The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLIX, No. 44

The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873

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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 44

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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

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FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2022

EDITORIAL PAGE 6

NEWS PAGE 7

SPORTS PAGE 8

Commencement speakers give us a glimpse of what is possible

Bosso Ramen Tavern opens in the heart of Harvard Square

Baseball opens Ivy League play with sweep at Cornell

STUDENTS VOTE TO DISSOLVE THE UC College Over 75 Percent Vote Raises for New Constitution Tuition, 24% Ups Aid UC Referendum Results

QUESTION

By J. SELLERS HILL and MERT GEYIKTEPE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Harvard College students voted overwhelmingly to dissolve their student government in favor of an alternative structure this week in a controversy-ridden referendum that appears to spell the end of the school’s 40-year-old Undergraduate Council.

More than 75 percent of students voted to scrap the UC in favor of the new “Harvard Undergraduate Association,” easily exceeding the two-thirds threshold required for ratification. Just over 3,950 students voted in the referendum, which spanned three days, surpassing the 40 percent turnout that is required for the vote to be binding.

The result comes as a victory for the Undergraduate Council’s current president, Michael Y. Cheng ’22, who took the College by storm as he relentlessly campaigned to abolish the body he leads in favor of a new system.

“I think it’s a resounding vote of confidence in our leadership and, more importantly, what can happen when ordinary people work together and try to better their community,” Cheng said in an interview after the results were announced.

Opponents of the new student government failed to mo­

bilize enough “no” voters after some had initially called on students to boycott the referendum in a bid to suppress turnout below the required threshold — before then reversing course at the last minute.

Following the results of the referendum Thursday, Cheng’s opponents accused him of foul play.

“I think that this referendum has shown that playing by the rules makes it impossible to win,” said Kirkland House UC Representative Ivor K. Zimmerman ’23, pointing to Cheng’s repeated use of a College-wide email list to advocate for the UC’s abolition, among other alleged offenses.

Dunster House UC Representative Samuel H. Taylor ’24, a vocal opponent of Cheng’s, said there was “a flagrant spirit of law-breaking” in the campaign that “stains this referendum in a particularly bitter way.”

But the UC’s Elections Chair, Camryn D. Jones ’22, said she was only aware of one corroborated rules violation, involving inappropriate poster placement in an undergraduate dining hall. She added, though, that she was aware of other potential violations.

The referendum also included a question about Harvard’s Covid-19 policies. Slightly more

SEE VOTE PAGE 3

Should the Undergraduate Council be dissolved and replaced by the Harvard Undergraduate Association?

YES

NO

The College announced that families making under $75,000 a year will not pay tuition.

76%

TURNOUT

57%

of eligible voters cast a ballot

By RAHEM D. HAMID and NIA L. ORAKWUE

CAMILLE G. CALDERA—FLOURISH CHART

UC President Edited New Constitution After Voting in Referendum Closed

By J. SELLERS HILL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Less than two hours after voting closed on a referendum in which students voted to dissolve Harvard’s Undergraduate Council, a public document containing the text of a proposed new student government constitution was edited by UC President Michael Y. Cheng ’22 to grant him additional authority during the transition to the alternative system.

At 1:54 p.m. Thursday, Cheng ­

edited the Google Document containing a public version of the constitution to add in a sentence granting himself and his vice president, Emmett E. de Kanter ’24, “final decisions on all constitutional matters and UC activities during the transition,” in consultation with the Harvard College Dean of Students Office.

The sentence was deleted an hour later by Lowell House UC Representative LyLena D. Estabine ’24, a Cheng ally who owns the document and was part of

Class of 2006 to Class of 2026

By RAHEM D. HAMID and NIA L. ORAKWUE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Harvard College accepted 3.19 percent of applicants to its Class of 2026 — the lowest rate in the school’s history — as it saw a record high number of candidates apply for the second straight year.

A total of 1,214 students received offers of admission at 7 p.m. on Thursday, joining the 740 students who were accepted via early admission in December. The acceptance rate is down from the 3.43 percent of students admitted to the Class of 2025 last year — which marked the previous record-low.

Applications to the College jumped by almost 7 percent, with 61,220 students submitting applications to the school, ­

KELSEY J. GRIFFIN—FLOURISH CHART

­

compared to 57,435 last year.

“It’s truly a wonderful class,” Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said in an interview Thursday. “I think anyone who is in the Class of 2026 could certainly claim — as we claimed for the Class of 1967 — that it’s the greatest class in the history of Harvard.”

Harvard also announced Thursday that families making under $75,000 annually will not be charged tuition. The previous threshold for full financial aid was $65,000. The College expects the average aided family contribution to be $12,700.

Fitzsimmons said more generous financial aid policies allow “students from every conceivable background” access to

Beginning with the Class of 2026, families with annual incomes under $75,000 will pay nothing to attend Harvard College — marking a $10,000 increase from the previous threshold — the College announced Thursday evening.

Families whose annual income falls below $75,000 will not be required to contribute toward their student’s tuition, room, or board and will receive a $2,000 stipend to offset movein costs.

“We know that financial aid makes the most fundamental difference for applicants and their families,” Griffin Director of Financial Aid Jake Kaufmann ’93 said in a press release. “In increasing the no-contribution level, Harvard is continuing its efforts to open doors to excellent students from around the world.”

The move comes as peer institutions have also taken measures to improve undergraduate financial aid offerings.

MIT announced in March it will guarantee full financial aid to students from families earning up to $140,000 dollars, a jump from its previous non-contribution threshold of $90,000.

In January, Dartmouth College announced it would return to practicing need-blind admissions for international students, joining Harvard, MIT, Yale, Princeton, and Amherst College in doing so.

“We’re thrilled — I mean, quite honestly, really thrilled — to be able to raise the ‘free’ up to 75,” Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 said in a Thursday interview in reference to Harvard’s new threshold.

“It’s been quite an amazing 20 years, but it’s also been quite an amazing four or five years, when you think about the

SEE ADMISSIONS PAGE 4

SEE TUITION PAGE 4

the group that crafted the constitution. The version history of the document with the constitution was reviewed by The Crimson Thursday afternoon.

In a text message Thursday night, Cheng apologized for editing the document.

“I honestly did it to troll some UC members obsessed with constitutional chaos, but it was a bad idea and I apologize,” he wrote.

UC Elections Chair Camryn

SEE EDITED PAGE 3

College Admits 3.19 Percent of Applicants

Applicants Rise, Acceptances Fall

CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

In Court, Lieber’s Lawyers Argue for a New Trial or an Acquittal

By BRANDON L. KINGDOLLAR CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Attorneys for Harvard professor Charles M. Lieber argued in court on Thursday that the renowned chemist’s December conviction should be overturned, alleging that the government failed to sufficiently prove its case.

Lieber was found guilty in December of making false statements to federal investigators about his involvement with a China-sponsored talent recruitment program and for failing to disclose income he received from the initiative on his tax returns. Lieber’s attorneys filed a motion in February for him to be acquitted or granted a new trial. Marc L. Mukasey, Lieber’s lead defense attorney, INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Harvard Today 2

argued in his opening remarks before Judge Rya W. Zobel ’53 that the Department of Justice’s move to shutter its controversial China Initiative — under which Lieber’s charges were first brought — should be taken into account when reviewing the guilty verdict.

“Right after our trial, the Department of Justice shut down the China Initiative,” Mukasey said. “No one seems to care that Lieber remains a victim of this twisted, misguided program.”

Mukasey also took aim at Harvard during his remarks, claiming that the University “left Professor Lieber for the slaughter” by not providing an attorney during his 2018 interview with administrators following an inquiry by the National Institutes of Health.

News 3

Editorial 6

Lieber attorney Kenneth A. Caruso said that in both instances where prosecutors alleged Lieber made false statements, the government failed to prove that he concealed the truth. Caruso said a letter sent

by Harvard to the NIH did not accurately represent the “very qualified statement” Lieber made to administrators, and that Lieber’s statement to Department of Defense investigators that he “wasn’t sure” how China categorized him was literally true.

“Nobody’s a mind reader,” Caruso said. “No one can be sure of somebody else’s state of mind.”

Caruso also claimed the government had not substantiated

SEE LIEBER PAGE 5

Sports 8

Harvard professor Charles M. Lieber exits the John J. Moakley U.S. Courthouse with his lawyer, Marc L. Mukasey, midway through his trial in December 2021. MAYESHA R. SOSHI—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

TODAY’S FORECAST

RAINY High: 57 Low: 34

VISIT THECRIMSON.COM. FOLLOW @THECRIMSON ON TWITTER.

choco egg

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

APRIL 1, 2022

PAGE 2

HARVARD TODAY

For Lunch Chicken with Onions and Swiss Fresh-Catch Atlantic Vegan Tagine

For Dinner Mesquite Rotisserie Chicken Shrimp and Sausage Etouffee Vegan Sauteed Lentils

TODAY’S EVENTS EFoS: EHPS Office Hours + Lunch Virtual, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

IN THE REAL WORLD

Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Goldman Room Learn more about European History, Politics, and Societies (EHPS) as a secondary field. Come speak with staff at the Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies and find out what EHPS has to offer. To-go lunch will also be available!

Syrian Mercenaries Head to Russia to Support Them in Invasion of Ukraine

Hundreds of Syrian mercenaries are on their way to support Russian forces in their invasion of Ukraine. The first contingent — composed of at least 300 fighters — has already arrived in Russia for training.

Teens Report High Levels of Emotional Stress During Covid-19 Lockdown

EFoS: Government Law School Panel 1730 Cambridge St., 2 p.m.-3 p.m.

If you are a prospective law school student, come to hear from Government concentration alums who are currently students at the Harvard Law School to find out more about their path to a career in law. There will be light refreshments provided!

People walk in front of Widener Library on a sunny day in March. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

A nationwide survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that high school students reported high levels of emotional stress at home during lockdowns for the Covid-19 pandemic. Roughly 44 percent reported persistent feelings of sadness.

Federal Judge Rules Sections of Florida’s Election Law Unconstitutional

AROUND THE IVIES YALE: Yale Admits 2,234 Students, Acceptance Rate Shrinks to 4.46 Percent —THE YALE DAILY NEWS

Note-Taking in STEM Virtual, 3 p.m.-3:45 p.m.

COLUMBIA: Columbia Accepts 2,253 Students to Class of 2026, Acceptance Rate Hits 3.73 Percent —THE COLUMBIA SPECTATOR

Learn more about the best practices when it comes to note-taking in the context of STEM classes. Discuss the best ways to effective capture key concepts on everything from problem solving session to lecture classes to enhance your STEM learning experience!

CORNELL: Anthony Bellamy to be New CUPD Police Chief —THE CORNELL DAILY SUN DARTMOUTH: Dartmouth Offers Admission to 1,767 Applicants to the Class of

COVID UPDATES

CAMPUS LAST 7 DAYS CURRENTLY

2026 —THE DARTMOUTH

Judge Mark E. Walker of the Federal District Court in Tallahassee struck down portions of Florida’s election law, declaring them racially motivated and unconstitutional. His decision will likely be appealed.

175

In Isolation

223 0.76% Total New Cases

Positivity Rate

LAST 7 DAYS

CAMBRIDGE

397 1.94% 76%

Total New Cases

Positivity Rate

Fully Vaccinated

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Hasty Pudding Club Threatened

The Hasty Pudding Club received a letter, which threatened the club if it produced its spring play. The police attributed the letter, written in words and letters clipped from newspapers, to the Black Hand — a secret military society during World War I. April 1, 1919

W. H. Auden to Present Poetry, Commentary Today at 4 p.m.

Wystan Hugh Auden presented his poetry with commentary in a public reading at the New Lecture Hall with the support of the Morris Gray Poetry Fund.

April 1, 1954

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873

The Harvard Crimson Raquel Coronell Uribe ’22-’23 Associate Managing Editors Kelsey J. Griffin ’23 President Taylor C. Peterman ’23-’24 Jasper G. Goodman ’23 Associate Business Managers Managing Editor Taia M.Y. Cheng ’23-’24 Isabelle L. Guillaume ’24 Amy X. Zhou ’23 Business Manager Editorial Chairs Guillermo S. Hava ’23-’24 Orlee G.S. Marini-Rapoport ’23-’24

STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE Arts Chairs Sofia Andrade ’23-’24 Jaden S. Thompson ’23

Design Chairs Yuen Ting Chow ’23 Madison A. Shirazi ’23-’24

Night Editor Alex M. Koller ’22-’23

Design Editors Camille G Caldera ’22

Magazine Chairs Maliya V. Ellis ’23-’24 Sophia S. Liang ’23

Multimedia Chairs Aiyana G. White ’23 Pei Chao Zhuo ’23

Assistant Night Editors Miles J. Herszenhorn ’25 Meimei Xu ’24 Claire Yuan ’25

Photo Editor Julian J. Giordano ’25

Blog Chairs Ellen S. Deng ’23-’24 Janani Sekar ’23-’24

Technology Chairs Ziyong Cui ’24 Justin Y. Ye ’24

Sports Chairs Alexandra N. Wilson ’23-’24 Griffin H. Wong ’24

Copyright 2022, 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.

Story Editors Brie K. Buchanan ’22-’23 Jasper G. Goodman ’23 Kelsey J. Griffin ’23 Natalie L. Kahn ’23 Virginia L. Ma ’23 Taylor C. Peterman ’23-’24 Kevin A. Simauchi ’21-’22 Andy Z. Wang ’23-’24

Editorial Editor Christina M. Xiao ’24 Sports Editor Maddie B. Barkate ’23-’24

CORRECTIONS The March 31 story “Covid-19 Paid Leave to Expire” incorrectly stated Tessa Green’s field of study. Green is Ph.D. candidate in Biophysics.

PAGE 3

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

VOTE FROM PAGE 1

APRIL 1, 2022

EDITED FROM PAGE 1

Students Vote to Dissolve and Replace the UC Cheng Edited Key File Post-Vote than 56 percent of voters responded that the school’s health restrictions are “about right,” while roughly 29 percent said they were “too strict” and just 15 percent voted they are “too relaxed.”

According to the new constitution endorsed by voters, the UC will be phased out by May 8, when the new student government will be established.

The new body, which will include fewer elected representatives, will be led by co-presidents picked via ranked-choice voting.

But much remains unknown about how the transition to a new governance structure will occur.

“We’re working hard to ensure a smooth transition, including continuity of club funding this month, and will announce concrete plans very soon,” Cheng wrote in a text message on Thursday.

UC Finance Committee Chair Daniella M. Berrospi ’24 said she worried that club funding — one of the UC’s pri-

mary responsibilities — could stall during the transition to the HUA. “It’s a lot of emotions,” Berrospi said of the referendum result. “As plain as it may sound, I’m very sad.”

I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that the job that I’ve put so much time into for about a year-anda-half now is gone.

Daniella M. Berrospi ’24 UC Finance Committee Chair

Still, the Quincy House representative lauded Cheng’s ability to drive voter turnout.

“I have to give props to Michael,” she said.

Zimmerman, a Crimson Editorial editor, also raised concerns about the transition.

“I really, really hope that he has a plan that doesn’t involve

immediately breaking the very rules that he wrote,” Zimmerman said of Cheng.

The new HUA constitution was drafted by a randomly selected group of undergraduates, dubbed the Citizens’ Assembly, that deliberated mostly behind closed doors. Lowell House UC Representative LyLena E. Estabine ’24, a Cheng ally who helped draft the new structure as a member of the assembly, called the referendum “historic.”

“I’m feeling really excited and hopeful about the future of Harvard College,” she said.

But for some UC institutionalists, a feeling of loss lingers as the body that has governed the College for four decades lays on its deathbed.

“I’m trying to come to terms with the fact that the job that I’ve put so much time into for about a year and a half now is gone,” Berrospi said. “It’s just wiped away.”

COVID-19 Referendum Results

What is your evaluation of Harvard College's current COVID-19 policies?

TOO RELAXED

TOO STRICT

ABOUT RIGHT

15% 29%

sellers.hill@thecrimson.com mert.geyiktepe@thecrimson.com

56%

CAMILLE G. CALDERA—FLOURISH CHART

D. Jones ’22 violate any elections rules. Cheng ran on a pledge to abolish the UC in favor of a new system and led the movement calling for students to vote “yes.”

Over 75 percent of voters backed the proposal, easily eclipsing the required twothirds threshold. Just over 3,950 students voted in the referendum between Monday and Thursday, surpassing the 40 percent turnout requirement. The new constitution will form the Harvard Undergraduate Association — a body led by co-presidents that will be made up of fewer elected positions. sellers.hill@thecrimson.com

Planning Board Evaluates BPDA Approves a New Climate Zoning Code Changes Residential Project in Allston

By ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER ­

The Cambridge Planning Board voted unanimously to recommend adding an emissions accounting section to the city’s zoning code to combat climate change during a virtual meeting Tuesday evening.

The petition proposes requiring developers to calculate and report expected carbon emissions for development projects that require special permits from the board.

At the Tuesday meeting, the board also discussed the final report of the Climate Resilience Zoning Task Force, which recommended possible zoning changes requiring flood and heat resilience.

Submitted by Cambridge City Councilors Quinton Y. Zondervan, Dennis J. Carlone, and Patricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80, the zoning petition is one part of Zondervan’s broader “Green New Deal for Cambridge” proposal.

Zondervan filed the Green New Deal Zoning Petition — an all-encompassing amendment that included reporting requirements, emission fees, and funding for green jobs — in 2021.

At that time, the Planning Board suggested the omnibus

policy would not be appropriate in the zoning code.

This term, with the policies refiled as three separate ordinances, Zondervan said in an interview he “fully expect[s]” all three to pass.

“We’re in very good shape,” he said.

Zondervan said in the interview he wanted Cambridge to lead in the global effort to reduce carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.

“By leading in Cambridge and leading with these larger buildings that are producing most of our emissions, the hope is that if we can get those under control by 2035, then we’ll still have another fifteen years to get our other buildings to zero, and to help other people across the country and the world get their emissions to zero,” Zondervan said.

Zondervan also stressed the importance of immediate action.

“At every point that we have an opportunity to intervene, we have to do so as aggressively as possible,” he said.

At the Tuesday meeting, the board also heard a presentation from city official Sarah Scott on the final report issued by the Climate Resilience Zoning Task Force, first assembled in 2019 by City Manager Louis

A. DePasquale.

The report introduces a “performance-based Cool Factor” to measure a development’s capacity for heat resilience and mitigation. In the proposed system, development would have to meet a minimum “Cool Score” based on their use of cooling or heat-resistant features such as trees, vegetation, and “high-solar-reflectivity paving materials.”

The report also recommends zoning guidelines for flood protection based on the city’s 2070 projections of flood risk for different areas in Cambridge.

Assistant City Manager for Community Development Iram Farooq, a co-chair of the task force, said in an interview that the report’s use of future projections to inform zoning standards was an “innovative” way to address climate resiliency.

She also said that this approach had implications for “climate justice.”

“Historically, the areas where the lower-income populations have been located are areas that are most environmentally vulnerable,” Farooq said.

“We find that that is, in fact, true, even with future impacts,” she added. elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com

By MICHAL GOLDSTEIN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER ­

The Boston Planning and Development Agency Board approved on March 10 a residential project at 90 Braintree St. in Allston that plans to replace an existing decades-old building.

This decision follows BPDA’s most recent meeting about the 90 Braintree St. proposal on Jan. 27, in which Boston residents expressed their opposition to the developer’s construction plans. Several other Allston-Brighton construction projects have been proposed to the BPDA since 2017.

The Allston Yards project, currently under review, would create a pedestrian-oriented development with residential units, restaurants, and offices.

At the former Skating Club of Boston, developers plan to build a 655-unit residential development. Harvard, which owns roughly one-third of Allston land, plans to construct hundreds of residential units among its projects at 180 Western Ave., 176 Lincoln St., and the Enterprise Research Campus.

Proposed back in November, the 90 Braintree St. project has undergone a number of meetings to elicit feedback from both residents and the Impact Advisory Group — a team of res-

idents, local business owners, and organizations that assess the environmental and social impacts of proposed projects.

The project plans to create 111 new rental units, including 22 income-restricted units and five artist live-work spaces.

“There is a large need for artist-dedicated housing, especially in Allston-Brighton, and that had come out of the IAG process as well,” Caitlin Coppinger, the BPDA project manager for the 90 Braintree St. project, said in an interview.

“There’s a dedicated space on the first floor for additional workspace for these artists,” she added. “They also will have a gallery where the artists can show their artwork in the building.”

The BPDA board’s memorandum approving the project explains that the development is subject to the 2015 Inclusionary Development Policy which mandates that at least 13 percent of its housing units be income-restricted. The developer, Anchor Line Partners, has chosen to surpass this requirement and designate approximately 20 percent of its units as IDP compliant.

Anthony P. D’Isidoro, the president of the Allston Civic Association, praised the project developer’s commitments to af-

fordable housing, sustainability, and public transportation.

“The proponent has been very responsive to community concerns over unit mix and density, reducing the number of units, increasing the number of family friendly units (2 & 3 bedroom) and reducing the number of studios,” he wrote in an email.

Anchor Line Partners has also committed to supporting the neighborhood’s affordability and sustainability efforts through monetary contributions to a number of city departments and funds.

It plans to contribute $500,000 to the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation for affordable housing units on Hano Street, $75,000 to the BPDA for bike lane improvements on Braintree Street, $49,000 to the Boston Transportation Department Boston Bikes Program to add a Bluebike station on or near the site, and $111,000 to the Fund for Parks and Recreation in Boston to improve Penniman Park, located right beside the building.

D’Isidoro lauded these efforts, stating that these benefits will “help fund significant public realm improvements” in the Allston neighborhood. michal.goldstein@thecrimson.com

From Weeks to Weld.

The Crimson thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

APRIL 1, 2022

PAGE 4

ADMISSIONS FROM PAGE 1

College Accepts Record-Low 3.19 Percent of Applicants Harvard, which he said would help make the world “a better place.”

“The world’s greatest students can now realistically think about coming to places like ours,” he said.

The Class of 2026 includes the highest percentage of students eligible for Pell Grants, typically awarded to low income students — 20.5 percent of admitted students are eligible for the federal program, up from 20.4 the previous year.

Out of the admitted students, 20.3 percent will be the first in their families to go to college, down slightly from 20.7 the previous year.

As the Supreme Court prepares to hear a lawsuit alleging Harvard’s race-conscious admissions policies discriminate against Asian American applicants, the College saw a slight increase in the percentage of admitted students who are Asian — 27.8 percent, compared to 27.2 percent in the Class of 2025.

African American or Black students comprise 15.5 percent of the class, a decrease from the previous year’s 18 percent. Latinx students make up 12.6 percent of the cohort — down from 13.3 percent in the Class of 2025, but roughly on par with the Class of 2024. The percentage of Native American admitted

students shot up to 2.9 percent, more than double the previous year’s total of 1.2 percent. The percentage of Native Hawaiians also increased to 0.8 percent of the class, from 0.6 percent last year.

“These kinds of things are going to change from year to year,” Fitzsimmons said.

“Sometimes you’ll have truly great years, as we’re having this year with Native American and Native Hawaiian students. It’s just the way it works in your applicant pool.”

For the fifth consecutive year, women make up the majority of admitted students, with 54.2 percent of admits identifying as female — an increase from 52.9 percent last year.

Continuing its efforts to attract veterans to the College, Harvard admitted 18 veterans to the Class of 2026 — around the same as the 19 accepted last year. Just six veterans were admitted to the Class of 2023. Forty students expressed interest in ROTC, equal to last year’s number.

“Success breeds success, so the word is out,” Fitzsimmons said. “The word is out about how good the financial aid is, because I think, as a first generation student, a fair number of vets and ROTC people are first generation.”

TUITION FROM PAGE 1

College Raises Tuition, Ups Aid changes that have taken place just in the short run,” he said.

The College also announced a 3 percent increase in cost of attendance. For the 2022-2023 academic year, the cost of attendance will be $76,763. The College had previously raised tuition for the 2021-2022 academic year by the same amount.

Fitzsimmons said that the Admissions and Financial Aid Office evaluates its financial aid policies each year. The College announced in March 2020 that it would eliminate the summer work expectation for students on financial aid effective the 2020-2021 academic year.

For the 2020-2021 academic year, the College raised tuition by 4 percent, despite some colleges freezing tuition due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Every year we try to examine what it is that happened and

how we can deploy our financial aid in a way that’s going to best help our students,” he said.

We continue to try to be creative, and we continue to see where the needs are.

William R. Fitzsimmons ‘67 Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid

“We continue to try to be creative, and we continue to see where the needs are,” Fitzsimmons said. “I think [of ] everything we do as a work in progress, not as anything set in stone.” rahem.hamid @thecrimson.com nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com

“The first thing you think about Harvard — you think it might not be affordable, and it’s just the opposite,” he said.

“We’re hoping it will help us to continue to do even better.”

Students admitted to the Class of 2026 hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. overseas territories, and a total of 98 countries — up from 94 countries the previous year.

The plurality of admitted students, 22.2 percent, come from the Mid-Atlantic, followed by 18.2 percent from South, 16.6 percent from Western or Mountain states, 16.4 percent from New England, 9.8 from the Midwest, and 14.9 percent from U.S. overseas territories or abroad.

This year’s incoming class will be welcomed to campus with an in-person Visitas, a two-day admitted students program scheduled for April 2425. This will be the first Visitas held in person since 2019 due the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’re very pleased that it’s back in person,” Fitzsimmons said. “In person, things are opening up, and that’s terrific,” he added.

Admitted students have until May 2 to accept or deny their offer to join the Class of 2026. rahem.hamid @thecrimson.com nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com

Racial/Ethnic Breakdown of Admitted Classes Class of 2023 to Class of 2026 Native Hawaiian Native American

100%

90%

Latinx 80%

African American

70%

60%

50%

Asian

40%

30%

20%

10%

White

0%

2023

2024

2025

2026 KELSEY J. GRIFFIN—FLOURISH CHART

Coalition Backs Six Overseers Candidates

By CARA J. CHANG and ISABELLA B. CHO CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

The Coalition for a Diverse Harvard — a network of Harvard affiliates dedicated to increasing diversity and promoting equity at the University — endorsed six candidates for this year’s Board of Overseers election and six candidates for the Harvard Alumni Association’s elected directorships on March 20.

The Board of Overseers, Harvard’s second-highest governing board, provides input on the direction of the University, advises top Harvard administrators, and approves certain actions by the Harvard Corporation. Each of its 30 members serve six-year terms. Elections occur annually, with terms expiring for some members every year.

The Coalition endorsed six candidates for the Board of Overseers: Senior Adviser to the Mayor of Boston Monica Bharel, Africa Health Holdings CEO Sangu J. Delle ’10, University of Texas at Austin professor Lauren Ancel Meyers ’95, Devoted ­

Health Executive Chair Todd Y. Park ’94, former special adviser to the CEO of HP Kim M. Rivera, and ​​federal judge Wilhelmina M. “Mimi” Wright.

The Harvard Alumni Association is in charge of coordinating events for more than 400,000 alumni globally. The Coalition also endorsed six candidates for elected directorships at the HAA: University of Texas at San Antonio assistant professor Sofia Bahena, Microsoft venture capital fund portfolio manager Michael K. Bervell ’19, SDA Conseil President André Du Sault, Elias Law Group associate Jyoti Jasrasaria ’12, ChildFund Mexico Head of Fundraising Corina Santangelo, and Magic Deer Consulting founder Judith Michelle Williams ’91.

Nine candidates are vying for six open seats in both elections.

One extra seat is up for grabs in the Board of Overseers election this year due to the early departure of professor Tracy K. Smith ’94 from the body.

This election cycle marks the seventh year that the Coalition has endorsed candidates.

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According to the Coalition, 48 of the 59 candidates it has endorsed in the last six years have been elected.

The Coalition calls for the creation of an ethnic studies program at Harvard, support for race-conscious admissions policies, and increased transparency from the Board of Overseers.

The organization decides its endorsements based on a diversity questionnaire it sends candidates, as well as research and interviews conducted by the Coalition.

Ten of the twelve of the candidates the Coalition endorsed this election cycle are Coalition members. The Coalition also noted that — as in 2017 and 2019 — none of the 18 candidates in this year’s election cycle publicly identify as BLGTQ, an issue the organization promised it would raise with the HAA. Michael G. Williams ’81, a member of the Coalition’s Board of Directors, said the Coalition and other alumni groups that backed the endorsements are confident the endorsed candidates will advance the Coali-

tion’s mission.

“The Coalition, as well as the other organizations, feel very strongly that this is a group of endorsed candidates who will stand for diversity, equity, and inclusion and racial justice at Harvard,” he said. “It’s a real and serious commitment to them that’s reflected in the work that they’ve done — in many cases the work that they’re currently doing.”

Harvard Forward, a student and alumni group focused on promoting climate consciousness and increased representation within Harvard’s governance boards, did not field candidates for this year’s election, despite success in previous years.

Voting begins Friday. Ballots can be submitted online or by mail until 5 p.m. May 17. All Harvard graduates who have received their degrees by Jan. 1 are eligible to vote, except for alumni currently holding positions in University governance. cara.chang @thecrimson.com isabella.cho@thecrimson.com

PAGE 5

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LIEBER FROM PAGE 1

Lieber’s Lawyers Argue for Retrial a connection between the Thousand Talents Program and China’s government, which he argued was necessary to prove Lieber’s statements false.

Attorney Donald C. Lockhart, speaking for the government, dismissed the defense’s assertions, citing emails between Lieber and a former postdoctoral student in which Lieber was informed of his approval to join the Thousand Talents Program and provided with a contract for his work with the TTP. Lockhart also noted that during Lieber’s DOD interview, he told investigators that he was aware of the TTP and specifically mentioned its association with the Chinese government.

Lockhart also quoted Lieber’s 2020 FBI interview, in which the chemist said in working for the TTP, “you’re paid a salary by China.”

“None of these things depended on Professor Lieber knowing the state of mind of China,” Lockhart said.

Prosecutors also took issue with the defense’s argument that the letter to the NIH failed to represent Lieber’s statement, noting Lieber had ample opportunity to prepare for the interview with Harvard officials and the “luxury” of reviewing the draft letter before it was sent.

“He very clearly denies it and goes on at some length concerning the denial,” Lockhart said.

The hearing concluded after more than an hour of argument.

Zobel will now consider the defense’s motion and announce a decision at a later date. Toward the end of the hearing, there was a brief miscommunication between Zobel and Lockhart as the prosecutor began a rebuttal to the defense.

“This is not the movie awards, right?” Zobel quipped to chuckles in the courtroom, apparently referencing the altercation between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars. brandon.kingdollar@thecrimson.com

APRIL 1, 2022

HKS Co-Hosts Gender Equity Panel

By DARLEY A. C. BOIT CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Harvard Kennedy School’s Women and Public Policy Program and the University’s Office for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging hosted a panel of researchers in honor of International Transgender Day of Visibility on Thursday.

The panel — entitled “Moving Past the Binary: The Importance of Transgender and Nonbinary Inclusion in Gender Equity Research” — featured Brandeis University professor V. Varun Chaudry; A.J. Lowik, Gender Equity Advisor at the Centre for Gender and Sexual Health Equity in Vancouver; Harvard School of Public Health assistant professor Sabra L. Katz-Wise; and Harvard graduate student Miriam “Mia” Miyagi. Sari M. van Anders, professor of gender studies at Queens University, moderated the panel.

The panelists discussed gender equity funding and other resources for transgender individuals of color.

“Resources and needs really extend into the everyday,” Chaudhry said. “I always want ­

to push people to think really capaciously about what those needs and resources might look like, and really trusting the voices of trans communities of color.”

The panel also touched upon the importance of inclusive language and terminology in conversations and research.

“A lot of scientists, especially in biology, have sort of washed our hands of having to deal with the nuance here by appealing to a split between gender and sex,” Miyagi said. “As scientists, we have a responsibility to communicate and conceptualize sex in the complex non-binary way that it truly is.”

Chaudhry said many current research methodologies fail to include trans individuals and groups.

“We’re often asking people to fit into institutional standards that require educational privilege, they require class privilege, they require time,” he said. “Some of these funders are trying to work differently against that.”

Lowik said it is critical for scientists to engage in inclusive research, citing their work in healthcare.

“What we need to do is think through meaningful inclusion from beginning to end, from the conceptualization of projects through data collection, through dissemination of our findings,” Lowik said.

“Our science is going to be better if we are inclusive of all people, if we acknowledge the way that oppressive systems impact who we study, what we study, who gets included,” they added. “Ultimately, that is to the advantage not only of the populations that we serve, but to science as this kind of idealized system.”

Drawing from her research with transgender youth, KatzWise advocated for trans-inclusive legislation and systems.

“If we’re thinking about the institutional level, and discrimination and healthcare settings, we really need to focus on healthcare provider training and education on how to provide affirming care to this population,” Katz-Wise said. “On a larger, structural level, we really need to engage in advocacy to push back on all this legislation that’s preventing access to care in the first place for this population.”

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Miyagi discussed the ongoing “tension” between minimizing risks for trans study participants and producing useful research involving those populations.

“The important distinction, in my opinion, is differentiating between including individuals in a sample for a study that studies some disjoint phenomenon… versus a study that is looking at, say, is hormone therapy causal for some medicalized phenomenon?” she said. “I think it’s appropriate that we have different standards for these sorts of things.”

Lowik said it is important to ensure the safety of trans individuals in any study, as visibility can be incredibly costly, both personally and professionally.

All panelists and van Anders agreed on the importance of recognizing the value of trans individuals in research and society.

“We’re here, we’re visible today, but we’re visible every day,” Lowik said.

“Gaps in our theories are actual people. It’s not theoretical anymore,” van Anders added. darley.boit@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

APRIL 1, 2022

PAGE 6

EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

OP-ED

A Star-Studded Sendoff

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To the Classes of 2020 and 2021, we are so happy to have you back to celebrate you!

T

ercentenary Theater will host two Commencement ceremonies this spring — the first for our Class of 2022 on May 26 and a second, less pixelated, celebration for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 on May 29. To the Classes of 2020 and 2021, especially our beloved former members of the Editorial Board, we are so happy to have you back to celebrate you!

As part of the celebrations, Harvard has chosen two impressive names as the commencement speakers. The Class of 2022 will be addressed by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, while the Classes of 2020 and 2021 will be addressed by United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland ’74.

These two speakers will add to Harvard’s long list of influential commencement speakers. From former President John F. Kennedy ’40 (who was a Senator representing the state of Massachusetts at the time of his commencement address) to the more recent likes of Bill Gates, Steven Spielberg, and Mark Zuckerberg ’02, it is safe to say that graduates of Harvard have historically received star-studded sent-offs.

Having powerful figures with lasting influence on the world in Tercentenary Theater gives a glimpse of what is possible after graduating from an institution ripe with opportunity. In many ways,

we think being addressed by extremely notable public figures, from statesmen to artists, is a final source of inspiration graduates are receiving from Harvard before stepping into the real world.

As recent graduates sit and listen to the advice offered by some of the most memorable and influential people of our lifetimes, one cannot help but feel that it is left to them to make their own futures and hopefully make history as many of the commencement speakers have.

Being addressed by extremely notable public figures, from statesmen to artists, is a final source of inspiration graduates are receiving from Harvard before stepping into the real world.

Yet, this inspiration remains for, the most part, just that: an ideal. To often only see people like Bill Gates is misleading: We are given the impression that Harvard graduates are funneled into powerful positions. In reality, although many powerful people graduated from Harvard, very few Harvard graduates go on to be particularly powerful. The ma-

jority of graduates will happily populate the professional class.

However, these influential figures remind us how Harvard is sustained in a way that helps us break those boundaries if we can propel ourselves to do it — Garland was a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. It shows us that Harvard can produce change-makers, but only when we ourselves want to be. In a system that so often makes it easy to fall into pre-built career grooves, Commencement may be the last opportunity to be inspired.

Our vision of inspiration here is less so the illusions of grandeur we may often observe from some of our peers, rather, we ask that you, and really, ourselves, reflect more deeply. The safe option is safe precisely because it is stable, with a high guarantee of success so long as we follow the well-trodden path. Yet when these moments arise, we can’t help but think: Take the risk, so long as we get the chance to.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board.

It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.

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OP-ED

Physician, Know Thy Place

By AURASH Z. VATAN

I

t is disconcerting to know the objects of conspiracy theories personally.

As Harvard students, we learn from some of the same experts who participate in the hoax of climate change and researchers who work on microchipped vaccines. When we talk to them during office hours or sit in their lectures, we find it remarkable that such good-natured people are apparently part of various malevolent cabals!

But while it’s fun to make fun of such conspiracy theorizing, it’s important not to dismiss a crisis of confidence that runs deeper. Faith in academia has dropped below 50 percent among American adults. Such widespread doubt can’t be blamed solely on irresponsible anti-intellectuals and conspiratorial grifters. There is a genuinely difficult, central question about how to deal with experts — when should we listen to them? The answer: quite a bit less than they might like.

The pandemic has heightened the stakes of figuring out when to defer to experts. Predicting how the virus will spread in certain circumstances, or the risk and efficacy of certain vaccines, requires extremely technical judgment.

There are professional biologists and epidemiologists who are trained to answer exactly these types of questions. The argument for deferring to the pros is strongest on questions like these, and I wish more Americans would.

But the power of putting an issue beyond normal political wrangling and into “just believe the science” territory is incredibly alluring. Once you decide that lockdowns, or school closures, or travel bans are the right response to the pandemic, it’s tempting to shield them under the protective umbrella of “the sci-

ence” — even though no amount of scientific expertise can resolve the moral and political tradeoffs of these policies. Science can sometimes tell us that X is likely to result from Y. When we choose to do Y, though, we are always making a moral judgment beyond the scope of expertise alone.

Expecting the public to accept any controversial and impactful proposition on faith is a truly incredible ask.

More than 1,200 epidemiologists made this mistake when they temporarily broke from their standard social distancing advice to defend protests for racial justice as “vital to … public health.”

They may well have been correct. But the howls of hypocrisy went up nonetheless, and not unreasonably: an epidemiologist is not a philosopher or political scientist.

To be sure, epidemiologists have professional insight into the public health costs of systemic racism. Like anyone else, they should have strong personal political convictions and act on them.

But making prescriptive political statements in their professional capacity suggests an inability to differentiate topics where they have expertise from those where they don’t. There is, in theory, a scientific answer to “how safe was it to protest in early 2020?” There cannot be a scientific answer to “should we have done so?”

Given the leftward tilt of academia, reigning in the technocracy may feel uncomfortably like giving ground to the right. It’s not. What is civilian control of the military if not the restriction of experts’ authority — this time hawkish

By SHANIVI SRIKONDA

L

ike so much of what runs rampant on Instagram (and other social media platforms), this title is clickbait. It doesn’t capture the complexity of the discourse surrounding social media platforms — it can’t! — but the blunt overconfidence of the simple statement “Instagram bad” is enough to get a click and generate interest in what seems to be such a bold or bad take.

Our busy lives necessitate that we cannot consume all the content we want ad infinitum. After all, in a world full of so much (and ever increasing) content and data, but limited time, we have to decide what to consume based on some kind of metric. Clickbait capitalizes on our natural tendencies to interact with the eye-catching. But in the process, nuance can be lost, and important, multifaceted issues can be stripped of their sensitivity.

This can lead to misinformation, which, especially amid a pandemic, can be fatal.

Despite the attempts of social media platforms to curb misinformation — Instagram notably tags stories and posts related to the pandemic with a Covid-19 disclaimer — it can still be difficult to differentiate truth from fiction. Yes, you can usually evaluate whether information comes from a reputable source by checking its publishing credentials, but when you’re just tapping through Instagram stories, looking at screenshots of screenshots, this can once again be difficult.

Sharing the sources of information — say through hyperlinks — can, however, help. Instagram recently began rolling out the feature for anyone to add clickable hyperlinks to their stories. But this feature being rolled out en masse comes after years of only accounts with at least 10,000 followers (or those verified) being able to add a swipe-up hyperlink to their stories. Did this follower threshold exist as a means of combating misinformation under the assumption that large accounts must have their followings for good reason? What was stopping large accounts from not only sharing misinformation, but also amplifying it to at least 10,000 people?

The original and continued draw of Instagram is its emphasis on visual communication, through the sharing of pictures and videos as posts and stories. Though posts have captions, these captions are typically not the focus; the post itself is usually centered, and captions are currently capped at 2,200 characters. Prioritizing visual images over written text can cause many to instead share information in posts of infographics or digital posters, but the inability to add hyperlinks to posts themselves or have URLs in captions be clickable hyperlinks is another barrier to easier fact-checking and citing sources as a means of mitigating misinformation.

Though there is no guarantee that users will always cite their sources, having the ability to cite them in the first place via clickable hyperlinks in posts or captions can at least prompt viewers to wonder why sources are not cited upon viewing their next post.

Although this might seem overly fastidious, even small barriers that prevent information from being better cited and sourced can cause issues on a much larger scale. Instagram (which was acquired by Facebook, now Meta, in 2012) had more than two billion monthly users as of December 2021.

That’s at least 150 times more than the number of vehicles that crossed the Golden Gate Bridge last year. Even if this barrier to well-sourced information only impacted a miniscule 0.05 percent of Instagram users, that’s still around a million people.

If it was easier for users to directly share links to topics that they’re posting about, combating misinformation might be easier for both moder-

Especially amid the Omicron subvariant of Covid-19, BA.2, which appears to be spreading in America, Instagram — and all social media platforms — must do more to combat misinformation about vaccines, masking, and other public health measures.

generals instead of liberal scientists — to their area of expertise? The principle in question is not partisan.

I don’t want to suggest that the solution is for experts to “stay in their lanes,” terrified of epistemic trespass. One of the best Covid-19 predictive models was created by a data scientist in his twenties with “zero background in infectious-disease modeling.” Experts should be challenged and lanes merged into, allowing for disciplines to build on each other.

Professionals should just be honest with themselves about how far their expertise extends. By all means opine on other areas, too, but make arguments that stand on their own; don’t expect us to defer to your authority outside its domain.

This is the correct approach because it’s more likely to lead to truth in the long run. But as we’re starting to find out, it’s also the approach in the narrow self-interest of the academy. The more you try to sneak under the hood of “believe the science,” the less people will trust you.

Expecting the public to accept any controversial and impactful proposition on faith is a truly incredible ask. Requesting this with any frequency, or with ultimately less-than-relevant expertise, has done and will do serious harm to the influence of experts. Harvard is the training ground for a great deal of expertise. It also aspires, I would hope, to train good laymen: citizens who are thoughtful in how they engage with expertise they can’t replicate. By adopting a more principled approach, we as students can do our part to build back Americans’ trust in experts. We can contribute, in some small way, to the cause of giving our divided country a shared set of facts.

ators and individuals.

People might still post unscrupulous hyperlinks or direct others to malicious websites, but this can be mitigated by better moderation from the side of Instagram itself. This exemplifies a much-needed two-pronged approach to controlling misinformation on Instagram: the ability for users to hyperlink and cite sources better, while at the same time Instagram’s own content moderators ensuring that those links are not harmful.

Especially amid the Omicron subvariant of Covid-19, BA.2, which appears to be spreading in America, Instagram — and all social media platforms — must do more to combat misinformation about vaccines, masking, and other public health measures.

As students at many colleges, including Harvard, return to campus after spring break, more data about cases, testing, and positivity rates will likely be available. However, with a new variant and new data, there is always room for misinformation. Although Instagram puts a disclaimer on Covid-related posts, the platform itself can do so much more to combat pandemic misinformation.

Hopefully, with more robust sourcing of posts, clickbait (like the title of this piece) can be regarded with more reflection. If you’re able to link your sources on Instagram, do so. Even if you can’t, consider content with a closer look.

In a semester filled with so much uncertainty, accurate information is all the more important. Pictures might be worth a thousand words, but those words should be accurate, not a facade.

— Aurash Z. Vatan ’23, an Associate Editorial editor, is an Applied Mathematics concentrator in Mather House.

—Shanivi Srikonda ’24, an Associate Editorial Editor, is a Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology concentrator in Quincy House.

PAGE 7

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

APRIL 1, 2022

Young Elected Officials Speak at Institute of Politics

By TARAH D. GILLES and SRIJA VEM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics hosted a panel featuring some of the nation’s youngest elected officials Thursday evening.

Moderated by Peter D. Hamby, host of Snapchat’s “Good Luck America,” the event featured Landin Stadnyk, a Kentucky-based conservation district supervisor; Karla García, a Dallas school board member; Iowa State Representative Joe Mitchell; Georgia State Representative Park E. Cannon; and Justin Y. Tseng ’22, a council member for the City of Medford, Massachusetts.

The discussion touched on topics including balancing a personal life with a career in politics, responding to displeased constituents as an elected official, and offering advice to young people interested in running for office. The young politicians also relayed how important Gen Z is in shaping the country’s political future.

“Younger people actually have the ability to form con-

sensus and be entrepreneurs in politics, and be able to formulate different public policy that maybe hasn’t been done before,” Mitchell said.

“There needs to be someone in the room” who can provide a “different perspective,” Tseng added.

Tseng also said Gen Z lawmakers can present to voters “another way of thinking about politics that’s more positive, that’s more substantive.”

In an interview, Mitchell said younger candidates running for office can play an important role in making the United States “as inclusive as possible” and ensuring government is “protecting everyone.”

Stadnyk, however, cautioned the audience of the importance of thinking through the motivations behind running for office.

“One thing I really tell people is, when they file for office, make sure that you’re not using it just as a resume filler, that you’re actually using it as something you think you can do some good in, ” Stadnyk said.

First in her family to graduate high school and college, García said she felt “enraged”

when she saw that many were unable to finish high school and pursue higher education.

“Statistically speaking, the opportunity was minimal — in the single digits — for the expectation of those that were actually [going] on to pursue an education,” Garcia said. “The best thing you can do when you’re upset is take bold action.”

García said her personal experiences motivated her campaign for the Dallas Independent School District’s Board of Trustees. During Thursday’s panel, she urged other minorities to pursue similar positions.

“All the reasons we thought we weren’t enough are precisely the reasons why we need to be in those seats,” García said in an interview.

After the event, some attendees praised the speakers.

“Being a student of color myself, it was very humbling to see lots of people of color representatives out there,” Emerson College student Pranit Chand said.

“I’m actually very thrilled to see so many young people…out there and working for our generation,” Kristin He, also a student at Emerson College, said.

Bosso Ramen Tavern Opens in Heart of Harvard Square

By JOLIN CHAN and RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Bosso Ramen Tavern, a new Japanese restaurant specializing in small plates, sushi, and ramen, held its Harvard Square grand opening on Saturday.

The restaurant, located on 24 Holyoke St., is a modern take on an izakaya — a Japanese bar that serves appetizers, snacks, and drinks.

Owner Yasuhiro Sasago designed the menu with his experiences as a surfer and trained ramen chef in mind.Sasago’s journey to becoming a restaurant owner began when he was a Harvard Business School student, cooking ramen for other students in the shared kitchen.

He said he realized that he wanted to launch a restaurant after graduating, aspiring to impart “energy” to his customers through food in the same way that his hometown’s cuisine strengthened him.

“We want to provide energy that makes people empowered, study harder,” Sasago said. “You can do better at the job inter-

view — bright tomorrow and a bright future.”

Replacing Thai restaurant Spicies, Bosso Ramen Tavern joins Menya Jiro and Santouka as one of several Japanese restaurants dotting Harvard Square. Sasago said the tavern stands out because it is meant for longer and more relaxed outings with friends.

I want to build a culture — a Bosso culture.

Yasuhiro Sasago Bosso Ramen Owner

“We want our customers to sit back, relax, enjoy chatting with their friends,” Sasago said.

Beyond entrees like ramen, the menu also features sushi and appetizers called tsumami and sakana that are “inspired by the ocean” and “meant to be shared.”

Growing up in the Boso Peninsula of Japan, Sasago said he hopes to give customers a taste of his hometown and the sea,

while also “mixing cultures” by combining international and regional influences. Tomoki Matsuno ’25, who is from Japan, attended a special early opening for Bosso Ramen Tavern and lauded the restaurant’s accuracy in bringing the Japanese dining experience to the U.S. “I [felt] like I was back home,” he said.

Jessica N. Dias-Jayasinghe ’22 stumbled upon Bosso Ramen Tavern last Friday while searching for a restaurant to celebrate the completion of her friend’s thesis.

“I walked in and the energy of the place was just really amazing and really different,” Dias-Jayasinghe said. “It felt very modern.”

Though the pandemic forced many businesses to shutter, Sasago said it gave him an opportunity to enter the restaurant industry. Looking to Bosso Ramen Tavern’s future, Sasago said he plans to expand its staff and hours of operation while fostering a close-knit work environment.

“I want to build a culture — a Bosso culture,” he said.

Pictures worth a thousand words.

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Joseph E. Stiglitz, the 2001 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, spoke at the JFK Jr. Forum Monday evening. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Petrie-Flom Hosts Discussion on Stigmatization of Addiction

By DANISH BAJWA and DORCAS GADRI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Harvard Law School’s PetrieFlom Center hosted a virtual panel on the highly publicized court case Commonwealth v.

Eldred on Thursday afternoon.

The event — entitled “The Criminalization of Addiction: Law, Medicine, and Future Directions” — was led by the defense attorney for the case, Lisa M. Newman-Polk, and Boston University School of Medicine professor Alexander Y. Walley ’93. The discussion revolved around the stigmatization of defendants with drug addiction.

In July 2018, the Mass. Supreme Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Eldred that a judge could require probationers — including those struggling from addiction — to remain drug-free as a condition for probation.

Newman-Polk began the panel with a discussion of what she called a “drug war paradox” in the U.S., in which patients are encouraged to take drugs “to feel better” but recreational drugs are criminalized. ­

“We consume an incredible amount of drugs for medicinal purposes, and yet we categorize a lot of drugs as recreational and therefore criminal,” she said. “It’s a real conundrum in America.”

Newman-Polk also discussed the harmful effects of addiction and the road to recovery from it, which she said is not “one-size-fits-all.”

“What does not help people get better is shame,” she said. “A cell in a jail or prison — it makes people feel a whole lot of this.”

After Julie Eldred stole $250 worth of jewelry to buy drugs, the court placed her on one year of probation, during which she was required to remain drugfree. Eldred tested positive for fentanyl during a random screening 11 days into probation and spent 10 days in prison.

“She had had a relapse that week. She wasn’t sure if it was going to come up on the screen, but thought there was a good chance it might,” Newman-Polk said, noting that Eldred had notified her doctors of her relapse.

“I want people to be able to be open about the fact that they’re

using — it’s so necessary therapeutically.”

Walley criticized the method of courts primarily deciding the best course of action for defendants addicted to drugs despite a lack of medical expertise.

“The judge also in the mental health case doesn’t decide whether to use Risperidone or whether to use an SSRI, doesn’t pick and choose medications or counseling,” he said. “A lot of probation systems feel empowered to pick and choose what the right or best addiction treatment is.”

Walley added that he believes the stigmatization of drug addiction stops people from both seeking treatment and joining the “field of caring for people who use drugs.”

“Stigmatization of people with addiction is explicit, it’s systemic, it’s systematic, it’s structural, and it’s pervasive throughout both our legal and healthcare systems,” he said.

“We continue to stigmatize and criminalize despite adverse consequences — perhaps with good intentions, but really with the opposite effect.”

SPORTS

WEEKLY RECAP

SCORES

BASEBALL VS. HOLY CROSS L, 5-11 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S TENNIS VS. HOFSTRA W, 7-0 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S LACROSSE VS. DARTMOUTH W, 19-10 ___________________________________________________________

SOFTBALL VS. PRINCETON L, 1-5 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S LACROSSE VS. CORNELL L, 9-10 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. SAINT FRANCIS W, 3-1 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S SWIM AND DIVE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP 13TH ___________________________________________________________

BASEBALL

Harvard Opens Ivy League Play With Sweep at Cornell

By MILES J. HERSZENHORN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER ­

The Harvard men’s baseball team opened Ivy League play with a sweep of Cornell University last weekend. After enjoying warm weather during road trips to Texas and California, the Crimson fought through the elements to put on a dominant offensive performance in Ithaca, N.Y., scoring 30 runs over the three-game series.

During the first game of a Friday doubleheader, the Crimson scored early and held onto its lead to win its first game of the season against an Ivy League rival 7-5. During Friday’s second game, Harvard benefited from some late offensive support to win its second game against Cornell 11-5. On Saturday, the Crimson staged an impressive come-from-behind win to shock the Big Red and leave New York with a sweep.

In an interview on Monday, Coach Decker attributed his team’s win to their ability to play through “all the elements, including sunshine.”

“But they got through it,” he said. “And that’s what you have to do. Specifically at Cornell, it’s a tough place to play.”

HARVARD 7, CORNELL 5 The Crimson scored first during game one of Friday’s doubleheader. Sophomore shortstop Jake Berger led off the second inning with a single and quickly scored after the next batter, freshman catcher Sawyer Feller, hit a triple to drive in Berger for the first run of the game.

Freshman first baseman Peter Levin hit a sacrifice fly to the center fielder to drive in Feller to put the Crimson up 2-0 after the top of the second.

Harvard added another two runs in the top of the third inning. With two outs and sophomore designated hitter Ben Rounds on third base, Berger hit a two-run home run to right field to increase the Crimson’s lead.

Junior left-hander Tim Williamson started game one for the Crimson and didn’t allow a hit through the first two innings. However, Cornell scored three runs against Williamson in the bottom of the third inning to lower Harvard’s lead to 4-3.

In the top of the fourth inning, sophomore right fielder Peter Messervy hit a solo home run to left field, but the Big Red responded in the bottom half by scoring a run on a wild pitch. In the top of the fifth, Levin hit a two-run double down the leftfield line to increase Harvard’s lead to 7-4.

In the bottom of the fifth, Williamson got one out before

CRIMSON CAMARADERIE The team celebrates during their second playoff game against Columbia in 2019. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

allowing a single and a double to put runners at the corners.

Coach Decker then brought in sophomore right-hander Chris Clark to end the inning. The first batter Clark faced hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score the runner on third, but the runner on first base was thrown out at second base after attempting to advance on the play.

Clark earned his first win of the season as he silenced the Big Red through the second half of the game. Clark struck out seven batters and allowed one hit, zero runs, and zero walks over four and two-third innings.

Coach Decker said he was very pleased with Clark’s Friday performance.

“Timmy Williamson went as far as he could have gone and then we handed it to Clark,” Decker said. “And Chris did an admirable job, I mean, it was awesome.”

HARVARD 11, CORNELL 5 The Crimson completed its doubleheader sweep on Friday with an 11-5 win over Cornell in a game that saw the lead switch hands four times.

Freshman right-hander Sean Matson started Friday’s second game for Harvard.

Cornell scored first after Matson gave up a solo home run to the first batter he faced, but

after the first inning, Matson settled in and didn’t allow another run for the rest of his outing. Matson struck out the side in the bottom of the third, going on to end the game with nine strikeouts over five innings while only allowing one run, two hits and two walks.

In the top of the second inning, Feller was on second base and junior catcher Zach Brown on third with only one out, when Brown scored on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1.

In the top of the fifth, the Crimson scored two runs to take the lead. Messervy got the rally started with a double to center field. Freshman second baseman George Cooper hit a bunt single to put runners at the corners. The next batter, Rounds, drove in Messervy with a single up the middle of the diamond. Sophomore left fielder Chris Snopek hit a single to left field to drive in Cooper for the second run of the inning.

The Crimson went to the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth, bringing in freshman right-hander Tanner Smith. After getting the first two outs, the third batter of the inning reached second on an error

by Snopek. The error cost the Crimson as Cornell’s shortstop Ryan Porter hit a two-run home run to tie the game. The Big Red took the lead during the next

at-bat with sophomore second baseman Matt Barnhorst hitting a solo home run to give Cornell the lead.

Harvard struck back half an inning later. After Snopek walked to load the bases, Cooper managed to score on an error by Cornell’s catcher. With Berger at the plate, two wild pitches allowed Rounds to score from second base and allowed Snopek to advance from first to third. Berger finally walked on a third wild pitch, allowing Snopek to score and the Crimson to lead 6-4.

Cornell scored an additional run in the bottom of the eighth inning to cut Harvard’s lead to one, but Harvard’s offense exploded in the top of the ninth to put an additional five runs on the board. Sophomore righthander Jay Driver was brought in during the eighth inning and pitched one inning and two thirds, tallying two strikeouts to secure Harvard’s victory and earn his third save of the season.

HARVARD 12, CORNELL 11 Harvard started senior righthander Jaren Zinn in the series’ third game, which was delayed until 1pm because of bad weather. The Crimson fell behind early after Zinn gave up two runs in the bottom of the first.

Levin drove in a run with a single in the top of the second inning to cut Cornell’s lead to 2-1. In the top of the third, Berger hit an RBI double to drive in Snopek and tie the game. However, the Big Red took back the lead in the fifth inning after Zinn walked the bases loaded and then gave up a bases-clearing double to take a 5-2 lead.

Sophomore right-hander Porter Jordheim came in to relieve Zinn and get the last out of the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Jordheim loaded the bases by hitting two batters and walking one. Driver then came in to pitch for the Crimson, but he allowed three runs on three wild pitches. After the Crimson managed to get out of the sixth inning, it was losing 8-2.

In the top of the seventh, Harvard began to chip away at the Big Red’s lead by scoring three runs. Rounds walked with the bases loaded to drive in Levin. Later, Snopek hit into a fielder’s choice which scored Messervy. Cooper scored the third run of the inning after an error by Cornell’s shortstop allowed him to race home and cut the Big Red’s lead to 8-5.

However, with sophomore left-hander Uday Narottam pitching for Harvard in the bottom of the seventh, the Big Red responded. After Jacobsen al-

HOMERS AND HELMETS A pair of players bump helmets during their second playoff game against Columbia in 2019. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

lowed the first batter of the inning to reach base, Narottam allowed a single and a walk to load the bases. The next batter hit a single up the middle that scored two runs, giving Cornell a 10-5 lead.

Despite being down by five runs in the eighth inning, the Crimson refused to give up.

With two outs and runners at the corners, Rounds hit a tworun double to score Cooper and Jacobsen. Snopek followed Rounds’ example with another double to score Rounds and again cut Cornell’s lead to 10-8.

Narottam stayed in the game to pitch the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and a runner on first base, Narottam gave up a single that should have left runners on second and third, but Jacobsen, the third baseman, committed an error which allowed a run to score.

The Crimson headed to bat in the top of the ninth down 118. Brown led off the inning for the Crimson with a strikeout, but a walk and two singles allowed Harvard to load the bases. Messervy drew a walk which brought home a run and kept the bases loaded. Cooper hit a sacrifice fly to center field which left Harvard down only one run, 1110, but also left Cornell an out away from winning the game.

With two outs, Rounds hit a single through the left side of the infield, past a diving shortstop, to tie the game at 11-11. A batter later, Snopek hit another single to drive in Messervy and allow Harvard to take the lead for the first time of the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jacobsen moved from third base to the pitcher’s mound. After getting the first two batters of the inning to strike out, Jacobsen hit a batter. However, he managed to secure the win and series sweep for Harvard by getting the last batter of the inning to fly out to left field.

Coach Decker said he told his team to just focus on the inning as they went into the ninth down three runs.

“My comment in the dugout was ‘win the inning, we win the game,’” he said. “And we won the inning and the game.”

“We just try to keep the line moving at that point, get to the next guy,” he added.

Decker said the series sweep did not mean that his team played good baseball.

“I don’t know if we’re playing well, because we didn’t,” he said. “We misplayed some balls in the outfield, we misplayed some balls in the infield, we walked too many guys, but we just found a way to win.”

“That’s what good teams do,” Decker added. miles. herszenhorn@thecrimson.com