METRO
THE HARVARD CRIMSON APRIL 21, 2023
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BOSTON MARATHON
Harvard Students Run Boston Marathon
A handful of Harvard undergraduates participated in the Boston Marathon Monday by raising money for charities, including the Phillips Brooks House Association. JACK R. TRAPANICK—CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
HARVARD RUNNERS. Harvard undergraduates competed in the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday, running from Hopkinton to Copley Square. BY DYLAN H. PHAN AND JACK R. TRAPANICK CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
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a r va rd und ergraduates joined tens of thousands of runners from across the globe to complete the 127th Boston Marathon on Monday, starting from Hopkinton — a town in the MetroWest — and moving toward the finish line in Boston’s Copley Square. The Boston Athletic Association has hosted the marathon annually since its inception in 1897, when it was first organized by United States Olympic Team Manager John Graham. The race has almost always been held on
Patriot’s Day — currently designated as the third Monday of April — which commemorates the first battles of the American Revolution. This year’s race also marked the 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombings, when extremists killed three people and injured hundreds more after setting off pressure cooker bombs at the race’s finish line. The city has since observed One Boston Day every year on April 15 as a day of remembrance of the tragedy. To participate in the Boston Marathon, runners must have a qualifying time of at most three hours for men ages 18–34, and three-and-a-half hours for women of the same age range. Runners who fail to meet their qualifying time can still participate on behalf of a member of the Official Charity Program by fundraising at least $5,000 for a charity of their choosing.
City Broadband Report Released BY JINA H. CHOE AND SAMUEL P. GOLDSTON CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The City of Cambridge is exploring the feasibility of implementing municipal broadband for residents, according to a report released last month. Released on March 15, the report examined the possibility of creating a city-owned “fiber-to-the-premises” broadband network. FTTP is an internet access system relying on physical fiber optic cables running from the provider to households, which is generally faster and more reliable than other internet delivery options. The report’s completion is the latest step in a yearslong campaign by advocates and policymakers to bring municipal broadband in Cambridge. If municipal broadband is fully implemented by the city, the report estimates a necessary upfront investment of $150 million under “relatively conservative assumptions.” The report noted that partnering with a private company would decrease these costs. The report also outlined four potential business models for the new broadband network. One option is full city ownership and operation, in which a public entity would build the FTTP and provide service. Two other plans would have the city build the physical network, while private companies would provide internet service. The report’s fourth option is a public-private partnership, in which a private company would build and operate the new network with city oversight. Former City Manager Louis A. DePasquale ordered the report, which was produced by CTC Technology & Energy and Rebel Group. Calls for the report originated in large part from concerns over high prices resulting from Comcast Corporation’s 80 percent share of the current Cambridge network market. In an interview, City Councilor Patricia M. “Patty” Nolan ’80 described herself as “a big fan of municipal broadband.” “You wouldn’t have a modern city without providing water to everybody, so we shouldn’t have
a modern city without providing broadband to everyone,” she said. “And should it really be the domain of the private sector? I don’t think so.” Kristen L. Roberts, a spokesperson for Comcast, wrote in a statement that the company provides fast broadband services to “every neighborhood and every street in the City of Cambridge.” “Removing barriers like lack of devices and digital skills training should be where the city steers its digital equity investments, rather than into duplicative networks run by a local government with many other pressing issues to address,” she wrote. “Comcast will continue working with the many community organizations committed to solving for barriers to broadband adoption so we can get every Cambridge resident connected and close the digital divide.” Roy P. Russell — co-founder of Upgrade Cambridge, an advocacy organization raising public awareness and support for municipal broadband — said the organization is not “ready to step back at all” following the release of the report. “If we have to step up and make a lot of noise with public input and so on, then we certainly can,” he said. Russell said he believes the city missed an opportunity to incorporate more public input in the report, adding that city discussion on municipal broadband is “still very opaque.” “The study was done in relative secrecy. That was one of our main complaints about it,” he said. “It’d be great to have a group of interested community members that were involved in the process.” Nolan said she spoke with a local resident who raised concerns over the cost that the city would pay for municipal broadband, but Nolan said she believes the price tag is worth the benefits of the service. “I don’t mind spending that much money for municipal broadband because I know we’re spending that much money just to build one school building,” Nolan said. “It is, I think, proof-positive that it is a well-spent investment for us to do.” jina.choe@thecrimson.com samuel.goldston@thecrimson.com
Almost all of the participating Harvard students qualified for the race through fundraising. Five of the students running, Maia J. Alberts ’23, Andrew C. Holmes ’24, Jacob R. Jimenez ’24, Michael D. Wallace ’22-’23, and Crimson News editor Paz E. Meyers ’25, ran for the Harvard College Marathon Challenge — a group of Harvard affiliates that fundraises for Boston-area youth and families through running. Funds raised will be donated to the Phillips Brooks House Association, a Harvard student-run public service organization. Annie Miall ’23 ran for Mass Eye and Ear — a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. Miall said she raised $10,000, double the minimum required to qualify. Bridget S. O’Kelly ’23, who only found out she would be running in the marathon last Thursday, made it into the race through less conventional means. O’Kelley said she was at a Win-
Nearly 30,000 runners participated in the 127th installment of the Boston Marathon Monday. JACK R. TRAPANICK—CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
throp House Senior Common Room event in February when she happened to tell an alumnus that she was training for the Providence Marathon, adding she particularly wanted to run in the Boston Marathon. “I’d seen my brother run it, and it’s a really big deal in Boston,” O’Kelley said. “And then he was just like, ‘Well, I can get you a spot,’” she added. After months of back-andforth between the two over email and efforts by the alum to secure the spot through his contacts, it still wasn’t confirmed by the final Wednesday before the race. She reached out to her contact thanking him for his effort, which she assumed was unsuccessful. “And then on Thursday I got an email that just said: ‘You’re in.’ Basically he had contacted some people who were really high up in the BAA — some former Harvard alum,” O’Kelley said, adding
she was told she was the last entry when she checked in for the race on Friday. In an interview prior to the start of the race, Miall said she associated the marathon with a sense of solidarity. “The entire city of Boston is running — it’s not just the runner,” Miall said. “I was just so, so moved by everyone coming out to support us running, especially everyone who helped me get this far — my friends and loved ones,” she added. “I think I burst into tears of joy five times. Maybe more — only the spectators will really know.” Jimenez wrote in a message that he felt a sense of pride running the race as a Harvard student. “It was very special to have a Harvard jersey and get cheered on as ‘Harvard’ by so many strangers, and I’ve never felt more proud to be a student and member of the Boston community,” he wrote.
Alberts said two standout moments from the race included seeing her blockmates — whom she heard cheering from afar — and when one of her friends “hopped onto the course” to run a stretch of it with her. “It’s been kind of like a dream,” Alberts said. dylan.phan@thecrimson.com jack.trapanick@thecrimson.com
THC Read more at THECRIMSON.COM
Weld Boathouse Reopens to a New Generation of Rowers BY JACKSON C. SENNOTT CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Weld Boathouse, one of Harvard’s two crew boathouses, welcomed rowers back to its historic space last week after more than a year of renovations. The boathouse — home to the Harvard-Radcliffe rowing teams as well as recreational and intramural rowing — has not seen a renovation this large since its construction in 1906. Renovations, which began in July 2022, were completed by contractor Consigli Construction and architecture firms Bruner/ Cott Architects and Peterson Architects. The interior space was renovated to include a new team locker room, coaches’ offices, and training space. Harvard Athletics spokesperson Darin A. Wong wrote in an emailed statement that “the majority of the funding was from donor philanthropy.” The exterior renovations include changes to the boathouse’s stucco, windows and doors, and the replacement of the terracotta roof. The project also enhanced the electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems. This summer, new docks will be installed to replace the aging wooden planks. “It’s like someone turned on the sun in here,” said Liz O’Leary, the Harvard-Radcliffe women’s heavyweight crew head coach, pointing to new, clear windows in the newly designated training room. “They’ve done a spectacular job,” she added. “The space hasn’t changed, but the use is much more functional, much more efficient — and that’s great — but without losing the character.” Kelly A. Evans ’10, the assistant Harvard-Radcliffe heavyweight crew coach, concurred with O’Leary. “To see this boathouse restored and set up to provide both a state-of-the-art experience for future generations of Radcliffe women while sort of staying true to the history and tradition of the Radcliffe experience is really cool,” she said.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has warned commuters of delays of up to 20 minutes on all metro lines due to ongoing inspections. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Still, there were some obstacles to bringing the 22,000 square foot building into the 21st century. Construction on the boathouse required Harvard to adhere to preservation restrictions
ic Places. The project faced some pushback late last year when the Charles River Watershed Association advocated for public access to the boathouse, citing Chapter 91 of the Massachusetts Pub-
They’ve done a spectacular job. The space hasn’t changed, but the use is much more functional, much more efficient — and that’s great — but without losing the character. Liz O’Leary Harvard-Radcliffe women’s heavyweight crew coach
due to its listing on the State Register of Historic Places, as well as its location on the Charles River Basin Historic District, which is in the National Register of Histor-
lic Waterfront Act — which states that private constructions on the Charles must “serve a proper public purpose.” The renovations to Weld Boat-
house will be followed by a remodeling of Newell Boathouse, its counterpart across the Charles and home to Harvard men’s crew. During the renovations to Weld, the College’s rowing teams shared Newell, and while Newell is under construction, the teams will share Weld. Despite the shared space, Weld Boathouse is still “a unique space in that it provides space for women and for women athletes to train to become the best versions of themselves,” Evans said. “I feel the spirit of Radcliffe here,” said Radcliffe rower Aurelia M.M. Elliott ’26. “I feel the history — the legacy — of our team in this space, which is really empowering.” “Just look at these walls,” added Meena S. Baher ’26, a freshman Radcliffe rower. “So many women have come before us, inside of this one space, and now we get to create the next chapter of it.” jackson.sennott@thecrimson.com
