyers’ Tom Sestito and has not played since January 22. What the hockey goon offers is something else entirely. Fighters are widely proclaimed to be the nicest guys alive by their teammates. Perhaps making a living in so brutal a fashion breeds a kind of humility, or perhaps it is merely that, if a team is going to keep around a player whose skillset is easily replaceable and contributes very little to winning games, it may as well be someone that everyone likes. That’s the mold Doug comes from. He becomes the heart of his team through the purity of his devotion to the team and willingness to fight for

any of his teammates. For comparison: in HBO’s fantastic 24/7: Road to the NHL Winter Classic, the New York Rangers’ Michael Del Zotto gets sucker-punched by Tomas Kopecky of the Florida Panthers; bleeding, being tended to off the ice, he asks, “Who jumped in for me?” What Del Zotto wants to know is not that he’s protected — it’s too late for that, and at any rate the game is already over; it’s not even that he wants to be avenged. What he wants to know is who cared enough to jump in. A fight is proof sealed in blood of the bonds that connect a team. It’s like that in Goon, too. Doug doesn’t score the goal that sends his team to the playoffs. He’s not on the ice, not even on the bench; he’s bleeding silently in the locker room. He never really keeps anyone from hurting Laflamme. He does draw Laflamme out of his solitary, bitterly jaded disenchantment. In Doug’s presence, Laflamme is emboldened in the knowledge that someone else is willing to defend him — that someone else will fight for him, that someone else will bleed for him. That he’s part of something larger than himself. This is the tragedy and romance of the hockey goon: continuous sacrifice of his own body for the good of the team. That’s why fans, players, general managers, and former players themselves, cling to him beyond all reason; it’s the reason movies like this are made. The goon represents the things that are fundamental to hockey no matter what else changes: Stoicism in the face of pain. Team above self. Victory paid for in sacrifice. Blood on ice. Faith Zhang ’11 (fhzhang@fas) is fortunate to be a fan of a team full of players that can both score and fight.

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captured & shot By MARIA BARRAGAN-SANTANA