The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLV No. 4 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Tuesday, January 23, 2018
The Harvard Crimson Harvard should devote all necessary resources to a new, fair vote on student unionization. editorial PAGE 6
Men’s tennis sweeps both opponents in Texas dual match. sports PAGE 7
Lander Denies Rumors of Candidacy
Gen. Ed. Changes To Be Delayed
By William L. Wang
By Lucy Wang
Crimson Staff Writer
Crimson Staff Writer
Broad Institute President and possible Harvard presidential candidate Eric S. Lander twice publicly asserted his commitment to his current roles at MIT and the Broad Institute over the past two days—but he did not directly deny involvement in the University’s presidential search. Since the summer, a presidential search committee, comprised of all 12 members of the Harvard Corporation and three members of the Board of Overseers, has been seeking a successor to University President Drew G. Faust, who plans to step down in June 2018. The Crimson reported in December that the committee had narrowed the number of candidates under consideration to fewer than 20 names. Last month, Harvard Medical School Dean George Q. Daley ’82 said he thinks Lander is “almost certainly on that shortlist.” But in recent emails to The Crimson and the Tech, MIT’s student newspaper, Lander said he is passionate about his current job. “While I’m flattered by Dean Daley’s comments to The Crimson, I love my job running the Broad Institute and have a lot more I plan to do in this role,” he wrote in an email to The Crimson Monday. “It’s an amazing time in biomedicine, and I get to work alongside the best scientists in the world here in the Boston area.” Lander was slightly more blunt in an email sent to the Tech Sunday. He said he was “surprised” by Daley’s suggestion he might be a contender for the University’s top job. “I was surprised to learn that speculation by someone who said they had no knowledge of the process was even being reported,” Lander wrote in an emailed statement to the Tech. “For my part, I fully expect to be teaching 7.012 at MIT next fall and continuing to be doing science!” Lander did not directly answer a question Monday asking whether he is involved in Harvard’s search process. Lander’s public comments seem to match denials given by candidates in previous searches. Past contenders have often refused to comment on the search or have insisted they are focused on their current posts—maneuvers designed to leave wiggle room should the search committee express interest down the line. In Harvard’s last presidential search in 2007, a spokesperson for then-candidate Elena Kagan said Kagan
The College will not debut its long-awaited new system of General Education requirements until fall 2019, a full year later than expected, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana announced Monday. This roll-out will be the culmination of over three years of scrutiny of the College’s distribution requirements, which were deemed to be “failing on a variety of fronts” in May 2015. In an email to the College, Khurana wrote that “the extra year will allow the revitalized Program in General Education to launch with a larger number and broader range of exciting new courses.” The College has been working to restructure General Education requirements since a committee of professors reviewed the program and published
See Lander Page 5
Teaching Hospitals Receive Large Gift
Half Baked
The Charles River is half-thawed. After week s of frigid weather, temperatures have been above freezing this week.w Jacqueline S. Chea—Crimson photographer
See Delay Page 5
Students Crowd In on First Day of Classes By Amy L. Jia and Sanjana L. narayanan Crimson Staff Writers
Professor Greg Mankiw discusses the inflation of Zimbabwe dollars at the first lecture of Economics 10B: Principles of Economics. Jacqueline s. chea—Crimson photographer
Light showers and heavy crowds descended on Harvard’s campus Monday morning, as students in the College flocked to classes on the first day of the semester. Classes were packed across disciplines, with students clamoring for seats in courses like the perennially popular Economics 10B: “Principles of Economics,” and the newer Theater, Dance, and Media 110: “Foundations in Acting: Viewpoints.” Several students said they had to leave large lecture halls due to a lack of space. “There was like a huge line out the door, you couldn’t even get through,” said Deedee R. Jiang ’20, who had wanted to attend Societies of the World 38: “Pyramid Schemes: The Archaeological History of Ancient Egypt” in Science Center Hall D. “We just didn’t push to get to the front, so we got screwed over.” Students said that classes as varied as Computer Science 181: “Machine Learning,” Science of Living Systems
20: “Psychological Science,” Organismic and Evolutionary Biology 130: “Biology of Fishes,” and Philosophy 20: “Happiness” faced similar problems with crowding. Some professors did more than present the syllabus on the first day of class. Astronomy Department Chair Avi Loeb took the students in his freshman seminar, Freshman Seminar 21G: “First Stars and Life in the Cosmos,” to see the Great Refractor—the largest telescope in North America when it was built in 1847—in the Harvard College Observatory. Preceptor in Scandinavian Agnes Broomé surprised her students in Swedish AB: “Beginning Swedish Language and Literature” by bringing in her dog. “At the end, she brought in a puppy, a German Shepherd puppy. It was absolutely adorable,” Nichlas G. Vranos ’20, who attended Broomé’s class, said. “It was really nice and a good way to start my week.” Students do not finalize their course roster for the semester until Friday, wallowing them to casually survey
See shopping Page 5
On Coming Year, UC Leaders Optimistic
SEE PAGE 3
By Luke W. Vrotsos
By JOnah s. berger
Crimson Staff Writer
Crimson Staff Writer
righam and Women’s Hospital and B Boston Children’s Hospital will receive a $100 million donation from Boston-area philanthropists Robert Hale Jr. and Karen Hale, the Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals announced Monday. The $100 million gift will be split between the two hospitals, with each receiving $50 million from the couple. The funds will support the hospitals in their current research, expansion efforts, and patient care. “Their gift will help us deliver even more of the best care for so many families, from the most complex and fragile children from around the world to the most essential primary and preventive care in our community, close to home,”
Undergraduate Council President Catherine L. Zhang ’19 and Vice President Nicholas D. Boucher ’19 voiced optimism for their upcoming year in office in an interview Sunday, reaffirming their focus on issues highlighted in their campaign, including gender-neutral bathrooms, mental health initiatives, and sexual assault prevention. “We’re so excited about this year because we have so many things that we want to do,” Zhang said. In their campaign, Zhang and Boucher pledged to work with administrators to expand gender-inclusive housing and gender-neutral bathrooms, and offer the UC as a resource center for sexual assault, mental health, financial, and religious
See DONation Page 5 Inside this issue
Harvard Today 2
News 3
IAG MEETING
Gerald Autler sits at the Harvard Enterprise Research Campus Impact Advisory Group meeting Monday evening. zennie l. wey—Crimson photographer
Editorial 6
Sports 7
Today’s Forecast
Rainy High: 54 Low: 35
Visit thecrimson.com. Follow @TheCrimson on Twitter.
See UC Page 3
Turtlehead
HARVARD TODAY
FOR Lunch
FOR DINNER
Grilled BBQ Chicken Thigh
Teriyaki Chicken with Scallions and Garlic
Grilled Chicken Thigh
TUESDAY | January 23, 2018
Philly Cheese Steak Sub
Shakshuka-North African Style Poached Eggs Vegetable Lo-Mein
around the ivies Yale Unlikely to Punish DKE The Yale Daily News reported Monday that Yale’s administration is unlikely to sanction campus fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon, despite new allegations of rape at the fraternity. The university asked the fraternity to implement a five-year program in 2011, but victims allege that the fraternity’s culture has not significantly changed since then.
Activists Protest on Trump Anniversary New Haven activist groups such as People’s Congress of Resistance and the Answer Coalition staged a protest against the Trump administration’s stance on reproductive rights on the lawn of the local Planned Parenthood, the Yale Daily News reported Monday. On Saturday, President Trump reaffirmed his administration’s pro-life stance at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. Protesters told the Yale Daily News that they wanted to respond to local prolife demonstrators as well as Trump’s stance.
Color me surprised This colorful traffic control box sits on the sidewalk of Western Avenue. JACQUELINE S. CHEA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Happy TUESDAY, harvard! Happy Tuesday, Harvard! Here’s your friendly neighborhood reminder that you are not a failure if you’re still figuring out your shopping week schedule day by day. It happens to the best of us. In the Atmosphere… Surely there’s something ominous
about rain during the first week of classes? It’ll continue through the day, but at leats temperatures are spiking back into the low 50s to keep our spirits somewhat afloat. EVENTS Exhibition Lecture: “Architecture Before Speech: A Conversation” Watch the live stream or go see K. Michael Hays and Andrew Holder give their exhibition lecture very
strangely entitled “Architecture Before Speech: A Conversation,” from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Graduate School of Design’s Gund Hall Piper Auditorium. If you’re like us, and this is the first you’ve heard of a Harvard Graduate School of Design, satisfy your curiosity at this free event.
Police Investigate Black Lives Matter Sign Theft and Vandalism at Cornell After a Black Lives Matter sign was stolen from a Cornell administrator’s door, police have begun searching for a suspect, the Cornell Daily Sun reported Sunday. The College of Veterinary Medicine administrator, Audrey Z. Baker, said she first posted a sign that was removed Jan. 11. and had to replace it twice before it was vandalized in a third incident. After filing a bias report with the school, Baker said other people in her office who usually refrain from posting political statements asked her where they could get their own posters to put up in solidarity.
Brandon J. Dixon & Lorenzo F. Manuali Crimson Staff Writers
in the real world wINTER WEATHER FUN Government Shutdown Ends The President signed a bill passed by Congress that funds the government for a few weeks and funds the Children’s Health Insurance Program for the long-term. As part of a compromise between Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, McConnell also promised to bring a bipartisan immigration bill dealing with DACA to the floor for a vote.
WinterFest opened on Monday in Science Center Plaza with ice lane games including bowling, shuffleboard, and curling. JACQUELINE S. CHEA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Pennsylvania Electoral Map Struck Down The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court found that the state’s electoral lines violated the state’s Constitution and favored one party. The United States Supreme Court is currently considering a case related to partisan gerrymandering in Wisconsin and Maryland.
Woman who Inspired “Rosie the Riveter” Dies Naomi Parker Fraley, who worked for the Navy during World War II, passed away on Saturday. Fraley deflected media attention for much of her life, but was confirmed as the inspiration for the famous poster in 2016.
WAIting at the dot
The Harvard Crimson The University Daily, Est. 1873 Derek G. Xiao, President Hannah Natanson, Managing Editor Nathan Y. Lee, Business Manager Copyright 2018, The Harvard Crimson (USPS 236-560). No articles, editorials, cartoons or any part thereof appearing in The Crimson may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the President. The Associated Press holds the right to reprint any materials published in The Crimson. The Crimson is a non-profit, independent corporation, founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. Second-class postage paid in Boston, Massachusetts. Published Monday through Friday except holidays and during vacations, three times weekly during reading and exam periods by The Harvard Crimson Inc., 14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138 Weather icons made by Freepik, Yannick, Situ Herrera, OCHA, SimpleIcon, Catalin Fertu from flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY 3.0.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Staff for This Issue
“I’m glad we have shopping week. It gives us time to fall out of love with the wrong courses, and fall in love with the right ones.”
Night Editor Graham W. Bishai ’19
Raj Karan S. Gambhir ’21
CORRECTIONS The Harvard Crimson is committed to accuracy in its reporting. Factual errors are corrected promptly on this page. Readers with information about errors are asked to e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@thecrimson.com.
Design Editors Diana C. Perez ’19
Assistant Night Editors Editorial Editor Shera S. Avi-Yonah ’21 Emmanuel R. R. Jamie D. Halper ’20 D’Agostino ’19 Story Editors Brittany N. Ellis ’19 Mia C. Karr ’19 Hannah Natanson ’19 Kenton K. Shimozaki ’19 Brian P. Yu ’19 Phelan Yu ’19
Photo Editors Jacqueline S. Chea ’19 Zennie L. Wey ’20
Sports Editors Cade Palmer ’20
The Harvard Crimson | january 23, 2018 | page 3
Allston Residents UC Leaders Share Plans for Year Wary of Auto Traffic UC From Page 1
By Truelian Lee and Jaqueline a. Patel Crimson Staff Writers
A llstonians raised concerns that Harvard’s plans for their neighborhood privilege automobile over pedestrian transport during a meeting Monday with University representatives. Harvard filed plans for the neighborhood—a 14-acre portion of the University’s larger holdings in Allston—on Dec. 7. The filing remains under review with the Boston Planning and Development Agency, the city’s urban planning body. The BPDA recently extended the public comment period for the plan to Feb. 2, ensuring Allston residents can give feedback on the document. One form of feedback came Monday night at a meeting of the Impact Advisory Group, a body of Allston residents meant to help guide Harvard’s vision for the 14-acre plot. The group meets weekly to discuss the possible environmental and social effects of the University’s construction plans. On Monday, the group met specifically to address issues surrounding mobility and streets in Allston. Harvard representative Joe G. Beggan detailed the University’s proposed transportation plans at the meeting. Harvard plans to include 400,000 square feet of offices and labs, 250,000 square feet of hotel and conference center space, 250,000 square feet of residential space, nearly 900 parking spaces, and around 600 new bicycle parking spaces in the 14-acre portion, according to its filings with the BPDA. The segment forms part of a larger 36acre plot, dubbed the “Enterprise Research Campus,” on which Harvard proposed a center for entrepreneurship in Allston. Beggan spoke in part about plans to construct new streets called Stadium Road and Cattle Drive. The new roads will better connect North Harvard Street to Harvard Square; the former road will include one bus and shuttle-only lane as well as a two-way bicycle path, Beggan said. Beggan also discussed expanding public and Harvard-specific transit to serve a greater portion of the Cambridge and Allston population. He particularly noted that the Harvard shuttle currently servicing Barry’s Corner, a 9.3-acre slice
of Allston at the intersection of North Harvard Street and Western Avenue, will eventually be extended to reach the enterprise research campus. But some impact advisory group members said they were concerned by the plan Monday. Attendees criticized what they called Harvard’s undue prioritization of automobile transport. “If you drew a circle [on the map of the plans] with the end of my pen, I count seven, eight parking lots. And if you were to do a land area comparison, just by eye, it’s looking like 65-35 parking lots to buildings—too many parking lots,” attendee Tim McHale said. “When I look at this, I see vehicular traffic being hugely privileged over pedestrian traffic,” fellow attendee Max Rome said. Some members also said they wanted to see more “direct and visible” Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority participation in Harvard’s broad Allston planning process. Allstonian and attendee Anthony P. D’Isidoro said he particularly wished MassDOT and the MBTA would give greater input on Harvard’s vision for its enterprise research campus. “For some reason, I get a feeling that there is a huge leap of faith here,” D’Isidoro said. “It’s like, ‘Community, we’re going to get going with this,’ and now we’re saying, ‘No, we’re doing a little something now, but down the road, it’ll get a lot better, and we’re just going to swallow this for the next ten years or so.’” In response to attendees’ concerns, BPDA senior project manager Gerald Autler—who attended the meeting— said he will ask a representative from one of the two state agencies to come to a future impact advisory group session. In addition to Autler, In upcoming weeks, the impact advisory group plans to discuss issues related to sewage water, traffic, pollution, retail opportunities for small businesses, and urban design, according to members. Autler said he hopes Allston residents do not see the approaching end of the comment period as the “end of any conversation.” “I’m happy to schedule as many meetings as are necessary,” Autler said. “Whenever this approval happens, we’re not going to have resolved every issue that’s been brought up.”
concerns. The duo also said they wanted to represent student voices on controversial campus issues. More than a month after the Harvard Corporation voted to formally adopt the penalties on single-gender final clubs and Greek organizations, Boucher said he and Zhang are heavily involved in shaping the implementation of the policy, which prevents members of single-gender social groups from serving as captains of varsity athletic teams, holding campus leadership roles, or receiving College endorsements for certain fellowships. The two said they have met with multiple Office of Student Life administrators, including Dean of Students Katherine G. O’Dair, and said they are attempting to convey student feedback they received during their campaign. “Right now we have this directive that comes from the top of what the policy will look like from a high lev-
paign proposals and how they intend to follow through on them. “I think one thing we tried to make clear is that we have a lot we’re going to do this year,” Boucher said. “And I think to administrators at first, it comes off as, ‘You have a lot you want to do this year’ and I think we want to make sure that the message is ‘We have a lot we’re going to do this year.’” According to Zhang and Boucher, the UC will roll out its new website in the coming weeks. Among other features, the updated site will allow students to track the progress of the duo’s 39 campaign proposals, as part of a push by the Council to increase transparency. The UC will convene for its first general meeting of the year this Sunday. The Council meets every Sunday during the semester. —Staff writer Jonah S. Berger can be reached at jonah.berger@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @jonahberger98.
Photog Criticizes Museum Donor By Shera S. Avi-Yonah Crimson Staff Writer
Nan Goldin, a photographer who has several works housed in Harvard’s art collection, recently called on the Harvard Art Museums to refuse donations from the Sackler family in light of their stake in Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid OxyContin. The Sackler family funded the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, which forms part of the Harvard Art Museums. First opened in 1985, the Sackler Museum houses Harvard’s collection of Asian, Islamic, and Mediterranean art. The Sackler family name has come under increased scrutiny in recent years due to the national opioid crisis. Although family members directly descended from Arthur Sackler have not held shares in Purdue Pharma since the 1990s, descendants of his brothers have occupied positions on the company’s board since then. Goldin, who is undergoing treatment for addiction to OxyContin, sparked a campaign on Twitter using the hashtag #ShameOnSackler in an attempt to encourage Harvard and other institutions to disown the family.
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el,” Boucher said. “What we don’t have is what it’s going to look like in terms of the specific procedure, the specific logistics of how information will be passed.” Zhang and Boucher also expressed their “unconditional” support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and its approximately 800,000 recipients whose temporary legal protections were revoked by President Donald Trump in September. Last week, University President Drew G. Faust sent a letter to Congressional leaders asking for “immediate attention” to secure protections for DACA recipients, several dozen of whom are Harvard students. Lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement on DACA, after failing to resolve the matter in a spending bill to end a three-day government shutdown. The new UC leaders met with Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana late last semester to discuss their cam-
Goldin’s advocacy group, called Prescription Addiction Intervention Now, or P.A.I.N, is calling on art museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum to refuse donations from the Sackler family. They are also asking the Sacklers to fund initiatives aimed at combating opioid-related deaths. “When I got out of treatment I became absorbed in reports of addicts dropping dead from my drug, OxyContin,” Goldin wrote in an online petition encouraging museums to disown the Sacklers. “I learned that the Sackler family, whose name I knew from museums and galleries, were responsible for the epidemic.” “This family formulated, marketed, and distributed OxyContin. I have decided to make the private public by calling them to task,” she wrote. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control found that overdose deaths from prescription opioids like OxyContin have quadrupled since 1999. From 2000 to 2015, drug overdoses killed more than half a million Americans. In a statement to the Boston Globe,
Elizabeth A. Sackler, the president of the Arthur M. Sackler Foundation, voiced admiration for Goldin. She also sought to distance herself and her immediate family from Purdue Pharma. “The opioid epidemic is a national crisis and Purdue Pharma’s role in it is morally abhorrent to me. I admire Nan Goldin’s commitment to take action and her courage to tell her story,” Sackler said. “None of his descendants have ever owned a share of Purdue stock nor benefitted in any way from it or the sale of Oxycontin. I stand with all angry voices against abuse of power that harms or compromises any and all lives.” Purdue Pharma also provided a statement to the Globe affirming the company’s commitment to addressing the opioid epidemic. “We are deeply troubled by the prescription and illicit opioid abuse crisis, and we would welcome an opportunity to sit down with Ms. Goldin to discuss her ideas,” Purdue Pharma said. —Staff writer Shera S. Avi-Yonah can be reached at shera.avi-yonah@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @saviyonah.
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First Day Features Crowds, Puppies shopping From Page 1 allowing them to casually survey classes before committing. Raj Karan S. Gambhir ’21, a Crimson arts editor, wrote in an email that after sitting in on a certain class at last year’s Visitas program—the College’s welcome weekend for admitted students— he had been eagerly looking forward to taking it in the spring. “Finally, the lecture starts, and I begin to realize that this class is not for me. I made the mistake that many make when entering a relationship—I jumped the gun,” Gambhir wrote.
“Meanwhile, my once skeptical friend is as fervently in love with the course as I was just minutes prior. I’m glad we have shopping week. It gives us time to fall out of love with the wrong courses, and fall in love with the right ones.” For others, such as Brandon N. Wachs ’18, the first day of classes was a more casual affair. “We figured since it’s our last first day of school as seniors, we woke up early and intended to go to class. But then we had also planned to drink in the morning, and that just continued to a morning-long drinking session while looking at classes on the Q Guide,” Wachs said, referring to
the online course catalogue. “But then around noon, people did decide to start going to classes.” “It was a good bonding experience to kick off the last semester we have here,” Wachs added. after sitting in on a certain class at last year’s Visitas program—the College’s welcome weekend for admitted students—he had been eagerly looking forward to taking it in the spring. “Finally, the lecture starts, and I begin to realize that this class is not for me. I made the mistake that many make when entering a relationship—I jumped the gun,” Gambhir wrote.
Teaching Hospitals Receive Gift donation From Page 1 Sandra L. Fenwick, president of Boston Children’s Hospital said in the press release. In response to the donation, both hospitals plan to name buildings after the Hale family. Brigham and Women’s will name their newest building, finished last year, the Hale Building for Transformative Medicine. Boston Children’s Hospital gained approval in 2016 for an 11-story, $1 billion building that will feature a neonatal intensive care unit and heart center. When it is finished in 2021, it will also be named for the donors.
Robert Hale Jr. is CEO of Granite Telecommunications, a Massachusetts-based company that provides internet, data, and other telecommunications services to businesses in the U.S. and Canada. Hale and his company have previously donated to Connecticut College, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and several other charities in New England. Both of the Hales have had ties to the hospitals for years. Karen Hale sits on the Cancer Research and Care advisory board at Brigham and Women’s. Both serve on the Trust Board of Boston Children’s and have chaired fund-
Lander Denies Presidential Bid Lander From Page 1 was “focused like a laser beam on being dean of the Law School.” In that search, Kagan made it to final-round interviews. Other candidates—including the presidents of Brown and Princeton—insisted they would never leave what they called “the best job” in higher education. The committee in the last search did not take candidates’ public denials into account, The Crimson reported in Jan. 2007. Lander, 59, led the successful completion of the Human Genome Project in the 1990s as the head of Whitehead Institute. He also served on the Council of Advisors on Science and Technology under President Barack Obama. This is not the first time Lander’s name has come up as a contender for
the Harvard presidency. The geneticist was reported to be on the 2007 search committee’s shortlist in Harvard’s search for its 28th president. Organismic and Evolutionary Biology professor Pardis C. Sabeti, who has known Lander for years, wrote in an email last week that Lander is a “visionary” who has “helped nurture the careers of countless individuals.” Asked about Lander’s possible candidacy, Sabeti wrote she thinks the geneticist would make a lasting mark at the University. “He is also one of those rare human beings that excels and deeply understands a large variety of fields,” Sabeti wrote. “He could make a profound and lasting impact at Harvard University.” —Staff writer William L. Wang can be reached at william.wang@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @wlwang20.
raising campaigns at Brigham and Women’s. The Hales’ donation comes after a year of financial difficulty for Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The hospital bought out 1,600 employee contracts last year in an effort to reduce mounting labor expenditures. Around the same time, proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health placed financial pressure on the hospital, which is among the top recipients of federal funding. University President Drew G. Faust lobbied Congress in October to maintain NIH funding for Harvard research facilities.
Gen. Ed. Program Delayed Until 2019 delay From Page 1 an unfavorable report in 2015. Following the report, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted to form a committee, headed by Philosophy Department Chair Edward J. Hall, to review and “recommend” changes to the program. In March 2016, the Faculty voted to approve a new system, overhauling the General Education requirements. Under the new program, instead of taking one class in each of eight categories, students must take one class in each of four categories: Aesthetics & Culture; Histories, Societies, Individuals; Science & Technology in Society; and Ethics & Civics. In addition, students must take three departmental requirements in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences/SEAS, and an additional course that “demonstrates quantitative facility.” The last requirement is yet to be finalized. Last spring, Dean of Undergraduate Education Jay M. Harris, who will step down at the end of this academic year, introduced a plan for the requirement, now named “Thinking with Data.” Courses would be either shaped from pre-existing Statistics department classes or created from scratch. The proposal was met with resistance from some faculty members, in-
cluding math and social sciences professors. The Faculty has not yet approved a version of the requirement, and, in an interview last month, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith said he did not think it necessary to debut this requirement at the same time as the rest of the General Education changes. While the new General Education requirements are in flux—now for another year—students graduating before fall 2019 are able to choose to graduate under either the old or new General Education programs. In the past, this has caused a mix of confusion and relief for juniors and seniors. In his email, Khurana said the choice will remain for juniors and seniors. He directed students to the Program in General Education’s website, which has advice for students in each class year. Individual staff members in the Program in General Education could not be reached for comment Monday. In an emailed statement signed “Program in General Education,” they declined to comment. —Staff writer Lucy Wang can be reached at lucy. wang@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @lucyyloo22.
MLB Execs Attend Alumni Event By BrYan hu Crimson Staff Writer
Five Harvard Baseball alumni who are now top Major League Baseball executives discussed their careers and the baseball industry at a question-and-answer event hosted by the Harvard Club of Boston on Monday evening. The panelists included Michael L. Hill ’93, David L. Forst ’98, Peter N. Woodfork ’99, Jeff T. Bridich ’00, and W. Ben Crockett ’02—all of whom had donned Crimson uniforms on the diamond years ago. Hill is the current president of baseball operations for the Miami Marlins, Forst is the general manager of the Oakland Athletics, Bridich is the senior vice president and general manager of the Colorado Rockies, and Crockett is the vice president of Player Development for the Boston Red Sox. Woodfork is the senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball. The event was moderated by Jon
Paul Morosi ’04, a former Crimson sports editor who currently reports for MLB.com and the MLB Network. The panelists also fielded questions from the audience afterwards. During the event, which was co-sponsored by Friends of Harvard Baseball and the Harvard Varsity Club, the panelists frequently brought up the impact of their experiences at Harvard in shaping their baseball careers. “It ultimately started here,” Forst said. “We all got an opportunity to get where we are because we were able to play [for Harvard baseball]…It’s hard to overstate what this program has meant to us.” Hill echoed Forst’s remarks, emphasizing defining moments on and off the field during his time at Harvard. “As a freshman, I got the opportunity to play left field [in the Beanpot],” Hill said. “I’m an 18-year-old kid and I’m playing left field at Fenway Park, and I’m like, ‘you gotta be kidding me.’” The panelists also talked about transitioning from Harvard to the pro-
fessional baseball scene, ascending to their front-office roles, and the challenge of cutting professional players. Woodfork spoke about steps by the MLB to improve diversity in baseball. When discussing major league trades, the panelists emphasized that trust plays a large role in teams’ interactions with each other. “There has to be a give-and-take. When you’re dealing with one of your colleagues, there has to be a foundation there,” Bridich said. “It is one of the more enjoyable parts of what we do, getting to talk to 29 other clubs.” Towards the end of the event, audience members asked questions on team chemistry, advice to college students entering the MLB, and tanking in sports. Attendees of the event included the current Harvard baseball team, Head Coach Bill K. Decker, and Harvard Corporation member Joseph J. O’Donnell ’67. O’Donnell and Decker gave closing remarks and gifted the six guests with Harvard baseball apparel.
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EDITORIAL The Crimson Editorial board
A More Perfect Union Election Harvard should devote all necessary resources to a new, fair vote on student unionization
T
he National Labor Relations Board recently dismissed Harvard’s appeal of its original decision to hold a second vote on the question of if eligible students should be able to unionize through the Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers. As a result, a re-vote will be held, and both sides of the debate are gearing up for yet another campaign. We sympathize with the University’s concern that the revote will require additional resources. Nevertheless, we believe that the expenditure of Harvard’s resources is the only way to ensure a fair election that is free of suspicion. Given that Harvard appealed the NLRB’s original decision to hold a second vote, it would behoove the University to avoid any semblance of impropriety by putting the maximum effort possible into the new election. Additionally, Harvard’s recent technical failures with online voting and non-compliance with voter list requirements in the original unionization vote heighten the need for a well-funded election process. Simultaneously, by spending a large amount of resources on the debate preceding the vote, Harvard can make the discussion surrounding student unionization clearer and more substantive. As it stands, student unionization can be a polarizing issue. This severely affects conver-
sations on unionization and can turn them into charged debates which lack a focus on substance. Unfortunately, this sort of discourse leaves little room for clear or open debate.
The merits of the issue aside, if students do not know whether they are eligible to vote, the most important thing they can do is find out. We thus believe that University resources should also contribute to ameliorating the conversation surrounding student unionization. Indeed, those overseeing the election should do everything in their power to facilitate a free yet clear exchange of ideas between those in favor and against unionization, perhaps by holding a public debate or through other measures. As we have previously opined, unionization will not solve all the problems eligible students currently face, but it will have a large impact on their lives should it pass. Regardless of how the University chooses to act concerning the election, graduate students and eligible undergraduates therefore should carefully weigh the arguments for each option. Some believe that the positions
that are eligible for unionization— such as teaching fellows and research assistants—should not be considered jobs or working positions, but rather integral parts of academic scholarship. Others state that they are being unfairly treated by the University with respect to their work and their compensation for it. They also feel that the limited number of studies that exist on the subject, such as one from Cornell University, point in favor of the argument that graduate student employees who are unionized report higher earnings and more professional support. The merits of the issue aside, if students do not know whether they are eligible to vote, the most important thing they can do is find out. Furthermore, if they are eligible, we urge them to educate themselves and then exercise their right to vote, no matter which side they support. Democratic institutions are powerless if people do not engage with them. And when it comes time for eligible students to vote, we hope that the election will be the final one on the matter. This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.
BE A CRIMSON CARTOONIST Submit a sample cartoon or any questions to Associate Editorial Editor Wonik Son ‘19 (wonik.son@thecrimson.com).
Give and Take By Meaghan E. Townsend
“H
ey! Are you interested in joining Harvard College Faith and Action?” The voice is so eager and enthusiastic that I’m almost guilted into taking the proffered flyer before I remember— no, I’m not actually interested in joining. Right. Cheeks flushed, I avert my eyes and mutter an apology as I skirt by my well-intentioned assailant into the warm asylum of Annenberg. A frown tugs at my face as I wonder if I hurt her feelings, and then I’m caught up in the chaotic rush of card swipes and she disappears into a dusty corner of my memory. Until the next day or two, when I find myself in a very similar situation. If not Harvard College Faith and Action, it’s an a capella concert, vegetarian society, improv show, or even “glow party” (whatever that means). The plethora of these offerings is indicative of just how much is happening on campus. When my day carries me out of the Yard and into the Square, however, I find myself being approached for a much more serious reason. I see people surrounded by their possessions, clustered on benches, seated outside the T—so ubiquitous that they seem almost as much a part of Harvard as the red brick. And they see me, too. With words, cardboard signs, and tired, knowing eyes, they ask me for cash, food, and change. I feel the same twinge in my heart at every one of these requests, but I rarely honor any of them. After walking by a homeless person, I’m lost in thought,
compelled to help but not knowing how to do so effectively. But again, inevitably, I’m distracted by the next leg of my day and the moment fades from my mind. On a certain level, these two situations could not be more disparate. One is publicizing a fun event or student group; the other is seeking the means to meet basic necessities. One asks you to take; the other asks you to give. But both offer an important reminder of how privileged we are as Harvard students. And I’ve struggled to know what to do in either case. Sometimes, when I know I don’t want to involve myself, I feel the urge to simply withdraw. But there are few things worse than being ignored, and I don’t want to inflict that feeling on anyone. I worry that too much eye contact will send the wrong message and not enough will be considered cold. Where does that leave me? Lately, I’ve been working to simply acknowledge the value of the other person’s presence. If it’s someone handing out a flyer, I can take a moment to say “No, thanks” instead of just pretending they’re invisible. If it’s someone asking for change, I can give them a word of support rather than a dollar. But as meaningful as words are, they don’t solve the larger problems at hand. If I don’t pay attention to a publicizer outside Annenberg, the worst I do is momentarily offend a peer. If I don’t pay attention to a homeless person on the street, I’m guilty of reinforcing a culture that turns a blind eye to those in need. The more grave of these two offenses is undoubtedly the latter. For that reason, I’m looking into
volunteering opportunities at the youth homeless shelter Y2Y and the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter. But there’s only so much that I can do as a single student. Helping Cambridge’s hundreds of homeless individuals get back on their feet will require time and money far beyond what I can provide. A previous Crimson staff editorial suggested that this is where institutions with massive reserves of resources and manpower, such as Harvard, should come in. I believe it is immoral for Harvard not to redirect some of its considerable wealth towards the homeless if doing so would not detract from the school’s immediate well-being. In fact, by both supplementing student efforts at Y2Y and HSHS and addressing one of the root causes of homelessness, Harvard could augment its own integrity and productivity with thoughtful donations to those in need. After all, if Harvard has the money to put on event after event, surely it can spare some of those funds to help the homeless. There is certainly value in the extensive programming available to Harvard students, but I would be happy to give up a few concerts and parties if I knew that more people were being helped. If we seek to realize real change, we must fight our inclinations to forget and disengage. Some solutions will be more easily implemented than others, but none at all will present themselves unless we stop ignoring the problem. If we all gave a little more and took a little less, there just might be more to go around. Meaghan E. Townsend ‘21, a Crimson editorial editor, lives in Canaday Hall.
The Harvard Crimson | January 23, 2018 | page 6
Stop Demonizing My Treatment By Lucas A. Mitchell
W
hen I was in elementary school, teachers would write home saying I was a bright kid but had trouble staying in my seat. My eyes would glaze over during tasks. I had a “lack of control.” My classmates would laugh when I raised my hand to ask a question the teacher had answered a sentence ago, and while I pretended to think it was funny too—all part of a joke—I would secretly wonder why I couldn’t just “get” it like my peers did. I didn’t understand why I was different. Over time, I grew too embarrassed to ask questions, and my grades suffered. When my parents decided to get me professionally tested, the result confirmed their suspicions: I have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The psychiatrist recommended I take stimulant medication, but, like many parents, mine were initially hesitant to accept this option. Every headline they had seen circulating about how Adderall is over-prescribed and potentially harmful for developing brains was likely on their minds, causing doubt. It’s hard to make the choice to spend hundreds of dollars on a treatment accused of causing meth addiction, among other things. However, the psychiatrist was able to assuage these fears and convince my parents of the treatment’s safety, and they eventually accepted a prescription for Adderall. Taking that one little pill in the mornings had an immediate effect. Suddenly, I could concentrate for longer and remember what had been said more than two minutes prior. Periods of clarity, before a luxury, became common. I stopped interrupting people and started listening more, and the jokes about my memory gradually died out. It was like I had been struggling to breathe my whole life, and Adderall handed me an oxygen mask. This story isn’t new, and I’m not the first one to tell it. Stimulant therapy’s efficacy in treating the 6.4 million children who suffer from ADHD nationwide is well-documented. Still, it remains a highly controversial treatment, rejected by many in the field. Some claim that ADHD simply doesn’t exist, that it’s just an excuse for undisciplined kids to act out. Others who acknowledge the existence of ADHD argue against using stimulants to treat it because they We need to focus on say the drugs do more harm than good for addressing these developing brains. issues and not on They fret about medications being stigmatizing the over-prescribed and children who rely taken advantage of by those just trying to get on stimulants to ahead in school, and function and the they feel that ADHD be treated with parents who buy their can more parental attention—“da ngerous” prescriptions. psychoactive substances need not enter the picture. Here are the facts. Research has shown no long-term negative effects of prescription stimulants on the developing brain. Children treated with stimulants are 1.9 times less likely than their non-medicated counterparts to develop substance use disorders later in life and exhibit lower levels of physical aggression. Most importantly, stimulants are also extremely effective at treating the inattention, lack of focus, and impulsivity that are the hallmarks of ADHD. To those who say that medications are unnecessary, and that children are better off without them, consider this: one out of every two kids with ADHD will face widespread peer rejection. One in three individuals with ADHD will develop depression, and almost one in two will develop anxiety. We are 2.5 times more likely to develop a substance use disorder and a whopping seven times more likely to attempt suicide. This is not just a different way of thinking. It is a treatable mental illness. Stigmatization of prescription stimulants may be based on myths, but it has very real consequences for the millions who suffer from the disease. Passage of the Controlled Substances Act of 1970 put stimulants such as Adderall and Ritalin in the Schedule II category. As a result, patients have to bring a new prescription to the pharmacy every 30 days. This is burdensome for those living far away from their psychiatrist, who often have to wait several unmedicated days for the prescription to arrive in the mail. Unsurprisingly, the effects of this stigma weigh much more heavily on those from lower-income backgrounds. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars are needed to get a professional diagnosis of ADHD, and many health insurance plans won’t cover the price of stimulant therapy. As a result, many people with ADHD cannot access affordable treatment—they cope by themselves. We need to focus on addressing these issues and not on stigmatizing the children who rely on stimulants to function and the parents who buy their prescriptions. We need to stop supporting costly, unnecessary restrictions that prevent millions from accessing treatment for this debilitating illness. We need to end the pointless controversy over medicating children and start shifting the conversation to how we can improve the solutions. Until we do, millions of people like me will have to continue to endure ADHD, but unlike me, they will not have a way out. Lucas A. Mitchell ’21 is a Psychology concentrator in Pforzheimer House.
The Harvard Crimson President Derek G. Xiao ’19 Managing Editor Hannah Natanson ’19 Business Manager Nathan Y. Lee ‘19
The University Daily, Est. 1873
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Blog Chairs Lydia L. Cawley ’20 Stuti Telidevara ’20 Design Chairs Morgan J. Spaulding ’19 Simon S. Sun ’19 Digital Strategists Caroline S. Engelmayer ’20 Jamie D. Halper ’20 Dianne Lee ’20 Magazine Chairs Marella A. Gayla ’19 Leah S. Yared ’19 Multimedia Chairs Amy Y. Li ’20 Ellis J. Yeo ’20
Sports
The Harvard Crimson | January 23, 2018 | page 7
Crimson Sweeps Both Opponents in Texas Dual Match Men’s TENNIS By Jamie chen Crimson Staff Writer
Escaping the Boston cold, the Harvard men’s tennis team kicked off its spring season with a dual match in Texas this past weekend. The Crimson squad did not disappoint down South, claiming a 4-3 victory over Southern Methodist University on Friday and a handy 6-1 win over University of Texas, Arlington, on Sunday. “The team competed really well this week,” co-captain Jean Thirouin said. “Being the first match of the season, it was expected that everyone wouldn’t be playing their best tennis, but the team fought hard and showed how much work they’d put in over break.” Strong doubles play highlighted the weekend with Harvard earning both points, and undefeated singles play from senior Grant Solomon, sophomore Logan Weber, and rookies Robert Wrzesinski and Constantin Zoske. “We played tough opponents and the work we all put in in the offseason really showed,” junior Andy Zhou said. “I think the guys were very fit and match ready and that paid dividends under pressure this weekend.” HARVARD 6, UTA 1 The Crimson claimed the doubles point with a sweep from both its first and second pairs. Senior Kenny Tao and Weber defeated their UTA (0-1) opponents, No. 48 doubles pair Mauricio Del Rio and Guanarteme Nuez, 6-3, at the No. 1 spot. The duo of Thirouin and Zhou earned an uncontested 6-0 win at second doubles. On the singles side, Harvard won all of its points against the Mavericks except at first singles. Zhou and Weber found success on the court for the second time that day, both earning straight set victories at No. 2 and No. 6, respectively. Solomon, Wrzesinski, and Zoske also took home straight-set wins for the Crimson, all three of them ending the weekend 2-0 in singles play. HARVARD 6, SMU 3 Harvard had an exciting season opener on Friday in a close match up against the Mustangs. SMU (1-2) entered the match with a win already under its belt, a 4-0 seep of Abilene Christian University earlier this season. The Crimson came out strong in
A NEW BALANCE Junior Christopher Morrow returns a cross-court backhand in his doubles match with partner senior Grant Solomon. Timothy R. o’meara—Crimson photographer
close doubles matches. Tao and Weber clinched a critical 7-6 tiebreaker at first doubles, saving the team four match points. Thirouin and Zhou earned a 7-5 win at the second doubles slot, while Solomon and junior Chris Morrow fell to SMU’s third doubles pair, 6-1. Harvard went on to secure its victory with wins from Wrzesinski at No. 4 singles, Zoske at No. 6 singles, and Sol-
omon at No. 3 singles. Solomon earned a critical tiebreaker in the first set, giving him the lead 7-6, 6-3. “Obviously it feels great to start the season off with a couple of wins, but I think this makes us hungrier for more,” Zhou said. “It’s an awesome beginning and the guys can do even better, so I’m excited for our next matches.” With two wins under its belt, the
team has good momentum going into its spring season. “We’re all going to need to put in more work, in the gym and on the court, and definitely put in some match time as well,” Zhou said. “There’s only so much drilling that you can do once the season is underway, and our fitness and mental readiness during competition will help us a
long way.” The Crimson will host Auburn, Wichita State, and Utah this weekend. “Our main focus is to keep building from week to week, keep our bodies healthy, and make sure we are having fun,” Thirouin said. Staff writer Jamie Chen can be reached at jamie. chen@thecrimson.com.
Harvard Drowns Bryant and Rider, Still Undefeated at Home
DEEP STROKES The men’s swimming and diving team has not lost in a home meet since 2012 . timothy r. o’meara—Crimson photographer Men’s SWIMMING AND DIVING By sam o. M. christenfeld Crimson Staff Writer
Saturday’s meet had a double significance for the No. 21 Harvard men’s swimming and diving team. Taking place at the Crimson’s Blodgett Pool, the competition offered Harvard the chance to complete a sixthstraight season undefeated at home in dual meets. Entering the matchup, the Crimson hadn’t been beaten in Cambridge during the regular season since a 2012 loss to Princeton.
In addition, as the final home meet of the campaign, this weekend’s meet provided an opportunity for the team’s 10 seniors to close out their careers at Blodgett with a win. In the end, Harvard met both goals with ease. The Crimson (7-0, 4-0 Ivy) took on Bryant (6-2, 1-1 MAAC) and Rider (5-3, 3-0 MAAC) on senior night and downed its opponents, 218-81 and 223-76, respectively. The victory sees the Crimson remain undefeated not just at home, but across all dual meets this season. “The team did really well today,” sophomore Raphael Marcoux said.
“It’s always a challenge to get up and race after training through J-term, but despite that obstacle everyone managed to swim fast.” The win was a fitting send-off for a group of seniors that has never lost at Blodgett and has dropped just one out of the 35 regular-season races it has contested so far. Indeed, it was performances from Harvard’s most experienced athletes that highlighted the competition. The Crimson kicked the match up off with a victory from an all-senior lineup in the 200-yard medley relay. Koya Osada, Paul O’Hara, co-captain
Luke Morgan Scott, and Ed Kim took top marks in the event with a time of 1:30.72. Finishing just over a tenth of a second behind the winning A squad, the B entry of senior Steven Tan, juniors Sebastian Lutz and Alan Lam, and Marcoux ended up in second place. Harvard would also close out the contest with a relay victory from a lineup of seniors. Morgan-Scott, O’Hara, Tan, and Kent Haeffner touched the wall first in the 400-yard freestyle relay. A much younger squad consisting of freshmen Levente Bathory, Mahlon Reihman, and Eric Whisenant and junior Daniel Tran finished in second, four seconds ahead of the third-place lineup from Rider. With the meet bookended by victories, the Crimson’s seniors delivered a number of strong performances throughout the competition. In the second race of the day, the 1000-yard freestyle, Haeffner picked up a second-place result, touching the wall behind junior Brennan Novak and just ahead of sophomore Daniel Chang in third. Chang beat out the fourth-place finisher from Rider by more than 30 seconds. Osada also collected a solo podium finish, ending up in third in the 200 freestyle. Sophomore Dean Farris took top honors in the event with a time of 1:35.11. Farris would pick up another individual victory in the 200-yard backstroke, topping the second-place swimmer from Rider by nearly seven seconds. Elsewhere, Morgan-Scott matched Osada’s effort, also taking third in the 100 free, less than half a second behind Chang, who touched the wall second. The co-captain finished in fourth in the 100-yard butterfly as well. wwwSophomore Kevin Dai ended up in third in the event, outpaced by less than three seconds by race-winner Marcoux. “My best performance of the meet was definitely the 100 butterfly,” Marcoux said. “A big challenge for me this season has been figuring out what my third event will be at Ivies, the other two being the 50 and 100 freestyle, and after that race I’m pretty confident it will be the 100 butterfly.” Tan also added a third-place result to the seniors’ collection on the day, finishing in bronze position in the 200yard IM. Tran won the event and beat out the second-place finisher from Rider by nearly four seconds.
The Crimson veterans’ strong performances in the pool were more than matched on the boards. Co-captain Bobby Ross won both the one-meter and three-meter dives by commanding margins, posting scores of 332.55 and 376.50 in the events, respectively. Senior David Pfeifer was close behind Ross, collecting a second-place result in the three-meter and a third-place mark in the one-meter. Freshman Austin Fields rounded out the Harvard podium sweep in both events. The rookie traded places with Pfeifer, finishing second in the one-meter and third in the three-meter. As in the diving events, the Crimson’s seniors had some help throughout the meet from the team’s younger members. Junior Logan Houck racked up a pair of solo wins in the 200-yard butterfly and 500 freestyle. The Harvard rookie duo of freshmen Michael Zarian and Miles McAllister took the next two spots in the 500 free, with Zarian nine seconds behind Houck and McAllister 13 seconds back from his classmate. Zarian also contributed to an impressive showing from the team’s first-years in the 100-yard backstroke. Whisenant won the event with a mark of 49.80 seconds, and Bathory was close behind in third place, with Zarian taking fourth. Reihman got in on the solo success as well, finishing with the third-best time in the 50-yard freestyle, a mere two-hundredths of a second behind Rider senior Zachary Molloy in second. Lutz touched the wall ahead of Molloy to win the event. Lutz would also go on to claim second-place honors in the 200 breaststroke, outpacing third-place Lam by three-tenths of a second. Dai mirrored Lutz’s effort in the 100-yard iteration, finishing in second place. With another win to its name, the Crimson will turn its attention to the championship portion of its season. The team will battle for the regular-season Ivy League dual title when it takes on Yale and Princeton, the only other program still undefeated in the Ancient Eight. “I think our team as a whole did very well [against Bryant and Rider], considering many of us are still in the height of our season,” Dai said. “We demonstrated in this meet that we can swim well in any circumstances, in any events, and that puts us in a great position both mentally and physically for HYP and Ivies.”
Page 8 | January 23, 2018 | The Harvard Crimson