THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873 | VOLUME CXLV, NO. 14 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS | TUESDAY, FEBUARY 6, 2018
The Harvard Crimson Faust must take a consistent policy stance on supporting immigrants at Harvard. EDITORIAL PAGE 8
After 23 minutes of overtime, the Boston Terriers edged out Harvard 3-2. SECTION PAGE 10
Feds Review Title IX Response
UC to Survey Mental Health By JONAH S. BERGER
By JAMIE D. HALPER
CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
he federal government launched an T investigation into Harvard in 2016 for allegedly failing to respond “promptly and equitably” to a complaint of sexual assault at the College, according to documents obtained by The Crimson. The case is one of three ongoing federal inquiries into Harvard for alleged violations of anti-sex discrimination law Title IX. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights
SEE TITLE IX PAGE 9
The Undergraduate Council will conduct a survey to gather student input on current mental health resources and inclusion on campus in order to help the UC better allocate its resources. The survey, which passed the Council on a 29-3-1 vote on Monday, asks students about their mental health experiences on campus and whether they feel informed of the resources available to them. Student Life Committee Chair
Kanishk Mittal ‘20 (right) speaks, along with Rushi Patel ‘21 (center), and Arnav Agrawal ‘20, regarding the proposed Survey on the State of Mental Health, Inclusion, and Belong of the Undergraduate Population Monday night. CALEB D. SCHWARTZ —CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
SEE UC PAGE 9
Harvard Alumni in the Arts
The
By GRACE Z. LI CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Working Artist
“It was like stepping off the edge of the world—to be an artist,” Pauline B. Lim ’88 said. We were in her home at the Brickbottom Artists Association in Somerville, Massachusetts. The first thing you might have noticed about her place was that there was no free space on her walls. They were decked out in the mixed-media paintings she sells, from the floor to the ceiling. “Right after graduation I spent several years in a state of terror,” Lim said. “What was going to happen to me? How am I going to make money? Am I going to have to be a prostitute?” Three decades later and Lim is living in a very different picture. She sustains herself through her paintings and a day job, and lives in an artist’s space with dozens of creators. But when Lim graduated in 1988 with a degree in Visual and Environmental Studies, there seemed to be a myriad of voices telling her that she was on the wrong path: negative stereotypes about artists from popular culture, the ever-heightening standard of being a Harvard student, and disapproving parents. “My dad was a doctor, and my mom’s father was a doctor, and my mom was an RN [registered nurse],” Lim said. “And they were refugees from Korea after the Korean War. And they were constantly telling me I had to be a doctor in order to survive.” “Everyone at Harvard was going on to be a consultant or going to law school or medical school or business school,” she added. “And I felt so alone.”
The Crimson spoke with Harvard alumni—dancers, writers, a theater set designer, a painter, musicians, comedians, and an actor—to find out what it’s like to pursue arts as a career.
SEE ARTIST PAGE 4
Harvard Scientists Discover New Tree
Columbia Rejects Union Bargaining
By AMY L. JIA and SANJANA L. NARAYANAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
By SHERA S. AVI-YONAH and MOLLY C. MCCAFFERTY CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Columbia University will not respond to a bargaining request from its graduate student union, University Provost John H. Coatsworth wrote in a letter to Columbia students on Tuesday. Experts say the developments at Columbia could have significant ramifications for Harvard’s upcoming second unionization election. As a result of the university’s decision, organizers with the Graduate Workers of Columbia-United Auto
SEE COLUMBIA PAGE 9 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
Elmo, a popular character from the children’s show Sesame Street, talks with Ann Compton, a former correspondant for ABC News Monday night. AMY Y. LI —CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
News 9
Editorial 8
Sports 10
TODAY’S FORECAST
Botanists at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum discovered a new species of Eastern Asian hemlock tree with a natural resistance to a notorious invasive insect, according to a study published in Dec. 2017. The Ulleungdo hemlock is native to an island off the coast of South Korea and is so rare that it is already being considered for an endangered species listing. Senior Research Scientist Emeritus Peter Del Tredici, a member of the team that discovered the tree, said the process leading up to the discovery actually began at the Arnold Arboretum—a botanical garden and research center funded by Harvard—several
years before. The first temperate conifer species to be discovered in over 10 years, the Ulleungdo hemlock is valuable to scientific study because of its observed resistance to the hemlock woolly adelgid—an invasive insect that kills trees by sucking out their sap—which has devastated native hemlock populations in the eastern United States. “You could take this species and hybridize it with another species—say the Chinese hemlock, which is also resistant to the hemlock adelgid—and you could begin the process of breeding a new species of hemlock or a new variety of hemlock that’s resistant to the adelgid,” Del Tredici said. Del Tredici credits the initial observation of the tree to Nathan P. Havill, a former graduate student at Yale, who studied the hemlock woolly adelgid at
SEE TREE PAGE 9 PARTLY CLOUDY High: 37 Low: 23
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Guardians of the Galaxy
HARVARD TODAY
TUESDAY | FEBRUARY 6, 2018
FOR LUNCH
FOR DINNER
Chicken Tikka Masala
Herb Roasted Chicken
Crispy Flounder with Daikon Sauce
Harvest Seitan Stew
Hummus Florentine Sandwich
Butternut Squash Bisque
AROUND THE IVIES Columbia Approves Resolution on Free Speech The University Senate at Columbia ratified a longawaited resolution confirming the importance of academic freedom of speech Friday, according to the Columbia Spectator. The resolution, which had been repeatedly postponed since its original proposal in October of last year, affirmed the importance of free speech as it relates to academic disagreement and the expression of various ideas on the University’s campus. Speaking in response to the Senate’s decision, Columbia University President Lee Bollinger emphasized that commitment to free speech on campus must endure even when the expression of certain ideas may hurt others.
Penn Celebrate Super Bowl
HOMERATHON Emily Wilson, a professor of classical studies at the University of Pennsylvania, reads her translation of The Odyssey, the epic poem by Homer, on Monday. She read as part of Harvard’s Homerathon, an all-day event in which many speakers read different translations of the text. KRYSTAL K. PHU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
University of Pennsylvania students raced through the streets of Philadelphia last night, joining thousands of fans celebrating the city’s first-ever Super Bowl victory, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. Police struggled to contain the crowd as fans set of firecrackers, climbed traffic poles and buildings, and even flipped parked cars. Some students were elated to take part in the historic moment, while others expressed concern that the excitement escalated too far. University spokesperson Stephen MacCarthy announced that Penn will continue normal operations on Thursday, though the Philadelphia School District will close for the Eagles’ victory parade.
Yale Stands by Bill Cosby Degree
HAPPY TUESDAY, HARVARD! Welcome to Tuesday, Harvard. By now your hearts should be hardened against the Patriots’ loss, or your excitement should be tempered if you’re an Eagles fan, so it’s time to get on with it. In the Atmosphere… Morning clouds will be clearing in
the afternoon, with a scorchingly high temperature of 39 degrees. EVENTS What We Learned From 2017 Last year was one of crisis— specifically in terms of natural disasters—and the IOP has lined up an impressive panel to talk about the lessons we learned. Head over to the JFK Forum at 6 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD The Stock Market Takes a Hit... Dow Jones and S&P both dropped by over four percent yesterday after a very successful upward trend over the last year. There’s no reason to expect a recession on the horizon, but it’s clear that big investors are moving money around and causing some financial turbulence.
Free Swing Dancing Harvard Ed Portal is hosting not free food, but free...swing dancing! That pset can wait, but your dance moves cannot, so get over to Boston (Faneuil Hall Marketplace) at 6:30 p.m. for a free lesson. Sophie G. Garrett Crimson Staff Writer
Yale has no plans to rescind the honorary degree it awarded Bill Cosby in 2003, according to the Yale Daily News. A number of peer institutions revoked Cosby’s degrees after more than fifty women have accused the comedian of sexual assault and harassment. Last Thursday, the University of Pennsylvania joined a growing list of schools that have revoked honors conferred on the disgraced comedian. Yale students have called for the university administrators to revoke Cosby’s doctorate for years—in 2004, a petition to rescind his degree garnered 198 signatures. Yale administrators said, however, that the university has never rescinded an honorary degree, and the subject is not under active discussion.
MEMORIAL HALL Memorial Hall, which lies north of Harvard Yard, seen from a rooftop on Monday. KRYSTAL K. PHU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
...But Trump Doesn’t Seem To Know That While Fox News is announcing the stock market decline on a banner, President Trump is speaking above that banner about our successful economy. The irony was not lost on anyone.
No One Cared That Much About the Super Bowl It’s an unpopular opinion around here in Pats territory, but the numbers don’t lie: Sunday night’s was the least watched Super Bowl since 2009. Additionally, it had seven percent fewer viewers than in 2017. Is this the end of an era?
New Hampshire Woman Wins $560 Million, But Only If She Reveals Her Identity A New Hampshire woman is asking a judge to let her keep last month’s $560 million Powerball haul while remaining anonymous. The law doesn’t appear to be on her side, regardless of the drawbacks to the limelight.
The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873 Derek G. Xiao, President Hannah Natanson, Managing Editor Nathan Y. Lee, Business Manager Copyright 2018, The Harvard Crimson (USPS 236-560). No articles, editorials, cartoons or any part thereof appearing in The Crimson may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the President. The Associated Press holds the right to reprint any materials published in The Crimson. The Crimson is a non-profit, independent corporation, founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. Second-class postage paid in Boston, Massachusetts. Published Monday through Friday except holidays and during vacations, three times weekly during reading and exam periods by The Harvard Crimson Inc., 14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138 Weather icons made by Freepik, Yannick, Situ Herrera, OCHA, SimpleIcon, Catalin Fertu from flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY 3.0.
WAITING AT THE DOT
QUOTE OF THE DAY
STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE
“They’re perfectly willing to go along with the Trump administration when it affects their bottom line.”
Night Editor Brittany N. Ellis ’19
Andrew B. Donnelly, Union Organizer
CORRECTIONS
The Feb. 5 story “Eagles Fans Rejoice at Super Bowl Victory” incorrectly indicated that the Patriots pulled ahead at the end of the third quarter and that the Eagles came back to win the game with a touchdown and an interception. In fact, the Patriots pulled ahead at the beginning of the fourth quarter and the Eagles came back to win the game with a touchdown and a fumble recovery. 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.
Design Editor Diana C. Perez ’19
Assistant Night Editors Editorial Editor Benjamin E. Frimodig Cristian D. Pleters ’19 ’21 Jordan E. Virtue ‘20 Photo Editor Caleb D. Schwartz ’20 Story Editors Joshua J. Florence ’19 Sports Editor Mia C. Karr ’19 Joseph W. Minatel ’21 Claire E. Parker ’19 Brian P. Yu ‘19 Phelan Yu ’19
Arts
The Harvard Crimson | february 6, 2018 | page 3
ARTS A Guide to Cambridge’s Blue Bottle Coffee
the week in arts
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Lucy Wang CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Iced Coffee
Latte
Liege Waffle
Avocado Toast
Spearmint Herbal Tea Grace Z. Li / Crimson Photographer
As the temperature outside dipped below the thirties, sweet scents of liege waffles and a warming light radiated from 40 Bow Street, as Blue Bottle Coffee opened its doors in Cambridge for the first time. Students lined up by the West Coast giant’s entrance, eager for their Friday caffeine fix. The Crimson went to the scene to check out what Blue Bottle Coffee has to offer. New Orleans Coffee The coffee menu seems standard at first glance—espresso, cold brew, lattes, drip coffee. Blue Bottle has its own twists on these classics, like the delightful New Orleans cold brew, served with milk, cane sugar, and roasted chicory. The iced drink is smooth and sweet, creamy but not too rich. It’s the perfect way to ease into the morning for anyone who’s not used to or ready to be hit with the bitter and oftentimes sour taste of HUDS coffee—a wake-up call that’s gentle, soothing and effective. Latte For a warmer drink, try the latte, just as comforting. The latte art is beautiful, and the light and not overly airy microfoam is the star of this drink. I found the espresso a bit underwhelming and too diluted, though I’d be willing to give it another shot on its own instead of with steamed milk.
Liege Waffle Move over, Zinneken’s. You no longer have the monopoly to waffles in the square. The liege waffle, which CEO Bryan K. Meehan called the “star” of the menu, upstaged the rest of the selections. A crunchy and sugar-sweet crust falls apart to a soft and chewy center. It’s definitely a satisfying bite. The size is perfect for a breakfast to-go or a daytime snack. There’s something about the fresh and lightly sweet pastry that makes me feel like it’d be okay to have one of these waffles everyday. Maybe it’s not that bad for me. Or maybe it’s just that good. Avocado Toast And, of course, Blue Bottle Coffee wouldn’t really be a west coast joint if it didn’t offer avocado toast. A thick slice of hearty multigrain bread serves the base for a heap of avocado goodness. The spicy pepper flakes and lemon juice sprinkled on top add an amazing kick to this millenial classic, and the dish is dense and filling despite its portable size. However, it costs $9. Would I buy this? Not everyday. But if I’m treating myself? Definitely. Spearmint Herbal Tea For those looking for a non-caffeinated drink, the coffee shop offers decaf coffee as well as teas. I tried the spear-
mint herbal tea, which was at once soothing and refreshing, but nothing to boast about. If I really wanted tea, TeaLuxe is still my place of choice. The Ambience Even as students weaved in and out of Blue Bottle, tables across the cafe filled up. Meehan emphasized “hospitality” as one of the key values of the company, and the layout inside provides a space for social gatherings with the ambience of a true coffeehouse. Against one side of the store, a countertop lines the window, creating a whole row of space conducive to working. The minimalist design and plain white walls highlight the store’s interior, much like its year-old competitor Tatte, located a little more than a block down the street. However, where Tatte tries to be elegant with a vintage aesthetic, Blue Bottle tries to be contemporary. The menu also includes in-house English muffins and dairy-free overnight oats, as well as grab-and-go sandwiches and pastries. Blue Bottle offered a cup of free coffee to customers stopping by between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on its opening day. Regular business hours will be between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. —Staff writer Lucy Wang can be reached at lucy.wang@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @lucyyloo22
ANGIE THOMAS ON THE HATE U GIVE Bestselling author Angie Thomas will talk about her debut novel, The Hate U Give, which revolves around a sixteen-year-old grappling with the death of her childhood best friend at the hands of the police. There will be a book signing. First Parish Church. 7:30 p.m. $5.
OUTFITUMENTARY Directed by K8 Hardy, this structuralist and experimental film tracks eleven years worth of the director’s outfits. The result is a film that explores the definitions of body politics and queer identity. There will be a chance to see the filmmaker in-person. Brattle Theatre. 7 p.m. $7
FEMINISM & THE FAIRY TALE: EX MACHINA As part of the 2017-2018 Schlesinger Library Film Series, the Radcliffe Institute will be screening Ex Machina (2015), a movie about a programmer’s love affair with a robot with a female face. Radcliffe College Room, Schlesinger Library. 6 p.m. Free.
HEAR WORD! NAIJA WOMAN TALK TRUE Directed by Ifeoma Fafunwa, this cast of Nigerian actresses returns to the American Repertory Theater for a performance about multi-generational stories, independence, and resistance in the face of inequality. Loeb Drama Center. 7:30 p.m. $70 to $85.
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LUNAR NEW YEAR CELEBRATION The Museum of Fine Arts will celebrate Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese traditions with music and dance on this special holiday. There will be performances by the Gund Kwok Asian Women Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe, and hands-on activities for families and friends. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free with museum admission.
DAVID LYNCH: THE ART LIFE As part of the Institute of Contemporary Art’s “Artists on the Edge of the Art World” series, the museum will be featuring a documentary on the life and work of David Lynch, director of Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive. Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston. 1 p.m. Free with museum admission.
TAYARI JONES ON AN AMERICAN MARRIAGE Award-winning writer Tayari Jones will be at the Harvard Book Store to discuss her latest novel, An American Marriage. An American Marriage is about two newlyweds who represent the American Dream. Their lives are disrupted by a false conviction and a twelve-year sentence. Harvard Book Store. 7 p.m. Free.
6 february 2018 | VOL CXLv, ISSUE i Arts Chairs Mila Gauvin II ’19 Grace Z. Li ’19
EDITOR Associates Kaylee S. Kim ’20 Caroline A. Tsai ’20 Aline G. Damas ’20 Noah F. Houghton ’20 Edward M. Litwin ’19 Petra Laura Oreskovic ’20 Ethan B. Reichsman ’19 Yael M. Saiger ’19
Caroline E. Tew ’20 Jonathan P. Trang ’19 Lucy Wang ’20
Executive Designer Hanna Kim ‘21
Design Associates Mireya C. Arango ‘20 Emily H. Hong ‘21 Julianna C. Kardish ‘20 Jessica N. Morandi ‘21
Executive PhotographerS Kathryn S. Kuhar ‘20 Zennie L. Wey ’20
ARTS
The Harvard Crimson | FEBRUARY 6, 2018 | page 4
The
Working Artist
Grace Z. Li STAFF WRITER
be a consultant or going to law school or medical school or business school,” she added. “And I felt so alone.” In the past four years, around 5 percent of each Harvard graduating class has gone on to pursue a career in the arts according to The Crimson’s annual senior survey. Some alumni go on to make it big— take Matt P. Damon ’92, Damien S. Chazelle ’07, or Rashida L. Jones ’97. Others, who may not achieve international fame, still find their own places within their respective fields. The term “artist” is broad. For this piece, I interviewed dancers, writers, a theater set designer, a painter, musicians, comedians, and an actor. And while there is no “one path,” as many have mentioned, there are a few common threads that appear throughout this massive, ever-expanding network of Harvard’s artists. CHOOSING ARTS? It’s not always an easy decision to make. And for Soman S. Chainani ’01, it wasn’t much of a decision at all. Chainani is the author of the children’s book trilogy “The School for Good and Evil” and currently has a film deal with Universal Pictures for the novels. But after graduating with an English degree, Chainani didn’t head straight into an arts career. He went into consulting instead. “I got fired after 18 months,” Chainani said. “Just for being so useless because I hated the job so much.” Getting fired was a sign for Chainani to change career paths—he went on to earn his MFA in film at Columbia University, worked in film-writing, and eventually took up the work of a novelist. “I think sometimes that’s important for artists to realize that you think you have a backup plan which is ‘Oh I’m just gonna go and make a ton of money the usual way.’ And then there are some of us who just can’t,” Chainani said. “We are going to get found out.” That’s what happened with the consulting job, Chainani said. “They figured out I didn’t belong there.” But the idea of “belonging” in the arts industry raises a question of ideology. Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Forrest O’Connor ’10 said you have to ask yourself, “Do I have something that people will want, and that’s filling a void?” He also said that with the advent of social media, the industry may be becoming overpopulated with people pursuing nontraditional ways to artistic popularity. “It’s a competitive landscape. In any job or in any industry it will be, but especially with the arts,” O’Connor said. “It’s so flooded and the money really isn’t.” Where your family stands financially may also complicate the picture. In a 2016 interview, Robin E. Kelsey—the Dean of the Arts and Humanities Division of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences—said
that students who come from economically insecure families may feel the pressure to pursue studies that have clearer professional paths. Suzannah E. Clark— chair of the Music Department—agreed in another 2016 interview. “No matter what one’s race or identity, [if one is] either a first-generation college student or economically disadvantaged or on financial aid, there can be pressures to think about how one can use one’s degree later for employment,” Clark said. “Sometimes people worry that the arts and humanities don’t necessarily lead to the most obvious jobs afterwards.” Robin Mount—the director of Career, Research, and International Opportunities Office of Career Services’ (OCS)—said her own experiences advising students reflects Clark’s statement. “There are students who come in, and despite what they would really love to do, they say ‘It’s my turn now to support my siblings or my family and that’s my obligation, and that needs to be my number one priority,’” she said. “And that’s totally fine.” Some students can still take the plunge despite financial concerns, which is what actor Meagan A. Michelson ’10 said she did. Michelson was on substantial financial aid when she arrived at Harvard. “Is it harder to go into arts when you don’t come from money? Yeah—if you don’t have a trust fund, and you’re the one primarily paying your rent,” Michelson said. “But you make it work.” In 2016—according to The Crimson’s annual senior survey—only 4 percent of the graduating class indicated that they would be going into the arts after graduation. But the number nearly triples when students are asked what career they see themselves in after 10 years. While daunting, these years could be the perfect time to establish oneself in an industry. “Those first couple of years are the toughest,” Mount said. “But they’re also the time when you don’t have any dependence, you don’t have a mortgage, you don’t have kids.” HOW HARVARD HELPS There are certain advantages that going to Harvard offers: grants, fellowships, alumni connections, and the numerous advisers willing to help. I met with three advisors at OCS: Mount, Gail E. Gilmore, Assistant Director of Arts Management, and Deb Carroll, Associate Director of Employer Relations and Operations. They immediately peppered me with questions about what I’m doing next summer, eager to assist me even outside of our interview. After sitting down, the three handed me flyers and booklets with lists of programmings and resources offered by both the OCS and the Office for Fine Arts. “I think a myth is that some careers are easy and some careers are hard,” Mount said. “They’re all hard.” There are arts-specific fellowships and grants that can encourage Harvard students to pursue the arts—like the Artist Development Fellowships or the Dmitri Hadzi Visual Arts Grant.
There’s also Harvardwood: a nonprofit organization that offers a job board, a Wintersession entertainment industry boot-camp in Los Angeles, and an alumni network to Harvard students interested in the arts. OCS pays the annual $45 membership to Harvardwood for Faculty of Arts and Sciences students, regardless of financial need. Mount, Gilmore, and Carroll also emphasize that networking can be a valuable resource. “I think that sometimes students don’t like the networking idea because they think it’s all about getting people to do things for them,” Carroll said. “But really, it’s a mutual relationship…. People want to give, especially when they know how their sector or industry works. They want to help.” “Ben Franklin talked a lot about paying it forward,” Mount added. Alumni connections can be useful in unexpected ways. In Lim’s first years after graduation, she wound up moving into an unsafe building, something she described as a “drug house” in retrospect. She didn’t know what to do until she saw a billboard advertising Brickbottom, called their number, and found herself talking to a fellow Harvard alumnus, who immediately helped her get settled into her future home. Devon M. Guinn ’17 found his connection to Harvard useful for supplementing his income that would otherwise consist of holding beatboxing workshops and private lessons. “This summer I had a fellowship to make a text-adventure about one of the libraries at Harvard,” he said. “From the fellowship, I’m now an outreach person for the library.” But not everyone finds these resources helpful. While Karen Chee ’17 participated in Harvardwood 101’s winter break program, she found her own research and Harvard’s liberal arts education to be more useful when thinking about her career in comedy. “Because it was a liberal arts education, I got to take a journalism class with Jill Abramson,” Chee said. She added that because the course taught her how to be a more economical writer, it helped her strengthen her comedy skills as well. “... I would honestly say my journalism class helped me with writing jokes.” Michelson said that her English concentration allowed her to think in a more “unusual and creative perspective,” something that fed into her approach with writing cabaret scripts. Mount described another incident, in which a student was deciding between Harvard and a performing arts school. “The faculty told her ‘Absolutely not. Go to Harvard,’” Mount said. “... You’ll never have that experience to grow your mind and learn about so many things that you’ll need to call on when you play different roles.” “So many actors and writers too have said that to me—that they’re really glad they came here for that exact reason,” Gilmore added. THE DOUBLE LIVES OF HARVARD’S ARTISTS Not all working artists will have the same challenges or benefits. Musicians may find that they have to travel and tour extensively. Dancers may find that their work requires physical preparedness. But a common theme with jobs in the arts is that finances can be tricky; this is when a second job can come in handy. “Get an easy-going, stable job, at the institutions that give you benefits,” Lim said. “The more routine the job, the better. It is so relaxing.” There’s also a certain Harvard privilege that helps out when trying to find second jobs, Michelson said. Once, while Michelson was on tour, her castmate found her editing a college essay as part of her second job. “You’re so lucky that that’s your part-time work. Actors that didn’t go to Harvard have to wait tables,” the castmate said. “You get to do editing work on your computer. You just have so much more flexibility because people trust you with that kind of work.” Aside from second jobs, there are other tips and tricks that alumni have shared with me on ways to save. Devi K. Lockwood ’14 is a poet, storyteller, and avid cyclist who travels around the country collecting recordings of people’s experiences with water and climate change. She relies on applying to numerous grants or fellowships to fund her work. In fact, it was a Gardner & Shaw Postgraduate Traveling Fellowship from Harvard that gave Lockwood her start. She used the $22,000 to fund a year of travels to places like Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. “Sometimes it’s 99 no’s for every yes,” Lockwood said about grant applications. Rossi L. Walter ’14, who used to dance while living in San Francisco, remembered the food habits he developed in response to his times as a ‘poor’ dance student in an expensive city. He recommended constantly having a lunch box to avoid spending too much money on food—especially if you’re hungry in between practice. “I’m constantly carrying food around in my bag: nuts, carrots, fruit, little sandwiches that I make.” He also recommended removing other counterproductive habits like buying expensive coffee or cigarettes. “Really just try to crack down on those habits, at least for a short period of time,” Walter said. “Make your own damn coffee.” ‘EARTH-SHATTERING AND WORLDCHANGING’ Lim’s growing worries about living as an artist eventually pushed her to see a therapist. In her sessions, Lim said she kept repeating a particular phrase: “I have to be a great artist. I have to be a great artist.” “Why can’t you just say ‘I want to be an artist?’” her therapist asked.
But this didn’t seem like an option. To Lim, at the time, it seemed like a waste of a Harvard degree if she didn’t achieve some high level of fame and success. “Why bother?” she thought. “No wonder why I was such a mess.” Lim laughs about the situation now. “There’s such a thing as being a ‘moderate, mediocre artist’ or whatever. It doesn’t matter. I don’t think it’s healthy going around thinking ‘I have to be a genius! I have to be a genius!’” Elizabeth Mak ’12, a freelance theater designer, found that the irregular schedule of her profession contributed to dropping self-esteem. “There are periods of intense work, and then there are periods of no work,” Mak said. “So you go from being tired all the time to feeling really insecure and really useless in the span of a week.” “Its hard, because your friends are all making a lot of money,” Chainani said. “They’re all rising, and you’re still getting your project off the ground.” “When you go to Harvard, there’s so much expectation that you be earth-shattering and world-changing,” Lim said. But sometimes it’s better to live a quiet, comfortable life, she said. Looking back, Lim realized that she was never going to be happy in a life of international fame or wild success. “There are other ways to be wealthy,” Lim said. An artist’s life isn’t always glamorous, as Lim pointed out. O’Connor found this to be especially true during open mics, when he was trying to gain publicity as a musician. “Especially during the winter, it’s a lot of slogging through deep snow, trying to warm up… waiting three hours and going on for two songs. Half the crowd is drunk,” O’Connor said. But a love for the art is his reason for staying. “It’s sort of in my head all the time. I love moving people with [music]. I love the inspiration I receive from my favorite musicians and players. I know that these are some of the most important moments in my life.” “You have to just really want to do what you’re
doing,” says Mount. “That’s what gets you through those days that are terrible.” ‘BE FEARLESS’ Lim took me on a tour of Brickbottom after our interview. “This building is full of older and mid-career artists who have had productive lives,” she said. We said hello to the artists who passed by, stopped to pet a filmmaker’s dog, and hunted for empty wall space to hang paintings—a rare commodity in an artist’s home. For Lim, choosing arts worked out. But sometimes people might find that another career suits them better. Pianist Berenika D. Zakrzewski ’04, whose Wikipedia page describes her as “a child prodigy,” used to tour around the world with her music. She later moved on to managing cultural programs as the Executive Director of Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. Lara M. Hirner ’04 acted similarly, moving from singing to a career as a speech pathologist. Emily R. Pollock ’06 opted for a more academic route, becoming an Associate Professor of Music at MIT. And just because you pursue a different career doesn’t mean you can’t involve yourself in the arts ever again—Hirner still occasionally sings for paid jobs. But sometimes the only choice is to stay. Michelson remembers the night she realized she needed to be an actress. She was watching “A Little Night Music” on Broadway. Bernadette Peters was singing “Send in the Clowns,” and for some reason, Michelson started crying. “For the next 48 hours I was nauseated, I was just ill. And I had to look inside of myself and ask what the heck was going on,” she said. “The only thing that would make me 100 percent happy is going for it as an actor.” “Be fearless,” Michelson said. “Because fortunately, with a degree from Harvard, you have assets. You have skills that are going to make things a little easier for you to find those second and third jobs to help you do what you really love.” “And it’s going to be tiring—you’re going to have to have multiple jobs and wear multiple hats to make it work,” she added. “But why not? You got to Harvard. You’re used to multitasking.” —Staff writer Grace Z. Li can be reached at grace.li@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @gracezhali.
ARTS
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | FEBRUARY 6, 2018 | PAGE 5
or whatever. It doesn’t matter. I don’t think it’s healthy going around thinking ‘I have to be a genius! I have to be a genius!’” Elizabeth Mak ’12, a freelance theater designer, found that the irregular schedule of her profession contributed to dropping self-esteem. “There are periods of intense work, and then there are periods of no work,” Mak said. “So you go from being tired all the time to feeling really insecure and really useless in the span of a week.” “Its hard, because your friends are all making a lot of money,” Chainani said. “They’re all rising, and you’re still getting your project off the ground.” “When you go to Harvard, there’s so much expectation that you be earth-shattering and world-changing,” Lim said. But sometimes it’s better to live a quiet, comfortable life, she says. Looking back, Lim realized that she was never going to be happy in a life of international fame or wild success. “There other ways to be wealthy,” Lim said. An artist’s life isn’t always glamorous, as Lim pointed out. O’Connor found this to be especially true during open mics, when he was trying to gain publicity as a musician. “Especially during the winter, it’s a lot of slogging through deep snow, trying to warm up… waiting three hours and going on for two songs. Half the crowd is drunk,” O’Connor said. But a love for the art is his reason for staying, according to O’Connor. “It’s sort of in my head all the time. I love moving people with [music]. I love the inspiration I receive from my favorite musicians and players. I know that these are some of the most important moments in my life.” “You have to just really want to do what you’re doing,” says Mount. “That’s what gets you through those days that are terrible.” ‘BE FEARLESS’
retrospect. She didn’t know what to do until she saw a billboard advertising Brickbottom, called their number, and found herself talking to a fellow Harvard alum, who immediately helped her get settled into her future home. Devon M. Guinn ’17 found his connection to Harvard useful for supplementing his income that would otherwise consist of holding beatboxing workshops and private lessons. “This summer I had a fellowship to make a text-adventure about one of the libraries at Harvard,” he said. “From the fellowship, I’m now an outreach person for the library.” But not everyone finds these resources helpful. While Karen Chee ’17 participated in Harvardwood 101’s winter break program, she found her own research and Harvard’s liberal arts education to be more useful when thinking about her career in comedy. “Because it was a liberal arts education, I got to take a journalism class with Jill Abramson,” Chee said. She added that because the course taught her how to be a more economical writer, it helped her strengthen her comedy skills as well. “... I would honestly say my journalism class helped me with writing jokes.” This isn’t an isolated incident. Michelson said that her English concentration allowed her to think in a more “unusual and creative perspective,” something that fed into her approach with writing cabaret scripts. Mount described another incident, in which a student was deciding between Harvard and a performing arts school. “The faculty told her ‘Absolutely not. Go to Harvard,’” Mount recounted. “... You’ll never have that experience to grow your mind and learn about so many things that you’ll need to call on when you play different roles.” “So many actors and writers too have said that to me—that they’re really glad they came here for that exact reason,” Gilmore added. THE DOUBLE LIVES OF HARVARD’S ARTISTS Not all working artists will have the same challenges or benefits. Musicians may find that they have to travel and tour extensively. Dancers will find that their work requires physical preparedness. But a common theme with jobs in the arts is that finances can be tricky—this is when a second job can come in handy. “Get an easy-going, stable job, at the institutions that give you benefits,” Lim said. “The more routine the job, the better. It is so relaxing.” There’s also a certain Harvard privilege that helps out when trying to find second jobs, Michelson said. Once, while Michelson was on tour, her castmate found her editing a college essay as part of her second job. “You’re so lucky that that’s your part-time work. Actors that didn’t go to Harvard have to wait tables,” the castmate said. “You get to do editing work on your computer. You just have so much more flexibility because people trust you with that kind of work.” Aside from second jobs, there are other tips and tricks that alums have shared with me on
ways to save. Devi K. Lockwood ’14 is a poet, storyteller, and avid cyclist who travels around the country collecting recordings of people’s experiences with water and climate change. She relies on applying to numerous grants or fellowships to fund her work. In fact, it was a Gardner & Shaw Postgraduate Traveling Fellowship from Harvard that gave Lockwood her start. She used the $22,000 to fund a year of travels to places like Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia. “Sometimes it’s ninety-nine no’s for every yes,” Lockwood said about grant applications. Rossi L. Walter ’14, who used to dance while living in San Francisco, remembered the food habits he developed in response to his times as a ‘poor’ dance student in an expensive city. He recommended constantly having a lunch box to avoid spending too much money on food—especially if you’re hungry in between practice. “I’m constantly carrying food around in my bag: nuts, carrots, fruit, little sandwiches that I make.” He also recommended removing other coun-
terproductive habits like buying expensive coffee or cigarettes. “Really just try to crack down on those habits, at least for a short period of time,” Walter said. “Make your own damn coffee.” “EARTH-SHATTERING AND WORLD-CHANGING” Lim’s growing worries about living as an artist eventually pushed her to see a therapist. In her sessions, Lim said she kept repeating a particular phrase: “I have to be a great artist. I have to be a great artist.” “Why can’t you just say ‘I want to be an artist?’” her therapist asked. But this didn’t seem like an option. To Lim, at the time, it seemed like a waste of a Harvard degree if she didn’t achieve some high level of fame and success. “Why bother?” she thought “No wonder why I was such a mess.” Lim laughs about the situation now. “There’s such a thing as being a ‘moderate, mediocre artist’
Lim took me on a tour of Brickbottom after our interview. “This building is full of older and mid-career artists who have had productive lives,” she said. We said hello to the artists who passed by, stopped to pet a filmmaker’s dog, and hunted for empty wall space to hang paintings—a rare commodity in an artists’ home. For Lim, choosing arts worked out. For others, sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes people might find that another career suits them better. Pianist Berenika D. Zakrzewski ’04, whose Wikipedia page describes her as “a child prodigy,” used to tour around the world with her music. She later moved on to managing cultural programs as the Executive Director of Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. Lara M. Hirner ’04 acted similarly, moving from singing to a career as a speech pathologist. Emily R. Pollock ’06 opted for a more academic route, becoming a Associate Professor of Music at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. And just because you pursue a different career doesn’t mean you can’t involve yourself in the arts ever again—Hirner still occasionally sings for paid jobs. But sometimes the only choice is to stay. Meagan remembers the night she realized she needed to be an actress. She was watching “A Little Night Music” on Broadway. Bernadette Peters was singing “Send in the Clowns,” and for some reason, Meagan started crying. “For next 48 hours I was nauseated, I was just ill. And I had to look inside of myself and ask what the heck was going on,” she said. “The only thing that would make me 100% happy is going for it as an actor.” “Be fearless,” Michelson said. “Because fortunately, with a degree with Harvard, you have assets, you have skills that is going to make things a little easier for you to find those second and third jobs to help you do what you really love. “And it’s going to be tiring—you’re going to have to have multiple jobs and wear multiple hats to make it work. But why not? You got to Harvard. You’re used to multitasking.” —Staff writer Grace Z. Li can be reached at grace.li@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @gracezhali.
ARTS
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | FEBRUARY 6, 2018 | PAGE 6
music
iNTERVIEW WITH MAGIC GIANT RAJ KARAN S. GAMBHIR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
COURTESY OF BRANTLEY GUTIERREZ
Los Angeles-based indie folk band Magic Giant recently released a video for the second single “Window” off of their debut album “In the Wind.” The Crimson spoke with frontman Austin P. Bisnow about the band’s beginnings, message, and future.
The Harvard Crimson: What’s the “Magic Giant” origin story? Additionally, was there a moment when you guys were playing together and it all clicked? Austin P. Bisnow: So, [multi-instrumentalist] Zambricki [Li] and I coincidentally both moved to Los Angeles in 2011, and we both coincidentally had the dream to start a band. We were both doing separate things in music, but not performing really. We both had the same New Year’s Resolution [to start performing]. I was trying to jam with everyone I could to try to manifest this New Year’s Resolution, getting intros, meeting people. I was really drawn to folk music at the time—kinda like an influx of folk came into my life. I was asking my friends, “Hey, do you know any banjo players, any fiddle players, anyone who can play the mandolin?” One guy told me he knows someone that can do them all. He introduced us and the rest is history for me and Zambricki. So, Zambricki and I went on hiatus. We were doing our own things again. Our old band was very poppy, just for fun, very part-time. And someone who had seen one of those early shows hit me up and asked if we wanted to play the “Sweet Life” festival in D.C. I instinctively said, “Yes!” and I called Zambricki and said “We’re getting the band back together!” Shortly after, we met Zang playing at a club. Afterwards we looked him up and saw some videos of him
salsa dancing. That was really the catalyst. The first show we ever played as Magic Giant I knew we had something special. Just by word of mouth, the first show was sold-out with a hundred people who couldn’t get in. No one expected that. There was a moment on stage where I cried because so many people were showering us with love singing our music. I think the pivotal moment for us was [multiinstrumentalist] Zang joining because he balances Zambricki and me in such a seamless way. It was like the puzzle clicked together.
THC: What are the main emotions you channel when you’re performing your music, and overall what sort of experience do you want for someone at a Magic Giant concert? AB: If I had to give one word it would be “joy,” or maybe “catharsis.” Really, just releasing whatever you need and winding up at a place of joy and fulfilment. Something that can touch people, that they can take with them and pass on, pay it forward. Another huge theme in our music is the power of the human will. We’re not just happy for happy’s sake. It’s intentional that we know the world is crazy and there are really hard, horrible things happening. Yeah, life is tough, but we can either stay in that place, or either have an outlook or do something to brighten it just the littlest bit.
THC: The song and the video for “Window,” your
new single, really speaks to that.
AB: Yeah, totally. The whole concept of the “Window” video is loosely inspired by Rapunzel. A girl got in a fight with her dad and we try to go save the day. And the keyword there is “try,” because there are all these little challenges for us to even get there and make it to her physically, mentally, and emotionally to try and brighten her day. That’s our goal. THC: What artists have had an influence on you and the music of Magic Giant? AB: Bruce Springsteen has been a big one for us just for his live show energy and longevity of career. Queen, for their fearlessness to do the craziest productions in a modern style, in a digestible way that can get to the masses, and in taking turns that you can never see coming. THC: What can fans expect from Magic Giant in the
future?
AB: Woo! We just announced a tour going from Jan. 23 until March. I hope we’re coming back to Europe this spring and summer. We’re gonna be playing a bunch of festivals, and probably be releasing some more videos. wwWe’re working on a documentary for the making of our album “In the Wind,” just a little short something. This winter tour is really exciting, and we’re calling it “The Magic Misfits Tour.” We’re coming to Boston on Feb. 16 at Brighton Music Hall. —Staff writer Raj Karan S. Gambhir can be reached at raj. gambhir@thecrimson.com.
PAUL RUDD: FROM READING BRITISH COMICS TO WRITING MARVEL MOVIES PETRA LAURA ORESKOVIC STAFFF WRITER
KATHRYN S. KUHAR
On Feb. 2, Paul Rudd, Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ Man of the Year, received the famed Pudding Pot in an event he likened to “a Terrence Malick movie.” During the press conference, Rudd commented on his comic origins which—despite co-writing the “Ant Man” movies —did not start with Marvel. “I grew up not reading Marvel comics,” Rudd said. “I had a few, I read them occasionally, but I was not a big comic book fan.” Rudd read other stories instead. “The American comics that I read growing up were Archie and, like, Jughead. I read a lot of the laugh digests,” Rudd added. “My parents are both British and I used to get a lot of British comics, well ‘a lot’ too, one called Beano and one called Dandy. “My cousins would send them to me and I was really into those,” Rudd said. “Superheroes, not so much. So writing is a totally new and fascinating journey.” During the traditional roast, the “Ant Man” was accused of making a deal with the devil to retain his signature youthful features by the “grim reaper” and was challenged to perform the timeless “RSVP” monologue from the 1995 movie “Clueless” in Robert De Niro’s accent. The members of the Hasty Pudding ridiculed the actor for the lack of diversity in the roles he has played, listing “likable dad, lovable dad,
bar mitzvah DJ” as some of the examples. Rudd said he was grateful for receiving the Pudding Pot, promising to place it on his shelf next to his non-existent Oscar and Golden Globe, and his very much existent “Fun Fearless Man” award, conferred by Cosmopolitan magazine. Rudd truly earned his title of a fearless man, however, by commenting on the 2018 Superbowl game. “I am not a Patriots fan and I hope they lose,” Rudd bluntly declared, despite being mere miles away from the center of Boston. However, he was extremely enthusiastic about another aspect of New England sports—“Filming at Fenway was one of the greatest day I’ve had in my life,” he said on playing the baseball player and World War 2 spy Moe Berg. Rudd also extensively commented on his experiences in Boston and at Harvard: “Seeing the buildings was very moving.” He described the tradition of the university as a comforting presence: “It puts you in your place and it makes you feel a little bit smaller, because this has been going on for a lot longer than you have.” —Staff writer Petra Laura Oreskovic can be reached at petra. oreskovic@thecrimson.com
campus
Arts
The Harvard Crimson | FEBRUARY 6, 2018 | page 7
film
Cute Little Buggers: A B Movie, In All The Worst Ways NATALIE J. GALE CRIMSON STAFF WRITER The first scene of “Cute Little Buggers” makes the film’s aim clear. There are just-realistic-enough aliens and a cheesy romance in the woods. There’s also an overly gory attack by aliens—one that accurately foreshadows the rest of the campy horror-comedy. Ultimately, the film is a cringeworthy, hamfisted attempt to revive the over-the-top charm of 20th century B-movies. It’s one that ultimately fails in large part due to the sheer unlikeability of its characters. “Cute Little Buggers” has a dual plot. The first storyline revolves around a pair of inept and ill-meaning aliens, intent on abducting as many human women as possible from a quaint town in the British countryside in order to forcibly reproduce and keep their alien species alive. They carry out this devious plan by possessing the “Cute Little Buggers” for which the
movie is named: a squadron of evil, tentacle-wielding bunnies. The second plot line depicts the return of a “prodigal son” to the very same quaint British town, and the romantic and familial revelations that come with his arrival. The two storylines are deeply uneven in importance, and so the movie strangely rotates with plot twists as the aliens’ plan dwarfs the human relationships, even as the two stories intersect. One common feature of both plotlines is its shameless and excessive reliance on gender stereotypes for the purposes of comedy and character development. In fact, perhaps the most frequently recurring comedic device used is the ill-timed abduction of topless women, all of whom remain scantily clad and desperate for their designated male savior. Meanwhile, the men are bumbling stereotypes, fixated on both figurative and literal pissing contests while fighting over their claims on various women. The characters are predictable, unoriginal, and overwhelmingly one-dimensional.
Additionally, the actors’ interpretation of their characters do little to redeem the film. The acting is stiff—though the actors’ voices sometimes convey a few hints of emotional range, their faces more often reflect either solemn rage or unbridled hysteria, depending entirely on the character’s gender. Ironically, the aliens are the most relatable characters in the movie. Their banter is occasionally natural and sometimes even genuinely amusing in its ridiculousness. Despite their strange, unearthly, deeply unconvincing alien masks, they are certainly more sympathetic than the uninteresting and frankly irritating humans. At best, the humans’ comedy is shaky. At worst, it is horrifyingly tasteless, as evidenced when a monotone member of the all-white cast cracks a blunt joke about hunting indigenous people. Reflecting the plot’s strange two-part structure, the cinematography of “Cute Little Buggers” lurches between two distinct settings. The first is reminiscent of a jump-scare horror movie, replete with poor CGI and shaky, red-tinted camera shots. The second is as simple, old-world and down-toearth as the town itself. The camerawork is simple, relying on broad still shots to highlight the rural features of the town, from the bales of hay to the tractors to the folk concert. Unfortunately, the transition quality between these two styles is inconsistent. Sometimes, the juxtaposition provides just the right balance of the two sensibilities to keep the viewer alert—at other times, the viewer risks whiplash from the quick and confusing transition. “Cute Little Buggers” has many of the features of a traditional B movie. The acting, dialogue, and plot are all cheesy to the extreme. The purpose is entertainment, but the direction is not artistic to fulfill that goal. The film is certainly low-budget. However, it simply lacks the genuine humor and fun that earned B movies of the past their audience, largely because the characters are unlikeable, dull, and often annoying. Viewers looking for a goofy, not-too-deep movie to occupy a slow evening ought to look elsewhere, simply because “Cute Little Buggers” is not endearing enough to justify its less admirable qualities. —Staff writer Natalie J. Gale can be reached at natalie. gale@thecrimson.com.
Image Courtesy of October Coast Studios
theater
‘Die Fledermaus’ Revitalizes Johann Strauss II LUCY WANG CRIMSON STAFF WRITER Lighthearted and comical, the Harvard College Opera’s production of Strauss’ operetta “Die Fledermaus” opened on Wednesday, Jan. 31, with an outstanding orchestra and charming characters. The operetta, which translates to “The Bat,” featured iconic music by Johann Strauss II, a member of the Austrian music power family, and a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée. The orchestra was a definite strong suit for the production. Conducted by Alexander “Sasha” Yakub ’20, who also served as music director of the production, the ensemble rang in the overture with beautiful tones and a firm presence, even though it was comprised of only 28 musicians. The story is divided into three acts surrounding the mischief and troubles of Gabriel von Eisenstein (Ethan Craigo) and those around him. His wife, Rosalinde (Veronica Richer), is miserable after finding out that he’s been sentenced to eight days in jail for disobeying a police officer and must begin his term that night. Rosalinde’s old love Alfred (Samuel Rosner)— who never quite got over her—takes her husband’s absence as an opportunity to try to woo her back to him. Meanwhile, Rosalinde’s chambermaid, Adele (Arianna Paz), dreams of attending a grand New Year’s Eve party thrown by the glamorous Prince Orlofsy (Benjamin P. Wenzelberg) that her sister Ida (Nivi Ravi) invited her to that night. As each one of these characters laments over their own inability to attend the party, Eisenstein’s friend Dr. Falke (Oliver Berliner) sets them up to attend in disguise. Rosalinde’s love for Alfred seemed sincere yet confusing. Even though she resisted his advances at first, she was shallow enough to be wooed by his voice and passionate serenades. Her exaggerated performance clearly revealed her emotional character while keeping with the humour of the rest of the operetta. Adele sulked in her lowly position as a chambermaid with a mediocre performance in the first act, but her vocals shone through in the second act, when she posed as an actress named “Olga.” In “Mein Herr Marquis”/“My Lord Marquis,” Adele scoffed at the idea of Eisenstein recognizing her as the chambermaid and revealed her vulnerability, uncertainty, and bewilderment in a touching moment. Eisenstein, on the other hand, was a rather unlikeable character, with his insincerity to his wife and his lustful eyes for other women. His duet with Dr. Falke, “Kommt Mit Mir Zum Souper”/“Come With Me To the Souper,” was especially engaging and reflective of Eisenstein’s character, as he got literally entangled in Dr. Falke’s telephone cord on stage in a clever section of choreography. Police officer Frank (Luke Minton), who was supposed to arrest Eisenstein, unknowingly ended up meeting him at the party. Frank walked around in an unmistakable chicken suit and SWAT jacket, bringing laughs to the stage by acting exactly as a police officer should not. Given the smaller size of the stage, the chaotic office setting in the opening background looked cluttered and distracting. Even though the modernization of the whole party and ball scene increased the accessibility and relatability of the operetta, some of the details were overly accented. The party set was too sparkly, and the costumes took attention away from the plotline itself. If the point was to overwhelm with color and showiness, then the set hit the spot. In
Image courtesy of Benjamin Grimm highlighting the characters against the background, the sets strayed away from its purpose. Ironically, the sultry set of the gloomy jail scene in the third act was far less overwhelming and aesthetically pleasing. The props, on the other hand, were craftily intertwined in the storyline. For example, Rosner’s Alfred hid under a trash can umbrella hat, perfectly blending into the background so much that his reentrance, usually announced by a beautifully vocalized melodic interruption, was delightfully surprising. If nothing else, the amount of time that Alfred spent on stage hidden in the trash can was impressive. Interjected with English narrations by English Professor Gordon Teskey and acting parts in English, “Die Fledermaus” was an engaging and accessible show for the contemporary college student. With this revival, the Harvard College Opera proved that a true comedy can still bring about laughs and lighten up spirits 144 years after its premiere. —Staff writer Lucy Wang can be reached at lucy.wang@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @lucyyloo22
EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD
Calling for Permanent, Not Temporary, Protected Status
L
ast Wednesday, a group of Harvard affiliates gathered outside University President Drew G. Faust’s office to deliver a petition calling on her to support Temporary Protected Status recipients. TPS grants work permits and other benefits to immigrants from countries deemed temporarily unsafe due to catastrophes, including armed conflict and natural disasters. Over the last few months, the Trump administration has terminated the for program for citizens from countries like El Salvador, Haiti, and Nicaragua, paving the way for many immigrants previously protected by the program to be deported. We recognize the value of all individuals at Harvard. TPS is an issue that affects the entire country and world. But more locally, we have TPS recipients right here at Harvard. And so just as Faust has shown continuous support for undocumented students, she should show support for TPS recipients as well. Threats to TPS are also threats to student well-being, as Harvard students may have family members who are TPS recipients. These struggles are interconnected, and Faust must take a consistent policy stance on supporting immigrant members of the Harvard community. Supporting Harvard employees and
students affected by TPS will go a long way toward fulfilling the charge of the Task Force on Inclusion and Belonging. Harvard TPS workers have built their entire lives here in America, and in this case, at Harvard. Many workers have lived in this country longer than the U.S.born students that attend the University, as conflicts in their home countries have raged on for decades. They have children, homes, and jobs here. They too are Har-
Threats to TPS are also threats to student well-being, as Harvard students may have family members who are TPS recipients. vard, and deserve as much, if not more, support from the University as any other member of this community. By staying silent, Faust is not showing support for the notion that TPS recipients are as worthy of the same protections as the undocumented students she supports. We reject this silence and ask that Faust show solidarity with all members of Harvard.
Indeed, we recognize the importance of all Harvard affiliates, not solely as workers or students, but as a collective whole, working to protect each other. We see evidence of this in Harvard students’ support for the Harvard University Dining Services strike in 2016, as well as some Adams House dining workers’ display of support for BGLTQ students in 2009. Members of our community are at risk of losing the lives they’ve built in the United States by being sent back to dangerous countries they no longer know. They are forced to make emergency plans to prepare for the real danger of being deported and having their families separated. They prepare for the possibility of losing their jobs as soon as their TPS expires. Their time is running out. Faust has an obligation to Harvard. We urge her to be on the right side of history by following the demands made in the petition. This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.
BE A CRIMSON CARTOONIST Submit a sample cartoon or any questions to Associate Editorial Editor Wonik Son ‘19 (wonik.son@thecrimson.com).
The Case for Ending Social Media Henry N. BROOKS SOCIALLY LIBERAL, FISCALLY LIBERAL
I
t’s high time we admitted that Facebook and Twitter are pernicious technologies. Those who doubt this haven’t taken stock of the last two years. In Jan. 2018, an online firestorm broke out after social media users circulated a sound bite from Psychology professor Steven A. Pinker, in which he referred to the “highly literate, highly intelligent” alt-right. Though Pinker hardly intended flattery, he drew fire from the left as the “darling” of racists, while the far-right quickly made him out as a liberal, Jewish Uncle Tom. Last August, Professor Kyle P. Quinn at the University of Arkansas and his wife began to fear for their safety when Twitter users, believing him to be one of the neo-Nazi marchers at Charlottesville, instigated a barrage of hate mail that included violent threats. When someone publicly tweeted his home address, Quinn and his wife had to go into hiding until the crusade against them subsided. In Nov. 2016, the presidential election went to then-Republican nominee Donald Trump, though suspicions of Russian hacking mired the results. Since the election, news sources have reported the possibility that the Russian government activated several thousand fake social media profiles (like it was accused of doing in France) in order to influence the election through propaganda. Commentators have yet to aggregate these and other incidents in a way that suggests a pattern. Although criticism of social media has waxed in recent years—as society has entered a stage of advanced interconnectivity—most of it has stayed the neoliberal course. The result has been a body of essays calling on individuals to police their own indulgent behaviors and framing overuse in pathological terms
(so-called “Facebook Addiction Disorder,” for example). When confronted with quagmires like Pinker’s, the usual critics ignore the manifest disjunction between individual attitudes (which are often polite) and collective behaviors (which can contradict individuals’ behavioral tendencies). They also forfeit the possibility that social technologies stand to profit from our collective degeneracy. By locating the problem in our own weakness of will, these critics offer very little in the way of actual critical analysis. Recently, some high-ranking members of the social media apparat have broken with the party line to express concern. Last winter, former Facebook vice president for user growth Chamath Palihapitiya announced that Facebook was providing the “tools that are ripping apart the social fabric.” Since then, early Facebook investor Roger McNamee published three articles deriding the company for its intended addictive quality and hands-off approach to fake news. McNamee even called on Facebook’s CEO, Mark E. Zuckerberg, to report before Congress for his company’s negligence. McNamee and Palihapitiya are welcome to wage their crusades, but their calls for reform are ultimately toothless. Palihapitiya told listeners that when he left Facebook, he forbade his own children from creating accounts. That was all he could do. McNamee proposed a government investigation into Facebook’s reckless attitude toward misinformation, but he himself has since acknowledged the insufficiency of federal oversight. This author offers an alternative to the usual incrementalism. Zuckerberg and his cohort should surrender their platforms. In the present age of advanced technology, our laissez-faire attitude toward the digital lifeworld has left us with competing assessments of our technological circumstances. One view asserts that technology—like Kant’s “wit, judgment, and… talents”— is good or bad depending on its use. So it goes that if television broadcasts propaganda it is bad, and if it broadcasts Sesame Street, it is good. The second view, which differs only slightly, holds that technology can be neither good
nor bad, as it is merely a medium. The episodes in Cambridge, Arkansas, and America at-large suggest that both of these views are lacking. Marshall McLuhan, the Canadian media theorist, famously resolved this question with the formulation that “the medium is the message.” McLuhan meant that the vehicles through which content is transmitted have their own social effects, independent of what exactly they carry. Television, according to this view, didn’t affect American households just by its sitcoms and dramas. The television itself inaugurated an era in which people read less because they could watch. It destroyed the sanctity of the dinner table by drawing the family to its evening programming. Thus, whether the monitor picked up the Muppets or Les Crane, social life was changed irrevocably. Television has benefits, of course. A “bad” medium can still transmit “good” content or demonstrate “good” use. This has been a common talking point among social justice activists, who acknowledge that social media has made educating and mobilizing easier than ever. Yet a bad medium still corrupts. The rise of “slacktivism” has only become possible with platforms like Facebook and Twitter, which function entirely through optics, making it easy to look the part of an activist. We can’t take this to mean progress. Until now, the extent of our criticism of social media has been to rearticulate the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” philosophy: cut down on Facebook time, monitor children’s Twitter and Instagram access, only follow reputable pages. But the time for these individualistic efforts is long past when professors must flee their homes to avoid a mob. The medium itself is rotten, facilitating a style of insurgent politics that exacerbates disagreement, scales misinformation, and robs users of focus. If Zuckerberg still reads The Crimson, he should take this as a friendly call to action: for the good of the culture, shut your platform down. Henry N. Brooks ’19 is a Social Studies concentrator in Currier House. His column appears on alternate Tuesdays.
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | MONTH 6, 2018 | PAGE 8
You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks By BEN I. SORKIN
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ast fall, the Undergraduate Council’s old voting system had difficulties handling election traffic. Last spring, literally no one—not even the sole candidate running—voted in the Quincy midterm elections. With this backdrop, one would hope the Council took some serious proactive steps in preparation for last week’s midterms. After many students were left waiting for the voting portal to accept their submissions in the fall, with many unable to cast a vote at all, the UC deserves credit for getting a new platform up and running for last week’s midterm election. However, a new voting system is not enough. The midterms see around a fifth of seats on the Council on the ballot, yet the election has been relegated to insignificance at best and a subversion of democracy at worst by the UC’s poor publicity efforts and short voting period. Last year, 27 students declared candidacy for 12 open seats—nothing to write home about. This time around, the ratio was even worse. Only seventeen students vied for 10 open seats, with four Houses holding uncontested elections, twice as many as last year. This should come as no surprise given several missteps in preparing the election. In their welcome back email at the beginning of the semester, UC president Catherine L. Zhang ’19 and vice president Nicholas D. Boucher ’19 advertised Houses with open UC seats, yet forgot to mention both Adams House and Leverett House. This year, neither House had a contested election. More troublingly, both Houses had returning UC members up for re-election. In both these cases, according to Leverett House representative Salma Abdelrahman ‘20, other UC officials have privately defended the failure to solicit candidates by citing the fact that seat openings came suddenly. But that is not an excuse. In spring 2017, after an Elm Yard representative left the Council on short notice, the deadline to declare candidacy for the position was extended. In Leverett House, the seat opening was known well in advance, coming as the result of a representative’s term ending on the Executive Board, yet not a single email went out about the opening. Only on Jan. 31, about halfway through the voting period, did a UC representative send an email acknowledging the shortcoming. Instead of a real fix, the Council suggested that interested students pursue a write-in campaign. This is disappointing. It delegitimized the official process by encouraging students to participate without a proper understanding of election rules, as candidates officially on the ballot must attend an information session with the Election Commission. Less than 10% of students voted in the midterm elections last year, and this year’s turnout of 371 cast ballots was even worse and unsurprising, given the Council’s apparent lack of any strategy to increase turnout. The new voting system alone is not enough. Zhang and Boucher’s automated email went out after 1 p.m. on Jan. 30, leaving less than 48 hours until the voting window closed at noon on Feb. 1. In Quincy, for example—apart from Zhang and Boucher’s Harvard-wide email—not a single email reminding students to vote was sent. The UC already saw a less-than-desirable election turnout in the fall. Comparatively, these midterms had a shorter voting window and received less publicity from the Council. This is disappointing. With a fifth of seats on the Council up for election this midterm election cycle, it was disheartening to see the UC undermine its elections by failing to give them the attention they deserve and give the candidates running their fair opportunity. During a time in the College’s history in which the UC is growing in power and influence, maintaining a democratic process and equal playing field, even in less significant elections, is critical in maintaining trust between the Council and those it serves and represents. Around the country, voter suppression is a serious problem. The events of the last week amount to just that. Harvard should at least stand to be one place that values elections and turnout. I know firsthand the impact of these failures. When I sought to run for a position this election season, I was forced to pursue a write-in campaign after being unable to formally declare my candidacy due to the Council’s communication oversight. This ultimately led to a re-election of the incumbent UC representative against whom I was running. Though my bid was unsuccessful, I am hopeful that it will lead to positive change in future elections. The UC serves as the voice of the student body, and on many counts it does a strong job representing the concerns and opinions of undergraduates. To ensure student trust and confidence in the Council, however, it is critical the UC emphasize its elections. With greater effort and focus devoted to midterm elections, the Council will continue to be an effective and democratic outlet for pursuing change on this campus. Ben I. Sorkin ‘20 is a Sociology concentrator in Leverett House. During the 2018 spring midterm elections, he unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Undergraduate Council as a write-in candidate.
The Harvard Crimson President Derek G. Xiao ’19 Managing Editor Hannah Natanson ’19 Business Manager Nathan Y. Lee ’19
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
Associate Managing Editors Mia C. Karr ’19 Claire E. Parker ’19 Associate Business Managers Dahlia S. Huh ’19 Max W. Sosland ’19 Editorial Chairs Emmanuel R. R. D’Agostino ’19 Cristian D. Pleters ’19 Arts Chairs Mila Gauvini II ’19 Grace Z. Li ’19 Blog Chairs Lydia L. Cawley ’20 Stuti Telidevara ’20 Design Chairs Morgan J. Spaulding ’19 Simon S. Sun ’19
Digital Strategists Caroline S. Engelmayer ’20 Jamie D. Halper ’20 Dianne Lee ’20 FM Chairs Marella A. Gayla ’19 Leah S. Yared ’19 Multimedia Chairs Amy Y. Li ’20 Ellis J. Yeo ’20 Sports Chairs Cade S. Palmer ’20 Jack R. Stockless ’19 Technology Chairs Nenya A. Edjah ’20 Theodore T. Liu ’20
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | FEBRUARY 6, 2018 | PAGE 9
Gov. Profs to Discuss New Book By CECILIA D’ARMS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
overnment professors Stephen R. G Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt will discuss their bestselling book, “How Democracies Die,” Wednesday, kicking off the second semester of the department’s new “Gov Books” program. Gov Books, which launched in the fall, seeks to connect students to faculty and raise awareness about ongoing faculty research, according to Government Chair Jennifer L. Hochschild. The program was the “brainchild” of George Soroka, the assistant director of undergraduate studies and a lecturer for the Government Department, according to Professor Cheryl B. Welch, who implemented the program.“We’re hoping that this breaks down some of the barriers between faculty and students,” Welch said. At Wednesday’s event, Government concentrators will have the opportunity to discuss the book with the professors and take home a signed copy. Levitsky said the book is ideal for the program because it’s written for a wide audience. “We draw on political science research, but we wrote the book in a way that is hopefully accessible to a broader public. It is a book that we hope many Harvard students will read.” Levitsky and Ziblatt both study democratic breakdowns in world history, and their New York Times bestselling book lays out trends in modern American politics which, they argue, indicate American democracy may be in danger. “Nobody ever thinks about a serious democratic crisis, a constitutional crisis in the United States,” Levitsky said. “Because we take our democracy and our democratic stability for granted.” Levitsky pointed to the 2016 election as the impetus of the decision to co-write the book with Ziblatt. “The [Trump] campaign is what pushed us over the edge. This is the first time in more than a century that
either party had nominated a candidate with such demonstrably weak commitment to democratic and constitutional norms,” Levitsky said. “But when we started doing the research, we realized that the problem runs quite a bit deeper than Trump.” The book compares a weakening of “key democratic norms” in the United States over the last 25 years to histor-
Nobody ever thinks about a serious democratic crisis, a constitutional crisis in the United States.
Harvard’s Director of Labor and Employee Relations Paul R. Curran sent an email to University affiliates Monday discussing the University’s preparations for the April student unionization election. Curran’s email follows an NLRB announcement Friday that a second election to determine whether eligible graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants may collectively bargain will be held on April 18 and 19. In his email, Curran outlined which students would be eligible to vote in the upcoming election. The basis for inclusion on the new voter list remains the same as the original criteria which the University, the Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Auto Workers, and the National Labor Relations Board negotiated in 2015, when the unionization process began. The interpretation of these criteria, as well as the accuracy of the voter list, was a point of contention in the 2016 unionization election. HGSU-UAW successfully argued that the 2016 voter list was inadequate to the NLRB, which mandated the
UC FROM PAGE 1 A rnav Agrawal ’20, who co-sponsored the resolution to conduct the survey, said the survey will serve as a “temperature check” of the student body on issues of mental health. “We would like to use this as a metaphorical tape measure to calculate our distance from that ever-elusive destination of perfect inclusion at Harvard,” Agrawal said. In addition, Agrawal said he hopes the survey will help destigmatize mental health and promote dialogue between students and their UC representatives. “I think that this will help foster communication and conversation between the UC and the general student body, foster conversations in dining halls, and start normalizing mental health,” Agrawal said. Multiple representatives were reluctant to vote to approve the survey without additional questions focusing
on sexual violence. “I view [sexual violence] and mental health as inseparable,” Lowell House Representative Michael Scherr ’20 said. “I haven’t heard enough in terms of how this was geared towards gender inclusivity and to represent all Harvard students.” In response to the concerns, Lowell House Representative Julia Huesa ’20 proposed an amendment adding two questions to the survey. The first question will ask respondents whether they have “experienced sexual violence” during their time at Harvard. The second asks about respondents’ experiences with institutional bodies on campus relating to sexual assault and harassment. Agrawal agreed to accept the amendment, but said the mental health advisors that he and other survey leaders consulted with expressed their desire to save questions about sexual assault for a separate survey. Quincy House Representative Sar-
ah Fellman ’18 said that she also worried that the response rate would not be high enough to accurately represent the student body’s opinions. “I think it’s something we have to work really hard on to try to figure out what we’re going to do to actually get people to take this survey,” Fellman said. Fellman pointed to the 53 percent response rate on the 2015 Sexual Assault Climate Survey despite numerous entreaties to complete the survey by influential figures including Conan O’Brien and University President Drew G. Faust. UC President Catherine L. Zhang ’19 announced at the meeting that over 50 professors, including former University President Lawrence H. Summers, have agreed to host a dinner as part of Harvard Conversations, a new Council initiative modeled off the popular Classroom to Table program. The UC agreed to partly fund the program at last week’s general meeting.
Stephen R. Levitsky
Columbia Rejects Labor Talks
ical democratic crises in Latin America and Europe, according to Levitsky, and warns that the combination of President Trump’s “demagogic” rhetoric and hyperpartisanship in Congress could weaken democratic institutions. Levitsky cited recent events like Republicans’ blocking of President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nomination and the recent government shutdown in January as emblematic of this hyperpartisanship. The book also offers action items for concerned citizens, including undergraduates. “Democrats should fight, they should protest, they should resist Trump in an energetic manner, but they should do so in a way that is norm-defending, not norm-violating,” Levitsky said.
COLUMBIA FROM PAGE 1
Government Professor
Curran Details Election Processes By SHERA S. AVI-YONAH and MOLLY C. MCCAFFERTY
UC Approves Student Survey
second election in January. After negotiations over when the new list should be generated, the NLRB determined that the final voter list will be based on the March 12 payroll. Harvard will begin to contact eligible voters in mid-February. Curran said that the University plans to send email updates to students on the voter list along with information about the voting process and polling locations. These reminders will continue until the dates of the election. Curran also encouraged eligible students to vote, echoing previous statements by the University. Harvard has not taken an official position on whether graduate students should form a union, but has encouraged voters to read both pro- and anti-unionization material in its communications. “Everyone who is eligible to vote should vote, because the election will be decided only by those who cast ballots, just like any political election,” Curran wrote. “This means that if you are in the bargaining unit that the HGSU-UAW proposes to represent, the outcome of this election will affect you whether or not you vote.”
Workers say they plan to file an unfair labor practice claim with the National Labor Relations Board. In his email, Coatsworth wrote that recognizing a graduate students union would compromise the university’s educational mission, and that the university seeks to pursue “the legal process” before collectively bargaining with students. “We remain convinced that the relationship of graduate students to the faculty that instruct them must not be reduced to ordinary terms of employment,” Coatsworth wrote. Labor experts said Columbia’s refusal to bargain and the resulting NLRB proceedings could impact Harvard’s upcoming unionization election. A 2016 National Labor Relations Board decision at Columbia set the precedent for graduate student unionization at private universities, but will likely be reversed by a Republican-led board, according to former NLRB chairman William B. Gould IV and University of Oregon Professor of Labor Education Gordon Lafer. “Most NLRBs and most courts would say, well, we’re not going to decide the question of whether or not Columbia University was correctly decided until we’ve decided whether the union’s complaints have merit,” said Gould, who is currently a law professor at Stanford. “But this board is very
anxious to reverse as much Obama-era precedent as it can.” Any decision by the NLRB stating that graduate students may not unionize would imperil the unionization effort at Harvard. Eligible graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants are set to vote in April on whether or not to collectively bargain with the University through Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers. Gould said, however, that the NLRB is unlikely to stop graduate unionization by directly ruling in the Columbia case. He added that NLRB Chairman Marvin E. Kaplan, who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year, will likely recuse himself from the ongoing case due to family ties with the university, leaving the board with two Democrats and one Republican. Trump has also yet to formally nominate a fifth member, who is expected to vote against continuing to recognize graduate students as workers. “There are only three people who can vote on this refusal to bargain, and I would imagine that they would handle this in the normal way. Trump has expressed an intent to nominate someone else, a fifth person, to be on the board,” Gould said. “But even if that happens, and I don’t think they’re going to delay handling the case, and the vote would still be 2-2, which would uphold the regional director’s decision.” Gould said it is more likely that a Re-
publican-led NLRB would seek to reverse the 2016 Columbia precedent by ruling in a different graduate unionization dispute where Kaplan would not have a conflict of interest. Yale, Boston College, and several other universities currently have pending appeals of the 2016 Columbia decision before the NLRB. The full NLRB may hear these cases in the coming months, possibly resulting in a decision to reverse the graduate unionization precedent. Union organizers at both Columbia and Harvard were critical of Columbia’s decision to decline GWC-UAW’s bargaining request. Olga Brudastova, a Columbia graduate student and union organizer, called the University’s decision “outrageous” in an email. “We will continue the fight with any means necessary until Columbia and all other universities agree to respect the democratic choice of graduate workers to unionize,” Brudastova said. Andrew B. Donnelly, an HGSU-UAW organizer, echoed Brudastova’s remarks and criticized Columbia’s decision not to recognize its graduate student union. “I think it’s clear that these universities are siding with, they’re using, the Trump board. They’re using his rightwing nationalist government in order to undermine the labor rights of their employees,” Donnelly said. “They’re perfectly willing to go along with the Trump administration when it affects their bottom line.”
Scientists Find Rare Hemlock Tree TREE FROM PAGE 1 the Arboretum in the early 2000s. “There was one of these hemlock trees that when [Havill] looked at the DNA analysis on it, he said, ‘You know, I’ve looked at a lot of hemlock trees, and this one says it’s this Japanese species, Tsuga sieboldii, but the genetics don’t line up with the other Tsuga sieboldiis. There’s something a little bit different from it,’” Del Tredici said. About three years later, Del Tredici and a colleague traveled to the small Korean island from which they had received the tree’s seeds in 1980 and collected samplings from 30 trees for analysis. Garth Holman, then a PhD stu-
dent at the University of Maine, analyzed the DNA from these specimens, compared them to their Japanese and Chinese counterparts, and confirmed that the Ulleungdo hemlock was indeed a unique species. The research team published a paper on their findings in December. “Finally, we came to the conclusion that this species that grew on this one island off the coast of Korea—that’s the only place it grows—was probably a remnant of a much bigger hemlock population that used to be on the Korean peninsula,” Del Tredici said, explaining the discovery. “Because it was warmer, this one species managed to survive out on the island when it was completely wiped
out from the mainland.” Del Tredici said the Ulleungdo hemlock could have far-reaching implications for other rare and endangered species. “What’s really important here is that this island off the coast of Korea is not just a refuge for hemlocks, but there are about 20 or 30 other species that are only found on this one island,” Del Tredici said. “It’s a little bit like a Galapagos-type situation, where evolution has sort of proceeded on its own because it’s isolated from the mainland,” he said. “It’s really important from a conservation point of view that this island be rigorously protected.”
Office of Civil Rights Investigates Harvard Title IX Complaints TITLE IX FROM PAGE 1 enforces the law, which applies to all educational institutions that receive federal funding. The complaint that prompted the 2016 investigation into the College was originally filed with OCR in May 2015. In the complaint, the petitioning individual claims the College discriminated against him on the basis of sex due to the amount of time that had elapsed since Harvard had received the initial sexual assault complaint. The specific date of the sexual assault claim was redacted from the documents provided by the Department of Education, along with many identifying details. “While OCR does not require that an investigation be completed in 60 days, it is required that the resolution of sexual violence complaints be prompt and equitable,” the complainant wrote. “There have been very few attempts to make the process more swift and many instances in which the process was extended unnecessarily.” It is not clear from the documents whether the petitioner was the alleged victim or alleged perpetrator in the incident in question.OCR opened an investigation into his complaint in March 2016, and the office sent a letter to University President Drew G. Faust announcing the inquiry. “The complainant alleged that the
College discriminated against students on the basis of sex by failing to promptly and equitably respond to reports and/or incidents of sexual as-
There have been very few attempts to make the process more swift and many instances in which the process was extended unnecessarily. 2015 Complainant sault and harassment and, as a result, students were subjected to a sexually hostile environment,” the letter reads. “The OCR has determined that this allegation is appropriate for investigation.” The Crimson reported the existence of this investigation in November, and later acquired documents specifying the allegations made in
2016 via a Freedom of Information Act request. The College also faces an open investigation into a widely-publicized 2014 complaint and another that OCR launched against the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2017. Harvard has overhauled its Title IX administration and adopted a new University-wide sexual assault policy since the first investigation began in 2014. The University restructured its Title IX office last year, splitting its educational and support resources from its investigative arm, now called the Office for Dispute Resolution. The school has also implemented new sexual harassment training programs both online and in person for students and employees across the University. The 2016 and 2017 OCR documents show that the federal office initially joined the 2017 complaint against FAS and GSAS with the earlier College cases, later splitting that complaint to consider it separately. OCR contacted the complainant and Victoria L. Steinberg ’01, a lawyer connected to the 2017 case, to inform them that OCR was revising its scope of investigation and considering the claims independently. The documents did not make clear whom Steinberg represented in the case.
Colby Bruno, a lawyer with the Victim Rights Law Center, said it is common for complaints against a school to be combined initially with other pending investigations. “If you have multiple complaints against one school, they will often join them to ensure that the same investi-
Harvard responds fairly and purposefully to allegations of sexual assault among its students, faculty, and staff. Tania DeLuzuriaga University Spokesperson
gator has access to all of the information,” she said. But, she said, if one case alleges additional types of violations, the complainant or OCR may seek to remove that case and consider it separately. Like the 2016 complaint, the 2017
case raises concerns about promptness and equity in an investigation into a sexual assault allegation, though it also includes separate accusations against GSAS. That case also asks OCR to examine whether the school inadequately published grievance procedures, failed to appoint a Title IX coordinator to oversee University-wide efforts to comply with Title IX, and failed to publish notices of non-discrimination. University spokesperson Tania DeLuzuriaga defended the University’s approach to handling complaints of sexual assault in a statement Monday. “Harvard responds fairly and purposefully to allegations of sexual assault among its students, faculty, and staff. The University has, in recent years, invested a great deal in ensuring the community has resources to prevent and respond to instances of sexual assault,” she wrote. She added, “These efforts include the adoption of a new Title IX Policy and Procedures in 2014, the creation of the Office for Dispute Resolution where trained professionals neutrally investigate allegations of policy violations, and increased training and resources to both prevent and respond to incidents.” —Staff writer Jamie D. Halper can be reached at jamie.halper@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @jamiedhalper.
SPORTS
THE HARVARD CRIMSON | FEBRUARY 6, 2018 | PAGE 10
Crimson Loses Thriller to BU in Beanpot Opener, 3-2 MEN’S ICE HOCKEY By SPENCER R. MORRIS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
BOSTON — A big stage. Two big teams. A big finish. None of these circumstances were the least bit surprising in Monday night’s Beanpot semifinal game between the Harvard men’s hockey team and Boston University. The bout required extra time to declare a winner, but after 23 minutes of overtime hockey, that winner was BU, courtesy of freshman forward Ty Amonte. The Terriers edged the Crimson, 3-2, and will advance to play Northeastern in next Monday’s tournament finale. With tired legs on both sides of the ice, the rookie strode into the offensive zone with the puck and fired a wrist shot short-side on tri-captain goaltender Merrick Madsen. The seemingly routine save snuck by Madsen and cued the cheers from what remained of a BU fan section. “The game was a series of momentum swings,” said Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91. “I thought both teams battled, both goalies made some big saves, and as often happens in overtime, it’s not necessarily this great Picasso that ends up in the net.” Despite the ending, Madsen’s overall performance (39 SV, 2.20 GAA, .929 SV%) was solid and included some game-changing saves. Staring down the ice at the Arizona Coyotes prospect, however, freshman net-minder Jake Oettinger put forth an even sturdier effort (47 SV, 1.46 GAA, .959 SV%) for BU (15-11-2, 10-7-2 Hockey East). “Our goalie stood tall when he had to,” Terriers coach David Quinn said. “He was huge in the second period, made some big saves [on] the penalty kill and [in] the overtime.” The Crimson (10-9-4, 9-5-3 ECAC) entered this year’s Beanpot looking to defend last year’s tournament crown. With the loss, though, the program’s pursuit of its first back-to-back Beanpot victories comes to an end. The prospect of the Beanpot’s first Harvard-Northeastern final—in 66 years of the tournament—also died with Amonte’s double-overtime game-winner. “When you win, they’re a dream,” said coach Donato bluntly, when asked about intense overtime games. “We have a lot of smart kids in the [locker] room, so to come up with something after the game that isn’t shallow or madeup [is difficult]…. The stakes are huge,
and the winner moves on and the loser is heartbroken.” The two teams getting to overtime The puck dropped in the third period with the two teams even at one. Harvard was carrying play offensively, outshooting BU, 32-17, through 40 minutes. But the ice tilt didn’t stop the Terriers from seizing the lead. Just 32 seconds into the final frame, BU captain Brandon Hickey fired a shot at the Crimson’s own letter-wearer, Madsen. The net-minder gave up a juicy rebound, and a charging Hickey regained the puck before backhanding one past the goal line. Not deterred by the early tally, Harvard equalized a mere minute and a half later. Sophomore forward Nathan Krusko tapped a puck into the neutral zone and started a 3-on-2 headed toward Oettinger. Krusko, last year’s Beanpot MVP (2–1—3 in 2017 final), got the puck back after crossing into the offensive zone. His slapshot bounced up high on Oettinger, and freshman forward Jack Badini, streaking into the goal area, hammered it home. “Just having guys ready for every play after a goal they score [or] a goal we score is something we wanted to harp on at the beginning of the year,” junior forward Ryan Donato said. “Those are kind of the big shifts, right after a goal or right after a power play.” Badini was one of three freshmen between both teams to score in the contest. So much for rookies shying away from big moments. The Anaheim Ducks prospect notched his first Beanpot goal in his first tournament game. Coach Donato, though, was among the least surprised regarding Badini’s precocious play. “We’re just about at the time of year where there really aren’t any freshmen anymore,” said the bench boss last week. “At least the teams that are going to have success are not worried about whether the guy is a freshman or not.” Play soon settled down, and despite solid chances both ways, the teams’ skated to a tie through regulation, setting the stage for Amonte’s eventual game-winner. Coming into the overtime classic, the Terriers were enjoying their best hockey of the season. Winners of its last five and unbeaten in its last seven before the tilt, BU has resurrected its season after playing a portion of the campaign below .500. Due to the recent favorable results, BU was knocking on the door of Monday morning’s USCHO top-20 rank-
HANDSHAKES AND HEARTBREAK Harvard and BU line up after the double-overtime marathon. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
ings, receiving the most votes among teams not on the big board. Between the Terriers’ recent hot stretch and their desire to avenge last year’s final defeat, the Crimson faced a plenty-motivated squad. Another important win in the Beanpot semifinal may vault the squad back into the poll. Unlike in the teams’ 2017 Beanpot meeting, BU opened the scoring in Monday’s tilt. Harvard sophomore John Marino went to the box for crosschecking Terriers freshman Brady Tkachuk, and BU cashed in on the subsequent power play. Eight minutes into the opening frame, rookie forward Logan Cockerill saw a puck bounce out to the left of Madsen and wasted no time putting his fourth of the season past the tri-captain. The power play proved futile once again for Harvard, as coach Donato’s group went 0-for-3 with the man-advantage against the Terriers. The team has now gone scoreless on the power play in four straight games, going
0-for-14 over that time. Even strength, the Crimson looked more dominant. Despite entering the middle frame trailing by a goal, Harvard continued to throw everything it had on Oettinger. After an ambitious 28 shot attempts (12 SOG) in the first, the team continued more of the same in the second stanza, only this time getting more pucks through the defense and on cage. Of its 32 attempts that period, the Crimson hit the target 20 times. “For us, it was a tale of two games,” said coach Quinn, lauding Harvard’s dominance in the middle portion of the bout. “Our first period was okay, the second period might have been as bad a period as we’ve played all year. We talked in between the second and third periods. We felt very fortunate that it was a 1-1 hockey game.” Eventually, the surge of offense was too much for Oettinger and the Terriers blue line. 35 minutes into the game, Harvard’s Ty, he of the Pelton-Byce variety, evened the contest with a top-
shelf wrister. Donato emerged from a board-battle with puck at the right circle. The Scituate, Mass., native turned goalward, where Oettinger was waiting with squared shoulders. Despite his reputation as a sniper, Donato fed PeltonByce in the high slot, and a quick release from the sophomore found twine. The goal marked Pelton-Byce’s first career Beanpot point. Donato now says goodbye to his team—albeit temporarily—and ships off to PyeongChang, South Korea, to represent team USA in the Winter Olympics. One of the Crimson’s main tasks moving forward will be maintaining offensive firepower without the team’s centerpiece. Monday’s affair marks the second time in four seasons that Harvard has gone to double overtime with BU. In 2015, the Crimson fell, 4-3, to the Terriers in the second frame of extra time. Staff writer Spencer R. Morris can be reached at spencer.morris@thecrimson.com.
Harvard Edges Out Cornell on Road in Tight Victory
ZERO PRISONERS Sophomore forward Chris Lewis boxes out to rebound a free throw against Cornell. HENRY ZHU—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
MEN’S BASKETBALL By HENRY ZHU CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
ITHACA, N.Y.—Despite holding the lead for less than nine minutes on Saturday night, the Harvard men’s basketball team narrowly edged out Cornell 76-73 to conclude its six-game road trip. A perfect 10-for-10 mark at the free throw line in the second half and balanced scoring that saw four members of the Crimson (10-11, 5-1 Ivy League) finish in double figures were critical in the tight victory. Harvard’s backcourt, led by sophomore guards Christian Juzang and Justin Bassey, effectively contained Big Red star Matt Morgan, who finished with less than 20 total points for the first time since Jan. 13 against Princeton. However, a stellar shooting night from junior forward Stone Gettings proved to be a much larger
headache for the Crimson. Gettings knocked down half of his field goals and three-point shots for a game-high 32 points. Although Cornell (8-11, 2-4) shot inconsistently at the charity stripe in front of the home crowd —finishing the contest 10-of-18 —its leading scorer had converted on all of his free throw attempts going into the final minute of action. Down by three with 40 seconds to play, Big Red forward Josh Warren threw an overhead pass towards Gettings, who promptly attacked the rim and converted on the and-one. Shouldered with the most critical free throw of the contest, Gettings was unable to maintain the steady hand that he had held for most of the game. The free throw clanked off the back iron, preserving a one-point Harvard lead. From there, the Crimson converted on its free throws and held on for the three-point victory. “It’s always tough playing on the
road in the league, so coming in we knew it was going to be a tough one like it was last night,” sophomore forward Seth Towns said. “Last two minutes, it was the same as it always is in crunch time. Just coming out with the W, just being in the moment and getting it done.” Unlike its most recent Ivy League games, Harvard fell behind early and had to climb its way back into the contest before intermission. Sophomore forward Chris Lewis and freshman forward Danilo Djuricic were the sole offensive contributors in the game’s first eight minutes, combining for 12 points. Defensively, the Crimson’s perimeter defensive gaps resulted in four made threes for the Big Red, three of which came from Gettings. Down 23-16 at the 9:30 mark of the first half, Harvard coach Tommy Amaker inserted sophomore forward Robert Baker into the lineup. The 6’11” stretch big had been sidelined
since Jan. 6 at Dartmouth, but quickly shook off any rust he may have held. Baker converted on a lay-up within 20 seconds of checking in and snatched a takeaway in the paint two defensive possessions later. In nine minutes of action, the sophomore tallied four points, four rebounds, and one block. “We were a little gassed and tired and the guys [that] came off the bench… we need all those bodies to help us and to have positive minutes,” Amaker said. “In particular Robert, a shot in the arm off the bench.” Soon after Baker checked out of the game at the five-minute mark, a corner three from Juzang evened the game at 30. Towns, who was coming off a career-high 31 points against Columbia, provided another jolt of energy for the Crimson after a previously quiet start. The Columbus, Ohio native widened the margin to five, Harvard’s largest lead of the first half, after converting on a triple followed immediately by a deuce. Towns executed a plethora of ball-handling moves to open up shooting space, a facet of the game that he has developed extensively in his collegiate career. Both teams shot over 45 percent in the first half and had nearly identical rebounding and assist numbers. Compared to last night’s three-point bonanza in Morningside Heights in which the Crimson attempted 37 triples, the team was more selective from deep range on Saturday night. Harvard converted seven of 12 three pointers in the first half, and limited itself to 23 total attempts at a 47.8 percent clip. Similar to Friday’s outing, the Crimson emerged from halftime lackadaisical on both ends of the court. The Big Red spurred a 13-6 run in the first four minutes to build a 51-46 lead. Cornell coach Brian Earl borrowed from the Columbia defensive playbook, engaging a full-court press on Amaker’s squad. Harvard handed the ball over twice in the first two minutes and struggled to adjust to the high-octane pace from the Big Red. “It’s not like we haven’t seen [press defense] before or practiced against it, but we’ve been very tentative,” Amaker said. “I think I mentioned that last night and again tonight. We’ve just were not as aggressive going against it as we should be and we have some work to do.” Bassey was able to break the team’s
shooting slumps with a triple at the 15:33 mark, but the make was soon matched by strong interior play from several of Cornell’s bigs. Warren particularly had success inside with Lewis on the bench, outmuscling Djuricic for an easy basket at the rim, slightly missing on a layup, and drawing a shooting foul on Djuricic in consecutive possessions leading up to the frame’s second media timeout. Despite the challenging defensive matchup, Djuricic had another impressive night coming off of Amaker’s bench. In 27 minutes, the freshman was three-of-five from deep while adding two blocks. This game marks the third straight contest in which Djuricic has converted on at least one triple. After another scoring slump from both teams leading up to the nine-minute mark, the Crimson was re-energized by a lay-up off the left backboard from Lewis followed by a three from junior wing Corey Johnson, bringing its deficit to one point. The ensuing minutes were largely a back-and-forth affair, with the Big Red unable to extend its lead beyond four. Harvard, down one point with three minutes remaining, took advantage of a missed bonus free throw from Morgan and regained the lead off of a Djuricic three. A minute later, Towns followed with a triple of his own from the top of the arc to extend the margin to 72-69. “It was a big shot,” Towns said. “I had faith in it and I know my teammates did, but it was just a big shot for us. We weren’t going in those last five minutes offensively like we wanted to so just a shot like that, from anybody… I would’ve been just as enthusiastic.” Accurate free throw shooting completed the Crimson’s successful fight back into the contest, a theme that has been prevalent throughout the season. After tonight’s win, the team’s season free throw percentage stands at 75.7 percent, second in the Ivy League behind Brown. “I just thought that we showed great composure and were incredibly efficient down the stretch offensively,” Amaker said. “Big shots by Seth and Danillo and tremendous free throw shooting down the stretch, very, very proud of that.” Staff writer Henry Zhu can be reached at henry. zhu@thecrimson.com.