The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLV, No. 22 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | friday, february 16, 2018
The Harvard Crimson HCFA’s event is is in fact promoting homophobia, conversion therapy, and hatefulness. editorial PAGE 6
Women’s basketball looks to rebound from tough weekend away from home. sports PAGE 5
Deans’ Council Considers #MeToo
Faust Discusses Campaign Goals
By PAULA M. bARBERI
By JAMIE D. HALPER
Crimson Staff Writer
Crimson Staff Writer
With the #MeToo movement still sweeping the nation, University President Drew G. Faust and the deans of Harvard’s 12 schools spent their most recent deans’ council meeting discussing sexual harassment and how #MeToo might affect the University’s sexual assault policy. The deans’ council comprises Faust and the deans of all Harvard’s schools; Faust convenes the body on a regular basis to discuss University-wide issues and initiatives. In an interview earlier this month, Faust said that, at the latest meeting, she and the deans even practiced going through some potential sexual harassment cases that might arise at Harvard. “We also did some cases—made up instances where deans talked about what would you do in this instance,” Faust said. “I think it was a very effective way of pointing out some of the
A s Harvard’s record-breaking capital campaign heads into its final months, University President Drew G. Faust has a few more fundraising targets she wants to meet before the campaign’s official conclusion on June 30. “There are a number of other matters that I would like to see us raise money for: funding for the Theater, Dance, and Media concentration, funding for a number of construction projects,” Faust said in an interview last week. She also said financial aid fundraising is still a significant priority for campaign organizers. The Crimson reported last month that the overall financial aid goal was still short of its target. Though certain areas of the campaign are still short of their targets, the overall campaign met its goal of $6.5 billion in April 2016 and has exceeded
See #METOO Page 3
Drew G. Faust will conclude her term as the University’s 28th president in June.
See GOALS Page 3
AMY Y. LI—Crimson photographer
Faust Commits to Finishing Dean Searches By sarah j. hong Crimson Staff Writer
D rew G. Faust, the outgoing University president, said in an interview last week that she still expects to appoint the new deans of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and Harvard Graduate School of Education before her term ends in June. Both schools have been in search of new deans since Education School Dean James E. Ryan and Radcliffe Dean Lizabeth A. Cohen announced they were stepping down in September 2017 and October 2017, respectively. “I think those are searches that are well underway and we can accomplish,” Faust said of the dean searches. Faust also said she plans to consult with President-elect Lawrence S. Bacow about her appointments. Although Faust said she plans to appoint the new deans before the end
The University is still searching for a replacement for Radcliffe Dean Lizabeth A. Cohen, though University President Drew G. Faust said she plans to complete the search before the end of her tenure. Kathryn S. Kuhar—Crimson photographer
of her term, she said the exact timeline is still uncertain. “I always say searches don’t have a timeline, because you’re never sure what kinds of bumps you might meet along the way and how many candidates get named,” Faust said. “You have to investigate their qualities, and maybe you set your sights on someone, and then it takes that person a long time to make up their mind,” she added. “So there are just a whole series of possibilities that make it always impossible for me to predict the timeline of the search.” Cohen plans step down on June 30, 2018 to return to teaching and research in Harvard’s Department of History following a year’s sabbatical, while Ryan is stepping down to serve as the next president of the University of Virginia beginning Oct. 1, 2018. Staff writer Sarah J. Hong can be reached at sarah.hong@thecrimson.com.
Students Protest Employee Termination
Bacow Promotes Online Education
By MOLLY C. MCCAFFERTY
By anna M. kuritzkes and cindy h. zhang
Crimson Staff Writer
Crimson Staff Writers
University President-elect Lawrence S. Bacow said he is interested in creating more opportunities for underresourced communities to access Harvard and its teaching at a press conference on Sunday. Bacow mentioned the issue in response to a question from the University-run Harvard Gazette about “the role universities can play in a national political environment.” “Institutions including Harvard need to pay more attention to those in this country who’ve been left behind,” Bacow said. To achieve this goal, Bacow may choose to leverage the University’s online learning platforms, which include courses hosted through the Division of Continuing Education and edX. In 2015, Bacow wrote a paper on Massive Open Online es (MOOCs), which provide remote
See DCE Page 4 Inside this issue
Harvard Today 2
Picketers march in front of Smith Campus Center during a rally hosted by the Harvard Union of Clerical & Technical Workers. Jacqueline S. Chea—Crimson photographer
News 3
Sports 5
Editorial 6
Today’s Forecast
light rain High: 49 Low: 23
Wielding picket signs and bellowing chants, around 40 students and workers gathered outside the Smith Campus Center Thursday to protest the recent termination of Mayli Shing, a member of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers. Shing, a former employee in payroll and finance at University Health Services, lost her job on Feb. 6. According to HUCTW representative Geoffrey Carens, the goal of Thursday’s picket was to convince the University to reverse Shing’s termination, which demonstrators said they believed formed an act of retaliation in response to grievances she expressed at work. “We want Mayli to be reinstated in a new job with a new supervisor—a fulltime job, at least comparable to her previous position, with all the discipline removed from her file,” Carens said. According to a Facebook post announcing the picket, some of the
See PROTEST Page 3
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discusses
HARVARD TODAY
friday | february 16, 2018
FOR Lunch
FOR DINNER
“Local Fresh Catch”
French Dip Sandwich
Butter Chicken
Maple Fried Chicken
Brown Jasmine Rice
Roasted Russet Potato Wedges
around the ivies Law Professors At Columbia Call For Improvements In #MeToo Movement Columbia Professor Katherine Franke, director for the University’s Center for Gender and Sexuality, moderated a panel consisting of four professors from Columbia Law School on Wednesday, according to The Columbia Daily Spectator. The professors discussed the movement’s presence on the university’s campus. Panelists also pointed to racial disparities in attention to cases, citing how allegations made against Harvey Weinstein by white women are highlighted more often than those of women of color including Lupita Nyong’o and Salma Hayek.
Brown University Administration Makes Progress on Student Accessibility Concerns Following continued advocacy by Brown’s Student and Employee Accessibility Offices for increased accessibility to buildings with high student traffic, renovations have begun at Wilson Hall, according to The Brown Daily Herald. Catherine Axe, associate dean and director of accessibility services, said the University has responded to their requests for increased accessibility with “demonstrated progress in addressing accessibility-related issues on campus.” Simultaneously, the Campus Access Advisory Committee continues to limit barriers for students to the accessibility of technology.
AfroLatinx Poetry Noel Quiñones performs at a poetry reading in celebration of AfroLatinx history. Kai R. Mcnamee— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Happy friday harvard! TGIF, but Expos will kill me—I swear it on my half-assed draft. In the Atmosphere… 49 degrees. We are living in luxury, folks.
EVENTS
Go to CGIS South (room S153) tomorrow at 12:15-2 p.m. for a talk by Dr. Jennifer Ferng, a visiting scholar at the Harvard Asia Center.
Jason Matheny—the director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity—speaks on how artificial intelligence will affect public policy in the future. Also sponsored by the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, this event will be held at 6 p.m. in Maxwell Dworkin G115
Challenges and Considerations in Search Equality
Lorenzo F. Manuali Crimson Staff Writer
Open Door: Humanitarian Aid and the Spatial Planning of Cambodian Thai Refugee Camps
Cornell Professors Continue “Where do we go from here?” Initiative In Face Of Racial Harassment Incidents Professor Bill Gaskins and Professor Shorna Allred lead a weekly seminar where students share their experiences with racial harassment inside and outside of Cornell’s campus, according to the Cornell Daily Sun. Students participating in the seminar said they were appreciative of the respecting and listening that occurs in the class. Allred says she is working to make the seminar a regular course, and said she hopes the discourse will lead students to take direct action against discrimination they witness.
in the real world Congress Fails to Pass Immigration Reform After open debate on the Senate floor on the topic of immigration, many attempts at passing an immigration bill failed. This leaves DACA recipients in limbo and confirms all of our belief that, no, Congress is not capable of getting anything important done.
Trump’s Inaugural Committee Paid $26 Million to Firm of First Lady’s Adviser The Trump campaign paid nearly $26 million to an event planning firm that was originally founded by an adviser to First Lady Melania Trump. Keep it in the family.
South Africa has a new president A protege of Mandela, Cyril Ramaphosa was sworn in on Thursday as South Africa’s new president. A business tycoon and one of South Africa’s wealthiest men, he represents an interesting choice to replace former president Jacob Zuma, who was forced to resign this week.
You Snooze, You Win Thursday afternoon in William James Hall, students listened to a presentation about the biological and psychological effects of sleep. Awnit S. Marta — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
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
“Institutions including Harvard need to pay more attention to those in this country who’ve been left behind.”
Night Editor Brian P. Yu ’19
Lawrence S. Bacow, President-elect
CORRECTIONS The Feb. 14 article “Groups Release Sanctiowns Plans” incorrectly referred to the First-Year Outdoor program and the Peer Advising Fellows program as recognized student organizations. In fact, the two programs are not sponsored student organizations nor independent student organizations and as such do not go through the Office of Student Life recognition process. 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 Editor Katherine E. Wang ’20
Assistant Night Editors Editorial Editor Elijah T. Ezeji-Okoye ’20 Paula M. Barberi ’21 Katherine E. Wang ‘20 Photo Editors Ellis J. Yeo ‘20 Story Editors Brenda Lu ’20 Hannah Natanson ’19 Alison W. Steinbach ‘19 Sports Editor Sarah Wu ‘19 Phelan Yu ‘19 Jack R. Stockless ’19
The Harvard Crimson | February 16, 2018 | page 3
Athletes Bring Coaches to Class Deans’ Council Discusses #MeToo By madeleine r. nakada Crimson Staff Writer
When Cassandra M. Churnside, an assistant coach for the men’s and women’s water polo teams, agreed to attend classes with her athletes this week, she said she didn’t expect to spend two hours discussing 21st century hook-up culture with her players. Churnside attended WOMGEN 1225: “Leaning in and Hooking Up,” in addition to four statistics and psychology courses, as part of the Harvard Athletics Department’s Coach to Classroom program, which encourages coaches to attend class with their students at the beginning of the spring semester. Approximately 70 coaches participated this year, according to Assistant Director of Athletics Nathan T. Fry. Men’s tennis Assistant Coach Andrew Y. Rueb ’95 said he started the program, formerly named Back to School Week, seven years ago after an informal poll showed that most coaches knew very little about the academic side of their athletes’ lives. “I [showed coaches] some photos of some of the great Harvard professors…like Lisa Randle, or Helen Vendler,” Rueb said. “Our numbers in terms of recognizing these faces was not as strong as I think many people thought they would be.” Rueb said Coach to Classroom was
created as way to help coaches see their athletes “outside the lines of their playing fields.” “We wanted to do a program that would help coaches really learn and sink their teeth into the academic life on campus” Rueb said. Alexa J. Altchek ’18, a member of
It was a great experience to have her in class to see what our lives are like on the other side of the river. Alexa J. Altchek ‘18 the women’s softball team, brought her softball assistant coach Jenny Rohn to AESTHINT 26: “Race, Gender, and Performance” along with a teammate. Altchek said she appreciated being able to show her coach the academic side of her life at Harvard. “It was a great experience to have her in class to see what our lives are like on the other side of the river,” Al-
Faust Tells Capital Campaign Goals goals From Page 1 that amount by over $1.5 billion since. Faust said a number of Harvard’s schools have their own individual buckets to finish filling and noted there is still time for donors to contribute. On Wednesday, the Medical School
There are a number of other matters that I would like to see us raise money for... Drew G. Faust
University President announced it had met its goal. “Different schools have different parts of their school-based goals that they’re trying to complete, so there are a number of questions and opportunities still open for interested donors,” she said. Faust also reflected on some of what she considers to be the most “memorable” milestones of the campaign. She said she was “so excited” when Richard and Susan Smith committed the funds to renovate the Smith Campus Center, formerly known as the Holyoke Center. “That meant an enormous amount to me because it’s at the heart of the
aspirations of common spaces for the rest of the University and I think it can be an answer to the pressing need for undergraduate social spaces as well,” Faust said. She said the accumulation of funds for undergraduate House renewal has been “wonderful to watch.” She did not, however, specify any negative aspects of the campaign, citing a desire to wait until it concludes. “As for shortcomings, I’m not going to admit any until we get to the very end because there may not be,” she said. Faust also spoke about the ethics of accepting donations. One potential ethical dilemma arose last month when Nan Goldin, a photographer whose work appears in Harvard’s art collection, called on the University to refuse donations from the Sackler family given is association with Purdue Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the controversial and addictive pain medication OxyContin. Faust said the University maintains a committee to review the ethical implications of certain gifts. “There’s a gift policy committee that needs to analyze whether a gift is appropriate, whether it comes with expectation of some kind of quid for pro quo — which we do not accept,” she said. At the time of Goldin’s request, a spokesperson for the Sackler Foundation told The Crimson that Arthur M. Sackler, for whom the museum is named, passed away years before OxyContin came into existence. Staff writer Jamie D. Halper can be reached at jamie.halper@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @jamiedhalper.
tchek wrote in an email. “Our coaching staff cares a lot about our academic lives, and it was exciting to be able to share a part of it with them, even if only for one day!” Churnside, who attended five classes this year, said Coach to Classroom gives her the opportunity to see her players learn in a different context. “Hanging out with the kids, seeing how they take notes, they respond to the lecture, it was really interesting,” Churnside said. Andrew C. Ball ’19, who attended ANE 120B: “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible” with Rueb, said Coach to Classroom gave him the opportunity to bridge the two sides of his life as a student-athlete. “Afterwards it kind of gave me an opportunity to introduce my coach to the professor,” Ball said. “It provided me a way to get to know the professor on a more individual level.” Churnside said one of the things that surprised her most was how eager her athletes were to bring the coaching staff to class. “It’s almost like elementary school kids when they want to take their parents to back to school night and show you everything they’ve been working on,” Churnside said. Staff writer Madeleine R. Nakada can be reached at madeleine.nakada@thecrimson. com. Follow her on Twitter @maddynakada.
#METOO From Page 1 challenges that the deans may face in their capacities as the leaders of their schools.” More broadly, Faust said the council will seek to prioritize addressing sexual assault at the University going forward. “A far more important role for this group is to take on big problems like sexual harassment, like Title IX, like conflict of interest issues and policies,” Faust said. The #MeToo movement has so far focused largely on the entertainment industry, unearthing sexual misconduct perpetrated by media moguls including Harvey Weinstein. But there is action at the university level, too. Students on campuses across the country have rallied to share concerns over their schools’ sexual assault policies in the wake of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ changes to Title IX guidance. In Sept. 2017, DeVos raised the required standard for proof of guilt in sexual assault cases. Harvard’s acting Title IX Officer later said DeVos’s decision would not change the University’s policies regarding sexual assault. Harvard currently uses the lowest standard of proof.
Faust said she hoped the #MeToo movement has made clear how important “effective” and “active” listening is when examining issues of sexual harassment and sexual assault. She called on the Harvard community to continue to listen in this manner. “I do think that this is a changed environment for issues having to do with sexual harassment and that gives us an opportunity to look really hard at our own policies and procedures,” Faust said. She said the #MeToo movement means Harvard must consider how to ensure sexual misconduct does not occur at the University and that no individuals—whether students, professors, or employees—are “marginalized or demeaned or traumatized” by sexual harassment. In addition to encouraging Harvard affiliates to be better listeners, Faust also said she hopes the #MeToo movement means those at the University— and elsewhere—will feel more able to speak out. “If individuals have felt unable to speak, I would hope the MeToo movement has encouraged them to,” Faust said. Staff writer Paula M. Barberi can be reached at paula.barberi@thecrimson.com.
Alumni Urge New Investment Strategy By LUCAS WARD Crimson Staff Writer
Eleven alumni from the Class of 1969 penned a letter to incoming University President Lawrence S. Bacow Thursday criticizing the Harvard Management Company’s investment strategy and urging a more passive approach to University funds. The alumni suggested Harvard may be losing billions of dollars by trying too hard to manage its endowment. Instead of using hedge funds to manage its money, the University should shift half of its $37.1 billion endowment into lower-cost funds tracking the S&P; 500, the letter’s signatories argued. “We propose a radical new endowment strategy [that will put] the whole management of the endowment on a new basis that would better reflect the values of a great university,” the alumni wrote in the letter.
Alumni who signed the letter include attorneys, journalists, historians, one artist, one clergyman, and two professors, one of whom—Paul Caplan ’69—is an associate at Harvard’s Dubois Research Institute. The alumni group particularly argued the endowment would have grown faster if it had been invested in the S&P; 500 instead of in hedge funds. Had 100 percent of the endowment been invested in the S&P;, it would now be valued at more than $90 billion, according to the alumni group. “If half the endowment… had been in the S&P; 500 index, where it would have cost literally nothing to manage, then Harvard would have saved half the payments to Harvard Management, amounting to $68.8 million— enough to pay a $43 million tax bill with a good deal more to spare,” the alumni wrote. HMC has been actively trying to reverse more than a decade of poor
performance. After hiring CEO N.P. “Narv” Narvekar one year ago and dramatically cutting staff, HMC will still have to deal with a portfolio burdened with poor investments for years to come. In Dec. 2017, Congressional Republicans passed a new tax bill that will likely force Harvard to pay tens of millions annually in added federal taxes. Experts have said the full impact of this endowment tax remains unclear. The group has criticized HMC in the past, sending a 2009 letter to President Faust in which they suggested compensation for endowment managers was too high. In Thursday’s letter, the alumni noted they had often petitioned Harvard presidents for change in the past. Staff writer Lucas Ward can be reached at lucas. ward@thecrimson.com. Follow him on twitter at @LucaspfWard.
From the Law School to Longwood,
Students Protest Firing of Employee PROTEST From Page 1 concerns Shing expressed included claims related to workplace racism and sexual harassment. “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on individual personnel matters, but all complaints of discrimination and sexual harassment are investigated thoroughly and fairly,” University spokesperson Tania DeLuzuriaga wrote in an emailed statement Thursday. “Harvard is committed to maintaining a safe, comfortable, and diverse working environment for all of its employees.” “We value the contributions of our employees, and have enjoyed a long and productive relationship with our campus unions,” she wrote. The Harvard No Layoffs Campaign—a caucus of rank-and-file HUCTW members and allies—and the Student Labor Action Movement, a pro-labor undergraduate advocacy group, jointly organized the picket. Demonstrators handed out fliers to Massachusetts Ave. pedestrians explaining Shing’s situation and urging them to contact the University in protest. Carens said they estimate protesters reached about 300 passing pedestrians via this strategy. For an hour Thursday afternoon, picketers marched in circles in Harvard Square, chanting slogans like, “Harvard workers under attack! What
do we do? Stand up, fight back!” and “Hey Harvard, you should know, discrimination’s got to go!”
“I stand with Mayli as she continues to fight...” Noah R. Wagner ‘18 The event also received support from other labor groups on campus: Members of the Harvard University Dining Services union attended, as did representatives from 32BJ SEIU, the regional union that represents Harvard’s janitors, as well as individuals involved in the campaign to defend Harvard workers with Temporary Protected Status. Undergraduates lofted signs alongside union members to support Shing. One participant, Noah R. Wagner ’18, wrote in an email to The Crimson that they think the University’s decision to fire Shing is “inexcusable and unacceptable.” “I stand with Mayli as she continues to fight for dignity, respect, and her livelihood, and the Harvard administration should know that students and workers from across our community stand with her too,” Wagner wrote.
The Crimson @crimsonflyby
Page 4 | february 16, 2018 | The Harvard Crimson
Bacow Could Expand Online Learning Profs Change Classes Humanities 10a and 10b DCE From Page 1
learners the opportunity to take college-level courses. Bacow and a co-author wrote that online course technology could increase “the availability of exceptionally good education to more of those who can benefit from it” at low marginal costs for universities. Faculty and administrators at the Division of Continuing Education and edX praised Bacow for his interest in their work. “Harvard has already been incredibly supportive of what we do, and it is very exciting that Larry has shown such interest,” Anant Agarwal, edX CEO and an MIT professor, said. Huntington D. Lambert, dean of the Division of Continuing Education, said DCE has studied using online mediums to expand access as early as the ‘90s, when the division first began ex-
perimenting with online course technology. Of the roughly 12,000 total students currently taking courses at the Extension School, 65 percent are taking courses online. “All of our courses are open access,” Lambert said. “It’s part of the mission to let students come in and try and learn and take a single course without going through an admissions process.” Lambert said, at DCE, expansion into these communities is his “priority.” One of the ways DCE has been experimenting with broadening its student body is through offering a selection of inexpensive, online courses, according to Lambert. “There are many people out there capable of doing Harvard-level work and eager to do it who can’t pay Harvard prices,” said Elisa New, an English Professor who offers courses through
edX.wwLambert said that, although DCE tries to keep extension school tuition costs as low as possible, the average undergraduate course is $1,550. New said she has been working closely with Lambert to offer lower cost humanities courses to online learners. “I have been looking to develop affordable, excellent professional development training for teachers as well as excellent college preparatory education for younger learners,” New said. “Dean Lambert has agreed for a period to lower the cost of all of my courses to $200 and so far the result is that we’ve tripled enrollment.” New added that, although rapidly growing enrollment poses a challenge, she is “confident” that DCE and edX will be able to develop the new infrastructure necessary to handle more students.
Science Profs Develop Bionic Leaf By amy l. jia and Sanjana l. narayanan Crimson Staff WriterS
Researchers in the Chemistry department and at Harvard Medical School are exploring new applications for a “bionic leaf” that can generate liquid fuel and other valuable resources using only sunlight, air, and water. The bionic leaf expands on technology pioneered by Chemistry Professor Daniel G. Nocera. Nocera, formerly a professor at MIT, first created what he called an “artificial leaf” made of silicon. The leaf splits water into hydrogen and oxygen using special catalysts energized by sunlight, producing a chemical fuel that can then be stored and used as an energy source. Nocera and his colleague, Harvard Medical School Systems Biology Professor Pamela A. Silver, recently took this technology a step further. Working alongside doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows, Nocera and Silver developed a bionic leaf that merges the artificial leaf with a genetically-en
gineered bacterium that consumes only hydrogen. “The bionic leaf is the bacterium working in concert with the artificial leaf, taking the hydrogen plus carbon dioxide and making liquid fuel,” Noc-
You can do it all in your backyard. Daniel G. Nocera Chemistry Professor
era said. “That’s artificial photosynthesis, and we did it ten times better than nature.” Beyond its potential as a renewable fuel source, Nocera said the bionic leaf has a variety of other applications. Last year, for example, the research team engineered a special bionic leaf bacterium that takes in nitrogen from the atmosphere and produces fertilizer. This technology is currently being used in Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum to grow
crops. “I have an entire renewable synthesis platform that just uses sunlight and air and water,” Nocera said. “Depending on how you do the biology, I could have it make anything—plastics, maybe inorganic materials, drugs, food— directly.” Nocera also emphasized the social value of his research, especially in bridging disparities in income and access to resources around the world. “This type of science we’re doing is really important for the poor, because they don’t live in large, centralized infrastructures and distribution systems,” he said. “I like this research because it’s giving to the poor what we have in the rich part of the world, which is fuels and food.” “You can do it all in your backyard,” he added. Staff writer Amy L. Jia can be reached at amy. jia@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Sanjana L. Narayanan can be reached at sanjana.narayanan@thecrimson.
By annie c. doris Crimson Staff Writer
Humanities 10a and 10b, Harvard’s intensive literature introduction courses for freshmen, have gradually evolved from their one semester predecessor— which was arranged around James Joyce’s “Ulysses”—to a year-long class that includes a wider variety of authors. The original team-taught Hum 10 course, offered only for a single semester, was expanded into a two semester series starting in the fall of 2014, according to Stephen J. Greenblatt, one of the course’s professors. In extending the length of the class, the professors added a wider selection of books to the syllabus, which they tweak slightly each year. Authors that have been added in recent years include Frederick Douglass, Bernal Díaz del Castillo, and Gabriel García Márquez. Professor Davíd L. Carrasco joined the course two years ago to teach Castillo’s “The True History of the Conquest of New Spain” and Márquez’s “A Hundred Years of Solitude.” “What I think has been happening in the last couple of years is that the course is also paying attention to a kind of world humanities approach,” Carrasco said. “I brought in Latin America; we’re having this semester people teaching on China and Japan.” “But there’s always been a kind of diversification, it’s just becoming more diverse,” he added. Greenblatt said the change in the reading list was not part of an intentional effort to diversify the texts. He said he likes both the new and old versions of the course. “One of the wonderful things about having Gabriel García Márquez or Frederick Douglass in the course is actually not because they suddenly diversify what was a group of writers all of whom came from the same background. That wasn’t true,” Greenblatt said. “But because you actually are encouraged to take in how in fact varied, how wildly varied, all of the readings that we’re doing are.”
Some students who are currently in the Hum 10 series said they have mixed opinions on the course and reading list. Alden E. Fossett ’21, said he is “ambivalent” about the course and sees the syllabus as reflecting the “Western Canon” even though it is not advertised as such. “Right now the description is that it’s a great books class. But when you say it’s a great books class, you inherently say these books are better than other books,” he said. Fossett said he recognized that the course topics are restricted by limited class time and professors who are available to teach and said he has learned much from the books he has read and from relationships with professors. Fossett also said he wishes the course could be further improved, but that he was not sure how to go about fixing the course’s “problems.” Carrasco, referring to a group of Mediterranean texts taught in the course, said he thinks it is unfortunate that all the texts have been grouped together under the term “Western Canon.” Within the Mediterranean, he said, there is a wide diversity of religion and ethnicity. Greenblatt said the authors on the syllabus in previous years were never part of a “cozy little club,” but in fact were quite diverse in background. Ryan Zhang ’21, another Hum 10 student, said he has enjoyed the comparative aspect of the course. “It focuses not necessarily on each individual book in its own right, but it emphasizes how the publication of one book has inspired the minds of later thinkers and authors.” Zhang said he thinks the faculty has done an “amazing job” of including authors of varying geographical backgrounds. He added, though, that he thinks there is some room for improvement in expanding the reading list. “I think one area where we could do a lot better is including women’s voices,” Zhang said. Staff writer Annie C. Doris can be reached at annie.doris@thecrimson.com.
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The Harvard Crimson | february 16, 2018 | page 5
Harvard Anticipates Latest in Amaker-Jones Rivalry Around the Ivies By troy boccelli and stephen j. gleason Crimson Staff Writers
In the months leading up to the college basketball season, Feb. 17 was supposed to be the Ivy League’s moment in the sun. Harvard and Yale, the top two teams in the conference preseason poll and the league’s biggest rivals, would be going head-to-head in a nationally televised Saturday night game at Lavietes Pavilion. While the matchup between the two schools gets the most attention on the gridiron, the Crimson and Bulldogs have established quite the rivalry on the hardwood. Harvard and Yale have combined for five of the Ivy League’s last six NCAA Tournament bids, with the Bulldogs ending the Crimson’s fouryear run of dominance from 20122015. Even though Princeton was the class of the Ivy League a season ago, the matchups between Harvard and Yale, especially the teams’ showdown during the Ivy League Tournament, were some of the conference’s premier games. Storylines entering the two 2018 matchups abounded. Yale captain Makai Mason, the only player on either team’s roster who played in the Ivy League’s one-game playoff back in 2015, was scheduled to return from a foot injury that sidelined him for all of the 2016-2017 season. The Crimson’s star-studded sophomore class would be going up against Yale’s talented group of second-years in what the Ivy League hopes will be a rivalry in itself for years to come. Harvard would likely still have a bitter taste in its mouth following an unexpected early exit from the inaugural Ivy League Tournament at the hands of the Elis. Plus, the two teams have largely been the class of the Ancient Eight for the last several years, with intense, every-possession-counts matchups being the norm. Remarkably, entering the season, the Crimson and Bulldogs had split their last eight regular season matchups (point differential: Yale by three), their two meetings at the Palestra (one-game playoff in 2015 and Ivy League Tournament last year, point differential: even), and the ten meetings at Lavietes Pavilion since Harvard coach Tommy Amaker has been at the helm (point differential: Yale by 12). One could say that these teams tend to play each other tight. To add some proverbial kindling to the fire, Amaker and Yale coach James Jones have a little rivalry of their own. The two headmen play a chess game of x’s and o’s two or three times a year and duke it out on the recruiting trail, with both schools having brought in some of the most heralded recruits in league history in recent years. However, Jones has not always been fond of Amaker’s strategy, saying in 2008 that “[i]t’s eye-opening because there seems to have been a drastic shift in restrictions and regulations with the Harvard admissions office” and “we
could not get involved with many of the kids that they are bringing in.” With Jones in charge, Yale has enjoyed playing up, at best, an underdog narrative and, at worse, one of a redheaded stepchild. Jones spent a good chunk of his Ivy League Tournament press conference last season talking about the chip on his team’s shoulder and bemoaning the fact that then-senior forward Sam Downey was not a first or second team All-Ivy selection. So, there’s your scene for Saturday
for the third and fourth spots in the tournament. The Bulldogs, along with Brown, can control their own destiny. Expect another close game like the one played in New Haven three weekends ago, but don’t hedge your bets on one in which the teams struggle to break 50 points apiece and combine for two field goals in the final five minutes of game action. But don’t be surprised either if there’s another matchup in three weeks in Philadelphia—Harvard and Yale have a strange way of running
students (we heard RISD is where it’s at in Providence) but more importantly there’s no free food involved. Why anyone would bother to spend the better part of thirty minutes filling it out to not get free food baffles us. 17 games in a row does as well. Pick: Harvard YALE AT DARTMOUTH The top story of The Dartmouth is as follows—Domino’s to open Hanover franchise.
What’s more incredible though is that both of these teams are 3-5 in conference. We have no explanation for this. Pick: Princeton BROWN AT DARTMOUTH In what might be the most surprising story of the conference season, Brown is tied with Yale for third in conference. Yes, this is the same Brown squad that was predicted to be bottom-feeding along with Dartmouth at the beginning of the season. Brown’s star freshman Desmond Cambridge might have tweaked his ankle last weekend, but Dartmouth would have to seriously tweak their roster to come out with a win. Pick: Brown PENN AT CORNELL We calls it like we sees it. Pick: Penn
reinforced Stepping in for injured starter Bryce Aiken, sophomore guard Christian Juzang has averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists over his last 11 starts. timothy r. o’meara—Crimson photographer
night. However, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan. Mason has still not played in a game since injuring his foot, Bulldogs star sophomore forward Jordan Bruner is out for the year while reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Bryce Aiken has been hampered by a knee injury for most of the season for the Crimson. Both teams struggled mightily in nonconference play, with Harvard taking its licks against the likes of Holy Cross and George Washington, and Yale carrying its lackluster play into the beginning of Ivy League action. However, the teams have been better of late, especially after a weekend in which both clubs went undefeated. The Bulldogs saw sophomore wing Miye Oni win Ivy League Player of the Week honors and received news that Mason may be active this weekend for the first time in nearly 23 months. The Crimson has won seven of its first eight conference games, appears to have turned a corner on the offensive end, and saw breakout performances from sophomores Christian Juzang and Chris Lewis last weekend. Unless something crazy happens over the next three weekends, Harvard will likely be a top-two seed in the Ivy League Tournament for the second straight year. Yale, on the other hand, is in a crowd of five teams separated by one game
into one another. PENN AT COLUMBIA We think all Columbia University Marching Band jokes have been exhausted. Just kidding. Notably absent from the esteemed constitution of this venerable band is any mention of the Quakers. It’s remarkable, really. Every subsection of Article Eight of the band’s constitution makes a witty remark about every institution in the Ivy League. Except Penn. We’d like to get to the bottom of this, but for the time being we’re pretty sure the Quakers will not be absent at Friday’s game. Pick: Penn BROWN AT HARVARD Something that hasn’t happened between Brown and Harvard in a long time happened earlier this year. No, the Bears didn’t end their 17game losing streak to the Crimson. That’s right. After years of begging, Brown’s deprived campus finally brought the Harvard Computer Society’s annual iteration of Datamatch to Providence. As is usual in the Ivy League, though, Brown’s version completely blows. Not only is it limited to Brown
This would be a prime moment to take a shot at the Big Green. Traditional schools of thought would likely reach the conclusion that it’s sad day when the biggest news in Hanover is the opening of a new Domino’s. The truth of the matter, though, is that this might be the single greatest thing that’s happened to Dartmouth in a while. This is not sarcasm. Where else in America can you get two large two-topping pizzas for $5.99 delivered straight to your door? Nowhere, that’s where. The only other big news in Hanover is that somehow the Big Green managed to get its first win in conference (after losing seven to start the season) by taking down none other than Princeton. For some reason, though, this was nowhere to be found on the pages of The Dartmouth. Just the Domino’s thing. The publication has lost all respect from us as has their basketball program for the most part. Pick: Yale PRINCETON AT CORNELL We didn’t mention this before, but not only did Princeton lose to a then-winless Dartmouth squad, they kind of got blown out. Incredible.
PRINCETON AT COLUMBIA Columbia is Harvard’s lone loss this season and regardless of the score it wasn’t a particularly close game if we’re being honest. We’re no experts, but the Lions are honestly contenders to slip in as the four seed in the conference tournament if they wanted to. Last season Columbia more or less blew the second half of the conference season and practically opened the gates for Penn to go in its place. We might be beating a dead horse here, but Princeton lost to a then-winless Dartmouth team last week. We’ve also come to realize we’re particularly bad at these picks so why not take the supposed underdog. Pick: Columbia YALE AT HARVARD For the first time ever, we’re prepared to talk candidly about how we really feel about Yale. Well at least one of us is. The truth is when I stayed over in New Haven four years ago, I was forced into the confines of Timothy Dwight College. It was the single worst experience of my life. The floor was just as cold as Yale coach James Jones’ look after the Crimson beat the Bulldogs in New Haven for the second time in a row. The yoga mat that was my bed was as worn as Yale coach James Jones’ look after the Crimson beat the Bulldogs in New Haven for the second time in a row. The pizza they provided was as cold as Yale coach James Jones’ look after the Crimson beat the Bulldogs in New Haven for the second time in a row. Needless to say, we’re not fans of New Haven and James Jones really isn’t a fan of Harvard. Also Timothy Dwight College sucks. Pick: Harvard Staff writer Troy Boccelli can be reached at troy. boccelli@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Stephen J. Gleason can be reached at stephen.gleason@thecrimson.com.
Crimson Looks to Improve Upon Road Performance Women’s Basketball By Amir mamdani Crimson Staff Writer
This weekend, Harvard women’s basketball will have the unenviable task of trying to rebound from its worst weekend of the season. Unfortunately for the Crimson (13-8, 5-3 Ivy), it will have to do so on the road, which has been the root of most of Harvard’s problems. The team has limped to a 1-7 road record, scoring merely 56 points per game, a paltry mark compared to the team’s 78 points per game averaged within the friendly confines of Lavietes Pavilion. The Crimson’s road weakness was exposed last weekend, as the team took its first road trip of the Ivy League season. Bolstered by a 5-1 record good enough for first in the Ancient Eight and in control of its own destiny, Harvard was promptly routed by Princeton and Penn, outscored by fifty points on the weekend. Suddenly, the Crimson sits in third place, tied with Yale, and just a game ahead of fifth-place Dartmouth. With Cornell, Columbia, and Brown seemingly out of contention, it remains a five-team race for the four spots available at the Ivy League tournament in Philadelphia. Getting to the tournament is essential, as the winner of the four team tournament will punch its ticket to the Big Dance. Although Harvard’s impressive 10-0 home mark has served the team well thus far, the Crimson has no choice but to scrap for wins on the road, with only two of six remaining games at home. In fact, with Harvard’s final homestand coming against the conference-leading Quakers and Tigers, the remaining road contests against
Brown, Yale, and the Empire State schools become all the more important. With the season’s biggest road trip looming, the Crimson must take care of business against the Bears and the Bulldogs this weekend. Winning both games, which would firmly cement Harvard into third place and give the team the tournament tiebreaker over Yale, would all but guarantee the team a berth to the Palestra. Friday night’s tilt in Providence will be a crucial one for the Crimson, which will try to earn its second road win of the year and extend its win streak over Brown to seven. The teams met at the end of January at Lavietes Pavilion, where Harvard recorded its most exciting win of the season, defeating the Bears by a 87-85 score. The Crimson rode a first-half lead and clutch late defense by junior guard Madeline Raster in the teams’ first meeting, and will be looking to replicate the same formula. Harvard is 11-0 in games in which it leads at halftime, so jumping out to an early start will be essential for the visitors. The Bears (14-7, 2-6) are a much better team than their record indicates, with two of their conference losses coming by just one possession. Brown, which has produced a solid 6-3 home record, will be looking to cling to its flickering hopes at a tournament berth and will be sure to come out fighting Friday night. After a quick turnaround, the Crimson will travel to New Haven to take on the rival Bulldogs (12-9, 5-3) on Saturday night, who will eagerly look to avenge a 97-73 blowout in Cambridge on Jan. 26. Led by Wayland, Mass., native Jen Berkowitz, who leads the Ancient Eight in field goal percentage, Yale has gone 4-1 since its 24-point loss at Har-
consistency is key Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith has used the same starters in all 21 games this season, but that streak may be broken this weekend, as Jeannie Boehm (13) exited the Penn game with an apparent injury. callie e. rennyson—Crimson photographer
vard. Sweeping the New York schools and defeating Dartmouth, the Bulldogs impressively topped Princeton by a comfortable 14-point margin, and will enter the weekend looking to gain sole control of third place in the conference. Controlling turnovers, an issue throughout the season for the Crimson, especially on the road, will be crucial if Harvard hopes to beat its rival. Yale leads the League in turnover differential, a troublesome statistic for the Crimson—Harvard turns the ball over almost 17 times per road game and
shoots a paltry 33 percent from the field when away from Lavietes Pavilion. Ultimately, curing its road woes is the only thing standing between Harvard and establishing itself amongst Penn and Princeton as a conference powerhouse. Unbeaten at home since March of last season, even a .500 mark on the road would be enough to firmly solidify the Crimson as one of the Ivy League’s toughest teams. Unfortunately, going 0-3 on the road in conference play has left Harvard at a critical juncture. To make the Ivy League tournament, and to compete
for a chance to go to the NCAA Tournament, the Crimson will have to perform away from home, both this weekend, and in the season’s final weekend when the team will take an arduous trip to New York. As the team travels to Brown and Yale this weekend, Harvard will have to play with the mentality that matches the reality in front of them. For the team, road wins are not a luxury, but a necessity. Staff writer Amir Mamdani can be reached at amir.mamdani@thecrimson.com.
EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD
HCFA Gives Hate a Platform
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onight, Harvard College Faith and Action will host the spoken word and hip-hop artist Jackie Hill-Perry at its weekly large-group gathering, Doxa. Hill-Perry is notable for her identity as a self-proclaimed ex-gay woman who became an active Christian in 2008. Now, she advocates for lesbian and gay people to be saved from their attraction to people of the same sex through conversion therapy. Though we recognize the organization’s right to host the talk with Hill-Perry, we strongly believe that in doing so HCFA gives a platform to homophobia, conversion therapy, and hate. In a statement released to justify the event, HCFA contends Hill-Perry’s speaking appointment was intended to “discuss broader issues at the intersection of faith and sex” and “foster respectful dialogue about sexual ethics for Christians in the spirit of love and kindness.” Not all students agree, as the event has rightfully sparked significant controversy, with many students planning to attend the event in silent protest of Hill-Perry’s views. We fully support respectful protests of this misguided choice.
We continue to recognize, as we have in the past, that freedom of speech should be upheld on our campus to the full extent to which it is supported by the First Amendment. Everyone has the right to be heard, and Hill-Perry is no different. Of course, that right is guaranteed to both those who protest events as well as those who speak at them. In the case of tonight’s event, the protesters are exercising this right in a far more constructive matter than the speaker. Hill-Perry’s beliefs represent neither love nor kindness. Her talk extends a harmful narrative targeted at LGBTQ+ students that homosexuality is wrong. In fact, on her website, Hill-Perry claims that she was “saved from a lifestyle of homosexual sin”— hardly creating an inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ members of our campus. Practices that purport to erase homosexuality, like conversion reparative therapy, drive participants to higher rates of depression, mental health problems, and STDs. Victims of this practice are also more likely to attempt suicide and abuse drugs. To say the least, the promotion of this
practice is not a productive use of First Amendment rights. By inviting Hill-Perry to speak, HCFA is presenting inaccurate, misguided beliefs about conversion therapy to its membership. If the group wanted to have a genuinely substantive conversation, they would have done well to have picked a speaker with beliefs in line with the group’s executive team’s stated purpose to “not condone conversion therapy or homophobia.” Tonight’s Doxa, and HCFA’s intentions in hosting it, cannot be divorced from Hill-Perry’s overt condemnation of the queer community. It is in moments like these that we must remember to use the power of our own free speech to protest that of others to create a more respectful, informative, and open dialogue on campus. 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.
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The Intersections in “Intersectionality” Michelle I. GAO BETWEEN THE LINES
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nalogies may have received a bad name from being featured on so many devilish standardized exams, but there is a reason we learn about them in elementary school. Analogies take something that couldn’t previously be explained clearly and map it onto something that is already clearly understood by both parties. The best analogies are simple. Take “intersectionality,” the term for an increasingly popular framework for activism, which says that in order to understand social and political phenomena, people must consider various human identities like race, gender, and sexuality not as separate, but as parts of a complexly tangled web. That the term uses a basic comparison of intersecting identities to intersecting roads is simple enough to guess. Indeed, Kimberlé W. Crenshaw, a scholar credited with coining “intersectionality,” originally used the analogy to criticize a court’s dismissal of a black woman’s lawsuit of workplace discrimination. The court cited that the company in question hired both blacks and women, but Crenshaw argued that its decision didn’t take into account the woman’s intersectional identity. As Crenshaw describes, the roads are identities, like race and gender, and the cars on the road are policies affecting those identities. Therefore, someone standing at such an intersection would be hit by traffic from both roads. For example, a black woman hit at the intersection of the roads representing blackness and femaleness would not be able to get help there. As a result, neither a race nor a gender “ambulance” could
come along and help her, because they would mistakenly ask which road she belonged on, as if only one identity had jurisdiction over her. Crenshaw’s point was that we needed to see things in terms of their intersections in order to explain them more effectively. To continue the analogy above, if someone gets hit by a car, it’s not their black side, or their straight side, or their female side, that gets hurt. Human beings cannot literally or metaphorically be divided by their different identities. In the years since Crenshaw’s 1989 paper, “intersectionality” has taken on a life of its own. It usually shows up as an adjective in front of a movement, as in “intersectional feminism.” Supporters of intersectionality believe that a movement must stand for all the people under its umbrella. Intersectional feminists, for example, want more emphasis on issues that affect non-white, non-middle class women, since they contend that white, well-to-do women have traditionally been the main beneficiaries of feminism. Emphasizing the issues of underrepresented groups within a movement often includes advocating for issues not directly connected to the movement at hand. Thus intersectional feminists make a point to talk about things like LGBTQ rights and Black Lives Matter because, as the leaders of the 2017 Women’s March announced, “Our liberation is bound in each other’s.” I think that these new uses of the term “intersectionality” are based on a different analogy of intersecting. This analogy positions the individual not as the one being hit and needing to explain what led to her predicament, but as the person with agency. The roads are movements, and each person places herself at the crossroads of the movements she supports. As a result of this, in recent years, intersectionality has become much more disputed. For example, prolife women were strongly discouraged from joining in the 2017 Women’s March even if they identified as feminists; seemingly Zionist lesbians
The Harvard Crimson President Derek G. Xiao ’19 Managing Editor Hannah Natanson ’19 Business Manager Nathan Y. Lee ’19
were ejected from that year’s Chicago Dyke March. Now, a common complaint of intersectionality that it demands of its members an unfair level of ideological purity, across seemingly disparate issues. I think this type of complaint was bound to arise eventually based on the structure of the analogy itself. In Crenshaw’s original analogy, the roads were neutral, factual givens, like race and gender, so one couldn’t choose where one stood. Now the roads themselves are political positions, so one can choose where to stand. However, wherever people are given choice, there are inevitably other people trying to take that choice away. These “intersectionality police,” so to speak, dictate where people should or should not stand—in the examples above, they essentially decreed that pro-life women can’t also be feminists and that lesbians can’t carry Jewish pride flags at a pride parade. But there are no objectively correct reasons for either stance. We are all responsible for our own beliefs, and we should respect each other enough to assume that others have thought through their beliefs too. So it is no wonder that people being told that they have the wrong beliefs are questioning or outright rejecting “intersectionality.” It is a blessing and a curse that the term “intersectionality” is vague enough to allow so many interpretations of its basic analogy. Crenshaw has admitted as much—while her theory is itself uncontroversial, the term itself has not been. Unlike on standardized tests, no interpretation of “intersectionality” is wrong. But it is also a stretch to say that all interpretations are equally good. It is increasingly clear where the imaginary intersections of intersectionality’s most extreme supporters are located—in a shrinking enclave shifting further and further left on the political map. Michelle I. Gao ’21, a Crimson editor, lives in Weld Hall. Her column appears on alternate Fridays.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873 Associate Managing Editors Mia C. Karr ’19 Claire E. Parker ’19
Blog Chairs Lydia L. Cawley ’20 Stuti Telidevara ’20
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | FEBRUARY 16, 2018 | PAGE 6
I Am Two: Gay and—Not or— Christian By LORENZO F. MANUALI
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n some cases, patients who are diagnosed with severe epilepsy are treated with a surgery that severs the connections between the left and right sides of their brains. In many ways, these individuals have two separate brains that see, hear, and respond to different things. This division in the brain leads to a body that processes the world as if it were two separate parts, and many fascinating effects can result. Though I myself have my brain still connected, I can empathize with their position. I find myself in an analogous (if less extreme) situation each day I wake up at Harvard. I grapple with two sides of myself: being gay and being Christian. I am Two. I went to Regis High School—an all-boys, Jesuit, Catholic high school in New York City. Despite the Catholic Church’s position that homosexual feelings are an “objective disorder” and homosexual actions are a “moral disorder,” I always felt loved and welcomed. Indeed, Regis exemplified Jesus Christ’s greatest commandment: to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Over the course of my time at Regis, I came out on a religious retreat as gay; an LGBTQ+ Advocacy Club was formed; I became the club’s co-president; and I had numerous conversaStill, it is clear that tions with priests, t eacher s , a nd Christianity at friends about the Harvard needs to LGBTQ+ community’s relationship go to confession. It w it h Ch r ist ia n has forced me and teaching. Some of my closest friends many others to split were against gay ourselves in half. marriage, but it didn’t matter: We were all equal in the eyes of God. We all loved each other. Even if at times I was at odds with what many believe to be correct Christian teaching, I could loyally dissent and be considered a valued member of the community. At Harvard, however, I can’t be both Christian and gay. I am forced to choose. I am Two. Recently, Harvard College Faith and Action invited speaker Jackie Hill Perry, noted for being a self-proclaimed ex-gay hip-hop artist, to campus to speak about “Sexuality and Self-Denial.” LGBTQ+ groups and individuals plan to protest the event in order to challenge her “hateful messages.” While I believe that Perry has good intentions and that her message is not hateful, it is irrefutably harmful: She is saying that my Christianity means I must change my homosexuality. Given this invitation, HCFA’s claim in an email to their membership that they do not invite speakers who “support gay conversion therapy” is laughable. Perry has stated in the past that she believes that God can simply change desires. Of course, such a claim is utterly ridiculous, as scientific evidence has strongly indicated a biological origin for homosexuality. More importantly, however, her language is eerily similar to the logic used by those who support conversion therapy. In this form of pseudoscientific treatment, “therapists” claim to be able to change sexual orientation and same-sex attraction. Not only does this form of therapy not work, it also harms the individuals who undergo it, significantly increasing the risks of suicide, depression, drug use, and For the love of God, STD infection. Furthermore, prove that you care. HCFA’s lack of a concurrent invitation of someone who either seeks to have a dialogue with the LGBTQ+ community—such as Fr. James J. Martin, SJ, author of “Building A Bridge”—or has different views on how Christians should view homosexuality—such as Daniel A. Helminiak, author of “What the Bible Really Says about Homosexuality”—is concerning. Frankly, it seems to demonstrate a desire by HCFA to indoctrinate its members by providing one viewpoint instead of allowing them to, as stated in the aforementioned email, “commune with each other” and “challenge ourselves.” Nevertheless, though there were many far less controversial and more effective speakers HCFA could have invited, it would be a mistake to un-invite Perry. In the words of Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the best way to combat fallacies and false (even offensive) speech is “more speech, not enforced silence.” Silently protesting the event is a powerful way to engage in this spirit. Still, it is clear that Christianity at Harvard needs to go to confession. It has forced me and many others to split ourselves in half. I am the Lorenzo who is out of the closet and proud to be a gay man. The Lorenzo who speaks about the LGBTQ+ community with pride and joy. The Lorenzo who loves his identity and his life. But I am also the Lorenzo who sits in the pews each Sunday, knowing that he is not welcome the way he is. The Lorenzo who watches as Christian organizations single out what they believe to be his “sin” when we are all sinners. The Lorenzo who hides who he truly is and watches love crumble into the ashes we all will become. I am Two. *** On July 4, 2014, the Macy’s Independence Day Parade played silently in the background, and I could watch in my peripheral vision the balloons gently f loating by on the TV. I tried to say the words, but, no matter how hard I tried, they just wouldn’t come out of my mouth. It was almost as if someone had cupped my mouth. Eventually, I felt as though I couldn’t breathe, and I blurted out the words. “I’m gay.” That night, I bawled into oblivion. It was as if a great weight had been lifted. Indeed, it was a religious experience. One that has made me who I am today and put me in the pews each Sunday. So HCFA, if you really care about us—if you even give an iota of a damn about the struggles we face—then show it. Show that I can be one with who I am. For the love of God, prove that you care. Lorenzo F. Manuali ’21, a Crimson Associate Editorial Editor, lives in DeWolfe.
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | FEBRUARY 16, 2018 | PAGE 7
ARTS 3 AM Cinema Club
columns
Chapter 1
TIANXING V. LAN
STAFF WRITER
On the flight from New York to Hong Kong, I watched three films, listened to an album, and drank three Tsingtao beers, a glass of red wine, and a glass of cheap whisky. The sky outside was turning from pitch black to pale white. I had forgotten which direction along the earth we were flying, so I wasn’t sure if it was sunrise or sunset. The flight attendants started delivering refreshments again. I wanted to throw up, but couldn’t make it happen. So I thought, maybe this was a good time to reflect on my life. I tried to meditate by imagining myself as a compact cassette. The play button popped up with a crisp sound as the stop button was pressed, then the tape went “whoosh” like a roaring train, screeching to a halt when there was only white leader on the left reel. Play. I was lying in bed, squinting to watch my nanny hanging a quilt by the window. “You need to get up or the sun’s gonna roast you like a duck,” she laughed at me. That sunshine left a deep impression on both my mind and my body. If I tried really hard, I could still feel that warmth on my stomach and see strong contrast between the fierce light and the black rectangle my quilt’s shadow formed. Another moment, maybe earlier, maybe later. I was looking at myself as a baby on the television, trying to walk on the white tiles of our old apartment, waving my hands for balance. “Who is that?” M o m a s k e d . I watched the timecode of the VHS player updating in sync with the images on the television. I still wanted to throw up. This med-
itation business wasn’t helping.
* I spent my first day in Hong Kong looking outside the window. On the second day I watched television. For food, I took the elevator down from my tiny hostel room to the third floor, where there was a Cafe de Carol, and then took the same elevator up. On the third day I took a walk in Mong Kok. Neon signs abounded, like in those pictures of Hong Kong on the Internet. I had dinner at a hawker centre. On the fourth day I met a girl. We were both sitting alone by the window at a Vietnamese restaurant. She was very carefully doing her nail polish, her fingers dancing as the brush went from one to the next. When she finished, she looked at me and presented her newly red nails. I immediately felt my cheeks getting hotter. I hadn’t realized that she knew I was watching. “It’s pretty,” I said. “I noticed you gave particular care to your right hand’s little finger.” “Did I?” She said, “I guess it’s my favorite one.” It was silent for a while. “This is kind of a weird thing to ask a stranger,” I said. “But would you like to paint my nails? It doesn’t seem like our food is coming anytime soon anyway.” She smiled. “Are you sure? Red nail polish can draw a lot of attention when a guy wears it.” I shrugged. She took my hand and started painting. She asked me what I was doing in Hong Kong. I said I was trying to write a script for a short film. “It is nice and quiet in this town,” she said. “Perfect for writing.” I looked at the cars rushing through the crossroad below us. At the footbridge, a
few people stood holding up real estate advertisements. “I can only meditate on the dance floor,” I said. “Ha,” she laughed. “What a party animal you are.” I couldn’t tell if she was being ironic. I thought it was pretty obvious to both of us that I was not a party animal. Her pho came before she finished my nails. As we ate we talked about different things. We talked about Hong Kong, Macau, the upcoming New Year’s Eve, how my family had moved from the mainland to the U.S. when I was a teenager, and what I thought of Hong Kong in comparison to New York. I assumed she was a few years older than me and that she was working. But she didn’t tell me anything about herself. Before she left, she told me I should go to a club called Social Room on Saturday—to meditate. She might also be there. I finished up my pho alone and replayed our conversation in my mind. I really hoped I had impressed her. I didn’t know why I cared, but I hoped I had said something witty and nothing stupid. I hoped I had shown an interest in her without being too obvious. I wasn’t sure if I had been trying to hit on her. When I got back to my room I thought about how I spent more time remembering and imagining experiences than actually living them, and I really didn’t like that about myself. I looked through my window at the old people karaoke-ing in the street and thought that they were superior to me in this regard. I read until I fell asleep. taff writer Tianxing V. Lan’s column, “3AM Cinema Club,” is a S serialized work of fiction set in Hong Kong which follows the protagonist as he works to write a screenplay.
music
‘Amen’ to That JOSH M. GROSSMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF RICH BRIAN / EMPIRE / 88 RISING
Filled with the melancholic wail of synthesizers and the driving trap drums of his contemporaries, Rich Brian’s “Amen” is, for most part, an excellent freshman album. “Amen” is the first full-length project of Indonesian rapper Rich Brian, who came to prominence after his music video for his single “Dat $tick” went viral. Though once known as the comedic rapper Rich Chigga, Rich Brian’s album shows that he is capable of serious musical expression. Some tracks—including “Kitty” and “See Me”—fall flat when the production gets sloppy. Despite this, the album is generally very well-made, and at times unexpectedly compelling. The title track of the album, “Amen,” opens the project with a stripped-down, bass-heavy drum beat underneath Rich Brian’s opening bars. The title track, much like the entire album, is filled with braggadocious claims, deft lyrical maneuvering, and meaningful insights. The album as a whole discusses love, longing, and, in the case of “Amen,” what it means to be an Asian man in hip-hop. Rich Brian ends the track with a powerful statement: “Do this shit for the people that look like me / So the girls can see them and think of me / And not that kid that throw that fit / Cause he didn’t get straight A’s all week.” These are the types of insights to expect throughout “Amen,” a surprise to many fans but certainly a good one. Lyrically speaking, “Amen” shows off Rich Brian’s impressive baritone flow. Though he has released some solid lines prior, it is throughout “Amen” that Brian shows the world what he is capable of writing. Production-wise, the album is a major step forward for Rich Brian, who is known for making his own beats. The album represents a distinct stylistic change from intense, major-key, partytype beats to a more melancholic and introspective sound. While the album certainly includes more aggressive tracks, including “Attention (feat. Offset)” and “Enemies,” the work as a whole is notable for its inventive, almost sad-indie-pop usage of synthesizers on songs such as “Cold,” “Introvert (feat. Joji),” and “See Me.” The closest the album comes to a misstep is on track 11, “Kitty.” “Kitty” details Rich Brian’s first
time being with a woman, calling to mind J. Cole’s masterpiece, “Wet Dreamz” off of “2014 Forest Hills Drive,” which some may call one of the best rap albums of the 21st century. “Kitty” diverges from “Wet Dreamz” in that it is a more vulgar take on the subject matter, possessing none of the innocence of its predecessor. Furthermore, when compared to the beats throughout the album, the instrumentation and production on “Kitty” is certainly a cut below the rest. There are very few synthesizers and the beat is given a bare-bones feel to make way for the storytelling, which does not adequately fill the gap left by the instrumentation. Thematically, the album is filled with a brooding, introspective darkness, often touching on the emptiness of money and the fleeting nature of love and lust. This introspection is most present in the album’s surprisingly and delightfully poetic “Glow Like Dat.” Throughout the song, Rich Brian details the complex emotions he’s been processing following a tough breakup. The aforementioned “Glow” refers to the aura of positivity with which he sees his ex, while he is filled with sadness and apathy towards the outside world. Even though they remain apart, Rich Brian laments that “[she] live in my head without a doubt.” Musically, the piece features an arpeggiated synthesizer resembling plucked strings over a kick-drum heavy light trap beat, which serves to build a contemplative mood throughout the piece. In this song, it is abundantly clear that Rich Brian is asking the world to seriously consider his emotions and his art. This represents a massive transformation from Rich Chigga, the fanny-pack wearing, Hennessey-holding, comedic rapper, into Rich Brian, a complex artist capable of both hot bars and legitimate introspection. While “Amen” is several steps away from a masterpiece, it is a solid contribution to the field and a beautiful look into the reborn Rich Brian. The album is for the most part well-produced, the vocal performance is refreshing and skilled, and the beats are well-layered and for lack of a better word, banging. All in all, over the course of the album Rich Brian presents a compelling portrait of himself and the new music he is capable of making.
Page 8 | FEBRUARY 16, 2018 | The Harvard Crimson
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