The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 58
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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022
EDITORIAL PAGE 4
SPORTS PAGE 6
SPORTS PAGE 6
What are we suppposed to call Dorm Crew now?
No. 13 men’s tennis extended its winning streak to five with two victories
Women’s lacrosse toppled Columbia, 14-8, over the weekend
Consent Policy Sparks Concerns By CARA J. CHANG and ISABELLA B. CHO CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
When Harvard released a set of proposed changes to its sexual harassment, non-discrimination, and anti-bullying policies two weeks ago, a new definition of consent was one of the key changes. The new policies, if adopted by the University’s highest governing board, would define consent as an “active, mutual agreement” — a stark departure from the University’s current policies, which require only “agreement, assent, approval, or permission” through words or actions. But two weeks into an open comment period in which affiliates are invited to give feedback on the proposed policies, some have taken issue with the word “active” in the new definition. The proposed changes are the product of a set of working
groups convened by University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 in January 2021 that sought to assess Harvard’s interim Title IX and sexual misconduct policies and draft new anti-bullying and non-discrimination procedures. Some student advocates on campus welcomed the proposal as a step in the right direction but said the school should adopt a standard of “affirmative” — not “active” — consent. Our Harvard Can Do Better, an anti-sexual assault advocacy organization, said in a statement the “language within the definition is unclear and troublesome.” “Our concern is that ‘active,’ while it may make intuitive sense to people for a model of healthy sexual interaction, does not have as clear a definition as affirmative,” William M. Sutton ’23, an organizer for Our
SEE POLICIES PAGE 3
Severe Covid Studied at HMS By JONATHAN A. COSGROVE, EMILY Y. FENG, and DORCAS GADRI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Hessler returned to China in 2019 to teach nonfiction writing at Sichuan University. Throughout the event, he spoke about the changes between his two stints in the country — many of which he said were manifested by his students, reflecting China’s rapid urbanization and the effects of the one-child policy. “Even from the very beginning, the difference was so striking,” he said. “In the old days, almost all of my students came from the countryside. For example, I taught my nonfiction class, not one of them was from a rural background.” Similarly, only one of Hessler’s students during his time in the Peace Corps was from a one-child family, he said, but “there was only one kid with siblings” when he surveyed a class of freshmen in 2019. Hessler also described the upward mobility that has allowed for the growth of a new
A research team led by Harvard scientists discovered triggers for the hyperinflammation accompanying severe Covid-19 cases in a study published in Nature on April 6. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital collaborated to produce the findings, which revealed connections between infected immune cells, respiratory problems, and organ damage. Judy Lieberman ’69, a co-author of the study and HMS professor, said no prior research had explored the link between inflammation and Covid-19. “It’s well recognized that inflammation, and something called cytokine storm — which is an extreme form of inflammation — is at the root of severe Covid, but nobody knows how it got triggered, or why,” she said. The study found that Covid-19 infects monocytes and macrophages, white blood cells that respond to infection by identifying antibodies surrounding the virus and, afterward, taking up the virus — a process that results in programmed cell death, or pyroptosis. Pyroptosis releases inflammatory molecules that are linked with organ failure and excessive blood clotting, especially among older patients or patients with comorbidities. Caroline Junqueira, an HMS researcher who co-authored the study said these bodily responses could best be characterized as “immunopathology,” in which the body “becomes the disease itself.” Junqueira added that despite the negative effects of pyroptosis, it can still be a protective mechanism through warding off viral replication because it is faster than the replication process. “Cell death is really fast,” she
SEE IOP PAGE 3
SEE HMS PAGE 3
The Harvard Office for Gender Equity is located in Harvard’s Smith Campus Center. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Peter Hessler Talks China at IOP Forum By KENNETH C. MURRAY and JOHN N. PEÑA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Author and journalist Peter B. Hessler spoke about his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in China while delivering the 2022 S.T. Lee Lecture at the Harvard Institute of Politics on Wednesday evening. The lecture, named for Singaporean businessman and philanthropist Lee Seng Tee, was introduced by Kennedy School professor Fredrik Logeval, who described its focus as exploring how “geopolitical developments might shape global approaches to policymaking.” Hessler, a staff writer at the New Yorker who has authored several bestselling books on China, first traveled to the country with the Peace Corps in 1996. He taught English in Fuling, China, for his two years in the Corps before joining the New Yorker, eventually leaving China in 2007.
At Wednesday’s IOP Forum, journalist Peter Hessler discussed his research in Fuling, China and the changes he observed as a result of China’s urbanization. KENNETH C. MURRAY—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Petrie-Flom Center Hosts Event on Cannabis Experts Discuss Covid, Mental Health By RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN and SRIJA VEM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
By KRISHI KISHORE CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Child psychiatric epidemiologist Tamsin Ford discussed Covid-19’s impact on childrens’ mental health at a virtual research presentation hosted by the Harvard School of Public Health on Wednesday. Based out of the University of Cambridge, Ford researches the effectiveness of mental health services and interventions aimed at children and young adults. Wednesday’s event was part of the Population Mental Health Forum Series hosted by HSPH professor Karestan Koenen. Ford began by highlighting the drawbacks of three systematic reviews conducted by McGill University, which screened the abstracts of over 90,000 research papers. The reviews examined changes in mental health throughout the pandemic, factors driving these changes, and intervention strategies. “The McGill team were more focused on adults at the beginning, and they are only looking at emotional disorders,” Ford said. “I think there’s a real issue
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
about behavior, peer relationship, and prosocial skills.” Ford continued by explaining the results from a systematic review conducted at the University of Cambridge, which identified 51 studies helpful for understanding children’s mental health amid Covid-19. “Children who were doing really well pre-pandemic experienced a drop in prosocial skills and peer relationships, whereas those who were struggling prior experienced better peer relationships and more prosocial behavior, which is really intriguing,” Ford noted of the review. Ford also discussed similar findings from a report published by the Harvard School of Public Health that collected mental health data from 13- and 14-year-old students across 17 schools between 2019 and 2020. The report found improvements among students struggling with depression before pandemic. “Overall, there was no difference on their mental health measures between the two times in the whole population,”
SEE COVID PAGE 3
News 3
Editorial 4
Experts in neuroscience and law discussed the legalization of cannabis and highlighted its implications for public policy at a virtual panel hosted by Harvard Law School’s Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics on Wednesday. The event, jointly hosted with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Law, Brain and Behavior, featured neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd and forensic psychologist and attorney Stephanie Tabashneck as moderator. Petrie-Flom Center Executive Director Carmel D. Shachar introduced the panel. Hurd began by describing the science of cannabis and cannabidiol, speaking on the potential adverse effects of marijuana use by young people, whose brains have not fully developed. She also discussed the future of treating substance use disorders, advocating for a shift away from the criminal justice system. In an interview after the event, Shachar criticized the reliance on the criminal system
SEE CANNABIS PAGE 3
Sports 6
The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, housed Harvard Law School, was founded in 2005. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
TODAY’S FORECAST
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
APRIL 21, 2022
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch Pork Sausage Sub Rosemary Roasted Chicken Jalapeno Mac and Cheese
For Dinner Beef and Vegetable Stir-Fry Teriyaki Chicken Vegetable Potstickers
TODAY’S EVENTS Student Office Hours with Dean Rakesh Khurana Virtual, 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Do you have a burning question for the one and only Dean Khurana? If you do, and even if you don’t, this is the event for you. Join Dean Khurana’s office hours today at 3:30 p.m. to chat.
War In Ukraine Disrupts Global Food Supply
As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, the yearly planting season has been greatly disrupted. Many areas of the world, such as Lebanon, depend on Ukraine for agricultural products. As the war drags the Ukrainian people to the front lines, the number of available farmers in the country has decreased, meaning the falling global supply of grain and cooking oil will continue to push prices higher.
Finding a Therapist Off Campus Virtual, 3p.m.-4 p.m. New Year, New You means no more pulling all-nighters because you procrastinated all your assignments until the last minute. As a new semester starts, we all want to become more efficient at managing our time well. The ARC is here to help you stay on top of your schedule.
A$AP Rocky Arrested
Students and Cambridge residents come to pet lambs and other animals at a pet therapy event hosted in the Science Center Plaza. TRUONG L. NGUYEN —CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
AROUND THE IVIES
Wimbledon Bans Players from Russia and Belarus
YALE: Graduate and Professional Students Condemn New Yale Corporation Weekly Accountability Hour 1414 Massachusetts Avenue, 3 p.m.4 p.m. Join the Academic Resource Center in this personal accountability exercise session. ARC coaches will help you determine your academic priorities and keep you on the right track.
A$AP Rocky was arrested in Los Angeles on Wednesday in connection with a shooting that occured last November in Hollywood. The rapper is facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon. The alleged victim sustained minor injuries. Rihanna and A$AP were together at LAX at the time of his arrest.
Election Policies —THE YALE DAILY NEWS
PENN: Black Students Egged and Called Racial, Homophobic Slurs at Spring Fling Party —THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
CORNELL: Artist Guadalupe Maravilla to Kick Off Migrations Global Grand Challenge —THE CORNELL DAILY SUN PRINCETON: Nikole Hannah-Jones, Ulrich Baer, Stefan Bradley Discuss Racism and Free Speech at Universities —THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
Tennis officials have banned Russian and Belarusian players from competing at Wimbledon this year due to the country’s “unjustified and unprecedented military aggression” in Ukraine. Officials said they hoped to limit Russia’s global influence. As a result of this decision, the No. 2 ranked men’s player in the world, Daniil Medvedev, will be unable to compete.
COVID UPDATES
LAST 7 DAYS CURRENTLY
CAMPUS
331
In Isolation
563 2.00% Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
LAST 7 DAYS
CAMBRIDGE
731
Total New Cases
3%
Positivity Rate
76%
Fully Vaccinated
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Council Urges Labor Protections
The Undergraduate Council last night asked Harvard Dining Services (HDS) to join the struggle to improve working conditions for strawberry workers in California. April 21, 1997
Six Editors Expelled for Publishing Hoax in R.P.I. Newspaper
An “April Fool’s” story in the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s undergraduate newspaper announcing that the Easter vacation had been cancelled because of a campus quarantine has resulted in expulsion of the newspaper’s entire editorial board. April 21, 1955
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
POLICIES FROM PAGE 1
APRIL 21, 2022
HMS FROM PAGE 1
New Consent Policy Sparks Concern HMS Profs. Study Covid Inflamation Harvard Can Do Better, wrote in a follow-up email. “Specifically, we’re concerned about the term’s reversibility. ‘Not affirmative’ means communicating ‘no’ through words or actions, while the meaning of ‘not active/inactive’ is less clear.” But Brett A. Sokolow, the president of the Association of Title IX Administrators, said the wording change would make little substantive difference. The dispute over “active” and “affirmative” consent, he said, creates “a false juxtaposition.” “If you already have a consent-based policy — and you just revised the consent-based policy — then your consent-based policy is already affirmative,” he said. “I don’t object to it, but I just don’t think it’s necessary, because [affirmative] is a modi
fier that already is baked in,” Sokolow added. The proposed definition of consent also includes a new provision stating that “consent is not voluntary if it is obtained by coercion,” defining coercion as conduct “that would reasonably place a person in fear of immediate harm, and that is employed to compel someone to engage in sexual activity.” Max G. Ehrenfreund, a History of Science Ph.D. candidate who served as a member of the working group on interim Title IX and other sexual misconduct policies, said the coercion definition is “too narrowly defined.” “Forms of sexual misconduct that obviously violate the spirit of this policy would have to be regarded as acceptable by the University,” he said. Ehrenfreund also took issue
with the proposed definition of quid pro quo harassment, which only encompasses Harvard employees as currently written. The policy, he said, would not apply to students who may hold leadership positions in extracurricular organizations, but are not employed by the University. Some affiliates also criticized the draft policies on discrimination and bullying for being too constrained. Researcher Kelsey M. Tyssowski, a member of the anti-bullying working group, said she hoped to see the policies elaborate more on informal conflict resolution given that many affiliates who allege misconduct do not file formal complaints. Bailey A. Plaman, a Chemical Biology graduate student who serves as a co-chair of the
graduate student union’s Feminist Working Group, said she was “disappointed” to see the anti-bullying and non-discrimination policies modeled off of Harvard’s interim Title IX policies, which are required to meet federal regulations. The union has long argued Harvard’s policies for sexual harassment and misconduct are opaque and ineffective. “A lot of the reasons the policies are the way they are, at least Harvard argues, is because of Title IX law — but anti-bullying and non-discrimination are not subject to Title IX,” Plaman said. Harvard affiliates will be able to comment on the proposed policies through September.
cara.chang@thecrimson.com isabella.cho@thecrimson.com
said. “It’s much faster than virus life cycles.” Although not every viral infection leads to pyroptosis, pyroptosis in Covid-19-infected cells is a “dead end for the virus,” according to Junqueira. Junqueira added that future studies could tackle the relationship between immune response and Long Covid, in which symptoms persist long after infection. “[Long Covid] is a persistent inflammation — a systemic inflammation,” Junqueira said. “What we are planning to do now is to try to understand if [these] inflammatory monocytes are actually playing a major role.” Lieberman added that the study could be important for de-
signing future Covid-19 treatments. “People designing both vaccines and antibody therapies should really consider not only whether the antibodies block or neutralize infection, but they should also consider the other functional properties of the antibody,” Lieberman said. These “functional properties” could inform decisions about Covid-19 health policy and therapy going forward, Lieberman said. “People have to really understand the science and what’s known, and keep working to understand more in order to devise the best therapies and not be prejudiced without understanding the data,” she said.
COVID FROM PAGE 1
IOP FROM PAGE 1
Experts at HSPH Discuss Covid-19 and Mental Health
Journalist Peter Hessler Discusses China at IOP Forum
Ford said. “But when you split it by mental health pre-pandemic… you can see that those who were struggling are doing better.” Shifting focus to the impact of Long Covid — recurring health issues after Covid-19 — on children’s mental health, Ford introduced the preliminary results of a study that tracked over three months the physical and mental health of children aged 11 to 17 in England who tested either positive or negative for Covid-19. The study aimed to see if Long Covid impacted the health of children
who tested positive compared to those who tested negative. “These young people who were struggling were more likely in both groups to be girls rather than boys, to be older teens rather than early adolescents, and to have had poor baseline physical and mental health,” she said. Referencing the Mental Health of Children and Young People national surveys in England, Ford described overall patterns in mental health metrics across gender and racial groups. “Young women seem to be
doing particularly badly and had a particularly sharp deterioration initially,” Ford said. “There was a sharp sudden deterioration that’s maintained amongst the white population, whereas ethnic minorities are experiencing a more steady deterioration.” Ford said the rise of mental health issues in children are concentrated within particular groups, such as those who are struggling financially or have pre-existing mental health conditions. krishi.kishore@thecrimson.com
middle class in the country over the last two decades. Graduates could expect to make about $500 a year back then, he said. In years since, that has dramatically changed. “In 2014, when I surveyed them, the median household income was nearly $18,000. And last year, when I asked the question again, it had risen to $35,000,” he said. Still, when Hessler asked some of his former students in 2014 to define their social class, many “defined themselves with terms like proletariat, low-class, down-class, poverty
class, poor,” he said.
We should be more confident about being open with exchanges. ... I don’t think we have anything to lose. Peter B. Hessler Author and Journalist
“One wrote, ‘we belong to nothing,’” he said. Hessler attributed the re-
sponses to the long-term impact of poverty. “I think that the experience of being poor stays with people,” he said. “They don’t feel necessarily as prosperous as we might expect.” Hessler said the United States’ current diplomatic relationship with China is “pretty terrible.” Still, the journalist said he was glad to see Chinese students continuing to come to the United States. “We should be more confident about being open with exchanges,” he said.“I don’t think we have anything to lose.”
CANNABIS FROM PAGE 1
Petrie-Flom Center Hosts Event on Cannabis, Neuroscience, and Law to regulate marijuana in the United States, saying it “was too one size fits all” and “too harsh on certain people.” “It really burdened communities of color in ways I think were unjust and inequitable,” she said. Shachar added that in “an era of more individual choice around marijuana,” it is important for people to rely on experts to understand how the drug will affect their body. “You want to be a really good custodian of your brain,” she said. “You want to be a friend to your brain.” Tabashneck said in an interview after the event that neuroscience can be a useful tool to
humanize those who practice substance use. She noted displaying brain scans has helped her to change the perception of substance use disorders in the courtroom by underscoring their validity as medically-based illnesses. “It seemed to shift the way that lawyers and judges were understanding addiction and led to more compassion and empathy,” Tabashneck said. “So I see neuroscience as a vehicle for understanding.” Tabashneck added that neuroscience provides a sense of hope for those facing or trying to treat substance use disorders. “I also really like neuroscience because in this field, in
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particular, I think there’s a lot of hope,” she said. “We know that for people who have substance use disorders that the brain can heal over time,” Tabashneck added. “And I think that message is really important: those people who have an addiction get better.” Tabashneck said she hopes to help reduce stigma around addiction and stop “unnecessary cruel” attitudes towards those struggling with substance use disorders. “What we know from the research is we get better outcomes when we treat people with substance use disorders with respect and dignity,” she said.
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APRIL 21, 2O21
PAGE 8
EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD
COLUMN
What Do We Call Dorm Crew Now? Audiovisual Crew just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
A
fter a hiatus brought on by Covid-19, Dorm Crew is finally back! Well, sort of. In its new, post-Covid iteration, instead of hiring students to clean dorm bathrooms as it has for nearly 70 years, Dorm Crew will now hire students to do audiovisual work for houses and classrooms under the Education Support Services framework. We’re not quite sure what to call it now — Audiovisual Crew just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
“I met there some of the most down-to-earth, genuine people I’ve known in my time at Harvard.” While it is hard to imagine a Dorm Crew outside of cleaning dorm bathrooms, Dorm Crew has always been more than just a service that employs students to clean bathrooms. For what some may consider a service that emphasized economic inequalities at Harvard by hiring students to perform custodial work for their peers, students that actually participated in Dorm Crew did not see it as such. The Crimson reported an email from Guillaume Bouchard ’23 - ’24, in which they wrote that “I met there some of the most down-to-earth, genuine people I’ve known in my time at Harvard.” Rather than feeling exploited, former Dorm Crew employees character-
ized their experiences with Dorm Crew as joining a community of hardworking and like-minded peers that helped start their semesters on a high note. Indeed, while people, such as members of this Editorial Board in the past, have editorialized Dorm Crew to be a problematic organization that takes advantage of pre-existing inequalities. The students that are being “exploited” have spoken only of the contrary. Critics of Dorm Crew may come from a genuine place of concern for lower-income students performing what they perceive as degrading labor. To this, we want to make clear that manual labor is never inherently demeaning or lesser than the middle-management jobs that many Harvard students will go on to have, or the academic work that we constantly engage in at this College. Manual laborers such as custodians deserve respect — respect for the values that their work contributes and the respect of not being subjected to classist and elitist preconceived notions of worth that seek to victimize them. Precisely because Dorm Crew has been so great in its original form, we are slightly concerned about its new form. For one, we are worried about the lesser number of students Dorm Crew (the AV Crew?) will now be able to hire in comparison to previous numbers of more than eight hundred students. The work that Dorm Crew and workers at Harvard contribute is meaningful and essential to our community and
campus, without which we would suffer. For this, we are very thankful. We also maintain that students should take charge in maintaining the cleanliness of their own spaces on campus as well, especially now that Dorm Crew no longer offers dorm cleaning services.
The work that Dorm Crew and workers contribute is meaningful and essential to our community and campus After all, we all share this campus and its residential spaces. Students should do this on their own, but houses should consider launching their own programs like Dorm Crew. As former Dorm Crew employees can attest, working together to perform manual tasks can build and strengthen communities that go beyond lip service — something that houses desperately need after the social isolation brought on by Covid-19. 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
Notes from Day 4 of Isolation: The Harm I Cause By CHRISTINA M. XIAO
I
’m writing this in the cool night after my fever has broken. In these few moments of clarity I get — from the physical pain and the mental — I spiral into existential crisis. I know that, in all reality, Covid-19 will soon pass me by and slide into the archives of wacky stories for me to tell when I get better. I know that in a week or so from now, I will be testing negative, taking finals, and grousing about how annoying it is to run between all my classes. I know that I am not the demographic to die to this. I am young, and approximately healthy, and with access to enough painkillers and vitamins to take out a horse. I know I will be fine. It’s just that, before I slid the key into the lock of my room for what I didn’t realize until too late was the last free time in a while, before I had to question whether my nasty headache was from stress or lack of sleep or — surprise third option! — Covid, before the rapid test bled into two red lines and I sent my parents the “I think I have Covid” panic text with two minutes left on the timer, I thought I was immune. Now, I am confronted with the fact that I am not only very mortal and susceptible to infectious disease, but also excruciatingly fragile. Six walls and a window that gets dark too early is enough to do me in. I’m a lab rat in a cage, but at least they get wheels to run on. I’m afraid of doors now. Isn’t that pathetic? Many have written before on Harvard’s unsatisfactory spring 2022 Covid-19 isolation policy. I should know firsthand how unsatisfactory it is; I’ve dealt with every stage of it. Eighteen Chrome tabs open trying to figure out which Harvard websites are up-to-date with the new policy. The second email with additional guidance on how to iso-
late in place that the HUHS Contact Tracing Team promises me but never delivers. The day the Isolation Dining PickUp station in Kirkland House runs out of all bottled water except sparkling, so I, dehydrated and half-delirious, pour myself cups of hot water that taste faintly of coffee grounds. Yet, what scares me most about Harvard’s isolation policy is me. As I see it, my potential to harm all the healthy, non-infected, unknowing people just happily walking around campus is massive. I venture outside my disease incubator of a room once a day to drop off a Covid test and pick up dinner from Kirkland. Every time, I want to scream at everyone I encounter: I’m a contagion! Get away from me! Put your masks on and run in the opposite direction! It’s insane that I am allowed to walk on the street amongst people who are none the wiser, stifling coughs in my double-layered masks while they turn and chat.
Yet, what scares me most about Harvard’s isolation policy is me.
At the same time, I selfishly don’t want to brand myself as Covid-positive so that people veer away from me. Isolation is lonely enough. The emotional toll of being stuck in a box for days has opened my waterworks and won’t let them close. I feel it, that terrible lump of emotion and twitch of tears, whenever I get a scrap of human connection. The first time a friend called me and I picked up, I spent all 30 minutes of that call sobbing into the phone. I burst into tears at a club meeting over Google Meet, of all things.
I know my fear of infecting other people on the street, of turning them as weak and transient as I currently feel, is largely irrational. I would have to spend 15 or more minutes with anyone indoors for them to be considered a close contact at risk of contracting Covid-19 from me. But I am not a scientist with an innate understanding of my infectious period. I only know that it feels ethically wrong for me to be able to place other people in potential harm’s way, without their knowledge. It scares me how thin the barriers to known, intentional harm are. It scares me that Harvard is banking their isolation policy on the brittle moral weighings of people who are already much too fragile from Covid.
It scares me that Harvard is banking their isolation policy on the brittle moral weighing of people who are already much too fragile from Covid.
Eleganza: Fashioning a Creative Community at Harvard
Onyx E. Ewa ALL BLACK EVERYTHING
I
’ve always been interested in fashion. For as long as I can remember, I’ve flipped through fashion magazines, ripping out pages to save my favorite looks. I started sewing clothes when I was nine, began making my own designs when I was about 12, and never stopped. I’d proudly walk the halls of my high school in my latest designs, and even now, when people comment on my outfits, I’ll often reply with “Thanks, I made it!” I love fashion—it sustains me, it allows me to express myself, and the clothes I make and wear help me to feel confident and beautiful. Thus, when I was a senior in high school, choosing a college to attend, it was essential that the school I went to had some way for me to get involved in fashion on campus. Harvard is not exactly known as a hub for fashion. This year, I am enrolled in one of only two fashion classes that have been taught at the College in recent years. There is an overwhelming lack of institutional support for students who are interested in fashion as an academic or career path, but students are working to overcome this by creating their own spaces for fashion on campus. I am a member of FIG Magazine, Harvard’s first fashion publication, which was founded in 2018 to create a diverse space for Harvard students interested in fashion. I am also the founding Editorial Director of the Lavender Room, an upcoming BIPOC fashion and arts publication. My dream is to run a fashion magazine, and both of these organizations have given me the opportunity to build skills and create work in alignment with that dream. Fashion organizations at Harvard are essential spaces for students who are interested in fashion and the arts, and none have been around longer than Eleganza, which was founded in 1994 by cultural production organization Black C.A.S.T. Eleganza’s annual show is Harvard’s largest student-run event, and it provides an opportunity for a diverse cast of students to celebrate expression through fashion and dance. I watched last year’s virtual show, and was impressed by the high production value, vibrant dances, and beautiful outfits. The 2022 show takes place next Saturday, April 23, and I am so excited to attend my first in-person Eleganza. I had the opportunity to speak with Eleganza’s Executive Producer in charge of Fashion, Finance, and Publicity, Salena Prakah-Asante ’23, and she explained that since its founding, Eleganza’s mission was to focus on Black representation, as well as diversity and inclusion more generally. This diversity is reflected not only among the show’s cast of models and dancers, but also in the featured brands and designers. While Black people make up 13.4 percent of the United States population, we account for only about 4 percent of American designers. Shows like Eleganza are trying to change that by highlighting the diverse work of Black designers and brands, including FUBU, Washington Ave, Bless by Bless, House of Aama, and Savage X Fenty, among others. Prakah-Asante described some of the challenges that Black designers face, including the fact that Black designers are often not taken seriously, and many are “siloed into the streetwear area, because that’s just something that in media and entertainment, we really associate with Black creativity.” Brands like Savage X Fenty are doing creative and transformational work in the fashion industry, in “showcasing the diverse range of bodies and faces that we have through their shoots and through their website.” Diversity in fashion is more than a numbers game or a PR stunt; it’s important to represent a wide range of identities and experiences within the fashion industry because, as Prakah-Asante explains, “Fashion is not this kind of superficial thing where we’re just putting together outfits or trying to make ourselves look nice, it’s really a full industry that is so integrated into people’s lives.” For me, the clothes I wear reflect my family history, my Black and queer identities, my approach to art, and my definintion of beauty. I think many others would say the same, and Prakah-Asante hopes that Eleganza attendees will reflect on their personal relationships with fashion and fashion brands.
Diversity in fashion is more than a numbers game or a PR stunt
I miss outside. I miss Eliot dining hall, and lying on friends’ carpets, and unmasked laughter. I miss normalcy. If Harvard’s Covid years saw time freeze, isolation is the most hellish version of that. But come the end of my day five, I will follow the isolation policy to the best of my ability. If I’m still symptomatic, I’m locking myself in here again. This will harm me, no doubt. But crucially, I do not want to harm other people.
Salena Prakah-Asante says that fashion has always been an important part of her life, and that Eleganza was one of the reasons she decided to attend Harvard. “I think seeing the level of creativity and freedom of expression on stage when I was visiting pre-frosh really excited me,” she said. Fashion is an integral part of so many people’s lives, and Eleganza helps to show that there is a space at Harvard for people who value fashion. The show takes place during Visitas each year, and it helps expose incoming freshmen to the amazing creative community that exists at this institution.
—Christina M. Xiao ’24, an Associate Editorial Editor, is a joint concentrator in Computer Science and Government in Eliot House.
—Onyx E. Ewa ’24 is an Art, Film, and Visual Studies concentrator in Winthrop House. Their column “All Black Everything” appears on alternate Thursdays
PAGE 5
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
APRIL 21, 2022
From Weeks to Weld.
The Crimson thecrimson.com
SPORTS
WEEKLY RECAP
SCORES
WOMEN’S WATER POLO VS. BROWN W, 10-6 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S LACROSSE VS. COLUMBIA W, 14-8 ___________________________________________________________
BASEBALL VS. MERRIMACK COLLEGE W, 18-2 ___________________________________________________________
SOFTBALL VS. CORNELL POSTPONED ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S TENNIS VS. NORTHWESTERN W, 4-1 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT ROWING VS. DARTMOUTH 2ND ___________________________________________________________
SAILING CENTRAL FLEET RACE 4 11TH/13TH ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
Harvard Topples Columbia on the Road, 14-8 By BEN MORRIS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Dominant from start (of the second half ) to finish. After a rough past couple of games, the women’s lacrosse team got back on track over the weekend. The Crimson (5-6, 3-2 Ivy League) traveled to the Big Apple for a Saturday afternoon showdown with the Lions of Columbia (2-10, 0-4 Ivy League). Despite the score being knotted at six a piece halfway through the contest, Harvard came out firing on all cylinders in the second half, outscoring the Lions 8-2, with streaks of three and five straight unanswered goals. This was an important win for the Crimson, not only because the team demonstrated that it can play as well as anyone once things start clicking, but also because the victory allowed Harvard to take sole control of fourth place in the Ivy League as the season enters its final stretch. Currently, Yale (9-2, 5-0 Ivy League) sits atop the conference, with No. 12 Princeton (83, 3-0 Ivy League) sitting just behind the Bulldogs. The team separating the Crimson from the top two is Cornell (7-6, 3-2 Ivy League). Although Harvard and the Big Red share identical conference records, Cornell owns the head-to-head matchup, just narrowly sneaking out of Cambridge with a 10-9 victory that took two overtimes to cement. Additionally, had Harvard dropped this matchup against Columbia, it would have allowed Brown (5-7, 2-3 Ivy League)–the Crimson’s final regular season opponent this season–to share control over fourth place in the Ivy League. This was also a much needed win for Harvard, as, despite picking up an 11-7 win over Dartmouth (3-8, 1-4 Ivy League) a week after the heartbreaking, double-overtime thriller against Cornell, the Crimson suffered another bout of crushing defeats. The team first traveled to New Haven to take on the top-seeded Bulldogs in a mar
quee matchup. Although Harvard fought til the very end, Yale held on just enough, coming away with 13-12 win in the rivalry game. The following weekend, the Crimson hosted one of the top teams in the nation, No. 2 Boston College (13-2, 5-2 ACC). Having ample experience in a powerhouse conference, the local foe came out firing with power and never took its foot off the gas pedal. By the time the clock struck zeros, the Eagles found themselves emerging from the game with a 17-1 win. Given the recent string of tough opponents and nail-biting finishes that just have not gone Harvard’s way, the Crimson arrived in New York City searching for a much-needed victory. As the match began, Harvard jumped out to a quick start and found itself up 4-0 just under 10 minutes in–it was as if the team had been chomping at the bit to get back out on the field and prove itself after the last few games. Although the Lions were able to score two goals of their own, senior attacker Charlotte Clark was able to outduel the Lion goalie and squeezed in one last goal with a single second left in the first quarter. Entering the second frame, Harvard found itself with a solid 5-2 advantage. However, the Lions were determined not to go down without a fight. Mirroring the way the Crimson opened the game, Columbia came out hot in the second quarter, scoring three straight in less than five minutes. With the score now even, the two teams battled for the remainder of the half, each able to put up another goal before the match entered its midway point. As the teams came out for the third quarter, it was clear that Harvard had new life and a resurgence in energy. Although the Lions were able to keep pace for a bit of time, the 6-6 tie was eventually snapped when the Crimson ripped off three straight goals. Two of these three were scored by sophomore midfielder Callie Hem–
HARVARD HOPES TO HIT ITS STRIDE Crimson women’s lacrosse congraluates at midfield in its 2019 victory over Columbia. The 2022 squad avenged the loss from three years ago, defeating the Lions 14-8 on Saturday, April 16. QUINN G. PERINI—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
the team leader in goals scored (26) and in total points (34). Although Columbia was able to notch one more goal with two minutes left in the quarter, which brought the score to a relatively close margin at 9-7, it was clear that there had been a significant momentum shift in Harvard’s favor. This became abundantly clear at the onset of the final frame. Once again, the Crimson came out blazing, but also made sure to not leave the door open for the Lions to make a potential comeback. For the third time this game, Harvard put together an unanswered streak of goals, although this one happened to be the largest of the match at five (three of which
came in the first five minutes), doubling the Lions’ total and stretching its lead to 14-7. Before the final buzzer sounded, Columbia was able to score one last goal, but the Crimson still remained comfortably in control. As Harvard left New York City, the team returned to Cambride with an impressive 14-8 victory, but, perhaps more importantly, the Crimson came home with a renewed sense of confidence. The team is going to need to carry this momentum into its final stretch of the regular season, which includes three games in a week’s time, all at home. Harvard will first take on No. 12 Princeton (8-3, 3-0
Ivy League), another top-seeded opponent this Saturday. Following this matchup, the Crimson have a quick three-day turnaround before Boston University (1-13, 0-7 Patriot League) travels across the Charles River for a Tuesday night competition. Finally, Harvard wraps up its regular season play with what is shaping up to be a monumental game against Brown. Because the Bears are the team slated only slightly behind Harvard in the standings, it is likely that they will come out with everything they have, clawing for the fourth spot in the Ivy League. There is a high probability that these final games will determine whether or not the
Crimson will get to experience postseason play, meaning that Harvard will need to play hard and smart at every junction, no matter if the opponent is highly ranked, such as Princeton, or struggling to accumulate wins, such as Boston University. Thus far in the season, the Crimson have proven that they can play with the best in the Ivy League, having lost by only one goal a piece to both top-seeded Yale and third-seeded Cornell. As Harvard enters this final stretch, the team is going to need to build on its win against Columbia, as with three games to go, the Crimson controls its own postseason fate. benjamin.morris@thecrimson.com
MEN’S TENNIS
No. 13 Harvard Sweeps Ivy Rivals Princeton and Penn By ARTHA JONASSAINT CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The No. 13 Crimson stayed hot in Ivy League play as it extended its win streak to five after securing two victories in Cambridge this weekend. After a tough-fought 5-2 victory over
No. 39 Princeton and a dominant 5-0 victory over No. 42 Penn, Harvard remains a perfect 5-0 in Ivy League play and 6-0 at home this season. “We’re feeling good,” said junior Steven Sun. “They were two really good teams. We’re feeling like we’re in a good spot
to secure the [Ivy League] title right now.” The Crimson (15-4, 5-0 Ivy League) returned home after a road trip to face Columbia (126, 2-1) and Cornell (16-6, 3-1) in New York last weekend. Harvard handed both teams their first conference losses of the
season. “Beating Columbia and Cornell was huge,” said Sun. “Columbia has been one of our biggest rivals for the past few years, so beating them especially after a few years without Ivy play was big. Cornell is a great team too, so [the weekend] was really big
BACKHAND HAMMER FOR HENRY Star Swiss sophomore Henry von der Schulenberg prepares to connect on a backhand strike in Harvard’s victory over Princeton on April 16. an commodo ligula eget dolor. DYLAN J. GOODMAN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
for our standing in Ivy play.” The Crimson had a strong start to their Saturday match against Princeton (17-7, 3-2) as it won the first point of the match in doubles play. The second-seeded doubles team of sophomore Ronan Jachuck and junior Harris Walker got Harvard’s first win of the day with a 6-3 victory, and sophomore Henry von der Schulenburg and Sun secured the first point for the Crimson with their 6-3 victory at the three seed. Jachuck added Harvard’s first point in singles play with a 6-2, 6-3 victory at the four spot. Von der Schulenburg, the topseed, grabbed another point for the Crimson with a 7-6 (2), 6-3 win. The Tigers managed to stop the bleeding, securing their first point of the day at the five spot in a 6-4, 6-4 victory over first-year Daniel Milavsky. Sun sealed the victory for Harvard with a well-fought 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 win in his sixth-seeded matchup. Princeton senior Karl Poling got the Tigers their second point of the match in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over senior Brian Shi. Walker tallied the final point for the Crimson in an exciting 6-1, 7-6 (12-10 tiebreaker) as the two-seed. Less than 24 hours later, Harvard handled business in a decisive 5-0 fashion against a strong Penn (17-5, 4-1) squad. Heading into Sunday’s match, the Crimson and the Quakers were the only two teams in the Ivy League without a conference loss this season. “The mindset heading into the match against Penn was to
take care of business,” said Sun. “ It’s always hard to come off of a big win and get it done again, but I think we did a really good job of taking it one game at a time.” Again at the three seed, von der Schulenburg and Sun started the action for Harvard with a 6-2 win over the Quakers. While the top-seeded team of Shi and Milavsky fell 4-6, Jachuck and Harris secured the doubles point for the Crimson with a close 6-4 win. Singles play for Harvard was smooth sailing as von der Schulenberg, Walker, Jachuck, and Sun all won their matches in straight sets to seal the match for the Crimson. With its victory over Penn, Harvard is left as the sole undefeated team in the Ivy League. Its recent win also marks a fivegame win streak. The Crimson looks to tap into that momentum as they conclude regular season play in the coming week and prepare for the NCAA Regional Championships on May 6 through May 8. “We’re really excited,” said Sun. “We have a great opportunity, if we win these next two, to end the season undefeated. We’re gonna keep taking it one match a time and keep taking care of business every day.” Harvard wraps up regular season play this weekend against Brown (9-13, 0-5) in Providence, RI on Friday, April 22 and Yale (9-11, 1-4) back at home in Cambridge on Sunday, April 24.