The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 47 |
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 6, 2022
OP-ED PAGE 4
NEWS PAGE 5
SPORTS PAGE 6
Dear Harvard College, I’m resigning as student body president
Experts discuss role of law and health care in Latin America
Baseball took two of three from Brown in a weekend series at home
Cheng Resigns as UC President By J. SELLERS HILL and MERT GEYIKTEPE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Michael Y. Cheng ’22, who successfully led the charge to dissolve Harvard’s Undergraduate Council in favor of a new student government, resigned as president of the UC on Tuesday, leaving the transition to the new system in the hands of others. Cheng’s resignation comes just days after undergraduates fulfilled his defining campaign promise — to abolish the UC in favor of a new system — by voting overwhelmingly to dissolve the 40-year-old body in a school-wide referendum. The surprise move, announced Tuesday afternoon in a Crimson op-ed, adds to the uncertainty of the transition from the UC to the HUA, which will now be led by Cheng’s former vice president, Emmett E. de Kanter ’24. “I was elected on the signature promise of dissolving and replacing the Undergraduate Council,” Cheng wrote. “Since that’s been fulfilled, I must step aside so we can turn
FAS Passes Double Concentrations By ARIEL H. KIM and MEIMEI XU
SEE CHENG PAGE 3
CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Michael Y. Cheng ’22, back, resigned as Undergraduate Council president, leaving Emmett E. de Kanter ’24, front, to oversee the transition to the Harvard Undergraduate Association. J. SELLERS HILL—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Harvard Received $385 Million from Foreign Sources By DEKYI T. TSOTSONG and ERIC YAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
arvard has received almost H $385 million from sources in 46 countries since August 2019, according to United States Department of Education data. Previously, a Crimson analysis of Department of Education data found that the University had received over $1.1 billion in foreign funding between Jan. 1, 2013 and July 31, 2019 – a figure later mirrored by a DOE report in October 2020. DOE officials had been investigating whether Harvard and other universities complied with federal requirements for reporting foreign funding. Following the investigation, Harvard updated its foreign funding reporting to include a “wider range” of contracts such
as “the sale and licensing of academic publications” and “executive education programs.” Section 117 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 requires American universities to disclose contracts and gifts from foreign sources of over $250,000 in a year to the DOE. The DOE publishes the data in a regularly-updated online portal. The latest update to the portal revealed an additional $10.9 million in foreign funding received by Harvard prior to Aug. 1, 2019. The University reported these funds in 2020 and 2021 following the expansion of its reporting procedures. Of the foreign funds Harvard received after August 2019, the University accepted $93.8 million through restricted gifts, $99.7 million through restricted contracts, $84.3 million through gifts, and $107 mil-
August 2019 to Present
lion through contracts. Sources from China contributed $69.9 million to Harvard over the same time period, outpacing all other countries. Harvard received 12.9 percent of the total funding given to American universities by Chinese sources — the most of any school. Additionally, 15.2 percent of overall contributions from Hong Kong to American universities since August 2019 went to Harvard, along with 6.8 percent of the total from England. Harvard also received 66 percent, or $32.7 million, of total funding from Egyptian sources since August 2019. Of that sum, $31.8 million came from a single contract. The University did not disclose any funding from Russia during the reporting window.
Source: U.S. Department of Eduation
SEE DONATIONS PAGE 3
ERIC YAN—FLOURISH CHART
By DORCAS GADRI, ANDREW M. LU, and SRIJA VEM
Harvard Today 2
News 3
Editorial 4
Sports 6
City Committee Calls to Scrap Min. Parking By ELIAS J. SCHISGALL
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Washington Post columnist Michele L. Norris was awarded the 2022 Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism Tuesday by Harvard’s Shorenstein Center and the Harvard Institute of Politics. Norris, a former host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” discussed her career, the role of race in reporting, and the future of journalism in a conversation with the Shorenstein Center’s director, Nancy R. Gibbs. At the event, the Center also awarded the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting to Washington Post reporters Hannah Dreier and Andrew B. Tran for their coverage of climate refugees and inequity in FEMA’s disaster response. “The process of reporting these stories was often pretty wrenching and pretty lonely,” Dreier said, noting that few journalists had focused their investigative efforts on FEMA’s aid distribution. The pair received $25,000
A Cambridge City Council committee unanimously recommended a policy order eliminating minimum requirements for off-street parking spaces for new developments during a virtual meeting Tuesday. Under Cambridge’s current zoning code, developers must build at least one off-street parking space for each unit in a new residential building, with slightly different requirements for non-residential development. Members of the Transportation and Public Utility Committee voted 5-0 to recommend a policy order authored by Councilors Burhan Azeem, Quinton Y. Zondervan, and Mark C. McGovern to remove this minimum parking space requirement. The order is likely to pass in the full Council, where five votes constitute a majority in the nine-member body. If the order becomes law, Cambridge will join the growing list of major cities that have abolished parking minimums in recent years, including Minneapolis and San Francisco. Many
Nancy Gibbs, Shorenstein Center Director, presents Michele Norris, columnist for the Washington Post, with the 2022 Goldstein Career Award. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
SEE FAS PAGE 5
Donations to Harvard from Foreign Sources
Michele Norris Wins Reporting Award
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted overwhelmingly in favor of a proposal that will allow undergraduate students to pursue double concentrations at its monthly meeting on Tuesday. Around 91 percent of faculty voted in favor of the plan, which will allow College students to study two fields without writing a joint thesis. The policy change will take effect in the fall. Currently, undergraduates who want to study two disciplines must either pursue a joint concentration — which requires an interdisciplinary joint thesis — or add a secondary field of study, which has fewer requirements and less administrative support. The double concentrations proposal allows up to eight credits — generally two courses — to be double counted between the concentrations. The plan, which was first discussed by faculty members
last month, was introduced by Undergraduate Education Dean Amanda J. Claybaugh. Claybaugh said the change will open doors for students who want to pursue two unrelated fields, especially ones who would otherwise concentrate solely in a STEM field but have interest in the arts and humanities or social sciences. But some faculty who opposed the plan said double concentrations could incentivize students to seek out another credential on their degree, limiting room for electives. “What the legislation is changing is the credential that they have on their transcript,” said professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology David A. Haig. The remark drew criticism from some faculty. “With all due respect, I don’t think this is just a dichotomy between credentials and the substance of the student experience,” Arts and Humanities Dean Robin E. Kelsey said. Kelsey added that people
TODAY’S FORECAST
SEE IOP PAGE 3
RAINY High: 46 Low: 42
others have implemented reforms significantly loosening parking requirements. Azeem, the committee’s chair, gave a presentation about the policy order during the meeting, noting that parking minimums overestimate the true demand for parking. “There’s a lot of evidence coming — as cities have started to move away from parking minimums — that parking requirements can be too high and suggests that cities are forcing developers to build parking that people don’t want, at a cost of housing units that people do want,” Azeem said. According to a 2020 report from the Cambridge Community Development Department, the share of both Cambridge residents and non-resident workers who drive to work has fallen significantly since 2000, while the share of people walking, biking, or taking public transportation has risen. Councilor Paul F. Toner, who supported the order, called for “some oversight” to prevent developers from “abusing” the
SEE PARKING PAGE 3
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loaded nachos
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
APRIL 6, 2022
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry Turkey Burger with Guacamole Quinoa and Tofu with Shoyu
For Dinner Chicken Fingers Locally Caught Fresh Fish Roast Beef
TODAY’S EVENTS Overcome Performance Anxiety Virtual, 2-3 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
CAMHS and HUHS are hosting a workshop that will teach students how to manage performance anxiety and improve their relationship with anxious thoughts. Students will learn skills like mindfulness, defusion, and acceptance.
Russian Bombing of Ukrainian Apartments Suspected to have Left Hundreds Dead
Dozens of people are missing or presumed dead in the Ukrainian town of Borodyanka, where Russian forces recently retreated, and the town’s mayor estimates more than 200 deaths. Borodyanka was one of the first towns hit by Russian airstrikes, which caused mass destruction and crushed four apartment buildings. The United Nations Security Council discussed evidence that civilian buildings were indiscriminately targeted at their Tuesday meeting.
FLP Speaker Series: Aviva Musicus Virtual, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Into the Woods Loeb Mainstage, 7:30-10:30 p.m. Join Harvard College BlackCAST and ¡Teatro! for a performance of Stephen Sondheim’s classic musical “Into the Woods.” The musical follows fairytale characters as they navigate questions of morality and justice. For those unable to make this performance, there are shows running from Wednesday through Saturday.
Oklahoma Lawmakers Approve Abortion Ban The sun shines down on Harvard’s O’Donnell Field. DYLAN J. GOODMAN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
AROUND THE IVIES
Lawmakers in Oklahoma approved an anti-abortion law that would make abortions — except those performed to save the life of the pregnant woman — a felony. Under this law, performing an abortion could be punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
YALE: Eighty-One Students in Anthropology Class Referred to Executive Committee for Academic Dishonesty.
Elon Musk Joins Twitter Board
—THE YALE DAILY NEWS
COLUMBIA: Aeorge Yancopoulos Withdraws as the 2022 Class Day Speaker —THE COLUMBIA SPECTATOR
Princeton: Princeton Professors Speak on Ketanji Brown Jackson Hearing, Future of Supreme Court
Twitter announced Elon Musk would be joining their 11-person board. Musk had previously acquired a 9.2 percent stake in the company, making him the largest shareholder. According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Musk has agreed to not acquire more than 14.9% of shares.
—THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
BROWN: Baseball Loses Two of Three in Series Against Harvard —THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
COVID UPDATES
CAMPUS LAST 7 DAYS CURRENTLY
Listen to Aviva Musicus, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, present her research projects, including the Healthy Meeting Guidelines, a collaboration with HUDS. Her research centers on food-related policy and the effects of food labeling and marketing.
203 In Isolation
301 1.07% Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
LAST 7 DAYS
CAMBRIDGE
461 1.94% 76%
Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
Fully Vaccinated
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Flying Courses Start at Education School
The Harvard Graduate School of Education inaugurated three courses in basic aviation instruction, including aeronautical history, plane servicing, and relating aviation to education. Members of the classes will emerge with a enhanced background and preparation for further flying instruction. April 7, 1942
Tufts Disquieted After Drug Raids
Police officers raided an off-campus apartment of a Tufts University sophomore, finding $50,000 worth of cocaine. Many Tufts students later boycotted classes, with the school later promising better therapeutic programs for April 6, 1970
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
Magazine Chairs Maliya V. Ellis ’23-’24 Sophia S. Liang ’23
Multimedia Chairs Aiyana G. White ’23 Pei Chao Zhuo ’23
Blog Chairs Ellen S. Deng ’23-’24 Janani Sekar ’23-’24
Technology Chairs Ziyong Cui ’24 Justin Y. Ye ’24
Night Editor Andy Z. Wang ’23-’24
Design Editor Camille G. Caldera ’22
Assistant Night Editor Anjeli R. Macaranas ’24
Photo Editor Addison Y. Liu ’25
Story Editors Jasper G. Goodman ’23 Kelsey J. Griffin ’23 Taylor C. Peterman ’23-’24
Editorial Editor Guillermo S. Hava ’23-’24 Sports Editor Nicholas Daley ’23
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.
CORRECTIONS The Harvard Crimson is committed to accuracy in its reporting. Factual errors are corrected promptly on this page. Readers with information about errors are asked to e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@thecrimson.com.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
APRIL 6, 2022
DONATIONS FROM PAGE 1
IOP FROM PAGE 1
Univ. Got $385 Mil. from Abroad
Norris Awarded Reporting Prize
Donations to Harvard from Foreign Sources August 2019 to Present
Source: U.S. Department of Eduation ERIC YAN—FLOURISH CHART
University spokesperson Christopher M. Hennessey wrote that alumni and donor giving has “remained strong” following the conclusion of the University’s record-breaking capital campaign that raised $9.6 billion between July 2011 and June 2018. “Throughout Harvard’s history, support from alumni and donors at all levels has been essential to our continued excellence in our research and teaching mission, which in turn enables Harvard’s critical impact in the world by helping to address society’s most pressing issues,” he wrote. Hennessey attributed a portion of foreign donations to the 69,000 Harvard alumni who live in over 200 different countries. These donations, Hennessey wrote, support financial aid, as well as “research in many critically important areas, student and faculty engagement and more.” dekyi.tsotsong@thecrimson.com eric.yan@thecrimson.com
for the award, which honors work that “promotes more effective and ethical conduct” in government. The five finalists received $10,000 each. Goldsmith Book Prizes were awarded to Karen Mossberger, Caroline J. Tolbert, and Scott J. LaCombe, who co-authored the book “Choosing the Future: Technology and Opportunity in Communities” and to Elizabeth H. Becker for “You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War.” Norris reflected on her career in journalism, which has spanned nearly 40 years. “I have been told something time and time again — the best of journalism is behind us — and I have refused to believe that that’s true,” Norris said. “The worst of times tends to bring out the best in journalism,” Norris added. “We’re seeing that right now with every one of the works of the nominees this evening.”
Norris also discussed her role in spearheading the Race Card Project, an initiative she founded to inspire conversations about race. The project, which has received over 500,000 submissions, asks people to describe their experience with race in six words or less. Norris said she has been surprised by the number of submissions and the diverse array of experiences and racial backgrounds covered in the project. “One of the many things I have learned is that, when it comes to race, the story we tell is often incomplete,” she said. Anjuli R. K. Shere, a Shorenstein Center fellow who attended the event, said she was “interested to hear the perspective” of the award winners. “The future of journalism is probably individuals because of the crisis within news organizations,” she said. “Just individuals going out and finding stories themselves.”
PARKING FROM PAGE 1
CHENG FROM PAGE 1
Committee Calls to Scrap Parking Min.
Michael Cheng Resigns as UC President
policy by not building sufficient parking. “I know we dream of a future where nobody’s driving cars, but that future is not the immediate present,” Toner said. “We’ll just see people spilling out and further overcrowding of what’s available on the public roadways.” Azeem emphasized during the meeting that the order would not prevent developers from building parking.“Developers can still build the same amount of parking,” Azeem said. “They can also choose to build less parking, but they would not be prevented from building the same amount of parking they would now.”
He added that developers often have financial incentives or contractual obligations to build parking spaces. Vice Mayor Alanna M. Mallon said the passage of the order provides an opportunity to consider ways to convert unsued parking spaces for other uses. “There has to be a way for us to be creative in this moment, while we’re reimagining parking minimums, to allow for that possibility so that we can regain and recapture either that land for more car storage, or housing, or for a million other needs of the city,” Mallon said. elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com
to our next chapter,” Cheng wrote in an email to undergraduates Tuesday afternoon. In a written statement, de Kanter lamented Cheng’s departure. “Michael will be missed for his leadership, incredible work ethic, and kindness to all, and has left some huge shoes to fill,” de Kanter said. de Kanter has selected Christopher T. Cantwell ’22’23, former parliamentarian for the UC, as his vice president. The pair will serve as the student body’s interim leaders until HUA elections are held in the coming weeks. de Kanter and Cantwell will not seek election into the HUA, Cheng said. In a separate email sent to
the student body Tuesday, de Kanter and Cantwell committed to a smooth transition, with a promise to “ease off on emails.” The pair also outlined a timeline for the transition process and affirmed the continuity of staple UC functions, such as summer storage and club funding. Cantwell reiterated his desire for a drama-free transition in an interview with The Crimson Tuesday. “I am honestly hoping to fade into the background relatively quickly,” Cantwell said. “I want to make sure that we’re able to uphold our core obligations to the student body,” he added. In their email to undergrads,
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de Kanter and Cantwell outlined the transition timeline and solicited applicants to serve on an interim election commission, which will be selected by the UC executive board. Elections for the first HUA officers are set to take place by April 30, per the newly-adopted HUA constitution. The document mandates that an election timeline and rules be released by April 11. According to Cantwell, at least seven students had applied by Tuesday night — enough to fill the commission.The pair’s email also clarified the status of the UC during the transition. “The UC will continue to exist as a legal entity in the next few weeks, but as per the referendum, the UC Constitution
and Bylaws have been completely deleted, and the UC will be dissolved and replaced in an official ceremony by May 8,” they wrote. de Kanter and Cantwell also alerted students that $10 in Crimson Cash had been awarded to each of them as a result of the UC’s dissolution. The funds were disbursed from a sum of $125,325.44 that was withheld from the UC for the duration of an audit of its finances. House committees also received $500, while the remaining $50,000 was allocated toward club funding, according to de Kanter and Cantwell. sellers.hill@thecrimson.com mert.geyiktepe@thecrimson.com
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
APRIL 6, 2022
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL OP-ED
OP-ED
Our Next Chapter
Lynch’s Selection as Harvard Law School’s Class Day Speaker Is Revealing
By MICHAEL Y. CHENG
D
ear Harvard College, I am writing to let you know that I am resigning as student body president, effective immediately. I was elected on the signature promise of dissolving and replacing the Undergraduate Council. Since that’s been fulfilled, I must step aside so we can turn to our next chapter. Many generations of Harvard undergraduates before us have debated changing or ending the Undergraduate Council. Forty years after the Undergraduate Council’s establishment, this generation found the political will to take a decisive step. Nearly 4,000 undergraduates voted in the referendum (57.2 percent voter turnout) — the highest number of votes cast in any Undergraduate Council election since 2004. You chose to establish a new, action-oriented student association that aims to better serve all of us and generations of students to come. I am excited to see you participate in the initial elections and bring your aspirations for our University to this new system. The last few months have taught us a lot. They have shown that we are capable of coming together, listening respectfully to others’ points of view, and turning our principles and ideals into reality. Leadership requires imagination, a willingness to question systems and think beyond established boxes. Those interested in the state of the public sphere should enter leadership roles, do what they promised to the best of their ability, and know when to leave.
It’s time to focus on the future that you voted for. The transition to that future must be as seamless as possible. As per the new constitution, Emmett E. de Kanter ’24 will immediately assume the role of President and serve until new elections have been held in several weeks. Emmett will be your final UC President, and he has selected Christopher T. Cantwell ’22-’23 to serve as Vice President because of his independence and integrity. Chris is a Computer Science and Government concentrator in Leverett House who has served as a mediator on the UC this past semester, helped write the new constitution, and has years of nonpartisan civic experience from work with the Harvard Votes Challenge. Emmett and Chris will not run for elected positions in the HUA. Their top priority is a smooth, successful transition, with elections staying as civil and policy-focused as possible. I would like to thank you again for the honor and privilege of serving as your president. I’m grateful that we were able to launch Research Snackchats to connect students with experienced researchers and mentors, improve the Harvard administration’s transparency on Covid-19 policies, pilot new approaches to digital democracy, work with Harvard University Dining Services to offer new options and improve food quality, and help establish Double Concentrations to provide more academic flexibility. As of this morning, every Harvard undergraduate has received a $10 Crimson Cash refund from the UC’s financial dis-
solution. I hope that this small gesture (toward printing, laundry, or food) begins to restore confidence in what student governance at Harvard is capable of. In my last weeks at Harvard, I look forward to getting lost in used bookstores, playing video games like Tales of Symphonia and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, and spending time with friends and teammates. I am excited for my spring season with HVL (the varsity men’s lightweight rowing team), the first place at Harvard where I could be accepted for who I am, with all my imperfections. To everyone who believes in a better Harvard — thank you so much for being part of this journey. I wish you the best for the rest of your time at Harvard and beyond. I leave you with a quote from “The True Harvard,” a 1903 speech by Harvard philosopher William James: “As a nursery for independent and lonely thinkers I do believe that Harvard still is in the van. Here they find the climate so propitious that they can be happy in their very solitude. The day when Harvard shall stamp a single hard and fast type of character upon her children, will be that of her downfall. Our undisciplinables are our proudest product. Let us agree together in hoping that the output of them will never cease.” —Michael Y. Cheng ’22, a History and Mathematics concentrator in Quincy House, was president of the Undergraduate Council.
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COLUMN
Beyond the Leave of Absence Handbook Gemma J. Schneider WILTED WELLBEING
O
n April 19, 2016, Nikki Daurio was walked to Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services by a set of her closest friends on Harvard’s campus. Nikki had been brawling with the convergence of depressive symptoms, intensifying body pains, and pounding headaches since January – by April, amidst this insurmountable storm, she had carved out a note and a plan. But Nikki’s friends didn’t know either of these two particular facts prior to that late April walk to CAMHS. Only when they watched her falter and retreat at the sight of a few passing dogs did they realize something was off. “They know I love dogs,” Nikki told me. “And didn’t stop to pet any of them.” It’s noticing these subtle signs, Nikki explained, that turns a good friend into an advocate. And it was one of these friends — not CAMHS — who later connected Nikki, daunted by the idea of admitting herself to a hospitalized setting, with a former roommate who had gone to McLean Hospital the year before. It was this call that granted Nikki the courage she needed to check into McLean the very next day. After voluntarily admitting herself into McLean on April 20, 2016, Nikki spent eight days in the hospital before returning to campus to finish out the semester. The following fall, she opted to take a leave of absence. Fast forward to 2017, and the role of Nikki’s friends-turned-advocates had been completely reconfigured through Harvard University print: “Past issues regarding undue stress on your friends, roommates, and teammates have raised some concerns about your enrollment at the College,” a contract presented to her read. She etched her signature onto the contract, entwined with “terms and conditions” that would allow for her subsequent return to campus. This misconstrual of Nikki’s experience — in this not-so-fine-print which casts her help-seeking behaviors as a burden to her friends — isn’t just misleading. It’s also dangerous, particularly given the well-established importance of talking about suicide in order to prevent it. And it wasn’t just a slip of words, but a contract for the archives; one which should presumably have been met with care and rigor and review. The actual Harvard College Administrative Board contingencies – while fundamentally designed to promote stu-
dents’ future wellbeing and safety – also take on a subtly punitive tenor. One section indicates that should Nikki miss a therapy visit, or otherwise “fail to comply” with treatment directives, her continued enrollment at the College could be jeopardized. Another condition allows the University, once approved by her provider, to monitor this compliance more directly, preemptively requiring that Nikki “agree to sign any additional authorization forms” that would enable designated University officials and clinicians to jointly monitor whether she was “cooperating.” These terms themselves are straightforward enough; and would clearly, in ideal circumstances, be leveraged by administrators to serve only their stated ends: That is, to see Nikki, or any signer, remain safe and “succeed at Harvard.” But “terms and conditions” themselves cannot be wholly understood in isolation from the environment that they operate within. At Harvard, individual contracts like these, as well as universal policy terms, have instead become littered with evasive liability tacts – in which written guidelines have become twisted and lost in translation amid exchanges between University officials and students. One student, who spoke with me under the condition of anonymity, claimed to have been signed onto a contract similar to Nikki’s after their Resident Dean learned of their eating disorder. The contract’s conditions, according to the student, included complying with a series of weekly weigh-ins at HUHS. When they eventually “dropped too much weight” and started struggling to meet treatment standards, the student alleges that they were made to leave the University within days. “It wasn’t even something I could resist,” the student told me. “I said what if I don’t want to take a leave? They said, ‘no, you do not have a choice. You have to take this leave.’” The medical rationale, too, was lacking, based on the evaluations of the students’ treatment team who, according to a note from the student’s parent that was sent to their Resident Dean at the time, understood the requirement to take a leave so “abruptly” to be “premature.” “For a school to ask for students to take a leave means that there’s a very serious manifestation,” said Michael A. Olivas, a higher education law expert and William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of Houston. “A concern that either can’t be resolved during school, or that school itself is providing such a stressor, that it will not help you resolve.”
This pointedly perceptive intuition is, at a technical level, backed by Harvard policy — which designates mandatory leaves when the “student’s behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of any person.” But students’ quiet, hidden lived experiences paint a more difficult reality – one which reflects the all-too-readily interchangeable conflation between a student being a danger to themselves, and a danger to the University. When the anonymous student petitioned to finish their in-person exams before returning home, they claim they were met with an approval and a caveat — they could take their tests, but they couldn’t live on, or enter, Harvard’s campus in the interim. And so, purportedly too unwell to remain a part of residential life, the student was instead left to stay — alone — within a nearby residence as they awaited their final exams. It is in cases like these that Harvard’s twin goals of self-protection and student-protection are not just at quiet odds with one another. Instead, they become actively antipodal ends of a perpetual and systematic game of tug-of-war. In this match, Harvard has the tools to implement their policies, and students are subject only to its arbitrary implementation – enabling the University, when push comes to shove, to preserve its lifeline threaded tightly by liability concerns. A University spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on the specific allegations of students Tuesday afternoon. In a previous email inquiring about leave of absence policies, however, University spokesperson Rachael Dane sent me a short, two-line reply. “As you know, page 44 of the Student Handbook explains the whole process for leaves,” it read. “We will not have further comment.” Yet nowhere in this handbook’s pages could I find the stories — or the institutional practices that shaped them — that were illuminated throughout the course of my reporting. Perhaps that’s because institutional policies are not only about inky dents on canvas, or about pages of simplified rules. But the accounts that I have gathered since then, some of which are still untold, suggest that there’s much more to this mismatch between Harvard policy and practice. —Gemma J. Schneider ’23, a Crimson Associate Editorial editor, is a Government concentrator in Pforzheimer House. Her column, “Wilted Wellbeing,” usually runs on alternating Tuesdays.
By KAIVAN K. SHROFF
H
arvard Law School just announced that former Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch ’81 will be our Class Day speaker at graduation. The choice is disappointing, but appropriate. I remember the moment I was certain that I needed to go to law school. A week after the 2016 presidential election, despite a heartbreaking loss, Hillary Clinton kept her commitment to speak at the annual gala for the Children’s Defense Fund. Having worked on the campaign and still reeling in disbelief myself, I could not imagine her strength and sense of service to show up that day. In her speech, she remembered her time as a young law student: “I had lots of hopes and expectations about what a law degree would enable me to do.” She spoke of her friend, Children’s Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman, and her early work as a legal activist on behalf of kids. It was a moment of deep inspiration. Three years ago, I, too, entered law school with an idealism about the power of a law degree.
The mythology of America emphasizes great reverence for our legal system, but the law is not always just, fair, or even logical. The law is about systemic, foundational power: who gets to make the rules — and who gets to break them. But it doesn’t take much time in law school to pull back the curtain. The mythology of America emphasizes great reverence for our legal system, but the law is not always just, fair, or even logical. The law is about systemic, foundational power: who gets to make the rules — and who gets to break them. I’m pleased that the country has become more attuned to this reality as we reckon with police racism, a recent insurrection, and a Supreme Court legitimacy crisis. As I prepare to graduate this May, as one of my favorite TV lawyers, Ellen Parsons, dramatically quips, “I don’t believe in the law anymore, but I do believe in justice.” Still, I’m thankful I went to law school. The law can be a powerful tool — a main lever for change on the path towards justice. More immediately, I’ve gained critical insight into corporate law firms and how they operate. These “Big Law” firms are the glue holding our systems of power together, for better or worse. Based on my exposure to such firms over the course of my law school education, fairly often, it’s for the worse. Much of the litigation work done at major law firms is aimed at protecting the Goliaths from the Davids or shielding corporate bad actors from public accountability. While many of my peers have lofty public service ambitions, most will begin their careers within the Big Law ecosystem. This is in no small part due to what Harvard Law School professor Cass R. Sunstein might call a “nudge” from the HLS administration and legal industry more broadly. Career services for non-private firm opportunities are substantially less robust. Moreover, private firms have extensive resources to spend on recruiting students through a highly structured Early Interview Program process, while public interest and non-profit employers have less access. Of course, there are also financial trade-offs. Top law firms offer first-year associates a starting salary of over $200,000. There are a number of public and non-profit legal jobs that offer middle-income salaries or better, but for many, it would require great privilege to be able to turn down a chance at quickly repaying student loans. Still, there is a reason then-Presidential candidate and Harvard alumnus Pete Buttigieg’s time at McKinsey & Company earned great scrutiny. Individual financial rationalizations aside, there is a fundamental tension between a lifelong commitment to public service and a stint making a killing for the prototypical corporate villains — against regular folks. This is how the 83rd Attorney General of the United States Loretta Lynch has spent her postObama Administration career. As a partner at a leading Big Law firm, Lynch has taken on a jarring role. With the history-making weight of her honorable service as the first Black woman Attorney General on her shoulders, Lynch has chosen to defend McDonald’s and the NFL against allegations of anti-Black discrimination. Though not uncommon for public sector leaders to return to private practice — her predecessor Eric H. Holder Jr. also returned to Big Law, in addition to championing voting rights efforts — I’ll admit her current trajectory in this charged moment is rather uninspiring. As a private citizen, Lynch has every right to make whatever career choices are best for her. However — given her recent career arc — as Harvard Law School’s graduation speaker, Lynch symbolizes the haunting emptiness that plagues much of the legal profession. —Kaivan K. Shroff is a fourth-year joint-degree student at the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Law School.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
APRIL 6, 2022
FAS FROM PAGE 1
Faculty Approve Double Concentrations Proposal ho choose to pursue a secw ondary field are often excluded from that department’s support and advising networks. The double concentrations plan was crafted by a subcommittee formed in September by the Office of Undergraduate Education. The proposal also includes a five-year review, which requires the Undergraduate Educational Policy’s Standing Committee to analyze its impact in fall 2027. Jeffrey D. Macklis, a professor of Life Sciences, said double concentrations will allow access to personalized instruction in two fields. He said the
proposal will not limit room for electives, but restructure to allow “depth in multiple fields.” Claybaugh said a joint concentration has fewer course requirements than a double concentration, adding that the latter will be academically challenging and only be meant for students seriously pursuing rigorous coursework in both fields. Faculty members also discussed a proposal to eliminate shopping week in favor of a previous-term course registration system, but ran out of time to vote on the plan, which will be taken up next month.
The previous-term course registration proposal would require instructors to plan course curriculum earlier and move advising timelines up. Students would be able to add or drop classes without instructor permission during the first week of the semester. If adopted, the proposal would be implemented by a joint committee composed of faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, and administrators. The policy would be reviewed by Harvard’s Faculty Council — a subset of the FAS that reviews legislation before it goes to the
full body — within five years of its implementation.Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dean Emma Dench spoke in support of the proposal, saying that shopping week can pose a burden for graduate students, who sometimes have to switch to a different teaching assignment at the last minute. “I encourage colleagues to really be mindful of all of our students and the educational impacts on all of our students’ wellbeing,” she said. But many faculty members still support retaining some form of shopping week, a longtime scheduling quirk that al-
lows students to sample courses during the first week of the semester before officially enrolling. Professor of German Peter J. Burgard called for the College retain shopping week for freshmen to explore, but move to a previous-term registration system for upperclassmen. “Early registration is troubling for rising first and second-semester freshmen,” he said. “They can’t be advised in the same way in the spring about fall semester courses.” Computer Science professor David J. Malan ’99 said shopping week is “one of Harvard’s
most impactful traditions educationally,” despite its administrative planning difficulties. “It is not just an add-drop period in which to fine-tune decisions — it is an educational mandate from us to explore, a dedicated time to experience what courses are like, to discover yourself academically,” he said. “And that culture of exploration, that uncertainty, that chaos changes students’ trajectories in college, if not beyond,” Malan added. ariel.kim@thecrimson.com meimei.xu@thecrimson.com
Petrie-Flom Center Hosts Experts in Health Care By JONATHAN A. COSGROVE and TARAH D. GILLES CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics at Harvard Law School hosted a virtual panel Tuesday discussing the impact of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in addressing health challenges in Latin America. The talk featured University of Buenos Aires professor Laura Clerico, UN Senior Human Rights officer Christian Courtis, Argentine National Research Council fellow Liliana Ronconi, and Diana Guarnizo, a director at the Center for Study of Law, Justice and Society. Partners In Health Senior Advisor on Human Rights and Health Policy Alicia E. Yamin moderated the panel discus-
sion. Yamin began the forum by drawing attention to what she called a Latin American paradox, noting the region possesses the “steepest socioeconomic inequalities in the world” despite its “broad constitutionalization of health rights.” Founded in 1979, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has established case law in Latin America on the right to health. It has also regulated access to emergency care, HIV treatment, and health services for prison inmates. Courtis highlighted a number of landmark cases from the court that center around the regulation of the private health sector, including Ximenes Lopes v. Brazil. The Lopes case, brought before the court in 2006, established the recognition of health
care as a “public good” after a patient died in a Brazilian psychiatric facility due to improper care. Courtis said the case was the first to acknowledge the state has a responsibility to regulate and supervise private health providers and insurance companies. Guarnizo said the duty of the state extends beyond setting regulations and called on governments to take an active role in monitoring the private health sector. “In order to protect rights, states have the obligation not just to suppress any rules or practices that are against the rights, but also to provide norms, to create norms, to develop practices that make those rights effective and to make sure that those rights are effective in practice,” Guarnizo said.
From Weeks to Weld.
The Crimson thecrimson.com
SPORTS
IN OTHER NEWS
SOFTBALL
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Softball dropped both games of their doubleheader on tuesday to Boston University, 5-0 and 8-1, falling to 12-15 on the season (but remaining 6-3 in the Ivy League)
Harvard hired Carrie Moore, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Michigan, to be its next Women’s Basketball head coach.
BASEBALL
Harvard Takes Two of Three in Series Against Brown By JACK SILVERS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The last time that the Harvard baseball team stepped on to O’Donnell Field to play a game of consequence was May 18, 2019 in a 3-1 win against Columbia. That changed this past Saturday, when the Crimson returned to its home stomping grounds for a resounding 17-7 win against Brown. That game kicked off a threegame weekend series against the Bears in which Harvard took the second game of the series 7-1 before falling in the matinee by a score of 7-5. “We’re headed in the right direction,” said sophomore outfielder Ben Rounds. “That was the first regular season home game for three classes, so it was really good to just get out there and get a couple W’s.” The Crimson (13-10, 5-1 Ivy League) tallied the series win over Brown (6-14, 2-4 Ivy League) after starting the season on an 18-game road trip that included stints in Florida, California, Texas, and New York. By taking two of three, Harvard won its second series in a row, after sweeping Cornell decisively the previous weekend. In between the Cornell and Brown series, the Crimson dropped a game against Holy Cross 11-5 in Worcester last Tuesday, March 29. Against the Bears, the team was propelled by strong hitting up and down the line-up but especially from the top of the order, led by first-year second baseman George Cooper, Rounds,sophomore outfielder Chris Snopek, and junior first baseman Logan Bravo. Junior starting pitchers Tim Williamson and Adam Stone picked up the wins in the first two games of the series, while first-year righty Sean Matson took the loss in the final game of the series. HARVARD 17, BROWN 7 Playing in its first home game in 1,049 days, the Crimson lineup looked right at home from the outset of the first game on Saturday, posting an 11-run inning in the bottom of the first which all but put the game out of reach for the Bears. Rounds, hitting in the twospot, acted as the spark plug in that monumental inning with a double to left field that was followed by four consecutive hits by Snopek, Bravo, sophomore shortstop Jake Berger, and sophomore third baseman Will Jacobsen. By the end of the frame,
Cooper and Snopek had each driven in two runs with RBI triples and the Crimson had forced Brown’s starting pitcher Bobby Olson out of the game after just two-thirds of an inning. “A couple guys got us started and we just started feeding off the energy,” Rounds said, reflecting on the masterclass in momentum hitting during the first inning “Everyone was excited to be there and then just kept piling off the momentum that we had.” The outfielder also gave credit to the parents and classmates who populated the stands for motivating the team over the weekend. The Bears managed to scavenge two runs across Williamson’s five innings, one of which scored on a strikeout and passed ball allowed by junior catcher Zach Brown. The right-hander left the game after the top of the fifth having allowed two runs, one earned, and striking out nine. His strong start represented a bounceback from his last outing against Cornell, in which he allowed five earned runs across four and a third innings. The Crimson tacked on an additional run in both the second and third innings, after which both teams cooled down and pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth. In the sixth, the Bears managed to score four runs against junior relief pitcher Ian Buckner on the strength of three hits, a pair of walks, a hit-by-pitch, and a throwing error by Berger. Harvard added three insurance runs in the top of the eighth, with Rounds, Bravo, and Jacobsen all continuing their hot hitting on the day. First-year righty and Massachusetts native Tanner Smith earned the save, his first of the year, with three scoreless innings to end the game for the Crimson. HARVARD 7, BROWN 1 In the second game of the Saturday doubleheader, the Crimson got off to a slower start offensively, posting just one run on three hits through the first five innings of the game against Brown starter Tobey McDonough. That run came on an RBI single by first-year designated hitter Peter Levin that drove in Berger, who reached base on an infield single and throwing error. The team’s sluggish start at the plate was excused because starter Adam Stone twirled a gem, allowing just two hits and one run over six innings, striking out six batters in the process. Finally, in the bottom of the
S-TIM-ULUS CHECK Junior starting pitcher Tim Williamson took the mound for the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader, striking out nine batters in five innings of work and allowing just one earned run. The win was the lefty’s fourth of the young season. DYLAN J. GOODMAN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
sixth inning, Harvard drove McDonough out of the game with a familiar pattern of hitting from the top of the lineup: Rounds singled to start the inning and was driven home by a double to right-center from Bravo, who then scored on an RBI single by Berger. With the momentum on its side, the Crimson added another run in the seventh and three more runs in the eighth, which were charged to McDonough and Bears’ relief pitcher Paxton Meyers. Having trailed for virtually the entire game, Brown was unable to muster any offense off of sophomore relief pitcher Chris Clark, who earned the save with three innings of twohit ball. HARVARD 5, BROWN 7 The final game of the series, which kicked off at mid-morning on Sunday, was a tight contest
BEAR MARKET Brown seemingly couldn’t buy an out for long stretches on Saturday, in no small part due to sophomore Chris Snopek, who recorded 4 hits and 3 RBIs on the day DYLAN J. GOODMAN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
that ultimately went Brown’s way behind a five-run seventh inning from the Bears. For the third straight contest, Harvard received a strong starting pitching effort, this time from senior right-handed starter Jaren Zinn, who missed his sophomore season in 2019 and therefore saw his first home action since spring 2018. Zinn managed to keep the Bears lineup mostly quiet through the first six frames, allowing one run to score on a double-steal in the second and another on an RBI double from the Bears’ third baseman, Charles Crawford, in the fourth. On the offensive side, Harvard benefitted early from two defensive miscues by the Bears, scoring on a wild pitch in the second and then a throwing error by the right fielder in the third. The game began to unravel for the Crimson in the top of the seventh, with Sean Matson
on the mound. Two singles and a walk to begin the frame created a bases-loaded, one-out situation for Brown designated hitter Ray Suss, who delivered by singling to left, driving in two. The next two batters, first baseman Ryan Marra and center fielder Deri Morphew, doubled and singled, respectively, giving Brown a 7-2 lead before Matson was able to escape the inning with a clutch strikeout. The Crimson mounted a valiant comeback attempt in the bottom of the inning, sparked by Rounds, Bravo, and Berger, but the effort was snuffed out when Berger was thrown out attempting to advance to third on a twoout single by Jacobsen. Down 7-5 at the end of the seventh, Harvard wouldn’t score another run for the rest of the game off of Brown relief pitcher Jack Seppings. Even with the disappointing end to the series, Harvard’s hit-
ters had an impressive threegame showing to build off of their offensively strong road trip. Rounds hit 8-14 over the three games, while Snopek was 6-11, Bravo was 6-13, and Berger was 6-12. Bravo extended his hitting streak to 12 games, while Berger and Rounds extended their streak of games where they reached base safely to 18 and 14, respectively. All have had hot starts to the season and will look to continue their success this weekend at home against Penn (17-8, 4-2 Ivy League), the top team right now in the conference. “I think that it’s going to be a challenge, but we’re excited to compete against them, to play against that type of competition and just see how we stack up,” Rounds said, looking ahead to the Penn series. The first game of the series will kick off this Saturday, April 9 at 11:30am at O’Donnell.
STONE, ROLLING Junior starting pitcher Adam Stone showed up when Harvard’s bats went quiet, allowing just one run in six innings while striking out six and walking just one. DYLAN J. GOODMAN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER