The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLIX, No. 85

HARVARD CRIMSON

College Hosts Off-Cycle Graduation

CYCLING OUT.

Harvard College held its annual Midyear Graduates Celebration Friday afternoon, honoring more than 170 seniors who are graduating off-cycle. The celebration recognized November and March degree candidates who finished coursework over the summer and this term.

Living On LIPP

STAFF EDITORIAL.

Beneath all the noise of the national narrative about a free speech crisis lies a far more complex, insidious issue — to solve the free speech crisis requires we realize that it is not about free speech at all.

HKS Lacks Accessible Spaces, Report Says

BY MILES J. HERSZENHORN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

A majority of Harvard Kennedy School affiliates with disabilities said the school is not inclusive of people with disabilities and lacks accessibility, according to a newly released report from the HKS Disability Justice Caucus.

The report surveyed 379 HKS affiliates, representing 27 percent of students, 36 percent of faculty, and 11 percent of staff. Respondents answered a series of questions about accessibility issues at the school and the prevalence of disability policy issues in HKS courses. Members of the Disability Justice Caucus used the report’s findings to produce recommendations for the Kennedy School’s administration to improve the school’s accessibility.

BY RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN, ELIAS J. SCHISGALL, LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ, AND BRANDON L. KINGDOLLAR CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

BOSTON — Former Harvard fencing coach Peter Brand is facing trial in federal court as prosecutors seek to convince a jury he carried out a bribery scheme that leveraged his team’s recruiting spots for more than $1.5 million in kickbacks from a wealthy Maryland businessman who was desperate to get his sons admitted to the College.

Brand was struggling to pay his bills in the early 2010s when he was connected with Jie “Jack” Zhao, prosecutors said during the first day of a federal trial in which the two men face bribery charges.

“As if by magic, someone began making his bills disappear, one by one,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ian J. Stearns told jurors in his opening statement. “That person paid off his loans and college tuition for his son.”

“Who paid for all those bills for Peter and why? The answer is sitting right there,” Stearns said, pointing toward Zhao, who sat stoically behind the defense table in a courtroom at the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in downtown Boston.

Brand and Zhao were arrested in 2020 and later indicted by a grand jury on bribery charges. As part of the bribery scheme, prosecutors say, Zhao bought Brand’s home for almost twice its market value, paid off the coach’s loans, and covered his son’s college tuition.

A defense attorney for Brand, who was fired by Harvard in 2019, painted a starkly different picture during his opening statement Monday, telling jurors that the government has “chased newspaper headlines, rushed to judgment, and ignored all the facts.”

Lawyers for Brand and Zhao told jurors that Zhao’s two sons, Eric Y. Zhao ’18 and Edward Y. Zhao ’21, were accepted to Harvard on their own merits. The boys “checked off every box imaginable,” said Douglas Brooks, Brand’s attorney.

The defense attorneys also rejected

“This

Day 1

Following opening statements on Monday, a key government witness, Alexandre Ryjik, who coached Zhao’s sons at a Virginia-based fencing academy he founded in 1991, told jurors he acted as the middleman between Zhao and Brand in the bribery scheme.

Defense attorneys painted Ryjik as a liar and an unreliable witness who is cooperating with prosecutors to avoid his own criminal liability.

“Ryjik is a thief, a cheat, and a liar, and the government knows it,” said Brooks, Brand’s attorney.

In his testimony, Ryjik admitted to paying off personal expenses with his fencing academy’s credit card, misrepresenting his fencing credentials on the academy’s website, and unintentionally underreporting its revenue on federal loan applications.

“He’s got a free ride thanks to the government, and he’s trying to take that baby all the way home here to trial,” Michael Packard, an attorney for Zhao, told jurors. “He will lie to you.”

Prosecutors say Ryjik helped carry out the bribery scheme. The Soviet-born fencing instructor arranged for Zhao to donate $1 million to his nonprofit, a sum he planned to direct to a foundation run by Brand. Only $100,000 was ultimately transferred between the two sides.

Ryjik testified that Zhao told him “more

than once” his sons’ admission to Harvard “would be worth a million dollars” to him.

At the time, Ryjik did not take the comments seriously, he said.

Brand wrote in a 2012 text message to Zhao that Zhao’s “boys don’t have to be great fencers. All I need is a good incentive to recruit them[.] You can tell him that[.]”

Ryjik testified that he and Brand discussed the idea of exchanging money for recruiting spots at a dinner in California during the United States Fencing Association National Championships in the summer of 2012.

Ryjik said Brand told him “he wanted his future to be secure,” offering to recruit Zhao’s sons in exchange for payment.

Ryjik and Zhao developed an escrow agreement that would direct $500,000 to Ryjik when each of Zhao’s sons were admitted to Harvard, Ryjik testified. Ryjik said the agreement was designed “so it looks like money goes to me,” while it was in fact intended for Brand. He told jurors that he and Zhao “discussed different ways to get the money to Peter Brand,” ultimately settling on moving the money through Ryjik’s tax-exempt foundation to one Brand would set up.

In 2013, four days after Zhao informed Brand via email that his oldest son planned to apply to Harvard College, Zhao made a $1 million donation to Ryjik’s nonprofit, the National Fencing Foundation.

Ryjik testified that Brand had told him by that point he would recruit his son in exchange for payment.

Packard, Zhao’s lawyer, said Zhao’s donation was simply a gift to Ryjik’s foundation.

Pfoho Faculty Deans to Step Down

BY LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ AND VIVI E. LU CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Pforzheimer House Faculty Deans Anne Harrington ’82 and John R. Durant will step down at the end of the 2022-2023 academic year after a 10-year tenure, the pair announced in an email to house residents Monday.

Harrington, a professor and director of undergraduate studies in the History of Science, and Durant, the director of the MIT Museum and an adjunct professor at MIT, assumed their positions in the 2013-2014 school year. The two described their transition out of the roles as “bittersweet.”

“The opportunity to lead a House at Harvard College is one of the greatest privileges available to a faculty member,” the faculty deans wrote in the email.

“Faculty Deans agree at the outset to accept this privilege for a period of time, and to then pass it forward. Our time has now come to pass our leadership role onto a successor.”

In the emailed announcement, the deans said their tenure has been a “profoundly meaningful journey.”

“I hope it is clear: you are not just ‘students’ to us, and this is not just a ‘job’ for us – you are part of our pfamily, and we will carry your love and memories of our time together forward forever,” they wrote.

The search process for the house’s next deans will begin in the coming days, according to Harrington and Durant’s email. During the process, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana solicits interest from tenured faculty, assembles a search committee to conduct interviews with house residents, and consults with University administrators before selecting the next faculty deans.

“The College will be putting a

HKS

prosecutors’ bribery allegations.

is a friend loaning a friend money,” Brooks said of the payments Zhao made on Brand’s behalf between 2012 and 2015, adding that they were all later repaid with interest.

LIPP SERVICE? Harvard Law School’s Low Income Protection Plan promises a path to public service with loan repayment assistance. But alumni say its financial support falls short. SEE PAGE 5

SAMI E. TURNER — CRIMSON DESIGNER

A FEDERAL JURY is hearing arguments in the bribery case brought against former Harvard fencing coach Peter Brand and ex-Harvard College parent Jie “Jack” Zhao.

Harvard fired Peter Brand in 2019.

LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Jie “Jack” Zhao is facing bribery charges.

ELIAS J. SCHISGALL — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Fourth Boba Shop, Möge Tee, to Splash into Harvard Square

COLLEGE AWARDS

Sílvia Casacuberta Puig ’23 Named Eighth 2022 Harvard Rhodes Scholar

HUA Allocates Nearly $17,000

Funding at Final Fall Meeting

in

AROUND THE IVIES

A month and a half ago, Princeton junior Misrach Ewunetie was found dead on campus after having been reported missing for four days. Public officials say the investigation into her death by Princeton’s Department of Public Safety is ongoing, and the autopsy report might not be released for 12-16 weeks, the Daily Princetonian reported on Dec. 2. Law enforcement believes existing evidence does not point to foul play or criminal activity.

Columbia’s student worker union hosted its second rally of the semester on Dec. 2 to demand “timely and complete pay” and an end to “free teaching labor,” the Columbia Spectator reported Monday. Student Workers of Columbia-United Automobile Workers also rallied against police presence on campus after two New York Police Department officers interrupted a SWCUAW general body meeting Nov. 21. The union also demands an open meeting with Columbia about the delayed payments and the increased pay and pay parity stipulations in the union’s contract with the University.

Brown University announced that it amended its nondiscrimination policy to prohibit discrimination based on caste Dec. 1, The Brown Daily Herald reported Tuesday. The move follows similar moves from Harvard, Brandeis University, and the California State University system. The caste system in India assigns social status and barriers based on heredity, separating people into five different caste groups: Brahmins, the highest caste group, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, and Dalits, historically known as the “untouchables.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

University of Pennsylvania law professor Amy Wax, a self-described “race realist” with a history of making racist, homophobic, and xenophobic statements on national television and podcasts, has seen below-average enrollment in her classes, an analysis by The Daily Pennsylvanian found Monday. Only two students enrolled in her seminar this semester, LAW 9560: “Conservative Political and Legal Thought,” which has a cap of 14 students. Penn Carey Law Dean Theodore W. “Ted” Ruger launched an investigation into Wax’s behavior in January and has charged Wax with violating university standards. Ruger further recommended the Faculty Senate to levy a “major sanction” against the law professor, which may result in end to Wax’s tenure protections — or her termination.

The Week in Pictures

THE TRIAL BEGINS. Peter Brand, Harvard’s former longtime fencing coach who is on trial for admissions bribery, stands outside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston. Brand and ex-Harvard College parent Jie “Jack” Zhao were arrested more than two years ago and later indicted by grand jury on bribery charges. In exchange for Zhao’s sons’ admission into college, Zhao paid for Brand’s mortgage, home renovations, car loans, utility bills, son’s tuition, and other bills, amounting to more than $1.5 million in alleged bribes.

BY ELIAS J. SCHISGALL

READING WEEK. As the College counted down to fall final exam period, students spent reading week studying in Harvard’s various libraries. Lamont library’s second floor offered a quiet refuge for undergraduates preparing for exams or completing semester projects. BY JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

MARCH IN THE YARD. More than two dozen students held a a vigil and staged a rally in Harvard Yard on Wednesday afternoon to protest the recent killings of several Palestinian citizens.

BY MILES J. HERSZENHORN — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

MOZZA STICKS. Good news for midnight snackers: Winthrop House Grille is opening for the first time since it closed during the pandemic. BY TRUONG L. NGUYEN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

SQUASH IT. Harvard men’s and women’s squash teams started the season strong, winning their season-opening matches.

BY LANI TRAN — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

CHILLY CAMBRIDGE. Students scooter and walk across Cambridge as the temperature drops. Make sure to bundle up! BY TRUONG L. NGUYEN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

LOVE AND JOY. Philip W. Lovejoy, the outgoing executive director of the Harvard Alumni Association, spoke to off-cycle Harvard College graduates on Friday at Harvard’s Science Center. Lovejoy is set to depart the HAA at the end of the month.

BY ADDISON Y. LIU— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

CRUNCH TIME. Finals are upon us, and students are flocking to libraries and quiet study areas to draft papers, finish projects, and make flash cards.

BY JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

FORMER FENCING COACH ON TRIAL

THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

THE COLIMBIA SPECTATOR

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

MONEY MOVES. The Harvard Undergraduate Association convened for its final general meeting of the fall semester Sunday, allocating nearly $17,000 in grants for social, academic, and professional development initiatives. With the Association’s inaugural semester drawing to a close, the body also outlined plans for an “organizational review,” which could see the creation of an “Inclusion Team” and an expanded “Co-Treasurer” position.

BY J. SELLERS HILL — CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

BRITAIN BOUND. Dunster House resident Sílvia Casacuberta Puig ’22-’23, who hails from Barcelona, Spain, was selected as an international Rhodes Scholar last month. Casacuberta, a Math and Computer Science concentrator, is the eighth Harvard senior to be selected for the 2023 Rhodes Scholarship. BY RAHEM D. HAMID — CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

BOBA BONANZA. Boba shop Möge Tee will open in Harvard Square in early 2023 at 54 JFK St. — the same location as Boston Tea Stop, which closed its doors in December 2021.

The number of Harvard Square boba shops has multiplied in recent months, with Gong Cha and Tiger Sugar joining Kung Fu Tea this fall. Möge Tee will be the fourth shop to open by Harvard’s campus.

BY KATE DELVAL GONZALEZ — CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

IN THE REAL WORLD

Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) defeated former NFL running back Herschel Walker in a runoff election on Tuesday, after neither candidate secured a majority in the November midterms, Politico reported Tuesday. Warnock’s victory over Walker, who was endorsed by former President Donald J. Trump, gives Democrats a 51 - 49 majority in the U.S. Senate. Warnock, who first won an appended two-year term in a 2021 special election runoff, will now serve a full six-year term as Georgia’s senator, alongside fellow Democrat Jon Ossoff (D-GA).

HISTORICIZING SECULAR STUDIES ACROSS THE DISCIPLINES

James Room, Swartz Hall, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Scholars from across academia will present their research for an upcoming volume which “examines the historical conditions leading to the emergence of ‘secular/ity/ism’ as a scholarly category and analyzes the effects of its use in different disciplines,” according to the conference website.

Saturday 12/10

GSAS WORLD MUSIC COLLECTIVE WINTER CONCERT

Lehman Hall, 7 p.m.

What’s Next

Sunday 12/11

German authorities raided 150 homes and arrested 25 people suspected of conspiring to execute the German chancellor and overthrow the country’s government Wednesday, the New York Times reported. According to prosecutors, the terrorist network was influenced by extremist far-right ideologies such as Germany’s right-wing conspiracy group called the Reichsbürger and the American QAnon movement. Their plan involved storming the German Capitol, instituting a prince descended from Germany nobility as head of state, and purging politicians they considered enemies.

FEDERAL PROSECUTORS INVESTIGATING BANKMAN-FRIED

The GSAS World Music Collective will perform familiar standards and student compositions from a variety of world music traditions at this concert in Lehman Hall. Tickets available now!

Monday 12/12

MIPS SEMINAR: INTERMEDIATE FILAMENT NETWORKS FORM CONNECTING LINKS BETWEEN THE NUCLEUS AND THE CELL CORTEX HSPH, 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. At this HSPH event, Northwestern University Professor Robert Goldman will discuss his research on the structure and function of cytoskeletal and nu-

CULTURAL POLITICS SEMINAR Virtual, 12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m.

University of Toronto Ph.D. candidate Elliott Tilleczek will present field research on queer social media activists in New York and Toronto and how people engage with social media activism, in this seminar at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs.

Thursday 12/15

a run on deposits, is also being investigated by federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission for potentially breaking the law by transferring customer funds to Alameda.

PERUVIAN PRESIDENT ARRESTED AFTER ATTEMPTING TO DISSOLVE CONGRESS

Peruvian President Pedro Castillo announced his intention to dissolve Congress and institute an emergency government on Wednesday. The leftwing leader was ousted by Congress and arrested later that day, according to the New York Times. Pedro Castillo was accused by prosecutors of helming a criminal organization to profit off of government contracts and made his announcement just hours before a planned impeachment vote. It was the third attempt and first successful attempt to oust the Peruvian President, who had last month threatened to dissolve Congress. Pedro Castillo’s vice president — Dina Boluarte — was sworn in as Peru’s first female leader.

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

Sam Bankman-Fried, the disgraced founder of cryptocurrency trading company FTX, is under federal investigation for manipulating the market for two cryptocurrencies last spring, the New York Times reported Wednesday. Manhattan prosecutors are investigating whether Bankman-Fried manipulated prices of digital currencies TerraUSD and Luna this past spring to benefit FTX and his hedge fund, Alameda Research. FTX, which imploded last month after seeing

WARNOCK WINS GEORGIA SENATE RUNOFF ELECTION

GERMANY ARRESTS 25 CO-CONSPIRATORS WHO PLOTTED FAR-RIGHT COUP

College Senior Sergio Diaz ’23 Dies At Home in Florida

BY VIVI E. LU AND LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Mather House senior Sergio A.Diaz ’23 died at his home on Tuesday, Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana announced to students on Wednesday.

“I struggle to find adequate words to express the profound tragedy of losing Sergio,” Khurana wrote in the emailed announcement. “Perhaps the best thing we can do right now is come together as a community to share our grief and comfort each other.”

The College did not disclose a cause of death. Diaz is the third Harvard undergraduate who has died this semester.

Diaz, a Neuroscience concentrator with a secondary in Economics, grew up in Miami, Florida. Outside of the classroom, he was a musician and enjoyed representing Mather in intramural sports, Faculty Deans Amala Mahadevan and L.“Maha” Mahadevan and Resident Dean Luke Leafgren wrote in an email to residents.

“Sergio was a talented pianist who shared his love for music with friends at Mather,” they wrote. “He made new friends at IM soccer and volleyball matches and contributed some of the loudest cheers when a teammate scored a goal.”

Khurana and the Mather deans described Diaz’s broad academic interests in their emails.

“His love of learning kindled in high school spilled over to his college years as he explored a range of courses including linguistics, math, and chemistry,” the Mather deans wrote.

The Mather deans will host a gathering for students to mourn Diaz 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Mather’s Multicultural Room, the deans announced in their emails.

“We are devastated and heartbroken at the loss of a brilliant scholar and a kind friend to many,” the Mather deans wrote. “In difficult times like this, coming together as a community helps us grieve by being there for others and sharing memories.”

If you or someone you know needs help at Harvard, contact Counseling and Mental Health Services at (617) 495-2042 or the Harvard University Police Department at (617) 495-1212.

Several peer counseling groups offer confidential peer conversations.

You can contact a University Chaplain to speak one-on-one at chaplains@harvard.edu.

You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741.

‘DEANS’ FROM PAGE 1

PfohoHouse FacultyDeans toStepDown After10Years

process into place to find new and wonderful Faculty Deans forPfoho,andyouwillallhave an opportunity to help shape thatprocessandparticipatein theselection,”Harringtonand Durant wrote.

“But just know, pfriends, how blessed we feel to have been able to live alongside and with you in this role all these years,” they added.

“You have given us an excusetoplay,givenusawindow into your lives, and taught us so much about what community can really mean, and that it can never be taken for granted.Forallofthat,ourgratitude is endless,” the deans wrote.

Sean Caron Promoted to Campus Serves Vice President

Gazette, a University publication.

BY CARA J. CHENG CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Sean Caron, managing director of Harvard Real Estate, will serve as the new vice president for campus services, the University announced Tuesday.

In his new role, Caron will oversee approximately 1,800 employees across Harvard’s operating service departments, including facilities management, sustainability upgrades, and diversity and inclusion workplace projects.

Caron will step into his new office on Jan. 3, filling the vacancy left by Meredith L. Weenick ’90 after she was promoted to become the University’s executive vice president earlier this year.

Caron currently oversees asset, property, and construction management across Harvard real estate, which spans approximately 3.8 million square feet in 110 buildings.

“From his leadership of Harvard Real Estate, he has a deep understanding of the programmatic needs and objectives of the University’s Schools and units, effectively aligning services and real estate transactions with priorities across our Harvard community,” Weenick told the Harvard

Caron came to Harvard in 2019 after serving as the chief of property operations and chief of staff at the Community Builders Inc., a national nonprofit real estate developer founded in Boston. Prior to that, Caron spent five years as the director of public policy for the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association, a nonprofit advocating for affordable housing in Massachusetts.

Weenick also praised Sean Caron’s “innovative and thoughtful leadership” in light of Covid-19. During the pandemic, Caron helped to establish isolation housing for students and supported showering accommodations for unhoused individuals on Church St.

The incoming vice president for campus services told the Gazette that he has been inspired by “the depth of the talent and the strong commitment to making the world a better place” he has found at Harvard.

“I think on a personal level, whatever challenges you have going on in your life, if you look around Harvard, there’s someone — usually one of the best in the world — working to solve that challenge or to make the world a better place,” he said.

“In this new role, I look forward to being an enabler of that work by providing the space and campus services that make it possible,” he added.

Off-Cycle Seniors Honored at Midyear Grad Ceremony

er number of off-cycle graduates.

Harvard College held its annual Midyear Graduates Celebration Friday afternoon, honoring more than 170 seniors who are graduating off-cycle.

The celebration recognized November and March degree candidates who finished their coursework over the summer and this term, respectively.

Hosted in a Science Center lecture hall, the event wealcomed seniors — some clad in graduation garb, others in jeans — to gather with family and friends in celebration.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Harvard College saw an uptick in students who opted to take time off, resulting in a high-

Roughly 240 seniors graduated off-cycle last year, compared to about 130 in 2020 and around 115 in 2019, according to Harvard spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo.

Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana — himself an off-cycle graduate of Cornell — called on seniors to embrace “serendipity” in their lives in an address during the ceremony.

“As December graduates, you’ve already departed from the script you were following when you arrived here,” Khurana said. “You have had the chance to shape Harvard in uncharted ways through discovery and unexpected decisions. And in doing so, you’ve had to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

Philip W. Lovejoy, the outgoing executive director of the Har-

vard Alumni Association, encouraged the new graduates to connect with alumni and “steward the university into the future.”

Scott V. Edwards ’86, chair and professor in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and director of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ graduate studies, encouraged seniors to travel and “remain broad and active” in their interests.

In his address, Edwards recalled biking across the country to raise awareness for Black Lives Matter during the summer of 2020.

“On that trip, I really learned — and continued to practice — simply listening to people, hearing them, giving them their space, empathizing, figuring out what’s important to them,” Edwards said. “Hopefully, that’s a skill

that your Harvard education has helped you to refine and apply in diverse settings.”

Kate H. Travis ’22, a March degree candidate who took time off during the pandemic, said she enjoyed the ceremony, though it differed from the pomp and circumstance of the University’s Commencement in May.

“It’s definitely not the same as the real graduation ceremony,” Travis said. “But I was glad that they had it, and it was good to hear the stories of people that have also taken time off.”

Hayato Shiotsu ’22 said he appreciated the gap semester he took due to setbacks caused by Covid but was “ready to head out.”

“It was nice that they talked about the benefits of straying off the set path,” Shiotsu said. “I hope that’s something we can keep doing.”

In her address, 2022 Class Committee Secretary Alicia Vernell Rivera ’22 described students’ reasons for taking time away from classes as “beautiful, unselfish, generous, and exciting.”

“Whatever leaps you made during that time off have contributed to the version of you sitting here today,” Rivera said. “You learn even more from being away from Harvard, coming back to it with a new set of eyes and appreciation for it by adding to your own personal interpretive horizon.”

The ceremony was moderated by Class of 2023 Second Marshal Chibuike K. “Chibby” Uwakwe ’23 and Class Secretary Kelsey J. Griffin ’23 — both Crimson editors.

ON TUESDAY, Harvard tapped Sean Caron, managing director of Harvard Real Estate, to lead its campus operations.

Sean Caron will oversee Harvard’s facilities and operations. COURTESY OF KRIS SNIBBE — HARVARD UNIVERSITY

November and March degree candidates who finished their courses at Harvard College this summer and fall gathered for a celebration on Friday. ADDISON Y LIU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

BY VIVI E. LU AND LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

alumni pursuing public interest work. But some say its aid falls short.

BY RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN AND JOHN N. PEÑA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

When Katherine J. “Katie” Taylor chose Harvard Law School over a full scholarship to the University of Alabama School of Law, she had her sights set on a public interest legal career.

Though HLS would not match the financial aid Alabama offered, Taylor trusted the school would support her ambitions to work a low-paying public interest job through its Low-Income Protection Plan.

Launched in 1978, LIPP aims to reduce the burden of student debt by subsidizing loan repayments for graduates pursuing government, public sector, academic, or other low-income jobs.

Participants earning more than $55,000 per year are asked to contribute a limited percentage of their annual income toward monthly loan repayments and receive subsidies from Harvard to cover the rest.

“Through LIPP, Harvard Law School is committed to preserving freedom of job choice within the legal profession for its graduates,” the school’s website reads.

But Taylor — now an immigration attorney for Kentucky Refugee Ministries, a nonprofit — said she may have to reconsider her decision to work in public service because of the financial burden her expected LIPP contributions pose.

Law School students and alumni have long criticized the program, calling for increases in transparency, the number of accepted participants, and the amount of support offered. In 2017, a group of alumni formed the Coalition to Improve LIPP and wrote an open letter to HLS Dean John F. Manning ’82 claiming LIPP fell short of similar programs offered by peer institutions.

In response to calls for reform throughout the last four decades, the Law School has implemented a series of changes to the program, such as boosting allowances for childcare and upping support for transitions between jobs.

In May, LIPP saw the most significant reform since its establishment: a 14.5 percent increase in its contribution scale, boosting participants’ calculated subsidies.

But despite these improvements, students and alumni maintain that LIPP fails to sufficiently support graduates pursuing public interest careers. Critics of the program point to its methodology for incorporating assets other than personal income — such as retirement savings, home value, personal savings, and spousal income — into calculations for participants’ expected contributions.

As they navigate post-graduate life, some participants say they feel caged in by the volatility of their LIPP payments — a fear that has factored into decisions about marriage, promotions, and career changes.

“It just feels like in a lot of ways, it has people balancing on the edge of a cliff,” LIPP participant Andrea F. Forsee said of the program.

‘I’m

LIPP

Financial Aid or Financial Burden?

one of three major valuation websites during the fall or winter, when the housing market is typically the slowest.

“It would not be equitable to give the same LIPP award to two participants who have vastly different assets, be they liquid or not,” Neal wrote.

But Taylor, a foster parent, says the increase in her monthly payment has pressured her to consider whether to prioritize owning a house or continuing to work in public service.

“Five hundred dollars a month is hard,” she said. “It’s hard for me to make work, and I can do it right now, but I don’t know how long I can do that for.”

uate of HLS, said he feels “pretty lucky” for the support LIPP offers, but held that the program still has room for improvement.

“Could Harvard do better? Sure, Harvard has a lot of money,” he said. “And so could that go to just better supporting students in public interest? I think that’s always going to be true.”

‘The Crushing Weight’

While graduating from HLS opens the door to public interest legal work, some alumni say LIPP — governed by a web of policies and formulas — presents a barrier to career advancement and personal milestones.

For Forsee, a 2021 graduate of the Law School, LIPP’s policy on spousal income factors into her decision on when to marry her boyfriend, who earns a higher income than she does.

“I’m certainly figuring out marriage and trying to decide when to do that,” Forsee said. “The timing is a lot based on LIPP for me and my boyfriend.”

According to LIPP policies, if a graduate earns more than their spouse, only the graduate’s income is considered in calculating monthly contributions. If a graduate earns less than their spouse, the contributions are based on the pair’s average income after deducting the spouse’s educational loan payments.

take spousal income and assets into account, adding that needbased programs like LIPP aim to consider all resources available to a participant.

“It would not be equitable to give the same LIPP award to two participants who have vastly different household incomes,” he wrote.

LIPP’s contribution formulas also struggle to account for unexpected non-discretionary expenses and non-income assets, some participants claim.

Williams said she suffers from a chronic illness that generates “high and unpredictable healthcare costs.” When she approached HLS about the expenses, she said, the school refused her request for adjusted monthly LIPP contributions.

According to the LIPP policies website, the program does not regularly make allowances for out-of-pocket medical expenses, but Neal wrote that HLS considers “extenuating circumstances” when calculating the amount of loan repayment aid offered to a participant each year.

“Not having any savings is very stressful as someone with a disability in case I need to go to the emergency room or in case I need to have a procedure done or things like that,” Williams said.

Some LIPP recipients have also voiced complaints about the program’s restrictions on personal savings.

dents and alumni have gathered in a Facebook group called “Living on LIPP” dedicated to sharing information about the program.

Rockmore, a member of the group, said she has seen posts voicing concerns about LIPP “for many, many years,” with some participants struggling to manage child care costs, mortgage payments, or retirement funds.

According to Williams — who is also part of the Facebook group — some Living on LIPP members have done their own calculations to determine “what the sweet spot salary is and how much you can actually take home from a salary increase.”

“People are definitely organizing. They’re coming together,” Williams said. “And I think we’re realizing that we’re not alone in feeling financially stressed.”

Brendan R. Schneiderman, a 2021 HLS graduate, said those advocating for LIPP reform target three main areas for improvement: adjusting the participant contribution scale, changing how assets are accounted for, and decreasing the impact of marriage on LIPP calculations.

“Just imagine what it would be like if Harvard put its money where its mouth was on supporting public interest students,” Schneiderman said. “We would see a radically different school, and we would see a dramatic impact on the legal profession as a whole.”

In 1978, Harvard Law School established its Low Income Protection Plan, the first law school loan repayment program in the country.

“It doesn’t equalize the drastic income difference between public sector work and private sector work,” former Assistant Dean for Student Financial Services Kenneth Lafler said of the LIIPP program in 2016.

Other LIPP participants similarly voiced concerns about the financial challenges they face as members of the program.

Emmy F. Williams, who graduated from the Law School in 2019, said the promise of post-graduate financial assistance made HLS her “dream law school.”

After accepting a clerkship in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit after graduation, however, she “started to realize that LIPP took a lot of [her] salary.”

“I feel that I’m living paycheck to paycheck,” Williams said. “I’m not able to plan for retirement. I’m not able to put savings away.”

Elizabeth S. Feldstein, a 2021 Law School graduate, said her expected monthly contributions to LIPP “doubled or tripled” after she took an entry-level attorney position within the federal government.

The Law School recommends LIPP recipients place their loans on a 10 year repayment plan while participating in the program.

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Alumni

Some participants say LIPP’s policies disincentivize marriage and job promotions.

“LIPP gets the benefit when you are married to someone who’s a high earner, but you don’t get the benefit if you’re married to someone who’s a low earner or potentially legally unable to work due to immigration,” Laura O. Rockmore, a 2020 HLS graduate, said.

Rockmore participated in LIPP while working as a clerk after law school but subsequently accepted a job “a couple grand” over the income threshold.

Asked to pay back the year of assistance she had received, Rockmore said that the Law School would not take into account the financial support she provides for her wife, who is unable to work.

The program allows new participants to maintain up to $10,000 in non-income assets — including personal savings, retirement savings, investment equity, and home equity — that will not factor into expected monthly contribution calculations. For each full year of employment after college, participants receive an additional $10,000 of protected asset allowance.

Molly Prothero, a 2021 HLS graduate, said her year of employment prior to law school was deemed ineligible for additional asset protection. Despite working “well over 40 hours a week,” Prothero did not hold full time employment, only two part-time jobs.

LIPP recipient Steven A. Palmer added that the program falls short of the Loan Repayment Assistance Program offered by the New York University School of Law, which covers the full debt of graduates who earn salaries below $100,000.

Living Paycheck to Paycheck’

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the U.S. housing market surged, with home prices jumping 45 percent from December 2019 to June 2022. For Taylor, who graduated HLS in 2017, the boom triggered an unexpected drop in LIPP assistance.

In calculating subsidies, LIPP takes into account a participant’s non-income assets, including home equity. After her home value soared from $131,000 to $200,000, Taylor saw her expected monthly contributions rise from zero to nearly $500 despite no change in her income.

“They acted like it was like I had $70,000 of cash, which just was not reality,” she said.

Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal wrote in an email that the program aims to allow participants to report the lowest valuation on their home. LIPP participants are asked to submit the lowest value of their house from

“At this point, I think it’s about half of my rent,” she said.

Still, some former LIPP recipients said they were grateful for the program because it allowed them to work in public interest without needing to worry about large law school debt.

Leah A. Plunkett ’01, a former LIPP recipient and the Law School’s Assistant Dean for Learning Experience & Technology, said she paid off roughly three quarters of her law school debt with LIPP.

“I went to HLS in large part because of its LIPP program, and LIPP delivered for me in terms of setting me up for a public service career,” she said.

Mercedes H. Montagnes said LIPP was the only reason she could pay off her loans from HLS as a civil rights attorney.

“There’s no way I would have been able to do the career that I have, with the stability that I’ve had,” she said. “And now my loans are completely paid off.”

Jordi I. Torres, a 2013 grad-

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I sometimes wish I’d asked my law firm to give me a lower starting salary because then I could have stayed on LIPP.

“I’m actually having to move out of the city into my parents’ house just because I want to be able to afford a house someday,” she said. “I just don’t really see that happening — just with the crushing weight of the loans and supporting two people and not being able to get any of the assistance.”

“I sometimes wish I’d asked my law firm to give me a lower starting salary because then I could have stayed on LIPP,” Rockmore added.

Neal wrote in an email that loan repayment assistance programs at peer institutions also

“I had an unpaid internship, and I worked at a restaurant at night,” she said. “But because neither of those are considered fulltime jobs, I did not get any asset protection for that year.”

Neal said the Law School offers generous asset protection to LIPP-eligible graduates.

“We are constantly monitoring whether the asset protection allowance is serving eligible graduates, and we make adjustments when needed,” he added.

But Taylor said that since her house equity increased, nearly all of her LIPP contributions result from her non-income assets exceeding the amount protected by the program.

“All the money I have in savings counts 100 percent against me on the asset allowance,” she noted, saying she tries to build up savings for the kids she fosters.

“So you’re saying I make under the income [threshold]? Great,” she added. “Well, then why does it matter whether I spend it or save it?”

‘We’re Not Alone’

Online, more than 600 HLS stu-

Neal, the HLS spokesperson, wrote that Harvard’s law school is one of just two schools in the United States that offers exclusively need-based financial aid, adding that the Law School’s spending on financial aid grants has doubled over the past 10 years.

The Law School also recently expanded its Summer Public Interest Fund, a program that provides funding to enable law students to pursue unpaid or underpaid public interest jobs between academic years.

Palmer said he does not recommend HLS for prospective law students who know they want to work in public interest law.

“I would say, for now, you shouldn’t look at Harvard — look at NYU,” he said.

ryan.nguyen@thecrimson.com john.pena@thecrimson.com

HARVARD LAW SCHOOL promises financial support to

The Student Financial Services office at Harvard Law Schools runs the school’s Low Income Protection Plan, which provides loan repayment assistance to graduates working in public service or low-paying jobs. TRUONG L. NGUYEN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Katherine J. “Katie” Taylor graduated from HLS in 2017. COURTESY OF KIERSTEN CLEVELAND

Steven A. Palmer graduated from the Law School in 2020. COURTESY OF KATHERINE SWANSON-PALMER

Laura O. Rockmore Harvard Law School Class of 2020

Former Fencing Coach Faces Federal Trial

“Jack Zhao’s donation to the NFF was just that: a donation,” he said.

Prosecutors presented Harvard documents Brand signed declaring outside income sources and agreeing to the school’s conflict of interest policies.

“The evidence will show that Peter Brand lied to Harvard,” said Stearns, the assistant U.S. attorney. “He had to for this thing to work.”

“That’s what this case is about: a stream of bribes solicited and accepted by a college coach in exchange for recruiting two students,” Stearns added. “Until they got caught, Peter Brand got fired, and the scheme unraveled.”

Day 2

Ryjik laid out new details in the second day of trial on Tuesday about how he helped Zhao funnel money via nonprofits to Brand in exchange for recruiting spots for Zhao’s sons.

Ryjik told jurors during his marathon five-hour testimony Tuesday that he used his nonprofit to transfer money between Zhao and Brand. Zhao gave $1 million to Ryjik’s charity, the National Fencing Foundation, in February 2013 — about $100,000 of which was donated to the newly-established Peter Brand Foundation the following year.

A defense attorney for Zhao sought to portray Ryjik as a liar who is cooperating with the government to avoid prosecution.

“The fact is that you misused tens of thousands of dollars through the charity,” Zhao’s attorney, Michael T. Packard ’02, said to Ryjik. “You were hoping, through your discussions with the government, that you would not be charged with any of your crimes?”

“I guess maybe I was, but that wasn’t the main focus,” said Ryjik, who has a proffer agreement with the government in the case.

According to 2013 communications presented by prosecutors, Zhao played an intimate role in his oldest son’s recruitment to the Harvard fencing team, submitting a write-up of his accomplishments and arranging an interview between his son and an admissions official that was set up through Brand. Brand referred to Ryjik as “maestro,” “boss,” and “Uncle Ryjik” in the emails the government showed.

In contrast, Ryjik told jurors that when his own son was recruited by Harvard’s fencing team in 2011, he didn’t play a role in the inner workings of the process.

On Oct. 18, 2013, three days before Zhao’s oldest son received a likely letter from the College, Brand forwarded to Ryjik instructions on making a wire transfer to his foundation, according to emails shown during the trial, though he did not receive a donation from Ryjik’s charity until after the Peter Brand Foundation became a nonprofit.

In evidence presented by prosecutors, Brand indicated he expected to receive $7.5 million from Ryjik’s foundation, though only $100,000 ever came through. Brand wrote to Ryjik in a 2013 email, “I just want to confirm that the contributions total 7.5 Million as we discussed this initially to make sure that all of this is worth my while.” Ryjik testified that the figure came from him telling Brand “that UPenn got $7.5 million for the recruitment of two fencers.”

Ryjik testified that he was “scared” by Brand’s request and never replied to the email.

He was “getting very demanding,” Ryjik told Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Frank ’95. “I thought the whole deal was going to get exposed.”

From that point on, Ryjik said his relationship with Brand “ceased to exist.”

“We stopped talking to each other,” he said.

An official at Ryjik’s National Fencing Foundation was perplexed by the finances of Brand’s foundation as he was seeking the additional contributions, according to evidence presented by prosecutors. In a 2014 memorandum, NFF Secretary Phillip L. Sbarbaro raised alarm at the $67,000 the Peter Brand Foundation was paying Brand’s wife in compensation and the $8,580 it dished out to his

son.

Prosecutors sought to detail the close relationship between Ryjik and Zhao throughout Ryjik’s testimony, highlighting trips the two took that Zhao paid for.

Ryjik facilitated other donations from his foundation at Zhao’s request, according to evidence presented by prosecutors — including a $50,000 contribution to the St. Albans School in Washington.

The relationship between Zhao and Brand was first publicly called into question by a 2019 Boston Globe story that revealed the businessman had bought Brand’s home for an inflated price. When Zhao learned the Globe was looking into his relationship with Brand, he contacted Ryjik to meet up in secret, according to text messages presented by prosecutors and Ryjik’s testimony.

The two met outside Ryjik’s fencing academy to talk about a Globe reporter’s inquiry — “Jack’s idea,” Ryjik testified.

“There were other people inside, and I didn’t want them to hear anything that we were going to be talking about,” Ryjik said. “I knew that we were discussing something that other people should not hear.”

In 2020, when federal agents raided Ryjik’s home, Ryjik told investigators that he “didn’t do anything wrong,” he said Tuesday.

“That was untrue,” he said. “I

didn’t want to get in trouble.”

Day 3

Shortly after Zhao’s son received a likely letter from Harvard College in 2013, Peter Brand had a question, a government witness told a federal jury Thursday: Where’s my $7.5 million?

Brand had arranged to receive kickbacks from Zhao, via middleman Alexandre Ryjik’s fencing charity, according to federal prosecutors.

A lawyer for Ryjik, Darlene S. Lesser, testified that her client told her Brand “wanted to know where his $7 million was,” indicating the former Harvard coach expected millions in bribes.

Instead, his charity received just $100,000 after Zhao’s son matriculated in 2014 — a discrepancy that would implode the alleged bribery scheme between the three men and lead Zhao and Brand to pursue riskier payment methods.

During the fourth day of trial on Thursday, three government witnesses took the stand — an FBI agent, Brand’s former assistant coach at Harvard, and Lesser.

Lesser, a divorce attorney for Ryjik, testified for nearly three hours, telling jurors that her client asked her if he could legally transfer $1 million from Zhao to “a Harvard fencing coach.”

“The hairs stood up on the

back of my neck,” Lesser said. “I knew it was wrong.”

Lesser said she told Ryjik the scheme was illegal, but he proceeded nonetheless — later telling her that he had found a “legal way” to move the funds through a “foundation-to-foundation transfer.”

Zhao donated $1 million to Ryjik’s charity, the National Fencing Foundation, that was intended for Brand, according to prosecutors. But only $100,000 made it to Brand, via a single transfer to the Peter Brand Foundation.

Ryjik told Lesser that Zhao asked for the remaining money back, she testified, but Ryjik declined — against her advice.

“He said there would be no further donations from the National Fencing Foundation to the Harvard fencing coach’s foundation,” Lesser said. “Alex told me that Jack Zhao asked for the $1 million back.”

Defense attorneys for Zhao and Brand sought to discredit her testimony by revealing a romantic relationship she had with Ryjik.

Lesser told a lawyer for Brand, R. Matthew Rickman, that she is “ashamed to admit” she had a relationship with Ryjik in January 2013 and later asked him to delete all text messages between them because of the affair.

Lesser, who said she was Ryjik’s “go-to lawyer” for years, joined him for lunches, dinners,

and drinks that January “because he’d broken up with his girlfriend and needed an ear.”

After cutting Ryjik out of the alleged scheme, Zhao and Brand engaged in more overt payoffs, according to prosecutors — leaving behind a paper trail of checks and transactions between the two men that landed them on the front page of the Boston Globe.

Prosecutors presented 23 checks in which Zhao paid for Brand’s mortgage, home renovations, car loans, utility bills, son’s tuition, and other bills, amounting to more than $1.5 million in alleged bribes.

The documents were presented to jurors during testimony from FBI Special Agent Keith Brown.

Brown also discussed documents related to Zhao’s $989,500 purchase of Brand’s Needham home, including a 2016 purchase agreement and emails from Zhao in which he indicated he believed the property was worth only $700,000.

The transaction aroused suspicion from the city assessor, who valued the home at around $550,000 at the time of the sale, and prompted a Boston Globe investigation that first called into question the relationship between Zhao and Brand.

Lesser said she emailed Zhao’s corporate attorney asking him to advise Zhao to stop speaking to Joshua Miller, the Globe report-

er who investigated the real estate deal.

“If this blew up with Jack Zhao, this blew up for everyone,” she said Thursday.

Prosecutors on Thursday also questioned the athletic qualifications of Zhao’s sons, Edward and Eric.

Brand’s former assistant fencing coach at Harvard, Jed Dupree, said Edward Zhao was “not as good” as the other four fencers at his position on the team.

Stearns, the assistant U.S. attorney, asked Dupree to compare Eric Zhao to his teammate from the same recruiting class, Eli Dershwitz ’18, who was ranked as the top fencer in the world when he graduated in 2018. Dupree said Dershwitz was “world-class” and better than Eric Zhao.

Defense attorneys argued during the first day of trial that Zhao’s sons got into Harvard on their own merits, citing personal qualities and academic and athletic achievements.

“Peter Brand couldn’t get someone admitted just by designating them as a recruit, correct?” Zhao’s lawyer, William D. Weinreb, asked Dupree, who said he could not.

The trial will resume at 9 a.m. Friday.

ryan.doannguyen@thecrimson.com elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com leah.teichholtz@thecrimson.com brandon.kingdollar@thecrimson.com

Former Harvard fencing coach Peter Brand, right, exits the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse on Monday. RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Alexandre Ryjik, left, coached Jack Zhao’s sons at his fencing academy. Ryjik admitted to being the “middleman” in an alleged bribery scheme between Brand and Zhao. LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Jack Zhao, left, leaves the John J. Moakley U.S. Courthouse with his attorney, Michael Packard ‘02. LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

FORMER FAS DEAN

Henry Rosovsky established Harvard’s programs in Jewish and African and African American studies.

In 1978, Henry Rosovsky was on a mission. Then the dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and an economics professor, Rosovsky wanted to revolutionize the way Harvard taught its undergraduates. He drove the creation of the College’s Core Curriculum and the modern-day Department of African and African American Studies. Determined to see this transformation through, Rosovsky even rejected offers to become the president of Yale University and the University of Chicago.

Rosovsky, who served as the dean of the FAS from 1973 to 1984, died on Nov. 11 in his home in Cambridge.

He joined Harvard as a professor of economics from 1965 to 1996, became acting University President in 1984 and 1987, and served on the Harvard Corporation in 1984. As the first Jewish dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Rosovsky founded Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies in 1978. Harvard Hillel named its building Rosovsky Hall in his honor in 1994.

Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow described Rosovsky as “one of the foremost figures in academia.”

“An exceptional scholar of Japan and its economy, he was deeply respected by faculty and colleagues, and he had a unique perspective on Harvard, serving as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as a member of the Harvard Corporation, and as acting president,” Bacow told the Harvard Gazette, a University publication.

“His legacy continues to influence the experience of every person on our campus today,” Bacow added.

Rosovsky is survived by his wife Nitza Rosovsky, former curator of the Harvard Semitic Museum; three children Leah, Judy, Michael; four grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.

Professor Edward Glaeser, chair of the Economics Department, described Rosovksy’s most important legacy at Harvard as “his passion for making Harvard the best university in the world.”

Early Life

Rosovsky was born in 1927 in the German city-state of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland). When Nazi Germany planned to seize the city, he fled with his family to several countries across Europe, eventually moving to New York in 1940.

After serving in the Counterintelligence Corps during the Nuremberg war crime trials, he attended the College of William & Mary. He later received a Purple Heart for his service in the Korean War from 1950 to 1952.

After earning his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1959, Rosovsky taught at the University of California at Berkeley — as well as at Stanford University, Hitotsubashi and Tokyo Universities in Japan, and Hebrew University in Jerusalem — before joining Harvard in 1965.

The Push for African American Studies

Six days after Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in April 1968, The Crimson ran an advertisement from the Harvard-Radcliffe Association for African and Afro-American Students.

“Do you mourn Martin Luther King? Harvard can do this,” the ad stated.

It listed four demands: an endowed chair for a Black professor, courses related to Black students, more Black faculty, and more Black representation among Harvard students.

The advertisement sparked a movement for a Black studies department. In January 1969, Rosovsky, then only an economics professor, headed a committee that recommended Harvard establish such a program, as well as an Afro-American Cultural Center. Three months later, he resigned from the panel, protesting the other faculty panel members’ decision to give Black students a vote in choosing faculty.

Rosovsky’s committee also drew backlash from students who felt the recommendation for a “program” rather than a de -

partment devalued Black studies. Within the month, the faculty committee decided to designate Afro-American Studies as a department.

More than 20 years later in 1991, Rosovsky recruited professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. as the chair of the Afro-American Studies department.

Gates, director of Hutchins Center for African American Research, wrote in an emailed statement that Rosovsky sought to balance “being in the world and reflecting the world in the univer-

sity” in a responsible way.

“To that end, he was one of the first administrators to see African American Studies not as ethnic window-dressing, but as a bold and innovative addition to the core mission of a liberal arts university, a long-suppressed body of knowledge that would enrich our understanding of the humanities, the arts, and the social sciences,” he wrote.

“The success of Harvard’s department in this field can be traced to Henry’s vision and his commitment of the resources

1978

and the arts, history, social and philosophical analysis, science and mathematics, and foreign languages and culture.

“There’s no question that the introduction of the Core Curriculum, which was visionary in its time, was, in some sense, the crowning glory of his time period,” Glaeser said.

For 25 years, the Core Curriculum served as the “cornerstone” of a Harvard College education. To increase academic flexibility, in 2007, the FAS abolished the Core in favor of a General Education system that required students take courses in eight categories.

In 2019, the College debuted the current Gen Ed system, which reduced the required Gen Ed courses by half and added three new required courses in Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences or Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Scholar, Leader, and “Man of the World”

In addition to researching on the Japanese economy, pioneering Jewish studies, and advocating for African American studies, Rosovsky served as a consultant for the United States government, the World Bank, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Asian Development Bank.

“Henry was a true scholar, but also very much a man of the world,” Glaeser said. “Henry was someone whose values aligned perfectly with the values I think we all should aspire for: values that relate to moving knowledge forward and having an undergraduate program that is ideally the best in the world.”

Leah Rosovsky ’78, the director of the Boston Athenæum and one of Henry Rosovsky’s daughters, said her father had a clear vision for the place of higher education in the world.

“My father thought that higher education was really the most important thing that a society did, and he felt that it was a way to change the world,” Leah Rosovosky said.

Glaeser described Rosovsky as “charming,” “gracious,” and most importantly, “wise.”

“He was effective because he empowered, because he managed to extort faculty to be better than they otherwise would be,” Glaeser said. “That’s a sort of great model for university.”

Rosovsky documented his deanship in his book published in 1991, “The University: An Owner’s Manual,” his most-cited work.

Current FAS Dean Claudine Gay said she took counsel from his experience in the position.

HKS Affiliates Say School Lacks Accessibility

Priscilla A. A. Mensah, a student at the Kennedy School who currently serves as chair of the Disability Justice Caucus, presented the report to HKS affiliates at an event Friday afternoon. Mensah said she organized the event — which was held one day prior to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities — for the “express purpose of bringing issues of disability, justice, and inclusion from the margin to the center of the learning experience here at HKS.”

The report found that affiliates believe the Kennedy School should improve the accessibility of its classrooms and buildings, with 37.5 percent of affiliates — a plurality — somewhat or strongly disagreeing that HKS is physically accessible to people with disabilities.

HKS spokesperson Sofiya C. Cabalquinto wrote in a statement to The Crimson that “HKS is committed to creating an environment that is accessible to, and inclusive of, all of our community members.”

“We are grateful to the student leaders of the Disability Justice Caucus for helping to collect feedback so we can better understand our students’ experiences,” Cabalquinto wrote. “We will continue to work closely with students to provide accommodations and improve support and learning opportunities so that our campus is a place where all can thrive.”

Mensah said she was motivated to produce the report after her fall 2021 statistics course required students with accommodations to arrive at 6:30 a.m. to take their final exam. While the course eventually changed its exam policy after receiving student feedback, Mensah said the experience had a lasting impact on her.

“For students like me who use the day van in the morning or for students who go to the cafeteria because they can’t, due to disability, cook for themselves, that would have obviously meant that they were dramatically inconvenienced,” Mensah said.

“That, for me, was just a really clear example of how things can be so differential for disabled students in the HKS experience,” Mensah added. “And the goal is always to move towards there being equity between all classmates.”

Theodore “Teddy” Svoronos, the professor who taught Mensah’s statistics class, attended the event on Friday where he expressed gratitude to Mensah for discussing ways to make his class more accessible for students.

“It wasn’t until we really heard from students and got that feedback that we realized we should do things differently,” Svoronos said.

Surveyed students also believe HKS should include more course content about disability policy issues, with 81 percent saying they somewhat or strongly disagree that “HKS is doing enough to prepare its students to work with populations with disabilities once they graduate.”

In the report’s recommendations, the Disability Justice Caucus calls on the Kennedy School to “increase the number of faculty and administrators possessing policy expertise and practice in the area of disability and accessibility.”

necessary to implement that vision,” Gates added.

Harvard’s Core Curriculum

In the 1970s, the College’s General Education requirements included three basic fields – social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences.

Under Rosovsky’s leadership, the FAS approved the establishment of the Core Curriculum in May 1978. The Core Curriculum encompassed requirements in five academic areas: literature

“I will never forget our lunch together in my first weeks as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. I brought along my dog-eared copy of the ‘Owner’s Manual,’ where he had chronicled his witty and wise insights about the inner workings of universities from his service in the same role,” Gay told the Harvard Gazette. “He was generous with his time, counsel, and good humor, and I continue to cherish both the memory and the wisdom he shared with me.”

Mensah said she hopes disability policy issues gain a more prominent role in HKS courses.

“I want this institution to have disability-related content in everything — in every course across the board,” Mensah said, “so that we can say that everything that the Kennedy School does, as well as in the area of disability inclusion, really aligns with its values.”

Rosovsky created Harvard College’s Core Curriculum and founded Harvard’s Center for Jewish Studies. COURTESY OF THE HARVARD CRIMSON ARCHIVES

Rosovsky began his term as dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences in September 1973. COURTESY OF THE HARVARD CRIMSON ARCHIVES

As Dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences from 1973 to 1984, Rosovsky led the Faculty Council. COURTESY OF THE HARVARD CRIMSON ARCHIVES

In December 1977, Rosovsky turned down an offer to assume the top post at Yale University.

COURTESY OF THE HARVARD CRIMSON ARCHIVES

THE CORE CURRICULUM. Rosovsky led Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences to approve a new undergraduate curriculum, which instituted requirements spanning across five academic areas: literature and the arts, history, social and philosophical analysis, science and mathematics, and foreign languages and culture.

STAFF EDITORIAL

The Crisis Isn’t Free Speech

BENEATH ALL THE NOISE OF the national narrative about a free speech crisis lies a far more complex, insidious issue — a cavalcade of linked failures in how we speak and how we receive the speech of others.

BY THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

At the end of this academic year, Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow will depart his post. His tenure will be remembered, among other things, as one of the shortest in recent history. It will also be remembered, at least by this Board, as a time when the right of students to speak was defended, admirably, adroitly, and in the face of sometimes immense pressure to do otherwise.

Now, we are faced with the reality that as one president exits, another must enter. This is the nature of the beast: the constant question of what will come next. For 200-someodd signatories of a recent petition, it is imperative that it be “a President who actively affirms the importance of free speech.” This appeal appears motivated by concern about the decline of discourse on this campus, a trend identified by the petitioners in a medley of incidents from the past few years.

Much like the few petitioners, this Board is deeply convinced of the power and importance of discourse. Our fundamental belief in the free press, freshly reaffirmed, is itself but a corollary of our absolute conviction that free, constructive discourse is the lifeblood of democracy. That principle is at least as true for college campuses as it is for grand, ambitious experiments in representative government. To this extent, we appreciate the spirit that animates the petition, even if not its particular form.

fastidiously kept separate from decisions pertaining to reportage, we can imagine the pressure felt by our other half to appear even-keeled and apolitical in this profoundly political milieu — to signal, sometimes to the point of excess, that you are covering the right fairly. In this Board’s view, that The Crimson reported on this lightly-peopled petition at all attests that, at least when speaking on free speech, incentives favoring staid nonpartisanship can mislead news organizations into over-amplifying the arguments made by the right.

This is how anecdotes of conservative silencing become cases for free speech crisis unto themselves while the treatment of pro-Palestinian speech, almost certainly more vitriolic, never seem to be cited in the same breath.

Poisoned at the root by the errors of the national narrative that seeded it, this petition mischaracterizes a class of deep, imbricating failures in our discourse as simply a problem of free speech. Scattered instances of silencing are certainly regrettable, but the country is far too large and diverse to truly be at any imminent risk of widespread cultural censorship.

Our problems are much more fundamental: We have developed a series of discursive deficits that render our conversations caustic and threaten to dismantle our marketplace of ideas.

Most notably, we are terrible listeners. Discussion, political or otherwise, is by definition supposed to be an exchange. We find truth, or aim to do so, by examining our positions in the context of others, but to do so we must make an effort to understand opposing arguments in good faith.

It is tempting to train our ears to only hear the weaknesses of something with which we disagree, but in doing so we miss out on the complexities and intellectual richness that so many of our conversation topics possess.

Indeed, we are often so caught in the rage of polarization that we completely ignore nuance, instead relying on partisan sentiment to guide our reaction.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Language Learning at Harvard is a Spark to Keep Alight

BY THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

Say bonjour, ciao, or hello to expanded language learning at Harvard: The Language Center’s Language Exchange Program — an online database where Harvard affiliates may discover and match with peers who speak their target languages — recently received several thousand dollars from the Culture Lab Innovation Fund to extend its reach. We are thrilled to see Harvard invest its heavy coffers into language learning and look forward to resounding benefits. Learning a new language is a difficult endeavor with profound value. Of course, knowledge of an additional language unlocks a wealth of opportunities abroad. But language is more than mere mechanistic communication; it also serves as a looking glass into diverse cultures and perceptions of the world. Multilingualism sensitizes us to global perspectives, as revealed through foreign news media, untranslated literature, and — crucially — unfiltered conversations with native speakers. For Harvard’s overwhelmingly American undergraduate student body hailing from a country with limited foreign language study, engaging with these global perspectives is critical to develop a richer understanding of the world.

Multilingualism sensitizes us to global perspectives, as revealed through foreign news media, untranslated literature, and — crucially — unfiltered conversations with native speakers.

To learn a language is to more intimately understand a people. Harvard cannot promise to educate global citizens if it fails to engage with global, non-English voices.

rewards. Given the rave reviews of participants so far, the University may want to consider supplementing the current undergraduate language requirement with participation in the program.

Still, we recognize that the College’s graduation requirements are demanding, and it can often be difficult to make space for language courses within an already packed schedule. This is particularly true for STEM students and those pursuing pre-professional careers. The Language Exchange Program’s flexibility affords students the opportunity to practice languages and retain cultural connections outside of precious course slots. Any initiatives to include program participation within graduation requirements should be designed carefully, to preserve the stress-free nature of the program.

The funding allocated towards the Language Exchange Program is a valuable step toward continuing to broaden diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. However, the path forward entails many more steps. We urge the University to parallel the laudable expansion of this informal, peer-to-peer program, with equal expansion in formal language instruction. The languages taught at Harvard indicate the institution’s priorities.

The presence of, for example, Latin, a dead language, but not Tagalog, the fourth most-spoken primary language in the United States, in the course catalog reflects an epistemic scar of colonialism that students are still fighting to redress. To combat this, the University should seek to offer as many languages as possible, formally and informally. All these languages together will need a physical building to house them. As this Editorial Board has previously argued, Harvard desperately needs an official multicultural center, where students from different backgrounds can come together in dialogue — perhaps even in the languages they’re attempting to learn. The current lack of a multicultural center, like that of formal instruction in major world languages, is a glaring discrepancy in Harvard’s avowed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The way we problematize — as well as the issues we choose to raise — matters. Our particular understanding of an issue cannot help but prefigure the solutions we will one day choose.

But the way we problematize — as well as the issues we choose to raise — matters. Our particular understanding of an issue cannot help but prefigure the solutions we will one day choose. Accordingly, it strikes us as necessary both to diagnose how our discourse fails and to improve upon diagnoses imperfectly made.

To this extent, while noble ideals brought this petition into existence, we find it worthwhile to offer our perspective on the ways in which we feel it reflects an incomplete, downstream understanding of a problem far more complex and internecine than conservative self-silencing.

Assessing this petition must begin, as all discourse should, with the facts upon which our opinion attempts to build. In our view, said facts (at least those highlighted by the petition) are far too few and too slanted. The petition isolates roughly three examples of alleged speech suppression: the disinvitation of Dr. Devin Jane Buckley from a campus speaker event; the putatively progressive language used in the University’s Title IX training; and pushback against Dr. Carole Hooven, Co-Director of Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology. Also mentioned are several peer-to-peer allegations of speech-motivated vitriol, seemingly directed at groups including the publishers of the Salient and the members of Harvard College Faith and Action.

First, it is worth noting despite the petition’s presumably impartial “free speech” angle, nearly all of these anecdotes proffered as evidence involve speakers or entities with beliefs that would find themselves at home in corners of the (admittedly diffuse) conservative movement. Second and more importantly, beyond passing reference to F.I.R.E.’s free speech ratings, the petition relies almost exclusively on anecdotal, non-nuanced evidence — always an uncompelling approach to formulating generalizable claims and especially so when endorsed by a population not half the size of Leverett House.

We do not say this to take aim at the petition or its (regrettably anonymous) signatories. On the contrary, we see clearly that this is but the latest episode in a national narrative long beset by half-truths and fallacies. Discourse in a polarized democracy has a nasty habit of eliding the facts once the sides of the debate have coalesced into place, taking as self-evident the flimsy, folk-wisdom propositions that delineate its terrain. That dynamic is particularly dangerous when the media’s incentives disfavor the exposition of counternarratives. As an opinionated appendage of a news organization

The issues that we face every day, especially those that involve challenging legal questions, intricate systems, or ever-evolving conceptions of both individual and collective identity, require refined thinking. We do ourselves a severe intellectual disservice by reducing them to binaries represented by catchy slogans or 30-word platform planks.

Furthermore, the goals of conversation have changed. Not only do we no longer listen to understand, but we also no longer speak to persuade. We have woven emotional stakes so inextricably with politics that the idea of someone leaving a discussion with a changed mind is almost alien. When we argue, we lose logic in the whirl of bluster and anger.

We leave little room for compromise, modulation, or evolution; we look not for a constructive resolution but rather for the continued flow of dopamine from the claimed victory of beliefs we already hold.

Our discourse, in sum, is unwell, but this petition’s diagnosis is seriously incomplete.

And, quietly, a failure of perhaps-greater proportions consists in what it prescribes. The responsibility for forging a path toward healthier campus conversations does not lie with any occupant of Massachusetts Hall, past, present, or future. It is ours.

Our Board remains deeply convinced of the value of student self-governance. An essential part of our experience of learning consists in taking ownership of our community and its norms, making mistakes and improving as we slouch together toward the real world. It is imperative that we embrace this opportunity to learn how to live together, how to lead, how to follow, how to have difficult conversations, and how to receive disagreement and critique especially.

The world will never be more patient with us than our fellow students are.

The crisis in Cambridge and beyond is not and never was about free speech. Beneath all the noise of the national narrative about a free speech crisis lies a far more complex, insidious issue — a cavalcade of linked failures in how we speak and how we receive the speech of others.

Formulating the problem in this way, clear-eyed and honest, is a necessary precondition for the collective project of its resolution. And, inasmuch as self-silencing is a widespread problem, it is surely a downstream consequence of our too-hostile discursive norms. Only by working together to solve the issue at the root can we encourage all of our community members to express themselves readily, honestly, and authentically.

In this sense, ironically, to solve the free speech crisis requires we realize that it is not about free speech at all.

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.

We laud the format of the Language Exchange Program for successfully engaging with such voices. The comfortable, casual environment of one-on-one conversations with a peer poses learning as a stress-free, grade-free social experience. Language learners participate in learning for learning’s sake in an environment based on human interaction — a soul-nourishing paradigm that’s all too rare at Harvard. Along the way, participants may create the genuine, lasting personal relationships that scaffold the Harvard experience.

Through these personal, intimate meetings, native English speakers also experience the vulnerability that comes with trying to appear funny, intelligent, or clear in a language not your own. This can, in turn, help counter the American instinct to dismiss the merit of ideas delivered in less-than-fluent English.

We encourage our fellow College students to sign up for the Language Exchange Program, find their own matches, and experience the program’s unique

The current lack of a multicultural center, like that of formal instruction in major world languages, is a glaring discrepancy in Harvard’s avowed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A few thousand dollars for a single language program may seem small. But properly nurtured, this spark could ignite significant DEI changes at Harvard.

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.

Here is Why Iran Actually Won the World Cup Match

BY CIARA S. MOEZIDIS

Some tell us to keep politics out of the World Cup. Others tell us to keep the World Cup out of politics. Whether we like it or not, politics and the World Cup are inextricably intertwined.

The Iran vs. United States match was not like any other game — it was more than that. And I am not saying this because the match represents my Iranian-American identity. It is because the Iran team had more at stake than just advancing to win the World Cup. Their livelihoods were on the line.

The last time Iran and the U.S. played against each other was in 1998 in France. I was not even born yet. Throughout the last 24 years, a lot has changed geopolitically, but when it comes to Iran and the U.S., not much has — until recently.

A revolution is happening in Iran. The Iran team was playing with the backdrop of over 450 killed and 18,000 arrested in Iran since mid-September. As the Iranian diaspora grappled with whether or not to support the team, one thing remained true: Iran in the World Cup was another opportunity to amplify, from the stadiums of Qatar, the atrocities happening on the other side of the Persian Gulf. Playing against the U.S. was an opportunity for the revolution to reach a large crowd who might be avid sports watchers, but not avid news readers.

I came to the game somewhat indifferent about the outcome. But a few minutes in, it dawned on me that the Iranian team is not only an underdog in this game, but in real life. Under threat of crackdowns by the regime, their resistance on the field is a microcosm of what all of Iran is experiencing right now.

If you did not watch the game in this context, you missed a lot. After not singing the national anthem during the first round of games, it was allegedly reported that if the players did not behave, their families would face “violence and torture.” In their last two games, they reluctantly sang the national anthem with forlorn faces and refrained from any acts of resistance — seemingly out of fear of retribution.

Meanwhile, they played knowing that their fans who did any small act to support the revolution were being confronted and, in some alleged cases, arrested by the Qatari police for their political displays. Their experiences at the World Cup do not remain in Qatar; by way of the Qatari government, the Islamic Republic’s Basij General may have received these names and may make it difficult for these dissenters to re -

turn to Iran, as indicated in a recent leaked audio recording.

How can a team focus on playing when the real match is against the regime and its human rights violations? How can fans safely use the World Cup to draw light to the revolution knowing that Qatar is not a safe haven from this oppressive regime?

I recognize that the Iranian diaspora is fragmented on the World Cup and other things. I understand that many in the diaspora felt Iran’s presence at the World Cup was a distraction from the movement on the ground. Many Iranian Americans were not enthusiastically supporting the national team as they typically do because of the regime’s “sportswashing” aiming to act as a camouflage of its human rights violations.

Iran won because the Iran team continued to persevere amidst these unprecedented circumstances.

Iran won in my eyes not because I am a sore loser — as I said, I was somewhat indifferent. To me, they won because the Iran team continued to persevere amidst these unprecedented circumstances. They are yet another example of victims of this brutal regime.

Many other teams will go home and train for 2026, but the players of Iran have gone home to an ongoing national movement pushing for civil rights for all and an end to the Islamic Republic. They have returned to a nation that has been on strike for three days.

A nation where unlawfully detained protestors continue to face rape, torture, and executions. And a nation where the “morality police” and the ruthless terror of the regime continue, despite mainstream media attempting to prematurely confirm otherwise.

It is paramount that we recognize the people of Iran’s fight is not over. Although Iran is no longer in the World Cup, this match served as a reminder that we must dedicate the same energy we have given to this global sporting event to Iran’s historic liberation movement. We must keep our eyes on Iran as they fight for “women, life, freedom.”

COLUMN

Becoming Religious at Harvard

Duty and Dependence

BY SPENCER W. GLASSMAN

Every day I wake up at 6:50 and enjoy a short stroll along the river in the foggy and gray early morning. There is always a boy waiting for the school bus and a gaggle of scooters skirting across the bridge. As I turn onto Plympton Street, I prepare for the daily morning prayer service known as Shacharis.

In my first year at Harvard, I was fortunate to live in Canaday and have 9 a.m. class every day. Being a 30-second walk from class, I would get out of bed at about 8:55 and jump right into Latin.

When I returned from winter break my sophomore year, I began going to Shacharis at Hillel. The obvious benefit of having set times for prayer is that it gives structure to one’s day and allows one to meditate and process one’s thoughts to be best prepared for the rest of the day. Yet, the most profound reward is the constant enforcement that we live as members of communities, not primarily as individuals.

I could set up my own morning routine — yoga, reading, meditation — and have the same time to decompress and establish a rhythm for my days. So why obligate myself to this group prayer session when I could pick whatever I’d like in the morning and get the same result? A better way of putting it, why does Jewish law require that we pray in a group rather than alone?

It might seem that if we prayed on our own we would be able to better exercise our own style — approach God in the way that is most meaningful for each of us. It would prove more convenient, too: Everyone might have a better time or place to pray, adjusted to their own individual schedules, than those necessitated by centralizing services at the synagogue before dispersing to classes, dorms, or work.

prayer for their deceased loved ones. My entire day is imbued from the beginning with a sense of import, with the knowledge that what I do affects others, providing a constant reminder of my existence not as an atomic entity but as a part of a far greater structure.

Our interdependence is written into the texts of the most important prayers we say each day.

The emphasis on community doesn’t end when I walk into the synagogue and ensure that enough people are there. Our interdependence is written into the texts of the most important prayers we say each day. The central part of this prayer service are the nineteen blessings which comprise the Shemoneh Esrei. These blessings do not ask for personal wealth or forgiveness but are general invocations. We ask God to make sure that the fields produce enough crops that there isn’t starvation, and we repent for our sins as a people not as individuals.

At college we are given the opportunity to find ourselves. The idea, just like a science experiment, is to take us away from our families and those upon whom we depend, and before we develop families that will depend on us, and see who we really are. But this attitude implies a deeply individualistic understanding of human beings, that in some way we exist without others.

The rewards and inconveniences of joint prayer is exactly the point. We must pray in a group so that we understand our constant dependence upon and responsibility towards others.

The Crimson @thecrimson

But then again, that — the rewards and inconveniences of joint prayer — is exactly the point. We must pray in a group so that we understand our constant dependence upon and responsibility towards others. When my alarm goes off, I can’t hit my snooze button 10 times as I did Freshman year. From the moment I wake up, I am needed by others. My absence means that nine other people can’t read the Torah, or someone in mourning can’t say the

But, if we want to have communities where there is deep mutual support and trust, then we can never treat ourselves as independent entities. We are all different and have something unique to offer, but our ultimate mission is to take that thing and bring it to others. The only way we can really integrate the idea of interdependence into our minds is through making unbreakable commitments to others.

This is not to say we should neglect ourselves. Our personal goals and improvement are necessary for us to be able to take care of others. There is still room in the Jewish prayer service to ask God for whatever we personally need. Nevertheless, the prevailing mantra in our minds must be that we are inextricably linked to all of our fellows, and that we must organize our days around realizing how much they give to us, and how much we are indebted to them.

Why Using ChatGPT to Write this Op-Ed Was a Smart Idea

BY CHRISTOS PORIOS

Editor’s note: The following op-ed was entirely written and edited by ChatGPT, a recently released artificial intelligence language model that is available for anyone to use. No manual edits were made; all changes were made by the author and op-eds editor providing feedback to ChatGPT on the drafts it generated.

— Guillermo S. Hava and Eleanor V. Wikstrom, Editorial Chairs

— Raquel Coronell Uribe, President

As students, we are constantly challenged to produce high-quality written work. From papers to presentations, our assignments require extensive research and careful analysis. But what if there was a tool that could help us with these tasks and make the learning experience even better?

Enter ChatGPT, the helpful (and maybe even self-aware) language model trained by OpenAI. With its ability to generate human-like text based on a prompt, ChatGPT can be a valuable asset for any type of written work. In fact, this very op-ed was written with the help of ChatGPT!

Using ChatGPT for written assignments does not mean that students are taking shortcuts or avoiding the hard work of learning. In fact, it can help students develop their writing skills and deepen their understanding of the subject matter. By providing suggestions and

ideas, ChatGPT can serve as a virtual writing coach, guiding students as they craft their own original work.

But what about the issue of authorship? Isn’t using ChatGPT like copying someone else’s work? Not at all. Copying is the act of reproducing someone else’s work without giving credit. When using ChatGPT, students are still required to do the intellectual parts of their own research, analysis, and writing to provide the necessary input for the tool to generate text. These are the parts of the writing process that require critical thinking, creativity, and insight, and they are the key to producing high-quality work. ChatGPT is a tool to assist in these tasks,

rather than replacing them entirely.

The concept of authorship is complex and often misunderstood. At its core, authorship is about the creation of original ideas and the expression of those ideas in a unique and individual voice. When using ChatGPT, students are still responsible for their own ideas and voice. The tool simply helps them organize and present their thoughts in a more effective way. In fact, using ChatGPT can actually help students better maintain their own authorship by providing them with a tool to support their writing and avoid potential pitfalls such as plagiarism.

ments as cheating. However, this is a misguided perspective. Using ChatGPT is no different from using a thesaurus to find more interesting words or using a dictionary to check the definition of a word. These tools are essential for the writing process and can help students reach their full potential in their writing.

When using ChatGPT, students are still required to do the intellectual parts of their own research, analysis, and writing to provide the necessary input for the tool to generate text. These are the parts of the writing process that require critical thinking, creativity, and insight, and they are the key to producing highquality work.

Some may argue that using a tool like ChatGPT stifles creativity. However, using ChatGPT can actually support and enhance creativity in the same way that a camera can in the art of photography. Just as a camera allows a photographer to capture and manipulate light and shadow to create a unique image, ChatGPT allows a writer to capture and manipulate words and ideas to create a unique piece of writing. Traditional writing without the aid of ChatGPT can be compared to painting, where the writer must carefully craft each word and sentence by hand. In contrast, using ChatGPT is like using a camera to quickly and easily capture and organize ideas, allowing the writer to focus on the creative aspects of their work.

It is important to remember that ChatGPT is a tool, not a replacement for the hard work of learning. As with any new tool, there will always be those who are skeptical or hesitant to embrace it. Some professors in academia may view the use of ChatGPT in written assign-

Using ChatGPT is no different from using a thesaurus to find more interesting words or using a dictionary to check the definition of a word.

The widespread use of Google searches has revolutionized the way students conduct research. In the same way, using ChatGPT can revolutionize the way students write. It offers a new and powerful tool that can support the learning process and help students produce their best work. So let’s embrace this new technology and see what it can do for us. After all, if ChatGPT can come up with a catchy title like this one, just imagine what it can do for your next paper!

— Spencer W. Glassman ’23-’24, a Crimson Editorial Editor, is a History concentrator in Leverett House. His column, “Becoming Religious at Harvard,” runs on alternating Wednesdays.

—Ciara S. Moezidis is a second-year Master’s student in Theological Studies at the Harvard Divinity School.

—Christos Porios is a first-year Master in Public Policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Princess Catherine Visits Harvard Center on the Developing Child

BY CHARLOTTE P. RITZ-JACK CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Princess Catherine of Wales visited the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University on Friday as part of her tour of Boston alongside her husband, Prince William of Wales.

The visit comes as part of a partnership between the Center on the Developing Child and the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, an organization the princess launched in June 2021. Kate was greeted at Harvard by University President Lawrence S. Bacow, Harvard Graduate School of Education Dean Bridget T. Long, and Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui.

Meanwhile, the Prince met with President Joe Biden at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

The royal couple’s Boston tour culminated in a celebration of the Earthshot Prize, an award the Prince established to encourage innovation addressing climate change. The Harvard Center on the Developing Child conducts research and development on issues of early childhood to foster effective policy-making. The Royal Foundation aims to produce research and campaigns improving children’s early years and to support underserved children around the world.

Jack P. Shonkoff, the director of the Center on the Developing Child, said in a Friday press conference that the organization aims to serve as “a resource

for trusted, credible, cutting-edge science of early childhood” to inform the princess’ work.

“The reason for the visit was, first, to have a chance to meet face to face — we had not before,” he said. “It’s clear as her center, her new center, is poised to go out more publicly, she is really interested in a partnership with us and we are very interested in a partnership with her.”

Shonkoff said he was im-

pressed by the Princess’s work to “connect the science to the lived experiences of people.”

“I was just very taken and really inspired by how serious she is about wanting to lean into an early childhood agenda,” he said.

Shonkoff also described the royals’ visit as key for drawing public attention to the center’s work.

“For me, the real home run here is giving attention to the is-

sue,” he said.

Tobechukwu O. Nwafor ’25, one of the many Harvard students who gathered to meet the Princess on Friday, said her presence drew new attention to the work being done at the center.

“I didn’t even know that there was a Center on the Developing Child at Harvard,” he said in an interview. “So I think that even if she could even get people to look up the center, that’s an important

Protestors Decry China in Harvard Square

BY VIVI E. LU AND LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

More than 80 demonstrators marched through Harvard Square on Saturday to protest the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghurs and other populations living in occupied territories.

During the march, protesters chanted and held signs reading “Fight China’s Tyranny” and “Xi Jinping CCP Step Down.” The protest concluded with a vigil on the steps of Widener Library for victims of a Nov. 24 fire in Urumqi, the capital of China’s Xinjiang region. In the wake of the blaze, protests have erupted across China and around the world, blaming the country’s strict Covid-19 policies for the tragedy. Chinese state media reported the fire killed 10 people, but local reports claim numbers are higher.

Saturday’s protest criticized China’s treatment of the Uyghur population, an ethnic minority living in the Xinjiang region. Human rights groups allege that more than 1 million Uyghurs have been placed into “reeducation camps” and subjected to sterilization, forced labor, and other human rights abuses.

Co-organizer Esedullah Uygur, a graduate student at the

Harvard Divinity School, said the demonstration’s goal was to highlight Uyghur identity.

“We wanted to emphasize that the people who lost their lives are Uyghurs,” Uygur said. “The genocide is still continuing, so we wanted to bring that up, bring our own narration that Uyghurs are struggling, and it didn’t start by the Zero Covid policy. It started before that.”

An undergraduate co-organizer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation from the Chinese government, said in an interview following the event they were inspired by a vigil held in Chinatown on Friday for Urumqi, which drew support from a variety of ethnic groups.

“I just found that solidarity very beautiful, and honestly, that was the goal of yesterday’s march and vigil,” they said. “It was really nice seeing a lot of these marches and vigils slowly evolve to become that way, because earlier in this week, it was almost exclusively catered towards Han Chinese.”

Last week, more than one hundred Harvard affiliates rallied outside University Hall on Nov. 29 to protest China’s strict Covid-19 restrictions and crackdowns on free speech.

Though both demonstrations

protested China’s regulations, the undergraduate co-organizer said Saturday’s protest aimed to acknowledge the “identity of those that died.”

“In terms of vigils, we tried to change that up a bit by doing a Quran recitation and acknowledging them being Muslim,” they said. “At the end of the day, every Uyghur that passes away in China — they don’t get a proper Islamic burial. And I think that that’s really important to acknowledge.”

The genocide is still continuing, so we wanted to bring that up, bring our own narration that Uyghurs are struggling, and it didn’t start by the Zero Covid Policy.

Co-organizer Munawwar Abdulla, a researcher in Harvard’s Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, said previous demonstrations against China’s Zero Covid policies organized by Chinese people often did not mention Uyghur struggles.

“It was also important to share

that some of these victims who died in the fire actually had relatives in the concentration camps, which of course, none of the Chinese — mainland Chinese population — had really stood up against before,” Abdulla said “But now we’re seeing people learning about it and realizing that actually, it is a bad policy.”

Attendee Lisa Gao ’25 said she was aware of China’s treatment of Uyghurs but did not realize its extent until her friend told her about Saturday’s protest.

“I don’t think that it should have started with this. I think that should have started sooner, and I regret not having attended before,” Gao said. “I want to make sure this achieves national attention and changes hopefully come.”

Emma N. Jing ’26, who attended the vigil, described the advocacy for Uyghurs and peoples oppressed by China as “unprecedented.”

“People are still, for the first time, being brave and speaking up,” Jing said. “I understand that it’s really hard for people to speak out, but I really encourage people to.”

“It’s just a really powerful thing to do,” she added.

thing.”

Crowds gathered in Harvard Square Friday to greet the Princess. Nawfor estimated more than 500 people flanked Church Street in anticipation for her arrival.

“I think it’s a once in a life-time opportunity to see a Princess — the Princess,” he said. “It was surreal.”

READ IT IN FIVE MINUTES

Subway cars completed a test run on the newly completed E line on Wednesday, and will open to the public on Monday, The Boston Globe reported. After facing delays caused by the pandemic and subsequent supply chain disruptions, the long-anticipated extension will now allow commuters to take the green line past Lechmere Station into Medford.

The Cambridge Day reported Huang’s move to cancel the final two Saturday closings of Memorial Drive’s Riverbend Park, a section of the road between Western Avenue and Mount Auburn Street reserved for recreational use on weekends. Previously only reserved for foot traffic on Sundays, accessibility of the park was expanded as the Covid-19 pandemic increased necessity for outdoor spaces. Some have called for a reversal of the expansion, citing increased traffic in the Riverside neighborhood caused by the diversion.

City Plans Soldiers Field Road Project

The Boston Planning and Development Agency discussed how its construction project on Soldiers Field Road will adhere to recently approved Western Avenue Corridor Study and Rezoning guidelines in a Wednesday webinar.

The project, which will span roughly three acres along 1234 and 1240 Soldiers Field Road, is a joint endeavor between the Davis Companies, the Community Builders, and the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation.

The development will include 528 residential units, 195 hotel rooms, retail space including a live music venue, underground parking, and public green space.

Bart Mitchell, president of the Community Builders, a nonprofit development company, said the project aims to accommodate a “wide range” of incomes spanning 30 percent to 120 percent of median income, with an average of no more than 60 percent of median income.

But Mitchell said affordable, mixed housing is not alone enough to foster camaraderie among residents.

“It could feel like it’s somebody’s home and not somebody else’s, unless you really have staff that have been trained to help make sure everybody knows this is everybody’s home,” Mitchell said.

To address this concern, Mitchell said the development companies have considered hosting opportunities for neighbors to meet each other and playing a variety of music in the public courtyard.

Jason Tilley, senior vice president of development for the Davis Companies, said parking for the site will be largely underground.

“We think we’re striking a good balance here between giving enough parking to those people who really need it and want it

and are going to have a car anyway,” Tilley said, “while at the same time not overbuilding parking and encouraging people that otherwise wouldn’t drive or wouldn’t have a car to just park one here anyway.”

Before turning the meeting over to Impact Advisory Group members and the public for comments, Tilley said he expects the project would create more than 500 construction jobs as well as 170 permanent, new jobs targeting women, people of color, and Boston residents.

IAG members expressed broad support for the plan, though some voiced concerns about gentrification of the area and the longevity of affordable housing.

“I really feel that people like me on Western Avenue — are in the immediate neighborhood — are being gentrified. The few two-family and three-family homes on Western Avenue — they’ll all be gone and all be developed,” said John Bruno, a member of the IAG.

“I really think there needs to be some sensitivity moving forward,” he said.

In response to affordability concerns, John Woods, executive director of the Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation, said the IRS will enforce and monitor the affordability of the housing.

“I always explain to people that they’re the ones who brought down Al Capone. You don’t mess with the IRS,” he said. “The investors and everybody else involved has to be monitored on a yearly basis to make sure that they keep the level of affordability that is initiated at the beginning.”

Michael Sinatra, BPDA senior project manager, concluded the meeting by inviting the public to an open house 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 12 at the Jackson Mann Community Center to discuss the project as well as two others in the Allston-Brighton area.

LAST FRIDAY, Princess Catherine of Wales Visited the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard.

The Prince and Princess of Wales walk along the waterfront in Boston during their visit to the city last week. GRACE R. BIDA — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

BY DANISH BAJWA CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

charlotte.ritz-jack@thecrimson.com

Esedullah Uygur Harvard Divinity School Student

‘BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER’

Review: A Poignant & Empowering Tribute to Chadwick Boseman

BY KIERAN J. FARRELL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

How does it make sense — that the ancestors would give me gifts and skills to save my brother, but I couldn’t?”

Such is the all-important question Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright) poses to Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) near the midpoint of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Despite being a brilliant scientist and having access to the most advanced technology in the world, Shuri is unable to prevent the death of her older brother, T’Challa, a character made famous by the late Chadwick Boseman in “Black Panther.” Following Boseman’s tragic passing in August 2020, it became clear that this sequel would need to address the situation in an inevitably painful way. “Wakanda Forever” hence sets the heavy tone early, including a moving funeral for T’Challa, as well as a tear-jerking alteration of the Marvel Studios title sequence featuring clips only of Boseman, shining light on his many contributions to films through the years.

As for the continuing story of “Wakanda Forever,” the central conflict is predicated on the weakened state in which Wakanda finds itself following T’Challa’s death. The nation, which

‘Six’

BY JEN A. HUGHES CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. The famous rhyme takes on a new life as the basis of “Six,” a musical reimagining of the six wives of King Henry VIII as they battle to emerge as the leader of a new pop girl group. Upending the conventional theatergoing experience, the queens of “Six” took the stage at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre on Nov. 16 for a dazzling, but ultimately superficial, celebration of female empowerment.

“Six” forgoes the traditional musical format and is instead staged as a pop concert for the new and aptly named group “Six,” made up of the six ex-wives of Henry VIII. The queens immediately break the fourth wall, informing the audience that they will be tasked with determining which one of them has the most tragic backstory and will therefore be named leader of the new girl group. From there, the queens take turns performing musical numbers telling their tragic backstories and making their case to become the group’s star.

The first queen to tell her story, Catherine of Aragon (Khaila Wilcoxon) serves as the sextet’s de facto leader after singing the jealousy-tinged anthem “No Way.” The spunky Anne Boleyn (Storm Lever) follows with the fan-favorite “Don’t Lose Ur Head” before Jane Seymour (Jasmine

is known to be the only one on Earth that has access to a rare metal called vibranium, faces increased scrutiny for not sharing its resources. It is also threatened by the underwater civilization of Talokan, which is revealed to possess vibranium as well and fears that Wakanda’s actions may jeopardize its survival.

“Wakanda Forever” excels in all the same ways as its predecessor, as it features a compelling villain in Namor, offers exceptional world-building, and boasts powerful visuals. At two hours and 41 minutes, the film does become slightly bloated and therefore struggles to tie up all of its loose ends. However, slight shortcomings in the story are outshone by an emotional thesis that places T’Challa’s core principles at the center of Shuri’s journey, making the film a worthy tribute to T’Challa as a character and to the talented human who brought him to life.

One of the most fascinating elements of “Wakanda Forever” is the introduction of Namor, the King of Talokan. Among a civilization of humanoid aquatic creatures born from a Mayan tribe’s experimentation with a mystical concoction, Namor uniquely possesses super strength and winged ankles that allow him to fly. His people hence call him “K’uk’ulkan,” or “the feather serpent god.” This lore lays the groundwork for excellent world-building, as Talo -

“Wakanda Forever” is a wondrous tale of colliding cultures that provides emotional closure to the character of T’Challa.

kan revolves around Namor in a way that is analogous to how the first film establishes the Black Panther as the heart of Wakandan culture. Namor justifies this significance through his driving desire to protect his people from oppressive surface civilizations.

He is also a ton of fun to watch in combat; adorned in vibranium armor and wielding a gleaming golden spear, he powerfully bounds through the sky as if running on air, often single-handedly disposing of entire warships. Namor’s robust character development draws sympathy but the threat he poses to Wakanda spurs fear, giving Talokan a nuanced position in the story as the film progresses.

The clash of cultures central to the film is repeatedly defined by stunning visuals. One of the clearest examples occurs when Namor takes Shuri to Talokan and reveals it to be a complex city covered in vibranium, as if the futuristic architecture of Wakanda had been dragged under water. Reversing the nature of this

juxtaposition, during a fight sequence that occurs in Wakanda, Namor unloads water bombs that shatter the windows of the Wakandan throne room. What follows is a beautiful slow motion shot in which the throne is fully engulfed by a sea of white, showing just how much the civilization of submariners threatens the power structure once held strong by T’Challa. One more instance of this contrast comes in the final battle, when a Wakandan group of women soldiers known as the Dora Milaje, dressed in bright orange, uniformly leaps towards the turquoise seawater to face warriors from Talokan. The film is strong in its visual representations of the conflict between nations, which only adds to the weight of this conflict as the film nears its climax.

Before it can get to this point, though, it becomes clear that the story could have been more complex had it leaned into an early indication that other world powers would also intervene in Wakanda. Namor alludes to this in a conversation with Shuri; he had previously overheard her talking of wanting to “burn the world,” so he says, “let us burn it together,” implying the potential for a plotline involving the nations’ different approaches to handling foreign intervention. However, after Namor leads an attack on Wakanda that results in a tragic death, the story loses its focus on this el-

ement and becomes centered on Shuri’s quest for vengeance.

Misplaced focus becomes a pattern more generally, as well. For instance, the film spends an excessive amount of time on new character Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), who isn’t fully integral to the main story, while it doesn’t spend nearly enough time on a potential redemption arc for returning character Okoye (Danai Gurira), nor on the trauma of Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), T’Challa’s former girlfriend. “Wakanda Forever” does become rather bloated at points, the completion of Shuri’s journey is executed extremely well in the end, which is undoubtedly most important.

“Wakanda Forever” is at its best when it synthesizes Shuri’s sympathies for Talokan with T’Challa’s penchant for nobility. At the film’s climax, the prior world-building of Talokan, as well as its juxtaposition with Wakanda, becomes instrumental to the story’s success. As Shuri considers a bold set of choices, there is a touching montage that illustrates her realization of the similarities between Wakanda and Talokan, both in the simple joys their people experience in their daily lives and the treacheries of oppression they’ve each faced. She then tells Namor, “vengeance has consumed us … we cannot let it consume our people,” in a line of dialogue nearly identical to one uttered by T’Chal-

la in his first appearance, in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War.” Shuri’s decision is thus both motivated by her own empathetic experiences and empowered by T’Challa’s ideals, showcasing the film’s beautiful ability to unite these two entities.

Ultimately, despite missing some opportunities in the larger scope of its story, “Wakanda Forever” is a wondrous tale of colliding cultures that provides emotional closure to the character of T’Challa. In regard to the result of Shuri’s journey, Namor perhaps puts it best: “Only the most broken people can be great leaders.”

By the film’s final scene, though, it appears that Shuri is picking up the pieces, as she sits on the beach and fully comes to terms with her brother’s passing. However, a surprise element of this progression then comes into play, as Nakia joins her and introduces a boy whom she reveals to be her and T’Challa’s son. Shuri is left in disbelief, which then clearly gives way to joy. In the end, through these characters’ love for T’Challa, through the moving performance of Letitia Wright as Shuri, and through the memory of the great Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther will live on.

A Vibrant Celebration of Feminism —

Forsberg) delivers the sole somber moment of the show with the power-ballad “Heart of Stone.” Anna of Cleves (Olivia Donalson) performs the most genuine display of feminism in the show, reclaiming her freedom during “Get Down.” While Katherine Howard (Didi Romero) and Catherine Parr (Gabriela Carrilo) round out the sextet with “All You Want To Do” and “I Don’t Need Your Love.” The final track leads the queens to abandon their competition and reclaim their stories, rewriting their histories as happy endings.

If you’ve spent any time on TikTok in the last two years, you’ve heard the music of “Six.” Clips from “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” “All You Want To Do,” and “Haus of Holbein” have all been used in hundreds of thousands of TikTok videos and can easily be mistaken for hits from your favorite female pop stars. With a runtime under 90 minutes and no intermission, the musical consists of just nine songs. But with each track bringing a distinct and catchy pop sound, there’s still plenty of crowd pleasers to entertain throughout.

The surprise stunner of the show was Jasmine Forsberg as Jane Seymor. Forsberg faced an uphill battle in winning over the audience. While the other five queens are given flashy dance numbers, spunky personalities, and intricate stage production during their solo numbers, Jane Seymor is pigeon-holed as the boring queen. “Heart of Stone” is

the only ballad in the musical and could easily be an energetic low. Couple that with her comparatively plain costume, less tragic backstory, and simple staging, and Jane Seymour is set-up to be the most lackluster queen. Yet despite the odds stacked against her, Forsberg delivers a show-stopping vocal performance earning the biggest and longest applause of the night.

With a solid tracklist and intriguing premise, “Six” has the potential to bring something fresh and new to the theater-going experience. The short, concert-based format creates a unique and interactive viewing experience and opens up Broadway to new audiences. The songs are modern, catchy, and upbeat, with a heartwarming and kid-friendly message of female empowerment.

But it’s a message that fails to penetrate past the show’s soaring vocals, bright lights, and dazzling costumes. As audience members flooded out of the Emerson Colonial Theatre, more than one could be overheard asking “Which was your favorite Queen?” even after a 90 minute story showing that such contests are meaningless and harmful.

Moreover, the show’s message leaves no room for subtlety, nuance, or complexity. The dialogue in the show is sparse, but the limited lines can be cringe-inducing and dated even just five years after the show’s creation. From the repeated and unironic use of “Her-story” in place of history to

the insistence on constantly referring to each other as “Queens,” the portrayal of feminism in the show paints the characters as feminist caricatures rather than actual feminist icons.

Even packaged in the heavy-handed delivery of pop-princess feminism anthems, “Six” isn’t without its problematic portrayal of women. The infantilization of Anne Boleyn as a

chronically online preteen that sings about how she seduced Henry VIII is uncomfortable at best. But the discomfort of Anne Boleyn’s characterization pales in comparison to the treatment of Katherine Howard. The adoring sound of audience cheers and shouts filling the theater following her performance of “All You Want To Do” borders on dystopian, after the song packages years

of emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of men into an upbeat dance number.

Lacking any real depth in it’s feminist message, “Six” is a show best enjoyed at the surface level, where dazzling costumes and impressive vocal performances overshadow the story’s superficial foundation.

COURTESY OF JOAN MARCUS

kieran.farrell@thecrimson.com

COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS

Ramon ‘1000WORD$’ Lazo Reflects On His Hip-Hop Journey

BY RYAN S. KIM CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Ramon “1000WORD$” Lazo is a photographer, show promoter, and creative strategist operating at the cutting edge of the East Coast hiphop landscape. “I’m the media for people with no media,” he said in a sit-down interview with The Harvard Crimson. Perhaps best known for his Polaroid film portraits, 1000WORD$ has photographed the likes of Jay Electronica, Mach-Hommy, Nas, al.divino, Chaka Khan, Westside Gunn, ANKHLEJOHN, several members of the Wu-Tang Clan, the late DMX, and the late Nipsey Hussle, to name a few. Over his nearly decade-long career as a photographer, Lazo has built up a formidable Rolodex of artists whom he has called upon to perform at his own concerts and to appear on his 2020 “1000 Words” album that he curated with rapper 38 Spesh.

“Hip Hop Hooray,” the 1992 single by Naughty by Nature, was Lazo’s first introduction to hiphop as a kid in the South Bronx. After hearing the track on his neighbor’s CD player, a young 1000WORD$ became obsessed with the culture of the emerging genre, but was never really interested in rapping himself. “I enjoy documenting a lot more,” he said. “Seeing everybody’s different talents and different ways of performing. Going to their neighborhoods and seeing things from their point of view for a brief second. I get a rush out of traveling and meeting new artists.”

Before picking up photography, 1000WORD$ was an avid hip-hop vinyl and CD collector. He regularly brought his records to East Coast concerts as a way to collect signatures and get face time with artists like Capone-N-Noreaga and Cam’ron. During this period, a pop-up in New York City hosted by the late A$AP Yams pushed Lazo to pursue photography.

“I actually got inspired because I went to an A$AP Yams auction,” 1000WORD$ said. “There was a signed Polaroid of him and I wanted to buy it. At the time, I didn’t understand that it wasn’t an original Polaroid. It was a print, so they wanted a certain amount, but I ended up getting a different painting. After that I said, ‘Yo I could fuck around and do this shit myself.’”

Lazo bought his first Polaroid camera on eBay for $25. The first

two images he took were of close friends. His third was of Harlem rapper Smoke DZA. Lazo began to treat his photography like his physical records, using the image as a vessel to collect artist signatures. “Eight wishes come in these film cartridges that I got in my hand,” he said. “I’m gonna make sure that these eight shots count, so that I can get my autographs.”

Instead of his vinyl and CDs, 1000WORD$ started bringing his Polaroid camera to concerts, waiting backstage — sometimes for several hours — for a chance to photograph the talent. Lazo said that this strategy emerged partly from his inexperience. “It’s tough when you try to be a photographer and go to these events,” he said. “You see everybody going to these events and you don’t know how and people don’t want to share those little connections with you, so you gotta figure it out on your own. What I did was play the wall. I see who I want to take a picture of and then come back to the wall. Go and then come back to the wall. Eventually I became a regular.”

Such an approach led 1000WORD$ to meet Conway the Machine, Westside Gunn, and Benny the Butcher of Griselda Records at their first-ever New York City show at Webster Hall in 2017. As a fan of the Buffalo label’s music, Lazo recognized Griselda affiliate Chef Dred standing outside the artist entrance to the venue and struck up conversation. “I had no access to the show. I didn’t know these guys. But, I see that they’re backstage and I go: ‘Yo Mel, Can I get inside?’ He didn’t even know me. I said, ‘I’m taking Polaroids.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, come on.’ So shout out to Chef Dred.”

“I went back there to the green room,” Lazo added. “And Conway was like, ‘Yo, everybody get the fuck out the room.’ So I stood there like a robot. Then everybody left and I just started flicking them up. Daringer was there. Gunn was there. I got all of them.”

In the half-decade since the

Webster Hall show, Lazo has developed a close collaborative relationship with Westside Gunn and Griselda. His Polaroid of Conway the Machine serves as the cover art for the rapper’s 2019 single “Bang,” which features Eminem. Lazo’s image was used as the tour poster for Griselda’s 2021 “Claire’s Back” national tour.

This September, 1000WORD$ enlisted Griselda rapper Stove God Cooks to perform at “The Cookout,” a show organized by Lazo himself. In November, he followed it up with “The Crib,” a concert in Providence, Rhode Island, that featured Griselda signee Rome Streetz as the headliner.

When Westside Gunn and Stove

God

attended a

game last month, 1000WORD$ was sitting on the floor with the two rappers. Lazo can be seen directly behind Westside Gunn in a post from the official Celtics Instagram.

“Shoutout to Westside Gunn because he inspired me as a kid from the Bronx to sell art, to treat my stuff as art,” 1000WORD$ said. “We listen to music and we all do our part, but some people understand the message. I’m very grateful that I get to see him and all his team elevate. It just inspires me to be great.”

1000WORD$’s photography is part documentarian and part art. On the one hand, his imag-

es are historical documents that serve as an important record for hip-hop; Lazo estimates his archive contains between one and two thousand individual Polaroids. Yet, the intimate nature of his portraits, the addition of signatures from his subjects, and the breadth of his coverage places Lazo in an artistic category with critically acclaimed portrait photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Deena Lawson. In 2021, two of his Polaroids featuring rappers Eto and RLX, respectively, were published in a retrospective about the history of Polaroid as an artistic medium.

“I just want to make sure that whenever I go that all my shit

goes somewhere special because everybody that I took pictures of is special,” he said. “I want someone to be able to display that shit for the world to see.”

Lazo shared a personal dedication to his work. “I’m barely in my daughter’s life right now due to certain circumstances that life hit me with[,] and I’m just trying to make everything right,” 1000WORD$ said. “I want to be able to leave a legacy for my kid because I have nothing else to leave behind. So, I love you and I hope whenever you get to read this, just know that I always love you.”

ryan.kim@thecrimson.com

The Hidden History of Slavery at Christ Church: Nicole Piepenbrink on Her Film ‘HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL’

BY JADEN S. THOMPSON CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

In the hustle of their daily commutes, most of those who pass by Cambridge’s Christ Church do so without a second glance. The average passerby has no idea there is a tomb in the basement holding the remains of a formerly enslaved person. His name was Darby Vassall. Vassall chose to be buried at the church, though no one knows the reason why.

Founded in 1759 and located at Zero Garden Street in Harvard Square, Christ Church has been deeply ingrained in the Cambridge community for centuries, with generations of Harvard students and towering figures

like George Washington passing through its doors. Despite its lasting presence in the area, most people are unaware of the tomb concealed in the church’s basement. Nicole Piepenbrink, who graduated from Harvard Graduate School of Design in spring of 2022, wants that hidden history to come to light. In an interview with The Harvard Crimson, Piepenbrink described how her film “HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL” aims to achieve that goal.

“HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL” is an 11-minute short film that was projected on loop on an 8-foot high by 29-foot long curved screen outside of Christ Church every evening from Oct. 12 to Nov. 6. It is part of the church’s broader commitment to racial justice,

which includes efforts to reckon with the institution’s ties to slavery. Piepenbrink’s film offers biographical information on Darby Vassall and his connection to the church in the form of a voiceover, with key words from the narration displayed on the screen. The text is overlaid on a video of people slowly walking into the basement of the church and encircling the tomb in the center of the space. A song inspired by a hymn plays in the background, with the lyrics, “Oh mighty God, from you no secrets are hid.”

Piepenbrink, who describes herself as a multidisciplinary designer, began working on “HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL” as her thesis project at the Graduate School of Design. The proj-

ect arose from her investigations into the church’s history.

“A lot of my research involved following the money,” she said. “So looking at transactions and sources of wealth in white colonial families that were giving money to Christ Church. But that research was juxtaposed with this tomb, and specifically Darby Vassall’s presence in the tomb. It was kind of like the history of slavery was so evident in the story of this site, in this church in this parish, but it was nowhere to be found, nowhere to be seen.”

Working with her advisers, Piepebrink realized the story of the tomb had to become the core of her project. “So the question for us became: How does this repressed narrative — and the tomb — how does it come above ground, become visible, become accessible to the public, and become known?”

Her film was the answer to that question. Most people — even most parishioners — have no easy access to the basement of the church, Piepenbrink explained. “It’s just so symbolic of so many things, right. It’s underneath the ground, the public can’t access it,” she said. “It’s just been treated like a receptacle for stuff like most basements… not like a sacred space, or not respected at all, really.”

Piepenbrink’s film brings Darby Vassall’s often overlooked story to the public eye.

It begins by stating that he was

born on May 16, 1769 and died on Oct. 12, 1861, and identifies him as a son, brother, husband, father, co-founder of the African Society, property owner, and activist.

Narrator Timothy Joseph goes on to explain that the proprietor of the church, Henry Vassall, who was described by Darby as a “very wicked man,” purchased Darby’s father Tony from Jamaica. Henry paid 13 pounds, six shillings, and eight pence in Jamaican currency for a church pew; in an inventory of Henry’s belongings, Tony is estimated to be worth the same amount as a church pew.

Contrasting the presentation

“History doesn’t end at the border of Christ Church’s grass,” Piepenbrink said. “It is connected with the history of its immediate context and broader context. So it’s really trying to connect the site to external geographies like Jamaica and Antigua. This is really a story about the parish and beyond. It only made sense, I think, for it to be public.”

Piepenbrink noted that the film isn’t meant to offer people neat answers. “I really wanted it to start up a process of thinking and reflecting and engaging and communicating — to sort of ignite change, ignite movement, ignite something,” she said.

She also acknowledged that each individual viewer has a unique take away from the film.

“If someone has questions and they want to know more, it’s a win,” she said.

of these stark and chilling facts is the video of people — including parishioners and even Darby Vassall’s descendants — standing around the tomb in a moment of reverence. Piepenbrink said that she was especially grateful to have worked alongside Darby’s living descendents, including Dennis Lloyd and his daughter Egypt Lloyd, who founded the Slave Legacy History Coalition.

In addition to providing a historical education, Piepenbrink wanted the film to emotionally resonate with people. “I wanted it to enter the head. But then with the music, and the visuals, I really wanted it also to enter the heart.”

The film can be watched online through the project’s website hereliesdarbyvassall.art.

Cooks

Celtics

Notably, “HERE LIES DARBY VASSALL” was an outdoor, highly visible public installation, difficult for any Harvard Square passerby to ignore — an intentional choice.

COURTESY OF JADEN S. THOMPSON

Courtesy of Ramon “1000WORD$” Lazo

How does [the tomb] come above ground, become visible, become accessible to the public, and become known?”

Nicole

I

Ramon

FIFTEEN QUESTIONS

Rakesh Khurana is the current Dean of Harvard College, a professor of leadership development at Harvard Business School, and a professor of Sociology. He is also the former Faculty Dean at Cabot House. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

FM: You’re from Queens, and in an interview, you told The Independent you prefer New York to Cambridge — could you elaborate on that?

RK: Pizza. [laughs]

FM: What’s your favorite pizza place?

RK: It’s the pizza place I used to deliver for in high school. It’s called Joe’s Pizza on Springfield Boulevard in Bayside. There were two pizza stores across the street from each other: us, who were on the side of the light, and Gino’s, which is on the dark side [laughs]. That was crazy now that I think about what I did; I used to deliver in a van with a pizza oven in the back with two propane tanks connected to it that lit up as I drove that van on the Long Island Expressway. It didn’t even occur to me how dangerous that was — it never went through my mind that I was basically driving an explosive device. I’ve had a lot of jobs. My first job was delivering two newspapers: in the morning, I used to deliver the Daily News, and in the afternoon I used to deliver the New York Post. Then I had a job working as a busboy at Sizzler. My mother didn’t like that because she was a vegetarian, and the fact that I was working at a steakhouse just drove her crazy. Then I worked at Swensen’s Ice Cream Factory, and then I delivered pizzas. I didn’t have any fancy internships — internships didn’t pay. That wasn’t going to be a starter for me.

FM: What’s the best part of your job as Dean of the College?

RK: The best part of my job is being around students. I just find that incredibly energetic. For me, young people are society’s most important moral responsibility. I find I’ve learned so much from our students, the perspectives they bring, the experiences they bring. It’s a constant source of renewal, and it also causes me to question my assumptions about the world or things that I thought I knew.

FM: The worst?

RK: The most challenging part of my job is how much I worry about the students. There are so many things going on in the world; there are a lot of stressors and challenges of being a young person today. I want every student to know that they’re not alone, and yet I know it can sometimes feel that way. I’ve been in those moments in my own life when I didn’t know if there was anybody else who could understand my situation or if I had somebody to talk to. I want students to know there are so many people here to support them, and I hope they count me as one of them.

FM: A big part of your agenda in your first few years as Dean was trying to implement sanctions against single-sex social organizations — primarily final clubs. Ultimately, the policy was unsuccessful. Has your stance on the issue changed at

Q&A:

FIFTEEN QUESTIONS: RAKESH KHURANA ON PIZZA, VERITAS, AND ‘SQUISHY THINGS’

BY AMBER H. LEVIS CRIMSON MAGAZINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

all?

RK: The value, for me, that really makes Harvard College a really special place is inclusivity. I want every single person to know they belong here. It’s a value that I find critical to our mission. I know that good people of good conscience can have different views about how we realize that notion.

FM: Despite your relative fame on campus, do you think there’s something about you that most students don’t know about? Any hobbies hidden from public view?

RK: I go to hot yoga a lot, but I don’t know if that’s a hidden hobby. I’m also a huge reader. I can constantly be found with my nose in a book whenever possible; I’m reading whether I’m in line, queuing up for something, or I have like 15 minutes to drink something, I’ll reach for a

book that I’m reading. Right now I’m reading “Enduring Love” by Ian McEwan.

FM: You’re also a fan of vinyl –what have you been listening to lately?

RK: I just found an excellent copy of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors.” I’ve been listening to that because Stephanie and I went to the Summerfest in Connecticut a couple of months ago, and Stevie Nicks was one of the performers. I was just reminded about what an electric, energetic performer Stevie Nicks is, and almost every song on “Rumors” is really good.

Stephanie has an amazing record collection. I thought I had a good record collection – Stephanie’s record collection is excellent. Most of our records are from ’80s alternative music. It would begin, for me, with Joy Division, New Order, and The Smiths. With Stephanie, it would be New Order but also Depeche Mode,

and more in that angle with the synthetic music, and then we find ourselves in common again with things like General Public. All ’80s, British, mostly New Wave bands. But we also like some contemporary stuff — we just went to a concert last month to see Noah Kahan down in Fenway.

FM: You often talk about Harvard as a potentially “transformative experience” — do you think you’ve changed since you were first appointed Dean eight years ago?

RK: Yes. Between being Faculty Dean at Cabot House and being Dean of the College, it has been one of the most amazing gifts in my professional life. Because we were faculty deans, it also deeply affected us personally, to be able to live in a community with people from all over the world who are asking themselves very similar questions about “Why was I put on this earth?” and “How do I see the humanity in some -

body I don’t know that well?” and then begin realizing that humanity. Bearing witness to that has been as close to a sacred experience as I’ve ever had.

FM: What are the biggest challenges facing the College in the next few years?

RK: I think the most significant challenges we face are related to how people question how selective institutions work and how they contribute to society. We have to be clear and transparent about our purpose. We of course want our students to benefit from this education, but what really defines us is the contributions they make to the larger world.

I think as a college, we have to demonstrate how our alumni and our research are a complementary and positive force to the larger community. We can do a better job at listening to some of the criticisms, but also at having a chance to dialogue about them and share some more facts about who we are and what we’re trying to do. I’m not saying that we’re a perfect institution, but we’re trying to be good for the world.

FM: How do you try to live by the motto of “semper veritas” or “semper cor”?

RK: “Semper cor,” which is the Cabot House motto, means “always heart.” I think it’s an aspiration in a place like Harvard, which values intellect. Intellect without heart is incomplete. One reason I sign the emails to our students “semper veritas” is that it’s Harvard’s motto, and it’s also an aspiration that we shouldn’t confuse cleverness for the truth. But the truth is not something easily discovered. It’s something that we’re always trying to go toward, but I don’t think you ever reach the destination. But you get closer to it.

For me, it is trying as best as possible, as a flawed human being, to live in a way that is truthful. To live in a way that has integrity, and when I can’t keep my word, I let people know I can’t for whatever reason, and then as quickly as possible make up in whatever way I can for where I might have fallen short, and help them clean up the mess. That’s really hard. One of the things that my mom would often tell me was, “Don’t try to be perfect, you’re not perfect. You’re a human being. You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,” because I would get really hard on myself when I was younger and go down weird rabbit holes.

When Stephanie sees me in those rabbit holes, she takes the book away immediately and says, “We’re going for a very long walk. You’re going to stop going down pathways that are circular.” One of the reasons I really like Noah Kahan is that his first album is called “Busyhead.” That just spoke to me — I have a very busy head. It’s really good to try to clear that out and purge every once in a while, which is why I started doing yoga a few years ago.

FM: What advice would you give to a Harvard freshman?

RK: You’re already in Harvard –you don’t have to get in over and over again. I also would like to tell every student that the most important question to ask oneself is: “Now that I’m here, how can I make the most of this place?”

There are very few opportunities that you have in life to live with such a diverse group of people who are interested in so many different things. Try to lean into that.

A Harvard alum and good friend of mine, Michael Brown, always gave such great advice. He said, every day, a person should do three squishy things. What he meant by “squishy” is something that makes you uncomfortable. Something that challenges your comfort zone, makes you grow, and helps you learn a little bit more about yourself.

FM: And a senior?

RK: Don’t gratuitously drop the H-bomb [laughs].

Minutes is the magazine of The Harvard Crimson. To read the full interview and other longform pieces, visit THECRIMSON.COM/

THE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE sat down with Fifteen Minutes to discuss how Harvard has transformed him and the challenges he sees ahead. “I’m not saying that we’re a perfect institution, but we’re trying to be good for the world,” he says.

Fifteen

AMANDA Y. SU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

FM

Jefe’s Hosts 5th Ben Abercrombie Fundraiser

through in spinal cord injury treatment that could come with advancing medical research.

BY JACK SILVERS AND GRIFFIN WONG CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Aroutine tackle left Ben Abercrombie ’21-’23 paralyzed from the neck down.

But five years later, Abercrombie is slowly but surely making progress, with a wide coalition of allies by his side.

That coalition includes his parents, Marty and Sherri, who live with him in his Winthrop House suite, his teammates, as well as an unlikely source — El Jefe’s Taqueria. On Tuesday, El Jefe’s will host the 5th Annual Ben Abercrombie Day fundraiser, with all sales between 8 a.m. and 4 a.m. going toward the Benson M. Abercrombie ’21 Fund, founded by the Harvard Varsity Club to finance Abercrombie’s rehabilitation and travel to and from his home in Alabama.

When he arrived on campus for his freshman fall in 2017, Abercrombie was like any other student athlete. But in that year’s season opener against Rhode Island, the defensive back’s life was altered forever. Although the hit looked benign at first, it quickly became clear to veteran head coach Tim Murphy that the consequences would be severe.

“I’ll never forget it,” Murphy said. “I knew immediately, as anyone who was right there, because it just happened to be directly in front of me on the sideline … but I knew immediately, just intuitively, this was something very, very serious.”

Abercrombie had come out of Hoover High School in Alabama as a touted prospect. At Hoover, he was part of three state championship teams across football and baseball, and those Buccaneers football teams were closeknit squads anchored by a fierce defense. Abercrombie started at safety his junior and senior years, and he was named to the All-State First Team after his senior year.

“We hated to let teams score,” Abercrombie said about the Hoover defenses. “We were trying to get a shutout every game, basically.”

When he came to Massachusetts on a recruiting visit, Murphy and several other recruits made an early impression on him. One fellow Alabamian, safety Tanner Lee ’17, gave Abercrombie the nickname “The Badger” for his tenacious play and his resemblance on the field to Tyrann Mathieu, the former LSU defensive standout who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints. Lee and other veteran players like Raishaun McGee ’17 later became some of Abercrombie’s early mentors on the team.

Throughout Murphy’s 28 seasons as Harvard’s head coach, one of his top priorities has been to develop bonds between players, making sure all freshmen have an upperclassman mentor. The unassailable community the Crimson program has forged was evident in the hours after Abercrombie’s injury. Instead of traveling back to Cambridge with the team, Murphy and his wife stayed with the safety into the early hours of the morning at Providence Hospital.

“I actually had a chance to speak with Ben just as he was being wheeled into emergency surgery,” Murphy recalled. “I had the chance to let him know that we were here for him.”

The first month after his injury, which he spent in the hospital, presented tremendous challenges. He suffered from pneumonia, as patients recovering from traumatic spinal cord injuries typically struggle with temperature regulation. Listed at 175 pounds entering his freshman season, he lost nearly all of his muscle mass in the hospital, dropping to 130. He also had to re-learn basic functions, such as eating, speaking, and drinking.

At that point, Marty recalled, the family’s focus was on survival — getting Abercrombie accustomed to breathing with a ventilator, for instance, and teaching his family how to attend to his needs, as he required someone to be with him 24/7. One of Abercrombie’s early strides was regaining the ability to eat normally, which he celebrated with a meal from a Mexican restaurant with a speech therapist who had been working with him.

Throughout these early days, he had the support of several teammates and Harvard football alumni. Shortly after his injury, Harvard Athletics released a video of several players vowing to dedicate the season to him. Additionally, in a 26-20 loss to the Green Bay Packers on Dec. 3, 2017, two members of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers — tight end Cameron Brate ’14 and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05 — wore cleats dedicated to Abercrombie as part of the league’s “My Cause, My Cleats” campaign. Fitzpatrick even sent his shoes to Abercrombie after the game.

Former Harvard players showing their support for the safety has been commonplace since his injury. An alumnus whom Abercrombie had never met before came to visit him at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a specialized hospital focused on brain and spinal cord injuries, where he was transferred after his month-long stay at the hospital in Providence. McGee, his former Harvard teammate, founded

the Bowl for Ben fundraiser, an annual event to kick off Harvard-Yale weekend that donates all of its proceeds to his recovery. This event also serves as a reunion for several former players from Murphy’s early years with the team, who aid in Abercrombie’s recovery despite never having shared the field with him.

“We went to the Bowl for Ben and there were some guys who played for Coach Murphy decades ago,” Marty said. “You can just tell that connection’s there.”

In 2019, after taking two years off to focus on his rehabilitation, Abercrombie returned to campus and re-enrolled in classes, where he found an academic home in Economics and lived in a suite in Weld Hall. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic presented another challenge, with his injury making him more vulnerable to the virus, but Abercrombie continued taking classes remotely before moving into his current home in Winthrop in fall 2021. His room reflects the people and the sport that has shaped him, with flags representing the Crimson and the Alabama Crimson Tide, his original hometown team, adorning the walls.

Abercrombie’s favorite class this semester was one on finance, which he cited as the best that he’s taken at Harvard. After graduation in May, he hopes to work in sports finance, representing professional athletes. Wherever his career takes him, though, he will likely continue to be a presence for the Harvard team.

In addition to attending every home game, Abercrombie watches the away games in his suite with friends and family, and he occasionally attends defensive backs meetings. His football insights have continued to be valuable to Murphy, as the head coach meets weekly with Abercrombie and his family, where they usually talk about college football, including the upcoming week’s opponent. Abercrombie has also promised to keep Murphy abreast of promising prospects who, like him, hail from the Yellowhammer State. Along the way, the two families have built a deep personal relationship.

“They always stop by once a week to chat, and for me, it’s by far the most enjoyable and inspirational part of my week,” the coach said. “We’ve grown very close to Ben and his family. … The remarkable closeness, resilience, and such big hearts, whether in these circumstances or not, they’re a very charismatic family in the best possible context.”

Even as he has reintegrated himself back into campus life, his emphasis on his physical recovery has not waned. Throughout the course of his rehabilitation, Abercrombie has focused on regaining the muscle mass that he lost in his first weeks in the hospital, and on keeping his muscles strong. Since 2018, he has attended therapy sessions at a facility in Canton, Massachusetts, called Journey Forward, a non-profit, activity-focused rehab center, which is “dedicated to better-

ing the lives of those with spinal cord injuries or disability.” Journey Forward tailors its programs to every individual patient, focusing on improving clients’ weaknesses.

“With spinal cord injuries and any neurological injury, everybody is a snowflake,” said John Walters, the vice president and program director at Journey Forward. “Everybody’s unique and different in how they present and in their recovery.”

For Abercrombie, the emphasis is balance, stamina, and breathing. At Journey Forward, which he visits every Friday, Abercrombie uses a variety of equipment to strengthen his muscles and stimulate the neural connections involved in walking and standing. The Lokomat, for example, is a machine that resembles a full-body harness and which moves Abercrombie’s legs in a walking motion. He continues his training at home each day, by using his specialized wheelchair to stand up and an exercise bike, by which electrodes can be connected to his arms and legs in order to stimulate the nerves and allow him to ride. One prominent goal is to get him off the ventilator and tracheostomy tube that he currently uses to breathe.

“We [do] a lot of trunk work,” Walters said of the weekly sessions. “We do a lot of standing activities and a lot of balancing things, through his shoulders, his neck, and his head.”

All of these exercises help prepare his body for any break-

Abercrombie’s father pointed to a clinical trial beginning this year for a compound intended to boost nerve regeneration after spinal cord injury as a potential difference-maker. The family also travels to Chicago every few months to take part in rehabilitation studies there.

Abercrombie talks about his recovery with a sly smile, which breaks out into a full grin when he talks about the Harvard team or the college football predictions that he makes each week. People who know him well rave about his optimism and energy throughout the last few years.

“I grew up watching Ben from afar, as he was a couple grades ahead of me at Hoover,” a fellow Hoover native, senior cornerback Alex Washington wrote via text.

Abercrombie cited Washington, who is two years his junior, as one of his closest friends on the team.

“When you talk about character, you generally talk about very basic — good person, highly motivated, resiliency skills, adversity skills, leadership skills,” Murphy said. “Ben would be the absolute epitome of all that through the most challenging of circumstances. We’re always looking for the next Ben Abercrombie.”

Walters echoed this sentiment from his time working with Abercromie.

“You got to have a sense of drive and determination and character,” he said of Abercromie’s motivation to continue his studies, his rehab, and his involvement with the football team. “It’s definitely inspirational.”

Another person who entered Abercrombie’s life after his injury and has since been struck by his personality is John Schall, the owner of El Jefe’s and the organizer of the Ben Abercrombie Day fundraiser. Shortly after the injury, he emailed the Harvard Varsity Club and later introduced himself to the Abercrombie family. On Dec. 12, 2017, he hosted the first Abercrombie Day.

Schall has a deep understanding of what Abercrombie faces: 46 years ago, his younger brother, Mike, suffered a spinal cord injury from a car accident that left him paralyzed, at the same age of 18. Mike was also a state champion athlete in track, but his decades-long road to recovery has presented challenges that Schall and his family have faced together. Schall also gave back to another high school track star in 2011, when he hosted a fundraiser at his other restaurant, Fire + Ice, for Brenna Bean, a state champion pole vaulter who had been involved in a serious car accident the year before and was paralyzed from the waist down.

“Once Ben got hurt, I knew I was going to do something,” Schall said.

Five years later, Schall’s efforts have combined to raise over $127,000 for the fund, which helps finance Abercrombie’s recovery and has pledged to support any other future athletes who may suffer spinal cord injuries while playing for the Crimson. The day is an all-hands-on-deck effort, and that doesn’t only include every El Jefe’s worker, it also includes the football team, which stands outside the restaurant’s doors each year to bring attention to the cause. Schall is hopeful that, after the franchise moved to a new, larger location in August, the 2022 edition will be the biggest yet. His goal — $40,000.

“More people fit inside here as well,” Schall said. “We can do greater volume out of here than we could do out of that smaller store. … Partly, this is just about how many people we can get through and how quickly can they get through.”

On Tuesday, hundreds of Harvard students, dozens of Abercrombie’s current and former teammates, and Abercrombie himself will flood the store, generating thousands of dollars towards his recovery and further installing El Jefe’s as a prominent Harvard institution in the square.

As for what Abercrombie will be ordering?

“I like their nachos,” he said.

jack.silvers@thecrimson.com griffin.wong@thecrimson.com

Senior defensive back Ben Abercrombie poses with teammates during the 3rd Annual Ben Abercrombie Day fundraiser at El Jefe’s Taqueria on Dec. 10, 2019. The fundraisers have raised a combined $127,000 for his recovery. COURTESY OF MARTY ABERCROMBIE

‘INSPIRATIONAL’ RECOVERY El Jefe’s owner John Schall has hosted five Abercrombie Days in an effort to aid Ben Abercrombie and his family.

Abercrombie poses for a portrait prior to his freshman season in 2017. A star for Hoover High School in Hoover, Ala., Abercrombie won three state championships across football and baseball in high school.

COURTESY OF MARTY ABERCROMBIE

In Abercrombie’s modified Winthrop suite that he shares with his parents, he uses a specialized wheelchair that can help him stand up, as well as an exercise bike that he can ride thanks to the electrodes that stimulate his nerves. COURTESY OF MARTY ABERCROMBIE

Abercrombie and a large crowd of friends, family, and supporters, attended the Bowl for Ben fundraiser at King’s Dining and Entertainment on Nov. 18, 2022. The fundraiser was started by his teammate, Raishaun McGee ‘17. COURTESY OF MARTY ABERCROMBIE

Harvard Defeats CrossTown Rival Tufts, 76-59

READ IT IN FIVE MINUTES

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY DEFEATS CORNELL

Playing at Lynah Rink is not for the faint-hearted. With the Cornell Big Red’s passionate fans, a cowbell in the student section, and the famous pregame fish toss, it has rightfully earned its reputation as one of the toughest places to play in college hockey. That makes a victory there all the more special.

“Coming out as a senior with a win was something that I know our senior group is really excited about,” said senior forward and captain Baker Shore.

BY ALEXANDER BELL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Midway into the second half of Sunday’s matchup against Tufts, senior forward Chris Ledlum drove inside to the rim and released a pass to senior captain Luka Sakota. From the corner of the three-point arc, Sakota gathered the ball, set his shot, and knocked down his 6th three-pointer of the game in front of a jubilant Harvard bench.

The shot was one of many hits from distance against the Jumbos (6-2) as the Crimson (7-3) recorded a season high 14 three-pointers and 21-assists en route to a 7659 win.

The victory over Tufts lets Harvard enter a 10-day finals period break on a high after dropping a close game by just one possession to UMass, 68-71.

“It was a really tough game overall, [Tufts is] a really good team,” Sakota said. “We knew going in that they were going to fight and give us everything they had.

I feel like we shared the ball well.

If you look at the box score everything was pretty balanced, a lot of guys in double digits, so overall a good win for us.”

Ledlum and first-year forward Chisom Okpara joined Sakota in double-digit point tallies for the game. Ledlum matched Sakota’s 18 points, while Okpara added another 16 from the bench.

The well-balanced scoresheet was a highlight for head coach Tommy Amaker, who is glad to see players like Sakota, Okpara, and sophomore guard Tyler Simon stepping up and hitting three-pointers.

“Sometimes these are the moments that will change teams,” Amaker said. “When somebody can make a few shots, they start to

find their rhythm again, get more confidence, and so that helps us as we get on the road.”

Sakota knocked down his first three-pointer of the night a mere 20 seconds into the first period, setting the tempo for Harvard to roar into an early lead. A mix of direct two-point plays and accurate three-point shooting from Sakota, Ledlum, and Okpara as well as junior captain Sam Silverstein and sophomore guard Evan Nelson helped put the Crimson up 27-10 with less than five minutes remaining in the first half.

Harvard has struggled shooting from three-point range at times this season, instead relying upon dominant shooting performances inside the paint to put points on the board.

Amaker stressed the significance of players trusting themselves to take on those shots.

“As long as we’re taking the right ones we’ll live with whatever the result is,” Amaker said.

“I think they’ve done a really good job of trusting that, and we’ve tried to convince them that eventually the right ones are going to go our way, and today they did. I do think starting out of the blocks, getting one to go early, certainly helped our confidence.”

Despite the early deficit, Tufts was not discouraged and capital-

ized on a series of turnovers to get back into the game.

Over a three minute span near the end of the first period, the Jumbos shot 6-for-6 from three point range, bringing the section of away support in Lavietes Pavilion to its feet in excitement.

The 20-6 run brought the score to 33-30 and Tufts within one three-pointer of drawing level.

Amaker reflected after the game about the unique challenges that Tufts poses as an opponent.

“In terms of style they’re a team that spreads the floor,” Amaker said. “They put a lot of shooters, if not all shooters, on the floor and really take advantage of any miscues that you make on your defensive concentration.”

Harvard started the second half with renewed concentration and prevented the Jumbos from gaining any additional offensive momentum.

Several layups and two three-pointers from Nelson and Sakota put the Crimson back on track for a dominant second half performance. Tufts was able to respond with a few more three-pointers of its own but ultimately fell behind as Harvard remained solid defensively and potent on the attack.

By the five minute mark the Crimson were up by 25, having all but secured the win. The duration of the game allowed firstyear guard Chandler Piggé and first-year center Matt Filipowski to get in on the action, as both added a basket to close out the win 76-59.

After the game, Sakota spoke about the mentality that he and his teammates have brought into each game this season.

“Every game for us is a culture game,” Sakota said. “You have

to be prepared to play your best out of respect for the people that came before you. It doesn’t matter who you play; we could play Kansas, we could play Tufts, we could play UMass, every game matters for us.”

The Crimson now has a 10-day break before its next home game against Howard (4-7) on Dec. 18th. The team then hits the road for six consecutive away games, including matchups with UC Irvine (6-3) and the No. 6 Kansas Jayhawks (8-1).

BLANKS, RAMSDEN GET ALL-AMERICAN

On Saturday, Nov. 19, the Harvard men’s cross country team competed in the NCAA National Championships in Stillwater, Okla., its third consecutive appearance in the season-ending meet. Junior Maia Ramsden was the women’s sole representative, competing in the 6k for the second straight year and claiming 11th place. Meanwhile, the men’s team came 17th, with sophomore Graham Blanks finishing sixth in the 10k. Ramsden’s and Blanks’ accomplishments earned them NCAA All-American honors.

Tour-

The

The loss wraps up a successful season for Harvard, who earned a

After fighting back from a 13-point second half deficit, Harvard entered the final two minutes of Sunday night’s game against Fordham trailing by just two points. The Crimson, hoping to complete an impressive comeback and take the lead for the first time since midway through the first-half, was ultimately disappointed as the Rams made two quick two-point jump shots and 6 consecutive free throws to secure a 68-60 victory.

The defeat against Fordham (6-1), played out in the oldest operational NCAA D-I basketball arena Rose Hill Gym.

Crimson’s NCAA

nament run came to a close on Friday, November 18 in Durham, N.C. as it fell 2-3 to a strong University of South Carolina squad after a late comeback surge fell short Prior to the South Carolina game, they dominated the University of New Hampshire in a 2-0 victory in the first round of the tournament at home on Jordan Field in front of a packed house of a thousand fans.

No. 6 seed.

WOMEN’S SOCCER FALLS TO S.C. 3-2

MEN’S BASKETBALL DEFEATED BY FORDHAM, 68-60

A BIG REBOUND after a tough loss at the UMASS last week. The crimson bounced back from the first half, scoring 27-10, and all but secured the win by the last five minutes of the game.

Then Junior guard Luka Sakota lines up a free throw attempt in Harvard’s Dec. 6 2021 win over Babson He Recorderd 8 Point DYALN J. GOODMAN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Then First Year Louis Lesmond Looking in to stands during the huddle Last Febuary DYLAN J. GOODMAN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Then first-year Wojcik dribbles down the court in last December’s Harvard-Babson matchup. DYLAN J. GOODMAN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

FAREWELL

The 149th Guard of The Crimson

Raquel Coronell Uribe

Jasper G. Goodman

Amy X. Zhou

Kelsey J. Griffin

Taylor C. Peterman

Guillermo S. Hava Ellen S. Deng

Janani Sekar

Yuen Ting Chow

Madison A. Shirazi

Alexandra N. Wilson

Griffin H. Wong

Safia Abou-Zamzam

Marcus B. Montague-Mfuni

Sofia Andrade

Jaden S. Thompson

Ziyong Cui

Aiyana G. White

Pei Chao Zhuo

Maliya V. Ellis

Sophia S. Liang

Juliet E. Isselbacher

Alex M. Koller

Brie K. Buchanan

Noah J. Caza

Maria G. Gonzalez

Natalie L. Kahn

Virginia L. Ma Kevin A. Simauchi

Andy Z. Wang Isabel L. Isselbacher Gemma J. Schneider

Aurash Z. Vatan Christine Lee Helen H. Wang

Zadoc I.N. “Zing” Gee Noah A. Jun Isabel A. Levin

Elizabeth K. Pachus Derek E. Schaedig

Alex L. Luchtenberg Gordon T. Goodwin Shiyun “Sharon” Tang Crystal Q. Wang Seong Hee Jang Matthew J. Sheridan

John K. Weldon

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Sara Komatsu

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DYLAN J. GOODMAN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER