The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 18 |
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2022
OP-ED PAGE 6
NEWS PAGE 7
SPORTS PAGE 8
Fifteen questions to fall in love: learning to love beyond Datamatch
Professors at HKS land $7.5 million grant to establish new project
Ivy League play brings mixes results for men’s wrestling
Pritzker to Serve as Senior Fellow HMC Sells Apple, Meta Holdings By CARA J. CHANG and ISABELLA B. CHO CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny S. Pritzker ’81 will become the first woman to serve as senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — on July 1. University President Lawrence S. Bacow announced Pritzker’s selection Tuesday, just over four months before current Senior Fellow William F. Lee ’72 is set to step down upon reaching the body’s 12year term limit. Pritzker, who has served as a member of the board for four years, will be the first woman to hold the post in the Corporation’s 372-year history. Lee, a partner at the law firm WilmerHale, praised Pritzker in a press release issued Tuesday. He led the selection process for his successor, according to Bacow. “Penny Pritzker has been an outstanding colleague on the Corporation, and she’ll be a terrific new senior fellow, fully dedicated to helping Harvard thrive,” Lee wrote in a press release. “Our role on the boards is largely about doing what we
can to enable our remarkable faculty, students, and staff to do their best work. And at its best, that work can make an enormous positive difference in the world.” Pritzker, a member of one of America’s wealthiest families, has a net worth of about $3.3 billion, according to Forbes, making her the 368th richest person in the country. She has donated millions to Democratic political causes, non-profits in her home city of Chicago, and Harvard. In September 2021, she gave the school $100 million for a new Economics Department building. Pritzker’s brother, J.B. Pritzker, is the governor of Illinois. After receiving her Economics degree from Harvard and business and law degrees from Stanford University, the Chicago native went into the Pritzker family business, eventually founding several branches of the investment giant along with real estate, senior living, and technology companies. She first joined Harvard governance in 2002 when she served a six-year term on the Board of Overseers, the University’s second-highest governing body. In 2013, Former President
By DEKYI T. TSOTSONG and ERIC YAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Harvard Management Company sold its holdings in Apple and nearly half its shares in Meta Platforms – formerly known as Facebook – as the school shrunk its public securities portfolio by almost 38 percent to $1.07 billion during the fourth quarter of last year. The move marks a reversal from HMC’s position at the end of the third quarter, when it increased its holdings in Facebook by 37 percent. At the end of the fourth quarter, which ran from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, Meta Platforms accounted for $125 million of the University’s stock portfolio, down from $242 million. HMC’s acquisitions and liquidations were reported in its latest filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which requires investment managers who oversee more than $100 million in assets to disclose their public securities portfolio each quarter.
Penny S. Pritzker ‘81 will serve as the next senior fellow of the Harvard Corporation. COURTSEY OF MOSHE ZUSMAN PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO
Barack Obama nominated Pritzker for Secretary of Commerce, a post she held until the end of his second term. Since leaving government, she has joined the boards of several corporations, including Microsoft. Pritzker was elected to the Harvard Corporation in 2018. As a member of the board, she has served on finance, governance, and alumni affairs committees. She is also involved in
the University’s Allston development plans as a board member of the Harvard Allston Land Company. Pritzker wrote she was “deeply honored” to take up the role in a press release Tuesday. “Harvard’s commitment to educating citizen leaders, to pathbreaking research, and to creating opportunity
SEE PRITZKER PAGE 4
Though HMC sold off stocks in Apple and Meta Platforms, it maintained almost all of its holdings in Alphabet, the parent company of Google. HMC’s holdings in the major technology corporation are currently valued at $177 million, up from $163 million in the previous quarter. Additionally, HMC sold all of its exchange-traded funds, or ETFs – managed funds that hold many underlying securities. Activist groups such as the Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign have previously criticized the University’s investments in certain ETFs, claiming that they represent Harvard’s indirect holdings in the prison industry. The University also expanded its investments in the electronics industry, purchasing shares of Intel and NVIDIA, as well as various semiconductor companies, including Advanced Micro Devices, ASML Holding N.V., and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
SEE HMC PAGE 7
Danielle Allen Ends HLS Prof. Reignites Controversy Over Work Gubernatorial Bid By ARIEL H. KIM
CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
By YUSUF S. MIAN and CHARLOTTE P. RITZ-JACK
Chang-Diaz — are still vying for the Democratic nomination. The winner will face one of two major Republican candidates who are running to replace twoterm Governor Charlie D. Baker ’79. Allen did not endorse anyone as she exited the race. Allen, a political theorist, has taught at Harvard since 2015 and served as a University professor, Harvard’s highest
Harvard Law School professor J. Mark Ramseyer published a paper last month rebuking critics of a controversial article he wrote last year that claimed sex slaves taken by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II were actually recruited, contracted sex workers. But some scholars and activists say the new paper, published by a Harvard Law School center, fails to adequately respond to criticism of his original piece, which drew intense international scrutiny last year. Ramseyer’s original paper disputed the historical consensus that “comfort women” — a term referring to women and girls forced into sex slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army before and during World War II — were compelled into sex work against their will. The article, titled “Contracting for Sex in the Pacific War,” garnered international attention after the abstract was re-printed in January 2021 by the conservative Japanese newspaper Sankei
SEE ALLEN PAGE 4
SEE HLS PAGE 3
CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Harvard Professor Danielle S. Allen announced the end of her campaign for governor of Massachusetts on Tuesday. Allen, who launched her campaign last June, was considered a long shot in the Democratic primary. Her path to Beacon Hill became even murkier last month when Massachusetts Attorney General Maura T. Healey ’92, who holds a sizable fundraising advantage and enjoys greater name recognition, entered the race. At the end of January, Allen had around $492,000 on hand, compared to over $3.9 million for Healey, according to the latest state campaign finance filings. In a press release announcing the end of her campaign, Allen took aim at the barriers the state’s primary system puts up for new candidates, saying it is “leading to a serious impoverishment of our democracy.” Two candidates — Healey and State Senator Sonia R.
Professor Danielle Allen has taught at Harvard since 2015. PHOTO COURTSEY OF DANIELLE ALLEN
Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Johnston Gate in March 2021 in a protest against law professor J. Mark Ramseyer and his controversial paper on comfort women. SANTIAGO A. SALDIVAR—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Harvard Senior Neha Seshadri Advances to ‘Jeopardy!’ Semifinals By RAHEM D. HAMID CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Neha Seshadri ‘22, an Economics concentrator in Eliot House from Ann Arbor, Mich., won her quarterfinal match of the Jeopardy! National College Championship on Thursday. PHOTO COURTSEY JEOPARDY PRODUCTIONS, INC.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
News 3
Editorial 6
Sports 8
Neha Seshadri ’22 won her quarterfinal match of the “Jeopardy!” National College Championship on Thursday, besting students from Clemson University and Creighton University in a tight round that came down to the final question. Seshadri, an Economics concentrator in Eliot House from Ann Arbor, Mich., ran the board during the game in the “Medical Specialities” category and answered 15 out of 20 attempted questions correctly. “I was super shocked and super grateful,” Seshadri said of the support she has received, including from her previous middle and high school teachers. “Random people have been recognizing me on the street and telling me that they’re gon-
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na watch the games,” she said. Seshadri said she took the first qualifying test for the show in early 2021 “on a whim” after seeing it advertised online. “My family watched ‘Jeopardy!’ a lot — I watched it growing up,” she said. “I just thought, ‘Okay, might as well just take the first test.” After passing the initial assessment, Seshadri said she completed a months-long screening process that included a proctored test, an audition, mock games, and interviews to clinch a spot in the tournament. She flew out to California to tape the show last November in near-complete secrecy. “The only people who really knew were my parents,” she said. When her roommates learned the news, Seshadri said they were “screaming,
PARTLY CLOUDY High: 42 Low: 40
standing on the couches.” “I was sitting on this for quite some time,” she said. Seshadri said the “adrenaline” of being on the set was a highlight of her experience filming the competition. “To really finally be on that set after having watched ‘Jeopardy!’ growing up, it was cool for me to finally get my turn on the stage,” she said. With the tournament drawing 36 contestants from colleges and universities nationwide, Seshadri called the environment on set “fun and collaborative,” adding that the competitors bonded on and off set over dinners and while watching each other’s matches from the audience. “At the end of the day, it’s just a lot of college students just hanging out,” she said. “I think everyone came in
SEE JEOPARDY PAGE 4
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 16, 2022
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch Pad Thai with Egg Popcorn Chicken Miso Eggplant VGN
For Dinner Fresh Caught Atlantic Spicy Honey Chicken Vegan Enchiladas
TODAY’S EVENTS Overcome Performance Anxiety Virtual, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Check out this event hosted by CAMHS and learn skills to manage unsettling feelings in various situations. Skills include practicing mindfulness and managing physical reactions to stress.
Russia Announces Some Troop Withdrawal from Ukraine
On Tuesday, Russia claimed it will withdraw some of its troops from Ukraine’s border, but international leaders are hesitant to believe Russia is truly set on deescalation. The United States has warned the buildup may mean an invasion of Ukraine.
Asian American/Asian International Students Support Group Virtual, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. If you are seeking support in dealing with anti-Asian racism or want a group of students to connect with on a cultural level, this is the place to do it. Learn skills to navigate difficult situations. All information shared will remain confidential. Towards Health Equity: Dismantling Racist Barriers for Black Healthcare Students Virtual, 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
People walk in front of the John Harvard statue on a sunny day in February. JULIAN J. GIORDANO— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
A research team at Weill Cornell Medical Center may have cured HIV for the first time. After receiving a stem cell transplant, a formerly HIV-positive New York patient reported no recurrence of the virus fourteen months after discontinuing her HIV treatment.
Covid-19 Concerns in San Francisco Schools Spark Recall Elections
AROUND THE IVIES YALE: Community calls for emissions cuts as Yale runs two of three large polluters in New Haven —THE YALE DAILY NEWS
CORNELL: After Olympic Medal Win, Karen Chen ’23 Credits Time at Cornell for Perspective and Growth —THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
San Francisco voters recently participated in a special municipal election to recall three school board members. Parents cited frustrations over the board’s handling of the pandemic and criticized the board for its failure to reopen public schools — a subject of national controversy.
BROWN: Corporation approves 2.85% undergraduate tuition increase —THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
PENN: Penn receives $125 million donation to establish tuition-free nursing program —THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Chicken Invades Yard Dorm
Weld Hall residents found a chicken in a box on the third floor. Students speculated that Cornell or Purdue students placed the chicken there as a joke. A University police officer took the chicken away but could not find an open animal shelter. February 16, 1988
New Science Lab Approved
After a two-year negotiation process, the Cambridge Planning Board unanimously voted to give Harvard the green light to begin construction on Northwest Building, a new science building in the North Yard. February 16, 2005
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 16, 2022
HLS FROM PAGE 1
HLS Prof. Defends Work, Reigniting Controversy Shimbun. The article was published online by the International Review of Law and Economics, but the March 2021 issue of the journal — to which it was assigned — has not yet been printed. The journal’s website lists the issue as “in progress.”
Ramseyer’s Response Both Ramseyer and his critics say their arguments are mischaracterized by the other. In his response, published as part of a faculty discussion series by the Law School’s John M. Olin Center, Ramseyer contended that his critics ignored the “actual topic” of his original paper. “My article is exclusively -exclusively -- descriptive,” he wrote. “Making moral judgments is fine -- but we as scholars need to try to understand why real-world men and women entered into the contracts that they did. Evaluating the moral character of those contracts is decidedly beyond the scope of my inquiry.” Some historical and legal scholars, though, rejected Ramseyer’s response. They argued that he deflected many of the criticisms they levied against him and mischaracterized their original critiques. Harvard History professor Andrew D. Gordon ’74 and Korean History professor Carter J. Eckert — whose response to Ramseyer’s original article was the primary focus of the rebuttal he published last month — wrote in a statement that Ramseyer’s response is a “classic example of misdirection.” “It accuses us of claims we did not make, repeats unfounded claims of his own, and fails to rebut the central points of our February 2021 statement,” they wrote in a Jan. 25 statement published on Harvard DASH. Ramseyer grouped criticism of his paper into three broad points: first, that comfort women did not work under contracts; second, that the Japanese military “dragooned” Korean women to force them into work as comfort women; and third, that comfort women were sometimes deceived by recruiters or mistreated by the brothel owners. But Gordon and Eckert said their original critique never mentioned the “gun point dragooning” of Korean women, calling Ramseyer’s “lengthy discussion” of the issue a “red herring.” Their criticism was actually founded on the “powerful evidence of deception in the recruitment of comfort women,” they wrote. They added that Ramseyer cites contracts aimed at Japanese women as evidence for claims about contracts with Korean comfort women. “I never claim that I have a
cache of actual contracts; rather, I use historical evidence about the contracts,” Ramseyer wrote in his rebuttal. “In the [original] article, I make excruciatingly clear the limit of the information I have. No one could actually read beyond the customary summary language in the ‘abstract’ to the article and imagine that I had a dataset of signed contracts.” Gordon and Eckert questioned whether he made clear in his original article that he has not seen actual contracts with Korean comfort women. “We invite interested readers to decide for themselves if in that article he makes it clear that he has read neither actual nor sample contracts,” they wrote. Northwestern University History professor Amy B. Stanley ’99 and four other professors from universities around the world who had penned a response to Ramseyer’s original paper also voiced concerns with his rebuttal in a Jan. 10 statement. “His response contains many of the same problems of distortion and misdirection that characterized his earlier work,” they wrote. “Ramseyer seeks to deflect from our criticisms by imputing to us a position that we have not taken, and by implying that we rely on discredited sources to which we have never referred.” Comfort Women Action for Redress and Education, an organization dedicated to advocacy and education about “comfort women,” condemned Ramseyer’s new paper, writing in a statement that it “reproduces the same flawed methodology” as his initial article. The CARE statement said he neglected “basic legal principles” in his inquiry by not considering whether arrangements made with the comfort women violated international law. Academic Norms In his response paper, Ramseyer criticized other scholars for taking issue with his work outside of the confines of academic journals. He wrote that critics violated “long-established academic norms” by calling on the journal to retract his article instead of responding in an academic setting. “The proper scholarly response is to write a critique (as Lee, Saito & Todres 2021 did) and publish it in a peer-reviewed journal,” Ramseyer wrote. Gordon, however, said calls for retraction fall within his understanding of academic activity. “All journals have procedures to entertain such calls,” he wrote in an email. But Y.S. Lee, who Ramseyer
The Statue of Peace in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea commemorates comfort women, sex slaves taken by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The slogans on the tarp behind the statue demand reparations. SIMON J. LEVIEN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
praised as authoring a “proper scholarly response,” also rejected the notion that academics should only respond in the pages of journals. “For those scholars who do not have a proper venue to publish a rebuttal, I think it’s an acceptable response,” said Lee, a law professor at Georgia State University. He also said that Ramseyer neglected to engage with the substance of his criticisms, and published a second response in another law journal. Harvard Law School professor Jeannie Suk Gersen, who penned an article in the New Yorker last year responding to the controversy, said that scholars have a responsibility to find and correct errors of their colleagues. “A peer-reviewed legal journal in this case was not equipped to catch the errors regarding Japanese-language sources that the historians of Japan have found and that led those historians to believe there was a problem of academic integrity here,” she wrote. “It is the job of the scholarly community to examine and respond to other scholars’ research, and of a scholar to admit research errors when they are brought to light, whether in a peer-reviewed journal or otherwise.” ‘The Umbrella of Academic Freedom’ Ramseyer wrote that the backlash to his work has amounted to a restriction of his academic freedom. “To understand the reaction to my article, readers need to re-
alize the extraordinary extent to which the South Korean government restricts discussion of the issue,” he wrote. Joseph E. Yi, a professor at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, wrote in an email that scholars who question the historical consensus on comfort women in Korea are often harassed online, punished by their institutions, and prosecuted in courts. Lee, the Georgia State University law professor, said academics that publish objections to victims’ stories could be charged for defamation by law in Korea. “Defamation is a criminal charge in both Japan and Korea,” he said. “Some comfort women, the victims, are still alive. So if you undermine their reputation, if you call the victim who was forced to engage in a sexual act a voluntary prostitute, that is defamation.” He said the Korean public’s response to Ramseyer’s arguments was analogous to the potential response a scholar would receive for advocating for Nazi war crimes in Germany. “If I openly advocate Nazi crime in Germany, I think my employment will be endangered by strong pressure from the public,” he said. “But somehow it’s permissible to advocate or deny the Japanese war crimes,” Lee added. Gersen, the Harvard Law School professor, wrote that she defends Ramseyer’s “right to express views that are offensive to some people, on comfort women or any other topic.”
But, she added, “I would not defend a scholar’s right to comport himself with a lack of academic integrity and then take cover under the umbrella of academic freedom.” Gordon said he believes Ramseyer and his supporters are using the claims that their academic freedom is being suppressed as a “shield” against critiques of their academic integrity. “With all due respect to academic freedom and the peer-review process in academia, I am obligated to emphasize it is an undeniable fact that Prof. Ramseyer’s article is academically and historically harmful,” Harvard Law School student Janet Park wrote in an email. “It is harmful because it provides a factually inaccurate representation and understanding of WWII history, and the readers of the article will learn the history incorrectly.” ‘Minimum Standard’ Many of Ramseyer’s critics have called on Harvard and the International Review of Law and Economics to take steps to correct errors that they say exist in his work. Park, the HLS student, said she hopes the IRLE will publish an “academic response” to Ramseyer’s article within the same issue so that future readers of the journal will not “blindly take Prof. Ramseyer’s claims as facts.” In February 2021, the journal’s spokesperson, Andrew Davis, wrote in an email that
the “print issue is being temporarily held so the Expression of Concern, and comments/replies, can be published in the same issue as the original article to give readers access to the fullest possible picture.” Later that month, the journal issued an Expression of Concern and announced that it was investigating the historical accuracy of Ramseyer’s work. Davis did not respond to a request for comment earlier this month. Stephanie M. Lee — CARE’s program director, who is a practicing attorney — questioned why the journal would publish the original article without vetting it further. “I think that the IRLE still has not answered that question satisfactorily in terms of why they would publish an article that doesn’t meet that minimum standard,” Lee said. Ethan Hee-Seok Shin, a researcher at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, called on Harvard to reevaluate the veracity of Ramseyer’s work. “Whether you like it or not, people give this kind of credibility to research done by people affiliated with any institution at Harvard,” he said. Harvard Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal declined to comment. In an email, Ramseyer declined to address the criticism of his work, writing that he will “comment publicly on the reactions of my critics to my response at a later date.” ariel.kim@thecrimson.com
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FEBRUARY 16, 2022
PRITZKER FROM PAGE 1
Pritzker Named as Senior Fellow and knowledge that help people around the world has never been more important,” she wrote. The 13-person Harvard Corporation, formally known as the President and Fellows of Harvard College, is the smaller and more powerful of Harvard’s two governing bodies.
Penny Pritzker has been an outstanding colleague on the corporation, and she’ll be a terrific new senior fellow, fully dedicated to helping Harvard thrive.w William F. Lee ’72 Current Senior Fellow
The board — made up of prominent academics, lawyers, and business magnates — has significant sway over the University’s direction and resources, weighing in on all top decisions. It also has the power to hire and fire the University president, who serves as a member of the board. Other members from the Corporation lauded Pritzker’s qualifications.
“Penny has excelled in so many fields. She is a highly successful entrepreneur, public servant, investor and philanthropist,” University Treasurer Paul J. Finnegan ’75 wrote in an emailed statement. “In each area, she has shown distinct leadership skills and an orientation toward collaboration which has inspired others to join with her.” Shirley M. Tilghman, former president of Princeton University and a Corporation fellow since 2016, praised Pritzker’s commitment to education. “Penny Pritzker has the leadership experience in both business and government, as well as a deep and longstanding interest in both K-12 and higher education that made her the obvious choice to succeed Bill Lee as Senior Fellow of the Corporation,” she wrote in an email. As senior fellow, Lee led Harvard’s last presidential search. Bacow praised his contribution to the school in his announcement on Tuesday. “I could go on nonstop about all that Bill has meant to Harvard — as a leading member of the Corporation for nearly twelve years, as an Overseer for six years before that, and as someone so engaged and so helpful on so many fronts that it’s hard to believe he’s just one person,” he wrote. isabella.cho@thecrimson.com cara.chang@thecrimson.com
PAGE 4
Singh’s Dhaba Opens on Mass. Ave. By KATHERINE M. BURSTEIN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Singh’s Dhaba, a North Indian restaurant, opened its doors on Massachusetts Avenue Friday. The new venture of the Singh family features lunch plates and platters as well as other traditional Indian dishes and street food, according to its website. Harpreet Singh, chef and owner of Singh’s Dhaba, began working for Kebab Factory in 2002 before buying the Somerville restaurant. Singh later opened Singh’s Cafe in Welles-
ley, Mass., and Bapu G’s in Foxborough, Mass. Bapu G’s closed in December 2021, but the restaurant’s focus on tiffin thali — lunch boxes — inspired Singh’s Dhaba’s menu. “We found out that not too many people were doing what we were doing,” Singh said. The thali offered at Singh’s Dhaba are composed of multiple main dishes customers can choose from, and come with bread, rice, and a selection of appetizers — “all the shenanigans” as Singh said. Singh said the focus on take-out is in part
ALLEN FROM PAGE 1
driven by Covid-19 and supply chain challenges. “It’s really hard right now to do buffets,” Singh said. “We didn’t want to do a complete blown-out sit-down menu, but we wanted to do some authentic dishes.” “People have been eating at home for the last two years, so they want to eat at home in the comfort of their home,” he added. The restaurant’s location is uniquely suited for on-the-go meals, according to Singh. “We are trying to sell our lunch boxes to people, because
there’s so many students, so many offices around here,” he said. Singh hopes the take-out model of his restaurant will allow it to attract customers. “You would open a restaurant, people would know through word-of-mouth and everything,” Singh said. “But now everything is online. It’s a lot more online competition compared to foot traffic.” “If you don’t try to stand out a little differently, why would people come to you?” he added. katherine.burstein@thecrimson.com
JEOPARDY FROM PAGE 1
Danielle Allen Ends Senior Competes on Bid for Governor Jeopardy! Show faculty distinction, since 2017. In her statement Tuesday, she vowed to continue working on electoral reform. “In Massachusetts, where we pride ourselves on being the birthplace of democracy, there is no excuse for ballot access procedures that push out qualified but non-traditional candidates and rob the people of Massachusetts of real choice on their ballot,” she said. “As I reflect on my next steps for civic engagement, working on democratic reform in this area will be a priority for me.” Chang-Diaz thanked Allen for her “time, personal connections, and meaningful policy
discussions” in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. Healey said in a tweet that Allen’s “commitment to strengthening our democracy and building a more equitable, united Massachusetts is inspiring.” Allen was the first Black woman in Massachusetts’ history to run for statewide office, according to her campaign. If Healey prevails in the gubernatorial race, she will be the third straight Harvard College graduate to be elected to the seat. yusuf.mian@thecrimson.com charlotte.ritz-jack@thecrimson.com
wanting to make friends because none of us could tell anyone.”
I was just filled with surprise, shock, and excitement that I had won the game! Neha Seshadri ’22
Going into the “Final Jeopardy!” round with a slight lead over her opponents, Seshadri wagered $6,201 and correctly identified Sicily and Sardinia as
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the two regions of Italy divided by the Tyrrhenian Sea to win the game. “I was just filled with surprise, shock, and excitement that I had won the game!” Seshadri wrote in an email. “I wanted to represent Harvard well, this school with such a storied and historical legacy, and make the school proud!” she said. Seshadri is set to compete again this Thursday in the first semifinal match of the “Jeopardy!” National College Championship. rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com
PAGE 5
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PAGE 6
EDITORIAL OP-ED
COLUMN
Why Are We Even Fighting?
In Defense of Self-Diagnosis
By TREASURE N. OJI
C
onservatives and other staunch deniers of white supremacy often claim that if Nigerian immigrants in the United States are doing so well, then discrimination and white privilege cannot really exist. They then call African Americans lazy, criticising a supposed lack of values. There is some truth to the success of Nigerian Americans and other recent African immigrants in the U.S. Roughly 73 percent of African immigrants 16 and over are employed or seeking employment, versus the approximate 63 percent of the U.S. born population. Nigerian Americans are also one of the most affluent immigrant groups in the country, with a median household income around $62,400, compared to the national median of roughly $57,600 in 2015. But these numbers don’t tell the whole picture; they extremely oversimplify each group and overlook context. After all, you cannot compare the “best” of one country to a broader group of citizens in another.
But these numbers don’t tell the whole picture; they extremely oversimplify each group and overlook context. Many Nigerian immigrants set down roots in the U.S. in the 1970s, when the Nigerian government sponsored students to study at top universities in the United Kingdom and the U.S. For decades, the American government has prefered giving visas to those deemed useful. My parents brought my family to the U.S. via a diversity visa that requires applicants to either complete high school (in a country whose secondary school completion rate was more than 47 percent in 2010) or have two years of “qualifying work ex-
perience” (again, in an economic context where almost one-third of the population is currently unemployed). Still, immigrants can come to the U.S. without much financial security. But African Americans with ancestral ties to slavery carry with them the disadvantage of being systematically denied the opportunity to accrue wealth. The intertwined effects of slavery, Jim Crow, and now mass incarceration continue to be felt today in the vicious cycle of wealth inequality. A long history of employment discrimination leads to higher unemployment rates and jobs that pay less. African Americans are less likely to be homeowners today because of historical mortgage discrimination and redlining. While African immigrants can, and certainly do, experience discrimination that harms them financially, there are advantages that come with “starting fresh” and being perceived as a model minority. African Americans are not less qualified or lazier than African immigrants — that should go without saying. Both groups are simply targeted by unfair, limited (and limiting) narratives, compared to each other only on the basis of skin colour, when there is so much more at play. All the animosity between these groups is unnecessary — they need not be in opposition in the first place. While many such comparisons come from outsiders, it is disappointing that members of the Black diaspora have allowed such division. Too many Africans living in the U.S., especially those who came here as adults, dismiss Generational African Americans as lacking drive, without considering what life and history has been like from their perspective. And too many Black people growing up in the U.S. are xenophobic, holding backwards and limited ideas of what life is like in Africa. We’ve fallen victim to white supremacy’s trap of keeping us engaged with fighting rather than expending our en-
ergy productively. Maybe neither group is willfully ignorant, but we all hold a responsibility to seek out the truth regarding life experiences we are not aware of. I don’t want Black people to bond solely over trauma, but being deeply affected by white supremacy, whether by colonisation or slavery, should make us realise that we are truly not each other’s enemy. Especially because both groups have so much in common. Strong family values are foundational in all parts of the Black diaspora; so is the creative, joyful
We’ve fallen victim to white supremacy’s trap of keeping us engaged with fighting rather than expending our energy productively. energy that I see as a fundamental part of the Black experience. Both groups carry a tenacious, hardworking spirit and a deep respect for culture. There are even shared jokes — like being late all the time — that ring true in almost every part of the diaspora. This Black History Month, let’s look at our family in all parts of the world, across the ocean or within our city. Let’s understand each other instead of letting white America and the limited room it allows for different perspectives keep us apart. Of course, all members of the Black diaspora are distinct. But it’s frustrating seeing division among a group that, united, could show the world what Black excellence really means. As long as we are setting ourselves up against each other, none of us win. —Treasure N. Oji ’25, a Crimson Editorial editor, lives in The Inn. This piece is a part of a focus on Black authors and experiences for Black History Month.
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Fifteen Questions to Fall in Love: Learning to Love Beyond Datamatch By CHELSEA E. GUO
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hat would you like to experience for the first time again?” “What’s the greatest gift you’ve ever given someone else?” “Would you rather live in a house made of chocolate, or a house made of cheese?” Many such icebreakers reside in my rather poorly organized Google Drive, hidden within a document titled “36 questions to induce a (hopefully) good convo by chels.” When I first read the viral New York Times article on 36 questions that could supposedly lead to love between complete strangers, it materialized something I’d felt I needed for many years of my life: some sort of formulaic, step-by-step process to intimacy and better connections. Over winter break freshman year, I wrote my own list of 36, aiming for lower stakes but higher quality conversations. “Don’t do all 36 at once,” I’d emphasize, every time I gently forced other people to do this with me. “Just pick a few, or each person can pick one, and see where it goes from there.” Since then, my unofficial role in student organizations has been the icebreaker generator. I believe that the way people answer these questions — even the sillier ones! — reveals so much about them. But more significantly, I have this inexplicably intense faith that this habitual sharing and discussing is crucial to forming strong connections, whether romantic or platonic. It’s embarrassingly on-brand for a Harvard student to have this approach to love. Like somehow, if I could have X number of conversations discussing Y number of “deep questions” over Z number of weeks, I’d be able to plan and develop the connections I wanted. As if somehow, relationships could be worked on
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like a project or extracurricular activity. In 2020, nudged into a gap year because of the pandemic, I joined Datamatch as part of their business team. I committed myself to selling this idea that an algorithm — yes, even an algorithm based on answers about Harry Styles fanfiction and the Adams fly situation — could predict love and friendship. In the past few weeks, I’ve pitched Datamatch, formally and informally, to friends, strangers, restaurants, and sponsors. While attributing thousands of online matches to the Algorithm™ is Datamatch’s snappy, memorable brand, the real magic that leads to the adorable success stories we present on our Instagram is even simpler. No matter the percentage of compatibility assigned, the real success of those stories is the fact that all of them reached out. Every single one of them deliberately chose to click “match,” chose to meet up in-person, chose to go on a second date. I’m sure most people know that an algorithm can only help you to a certain extent, whether it’s on Datamatch, Tinder, or Christian Mingle. But despite this knowledge, people often don’t make this deliberate series of choices towards something beautiful. Instead, we worry over whether that beautiful relationship at the end is even achievable, even worth pursuing. It’s also embarrassingly on-brand for us at Harvard to feel like the worst thing we could ever do is waste someone else’s time. Obviously, because we don’t have the free time for things that won’t work out, we label so, so many things as a waste of time — preemptively rejecting possibilities to protect ourselves from disappointment. I’ve definitely apologized for taking up someone’s p-setting hours to continue a good dinner conversation, and I’ve definitely also been hurt (per-
haps unfairly) by friends choosing to prioritize their assignments over me. But even if those idealized relationships aren’t achievable, it’s always worth trying. It’s worth it that we care, and that we stand by our decisions to care. How could that be a waste of time? During the tragic and isolating moments of the pandemic, the one benefit I thrived on was how people were forced to be more explicit about making space for human connection. People I rarely expected to initiate conversations on campus were so much more willing to catch up, and I truly appreciated the collective sense of desperation — and I mean that in the most loving way possible. These initiations began deliberate sets of choices, and I’ve never regretted making that first step, regardless of the outcome. Still, these steps have to be taken from a place of deep love. No amount of creative icebreaking or statistical analyses can truly ease loneliness if it is not built on genuine care and affection from all parties. With the lessons learned from our time away, I hope that we will deliberately choose to be unequivocal when we love each other, when we miss each other, when we really would rather not do that seminar reading — because it’s worth making time for each other. I hope that we will love each other wholeheartedly, far beyond the systems we’ve designed to aid us in our pursuits. Is this idealistic and too much to ask from a campus that’s currently going on one-off dates mainly from the promise of free food and the (more vague) promise of scientific accuracy? Maybe. But at least for me, I’ll be working on this — long after Valentine’s Day, and long after our website closes. —Chelsea E. Guo ’24 is a Sociology concentrator in Adams House and a Business Lead of Datamatch.
Anuksha S. Wickramasinghe ADHDVENTURES
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his piece is a letter to the girl who’d spend hours on Google, desperately trying to find anyone, anybody’s story, to know that she wasn’t the only one who felt the way she did. It’s for anyone who needs an answer but knows that obtaining the piece of paper that confirms it all “officially” is a near impossibility. For those seeking, hoping, wishing to know that something’s going on, that I am not the bad, the wrong, the broken thing. Years before a formal diagnosis, I recognized that I wouldn’t be able to keep going without answers. After much reading and research, I came to the conclusion that I likely had depression and anxiety. I self-diagnosed. Now, that doesn’t mean it was something I announced to the world or told everyone I met. Instead, I kept it to myself, afraid that I’d be wrong and invalidating other people’s experiences. As Jailene Ramos ’24, who also self-diagnosed prior to receiving formal ADHD and clinical depression diagnoses, described, “I would shove it down because I also felt like self-diagnosing myself was fake.” Though I’d recovered from my depressive symptoms by the time I was professionally diagnosed, I was correct about having anxiety and ADHD. As Ramos tells me and I agree, a professional diagnosis provided significant relief to know, “I wasn’t lying. I wasn’t faking it.” As if mental illness and neurodiversity didn’t have enough stigma, self-diagnosis doesn’t deserve all the shame and invalidation. A quick Google search will populate plenty of sources warning you of the dangers. While I’ll readily admit that receiving a “formal” or “professional” diagnosis is more ideal than self-diagnosing, these perspectives fail to acknowledge how difficult it is to get professionally diagnosed. Diagnosis is not accessible. Take Alyx Britton ’21’s diagnostic journey. Britton began to suspect they had ADHD during the pandemic. After doing a lot of research on their own, they brought up the possibility of having ADHD to their psychiatrist, where they were met with doubt. The diagnostic process wasn’t any easier. For example, the ADHD diagnostic process often requires an “observer form,” typically filled out by someone who has known you since childhood. For Britton, who has an atypical home situation, it was impossible to find someone to fill it out. Eventually, their doctor interviewed them, but those conversations left them feeling “really dismissed.” After several months, their doctor relented that they “might have ADHD” but did not formally diagnose them. For Britton, seeking out a formal and definitive diagnosis with ADHD would have been virtually impossible at that time.“Essentially, I would have had to go to somebody off-campus, pay. I think it was a couple $100 for all the evaluation,” they said. “I was like, I’m broke. I’m on financial aid. I’m supporting myself. I have to pay rent.” Steph S. Brecq ’24 also describes having a story where diagnosis “wasn’t something that was accessible” to her for most of her life. She explains that though she was aware that she had different mental health issues growing up, it was in her senior year of high school, after turning 18, that she sought out a psychiatrist now that she “could do it without any documentation being mailed back to [her] mother via insurance.” She called virtually every psychiatrist in her radius in the state of New Jersey, where she’s from, none of which were available or accepted her insurance or had availability. Upon arriving at college and receiving “Harvard’s good fancy insurance,” she looked for out of network care outside of Harvard University Health Services and found a psychiatrist. Brecq is now diagnosed with ADHD, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Assuming you have the resources, the diagnostic process is still incredibly difficult to navigate, especially in the midst of a mental health crisis. Anna Roodnitsky ’25 at Dartmouth College, currently on medical withdrawal due to chronic depression, explains, “If you don’t have someone who’s emotionally stable and mentally strong enough to help you through the administrative process of getting you connected with proper mental professionals, then you just end up suffering.” So, if it were simple to get a diagnosis, I and others would have much earlier. Kendall Shields ’24, tells me, “If, for example, Harvard offered a free autism evaluation or assessment, I would definitely take advantage of that.” Shields was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis complex, a genetic disorder that causes noncancerous tumors to grow throughout one’s body. She identifies with neurodiversity on the basis of having brain tumors that “affect the way [her] brain works.” Though Shields was never formally evaluated for autism, 40 to 50 percent of people with her genetic disorder are autistic.For Shields, identifying with the neurodivergent label and broader autism experience has been beneficial, from “connecting with other autistic people at Harvard” to finding resources and mechanisms to “navigate the world better.” “I’d rather empower those few people who are self-diagnosing for the wrong reasons — it means that everybody else is getting the help they need — than oppress and force everybody who actually needs help down.” Ramos says. She captures the fundamental defense for self-diagnosis, as she continues: “If somebody was self-diagnosing themselves for the wrong reasons, they still need help, right? It’s still a cry for help, even if they don’t know it.” —Anuksha S. Wickramasinghe ’24 is a Neuroscience concentrator and Crimson Editorial editor in Mather House. Her column “Adhdventures” appears on alternate Wednesdays.
PAGE 7
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
HMC FROM PAGE 1
HMC Sells Apple, Meta Holdings In its largest acquisition of the quarter, HMC purchased 5,262,161 shares totaling $36 million of the biotechnology company EQRx. To date, EQRx’s stock price has fallen by 53 percent in 2022. During the fourth quarter, HMC also reduced its shares of Royalty Pharma, a company that helps fund clinical trials for new drug treatments, by 51 percent; Affirm Holdings, a financial technology company, by 77 percent; and Sana Biotechnology, a biotechnology company that creates engineered cells to treat disease, by 60 percent. Harvard’s investment arm
continued to hold assets in other biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, despite their value plummeting in the fourth quarter. One biotechnology company in HMC’s portfolio, Generation Bio, saw its share price fall by 72 percent. John M. Longo, a professor at Rutgers Business School and the Chief Investment Officer for Beacon Trust, wrote that HMC likely reduced its exposure to public equities in anticipation of lower returns from stocks over the next decade. “A reduction in its equity portfolio at year-end is not sur-
prising given that the S&P 500 has more than doubled over the past three years,” Longo wrote. “Traditional U.S. equity and fixed income investments are likely to provide returns below their historical long-term averages for the decade ahead, since valuations are starting from high levels and we [are] entering a period of rising interest rates and taxes.” Longo called HMC’s liquidation of Meta Platforms and Affirm Holdings shares “prescient,” pointing to the companies’ 35 percent and 53 percent drop in stock price, respectively.
Longo also called HMC’s reduction in Royalty Pharma “a bit surprising,” though he noted it still represents a large portion – $138 million – of HMC’s equity portfolio. “It is most likely a risk reduction trade, rather than something fundamentally wrong with the stock,” Longo wrote. Patrick S. McKiernan, a spokesperson for HMC, declined to comment on the filings, citing the company policy not to comment on individual investments. dekyi.tsotsong@thecrimson.com eric.yan@thecrimson.com
HKS Professors Land $7.5 Million Grant By MILES J. HERSZENHORN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Dani Rodrik ’79 and Gordon H. Hanson, two Harvard Kennedy School Economics professors, received a $7.5 million grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to establish the Reimagining the Economy Project, the foundation announced Wednesday. The project, which will focus on empirical studies of policymaking and local economies, is part of a $40 million effort by the Hewlett Foundation and the Omidyar Network to fund academic programs that “help rethink and replace neoliberalism and its assumptions.” Grants from the initiative were also awarded to programs at Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institue of Technology, and the Santa Fe Institute. Larry Kramer, the president of the Hewlett Foundation, wrote in a press release that
“neoliberalism’s anti-government, free-market fundamentalism” is incompatible with the challenges facing the modern world. “This joint effort reflects our shared interest in replacing outdated 20th-century thinking — individualistic versus collectivist, central control versus free markets, liberty versus equality, and the like — with new ideas that can lead to broader economic justice and prosperity for people around the world,” Kramer wrote. According to their grant proposal, Rodrik and Hanson intend to organize two major conferences over the next five years in collaboration with the grantees at Massachusetts Institue of Technology. The Harvard Kennedy School initiative will also bring two to three postdoctoral fellows to the Kennedy School every year for a yearlong fellowship. In the press release an-
nouncing the grant, Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf wrote that Hanson and Rodrik’s project “recognizes that existing policies have left many societies with stark inequities in opportunity.” “This project will tap the ideas and experiences of ground-level practitioners, as well as scholars and analysts, to develop practical policy solutions that can generate growth and create productive jobs in the places where people need them most,” he wrote. Rodrik said that the initiative will study areas that have been “hard-hit by either deindustrialization,” “the climate challenge,” or “structural change.” “At the local level, people are already doing some of this work,” he said. “But it has remained largely below the radar screen and hasn’t scaled up,” he said. “What we want to do is first
study what is happening at the local level, with local development efforts in creating good jobs and providing a fertile environment for good firms to develop,” Rodrik added. Hanson said that he has come to “appreciate how important place is” in analyzing inequality at the local level. “Where you live matters enormously for the opportunities you have today and the opportunities you’re going to have over your lifetime, and the fact that place matters so much tells us that there’s some fundamental things that need to be changed,” he said. Rodrik said that he is excited to envision “better models of how we generate inclusive prosperity” with Hanson through the initiative. “Expanding our institutional imagination is one of the important objectives that I’m looking forward to,” he said. miles.herszenhorn@thecrimson.com
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FEBRUARY 16, 2022
Eubanks Talks Mississippi Delta By CAROLINE E. CURRAN and SARA DAHIYA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Writer, journalist, and Radcliffe fellow W. Ralph Eubanks spoke about the cultural heritage and history of the Mississippi Delta at an online lecture hosted by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Tuesday evening. Eubanks entitled his talk — this year’s Julia S. Phelps Annual Lecture in the Arts and Humanities — “Why the Mississippi Delta Matters.” “Despite its seemingly low status, the Mississippi Delta holds a curiously complicated, yet monumental place in the culture of the American South, as well as American culture more broadly,” Eubanks said. Eubanks’ work focuses on race and identity in the South. He is writing a book focusing on the people of the Delta during his fellowship. Eubanks said contemporary poverty in Mississippi has resulted from a history marred by racism and inequality. “It is important to know the size and scale of the problems faced in the lives of poor people and adults, both historically and today,” Eubanks said. “By seeing systemic racism as a myth, we are obscuring the reality of racism’s impact, not only on the Delta but on the rest of the country.” According to Eubanks, the Delta had the highest number of enslaved people and sharecroppers, which translated into high unemployment rates in the state, even a century later. “To change our way of seeing, we must also understand the ways public policy has institutionalized poverty in this country and numbed us from
seeing it,” Eubanks said. “We must understand the ways the Delta was shaped by economic, political, and emotional forces that are American at their core,” he said. Eubanks said the Mississippi Delta is noteworthy both for its turbulent past and its cultural significance.
Despite its seemingly low status, the Mississippi Delta holds a curiously complicated, yet monumental place in the culture of the American South. W. Ralph Eubanks Radcliffe Fellow
“One moment, the Delta is a place gleaming like a national guitar, and another, it is a torrid landscape — mercilessly obsessed with race and cotton, yet gripped by a volatile mix of poverty and oppression,” Eubanks said. “The Delta, both in reality and in popular culture, has proven to be a place that is difficult to shake from one’s consciousness,” he added. Eubanks disclosed the motivation behind his work, noting he is driven to shed light on the Mississippi Delta because he wants e others to appreciate it like he does. “The Delta is a place that matters to me, and I want it to matter to more people,” he said. caroline.curran@thecrimson.com sara.dahiya@thecrimson.com
SPORTS
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY RECAP
ABOUT SCORES THE TEAM
2021-22 Overall RecordVS. BU 12-10 3PT GAMES Percentage 0.335 UPCOMING ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ MEN’S BASKETBALL W, 18-17 ___________________________________________________________ WOMEN’S SWIMMING IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHP 2ND ___________________________________________________________ Conference Record 6-4 FG Percentage 0.399 Men’s Wrestling vs. Brown ______________________________________ WOMEN’S HEAVYWEIGHT CREW VS. YALE ______________________________________ L ___________________________________________________________ GOLF VS. PRINCETON W ___________________________________________________________ Thursday 7:00pm, at Brown Games 22 FT Percentage 0.679 ______________________________________ ______________________________________ FOOTBALL VS. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT L, 42, 36 ___________________________________________________________ MEN’S WRESTLING VS. PENN STATE L, 42, 36 ___________________________________________________________ Points 1591 Blocks Per Game 2.6 Women’s Ice Hockey vs. RPI ______________________________________ ______________________________________ FENCING NEW ENGLAND CHAMPIONSHIP 15TH ___________________________________________________________ Points Per Game 72.3 Rebounds Per Game 36.6 Friday 6:00pm, at RPI ______________________________________ ______________________________________
MEN’S WRESTLING
League Play Brings Mixed Results for Harvard By EKENE CHUKWUEKE CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Harvard (2-5, 0-4 Ivy) faced tough competition in Friday’s Ivy League and EIWA dual meet at Columbia (3-8, 1-3 Ivy), ending in a defeat by the hosts. Sophomore standout Philip Conigliaro maintained his undefeated record in dual competition in the 165-pound division, winning his match 5-3. Conigliaro started the match with a takedown, taking a 2-1 lead towards the end of the first period. Midway through the second, he scored an escape and a takedown to pull ahead, 5-2, emerging victorious despite allowing an escape in the final frame. With his win, Conigliaro improved his season record to 14-4, adding to his team-leading point total. Ultimately, his efforts were in vain, as Harvard fell to Columbia, 27-3. In its fourth consecutive Ivy League match, the Crimson was competitive in seven of nine losses against the Lions. Harvard reedemed itself with a road win over Hofstra (2-11, 1-5 EIWA) the next day, winning six of its seven matchups, including four bonus point wins, for a 24-19 victory.
The Crimson’s victory was made possible by several standouts like senior Lukus Stricker, who is ranked No.12 in the 149-pound division. Stricker recorded his third fall of the season with a first-period pin. He improved his season record to 14-9, 5-2 in dual competitions. He posted his eighth career fall and third pin of the dual season. Junior Michael Jaffe gained Harvard’s first bonus point win of the day with a 15-5 major decision at 141 pounds. Junior Trevor Tarsi then posted a 12-3 major decision victory at 157 pounds. Tarsi tallied a pair of takedowns in the first period to earn a 4-2 lead, which he maintained over the next two periods, notching two more takedowns and a riding time point in the final frame. Sophomore Joshua Kim, ranked No. 24 at 174 pounds, earned a major decision victory. Juniors Beau Bayless and Dillion Murphy each posted shutouts. The Crimson will shift its focus to its next matches against Brown and Binghamton. The team is looking to build off its success against Hofstra as the season reaches its conclusion. ekene.chukwueke@thecrimson.com
BIG SHOES TO PHIL Then-first-year Philip Conigliaro stares down a University of Pennsylvania wrestler in 2020. Conigliaro has had a standout season in the 165-pound weight class. Harvard fell to Columbia but defeated Hofstra this past weekend. ZADOC I. N. GEE—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
TRACK AND FIELD
Crimson Makes History at Clemson and BU Invitationals By WILLIAM CONNAUGHTON CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Following their performances at the Crimson Elite and Scarlet & White Invitational, the Harvard Track and Field program set program records in the men’s 200m, 4x400m relay, and the 5000m, with near records in the women’s 4x400m relay, pole vault, and the mile. The team split in two this past weekend, competing in both Clemson’s Tiger Paw Invitational and Boston University’s Valentine Invitational. The Tiger Paw Invitational, with a field of 30 teams, included No. 1 Texas, No. 2 North Carolina A&T, and No. 4 Georgia, some of the best programs in the country. The Crimson squad was the only Ivy League representative
at the invitational. Nearby at Terrier’s home turf, a Harvard contingent competed against a number of teams, including athletes from Yale, Princeton, Brown and Boston College. Leading the day for the Harvard men down in South Carolina, sophomore sprinter Lance Ward finished 27th in a heat of 80 runners in the 200m. The Missouri native’s blistering time of 21.28 was fast enough to set the Crimson record in the event, breaking a time set by former Olympian Chris Lambert ’03. Continuing his strong performance, Ward, junior Aaron Shirley, sophomore standout Greg Lapit, and freshman Oliver Murcko broke their own Harvard record set earlier this year in the 4x400m relay with a time of 3:09.36. This finish was good
enough for sixth in the event out of 15 teams, with each runner finishing their legs in sub-48 seconds, a notable achievement for the four-man team. “For highly competitive meets, it’s easy to get caught up in the brand names of schools from the SEC, ACC, Big 12, etc. but the most important thing for us is to remember that we also are a brand name school,” noted junior co-captain and hurdler Aaron Shirley. “It’s important that we approach those meets with the mindset that if anyone in the country knows hard work, it’s D1 Harvard Track and Field athletes. We work hard to race on these big stages and it’s exciting when we see our hard work play off.” For the women, the Crimson found success in the re-
lay again, with the four-woman team of first-years Egbe Ndip-Agbor, Izzy Goudros, and Victoria Bossong, and junior star Tina Martin completed the 4x400m in 3:38.66, the fourth-fastest time in program history. Amongst strong competition, that finish earned eighth place for Harvard in a field of 22 teams. Finally, in the field events, junior Alana Caroll, fresh off her record-setting performance in the pole vault last weekend, came up just short of her own record with a height of 4.04m. This effort placed tenth in the invitational. “I love being at Clemson because of the level of competition,” commented senior co-captain and sprinter Jada Jones. “It’s super exciting and inspiring to see as tal-
ented athletes as my peers and it has pushed me to do better. I’m always working on staying grounded and focusing on my race but I’m so thankful for the chance to run at places like Clemson.“ Up north in Boston, the Crimson experienced similar success. For the women, distance runners Anna Juul and Maia Ramsden finished in 17th and 18th place in the women’s mile with times of 4:36.66 and 4:36.88 respectively in a heat of over 200 runners. With their efforts, the senior cross country captain and freshman standout posted the fourth and fifth best Harvard performances of all time in the event. In the men’s events, Harvard continued to stand out in the
BURTS SO GOOD Junior Anna Burt rounds a corner at the Ivy & HBCU Challenge in December. The Crimson made team history in the men’s 200m, 4x400m relay, and 5000m over the weekend. Harvard sent a squad to Clemson’s Tiger Paw Invitational in South Carolina while the rest competed in Boston University’s Valentine Invitational. ANGELA DELA CRUZ—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
mile with first-year Ben Rosa finishing in 42nd with a time of 4:04.64 in a field of over 250 runners. In the 800m, junior Will Crisp finished 23rd with a time of 1:51.17. This performance marked the 9th best finish all time in the event for the Crimson. With the top 4x400m team in Clemson breaking the Harvard record down at Clemson, the understudy four-man team of first-years Jonathon Gamarra, Peter Fischer, Steffan Jones, and junior co-captain Max Serrano-Wu had their own record-breaking aspirations. With their 5th-place finish of 3:14.29, the pace was good enough for the seventh-fastest finish all time for Harvard, showing the team’s depth in the event. Finally, in the 5000m, the distance runners showed off their strength and dominated the event, building on their historic cross country season in the fall. Sophomore Acer Iverson wrote himself into the Crimson history books with a time of 13:32.31, good enough for 30th in the event. Iverson broke the record previously held by multiple-record holder Maksim Korolev ’14 by ten seconds while also setting an Ivy League record in the process. Other runners also left their marks on the event. Senior Matthew Pereira and senior cross-country co-captain David Melville put up the third and fifth best times in Harvard history in the event, respectively, with first-year Ben Hartvigsen putting up the seventh best time in Crimson history. Following this pair of invitationals, the Harvard track and field program has two weeks to rest, recover, and prepare for the indoor Ivy League Championships on Feb. 26th and 27th in New York. Shirley stressed the importance of execution going into the meet in two weeks: “I’d say success for the team looks like perfect execution. Going into championships it’s not about your place, your points, or your competitors, but it’s about how well you are able to execute in your event. We’ve been training for months to get to where we are and the Ivy League Championships is our time to get out there and execute what we know we are capable of doing. If everyone goes into the meet with a goal to execute and rise to their talent and potential, it will be a very successful meet.” william.connaughton@thecrimson.com