The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLV No. 48 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Tuesday, april 3, 2018
The Harvard Crimson No one ever forgets the exact moment they received their Harvard acceptances. editorial PAGE 10
Student Activites Fee to Jump
Men’s volleyball nabs pair of crucial home victories sports PAGE 12
HKS Faculty and Staff Diversity 70 Black
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Hispanic Women
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By jonah s. berger, caroline s. engelmayer, and michael e. xie
Asian
By Alexandra a. chaidez
Faculty
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Crimson Staff Writers
The College will increase the student activities fee—an optional sum Harvard undergraduates pay as part of their enrollment costs—from $75 to $200 next academic year, Alexander R. Miller, associate dean for student engagement, said in an interview Monday. The $125—or 250 percent—increase marks the first change to the fee in over a decade. The Office of Student Life also plans to restructure the way it funds the Undergraduate Council, the College Events Board, House Committees, and the Intramural Sports Council starting fall 2018, Miller said. Before, the UC took charge of all money gathered via the activities fee and distributed it to campus student groups at the discretion of its finance committee. Now, though, the OSL plans to form a new committee—comprising both students and administrators—that will help allocate funds gathered through the activities fee. The committee will in part distribute funds according to student groups’ ability to engage with undergraduates, according to Miller. Miller said these changes are meant to make the funding system for student organizations more “sustainable” going forward. The activities fee increase and the funding system restructuring come at a time of widespread turnover and transition at Harvard. After 11 years at the helm, University President Drew G. Faust will step down in June 2018. President-elect Lawrence S. Bacow will take office in July. Money gathered via the activities fee only constitutes a portion of funding used to support undergraduate social programming. In recent years, the College has also relied on donations as well as a portion of the University president’s discretionary fund. Faust has provided part of her discretionary fund to the College, which has used the money to cover the cost of undergraduate social events, since at least 2015. By default, undergraduates pay the UC student activities fee, but they can avoid the charge by mailing a letter to the College before Sept. 30 each year detailing their reasons for opting out. All requests are honored, according to the Harvard College Student Handbook.
Crimson Staff Writer
Staff
First, it was Institute of Politics Director Maggie A. Williams, who announced last April she would leave the role she had held for three years. Next came Karen Y. Jackson-Weaver, who stepped down from her post as the Kennedy School’s dean of students last spring. And in November, after publicly declaring she did not feel supported at the Kennedy School, Alexandra Martinez—then the assistant dean for the diversity and inclusion office—followed suit. In the span of just over six months, the Harvard Kennedy School lost three prominent African-American women leaders. The departures came amid increasing scrutiny of diversity at the school, which has faced internal criticism for its lack of minority students,
30 20 10 0 AY 2010-2011
AY 2015-2016
See DIVERSITY Page 9
Diana C. Perez—Crimson Designer
College Will Merge OSL, FDO in July By caroline s. engelmayer and michael e. xie Crimson Staff Writers
he Office of Student Life and the T Freshman Dean’s Office will merge into a new office—called the Dean of Students Office—starting on July 1, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana wrote in an email to students Monday. Khurana said in an interview last week that administrators are merging the two offices to “integrate and strengthen the four-year residential experience.” “This new office will centralize services that are currently offered by both the OSL and the FDO in a way that ensures continuity in the extensive support systems–both academic and residential–that are available to all students,” he wrote in the email to students Monday.
See feE Page 9
University Adopts New Policy On Pregnancy
Diversity Remains HKS Challenge
See merger Page 7
The Freshman Dean’s Office, located at 6 Prescott St, will merge with the Office of Student Life effective July 1, the College announced Monday. Caleb D. Schwartz—Crimson photographer
Univ. Fights To Keep Admissions Data Private
SEE PAGE 9
By MOLLY C. MCCAFFERTY
By delano r. franklin and samuel w. zwickel
Crimson Staff Writer
Crimson Staff Writers
The University rolled out a new pregnancy in the workplace policy Friday morning following a new Massachusetts law aimed at preventing pregnancy-based workplace discrimination, The policy, which took effect on April 1, establishes that discrimination in hiring or employment practices on the basis of pregnancy is expressly prohibited and informs employees of their right to “reasonable accommodations for pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions,” according to a statement sent to University employees from the Office of Labor and Employee Relations on Friday. The change comes as a new piece of state legislation, the Massachusetts Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, takes effect. Passed in July, the law describes
See policy Page 11 Inside this issue
Harvard Today 2
News 7
The University and anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions filed clashing briefs Friday outlining opposing arguments on whether the College’s admissions data should become public as part of an ongoing lawsuit against Harvard. In its brief, Harvard argued sensitive documents should “be filed provisionally under seal,” asserting the documents must remain confidential to protect applicants’ privacy and to safeguard the details of its admissions process. Students for Fair Admissions, though, asserted documents should be publicly filed. The group cited strong public interest and a “strong presumption of public access” in the case, claiming
Dean Dench
Interim dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Emma Dench, will become the school’s permanent dean in July. Caleb d. schwartz—Crimson photographer
Editorial 10
Sports 12
Today’s Forecast
Rainy & Overcast High: 46 Low: 38
See lawsuit Page 11
Visit thecrimson.com. Follow @TheCrimson on Twitter.
Express
HARVARD TODAY
tuesday | April 3, 2018
FOR Lunch
FOR DINNER
Rosemary Lemon Garlic Roasted Chicken
Buffalo Chicken Legs
Sweet Potato Fries
Tofu Vegetable Lo Mein
Eggplant Provencal Vin Rouge
Shaking Beef
around the ivies
Half Snowy Monday
Brown University Posts RecordLow 7.2 percent Admissions Rate
Many students woke up to snow showers Monday morning. Later, the sun came out in full force, leaving mud and puddles throughout campus.
Brown University accepted 1,742 students through its regular decision cycle for the class of 2022, according to the Brown Daily Herald. A record-high 35,438 students applied, the Daily Herald reported, which was an 8 percent increase from the previous year. According to Dean of Admissions Logan Paul, the University expects a higher yield rate because of the Brown Promise initiative—which seeks to eliminate all loans from undergraduate financial aid packages in the 2018-19 academic year.
Caleb D. Schwartz—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Yale Files Amicus Brief Against Travel Bans
Yale filed its fifth amicus brief in the Supreme Court battle to resist the Trump administration’s travel ban on Friday, according to the Yale Daily News. Filed in conjunction with 30 other colleges and universities, the brief supports a lawsuit by the state of Hawaii challenging restrictions on travel from eight countries, six of which are majority-Muslim countries. The higher education institutions argue that the travel bans make it more difficult for colleges to attract faculty and students from foreign countries, specifically citing Yale’s Iranian Studies program and Center Council on Middle East Studies.
HAPPY tuesday, Harvard! According to my “serious” “research”, today is tweed day! It’s unclear why this is a holiday, but now that you know, it’s time to break out your best professor look and wear a tweed jacket to class. Petting Zoo Stop by the Science Center Plaza for
a petting zoo hosted by the UC as a part of Mental Health Matters Week at 12 p.m. Learn about mental health resources on campus while you take a petting zoo prof pic. Ceramic Art from Ancient China Melissa Moy, consultative curator for Chinese ceramics in the Division of Asian and Mediterranean Art, will be leading this gallery talk at the Harvard Art Museums at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are free, but make sure to get
there a few minutes early, because space is limited. Meredith Goldstein The Boston Globe’s advice columnist Meredith Goldstein is speaking at the Brattle Theatre about her debut memoir at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance at the Harvard Bookstore or at the door. Kyle E. O’Hara Crimson Staff Writer
in the real world
Penn Students Studying Abroad Lose Weeks of Classes Due to Teacher’ Strikes
Some University of Pennsylvania students studying abroad in the United Kingdom have missed weeks of classes as a result of teacher strikes, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. In February, the University and College Union in the U.K protested changes in their pension plans with a months-long protests, which ended last week— according to the Daily Pennsylvanian. Some students—who pay Penn tuition while abroad— have called for tuition reimbursements for canceled lectures, the Pennsylvanian reported.
Adams tower The Adams House tower shines in the sun beneath blue skies on Monday.
It’s Going Down, We’re Yelling Timber After China announced tariffs on various US products, combined with continuing concerns regarding tech companies like Amazon and Facebook, many stock indexes saw declines yesterday. Despite big drops, many experts are not worried about panicinduced selloffs.
Lu SHAO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s Death Madikizela-Mandela passed away yesterday in Johannesburg at 81 years old. She had been in and out of the hospital since the beginning of the year with health complications. Despite having been viewed in her exhusband, Nelson Mandela’s, spotlight, she maintained her own identity in the fight against apartheid. Vape Nation? Middle and high schools around the country are facing serious problems regarding the explosion in the number of students using e-cigarettes in school. They are concerned with the possibility of addiction, as well as the link between e-cigarette usage and future cigarette usage.
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
“Sometimes we live in a very busy world and don’t know the issues our neighbors are facing.”
Night Editor Kenton K. Shimozaki ‘19
Jose A. Palma, PBHA teach-in panelist
CORRECTIONS The April 2 article “Folk and Myth Talks Environment Issues” incorrectly indicated Tiffany L. King is an assistant professor at the University of Maryland. In fact, she is an assistant professor at Georgia State University. The article also incorrectly indicated Miles Counts is a member of the Class of 2019. In fact, he is a member of the Class of 2018.
Design Editor Diana C. Perez ‘19
Assistant Night Editors Editorial Editor Shireen Younus ’20 Molly C. McCafferty ’21 William L. Wang ’20 Photo Editors Caleb D. Schwartz ’19 Story Editors Joshua J. Florence ’19 Sports Editors Claire E. Parker ’19 Spencer R. Morris ’20 Hannah Natanson ’19 Alison W. Steinbach ’19 Derek G. Xiao ’19 Phelan Yu ’19
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | APRIL 3, 2018 | PAGE 3
ARTS Analog Culture:
the week in arts
Printer’s Proofs from the Schneider/Erdman Photography Lab, 1981–2001
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FIRST M. LAST / CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
AJIBABI O. OLOKO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Over the course of three decades, Gary Schneider printed nearly 450 photographs out of his Manhattan-based studio, collaborating with famous photographers who grappled with subjects like the AIDS crisis, 9/11, and the changing New York landscape. Schneider and his partner John Erdman kept a print from each of the artists they worked with. They have now partnered with curator Jennifer Quick to bring around 90 of them, along with the artists’ tools, to the Harvard Arts Museums’ exhibition, “Analog Culture: Printer’s Proofs from the Schneider/Erdman Photography Lab, 1981–2001.” The Harvard Crimson sat down with Schneider, Erdman, and Quick to discuss the process of creating the exhibition, their intentions behind it, and what they hoped visitors would take away from it.
The Harvard Crimson: How did this exhibition come to be? Whose idea was it and what was the process of putting it together? Gary Schneider: The exhibition was proposed by curator Debbie Kao . She initiated it. And that was after Harvard began to acquire the prints. There really wasn’t talk of an exhibition, it was just that Harvard would be their final resting place. It was later that Debbie came up with doing an exhibition, and at that point, Jennifer was brought in. Jennifer Quick: Just to give a little recap, we’re looking at a very small slice of the collection being called the Schneider/Erdman Printer’s Proof Collection, and it contains almost 450 photographs that Gary Schneider printed as part of the printing business they owned. They founded it around 1981, and it was in Manhattan’s East Village, and Gary worked with a number of artists, many of whom are represented in this room, to print their photographs. So every time they would have a collaboration with a different client, they would usually retain a photograph from them, and that was the printer’s proof. So this collection is made of printer’s proofs that they retained from these artists. And we’re really excited in particular, I think, for our viewers to learn more about those processes. THC: In the description for this exhibition, there was a quote about the nature of the relationship between a photographer and the printer. Could you expand on that? How would you describe this relationship? GS: It’s a complicated relationship for me because the relationship with each artist is very different, but there was a commonality in that. I’m an artist by trade, I come out of [undergraduate and graduate art school], and I come out of filmmaking and performance. Bringing [this] to that relationship, I understood and I needed to understand what their ideas were, and I was interested in their ideas. Through that, I could work out how to realize their prints. But it’s me channeling their ideas, rather than me making
ideas for them. So if they didn’t have a vision, or they might not be able to articulate their vision, it wasn’t a problem. But if I couldn’t understand where the work lay, because it’s not about the image to me, it’s more about what they want. What each artist wanted from the work. If I couldn’t get that, then I couldn’t have a relationship with that artist. So each one is an adventure for me, and very performative. It’s so different for each person.
THC: Out of so many proofs, how do you decide which stories are told? JQ: That is a really hard part of the job of being a curator, because of course, I want to show all 450 photographs, they’re all incredible. I think for me, for this show specifically, it’s been a couple different things. One is talking a lot with Gary and John about what... some really meaningful collaborations to them were… What did they live with, what became a part of their lives on a daily basis? So this photograph for example, by David Wojnarowicz. David was a good friend of both of theirs, and David died of AIDS, and this text is very meaningful and powerful. So for me, that’s been part of the choosing process—what’s been meaningful to them, what’s been important to them. But again, I really was impacted by my conversations with Gary and John and hearing what had been meaningful to them, and what [photographs] had great stories to tell. I mean they all do, but some have really fascinating stories, so we wanted to highlight those.
THC: Besides the task of selecting the prints from such a large collection, what other obstacles or challenges did you have while putting this exhibition together?
THC: What would each of you most want a viewer to take away from this exhibition? JE: If possible, to not just see the prints as images, but as objects to be considered and wondered about, because everyone’s seeing everything so quick now, with the selfie, and the instant image, and that’s not what these are about. And so hopefully they get a sense of that. That would be what I want.
“THE CITY TALKS: MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.” Listen to Boston-area thinkers and entrepreneurs discuss civil rights, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of MLK Jr.’s assassination. Speakers include international artist Julia Vogl, columnist Adrian Walker, and Chaplain Clementina Chery. MFA. 7p.m. Free.
“JOSEPH KECKLER: SELF PORTRAIT AS AN OPERA” Joseph Keckler presents his life—complete with hallucinogens and a trip to the bondage store— in opera form. The New York Times calls him a “major vocal talent,” and the show promises to be both humorous and haunting. Oberon. 8p.m. $25.
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John Erdman: Gary was very private about being a printer. We both felt that it was a huge challenge to expose in this very major, very public way, the printer. Because we always felt that the printer should be invisible—which we still believe—because the author is the artist who created the initial work. We believe that. So that was a hard hurdle for us to overcome, but after today, Jennifer has now put our minds totally at rest, all day, coming up in the exactly right way. GS: It’s how it’s framed that is critical for us.
“MEREDITH GOLDSTEIN PRESENTS ‘CAN’T HELP MYSELF: LESSONS AND CONFESSIONS FROM A MODERN ADVICE COLUMNIST’” Boston Globe “Love Letters” columnist Meredith Goldstein speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Sacha Pfeiffer. “Can’t Help Myself ” is her memoir, which describes—as the title suggests—how Goldstein has an answer for every problem but her own. Brattle Theater. 6p.m. $5, or $27 with book (signing included).
“THE HARVARD NOTABLES SPRING CONCERT” Harvard’s “Broadway Beat!” show choir group is putting on their spring concert. They haven’t released a song list or a theme, but there should be a lot of showtunes and Disney! Lowell Lecture Hall. 7:30p.m. $6 with Harvard ID.
“THE AUSTEN TRIO FROM ENGLAND — PERFORMING MUSIC LOVED AND PLAYED BY JANE AUSTEN” The Austen Trio, an English music group with piano, harp, and soprano, is coming to the U.S. for the first time. Hear music by Haydn, Handel, Dussek, Cramer, and more, all taken directly from the Austen Family Music Books. Paine Hall. 7p.m. Free
“ARLIE RUSSELL HOCHSCHILD IN CONVERSATION WITH ARCHON FUNG” Arlie Russell Hochschild’s book, “Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right,” is a National Book Award finalist that has become a go-to for understanding the Trump election. Listen to Hochschild talk with Harvard Kennedy School professor Archon Fung about modern conservatism. First Parish Church. 6p.m. $5, or $20.25 with the book.
“SPETTACOLO” Filmmaker Jeff Malmberg will be there in person! The film is about a tiny village in Tuscany that puts on a play every summer to work through their community issues. Past mixes with present as the town ends up making a show about the end of their rural, small-town world. Brattle Theater. 7p.m. $12.
3 APRIL 2018 | VOL CXLv, ISSUE IX Arts Chairs Mila Gauvin II ’19 Grace Z. Li ’19
EDITOR Associates Kaylee S. Kim ’20 Caroline A. Tsai ’20 Aline G. Damas ’20 Noah F. Houghton ’20 Edward M. Litwin ’19 Petra Laura Oreskovic ’20 Ethan B. Reichsman ’19 Yael M. Saiger ’19
Caroline E. Tew ’20 Jonathan P. Trang ’19 Lucy Wang ’20
Executive Designer Hanna Kim ‘21
Design Associates Mireya C. Arango ‘20 Emily H. Hong ‘21 Jessica N. Morandi ‘21
Executive PhotographerS Kathryn S. Kuhar ‘20 Zennie L. Wey ’20
ARTS
The Harvard Crimson | april 3, 2018 | page 4
music
Born Ruffians Electrifies the Sinclair AJIBABI O. OLOKO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
hic ap Gr ss je by ic a N. mo ra nd
cians on stage was obvious—the two drummers drummed on one set together, Fleece and Born Ruffians’ vocalists shared microphones and sang together, and to cap off the collaboration, a few tambourines and maracas entered the mix. It was a magically cohesive moment between musicians and audience. Visibly moved by the song, Hamelin eventually ceded control of his drum set to Fleece drummer Soil and leaped off of the stage into the crowd, then proceeded to dance with his starstruck fans until the song ended. Born Ruffians’ show will not be forgotten by any of the audience members anytime soon—the cohesion, camaraderie, and passion in each one of the band members was palpable and translated into a connection between the audience and the musicians that permeated the entire show.
so im Cr nD ign es er
The band Fleece, a psychedelic-indie-rock group, opened the concert. They played with an ease that seeped into the audience. Drummer Ethan Soil played every song with a huge grin on his face, drawing attention from fans enchanted by his blatant passion for his craft. Vocalists Matthew Rogers and Megan Ennenberg sang to each other and were visibly comfortable as they danced around onstage, shooting each other knowing smiles. Fleece did an excellent job of creating a relaxed yet engaging atmosphere, setting the tone for Born Ruffians’ entrance. The group wore casual evening wear—blazers atop long sleeve, button-down shirts and jeans. This quasi-formal uniform juxtaposed the band’s casual and uninhibited aura. Still, this formality was countered as the band romped around the stage with zeal. Born Ruffians clearly connected with their audience, which seemed to be wholly immersed in the music. The band closed with “Working Together” off of “Uncle, Duke & the Chief.” Born Ruffians was joined onstage by Fleece and a videographer, so the stage filled with nine singers and dancers for the show’s conclusion. “Working Together” is a classic road-trip anthem, the type that one plays in a movie-perfect moment, surrounded by friends while heading to the beach. As both bands came together to perform the song, the love between the musi-
i/
In a world of celebrity copycat beats and auto tune, it often feels like artists are growing more and more detached from their work. In my 19 years of life I have attended many concerts, but none stood out to me like Born Ruffians’ did at the Sinclair on March 23. Composed of Luke Lalonde (guitar/vocals), Mitch DeRosier (bass), Andy Lloyd (guitar/keyboard) and Steve Hamelin (drums), Born Ruffians took the stage with a level of intensity and passion that I have never before seen. DeRosier bounced up and down the stage, his head bobbing wildly as he made faces at his often bearded and Warby-Parker-clad audience. Hamelin pounded the drums in a passionate fervour. Each of the band members concentrated intensely on their set as they all played together, performing with gleeful grins that rarely left their faces. On tour for the release of their 2018 album “Uncle, Duke & the Chief,” the Canadian indie band performed in front of three giant lamps that lit the stage in various colors during their show. The stage’s front lighting often worked in tandem with these lamps to produce captivating color compositions, and, in homage to one of their albums, “Red, Yellow & Blue,” the lamps were often brightly lit up in primary colors. Multiple guitars also served as props on stage, and the artists switched between those guitars as the night went on.
theater
Harvard Ballet Company and Pops’ ‘Out of Orbit’ is Starry-Eyed, Dreamy Iris M. Lewis Crimson staff WRITER
Courtesy of Joseph Lee
“Out of Orbit,” a space-themed collaboration between the Harvard Ballet Company and the Harvard Pops Orchestra, claims to go where no space-ballet has gone before. Its ambition is astronomical, its (nep)tunes are stellar, and HBC’s gravity never eclipses the Pops’ lightness. The show’s dancers and musicians are truly stars. “Out of Orbit,” playing until April 7, marks an exciting collaboration between two prominent Harvard arts groups. In the show’s program, HBC co-directors Anna K. Antongiorgi ’19 and Mara G. Milner ’20 write, “Out of Orbit not only champions interdisciplinary work, it attempts to investigate a culture fascinated with the world beyond Earth.” It’s an ambitious astronomical investigation—and the groups pull it off with sparkly silver costumes and a whole lot of “Star Wars.” The result is a show that references the intergalactic while retaining the personal.
Unlike most smaller Harvard-affiliated performances, “Out of Orbit” is staged in the spacious Loeb Mainstage at the American Repertory Theater. The show makes use of its extra room with a simple, soothing set, and plenty of twinkling lights—the grayscale palette lets the artists define “space” however each song requires. Sometimes the backdrop reads as ethereal, while in other pieces it gains a spaceship vibe or a mechanical feel. To the designers’ credit, the set encompasses each mood with grace. The performance itself involves exactly as much John Williams as a sci-fi fan might hope. The score of “Star Wars” isn’t a natural candidate to serve as the backdrop for a ballet, but “Out of Orbit” makes it work—five out of the 11 songs performed come straight from the movie franchise. Admittedly, John Williams’ deep love of the brass section can be rough on small orchestras (for reference, see the “Indiana Jones” or “Superman” themes), which Pops was not immune to in their Saturday show: At times, enthusiastic offbeats from the string section overpowered the brass’s melody. Regardless, the “Star Wars” motif is an engaging one—the songs are lively and fun, and they make for interesting balletic choreography. “Out of Orbit” boasts an interesting variety of choreography styles. While all of the pieces are successful, a few stood out: “The Sandpaper Ballet” and “Blue Tango” especially shine, while Star Wars’ “The Imperial March” conveys an eerie but fitting sense of violence. “Clair de Lune” is intriguingly angular, and the big-cast opening and finale both have an infectious air of excitement. Pops, however, shines brightest in slightly different areas. Pianist Forrest Flesher is near-virtuosic in Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” The entire ensemble comes together cleanly during the first “Jupiter” portion of a medley of Holst’s “The Planets.” While “Out of Orbit” is HBC’s main spring performance, the Pops are presenting a similar array of space-themed songs in April 15’s “Pops Spaces Out.” It makes sense, then, that their focus may have been channelled in slightly different directions. AAccording to the “Out of Orbit” program, Pops’ spring show will also feature David Bowie’s “Space Oddity”—which, quite honestly, answers a question I had throughout the program. Why did “Out of Orbit” use Elton John’s “Rocket Man” and not “Space Oddity,” or even R.E.M.’s “Man on the Moon”? Why choose “Also sprach Zarathustra,” from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and not “The Blue Danube” from the same movie? “Out of Orbit” presents an interesting puzzle of orchestration. There are so many song options, so many different ways that space is featured in our cultural psyche—and so little time to portray them all. The overwhelming amount of possible content, however, only emphasizes what a good theme “space” is for an orchestra and dance production. “Out of Orbit” offers a well-curated sample of its possible artistic choices: The show feels at times robotic and at times sentimental, occasionally violent and often dreamy. Both the dancers and the musicians bring an incredible diversity and enthusiasm to each piece. No matter the mood, “Out of Orbit” shoots for the stars—and more often than not, it lands there. Staff Writer Iris M. Lewis can be reached at iris.lewis@thecrimson.com.
ARTS
The Harvard Crimson | april 3, 2018 | page 5
books
‘The Sun Does Shine’ Exposes the Truth of America’s Criminal Justice System STEVEN S. ESPINOZA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In his memoir, “The Sun Does Shine,” Anthony Ray Hinton, a black man from rural Alabama who has been put on death row for crimes he did not commit, finds his most important source of strength in Scripture. After the 1985 robberies and murders of two fast food restaurant managers and the attempted murder of a third, Hinton himself becomes a victim—not of a serial killer on the loose, but of the criminal justice system in America, which decides he is guilty of these charges. Considering the fact he was working as a custodian 15 miles away from where he allegedly tried to shoot a man in the head, the accusation is absurd. He “pray[s] for God to reveal the truth” knowing that it will be the ultimate source of liberation for him, citing John 8:32: “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Ultimately, however, Hinton finds that freedom from truth alone is difficult to achieve. Hinton’s solid voice in “The Sun Does Shine” gives the memoir a push-and-pull feel, mirroring the constant setbacks and advances on his road to liberation. Born in 1955, Hinton comes of age at a turbulent time in American society, and his erudite depiction of what he remembers of his daily life in rural Alabama is both insightful and aggravating. He details growing up in the shadows of the Civil Rights movement, alluding to high-profile turning points like the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham and the jailing of Martin Luther King, Jr. Alongside these historical moments are more personal scenes too small to have garnered as much attention, ranging from the day-to-day reality of segregation in the South to the bombings of people’s houses. “People living on Dynamite hill [had] to hide in their bathtubs because bombs were being thrown into their houses,” he writes at one point. By detailing the extent to which racism plays a role in his daily life, Hinton foreshadows the attitudes that will ultimately ensure his indictment. When he first arrives at the police station, officers immediately tell him
Courtesy of St. Martin’s Press
that conviction is inevitable and give him five reasons why, starting with: “Number one, you’re black.” Hinton’s race, coupled with Hinton’s old enemy’s thirst for vengeance and a “constitutionally deficient” defense lawyer, is the chief reason he finds himself on death row. Hinton’s first-person account rings louder than a newspaper retelling his story. His narration asserts racism is strongly tied to America’s criminal justice institutions, more so than any retelling of the circumstances of his conviction ever could. Nonetheless, Hinton finds the strength to not only survive while in prison, but to actively resist the institutional racism that has put him there. This is the most
compelling aspect of the memoir: Time and time again, even after his motions for appeals fail and with no good lawyer in sight, Hinton refuses to be a victim. He seeks to fulfill the promise he repeatedly makes to his mother of a prompt homecoming. While in prison, Hinton even starts a book club, feeling like “someone had brought in contraband” since it is so forbidden. After more inadequate lawyers fail to free him from prison, however, Hinton meets “God’s best lawyer,” Bryan Stevenson from the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, who eventually helps pave the path to Hinton’s freedom after losing 30 years of life he will never get back. Hinton’s ability to speak about the injustices he faces with such poise and composure is his greatest gift. His ability to effectively articulate his infuriating experience in a level tone speaks to the character Hinton never let die. Throughout the memoir, Hinton continuously questions the nature of his freedom: Does he ever truly attain it? Though everyone now knows the truth of his innocence, Hinton’s freedom has not come easily. By detailing his complicated relationship with the idea of it, Hinton shows the subjective nature of the word. When he works at the coal mine, “freedom” means being away from that “dark place” and standing in the sunshine. When he is in prison, Hinton finds “freedom” by daydreaming about adventures overseas and getting lost in works of fiction, if not in his fantasies about getting off death row. Now that he will no longer be executed, “freedom” once again means something different. Even though he sang “Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last” as he walked off the row, he admits that “I have my freedom, but in some ways, I am still locked down on the row.” The pervasive role that identity, memory, and loss play in his life forces him to take on a new struggle in the fight to fix America’s criminal justice system by abolishing the death penalty. For now, genuine freedom still has to wait.
theater
Checking In and Checking Out: HRDC’s ‘The Laramie Project’ at the Oberon Bobae C. Johnson CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Graphic by MIREYA C. ARANGO / Crimson Designer
The Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club’s production of “The Laramie Project” tells the true story of Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was beaten to death in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998 in one of the most infamous anti-BGLTQ hate crimes in history. Through a deep investigation of the small town, the writers of the play, Moisés Kaufman and members of the Tectonic Theater Project, sought to expose the underlying bigotry within the community itself. “I think with shows with serious and sometimes troubling and traumatizing content such as this one, it’s important to set your boundaries and expectations really early on in the process,” Eli B. Schleicher ’18, the director of the show, said. “We’ve come into the material knowing it’s hard, and so we pace ourselves and take it one step at a time, taking the appropriate moments and breaks to step back and reflect on what we’ve done.” Their care was evident in their rehearsal process, which they began by “checking in” and “checking out” with each member of the cast before starting: Each actor filled in surrounding cast-mates on their general wellbeing before entering the heavy material itself. The cast placed significant weight on the
source material, as well as their own interpretations, thoughts, and wellbeing. The actors themselves drew upon their own experiences. Milan M. Williams ’21, an actor in the show, also reflected on how the play has affected her. “If I use language that implies that certain people don’t matter, or if I make jokes that are offensive— those statements do have weight, and they make people believe that ‘Oh, I can go one step further than a joke. I can go one step further beyond that.’ It can spiral and get dangerous really quickly,” she said. Working in with this material has brought to the forefront many difficult realizations about society and individuals for the cast, who say they are evolving alongside the play itself. “It’s something that we all need to hear. It’s so important to really grapple with these ideas,” said Mike T. Shirek ’20, who plays many characters including Dennis Shepard, Matthew’s father. “It talks about a lot of issues that are here on our campus today.” “The Laramie Project” will be playing at the OBERON from April 11 to April 13.
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film
‘Ready Player One’ is A Virtual Joyride JAMES T. BLANCHFIELD CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Many action and science fiction films get bogged down with romantic subplots and personal backstories that feel irrelevant compared to the thrills and chaos of the adventure. In stark contrast, “Ready Player One” is simply fun—and consciously so. While the film is lacking in some traditional measures of quality, “Ready Player One” sticks to its strengths—CGI and ’80s film nostalgia—delivering an experience that’s pure pleasure. In 2045, a virtual reality video game known as “the OASIS” allows individuals to create their own perfect worlds. In this world, the virtual takes precedence over the real, and everyone’s main goal is to collect coins within the OASIS to the point where dying in the video game (and losing all of the coins accumulated) can push people to the brink of suicide in the real world. After the OASIS’s creator James Halliday (Mark Rylance) dies, he posthumously announces via video a challenge to find three keys, or Easter eggs, hidden within the game. The player who finds all three keys will COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. gain control of the OASIS, now the most financially valuable asset on the planet. Protagonist Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan), known al loss, Spielberg elides depicting his grief on-screen. Rathwithin the game as Parzival, is a Gunter (“egg hunter”), one er, the plot moves immediately to the next task Wade must of many individuals attempting to find the keys and win undertake to find the keys. The budding in-game romance the competition. Meanwhile, a rival corporation known as between Wade and Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), a fellow GuntInnovative Online Industries (IOI), run by the slimy Nolan er, serves less as emotional payoff and more as a plot device Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn), is putting all of its resources to propel the action forward. Wade’s other friends from the into finding these Easter eggs in order to dominate the tech OASIS, Aech (Lena Waithe), Sho (Philip Zhao), and Daito industry. (Win Morisaki) similarly dwell very little on their personal Spielberg shirks character development for a fast-paced backstories; their only purpose is to help Wade defeat IOI. plot and intense action, though surprisingly, not necessari- The focus on plot and action over characters keeps the film ly to the detriment of the film. When Wade suffers a person- highly entertaining, while avoiding the risk of over-senti-
mentality. In “Ready Player One,” the storyline matters more than the characters it affects so long as the pace and visuals deliver. Stunning special effects, courtesy of production designer Adam Stockhausen, serve as the high-point of the movie. The first challenge to obtain a key, a virtual drag race, includes crazy explosions, swinging wrecking balls, a rampaging T-Rex, and a run-in with King Kong. The film’s CGI designers eschew realism to make it clear whether the characters are in the real or virtual world. The graphics also recreate pop-culture staples including the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Halo, the Iron Giant, and Chuckie. The nods to these cultural icons capture the lasting importance of quality entertainment, implying these titans will still be relevant 27 years in the future. The constant barrage of effects and visually-interesting environments more than make up for the aforementioned lack of character development and are reminders that “Ready Player One,” like a video game, is ultimately about constant fun. The film focuses much more heavily on action, but it nevertheless retains its emotional core. “Ready Player One” taps into sentiments about childhood, specifically the joy of playing games with friends. When scenes switch between the game and the real world, it places the action in context: what feels like life-or-death within the OASIS is just a group of friends spending time together. The film makes a point of highlighting that the most fulfilling part of playing a game is just that—finding pleasure in the play even when it becomes competitive. “Ready Player One” commits to this simple joy throughout the film, a dedication that lends to its success.
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A FLAWED PERCEPTION OF HIP-HOP UZOCHI P. NWOKO CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
“This is why I say that hip-hop has done more damage to young African Americans than racism in recent years.” - Fox News Analyst Geraldo Rivera. This sentiment appears to be a relatively popular one. According to a poll published by the Pew Research Center in 2008, more than 70 percent of Americans believed that rap had an overall negative impact on society. Some rap and hip-hop songs do indeed glamorize destructive behavior, like substance abuse and violence. But artists like 21 Savage and Meek Mill, whose music sometimes lionizes illegal activity, also lament these very crimes, and the fact that they occur disproportionately in low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods. When rappers do decide to celebrate these crimes, it is often simply because that is the type of music that sells. 21 Savage’s “Nothin New,” which appeared on “Issa Album,” his latest album and his first composition to reach number two on Billboard’s Top 200 chart, explains this motive. In the lyrics, he says, “They thought I only rapped about murder and pistols / I’m tryna feed my family, I ain’t being political.” Sometimes, even for rappers like 21 Savage who are known for their thuggish lyrics, the only way to generate revenue is to produce what people want to hear. For reasons beyond the scope of this article, that often includes the lionization of violence. Rappers don’t necessarily intend to set a poor example for America’s youth—they are simply trying to do what it takes to earn money, just as any other professional does. Moreover, many rappers come from impoverished neighborhoods and realize that, if they don’t seize the opportunity to make music that sells while they have the chance, they may never get another shot. When rappers do indeed resort to “being political,” they often receive a flurry of backlash. In his last album, “Revival,” Eminem strongly chastised Donald Trump and was immediately rebuked by many listeners including prior fans, many of whom promised never to listen to his music again. Nethertheless, rappers do continue to speak out about structural issues in American society that lead to the problems we still see today in black communities. In “Nothin New,” 21 Savage says, “Shit gettin’ outrageous / Treat us like slaves then they lock us up in cages / Young, black, poor, ain’t had a father since a baby / Why you think we skip school and hang
out on the pavement? / Why you think we ridin’ ‘round with choppers off safety?” With these lyrics, he addresses how disproportionate rates of African American incarceration spark other issues that plague poor black communities. In Meek Mill’s “Wins and Losses,” which reached its zenith at Billboard’s number three spot, Meek Mill criticizes the low quality of education available to many poor African Americans. “My teacher always used to tell me you gon’ lose n**** / That’s why I never went to school n****,” he raps. Kendrick Lamar also weighs in with his track, “m.A.A.d. city,” on his platinum album “good kid m.A.A.d. city,” saying, “They say the governor collect all of our taxes, except / When we in traffic and tragic happens, that shit ain’t no threat,” further rebuking institutionalized racism that leaves many black families without sufficient aid. There are also many songs that directly condemn violence and drug abuse in poor black communities. In “Polo and Shell Tops” in his album “Dreams and Nightmares,” which reached number one on Billboard’s chart, Meek Mill says, “Homies murder other homies just to make a brick,” criticizing both violence and the influence of illegal drugs. In Wale’s “Ambition,” in which Meek Mill is featured, he mourns this illicit lifestyle. Yet he also rationalizes it, saying, “Only hope I had was selling dope / Was on my grind cause times was harder than a cellar floor.” He argues that lack of economic opportunity pushes many African Americans in impoverished communities toward illegal activity. To argue that hip-hop has harmed black people more than modern racism is to ignore these messages, among many others. Though some songs do indeed glorify illegal activity that is disproportionately found at alarmingly high rates in low income black communities, plenty of songs lament these issues and critique their causes. Many songs that highlight issues in the black community are exceptionally popular, which indicates that these messages are heard, if not always widely understood. If opponents of rap music can listen to these pieces and still insist that rap only sends negative messages, they should listen closer. Contributing writer Uzochi P. Nwoko’s column, “Where Rap Meets Race,” explores how predominant motifs in rap impact the black community. DESIGNED BY MIREYA C. ARANGO
The Harvard Crimson | april 3, 2018 | page 7
OSL, FDO Merger to EMS Launches Blood Program Take Effect In July By ahab chopra and ashley m. cooper Crimson Staff Writers
merger From Page 1 Currently, the FDO and OSL split oversight of residential and social life at the College. The FDO—comprising roughly a dozen full-time staff members—administers programming for freshmen. The OSL—which boasts nearly double that number of staffers—provides support for student organizations, housing operations, and College-wide diversity initiatives. The OSL also partners with upperclassmen House management to oversee residential and social programming for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Dean of Students Katherine G. O’Dair, who currently oversees the Office of Student Life, will lead the joint office, according to Khurana. The OSL currently sits on the first floor of University Hall while the FDO has its own building on Prescott Street, and O’Dair said in an interview last week that administrators have not yet determined whether the two offices will remain split between their respective locations or whether the new office will occupy a new spot on campus. “We haven’t determined the physical spaces yet,” O’Dair said. The new administrative structure of the Dean of Students Office also means the College will effectively cancel the position of dean of first-year students, occupied since 2004 by Dean of Freshmen Thomas A. Dingman ’67. Dingman announced in Nov. 2017 he plans to step down from his position at the end of the academic year; given the merger, the College will not seek his replacement. Instead, administrators in the Dean of Students Office will divide up the responsibilities that currently fall under the purview of the Freshman Dean’s Office. Specifically, one administrator will oversee freshman residential life in the new organizational structure, according to O’Dair. In an email sent to students Monday, Khurana wrote the new office will be responsible for four main areas of the Harvard College experience: residential life, student experience, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and student advising. In an interview, O’Dair said “senior folks” and “resident deans”—including resident deans of freshmen, who will
each continue to oversee one neighborhood of Yard dorms—will support firstyear residential life. But not all roles in the new office are set in stone. As part of the transition, the College will also create new administrative positions that consolidate some responsibilities currently managed by the FDO with others currently managed by the OSL. O’Dair said administrators are “beginning” the work of figuring out exactly what those new positions will entail now. In his email, Khurana wrote O’Dair will “announce further details” ahead of the July 1 launch. According to Khurana’s email, the new structure comes partially as a response to student feedback requesting a smoother transition from Yard to House life. In the interview last week, Khurana said he has been considering joining the OSL and the FDO almost since he became dean of the College in 2014. He said he “talked to everyone” when deciding whether and how to prosecute the merger, including Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Michael D. Smith, O’Dair, and other senior leaders in FAS. “I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed but I love asking people for advice,” Khurana said. Khurana wrote in the email he is excited about the merger. “While I will miss working with Dean Dingman after he retires, I am excited about the new possibilities that will be created by the DSO,” he wrote. “I am confident that taking this step will boost the College’s efforts to support a residential and social experience that is welcoming, open, and accessible to all students.”chael D. Smith, O’Dair, and other senior leaders in FAS. “I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed but I love asking people for advice,” Khurana said. Khurana wrote in the email he is excited about the merger. “While I will miss working with Dean Dingman after he retires, I am excited about the new possibilities that will be created by the DSO,” he wrote. “I am confident that taking this step will boost the College’s efforts to support a residential and social experience that is welcoming, open, and accessible to all students.”
CrimsonEMS—a student-run volunteer Emergency Medical Service—has launched a “Stop the Bleed” initiative focused on increasing knowledge of bleeding control techniques in the case of public emergencies or medical accidents. The group plans to begin public blood control technique trainings before the end of the school year, according to Harvard University Health Service administrator Susan Fitzgerald. After attending the National Collegiate EMS Foundation conference in February, members of CrimsonEMS learned of the Stop the Bleed initiative, which was started by the White House in Oct. 2015 as a “national awareness campaign.” Fitzgerald said recent events of mass violence like the shooting at a Parkland, Fla. high school and awareness campaigns like National Stop the Bleed Day on March 31 have indicated the necessity of this new initiative. “You don’t need to wait for a national disaster. You don’t need to wait for a mass shooting,” Fitzgerald said. “This
is the time of year to push this. This is a way to raise consciousness.” Fitzgerald, an HUHS nurse leader and CrimsonEMS clinical liaison, said contrary to what some people think, blood loss emergencies can happen as a result of everyday situations. “These can be a result of a car accident, a household kitchen accident, or something as simple as somebody falls off a metal bleacher and gashes their leg,” Fitzgerald said. After coming back from the national conference, CrimsonEMS assembled a “bleeding control task force,” whose goal it is to further the Stop the Bleed initiative by ensuring as many University affiliates as possible understand how to respond to bleeding emergencies. “We plan to do so by publicizing the importance of the initiative, holding instructor and general bleeding control courses, securing funding for training materials, and pushing for our long-term goal of installing bleeding control kits in AED [automated external defibrillator] cabinets around the Harvard campus,” Sienna R. Nielsen ’19, CrimsonEMS community outreach officer, said. Stop the Bleed Kits are current-
ly available in all the AED cabinets at HUHS.Fitzgerald said the new initiative will come with financial challenges in the long term, as CrimsonEMS hopes to supply blood control kits across campus. She said the group will focus on trainings first and infrastructure later. “Very often the training part is the easiest because it doesn’t require very much. It’s just people training people and then empowering them with that knowledge,” Fitzgerald said. “The next phase is getting all the stuff labeled and out there where people can get it.” In total, 5 percent of Harvard undergraduates have been CPR-trained. CrimsonEMS leaders said they hope blood control trainings will further campus preparedness so people are ready to act when emergencies strike. “We began to see this as a natural progression, that once people have learned CPR, learning how to stop bleeding is the next step,” Fitzgerald said. Staff writer Ahab Chopra can be reached at ahab.chopra@thecrimson.com. Staff writer Ashley M. Cooper can be reached at ashley.cooper@thecrimson.com.
PBHA Hosts Poverty Teach-In By Karina G. Gonzalez-espinoza and kanshik a. mittal Crimson Staff Writers
The Phillips Brooks House Association joined with several community groups to host a teach-in Saturday to discuss poverty-related issues and legislative movements related to poverty in Massachusetts. The teach-in featured discussions on a variety of economic and social issues related to poverty during panels that ran throughout the Saturday. Panelists tackled the issue from many angles including youth poverty, education, housing, immigration, and the effects of the recent legalization of cannabis. The primary co-host for the event was the advocacy organization Union of Minority Neighborhoods. Horace Small, the group’s founder and executive director, praised PBHA’s efforts and said he hoped that the group would continue to grow. Other community groups in atten-
dance included Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, Greater Boston Legal Services, St. John Missionary Baptist Church, and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice. “Sometimes we live in a very busy
Sometimes we live in a very busy world and don’t know the issues. Jose A. Palma Panel Participant
world and don’t know the issues our neighbors are facing,” said Jose A. Palma, a member of Justice at Work and participant in the immigration panel. PBHA President Anwar Omeish ’19 wrote in an email that the organization
was excited to connect these groups with students to prompt further dialogue and action, citing the event as an example of PBHA’s new emphasis on community partnership. “We’re excited to be able to bring these amazing community leaders to campus and connect students and community members to each other and to these important issues,” Omeish wrote. Among the guests were James B. Eldridge, a Massachusetts state senator, and Marjorie C. Decker, a state representative. Both spoke about their efforts to change poverty legislation. Decker also spoke out her own past experiences with poverty. Maria J. Dominguez Gray, executive director of PBHA, said the teachin was an opportunity for students to promote grassroots efforts and to lead change in poverty policy, and that she hoped it could connect PBHA volunteers to members in the wider area who work on similar social issues.
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HKS Faces Dearth of Professors, Admins of Color DIVERSITY From Page 1 faculty, and staff. Though the reasons for the women’s departures varied, Lauren R. Powell, a 2017 master’s in public administration graduate of the Kennedy School, said she finds it “alarming” that these women all decided to leave at around the same time. “That’s the part no one can explain to me,” Powell said. “How many other people are leaving the Kennedy School in mass exodus like this? And how many women in positions of leadership and how many of them are black women?” The Kennedy School has been working for years to diversify and to address concerns shared by minority affiliates at the school. The school established its Office for Student Diversity and Inclusion in 2012, and Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf convened a task force on diversity and inclusion in 2016. In May 2017, that group released a draft report outlining demographic statistics and proposing a number of measures to promote minority faculty recruitment and curricular offerings that appeal to students from a range of backgrounds. “Faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School come from a range of backgrounds and perspectives. However, U.S. historically underrepresented minorities are also underrepresented on our faculty, according to a range of definitions or benchmarks,” the report reads. “Without that diversity, we risk taking narrow views on policy issues important to our students and to the world and to missing important issues altogether.” Students and faculty say the dearth of minority faculty and administrators at the school leaves students of color lacking role models and feeling uncomfortable discussing race in the classroom. The recent departures of prominent female African-American administrators, many say, has not helped. ‘SURPRISED WHEN SHE LEFT’ Jackson-Weaver, who students and faculty describe as very active and interested in student life, left the school abruptly last May, surprising and confusing some students. “There’s not a student group that didn’t know her,” Powell said. “I really don’t believe she’s replaceable. I don’t believe that anyone they can get will have the same passion and the same connection with students.” Kennedy School lecturer Richard Parker described Jackson-Weaver as “a very good, energetic, committed person.” “I had no complaints whatsoever about her,” Parker said. “I thought she was very widely admired by the students, and I was rather surprised when she left.” Jackson-Weaver did not respond to requests for comment. Williams left the Institute of Politics in April 2017, citing her long commute and asserting she had achieved her primary goals. Her tenure as director was marked by controversy; some critics said Williams’s role on the Clinton campaign comprised a breach of the IOP’s commitment to nonpartisanship. At one point, several alumni and students called for Williams’ resignation. Former IOP President Jesse I. Shelburne ’18 said at the time Williams’s resignation was not connected to these events. Martinez, on the other hand, made
clear at a meeting of the school’s student-run diversity committee, a week before she left, that her decision to leave the Kennedy School directly stemmed from the “lack of support” she received from other school leaders. “There was insufficient support for the office in terms of financial support as well as staff support,” Martinez said. “I had been requesting additional support over the last five years, and whereas I saw a minimal support being added here and there, it was just so far off the mark that it was really disheartening.” Elmendorf declined to comment on Martinez’s departure and on criticisms of the school.The departures of several high-profile women of color at the school made waves within the diversity task force itself, causing at least one task force member to become disillusioned about the prospects for change and to ultimately step down from the body. Kennedy School lecturer Timothy P. McCarthy ’93 chaired the “Campus Life and Culture” committee of the task force until he left the group last spring. He attributed the decision to his belief that the school has “a diversity, inclusion, belonging, equity, and justice problem” which manifested itself in the departures of these African-American female administrators, specifically Jackson-Weaver. “[Jackson-Weaver] was, in my time at the Kennedy School, without question or exception, the finest administrative presence in the building, and had been there for two and a half years, and and suddenly departed, with nowhere to go, at the end of the year,” McCarthy said. “It became clear to me through a series of conversations with various people that something problematic was afoot, and there was a reason why people were leaving.” Students and faculty members said that, regardless of the reasoning behind these departures, the women’s exits exacerbated the longstanding dearth of people of color and women professors and top administrators at the school. According to the diversity task force’s report, the school employed five African-American faculty members in 2017, two of whom were tenured professors. African-American representation on the staff level has remained “stagnant” over time—in 2005, African Americans comprised 6.1 percent of Kennedy School staff; by 2015, that number rose to just 6.6 percent. Latinx faculty members in the U.S. made up 2 percent of the faculty in 2016. In the 2017 academic year, only two faculty members classified in the report as “Hispanic” taught at the school, both as full professors. By contrast, across the University as a whole, 18 percent of faculty and 22 percent of staff come from underrepresented minority groups, according to the final report of a University-wide task force on inclusion and belonging released last week. Without adequate minority representation in the Kennedy School’s classrooms and offices, “we have insufficient faculty role models for our students,” the HKS task force report reads. Shaniqua L. McClendon, a second-year master’s of public policy student and president of the Black Student Union, said the departures of prominent African-American women left her and other students of color with fewer advisers and role models who can empathize with their personal experiences. “With those people leaving or not
being here as much, it significantly reduced the people that we have access to which can have an affect on how you experience graduate school because graduate school is not the easiest thing in the world,” McClendon said. “It’s stressful, and when you have fewer people that you feel like you identify with, and you feel comfortable talking to, it can make the experience a lot more isolating.”
’A LACK OF LITERACY’ IN THE CLASSROOM Apart from its impact on mentorship, some students said the absence of faculty of color also impacts the curricula and discussions that take place in Kennedy School classrooms. Meredith D. Tavera, the co-president for the Latinx Caucus, said this is especially true for Latinx students on campus. “One of the things that we see missing the most is actually just people who are working on issues that affect Latinx communities and policies that affect Latinx communities disproportionately, and who are looking at it from the perspective of how they affect our communities,” Tavera said. Tavera could only name one of the two Latinx professors at the Kennedy School–George J. Borjas, a professor of economics and immigration policy, who has written extensively about the negative impacts of immigration on the American economy and workers. Borjas did not respond to requests for comment. Khalil G. Muhammad, one of the two African-American tenured professors at the school, said the lack of minority faculty is “striking” to students of color and leads to gaps in understanding between students and professors. “There is a lack of literacy, a lack of fluency, and when tough questions are being raised, they tend to be pushed outside of the classroom for fear of alienating some students or making people feel uncomfortable,” Muhammad said. Laura E. Merryfield, a master’s in public policy student at HKS, said professors—especially those who teach “more analytical” courses—are not necessarily inclined to integrate themes of diversity and inclusion into their lessons. “There are a lot of ways where we can be more broadly talking about these issues in our coursework, but it hasn’t been seen,” Merryfield said. “There’s a sense that you don’t need to make these things explicit in order to successfully teach a class.” Muhammad also said, as one of the only black faculty members studying and teaching about racism and civil rights, he experiences a heightened level of responsibility to mentor students actively researching these areas. “There are few people at the Kennedy School who are prepared to answer those questions [about race], so where my experience differs to that is I have to be ready to take on a lot of additional questions and curiosities and research projects and all sorts of things that are perfectly valid because there are so few people at the school who explicitly care and show concern and have expertise in those areas,” Muhammad said. Powell said that, in her two years at the Kennedy School, she actively sought out courses taught by African-American professors because she felt their classrooms—unlike many other spaces at the school—were places she could talk about race. “So many of these courses talk about
race indirectly, and we try to water it down with terms like people of color, underserved communities,” Powell said. According to the task force report, 25 percent of the cases Kennedy School professors used in their courses recently featured an “underrepresented minority group or were directly about race.” The task force recommended increasing the number of cases and “curricular materials that feature diverse actors and content related to the challenges arising from diversity.” Muhammad said he believes the curriculum should place greater emphasis on historical analysis and applying historical models related to race and racism in lessons about politics and policy-making. “You can’t entirely solve the problem just by putting in black or brown or native scholars; you’ll also have to bring in faculty whose enterprise is precisely in these areas,” Muhammad said. “You need more faculty that represents the world as it actually is, but you also need some of that representation to be scholars who speak directly to race and racism as it has played out for centuries in the U.S. and elsewhere.”
’ENOUGH’ The task force report bluntly acknowledged the “underrepresentation” of “U.S. historically underrepresented minorities” among the faculty and proposed a number of recruitment measures to address the problem. “While it is true that the Ph.D. pipelines from which we hire the vast majority of our faculty are not as diverse as the U.S. population as a whole and that the faculty hiring process and turnover is much slower than for staff, it is essential that we have a diversity of perspectives on policy issues at HKS,” the report reads. “Over the past 10 years, despite efforts to diversify the HKS faculty, we have not made as much progress as we’d have liked,” the report continues. The task force identified implicit bias as a probable culprit. “While we think we have the very best faculty in the world, to the extent that there is implicit bias in our search processes, we may miss truly top-notch faculty altogether,” its report reads. The report recommended initiatives to promote minority recruitment within the four steps of the faculty hiring process, including creating “a bridge” to tenure-track positions through a postdoctoral program, providing search committees with guidelines to solicit nominations from “women and minority scholars,” and conducting a “blind reading of applications” without names or Ph.D. programs visible. Another recommendation called on search committees to provide an explanation for removing minority candidates from shortlists before they receive an invitation to visit campus. A document provided by Kennedy School spokesperson Doug Gavel listed progress on several of the task force’s recommendations. Suzanne J. Cooper, academic dean for teaching and curriculum, “revised the guidance” on hiring to include additional material on bias when faculty search committees read applications, according to the document. “We are providing the revised guidance to each search, promotion, or review committee as it begins work, and we will distribute the guidance to all
faculty members when they consider and vote on hires, promotions, and reviews,” the document reads. The document also asserts the Kennedy School “will evaluate the benefits and costs” of a postdoctoral program for scholars from underrepresented groups “over time.”
’HOPE FOR THE FUTURE’ Students from various affinity groups at the school are continuing to urge the school to recruit diverse faculty and administrators. Bryan Cortes, a first-year M.P.P. student and member of the Latinx Caucus, said the caucus focused on pushing for more diverse faculty members and fellows at the school’s various centers, including the Shorenstein Center and the Institute of Politics. “I know for example the Shorenstein Center next semester—I can’t reveal the name—but I know they’re going to have a fellow focused on Latino and Hispanic media so it’s encouraging to see those stats going forward,” Cortes said. The Kennedy School also announced a new fellowship in March aimed at students with a “strong commitment” to Latinx issues in honor of the late Lisa M. Quiroz ’83. The fellowship, housed at the Center for Public Leadership, will provide funding for students who have demonstrated an interest in reducing disparities in U.S. Latinx and other underserved communities. Davis said it is easier for students to push the school to appoint Latinx fellows—whom she called “low-hanging fruit”—because of the slow process of hiring new faculty and senior administration officials. “Since last year when the diversity task force report came out and they got a little bit of blowback for that process, I think [the dean has] been a little bit more transparent in walking us through the processes of how they go about searching for faculty, and now that they’ve hired the new dean of diversity and inclusion, that’s a really positive sign,” Davis said. “So there’s been some things that have been good.” The school recently hired Robbin Chapman as its new associate dean of diversity and inclusion in January. She will assume that role this month. The Black Student Union has also contributed to the faculty hiring discussion, recommending in a written response to the diversity task force report that the school examine the faculty hiring process “for any implicit bias.” The student group also urged the school to recognize and compensate the “unseen work” undertaken by faculty of color. According to Elmendorf, the Kennedy School has already begun to make strides in recruiting more people of color for faculty and top administrative roles. “We have filled a number senior positions with women of color over the past year or two,” Elmendorf said. “So the story is not just one of departures.” He specifically pointed to Chapman, the school’s new associate dean for diversity, inclusion, and belonging, as well as a new communications director and chief financial officer—all of whom are women of color. McCarthy said he believes the dean appointment represents a “turn in the right direction” towards a more substantial commitment to issues of diversity and representation and that he admired Elmendorf’s willingness to listen and “take the heat.” Still, he said there is much more to be done.
Student Activities Fee Will Spike Mentorship Focus for feE From Page 1 Over the past three years, roughly 1 percent of undergraduates have chosen to opt out of the fee, according to College spokesperson Rachael Dane. All students are eligible to opt out regardless of their financial aid status, Dane said. Miller acknowledged some students will choose to avoid the fee after the 250 percent increase and said he and other administrators have sought to calculate the impact of the hike. Ultimately, though, Miller said the OSL believes the overall amount of money gathered via the student activities fee will increase in the 2018-2019 school year.Currently, the fee brings in roughly $500,000 according to Miller. “This will allow students to take advantage of a greater pool of funds,” Miller said of the changes. The new “funding board” charged with allocating money gathered via the activities fee will comprise College administrators, as well as undergraduate representatives from the UC, CEB, House Committees, and the IM Council, Miller said. He added that the College is still developing the framework for this new committee. Administrators and students are working to determine how many board representatives each group will receive—as well as the criteria the board will use to distribute funding. “Each year, each organization would go before this board, and this board would be looking at their overall year, so assessing their year,” Miller said. “It’s one thing to come to the board and ask for funding, but I think the board will also be asking, ‘So with the current funding you’re using, how are you assessing it, how are you en-
gaging with students?’” Miller announced the changes to student life funding directly to members of the UC, CEB, House Committees, and the IM Council in meetings with all four bodies over the past two weeks. The Undergraduate Council has long pushed for an increase to the student activities fee, which has held steady at $75 since 2006. In 2012, for example, thenUC President Daniel P. Bicknell ’13 and UC Vice President Pratyusha Yalamanchi ’13 recommended that the College
It’s not even 1 percent of what we pay every year to go here. Danielle E. Katz ’19 Currier HoCo co-chair
increase the fee to between $115 and $160 in a commissioned report. At the time, they argued that some of Harvard’s peer institutions had much higher activities fees. This semester, with the Council’s finance committee once again facing a budget shortfall, some UC leaders say the activities fee increase is welcome news. Boucher said in an interview Monday that he is supportive of the fee hike and is optimistic the Council will benefit from the change. “I’m very hopeful that we’ll be able to increase the amount of funding that goes to the UC through the funding board that will be created,” UC Vice President Nicholas D. Boucher ‘19 said.
“In our informal conversations with the administration, the idea has been that the pool of money will be large enough that it’s at the very least feasible for the UC to request more money than it currently has.” The increase in the activities fee brings the College in line with some of its peer institutions. The average activities fee across five Ivy League schools who disclose that information online— Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Yale, and Columbia—is $205 per year. In another change, student group funding will now be tied to the University’s fiscal calendar—which runs from July 1 to June 30—as opposed to the academic calendar, according to Miller. He noted this revision will most directly affect student groups whose budgeting or election cycles do not line up with the University’s fiscal year. “They could potentially be applying for a year that they may not be fully serving in,” Miller said. “So that may require some level of wisdom or oversight from student organizations, but I do think it will challenge groups to think about their overall leadership structures, how that transition plays out with its budget cycle and what that might mean for the overall governance of the group.” Currier House Committee co-chair Danielle E. Katz ’19 said she supports the fee increase. She sought to put the $125 hike in perspective. “I think it’s a relatively small amount,” Katz said. “I mean, it’s not even 1 percent of what we pay every year to go here… so I don’t think it should be that big of a concern.” Harvard announced last week that undergraduate enrollment costs will increase by 3 percent for the 2018-2019 academic year.
New GSAS Dean Dench By shera S. Avi-yonah Crimson Staff Writer
Emma Dench, dean-elect of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, said the relationship between graduate students and their faculty advisers will be a major focus of her tenure as dean in an interview last month. Dench, who stepped in as interim dean last year, will begin her tenure as the permanent GSAS dean on July 1. Each semester, the GSAS dean meets with the directors of graduate studies from each department to discuss a major issue facing the school. This semester, the topics of the meeting focused on the advisor-student relationship, departmental climate, and power dynamics, according to Dench. “In a recent director of graduate studies’ lunch, we discussed power dynamics, focusing on the adviser-student relationship. At GSAS, we are collecting best practices around advising with the aim of sharing them with our programs and departments,”she said. According to a recent student life survey conducted by GSAS, nearly 10 percent of graduate students have concerns about the quality of their relationship with their primary adviser. Dench added that, in recent years, some departments have encouraged faculty and graduate students to set out clear expectations for their relationship in the form of advising contracts. The graduate school’s renewed focus on the student-adviser relationship comes after The Chronicle of Higher Education reported last month that at least 18 women—including at least one former GSAS student—are accusing
Government professor Jorge I. Dominguez of sexual harassment. Several days after the Chronicle first reported the allegations, Dench encouraged graduate students to come forward with their concerns. “As a student in Oxford and at the start of my academic career in London in the 1980s and 1990s, I experienced and witnessed disempowering situations similar to those noted in the article,” Dench wrote in an email. “I know that those who experience or witness sexual harassment, assault, or discrimination are often unsure whether or not to speak up.” In the interview, Dench said that faculty attitudes towards advising have also changed since she began her academic career. “When I was a young faculty member in England, the general assumption was that some people were really good at mentoring, mainly women,” she said. “And the rest, the student can go to someone else. Today, things are much different. There’s a hunger to learn and to be better.” In addition to encouraging the use of advising contracts, Dench said she also plans to encourage faculty to attend workshops on how to navigate the advisor-student relationship. Theda R. Skocpol, who served at GSAS dean from 2005 to 2007, said that while the relationship between Ph.D. students and faculty varies between disciplines, she encourages graduate students to rely on multiple mentors. “I personally believe that a graduate student is well advised to have a principal adviser and a couple of other advisers, ideally a committee,” she said.
EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD
Once in a Lifetime
W
ith much anticipation, Harvard College admitted 1,962 applicants last week, bringing to us the thrill of knowing who our future classmates will be. We congratulate our successful soon-to-be peers for a job well done, and look forward to seeing you on campus this fall. Harvard is so much more than a school: A Harvard acceptance is literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Over the years, thousands of students have walked through the beautiful wrought iron of Johnston Gate and had deeply fulfilling experiences full of wonder, excitement, and promise. No one ever forgets the exact moment they received their Harvard acceptances—each a very different memory. Similarly, no one forgets the memories they create in their time here, as we make Harvard our own. The opportunity to be a Harvard student is achieved with hard work, but also involves an extraordinary amount of luck. We urge our young peers to remember this, and take their acceptances with pride, as they well should, but also with grace and humility. Being humble isn’t just the right thing to do, both in your high schools and the communities in which you
currently live, but it is a state of mind that prepares you for a lifetime of having gone to Harvard, with all the responsibilities and privileges it provides. We also must never forget the power and importance of respect in our lives and the lives of others in the Harvard community. Harvard provides you the unparalleled opportunity to interact with and learn from people of completely different backgrounds and
We congratulate our successful soon-to-be peers for a job well done and look forward to seeing you on campus. identities from around the world. Given this, we hope you choose to respect your classmates and peers on campus, and live your life with respectful thoughts and actions for them. But most importantly, we hope you never forget where you are right now—to look around and fully realize the amazing nature of this moment, with all that lies ahead of you. Don’t merely overlook the last few weeks of
high school with thoughts of the future—make the most of your senior year. All too often, we focus so much on our Harvard acceptances that we lose sight of enjoying the present. This is an incredibly unique moment in your life full of anticipation, excitement, and the promise of something new. Nevertheless, when you matriculate at college, enjoy that moment even more. Appreciate the ability to enjoy the close of one chapter of your life, and the sweet promise of beginning a new one. We hope you have a well-deserved wonderful rest of your senior year, and again, we hope to see many of you at not only Visitas—the College’s visiting weekend—later this April, but also at the start of next year in September. We want you to share in the experiences we have had here—from the good, to the bad, to the once-in-a-lifetime. 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).
Goodbye, Simon The few pros and many cons of “Love, Simon” Becina GANTHER THE FEMINIST CLOSET
“L
ove, Simon” is the straightest queer film I’ve ever seen. The first time I saw the trailer in an actual movie theater, I was pleasantly surprised to see a mainstream movie with a queer protagonist. I remember wishing that this film had come out when I was in high school; young Becina could have used this. But then I listened more closely and heard Simon say, “I’m just like you, except I have one huge ass secret: nobody knows I’m gay.” That’s when the proverbial record scratched and the camera panned to Simon, an upper-class white male teenager. He’s not like me at all, except that he’s gay. Even beyond that, the “you” that Simon addresses in the trailer is a straight audience whom he’s desperate to convince that he’s just like them, except for this one tiny detail. The key identity that Simon and I share is a marginal blip to be overlooked, while the identities we don’t share are proof of his normalcy. Before watching the movie, I felt torn. Now, having finally seen it, I’m still torn. “Love, Simon” thrives on palatability. It fits the Hollywood mold of every other YA film with the typical Hollywood protagonist—white, cis, straight, wealthy male—except he’s gay. Then they threw in some light-skinned people of color for a dash of diversity. The film also gives far too much screen-time to straight characters. I understand that it’s a plot point, but I don’t care that Leah liked Simon or that Nick and Martin liked Abby but she only liked Nick back. If I wanted these types of plot lines, I’d watch a CW show. None of this was relevant to Simon’s personal coming out jour-
ney; they all felt shoehorned in to give straight viewers a stake in the plot. Additionally, there’s not enough focus on Simon’s journey of self-acceptance. The film conflates coming out with being comfortable with oneself. The end assumes that now that everyone at school knows his secret and he has a boyfriend, it’ll all be okay. Yes, YA movies are known for their unrealistic plot lines and nice, wrapped-upin-a-bow endings. But to pretend that coming out once equates to a lifetime of reclaiming your identity is misleading and even dangerous to any closeted queer viewers. Ultimately, “Love, Simon” wanted to be a feel-good love story that also touched on complex topics like coming out, identity, homophobia, and social isolation. But it missed that mark. A good coming out story must dig deeper into the emotional complexity and lived experiences of actual queer people—not a sanitized, Hollywood-approved wealthy white man. While “Love, Simon” lacks depth and nuance, it succeeds in simplistic nostalgia. This was the movie I needed in high school. Before I experienced racism in the BGLTQ community, before I was aware of the toll internalized homophobia takes on my life, before I learned to question the typical American ideal of white suburban upper-middle-class families, before I’d read the term “heteronormativity” on feminist blogs, before I realized the importance of intersectionality in media representation—well, I was just a terrified teen with a “huge ass secret” that no one could know about. And sometimes I forget what that’s like to lie in bed at night tossing and turning because you’re worried that your classmates know an inkling of your secret. What it’s like to awkwardly come out to your friends while driving home from school, completely unprepared for anything they might say. What it’s like to wish for queer friends while not wanting to downplay the attempted allyship of your straight friends. This movie transported me back to
a different time in my life, a time where it seemed like my entire existence was consumed by fear over this one thing. I cried when Simon’s mom told him how she felt he’d been “holding his breath” for the last few years. I cheered during the college dream sequence, fondly remembering my excitement at the prospect of living openly on a campus far from home. For two hours, I honestly felt 15 again. But, I’m not 15 anymore, and I’m past the point in my journey when I thought that simply coming out would solve all my problems. And, the fact of the matter is, I’m not just like Simon. And every queer person is not just like me. Differences in race, class, gender, gender expression, body shape, immigration status, ability, and more mean that the experience of queerness can be vastly different between people. I left that theater and returned to my reality. I walked out surrounded by queer friends, most of whom were women and non-binary people of color from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. We shared our experiences with coming out in conservative religious homes, and the stark contrast to Simon’s ultra-progressive parents. We talked about how the ridiculous size of Simon’s bedroom represented the freedom and privacy he had to explore his sexuality—most of us shared bedrooms with siblings while growing up. We discussed how Simon, as a popular white person, already fit in well at school and did not experience the added “otherness” of being a visible minority that most of us faced. So, while I love Simon and the youthful innocence he represents, he does not represent me or the majority of queer experiences. Goodbye, Simon. But I’ll tell my high school self that you say “Hi.” She’d love to meet you. Becina J. Ganther ’20, a Crimson editorial editor, is a History and Science concentrator in Leverett House. Her column appears on alternate Tuesdays.
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | APRIL 3, 2018 | PAGE 10
An Open Letter to BGLTQ Students By CODY J. SANDERS
T
o Harvard’s BGLTQ Students, We’ve witnessed your pain and anger these last several weeks over events surrounding Harvard College Faith and Action. You’ve shown up in our offices and invited us to coffee. You’ve reached out to BGLTQ affirming spaces on campus for support and you’ve written op-eds about your experience. And still there are many others who remain silently unsure if there is space on Harvard’s campus expansive enough to contain the fullness of both your sexual identity and your religious, spiritual, and ethical commitments. While we aren’t the arbiters of this issue on campus, it is our concern to speak to the pain, anger, and experience of religious and spiritual marginalization many of you have expressed. We, the underWhen religious signed, are Harvard chaplains—religious discourse operates leaders from a panoharmfully against ply of religious, spiritual, and ethical trastudents at Harvard, dit ions—cha rged it is our responsibility with cultivating student well-being at to be fully present. Harvard by attending to the ways religious, spiritual, and ethical concerns contribute to a flourishing life. While well-being and flourishing are our aim, we also recognize the power of religious discourse to perpetrate harm, able to cut to the heart of who we are as human beings in relation to what is of ultimate value in our religious, spiritual, or ethical tradition. And when religious discourse operates harmfully against students at Harvard, it is our responsibility to be fully present in those moments as well. Recent events on campus have particularly affected many of you whose identity is formed at the intersection of aa BGLTQ sexual or gender identity and a rootedness in Christian tradition. But the intersections of sexual and gender embodiment and religious, spiritual, and ethical identity are replete with questions in many of our traditions. The questions aren’t new, but the context of your living We will come alongside out these quesat this you to cultivate the spaces tions specific time of spiritual nourishment on this campus we share is and BGLTQ affirmation a unique mothat you most desire, ment. While we honoring your voice, represent a learning from your wide diversity of religious, embodied wisdom, and spiritual, and supporting you. ethical perspectives, a number of us felt so strongly about these issues that we wanted to create and sign this letter. In this time of ferment around sexual identity and faith at Harvard, we express these commitments to you, the BGLTQ students in this campus community we serve: We commit to being on the journey of religious, spiritual, and ethical growth with you as companions who will give you our unequivocal support, inclusive of the fullness of your humanity in all of your sexual and gender diversity, ensuring that that We will show up for religious, spiritual, and ethical reyou. Write us, call us, sources be mobitell us when and where lized to contribute the flouryou need our support. toward ishing and livabiliYou’re why we serve ty of life, and not toward harm. within the Harvard We will come community. alongside you to cultivate the spaces of spiritual nourishment and BGLTQ affirmation that you most desire, honoring your voice, learning from your embodied wisdom, and supporting you with the wisdom and competency we bring into community with you. We will show up for you. Find our contact information at chaplains.harvard.edu, write us, call us, tell us when and where you need our support. That’s why we got into this vocation. You’re why we serve within the Harvard community. No BGLTQ student on Harvard’s campus need ever feel that they are alone on the journey of reconciling their religious, spiritual, and ethical commitments with their embodiment of sexual and gender identity. BGLTQ students: Harvard is not complete without you. Our religious, spiritual, and ethical communities on campus are not living into their fullest potential if you are excluded. Your lives are a gift to Harvard and to the world, and we celebrate that gift with deepest joy. The Rev. Cody J. Sanders is the American Baptist chaplain for Harvard University. This op-ed is signed by fourteen chaplains serving Harvard University. Check thecrimson.com for a complete list of names.
The Harvard Crimson President Derek G. Xiao ’19 Managing Editor Hannah Natanson ’19 Business Manager Nathan Y. Lee ’19
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
Associate Managing Editors Mia C. Karr ’19 Claire E. Parker ’19 Associate Business Managers Dahlia S. Huh ’19 Max W. Sosland ’19 Editorial Chairs Emmanuel R. R. D’Agostino ’19 Cristian D. Pleters ’19 Arts Chairs Mila Gauvini II ’19 Grace Z. Li ’19 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 FM Chairs Marella A. Gayla ’19 Leah S. Yared ’19 Multimedia Chairs Amy Y. Li ’20 Ellis J. Yeo ’20 Sports Chairs Cade S. Palmer ’20 Jack R. Stockless ’19 Technology Chairs Nenya A. Edjah ’20 Theodore T. Liu ’20
The Harvard Crimson | april 3, 2018 | page 11
DCE Funding Self-Sufficient By anna kuritzkes and cindy h. zhang Crimson Staff Writers
Unlike many other schools and programs at Harvard, the Division of Continuing Education has been almost entirely financially self-sufficient in recent years, raising money through tuition and other programming rather than relying heavily on money from the University endowment. The Division of Continuing Education offers online, in-person, and summer courses for part-time and adult students. DCE courses are offered through the Harvard Extension School and Harvard Summer School. The University launched a capital campaign in 2013, with the goal of raising $6.5 billion across Harvard’s schools. In June 2017, the campaign total reached $8 billion, providing funding for a broad array of University initiatives. While the Division of Continuing Education falls under the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and participates in FAS’s larger fundraising efforts, the division decided not to launch their own fundraising campaign. Huntington D. Lambert, dean of the Division of Continuing Education, said the division’s programs are largely self-sustaining based on money earned through tuition. “We don’t ask for any funding, so we
don’t get support from the endowment or the University. In fact, we send money back to the faculties,” Lambert said. Harvard has faced budget constraints in recent years in the wake of poor endowment returns and is projected to lose tens of millions annually because of a new endowment tax that Congress passed in December. The Division of Continuing Education, however, has been able to not only cover its
‘It’s part of our history of being self-sufficient.’ Huntington D. Lambert Dean of DCE
own expenses, but also run a growing surplus. Although other schools depend heavily on Harvard’s endowment for their annual budgets, most of the funds that the Division of Continuing Education receive from FAS’s portion of the endowment are dedicated to specific uses rather than daily operations. “Almost all the money that comes out of [the endowment] is directed toward scholarships,” Lambert said.
“It’s more important to raise money for the College, and for House Renewal, and for advances in learning than it is for us,” he added. Lambert said the Division of Continuing Education receives “almost all” of its funding from tuition. Tuition falls into a few main categories: the Extension School, the Harvard Summer School, a residential high school program, and professional development programs. University spokesperson Harry J. Pierre wrote in an emailed statement that tuition at the Extension School is comparatively a better value than tuition of extension programs at peer universities. Lambert also said the tuition for Extension School courses is less expensive than for the College, though summer-term Extension School courses are priced more similarly to those offered by the College. Although the College and several other graduate schools receive funding from alumni donations and gifts, the Division of Continuing Education has nearly no alumni contributions. “It’s part of our history of being self-sufficient. My predecessors never developed alumni relationships,” Lambert said. “That is something I’ve just started since I got here five years ago, so we’re now engaging our alumni around the world,” he added. “We hope that in the future that will lead to more giving.”
University Updates Pregnancy Policy policy From Page 1 Mass. employers’ obligations to pregnant employees. It also requires that employers provide written notice of employees’ rights to accommodations for conditions related to pregnancy and lactation and freedom from pregnancy-based discrimination at work. Harvard’s previous guidelines on pregnancy in the workplace dealt only with lactation, encouraging employers to work “individually and flexibly with all nursing mothers” to accommodate their needs, according to Paul R. Curran, University director of labor and employee relations. These guidelines were in compliance with existing federal laws, like the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which mandates that pregnant women be “treated the same for all employment-related purposes.” “Because of the practice encouraged in our previous guidelines, we do not anticipate much change in implementing the new Policy,” Curran wrote in an emailed statement. Instead, the new policy “codifies” existing practices and includes protections for pregnancy-related conditions not addressed in earlier policy iterations, like morning sickness and fatigue.
“It is providing a process to employees, and the University, to explore how the worker’s needs regarding pregnancy can be reasonably met in the workplace,” Curran added. Carrie Barbash—the president of the University’s largest labor union, the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers—wrote in an email that the new policy could help clarify workers’ rights in situations which might otherwise be mishandled. “Anything that makes it easier to be a parent in the workplace is a good thing,” Barbash wrote. According to the new policy, some accommodations the University is prepared to make “without limitation” include: modified schedules, more frequent breaks, assistance with manual labor, paid or unpaid time off to attend to pregnancy complications, and private spaces for “expressing breast milk.” Documentation from a medical professional may be requested for some of these accommodations and for other requests, according to the policy. Requests will be fulfilled absent any “undue hardship” for the University. “The University will continue to work individually with workers to address needs related to pregnancy in the workplace,” Curran wrote.
University, SFFA Argue Over Privacy of Admissions Data lawsuit From Page 1 both considerations outweigh Harvard’s stated need for privacy. Both parties submitted the Friday briefings as part of a lawsuit filed by Students for Fair Admissions in 2014. The suit alleges Harvard discriminates against Asian-American applicants in its admissions process; the College has repeatedly denied any such discrimination. The Friday filings do not mark the first time Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions have gone to battle over College admissions data. Harvard agreed to provide the group with redacted admissions documents in Dec. 2017. Though the University redacted “directly identifying information,” the documents still contain data points Harvard officials fear could be used to identify students—like awards earned during high school or hometowns. “Such information can easily be used to locate and identify a student through a simple internet search,” Harvard’s Friday briefing reads. Harvard lawyers also wrote in the filing that publicly releasing “highly proprietary” information like application data, deposition testimonies, and internal communications could compromise the College’s admissions system. “Publicizing this information would cause applicants and college
consultants to seek to orient their applications to what they perceive Harvard wants, to the detriment of the authenticity of the information Harvard receives and its ability to make its best judgments,” the briefing reads. College spokesperson Rachael Dane wrote in an emailed statement that Harvard considers many factors when deciding whether or not a student is admitted. “Many highly academically qualified individuals apply to Harvard College,” Dane wrote. “To deliver on our educational mission, our admissions practices consider the whole person, their capacity not only for academic excellence, but also their ability to contribute to and learn from people profoundly different from themselves.” The Friday briefing noted that, while any admissions-related documents Harvard releases may not necessarily render individual students identifiable, it would be necessary to individually evaluate every single document to determine whether this is the case. Therefore, University lawyers wrote, Harvard opposes publicly filing the documents in bulk. The lawyers cited a number of cases in which confidential documents were filed under seal. Students for Fair Admissions, on the other hand, questioned whether this practice is permissible. “Other than individual student
identities, the record that the court will analyze in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard should be made available to the American public,” Students for Fair Admissions President Edward Blum wrote in an emailed statement Monday. “Public disclosure and complete transparency of court proceedings is the bedrock of our judicial system.” In its briefing, lawyers for the anti-affirmative action group wrote Harvard has not proven it is necessary to seal the documents for either privacy or proprietary reasons. The briefing further argued the public has a strong interest in civil rights litigation, especially as it relates to the consideration of race in college admissions. “It would be impossible for the public to understand whether Harvard’s admissions system—especially the pivotal internal mechanisms used to sort and advance applicants through the process—is being manipulated if they are prevented from knowing how the system is supposed to work in the first place,” the group’s briefing reads. Andrew D. Bradt ’02, an assistant law professor at University of California, Berkeley, said it would be atypical if the court decides to weigh Students for Fair Admissions’ claim that the public has significant interest in the case over Harvard’s privacy concerns. “It’s unusual for the plaintiff’s view of the groundbreaking nature of their
case to overwhelm a defendant’s legitimate interest in confidentiality,” Bradt said. In their brief, lawyers for the advocacy group also argued Harvard’s admissions procedures do not constitute a “trade secret” and therefore are not confidential. The lawyers cited several publications—including the New York Times and The Crimson—that previously published articles touching on the details of the admissions process. The lawyers also cited a number of previous cases in which courts rejected the “blanket sealing” of documents. Bradt said the judge has essentially total power to decide whether Harvard or Students for Fair Admissions— or neither—win the day regarding the confidentiality of admissions documents. Bradt added whatever the judge concludes will likely hold throughout future litigation. “This is an area where the judge has enormous discretion, and the rules give the judge a lot of leeway to balance the interests of the parties and the public interest. Whatever the judge ultimately decides is probably unlikely to be reversed by an appellate court,” Bradt said. The Friday briefs come in the wake of a March 14 order from Judge Allison D. Burroughs requiring Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions to “meet and confer regarding the treatment of
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confidential materials to narrow the areas of dispute.” Burroughs scheduled a follow-up hearing on the subject slated to be held April 10 at the U.S. District Court in Boston. The judge’s order also laid out a tentative timeline for the overall lawsuit, setting Jan. 2 as the potential start date for a four-week trial. In its briefing, Harvard raised several concerns with the proposed timeline, in particular arguing the schedule means College administrators will be forced to deal with the lawsuit during admissions season, when officials review thousands of applications. Both parties will discuss the timeline at the April 10 hearing. Bradt said that, as the lawsuit moves forward, he thinks it is possible more of the material Harvard hopes to protect will become public—no matter what the judge decides. “If there would ultimately be a trial, then it’s inevitable that some of the information that the University wants to keep confidential would be aired,” Bradt said. “That might not mean the particular circumstances of individual applicants, but the longer the litigation goes, certainly the more likely it is that more information will come to light.” As Harvard deals with the Student for Fair Admissions lawsuit in coming months, it also faces an ongoing probe by the Department of Justice into the College’s admissions practices.
Sports
The Harvard Crimson | April 3, 2018 | page 12
Harvard Nabs Pair of Crucial Home Victories
put it on the seniors to make sure we pulled through and got this victory for the team,” Moore said. “I think we took that confidence he put in us and used it to finish out the match.” Senior Brad Gretsch managed his second double-double of the season, adding 13 kills, nine digs and two aces to the stat book. Senior Marko Kostich and sophomore Matthew Ctvrtlik both managed to break 20 assists with 29 and 22, respectively. Junior Trevor Dow led the team in kills, tallying a season best nine and zero errors. The junior served as the vanguard of the defense with seven blocks, three of which were solo. Overall, the Crimson out-blocked its opponent at the net, 1819. The meeting between the two teams was the second of the year. In a February 17th meeting between the two teams, Penn State dominated, winning in a clean 3-0 sweep.
The Crimson has won four straight matches thanks in part to strong play from setter Marko Kostich. The senior has dished 89 assists to his hitters and registered 25 kills (.344 kill percentage) of his own over this span, which includes the impressive victory over perennial powerhouse Penn State. Mariah Ellen D. Dimalaluan—Crimson photographer Men’s volleyball By Cade palmer Crimson Staff Writer
For the past 11 seasons, Penn State has exercised a strict hegemony on the EIVA men’s volleyball title. Over the course of that decade-plus of first place finishes, the Nittany Lions have shared the title but never once finished below the top spot. This weekend, however, the juggernaut no longer commands the title. Harvard does. With victories over Saint Francis and Penn State this weekend, the Crimson now controls its own desti
ny heading into the final stretch of the season. “This win meant a ton to our team, as it validated all of the hard work we had put in and gives us confidence as we head towards playoffs that we can compete with the best teams,” captain Riley Moore said. “It was also a very special win for the seniors as this was our last chance to beat Penn State, and being able to do it at home in front of family and friends made it even more special.” HARVARD 3, PENN ST. 2 The Crimson (9-11, 8-2 EIVA) has squared up against the Nittany Lions
(12-9, 7-3) for 30 years, often multiple times per season. Prior to Saturday, Harvard had managed to best Penn State just once over that span. This weekend, in the well-attended Malkin Athletic Center, the Crimson reversed history and downed its longtime opponent in five sets to claim its third straight win. Moore dominated at the net for his team, tallying a career-high and teambest 14 kills—four more than his previous season-best, notched the game prior. The senior’s zero errors, a feat achieved by Moore for the sixth time this season, allowed him to rack up a hitting percentage of .875.
Harvard initially jumped up two games, 25-13 and 32-30. The hot start was quickly curtailed by the Nittany Lions, who clapped back with two wins, 25-27 and 16-25. The final set started as a back-andforth affair. The two squads traded one-point leads and eventually evened out at 6-6. From there, the Crimson took control, achieving a 12-9 lead before finishing off the set, 15-12. And just like that, the 2018 team added its name to a list previously populated by just a single Harvard men’s volleyball team, the 2014 squad. “In the fifth set Coach [Brian] Baise
HARVARD 3, ST. FRANCIS 1 The weekend slate began with a solid performance against a divisional Red Flash team (8-17, 3-7). Taking the game in four sets, the Crimson picked things up quickly. Moore again led the offensive front again, tying his season best in kills with 10—a mark he would top the next day. Both Gretsch and sophomore Erik Johnsson reached double-digit kill marks with 15 and 12, respectively. Kostich and Ctvrtlik handled the team in assists with 18 and 19 respectively. In games, Harvard curtailed its opponent twice initially, with 25-15 and 25-19 games. The team then dropped the next set, 15-25, before putting the game away by the inverse score. With the two victories, the Crimson can claim the conference by winning out. Ranked second in the conference behind George Mason, Harvard will square off with the Patriots in two weeks. Assuming wins this weekend against Princeton and NJIT, the home matches against the George Mason will decide the EIVA Championship. “Obviously it’s a situation we’d like to be in at this point in the season, but it also means that we have to fight for these last four games,” Johnsson said. “It also means that we have a chance to win the conference which is something we haven’t been able to do in a long time. After our performance in these last few games, I think we have a really good shot to do it.” Staff writer Cade Palmer can be reached at cade.palmer@thecrimson.com.
Crimson Set to Battle Columbia in Ivy Road Series softball By Jack StocklesS Crimson Staff Writer
With three conference series already in the books, Harvard softball has jumped out to an early lead in the Ivy League. The key to its success? The process. “Trust the process” is a sports cliché that has gained prominence because of the tanking and rebuilding efforts of the National Basketball Association’s Philadelphia 76ers. Though it is unclear whether the Crimson could make a copyright claim on the phrase or whether the team borrowed it along the way, Harvard has embraced all facets of coach Jenny Allard’s process. “It’s really sticking to putting ourselves in a good mindset, and all the work we can do physically beforehand,” junior pitcher Katie Duncan said. “I think that’s the process—being able and aware each and every step of the way to contribute and to put all your effort out there.” Coming off a three-game sweep of Princeton, the Crimson (13-11, 6-3 Ivy League) will travel to New York to face off against another Ivy South Division opponent this coming weekend. This time, Harvard battles an upstart Columbia program (11-14, 5-4). The Lions have not registered a winning season in the Ancient Eight for over 10 years, but this spring they have won their series against Penn and Yale and picked up a win over Dartmouth. Despite Columbia’s struggles in recent campaigns, the Lions swept the Crimson in last year’s two-game set. The second game of that series proved particularly painful for Harvard, as Columbia rattled off four runs in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with a 6-5 victory. This season, the Lions return a few top contributors and are paced offensively by senior infielders Taylor Troutt and Madison Gott. Troutt is batting .408 with a 1.109 OPS, and Gott has posted a .362 average and a 1.075 OPS. Gott and Troutt sit third and fourth, respectively, in slugging percentage in the conference, and Gott paces the Ancient Eight with 12 doubles. The Lions also have a cadre of long-ball hitters—freshman Maria Pagane and sophomore Amanda Nishihira have bashed five apiece, and Gott has tacked on four of her own. As a team, Columbia leads the Ivy League
Junior shortstop Rhianna Rich continues to rake this season, most recently going 5-for-7 with a triple and a home run in the Princeton series. Timothy R. O’Meara—Crimson photographer
with 22 big flies. Compared to its high-powered offense, the Lions’ pitching staff is not as remarkable. Columbia sits at fifth in the conference in ERA (4.25) and has allowed opposing batters to hit .300. To prepare for a Lions offense that will likely put up more resistance than that of Princeton, the Crimson may need to draw upon its experiences in pressure situations this past weekend. “When Princeton got ahead for instance, or when we had one or two outs and we still needed to rally and had people on base, being able to execute in those high-pressure situations...allows
us to really hone in on our skills, especially in the Ivy season,” Duncan said. For her efforts against Princeton, shortstop Rhianna Rich was named Ivy League Player of the Week. The junior captured the award for the second time this season. In 24 games, Rich is slashing .398/.468/.590 with six stolen bases and Ivy-leading marks of four triples and 30 runs scored. Prior to its upcoming series in New York, Harvard was slated to play Boston University on Tuesday evening, but predictions of inclement weather and poor field conditions at the Terriers’ home field led the teams to postpone the af-
fair. This is the third game on the Crimson’s 2018 schedule to be called off— Harvard missed a contest against FGCU in the Loyola Marymount Invitational because of rain, and last Thursday a matchup at Holy Cross was likewise postponed. Speaking of the opportunity to tune up at BU before heading to Columbia, Rich spoke on the value of playing such a talented team to prepare for an Ivy series. “BU...beat Oklahoma, which was the No. 1 ranked team at the time in preseason, which was a really big win for
them,” Rich said. “I think it’s honestly a great game to prepare for the next weekend because Columbia will be a strong team.” Though the Crimson ultimately will not have this chance to prepare with a midweek game, it can use this postponement to build some rest into its schedule. After all, with the new threegame conference series format, Harvard is guaranteed at least one doubleheader each week until the end of the regular season. Staff writer Jack Stockless can be reached at jack.stockless@thecrimson.com.