The Decade Issue by The Harvard Independent

12. 02. 10

T HES T UDE NTWE E KL YS I NCE1 969

TheDe c adeI s s ue

I ns i de: Ar myl i f e , mov i er ev i ews , a ndt hebes toft hedec a de .

12.02.10 vol. xlii, no. 12 The Indy is ready to ring in the New Year.

Cover art by

MIRANDA SHUGARS

FORUM Westpoint FML 3 Dana Reed Prize 3 Dieting Adventures Part 4 4 Show Me the Money 4 The Cost of Compassion 5 Proud to be American 5 6-7 The Best of the Decade UC Aftermath 8 ARTS Moonwalking 9 Love is the Cure 9 10 Between a Rock and a Hard Place 11 A Magical Tale SPORTS 11 Frozen Pastimes

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 President Weike Wang (independent1969@gmail.com). Letters to the Editor and comments regarding the content of the publication should be addressed to Editor-in-Chief Yuying Luo (independent1969@gmail.com). Yearly mail subscriptions are available for $30, and semester-long subscriptions are available for $15. To purchase a subscription, email subscriptions@harvardindependent. 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 © 2010 by The Harvard Independent. All rights reserved.

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President Weike Wang ‘11 Vice President Whitney Lee ‘14 Editor-in-Chief Yuying Luo ‘12

Production Manager Miranda Shugars ‘14

Executive Editor Riva Riley ‘12

Business Manager Amanda Hernandez ‘14 Associate Business Manager Publicity Coordinator Eric Wei ‘14 Ezgi Bereketli ‘12 News and Forum Editor Arts Editor Sports Editor Design Editor

Meghan Brooks ‘14 Zena Mengesha ‘14 Brett Giblin ‘11 Alexandria Rhodes ‘14

Columnists Sam Barr ‘11 Luis Martinez ‘12 Staff Writers Michael Altman '14 Peter Bacon ‘11 Arthur Bratolozzi ‘12 Colleen Berryessa ‘11 Arhana Chattopadhyay ‘11 Sayantan Deb ‘14 Levi Dudte '11 Gary Gerbrandt ‘14 Sam Jack ‘11 Marion Liu ‘11 Hao Meng ‘11 Alfredo Montelongo ‘11 Nick Nehamas ‘11 Steven Rizoli ‘11 Brad Rose '14 Marc Shi ‘14 Jim Shirey ‘11 Angela Song '14 Diana Suen ‘11 Alex Thompson ‘11 Christine Wolfe ‘14 Sanyee Yuan ‘12 Faith Zhang ‘11 Susan Zhu ‘11 Graphics, Photography, and Design Staff Maria Barragan-Santana '14 Chaima Bouhlel ‘11 Eva Liou ‘11 Lidiya Petrova ‘11 Schuyler Polk ‘14 Patricia Florescu ‘11 12.02.10 • The Harvard Independent

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Army Academics

By RIVA RILEY

Courtesy of Wikicommons

istinguished as I was by my lack of distinction, I had to acknowledge that my shabbiness, although not sophisticated, was at least comfortable. I wore a coat too warm for the occasion, carried too many pairs of gloves and an unnecessary hat, and had on a sweater with fraying cuffs. Everyone else my age looked very sharp, dressed in cadet uniforms with golden badges marking their military accomplishments. My cousins were among them, standing by me and making me look even sloppier. In fact, everyone I talked to assumed I was younger than I am because nobody my age is generally allowed to walk around West Point campus without wearing a pressed uniform. The only reason I was even allowed on the military base was for — of all things — a football game. There was so much fanfare and pageantry for that game, in which West Point was facing off against the Air Force Academy, that I bristled a little that our tax dollars were paying for it all. I do have to admit though that it was exciting to watch.

At the beginning of the game, cadets jumped from planes and parachuted perfectly into the center of the field one at a time, landing evenly in the same few feet in the center of the field. Later in the game, cadets from both schools waved their hats and shouted in a low roar. I didn’t shout because I didn’t know whom to root for. With a cousin at West Point, another at the Air Force Academy, and being from a school that views football with only a symbolic passion, I was not in a position to choose. This game was almost comically different from our own game against Yale. There was no coordinated waving of matching hats at the Harvard-Yale game, for starters. There were also no restrictions against drinking. West Point cadets are not allowed to touch alcohol on campus — and I don’t mean in the “wink wink” slap-on-the-wrist way that we’re used to. West Point cadets face serious disciplinary action for acts that seemed so mundane to me. People of opposite sexes cannot sit on the same horizontal surface and cannot be alone in a room with a

We have it easier at Harvard than we think. closed door. My cousin told me these things flippantly while I stared at him and asked numerous questions. What if you’re having a study group? What if you’re on opposite sides of a futon? “Futon?” My cousin said. “We’re not allowed to have futons.” I stared some more and as the day wore on, I started to become increasingly grateful for the fact that I was not at a military school because I wouldn’t survive. Literally. I would mouth off to a drill sergeant and die in an unfortunate “accident” before I even finished boot camp. And if that didn’t get me, the isolation would drive me insane. After the game, I wandered around West Point with my dad. We were a novelty on campus because the army base did not regularly host civilians. As a Harvard student accustomed to crowds of tourists on a regular basis, I wondered what life was like in a place where you did not see any outsiders. The West Point campus, which resembles a stone fortress, is not an inviting place despite all its beauty. It sits in the Hudson River Valley, which is generally gorgeous,

but seriously, humans are social animals. I’m just glad there are people capable of living under the conditions West Point sets for its cadets because I’m certainly not one of them. Aside from the fact that my physical condition is not ideal (long distance runs in the rain just aren’t my cup of tea), I just couldn’t live such a regimented lifestyle. All things considered, though, it could get weirder. Some friends told me that girls at Notre Dame have to live with nuns. Imagine living with a nun next door instead of a tutor (I’ve tried to form the mental image, but my brain just churns out penguin jokes). All things considered, we sure live liberated lives here at Harvard. No uniforms, no saluting, no horizontal surface restrictions, and no residential nuns. I am definitely thankful for that.

Riva Riley ’12 (rjriley@fas) is willing to admit that she is too much of a sissy for the army.

Special Thanks to the Dana Reed Prize Committee

or over five decades, the Dana Reed Prize has been awarded to distinguished undergraduate writing published at Harvard; notable recipients include John Updike, Sallie Bingham, James Fallows, and Arthur Lubow. In its final year, the Prize committee has decided to split its endowment equally amongst the four publications at Harvard “that over the years have published most of the winning articles, stories, or poems: The Advocate, Crimson, Independent, and Lampoon.” The Dana Reed Prize is one that values independence and integrity and the Harvard Independent would like to thank the committee for recognizing this news-magazine’s independent thinking. We look forward to carry on the spirit of excellent journalism for decades to come. The Harvard Independent • 12.02.10

independent1969@gmail.com

Forum Courtesy of Wikicommons

By SANYEE YUAN

bought a “Love Your Body” shirt during the last year’s Love Your Body day. There were no more small or medium sizes left so I resorted to purchasing an XL, which I then promptly proceeded to cut into a sleeveless shirtdress. After showing off my new creation, one friend pointed out the irony that only the small- and medium-sized students seemed to truly love their bodies. After a month of being on the acclaimed açaí berry pill, I realize that this message is one that we do not take to heart enough — no matter what size we are. It hit me while we were being instructed in kickboxing to aim at our jabs at our own noses and chins in the mirror. Or maybe it was while the hardcore abs instructor was yelling at us to stare down at our flabby stomachs with shame. It also could have been my helpless longing for certain desserts in the dining hall these past four weeks and telling myself that I didn’t deserve to eat them and that I most certainly couldn’t — not if I wanted to achieve Anne Hathaway’s or Carrie Underwood’s physiques.

Maybe the point that we should love ourselves really sank into me while I was watching Glee last week when coach Sue Sylvester decided to marry herself and staged her own ceremony complete with invitations, a tracksuit-wedding gown, and a single tall figurine adorning the cake. Diet pills are marketed primarily towards a certain group of people — those who want to change themselves. Sure, they are marketed as pills for “self-improvement”, but with elaborate promises that emphasize “losing 20 lbs in 10 weeks,” it doesn’t take a leap of faith to assume that these pills are targeted to those who desperately want an easy way to lose weight and morph into skinnier, not healthier, selves. During my past month on the açaí berry diet, I have attempted to change up my routine. For my first week, I tried the supplement alone, unable to quash the high expectations that I had for it despite the fact that it didn’t seem to be working at all. The second week, I added a gym workout into my schedule to better test out the alleged energy boosts that the bottle advertised as a side effect. As the third

Krazy Kash

Açaí No More week passed, I decided to seriously put into plan the envirotarian (three to four vegetarian days a week) lifestyle that I’d taken up earlier that month. By the end of week four — which officially ended at the start of Thanksgiving break week, I had indulged too much while out of town in New York. Even though I had been at New York for a business/networking workshop, traveling away from the Harvard bubble put me in vacation mode. The workshop provided continental breakfast for us each day, complete with mini chocolate croissants, sticky buns, and banana nut muffins. They also put out midday snack bars that consisted of palm-shaped mochaflavored whoopie pies and blackand-white frosted cookie cakes and I didn’t stop myself from filling my plate. Only after the workshop was done did I realize that there might have been the additional element of stress-eating involved in my indulging. Trying out the açaí berry has made me more aware of my own ability to take care of my body and my (currently poor) attitude towards keeping it

Week 4: the final installment. healthy. I haven’t always loved my body, which makes me feel like a hypocrite for buying the shirt, but I know that I do want to be able to accept it and treat it better. I guess I should change my perspective towards eating right and visiting the gym. Instead of only trying to keep healthy with the goals of getting skinnier and looking better in mind, I should motivate myself with the long-term beneficial implications they will have for my body. The healthiest that I felt during my month with açaí definitely came after my four hours at the gym spread over the course of three days. So as I finish up my little purple bottle of açaí supplements, I will look back at this experience as an eye-opening one. Instead of placing my faith on a label, I should place it in the promise that I can make to myself to love my body and work to keep it healthy. S a n y e e Yu a n ’ 1 2 ( s y u a n @ f a s . h a r v a r d . e d u ) i s g l a d t h a t t h e p o we r of her will has bested the power of a pill.

The Kardashian kard: too kostly for kids? By MEGHAN BROOKS

n the latest example of brand marketing gone horribly awry, trash TV favorites Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney Kardashian have released a pre-paid debit card, the Kardashian Kard. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians stars have paired up with Mobile Resource MasterCard to create this shiny black piece of magnetized plastic, which, they hope, girls as young as thirteen will clamor for. “Take us with you, everywhere,” a sunglass-clad Kim whispers on the card’s webpage, and indeed, the card prominently features the faces, upper torsos, and ample cleavage of the three sisters — shrunk to convenient wallet-sized proportions. While there is nothing inherently wrong with the Kardashian sisters’ attempt at brand extension, there are two things wrong with the way in which they 4

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are going about it. Firstly, the card is an absolute rip-off. Secondly, this rip-off is marketed at teenage girls. To be fair, the Kardashian Kard is not the only rip-off out there. All prepaid debit cards charge their customers some sort of usage and maintenance fees — according to the Washington Post, the median card activation fee is ten dollars. The Kardashian Kard, however, takes this to the extreme. Not only is there a sixty-dollar purchase fee for a sixmonth card or a one hundred dollar fee for a twelve-month card, but there is also a monthly charge of $7.95 for card usage, in addition to fees ranging between one dollar and six dollars for such services as ATM usage, bill payments, customer service, and card cancellation. I’m no math expert, but I’m sure that for a card

marketed at teenage girls, these fees do add up to an exorbitant amount. I am going to abstain from passing judgment on the hapless parents who purchase this card for their children, but am going to say that as a general rule, teenagers, regardless of their gender, are not particularly good at handling money, especially when they can’t see the money they are spending. MIT professors Drazen Prelec and Duncan Simester’s study on the effect of spending with credit cards versus cash found that reasonable adults were willing to spend up to 100% more on basketball tickets if they were paying by credit card. If adults who actually have to pay the bills can be so easily bewitched by a piece of plastic’s spell, imagine the effect credit cards can have on a demographic who have yet to master algebra. It is a scary thought indeed. It is ironic that the Kardashian Kard markets itself as a convenient

source of cash in response to the connotation of reckless spending that credit cards for teenagers hold. Users pre-load the card, which effectively decides how much they are willing to spend before they spend it. Even assuming that this is true, the whole idea is markedly unpleasant. The sleek sheet of plastic bearing (or better yet, baring) the faces and cleavage of three young women who are only famous because of a murder trial and a sex tape screams of crass and exploitative commercialism. That the card is marketed to a young female population already bombarded with oversexualized advertising and already immersed in a culture of unchecked consumerism borders on obscene. Meghan Brooks ’14 (meghanbrooks@ college) now knows how to answer the proverbial question: “Paper or plastic?” 12.02.10 • The Harvard Independent

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In Between Life and Death

Understanding caregivers in crisis. By GODFREY ILONZO

t is past midnight and I am directed to the nurses’ station inside the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. My left eye is unusually inflamed, but considering my history, UHS decides wisely to call a cab and ship me out. Deirdre Damjano, the emergency department RN, performs the necessary triage. I lose cell phone connection with my parents, but soon realize the fortune I’ve caught in meeting Deirdre. “It’s a quiet night and that’s unusual,” she observes, as our conversation turns to a topic that is sadly often most considered in retrospect — family caregivers and acute care in the ICU. Dee describes the challenges of acute care for family caregivers. “Acute is tough because of the shock and the burnout,” she explains. Caregiver burnout is huge —particularly for long-term situations. I recall the experience of a close childhood friend and how quickly the search for knowledge descends into a cruel madness. His mom was rushed into the ICU while he was at school and while it would be years before he knew the intense struggle that kept her breathing and alive, it is his father’s uncertainty that he remembers most. The critical care team who saved her life saved his world. Their skilled, intelligent, and aggressive action gave his mother back to him. Sadly, for millions of families, the stories end differently despite equally courageous effort and the end-of-life preparations that need be in place are not there. Family caregivers are called upon to make end-of-life decisions on behalf of loved ones, in environments that have yet to fully understand them and in situations they are not prepared for. One area of progress is a shift away from broad policy where ICU visitation hours are concerned. There is movement across hospitals to have families present and have them draw their own boundaries in consultation with staff and the individual needs of the patient. Don Berwick, recently appointed Administrator of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) by President Obama has long challenged hospitals to reconsider replacing broad, restrictive ICU visitation with a policy that gives patients more agency to make this The Harvard Independent • 12.02.10

choice in their own care decisions. By drawing family caregivers closer in times of crisis, we can provide a fuller gamut of care options — early. For example, research suggests that palliative care is an underutilized option in critical care moments. Family caregivers are often unaware that they can request a palliative care consultation for their loved one. According to research pursued by Dr. Rachelle Bernacki, Director of Quality Initiatives at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, less than 20% of high-risk patients who would benefit from palliative care receive it, even when well-developed palliative care teams are available. Her efforts — among others — are directly responsible for a strong, progressive climb in supportive care consultations at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Considering that palliative care has been shown to not only improve quality of life, but also extend life for patients with metastatic lung cancer, increasing palliative care consultations has untold benefits for patients and families. In fact, many insurance companies have also established increasing palliative care consultations as a pay-for-performance measure. This is significant for its immediate impact. Published this August in the New England Journal of Medicine, authors Temel et al. provide evidence in support of early palliative care consults. Their data demonstrate an almost 3-month increase in median survival time for patients receiving a form of PC care that includes less aggressive and less costly end-of-life interventions. Palliative care also places primary importance on the caregiver and care recipient. In a highly charged environment, where communication between professional care providers and family caregivers potentially breaks down, and restrictive and confusing policy remains a component of our medical lexicon, we need targeted solutions for family caregivers in the ICU that gives them options and time to make the best critical care decision. Godfrey Ilonzo ’12 (gilonzo@fas) is an advocate of early interventions.

Why We Don't Suck A snippet of my argument with international students. By CHRISTINE WOLFE

ll children educated in the United States are dutifully aware of the meaning of Thanksgiving. We drew pictures of turkeys and squash and gave reports on Native Americans and pilgrims. Our teachers read us books that emphasized the relationship between the starving pilgrims and the generous Native Americans that allowed for the survival of the Europeans. We are supposed to recall what we are thankful for in order to commemorate the spirit of camaraderie that existed between the two peoples whilst ignoring the short duration of that very camaraderie. However, the actual meaning of American Thanksgiving has been called into question. Has Thanksgiving become a day when we simply promote food intake on a mass scale? Is it merely a build-up to Black Friday, a paradigm of “consumer culture?” These accusations of obesity and crass consumerism are also said to indicate a general lack of morality and even intellectualism within the United States. I admit that after the rise of the Tea Party (a tenacious, anti-intellectual establishment) and the feverish panic that has spread since the enactment of the new healthcare system, it does seem as though fear and greed drive the United States. I cannot allow the United States to be rashly assigned to immorality and ignorance, to be thought of as a capitalist power that will be replaced by another in the coming years. However, given our struggles lately, I find it difficult to defend its value — what is there to be proud of in this country? It is important that the American public not be generalized. It is true that some Americans support people like Sarah Palin. I do not deny that there are people in this country who promote ideals that go against intellectual mindsets. In fact, one of the primary criticisms of Barack Obama during his campaign was that he was too intellectual. However, the use of political rhetoric to define a country’s values is a gross oversimplification. One must recall that the majority of politicians make claims that degrade their opponents in order to gain the

favor of the voting populace. Though politicians technically “represent” the public, there are times in which some members of a party may be so extreme that they could not possibly speak to the concerns of the public. It is unfortunate that those who are the loudest and possess the most negative views are those who gain the attention of the international audience. However, to degrade the United States’ collective intelligence is to ignore the thousands of American scholars past and present; to ignore those scholars is to ignore the universities — Harvard included — that support these innovative men and women. When a generalization is made about a population, other facets of a country can be forgotten. There are people who do not believe in evolution or global warming, but for every one of those people, there are scientists who spend their lives searching for evidence for evolution and creating infrastructure to combat pollution. There are politicians who support environmental protection initiatives, evolutionary theory, and equality of all men and women. And, crucially, there are working-class people who believe in progressive causes. There are thousands if not millions of organizations within the United States that support the impoverished people of our country and work to give those people the life they deserve. There are many flaws within the United States —some, such as our educational system, that are more troubling here than in other first-world nations — but there are also people who are willing to go to great lengths to improve those flaws. Though we are suffering through difficult times, the majority of us know that we have the ability to advance ourselves through reason and hard work, as we have done before. There are still many of us left that value innovation, generosity, and genuine compassion for those who need our help, and I am thankful for that. Christine Wolfe ’14 (crwolfe@college) would also like to point out that the U.S. invented all of the good TV shows.

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Politics and Disaster September 11, 2001: 9/11 The world changed that day. America no longer felt secure, and it suddenly dawned on all of us that somewhere out there were people who hated our way of life. At home, the color-coded terror threat levels were implemented, TSA introduced body scanners, and people were ready for street brawls over building a mosque a few blocks from Ground Zero. Abroad, America’s troops continue to patrol dangerous zones in Iraq and even more brutal areas in Afghanistan. Both countries have since instituted democracies, but Iraq has only recently been relieved of its six-month stalemate for a leader, and Afghanistan seems to be stuck with Karzai. We still haven’t found the WMDs. President Obama wants to close Guantanamo, but where will the suspects go? Do they have rights? Are they going to be tried in civilian courts? Can the CIA torture its suspects? How do we prevent another Abu Ghraib from happening? Can the country afford to have military documents leaked over WikiLeaks? When and how can the troops come home? - Susan Zhu ’11 August 29, 2005: Hurricane Katrina After sweeping in across the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in full force early that morning. Mass destruction ensued as levees burst, wards flooded, and thousands upon thousands of people were killed, injured, displaced, or left waiting in the Superdome. FEMA was slow, long-term solutions were slower, and, as Kanye West informed us, it was all because President Bush hates black people. -Meghan Brooks ’14 September 8, 2008: Lehman Brothers falls. Shit happens. I’m sure we are all well-versed on the current economic situation, especially those of us who are currently job-hunting. There was this housing bubble...and sub-prime lending...and Europe was giving out a lot of services... After being bailed out, the big banks promptly gave themselves nice bonuses. The government is considering slapping them with firmer regulations, but the banks don’t want anything to do with it. China’s holding on to a ton of US money, but still emerged from the world crisis relatively unscathed. The Fed is tripping over itself to lower interest rates. – Susan Zhu ’11

America. For the first time, the President of the United States was not Caucasian (but was still a Harvard graduate!). Still, racism abounded in voters — some questioned his citizenship, birth, religion, ties to other countries, and more. Even on the Republican side in 2000, there had been questionable ads by the Bush campaign that asked whether or not McCain’s adopted daughter was an illegitimate child he had with a black mistress. While America appears to have consciously moved past race, latent racism and, in some areas, blatant racism, still exist. Moreover, racism is no longer confined to only African-Americans as Hispanics and Asians immigrate at higher rates. Questions pertaining to work discrimination (Freakonomics), the criminal justice system (death penalty), assimilation (bilingual classrooms?), and affirmative action (Harvard?) still abound. Would the administration have responded faster to Hurricane Katrina if it had damaged mostly white neighborhoods? – Susan Zhu ’11

campus due to the military’s discriminatory policy. – Susan Zhu ’11 March 21, 2010: Healthcare bill passes Because shit happens, people need healthcare. Democrats got it together after I don’t know how many decades and passed health care reform. The bill expands coverage to over 32 million uninsured Americans, would decrease the deficit by $135 billion in the first ten years (according to the CBO), and allows kids to stay on their parents’ coverage until the age of 25! Yay us. Maybe with the current health trend (go organic! go exercise! let’s take soda machines out of schools!), preventative medicine will finally earn its much-deserved spot in society. –Susan Zhu ’11

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November 4, 2008: Proposition 8 Prop 8 passed by referendum in California, but supporters of the gay rights movement have been fighting it tooth and nail ever since. Lawyers are gearing up to duke it out in the Supreme Court because it looks likely that the Defense of Marriage Act can be repealed and that a bill pertaining to gay marriage will be able to pass. Gay marriage now exists in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, the District of Columbia, and Iowa. The military and Congress go back and forth on repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Some servicemen claim it would be better if repealed; others would refuse to serve without it. Harvard’s former Dean and now Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan faced some serious questioning from Senator Jeff Sessions over her refusal to allow military recruiters onto the law school

November 4, 2008: Obama elected The 2008 elections brought out the best and worst of

not so gently — sweeping the rest into obscurity or ignominy (William Hung anyone?). February 16, 2007: Britney goes bald Britney Spears, the pop princess who stole the hearts of teenage boys everywhere with her doe eyes, sexy-sweet schoolgirl look, and long blond tresses. She then shaved it all off in a salon in Southern California days after checking herself out of a rehab facility. We gawked, pointed, and then, after a few concerned articles in People, turned our attention elsewhere. January 8, 2009: Gaga takes over “Just Dance” reached the number one spot on Billboard’s Top 100 Chart, ushering in a new pop queen, Lady Gaga of the Haus of Gaga, whose inspired costuming, catchy dance melodies, political advocacy, and rumored celibacy has fascinated the general public and dominated tabloid and fashion blogs ever since. She even got her own Glee episode: yeah, she’s that big.

Pop Culture by Meghan Brooks ’14 November 16, 2001: Pottermania begins Like a well-placed Quaffle, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone shot into box offices and scored, earning $90,000,000 in its opening weekend and going on to head a franchise that has earned billions worldwide and crushed the dreams of millions of eleven-year-olds waiting for their owls. With a new installment in the series coming into theaters every year, Pottermania and its crowds of glasses-wearing, wand-bearing Muggles has defined the decade in ways no other cultural phenomenon has. June 11, 2002: American Idol premieres A caustic Brit, a washed-up pop singer, and a “dawg”slinging producer sat for the first time behind the judges’ table, beginning their search for America’s next pop star. In the nine seasons of this monumental 6 independent1969@gmail.com

reality show, the three storied judges and their enthusiastic host have discovered such major talents as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Adam Lambert, gently — or in Simon’s case,

June 25, 2009: Michael Jackson died When this eighties pop icon died, it was as if nothing else in the world mattered. News outlets and dedicated fans mourned the late King of Pop for weeks on end: it is estimated that over one billion people watched the live broadcast of his memorial service. Even now, a year and a half later, tabloids still feed off of the aftermath. Curiously, no one ever mentions the molestation accusations... 12.02.10 • The Harvard Independent

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February 4, 2004: Facebook launches Mark Zuckerberg, nerdy Harvard student, launches thefacebook.com, creating in that moment a website that remains the bane of the productivity of students everywhere, that has become a site of mass political and social rallying and organization, and that has put the word “unfriend” in the Oxford Dictionary. The effects of this decade’s Facebook on the political and career aspirations of the next decades’ leaders remain to be seen. –Meghan Brooks ’14 March 15, 2005: Summers scandal The faculty passes a motion of lack of confidence in President Lawrence Summers. He had made

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a speech earlier in the month about the innate differences in capability between men and women in the sciences that sent the nation into a uproar and sparked a national conversation about the progress of women in the sciences. He resigned soon after. –Meghan Brooks ’14 February 8, 2007: Faust appointed On this day Drew Gilpin Faust was announced as the first female president of Harvard University, ushering in a new era of institutional innovation and providing students with a leader whose name is cool enough to use in pump-up chants and song lyrics. DROOO FAUUUUST! –Meghan Brooks ’14 December 13, 2007: Expansion of financial aid Harvard redefines its financial aid policies,

Decade 2001-2010

Sports

by Michael Altman ’14 October 27, 2004: The curse is over In 1918, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series against the Chicago Cubs. They failed to win a World Series again until 2004 against the St. Louis Cardinals (whom they swept). Whether it was the sale of Babe Ruth to the Yankees in ’18 or simply bad luck, the Sox seem to have shaken their 86 years of futility as evidenced by their Series win in 2007. April 10, 2005: Tiger’s reign Tiger Woods is known for his amazing golfing abilities. Who can forget the 2005 Masters where he won in a playoff round with an amazing chip-in from off the green? The shot was made even more dramatic as the ball paused for a moment before dropping in the hole. The end of 2009 also proved to be a bigger test for Woods than the world of golf had previously provided. It was revealed that he had engaged in extramarital affairs with numerous women after a bizarre incident involving an automobile accident outside of his home. Since then, Tiger has been unable to get his game and reputation back.

In 2005, Lance Armstrong won his seventh consecutive Tour de France win — an achievement made all the more impressive due to his well publicized battle and recovery from cancer. July 6, 2008: Federer vs Nadal Rivalry is an integral aspect of exciting competition, but the Roger FedererRaphael Nadal rivalry may be the most intense and personal since that of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. At the 2008 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final, the two duked it out in an epic four hours and forty-eight minute match — one from which Nadal emerged victorious.

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eliminating loans from the equation, guaranteeing a full scholarship to students from families making under $60,000 per year, and shrinking family commitments to a maximum of 10% of income up to $180,000. Expanding the financial aid budget by $22 million, this action suddenly made a Harvard education possible for many working- and middle-class students. –Gary Gerbrandt ’14 September 12, 2009: Harvard FML launches The first post ever appeared on Harvard FML, a project of The Voice, an undergraduate magazine. Hilarity ensued as people outside the bubble tried to understand why going to Harvard was a bad enough thing to make one wish that their life would be fucked. Before long, procrastination on campus had changed irrevocably, with students newly able to complain anonymously and have their feelings nitpicked by bored troll. –Gary Gerbrandt ’14

Science & Technology by Meghan Brooks ’14

May 15, 2001: First Apple store opens 2001 was a revolutionary year for Apple. The first Apple stores opened in Virginia and California and the iPod was introduced that very year. Since then, Apple has released the iPhone, a revolutionary mobile phone which redifined the smartphone category, and the iPad, the first commercially sucesful computer tablet. The rest, as they say, is money. End of 2003: Sequencing of human genome complete After years of laborious efforts, an international coalition of scientists completed the full sequencing of the human genome under the auspices of the Human Genome Project.

We now know what, exactly, we are made of, opening the door for untold amounts of scientific discovery in the decade that followed. August 24, 2006: Pluto demoted In an extremely controversial decision a consortium of astronomers and planetary scientists decided that Pluto, which had been a planet since 1930, was no longer. In doing so these scientists upset generations of schoolchildren, a Disney character, and the Roman lord of the underworld. July 31, 2008: Water on mars Speculation of water on Mars has always been a hot topic for NASA scientists. But in 2008, the existence of Martian H2O was confirmed with the discovery of ice buried beneath the surface. What does this mean for us? Well, for one thing, Martians are now officially a possibility.

August 2008: A tale of two legends Two legends were created at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After winning a record of eight gold medals in men’s swimming, Michael Phelps achieved unparalleled glory. Although Usain Bolt broke his own records at the 2009 Berlin World Championships, he will always be remembered for his performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Despite breaking records for the 100m dash with a time of 9.69s, no one will ever forget the victory “dance” he did after taking a sizeable lead.

July 24, 2005: Tour de force The Harvard Independent • 12.02.10

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Ebrahim-Cao Takes Control Of UC By GARY GERBRANDT

The other members of the Harvard Democrats and I enjoyed a special meeting on November 9. Jason Berkenfeld, our then-president, was bubbling with excitement as he welcomed everyone to the Adams Lower Common Room. He was right to be so eager; this meeting featured both (serious) tickets for UC President and VicePresident and would conclude with an endorsement vote. For the past seven years, the Dems had backed the eventual winners and, as we were soon to discover, this election would be no different. After deliberation and debate we selected Senan Ebrahim and Bonnie Cao to receive our official support and our help with their campaign. As I am sure you all know, Ebrahim and Cao went on to defeat Matt Coe and Tengbo Li in the student body elections. I voted to endorse Ebrahim-Cao, campaigned for and with them, and placed them first on my ballot so I was happy to hear that they had won. Yet once the election was over, I felt like something was missing. I am not complaining, by any

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Is change really in the cards?

means. This cycle was definitely an improvement over last year’s. The rumors that Eric Hysen had engaged in “digital rigging” made for a nightmare that the UC will (hopefully) never have to face again. However, this campaign cycle, instead of being full of controversy and intrigue, was lacking in substance. The election was hardly close — a nearly-five-hundred-vote margin separated the two tickets. Ebrahim-Cao swept the endorsements of Harvard’s student organizations, with almost two dozen groups announcing in support including the Democrats and the Republicans, the Independent and the Crimson, and many of Harvard’s largest cultural groups. They had eight of the twelve freshman UC representatives working on their campaign, which certainly helped to rally the Yard in their support. The results were pathetically predictable; yet, there were really only a few things that separated the winners from the losers. Both tickets had roughly similar platforms, each built around one vague, slightly nebulous idea, buttressed with

goals cobbled together from past UC failures. For Ebrahim-Cao, it was the “Forum for Change,” which would connect students directly with administrators; for Coe-Li, it was the re-absorption of class-ring monies into the UC’s budget. Neither proposal was likely to be put into place and neither appeared to have great potential for changing students’ lives. In the absence of large policy differences, the win came down to the student body’s appraisal of the candidates. Judging from website photographs alone, Senan Ebrahim is a nice, friendly guy who looks outgoing and prone to levity. He plays with costumed children and can lift a woman with ease. Matt Coe crosses his arms in a way that suggests he means business. He can also armwrestle a much-older man. These are all good things. On a less superficial level, the biggest differences between the two were in imagery. Ebrahim will be the first Muslim UC President, a new face for a Harvard trying to shed its stereotypical shell. Coe is a member of the Owl, a WASPy young man who fits the mold cast by The Social Network. As the two campaign platforms were moderately different at best, it really might have been something as simple as appearance that won over the student body.

No matter which ticket won, Harvard was likely to maintain its status quo. Academics, activities, and social life are almost certain to stay the same now, just as they have since Bowman-Hysen won last year. Very little is bound to change during Senan Ebrahim’s time as the leader of our student government, which is disappointing but unsurprising. Harvard is going to stay the same this upcoming year, which should be a shock to nobody, especially because there is the voting power of the entire UC to consider as well. Nevertheless, congratulations are in order to both Ebrahim-Cao and CoeLi, who ran good campaigns overall. As an active supporter of Senan and Bonnie (who this publication did endorse, after all), I am excited for a year of their leadership. I hope that they will be able to put in place some of their promises, but if they cannot, with their friendly faces at the helm of the UC staying the same won’t hurt either. Gary Gerbrandt ’14 (garygerbrandt@college) wants you to know that freshmen can be jaded too.

12.02.10 • The Harvard Independent

Arts

Moon Walk

Cudi may be breaking new ground in the rap/hip-hop/rock fusion category, but he seems to be motivated by one particular substance. Yes, the fifth track off “Man on the Moon II” (“Marijuana”) blatantly exhibits his youthful interests, but it also happens to be the most popular single on his new album according to iTunes. Why? Because Kid Cudi continues to appeal to a crowd that not only shares an appreciation for his music, but also for his interests. If his first album is any indication, we can expect, putting all controversial influences aside, that his music is worthy enough to stand on its own. His new id

Journeying through Kid Cudi’s “Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rage.”

Is My Love Your Drug?

LP, however, lacks the consistent flow that made his first release a worthy listen from start to finish. His musical exploration into life on the moon leaves us wondering whether he will ever come back down to earth. It is clear that Cudi’s music is based on the solid foundation of complex yet innovative beats and his newest release only reinforces that fact. His mix of electric instruments, acoustic percussion, and the ever-present computer generated soundscape has become a given in his genre-defying music. Cudi’s latest effort may continue to mix musical styles, but it seems to be missing something. There is no doubting the

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By BRAD ROSE

hypnotic effect generated by the steady pulse of the album, but at times the rhythm seems to become a bit monotonous. What “Man on the Moon II” lacks is the presence of enough authentic rap and hip-hop to remind the listener of Cudi’s true versatility. What detracts from Scott Mescudi’s new album (yes, that is his actual name) most is his singing. That job, as many of you will agree, should be left to guest artists like Mary J. Blige (listen to “These Worries). Furthermore, Cudi’s focus on vocals diminishes the presence of his proven rapping capabilities. All is not lost, however, thanks to the emergence of “The End,” a quality jam with

beats reminiscent of Notorious B.I.G.’s “The What.” In the end, Kid Cudi seems to be stuck in his own self-induced hypnotic state. His album will be greatly appreciated by his fellow astronauts, but fails to stand alone on purely musical foundations. The album is definitely worth a listen, but its inferior consistency will always put it second in line on my iPod behind the wonderfully jumbled, yet highly musical mix that defines his debut album “Man on the Moon: The End of Day.” Brad Rose ’14 (brose@college. harvard.edu) has his feet on the ground.

A Review of Love and Other Drugs.

By SANYEE YUAN

hen you hear the words “rom-

com,” the first image that pops to mind usually isn’t a male director standing behind the camera, telling the actors to try the nude scene one more time. However, this season’s hot and not-too-heavy romantic comedy, Love and Other Drugs, directed by Academy Awardwinning director and Harvard alum Ed Zwick ’74, is that exception. Love and Other Drugs, based on a screenplay adapted by Zwick, Charles Randolph and Marshall Herskovitz from Jamie Reidy’s book Hard Sell: The Evolution of a Viagra Salesman, features the basic boymeets-girl formula. What makes the movie charming and uniquely entertaining, however, is its unusual character development. Our male lead is a womanizing Viagra salesman who woos and beds each busty hourglass figure he comes into contact with — that is, until he meets a girl with Parkinson’s disease whose sharp wit and seemingly stone heart changes the way he thinks about himself and the way he views relationships. BlueThe Harvard Independent • 12.02.10

eyed Jake Gyllenhaal plays Jamie, the boy who doesn’t have enough inner confidence despite his smooth-talking exterior, and raven-haired beauty Anne Hathaway takes on the role of Maggie, the girl who prefers sex to settling down. The most enjoyable parts of the movie come from watching the two actors interact as they first fall in bed together and then fall in love with each other. Quicker than you can say “take it off,” Jamie sees Maggie shirtless when they meet for the first time in the doctor’s office. She’s getting her prescription filled and having a mole checked out, while Jamie, who’s been trying to peddle his Pfizer wares onto the doctor, stands in the background posing as an intern. Sparks immediately fly later in the parking lot when Maggie attacks him for pretending to be an intern just so he could see her shirtless. Despite her attempts to shame him, he shrugs her off and still manages to finagle her number from the receptionist — who he’s also been snogging since the beginning of the film.

Maggie and Jamie’s first date ends in bed — or more literally, on the floor — and this seems like just another one of Jamie’s flippant encounters. However, something changes in Jamie. He begins to develop feelings for Maggie and abruptly finds himself doing things he wouldn’t ordinarily do with other girls — calling her “just to hear her voice” (for which his brother — the curly-haired, bespectacled source of comic relief — laughs at him), bringing her take-out while chatting about their respective days, and leaving his toothbrush over at her place. The one who’s used to making love and leaving becomes the one in love. This transformation plays out seamlessly with the combination of the script’s finely timed turning points and Gyllenhaal’s earnest believability. A similar change happens in Maggie as well. Afraid of becoming dependent on other people because of her disease, she initially challenges Jamie, constantly putting restrictions on the new levels that their relationship reaches. Soon, she starts to realize how much she needs him in her life

and how he’s different from the others that she has easily pushed away in the past. The vulnerability that Hathaway gives to her performance is heartbreaking. Maggie’s illness and Jamie’s ever-consuming work serve as the two main conflicts for this relationship. Zwick’s work in Love and Other Drugs shows that men can direct enjoyable romantic comedies, even though the film does contain more scenes of protracted nudity than most other rom-coms would. Additionally, some moments —mostly the ones that include Jamie’s brother — falter and unnecessary to the overall development of the plot. The best part of the movie comes from the development of the relationship between the two main characters as they change and grow, learning that love is the only drug in the world that’s acceptable for an overdose. Sanyee Yuan ’12 (syuan@fas) thinks Jake Gyllenhaal is an acceptable addiction.

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Arts

Before

and A review of 127 Hours.

After

By SANYEE YUAN

ne of my favorite authors in the

chick-lit genre, Emily Giffin, highlights the existence of the “before” moments in our lives. The moments that precede the unexpected turning points, milestones, and crises that we face unarmed. She calls them “the ‘before’ snapshots…those final ordinary moments that were blissfully taken for granted — and that likely would have been forgotten altogether but for what followed.” The newest film from Academy Award-winning director Danny Boyle, 127 Hours, is full of the “before” snapshots and its powerful message stems from the clarity and contrast from these poignant moments. Inspired by a true story, the film follows outdoors enthusiast Aron Ralston (played by James Franco) during a hike in Utah, when a fallen boulder traps his arm in a desolate canyon. Alone with his memories and video camera, Ralston struggles to not only stay sane, but to also survive and save himself from the rocky situation. The film progresses between flashbacks and an ongoing “day” count and the “before” moments of the movie boldly stand out, causing the audience to become increasingly invested in Ralston’s fight against nature. The movie starts out as Ralston prepares for what seems to be routine for him — another mountain climb. Leaving the sink on as water splashes into his large Nalgene bottle, he goes through the motions of throwing his gear into his backpack. Soon, he will cherish each drop in that bottle. Closing and opening cabinet doors, he fails to realize that leaving behind a Swiss army knife in the dark kitchen cabinet will hurt him later. As his answering machine clicks after he ignores the ringing of his telephone, 10

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he disregards the female voice and slams the door on his way out before she finishes her message. Flash forward to less than 24 hours later and Ralston has found, flirted with, and fled from two other female hikers, after meeting them briefly on the vast and isolated terrain of the canyon he is attempting to bike and climb for the weekend.

up. However, when Ralston finds his arm stuck between the impenetrable boulder and canyon wall, it becomes clear that he won’t be able to easily slide out of nature’s challenge. The film immediately picks up with his struggle and flashes of the “before” moments saturate the film. He remembers his first time

The cinematography is stunning, as blue sky meets rough dirt trails, highlighting Ralston as a lone wolf type who seems to believe he knows nature better than anyone else. He laughs in the face of it — this is clear in one memorable shot where he roughly falls off his bicycle while riding on uneven ground and proceeds to whip out a camera to capture the moment on film with a toothy thumbs-

watching the sun rise on a canyon with his father as a boy and feeling the warmth of the rays on his bespectacled face. He recalls the first lanky and beautiful lover he left, who warned him forebodingly, “You’re gonna be so lonely” as they separated. He thinks of his sister who is about to get married and how he promised to perform at her wedding and play the piano together, just as they used to do growing up.

Although Ralston has tricked us into thinking that he is someone who can wholly depend on himself and revel in self-reliance, we learn that he cannot survive without his ties to humanity. His interwoven memories and recollections punctuate his struggle. If only he had told someone where he was going before he left. If only he had picked up that ringing phone. If only he had a significant other who would alert the authorities the first night he didn’t return home. No matter how hard he has tried to create a comfortable distance between him and the people who love him, he realizes that he cannot live without them. Just like the water that he desperately needs to survive, he needs other human beings in his life to keep fighting. In this sense, 127 Hours is an unforgettable story that reminds us about the simple necessity of human connections in our complex world. With an impeccable soundtrack, breathtaking cinematography, and painfully and evocatively emotional acting, Boyle and Franco take us on the raw journey of discovery, visceral memory, and not individual, but collective strength that propels one man to beat the odds in an unbelievable trial against nature. We realize, with Ralston, that not only do our “before” moments shape us, but they are ones that cannot be avoided — ones that we need to embrace and learn from to better prepare ourselves to deal with the unavoidable obstacles that the present throws at us without warning. Sanyee Yuan ’12 (syuan@fas) hopes her next “before” moment will precede something less dramatic. 12.02.10 • The Harvard Independent

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Arts

Hallowed Potter ---

A look at the last installment in the Harry Potter cinematic saga.

---

here are certain assumptions

you can make about any interaction. For much of the Western world, those assumptions involve usage of the internet, cell phones, social networking and at least some knowledge of Harry Potter. In the decade following the publication of the first book, the fantasy seriesturned-movie franchise has been a constant presence in the lives of individuals aged 11 to 20, and more often than not, their parents as well. However, the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part I on November 19th marks the beginning of the end of Harry’s position in cultural dominance, and his transition as something for people to look forward to to something to look back on. Thankfully, for those looking back on the film will happy to know that they will be able to remember it as both a faithful recreation of Rowling’s story and a wonderfully crafted film in its own right. The Deathly Hallows Part 1, the first in a two-part adaptation of the final book in the series, follows Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his best friends Ron (Rupert Grint) and The Harvard Independent • 12.02.10

Hermione (Emma Watson) as they prepare for the final stand against Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), who seems primed to bring the magical and non-magical world under his rule. Of course, this is old news to anyone who has read the books and this latest film successfully embraces the franchise’s omnipresent issue of staying true to the source material. One can imagine that it was this dedication to fidelity — and not the desire to double opening weekend figures — that led to the decision to split the final book into two films. Either way, it is quickly evident that screenwriter Steve Kloves took full advantage of the extra time allotted to him by the split, allowing for a final product with a depth that was rarely seen in the earlier films. Instead of rushing from plot point to plot point as if checking off a list, Deathly Hallows is able to indulge in a full development of each scene, creating a dramatic weight and greater emotional investment compared to earlier instalments. This is furthered by the fact that the film, though still laden with fast-paced — and often rather terrifying — action sequences, draws much of its conflict and power from character scenes. Quieter moments, such as Harry and Hermione’s visit to the graveyard, serve to both vary the pacing and acting with nuanced explorations of the dynamics of the relationships between characters. Fortunately, this character focus is wonderfully supported by the acting. The younger actors — particularly Radcliffe and Grint — have truly matured in the subtlety and commitment to their roles. In fact, the films themselves seem to have matured along with their stars, not only in content, which has become markedly more serious, but also in style. David Yates, who has directed the Harry Potter films since the fifth instalment and will also direct the second half of the finale, creates an aesthetic that both reflects the gravity of the narrative and a refreshing realism that remains unapparent in the previous Potter films. The cinematography’s color palette is marked with sombre greys and blues and the consistent use of close-ups and handheld camera work creates a visceral, immediate quality to the film, a far cry from the purely fantastical feel that dominated the

first films. Yates’ other artistic choices, from his exhibition of the hauntingly beautiful British landscape to the use of unique animation to liven a potentially dull sequence, further demonstrate both a sharp directorial judgement and a determination to make this more than an ordinary blockbuster. And this is perhaps the Potter team’s greatest achievement. The fact is that they would have made a profit one way or another — and a phenomenal one at that — regardless of the actual quality of the film. And though there are questionable

By MARC SHI decisions, evident in some overly melodramatic lines and the omission of a few important details, it is abundantly clear that no one took the easy way out and no one is willing to let this become just another moneymaker in the Potter enterprise. The Deathly Hallows Part I is not just a good Harry Potter film: it is a good film period. If the time has come for Harry to make his way from the present to the past, he should be grateful for a fantastic send-off.

Marc Shi ’14 (mshi14@college) is satisfied until July.

Sports

Exploring Alternatives

~ What to watch now that football is finished. By WHITNEY LEE

ith the stadium now barren,

it is hard to believe that the empty stone bleachers held over thirty thousand people only a week ago. While it is easy to understand the attraction to football — it is one of the cornerstones of the collegiate experience — it begs other questions, “What about the other sports?” and “What should I watch now that football is over?” For instance, how many people knew that while the Crimson were crushing the Bulldogs that the varsity women’s hockey team was securing their third and fourth wins this season against Dartmouth or that the women’s rugby team (Division II) destroyed all but one of the teams in their conference to secure a place at nationals? As a recent football convert, I understand how easy it is to forget that we have forty other varsity sports and forty-five club sports that warrant more than a moment of ones time and consideration. The athletes who play these sports are equally dedicated individuals who have endured practices at ungodly hours, road trips all around the country, and diminished time for

family and friends. How many people know that as most of us were sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner that the women’s hockey team was hitting the ice in Minnesota in preparation for their match-up against the No. 7 University of Minnesota Gophers or that the men’s hockey team remained in Cambridge to play Dartmouth on Friday? Having gone to one of their games this season, I can attest to the game’s immediate allure. In the words of the great Wayne Gretzky and professional goaltender Ken Wregget, “Hockey is like a disease, you can’t really shake it.” For those looking for something to imbue them with a sense of school spirit, it is time to go to GoCrimson.com and check out some of our other wonderful teams that play throughout the winter. My suggestions include basketball (men’s and women’s), hockey (men’s and women’s) and rugby (men’s and women’s). Enjoy your winter season! Whitney Lee ’14 (whitneylee@college) plans on rooting for the Crimson in both the Frozen Four and the Final Four — she hopes you join her.

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captured & shot By JENN CHANG

Indy 40th Anniversary Dinner Cheers to a New Year!