The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 19
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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
| THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022
EDITORIAL PAGE 4
SPORTS PAGE 6
SPORTS PAGE 6
Harvard cannot outsource Title IX to the press
Rémi Drolet is representing Harvard at the Beijing Olympics
Women’s hockey went 1-1-1 in its final homestand of the season
Security Guards Protest Contract UC Pres. Rejects Body’s Statement By SOPHIA C. SCOTT and CLAIRE YUAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Dozens of Harvard security guards stood posted at the Science and Engineering Complex and Widener Gate for hours last week, but they weren’t on duty. Rather, they were there to educate undergraduates on their push for a new contract before Commencement in May. Negotiations between the guards and Securitas reached a standstill in January when members of 32BJ SEIU voted down a final contract offer, alleging that their own union leaders were working against their interests. Now, the guards are ready to go back to the bargaining table on March 3. In coordination with the Harvard College Student Labor Action Movement and local union members, 32BJ SEIU staged three rounds of informational pickets across campus. On Wednesday afternoon, they rallied at the SEC building in Allston. On Friday, they held morning and afternoon protests at Widener Gate, each lasting for more than an hour.
SEE SECURITY PAGE 3
By J. SELLERS HILL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Protestors gathered on Massachusetts Avenue to rally for a fair contract between Harvard’s security guard union and Securitas. SOPHIA C. SCOTT—CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
At the Undergraduate Council’s first meeting of the year Tuesday, the body’s president, Michael Y. Cheng ’22, rejected a statement of solidarity from general members written in response to racist signs posted on his door earlier this week. The meeting featured impassioned debate, an expletive-laced speech, and criticism of the meeting’s structure. Tuesday’s assembly departed from the Council’s traditional Sunday meeting time — an adjustment Cheng made to bring in a mediator, Assistant Dean of Student Engagement Kate T. Colleran. Colleran said she was optimistic about unity she observed after Cheng was targeted by racist posters. On Monday morning, two flyers calling Cheng an anti-Asian slur and featuring the phrase “SAVE THE UC” were posted on his door, sparking student and faculty condemnation. “I got a lot of emails from some of you this week after the
posters went up on Michael’s door, and that is maybe the most cohesion I’ve seen from the UC in months,” Colleran said. “So, more of that.” The message of unity was quickly undercut by an address Cheng delivered to the Council afterward, in which he rejected a statement of solidarity that was drafted by members of the body. “I think we need to have some tougher conversations first before I would support that statement,” Cheng said in a 10-minute speech. In the drafted statement, which was addressed to “the Harvard College Community” and obtained by The Crimson, UC members condemned the racist attack against Cheng, calling it “unacceptable” and “disgusting.” The statement offered support to Cheng, saying: “We are here for you. We stand with you. We support you in whatever you need.” But on Wednesday, Cheng called the move hypocritical.
SEE UC PAGE 3
Black Alumni Call on Biden to Tap Jackson for SCOTUS By ELLA L. JONES and MONIQUE I. VOBECKY CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson ’92 — pictured at the University of Chicago Law School in 2020 — is reported to be on the shortlist of possible nominees to the Supreme Court. PHOTO COURTSEY LLOYD DEGRANE VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
PILOT Calls For Investment in City By YUSUF S. MIAN and CHARLOTTE P. RITZ-JACK CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The Massachusetts “Payment in Lieu of Taxes” Action Group hosted a virtual statewide forum Tuesday to discuss the group’s commitment to calling on tax-exempt institutions to invest in city development. PILOT — a coalition of labor unions, advocacy groups, and individuals across Massachusetts — advocates for wealthy nonprofit institutions to invest in localities. Tuesday’s forum, which was live-streamed over Facebook, was intended to educate the public on the coalition’s goals. The event featured guest speakers like Trinity College professor Davarian L. Baldwin, who wrote “In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower: How Universities Are Plundering Our Cities,” and Boston City Councilor Elizabeth A. “Liz” Breadon, who represents the Allston-Brighton district, which includes real estate owned by three universiINSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
SEE SCOTUS PAGE 3
By MILES J. HERSZENHORN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Former Kennedy School Dean Graham T. Allison Jr. ’62 led a hybrid panel discussion Wednesday about China’s emergence as an economic superpower with former University President Lawrence H. Summers, Tufts professor Kelly Sims Gallagher, and London School of Economics professor Keyu Jin ’04. Allison started the discussion by talking about China’s success in creating a highly efficient transportation system. “China has shown that it can build transportation infrastructure in a way that’s shameful for Americans,” Allison said, showing a photo of a high-speed train he said can quickly transport riders from downtown Beijing to the Olympic Stadium. “Compare that with the T ride home tonight,” Allison added. “If you look at the highspeed rail, we have none, and they have 23,000 miles of highspeed rail.” Gallagher said “China is winning the race” when it comes to
SEE PILOT PAGE 3
SEE IOP PAGE 3
Editorial 4
to succeed him. During an interview with NBC News that aired before the Super Bowl on Sunday, President Joe Biden said he is currently considering four candidates for the position. “I’m looking for someone to replace Judge Breyer with the same kind of capacity Judge Breyer had — with an open mind, who understands the Constitution, interprets it in a way that is consistent with the mainstream interpretation of the Constitution,” Biden said. Simmons said her time spent as Jackson’s roommate at the College revealed Jackson as not only a strong student, but also a friend and mentor. “She’s always been a powerful voice, as a Black woman at Harvard College and then on to Harvard Law School,” Simmons said.
Experts Discuss U.S.-China Economic Rivalry
ties. The greater Boston area is home to a high concentration of some of America’s wealthiest universities such as Harvard. As nonprofits, the institutions are not required to pay property taxes under Massachusetts law. According to PILOT’s website, 70 percent of Boston’s revenue derives from property taxes, while 49 percent of the city’s land is occupied by government and nonprofit institutions that pay no property tax. Baldwin said this dearth of property taxes makes cities reliant on donations at the discretion of these institutions. “This is almost a feudal relationship where residents have to look out or gain access to resources at the philanthropic behest of these power brokers,” he said. In January 2020, the Boston City Council filed a PILOT ordinance that strengthened existing recommendations for contributions from tax-exempt
News 3
More than 170 Black Harvard alumni submitted a letter to the White House calling for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson ’92 to be nominated to the United States Supreme Court. Alumni from both the College and Law School backed the letter, which was sent to the White House on Friday. The letter has continued to garner support, collecting more than 260 signatures in a span of three days, according to organizer Nina C. Simmons ’92. “We are Black alumni of Harvard University, and we write to urge you to nominate Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to be the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States,” it reads. The alumni stressed that they came together not simply
as a monolithic group of Black alumni, but as Harvard graduates representing vastly different professions and backgrounds united in their support for Jackson. “We represent a broad cross-section of America,” the letter reads. “We are civic and corporate leaders, scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, public school teachers, professors, doctors, lawyers, and stay-at-home parents, among others.” Jackson currently sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit and served as a federal trial court judge for eight years. She has also sat on Harvard’s Board of Overseers — the University’s second-highest governing body — since 2016. After Justice Stephen G. Breyer announced his retirement in January, Jackson soon emerged as one of the favorites
Sports 6
Graham Allison and Kelly Sims Gallagher discussed Chinese economics with Keyu Jin and Lawrence H. Summers, who joined the talk virtually. AIYANA G. WHITE—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
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HARVARD TODAY
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TODAY’S EVENTS Student Office Hours with Dean Rakesh Khurana 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Got a question or comment for the Dean of the College? Drop by Dean Khurana’s office hours, which are open to all currently enrolled undergraduate students. Request an appointment by email.
Covid-19 Limbo: L.A. Stops Requiring Masks Outdoors
As Covid-19 transmission and hospitalizations decrease in Los Angeles County, wearing a mask in outdoor areas and to outdoor events will not be required. In light of Covid-19 cases dropping, Barbara Ferrer, Public Health Director, says that the county will update their safety protocols to reflect this, while continuing to keep everyone safe.
Government Pathways Panel 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Calling all Government enthusiasts! Are you not sure what you want your public service career to look like? This is your chance to have a professional soundboard at your disposal! Check out this event, where you’ll hear various panelists’ stories and they’ll give you advice for how to be successful in your future occupation.
Information Relating to the Death of Bob Saget Will Not Be Released as of Now
Students brave the cold weather between classes in Science Center Plaza. TRUONG L. NGUYEN— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
AROUND THE IVIES YALE: Yale sued for violating antitrust law by considering financial need in admissions —THE YALE DAILY NEWS
Pursuing the PhD: Myths and Realities 5 p.m.-6 p.m.
PRINCETON: Divest Princeton files legal complaint to N.J. Attorney General —THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN
BROWN: Prof. Martha Sharp Joukowsky, beloved and renowned, dies at 85 —THE
Trump Requests That Biden Withhold the White House Visitors Log From the Public
As the events behind the Jan. 6 Capitol riot continue to be investigated, President Biden will release White House visitor logs to the U.S. House committee investigating the events, despite wishes from former President Trump that they be kept confidential. Information deemed as crucial to national security will remain confidential.
BROWN DAILY HERALD
PENN: Penn senior Mehek Boparai places second in ‘Jeopardy!’ quarterfinals, wins $10,000 —THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
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Are you considering graduate school? Check out this panel to hear about the real PhD experience to help you decide! You’ll get advice for starting your career after getting your degree, in addition to topics such as hacking the graduate school application process.
A federal judge blocked the release of some records from the investigation into Bob Saget’s death. The comedian’s family filed a lawsuit last week seeking to block the release of the files, citing “emotional distress” and” irreparable harm” that would come from their release.
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Mass. Rolls Back Mask Guidance
The State Department of Health announced Tuesday that fully vaccinated people who are at high risk for Covid-19 or live with an immunocompromised person should wear a face covering indoors.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Harvard to Share Computer at M.I.T.
IBM unveiled plans to construct a $4 million laboratory at MIT that would allow Harvard and 22 other universities to share use of a giant “704” computer. February 17, 1956
Pusey Announces Decision To Retire in June of 1971
Nathan M. Pusey ’28, who served as the University’s 24th President since 1953, announced he would resign his position in June 1971 in a letter to the Harvard Corporation. February 17, 1970
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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Copyright 2022, The Harvard Crimson (USPS 236-560). No articles, editorials, cartoons or any part thereof appearing in The Crimson may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the President. The Associated Press holds the right to reprint any materials published in The Crimson. The Crimson is a non-profit, independent corporation, founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. Second-class postage paid in Boston, Massachusetts. Published Monday through Friday except holidays and during vacations, three times weekly during reading and exam periods by The Harvard Crimson Inc., 14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138 Weather icons made by Freepik, Yannick, Situ Herrera, OCHA, SimpleIcon, Catalin Fertu from flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY 3.0.
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CORRECTIONS The Harvard Crimson is committed to accuracy in its reporting. Factual errors are corrected promptly on this page. Readers with information about errors are asked to e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@thecrimson.com.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
SCOTUS FROM PAGE 1
FEBRUARY 17, 2022
UC FROM PAGE 1
Black Alumni Call on Biden Cheng Rejects Statement to Tap Jackson for SCOTUS of Solidarity at UC Meeting “She was never afraid to express her opinions or to argue about what she thought was right and just, so she has a very high standard of integrity.” Janine M. Gilbert ’93 worked alongside Simmons on the team of alumni behind the letter. She said the group initially brainstormed ways they could support a nomination of Jackson before deciding to write a letter due to the quick turnaround. “The final letter we did in a few days,” Gilbert said. Gilbert added that her experience as an attorney, litigator,
and clerk for a federal judge provided her with unique insight into Jackson’s qualifications for the role. “I have a strong sense of what it takes and what is needed to be a good judge, and she is someone who is excellent at it,” she said. Should Jackson receive the nomination, Simmons said the team of alumni would continue lobbying to help her secure confirmation. “We’re trying to, again, leverage the larger Harvard community and population. That’s the next step,” she said.
PILOT FROM PAGE 1
“If she does get nominated, then there’s a whole set of different tasks we’re going to try to figure out and do, whether it be reaching out to representatives or senators of the Judiciary Committee.” Gilbert also reiterated her support for Jackson, pointing to both her intellect and moral judgment. “Ketanji’s brilliant. Absolutely brilliant,” Gilbert said. “She’s one of the most ethical people I know.” ella.jones@thecrimson.com monique.vobecky@thecrimson.com
“This kind of hypocrisy should not be tolerated, which is why I’m still very disappointed,” he said. “We’re now supposed to take seriously that the Undergraduate Council is offended by anti-Asian racism, with many of its members engaged in a multimonth harassment campaign that was influenced by anti-Asian stereotypes.” Some UC members reacted to Cheng’s statement with incredulity, while a few cheered in support. Cheng reiterated his belief that the racist posters were put up by a UC member.
“The person or people that are responsible for yesterday’s hateful attack, as well as the multiple kinds of other attacks targeting me, are potentially in this room right now,” he said. The Council moved on to a proposal for a referendum to declare election day a University holiday and day of civic action. The bill passed, 31-2, with the referendum vote set to be held shortly after spring recess. The Council also tabled a bill calling for the UC to send an email backing the creation of a new student government constitution — a central tenet of
IOP FROM PAGE 1
PILOT Forum Calls Experts Discuss U.S-China for City Investment Economic Rivalry at IOP Forum institutions. The existing measure, spearheaded in 2010, suggests that institutions with over $15 million in holdings contribute 25 percent of their assessed value to the city. PILOT has also introduced legislation at the state level that would enable towns to establish additional programs to generate revenue from tax-exempt institutions. “These institutions need to pay their fair share to our neighborhood of Allston-Brighton and to our city as a whole,” Breadon said. Harvard participates in the PILOT program, but the University has not paid its full recommended sum for the past nine years. Last year, the program requested that Harvard pay $13 million for its landholdings in Boston, $6.5 million of which should be paid in cash.
Last year, the University contributed $3.7 million, a little over half the request. A leader of PILOT, Enid Eckstein, condemned the lack of contributions by institutions. “This is not good policy — local governments need reliable and predictable resources to plan, to have good schools, to have good libraries, roads, et cetera” she said. Eckstein called on state legislators to standardize how these nonprofits contribute funds. “Our legislation is an attempt to create a standard framework for PILOT and then give towns the opportunity to opt in and use that as the standard,” she said in an interview after the forum. yusuf.mian@thecrimson.com charlotte.ritz-jack@thecrimson.com
creating jobs in the green energy sector. “In 2020, China generated 4.7 million new renewable energy jobs,” Gallagher said. “Whereas, the United States generated 838,000, only seven percent of the global total. In fact, the US comes in fourth in creation of new renewable energy jobs, behind China, Brazil, and India, in that order.” Jin praised the Chinese government’s response to online criticisms from its citizens. “The fact that you can criticize the government openly on public websites is all an indication that there is just much more responsiveness on the ground from the Chinese government toward its citizens than we imagine elsewhere,” Jin said. The panelists later debated whether the international pres-
SECURITY FROM PAGE 1
Security Guards Hold Protest Over Contract The demonstrations each featured upwards of forty participants, including Massachusetts State Rep. Michael L. Connolly and 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice President Roxana Rivera. Members of UA Local 12 — the union representing campus plumbers — also joined.
Security is still here, still essential, and still fighting for a contract that keeps up with the rising costs of inflation. Roxana Rivera 32BJ SEIU Executive VP
“As the union representing contracted security officers at Harvard, we are committed to negotiating an agreement that keeps up with the cost-of-living and offers the best protections for these essential workers and their families,” Rivera wrote in an email. Arun K. Malik, a member of the 32BJ Bargaining Committee, said he felt it was “very clear” that Harvard holds indirect sway over the contract negotiations. “Harvard really was our employer,” he said. “Securitas is just the cutout.”
University spokesperson Jason A. Newton declined to comment. Rivera wrote that the goal of the rallies was to communicate to the University the security guards’ discontent with the state of negotiations and determination to achieve a contract amenable to their demands. “As we gear up to go back to the bargaining table on March 3, we and the officers felt it was important to show the Harvard community that Security is still here, still essential, and still fighting for a contract that keeps up with the rising costs of inflation,” she added. According to Malik, the union intends to increase pressure for a more favorable contract offer by holding rallies during Harvard’s Commencement Exercises in May. He said that given the unique nature of this year’s ceremonies celebrating three classes, union members hope the threat of more rallies during the Exercises will “get the ball rolling.” “People who didn’t get Commencements for the last two years will be showing up, and I think it will be very embarrassing for Harvard if there are informational pickets as people came in,” he said. sophia.scott@thecrimson.com claire.yuan@thecrimson.com
Pictures worth a thousand words. The Crimson thecrimson.com
tige of a degree from an American university will help the United States counter China’s economic rise. “I think we are sitting at one of America’s great assets,” Summers said. “It doesn’t mean that others couldn’t succeed in fostering the kind of academic, and university, and higher education culture that we have in the United States, but I think we need to recognize it for the staggering advantage that it is,” he said. “Young people, like Professor Jin when she was much younger, come to study in American schools and in American colleges because they and their families appreciate how extraordinary an opportunity it is,” he added. “Chinese students who have Harvard degrees, Princeton de-
grees, or have worked at Google and Facebook, are returning to China,” Jin countered. “About 80 percent of them have returned years after their graduation. This was not the case at all 20 years ago.” “The American dream is now found in China,” she added. In a pre-panel interview, Allison explained China’s economic power will dominate U.S. political discussions for years to come. “The overriding international challenge for the United States in 2017, and in 2027, and in 2037, and as far beyond that as anybody can see, will be the rise of China and its impact on the United States, and the international order of which the U.S. has been the principal architect and guardian,” he said. miles.herszenhorn@thecrimson.com
Cheng’s campaign to overhaul the body’s existing structure. Discourse on the bill derailed into criticism of the meeting’s logistics, with some members lambasting Cheng’s refusal to allow participants to vote via Zoom. “I just want to comment on the absolute lack of decorum and respect for others that changing the meeting to a weekday and having an adult facilitator was supposed to change,” said John S. Cooke ’25, a Maple Yard representative. sellers.hill@thecrimson.com
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FEBRUARY 17, 2022
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD
COLUMN
We Are Not a Title IX Substitute
Patrick Kelly’s Joyful Black Dresses
The rot — the permissiveness, the knowing inability to help — runs deep.
H
arvard is getting sued. More than a year after The Crimson published a detailed account of sexual misconduct allegations against John L. Comaroff, Professor of Anthropology and African and African-American Studies, our university is facing legal consequences for its alleged negligence. Last week, three graduate students filed a lawsuit against Harvard, accusing the University of turning a blind eye on the accusations for years. The plaintiffs — Margaret G. Czerwienski, Lilia M. Kilburn, and Amulya Mandava — are charging the University with mishandling numerous Title IX complaints related to his alleged physical and verbal sexual harassment. The allegations at the center of the lawsuit are stunning, as is the amount of raw, disturbing detail within. The complaint, filed in a Boston Federal Court, features the word “forcibly” eight times, with “grope,” “kiss,” and their conjugated forms breaking double digits. “Threat” and its derivates appear on almost 50 different occasions. It is not, by any means, a pretty read. If part of the appeal of Harvard is its exceptional student experience, the lawsuit suggests that experience does not extend to alleged victims. For survivors, it suggests that our institution doesn’t guarantee basic safety or try to fight for or alongside you when you are harmed under its watch. It’s another powerful reminder of how, too often, we prove too willing to set everything — career paths, ambitions, entire lives — on fire to shelter renowned figures; renowned white men, in particular. Yet among all the disturbing allegations, amid the descriptions of harassment-themed brunches and retaliatory blacklisting, one detail stands out. High-level Harvard affiliates — including a Title IX Coordinator, a department chair, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ Dean for Faculty Affairs and Planning — allegedly encouraged the complainants to talk to the press, not University investigators, if they wanted to see results. In the words of the lawsuit, faculty and administration members alike consistently relayed the same twisted message: “Only a public article” would give Harvard “cover to take action” against Comaroff. That paradigm is beyond shameful. For one, it forces complainants go-
ing through scarring events to publicly reopen their wounds for the press, exposing them to public scrutiny. More egregiously, it subcontracts a crucial university duty to nearby newsrooms — including The Crimson, as noted in the lawsuit. We closely follow, and certainly respect, the invaluable work done by our peers on the news side of the aisle. They have proved, over the years, their personal tenacity and professional commitment to collegiate journalism. But they are still — we are still — collegiate journalists: full-time, sleep-deprived undergraduates with overdue assignments and limited experience. Our reporters are not professional sexual harassment investigators or mediators. We are not, and we cannot be, a replacement for Title IX or other institutional complaint processes. And yet, according to one of Harvard’s own Title IX Coordinators, that’s exactly what we’ve become.
We are not, and we cannot be, a replacement for Title IX or other institutional complaint processes. The affiliates’ insulting, arguably well-meaning advice proved accurate. Within months of The Crimson’s story on Comaroff, the University placed him on paid administrative leave. Earlier this year, after decades of allegations, Comaroff finally paid a definitive, if temporary, professional price for the accusations levied against him. Talking to the press worked where institutional recourse had repeatedly failed. That truth should haunt reporters and students alike. The advice given to Comaroff’s accusers underscores the extent to which the University, or at least the people who embody its power, know that complainants will face massive cultural and institutional barriers to being heard. If the lawsuit’s allegations prove true, the University’s reporting system would be exposed as borderline farcical — a courtroom where the judge, in an embarrassing sidebar, encourages plaintiffs to take justice into their own hands or accept defeat. The rot — the permissiveness, the knowing inability to help — runs deep.
Tweaking current guidelines and broken systems won’t fix that. Letting the fox guard the henhouse won’t work. We need, we demand, radical change. Third-party arbitration for discrimination and sexual harassment complaints offers us the best shot at achieving it. Graduate students, particularly members of the Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers, have championed the measure for years. It is no coincidence that all of the complainants have publicly boosted the union in the aftermath of the complaint. Graduate students and their union know what Harvard faculty and administrators seemingly don’t: that those who regulate adequate behavior can’t have incentives to look the other way. Even if we ignored the lawsuit and its allegations (we shouldn’t), the public, aggressive faculty response to the incident alone shows the tendency of like to protect like in a dangerous, harmful way. Comaroff reminds us that asking a powerful institution to police itself, particularly when its reputation is at stake, is absurd. Only independent arbitration can change that. Students experiencing sexual assault face daunting barriers to getting justice. According to the lawsuit, Harvard’s sexual harassment guidelines are failing them, repeatedly, and to some degree knowingly, exacerbating mistrust in the effectiveness of Title IX and institutional resorts and ensuring that more choose, out of a lack of better options, to remain silent. For that, for those who found no justice through official channels that know themselves to be dysfunctional, we are furious. You — faculty, students, and graduate instructors alike — should be, too. We unambiguously stand with survivors; we support, and will support, their struggle for justice in any way we can. But we cannot be Harvard’s only real sexual harassment recourse; independent, non-Harvard arbitration must fill that void. 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.
OP-ED
Comaroff Shows That At Harvard, Ethics Take a Backseat to ‘Brilliance’ By ANNABELLE J.L. FINLAYSON
A
new year, a new professor’s abuses exposed. In my freshman year, we were collectively horrified by the news of Government professor Jorge I. Dominguez’s sexual offenses. My sophomore year, our horror turned to Economics professor Roland G. Fryer, Jr. And now, in my senior year, we’re talking about Anthropology professor John L. Comaroff. Amid ongoing abuses, students have taken these professors’ classes and been assigned their readings. From these recent cases alone, it is abundantly clear that when it comes to faculty who have committed sexual offenses, Harvard’s hiring and disciplinary practices have forced students to face unfair, harmful, and frustrating choices. Do we submit ourselves to inherently power-imbalanced relationships with those who have a history of emotionally or physically abusing people that look like us? Should we enter a class where we might expect to be discriminated against? Which of our professors are currently harming students and are just a Crimson article away from being exposed? Whom should we avoid being alone with in office hours? What do we lose when we are forced to give up a powerful connection or a prestigious letter of recommendation? Do our identities preclude us from the possibility of meaningful relationships with some professors altogether? As students, we shouldn’t be forced to decide between our academic and career aspirations and our safety. Even if a professor never harms us directly, it is psychologically traumatizing to face — let alone be immediately subordinate to — someone who has a history of objectifying, sexually assaulting, or discriminating against people like us. Perhaps equally as insidious as a handful of discriminatory and abusive professors is the apparent widespread tolerance of perpetrators, both new and old, at the College. The 38 faculty members who signed a letter disputing Comaroff’s forced unpaid leave effectively discredited the women brave enough to speak up. These 38 professors claimed to be concerned about the effects of the Coma-
roff decision on their “ability to advise [their] own students.” This would be hilariously ironic if it wasn’t such a disturbing betrayal. If these professors were so worried about being good mentors and advisors, they wouldn’t undermine students who have been victimized. To those professors: I, too, am worried about your ability to advise your own students. The open letter disputing Comaroff’s unpaid leave praises his great influence while expressing “dismay” at his punishment. This argument on Comaroff’s behalf aligns with the University’s priorities all too well. Harvard’s slap-on-the-wrist responses to abuses of power demonstrate that for the University, ethics often take a backseat to ‘brilliance’ and intellectual progress. Harvard knew about Comaroff’s abusive habits before they hired him, according to the lawsuit recently filed by three graduate students in the Anthropology department. In 2010, Harvard rehired renowned economic expert Lawrence H. Summers as a professor even though he had resigned from his position as University President in 2006 following an uproar over his sexist comments, in which he suggested that women are naturally worse at STEM subjects than men.
Which of our professors are currently harming students and are just a Crimson article away from being exposed? Harvard allowed Fryer, a rising star in the field of economics, to return to teach undergraduates despite the fact that he sexually harassed subordinates. Harvard virtually ignored years of disturbing abuse at the hands of Dominguez until, after he had already retired from his position in the Government department, they belatedly stripped him of “emeritus status.” And these are merely cases that have made it into The Crimson in recent times. Just as we carefully require rules of ethics in scientific discovery, we must
not let the intellectual feats of “star” faculty overshadow our ethical obligations to student safety. As summarized in the graduate student lawsuit, Harvard’s current system is “designed to protect the University, its reputation, and the faculty who sustain that reputation at the expense of its students.”
Onyx E. Ewa ALL BLACK EVERYTHING
A
typical Patrick Kelly fashion show turns the runway into a nightclub. Models dance down the runway in tight dresses — small, simple pieces made grand by the addition of whimsical adornments. My first exposure to the designer was in 2017, at an exhibit titled “Derrick Adams: Patrick Kelly, The Journey” at the Harlem Studio Museum. On the walls were collages of flat pattern pieces and bright cardstock that blended into forms which were analogous to Kelly’s finished pieces. Last year, during a visit to the In America collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume institute, I saw what is perhaps his most famous work—a fitted black dress from his Fall/Winter 1986-1987 collection. This uniquely striking piece is mid-thigh length with long sleeves and a heart-shaped corset made of hundreds of multicolored, candy-like buttons. The heart is so outstandingly vibrant that it almost makes the black dress fade into the background, leaving the viewer to stare at the heart alone. Hearts were a common motif in Kelly’s work, as they reflected his commitment to love and joy. At his shows, he distributed “Love Lists,” which included a diverse array of items he loved, including lycra dresses, pretty things, fun, all women (fat, skinny, and in between), families (especially grandmothers and mothers), and you! Through his embrace of radical joy, he was able to make a political statement via fashion. In the 1980s, community care was an essential part of combatting the AIDS crisis, and Kelly certainly showed that he cared. Kelly’s love for buttons came from a childhood memory of his grandmother. Whenever he lost a button on his shirt, his grandmother would replace it with one that didn’t quite match. To avoid drawing attention to the mismatched button, she then added other colored buttons to the shirt. Kelly wholeheartedly embraced this button aesthetic and incorporated it into his designs. In a 1986 interview, he explained the substantial influence that his upbringing had on his approach to design. “I design differently because I am Patrick Kelly, and Patrick Kelly is black, is from Mississippi.” After looking through a fashion magazine and realizing there were no Black models, he decided that he would make clothes for Black women, so they could be in the pages of Vogue. Kelly approached the celebration of Blackness in a variety of ways in his designs. He employed Black models, expressed love for the Black community, and also referenced elements of Black history in his work as a means of celebrating and reclaiming a fraught past. His logo is a golliwog, a racist caricature inspired by a minstrel doll, which originated as a 19th century children’s book character. One black dress uses buttons to create adorable outlines of golliwog faces. The black fabric acts as the skin of the golliwog, allowing the wearer to physically reappropriate the caricature. When a Black person wears the golliwog dress, they instantly contest its racist origins by showing that living, breathing Blackness is far from the stereotypes the golliwog represents.
I love Patrick Kelly because of his devotion to celebrating Black joy in all of his work.
Harvard must not tolerate or dismiss discrimination and harm, and while I believe that people can change, the risks and injustices of quickly forgiving and forgetting faculty abuses are high. And frankly, students shouldn’t be the guinea pigs for historically harmful professors’ character growth. I appreciate the faculty response letter — signed by nearly twice as many faculty as the first — which condemns the open letter supporting Comaroff. I am warily grateful for the many retractions from the signers of that original open letter. I’ve been touched and heartened by the tenacious work of my co-organizers in Our Harvard Can Do Better and HGSU’s Feminist Working Group as we’ve mobilized for change at Harvard. I hope that together, we can root out Harvard’s poisonously permissive practices that have repeatedly placed students at risk. Ultimately, we, as a Harvard community — administrators, tenured faculty, undergraduates, deans, graduate students, house administrators, all of us — must not prioritize intelligence over ethics, reputation over truth, personal job security over believing survivors, or our ambitions over our own dignity and safety.
An image from Kelly’s Fall/Winter 1989 collection features a Black model wearing a longsleeved, fitted, black minidress studded with huge silver crystals in the shape of an Eiffel Tower. This dress, to me, reflects the totality of Kelly’s Parisian journey. The crystals in the dress are like disco balls, perhaps a reference to the origin of Kelly’s Parisian career within the club scene. In 1979, when Kelly moved to Paris, he began designing for the nightclub Le Palace, which served diverse clientele of all races and sexual orientations. This culture heavily inspired the staging of Kelly’s lively, diverse runway shows. The model also wears an Eiffel Tower hat and earrings, in a campy overstatement that mirrors the incredible impact that Paris has on the fashion industry as a whole and on Kelly himself. In 1988, after having released 10 womenswear collections under his Parisian label, he became the first American and the first Black person to be inducted into the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode, the governing body of the ready-to-wear industry. I love Patrick Kelly not only because of his glamorous, innovative pieces, but also because of his devotion to celebrating Black joy in all of his work. The liveliness of his runway shows is a welcome contrast to the stiffness of many approaches to high fashion. The color black is essential to Kelly’s collections; its darkness allows it to serve as a canvas that highlights the unique brightness of his garments. The effortless simplicity of a little black dress makes it the perfect canvas to be adorned with elements that reflect the identity of the wearer– shiny buttons, fluffy bows, huge dice, plastic lips, or picture frames. The Kelly approach is reflected in shows like Harvard’s Eleganza, which features dancing and allows participants to explore joy while expressing their own personal style. Patrick Kelly is famously quoted as saying “I want my clothes to make you smile.” For me, he has certainly succeeded.
—Annabelle J.L. Finlayson ’22, a Crimson Editorial editor, is an Applied Mathematics concentrator in Adams House and a member of Our Harvard Can Do Better.
—Onyx E. Ewa ‘24 is an Art, Film, and Visual Studies concentrator in Winthrop House. Their column “All Black Everything” appears on alternate Thursdays.
Perhaps equally as insidious as a handful of discriminatory and abusive professors is the apparent widespread tolerance of perpetrators, both new and old, at the College.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
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The Crimson thecrimson.com
FEBRUARY 17, 2022
SPORTS
WEEKLY RECAP
SCORES
MEN’S HOCKEY VS. BC T, 3-3 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S SWIMMING IVY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHP 1ST __________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S TENNIS VS. PRINCETON L, 4-0 _______________________________________________________
WOMEN’S FENCING VS. COLUMBIA W,17-10 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY VS. ST. LAWRENCE T, 3-3 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S WATER POLO VS. VMI W, 21-5 ___________________________________________________________
MEN”S FENCING VS. PRINCETON W,16-11 ___________________________________________________________
SKIING
Skiing Standout Rémi Drolet Competes in Beijing By MADDIE B. BARKATE and MIMI S. KOENIG CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Sophomore standout Rémi Drolet is representing Harvard well at the Beijing Olympics. The Nordic skier has competed in three events for his native Canada, finishing 33rd in the men’s 15km classic, 57th in the men’s skiathlon, and helping Canada to an 11th place finish in the men’s 4x10km relay. Drolet’s Olympics have been a great learning experience for him. Although some of his results were not what he was hoping for, he is excited to compete in the upcoming 50km race on Feb. 19. Drolet also hopes to better his results in the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. “Yeah, that’d be the goal,” said Drolet about representing Canada in 2026. “In cross country skiing, … the peak age is pretty late. Even late 20s, into early 30s, is when skiers are at their best, so if I really want to go for, I guess, really good performances [and]...be really competitive, I’d have to go for one or two more Olympics.” Drolet is only the third skier to represent the Crimson at the Olympics, the first since 1984, and the first Canadian. Hailing from Rossland, B.C., Drolet made an immediate impact for the Crimson, being named the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association’s Nordic Rookie of the Year in 201920, as well as being placed on the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association’s All-Academic Team. In addition to his accolades, he also became the first Harvard male Nordic skier to win a race since the 1972-73 season with his victory in the 20km at the Bates Carnival.
Drolet’s interest in skiing started at a young age. Growing up in a resort town, he was consistently exposed to winter sports. Although he cross-country skied a bit with his parents when he was younger, his main competitive sport was hockey. But around the age of 11, Drolet decided to focus on cross-country. “[I] wasn’t really enjoying [hockey] anymore…and I was kind of looking for a new sport,” he said. “I did some cross-country skiing lessons with my elementary school, and the instructor from that recommended I join the ski team. So I tried it and I really, really loved it.” He was able to find success quickly on the youth circuit. Before Harvard, he was a threetime gold medal winner at the Canada Winter Games and a top-10 finisher at the 2019 FIS Junior World Ski Championships. A Physics concentrator, Drolet chose Harvard primarily for the academic challenge. Out of high school, he focused on only schools in the United States, aiming to find something else to do once his skiing career was over. “I knew I wanted to go to school, because just having a ski career with nothing else on the side is hard for some people and once you’re done with your skiing career you need to do something with your life,” Drolet said. “I wanted to go to a school where I knew I could be challenged and I was excited about. I visited a couple schools and my favorite one was Harvard.” Although he originally matriculated as a member of the Class of 2023, Drolet said the decision to take the 2021-22 school year off was an easy one. While the Covid-19 pandemic did not play much of a factor in his decision, qualification for
HITTING THE SLOPES Sophomore Remi Drolet is a skier representing Canada at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. He will seek a good performance in the men’s 50km on Feb 19 before he turns his attention towards the 2026 Winter Olympics. PHOTO COURTSEY LILY KOFFMAN
the Olympics would have been difficult to balance along with a demanding training schedule and a full course load of classes. Skiers were able to qualify for the Canadian team from the World Cup circuit, which Drolet was unable to go to. As a result, the Canadian Olympic Committee’s quota for men’s skiing, three, was filled up. However, due to realloca-
tion, the process by which some unused Olympic spots for skiers are “reallocated” to other countries who will use them for additional athletes, Drolet was able to compete to earn the final spot on the Canadian team. Drolet has good memories of his first-year fall in 2019. Although he found it difficult to juggle skiing and his course load, after his first semester, he
was able to better manage his time. “I really enjoyed it and made lots of friends that I’m really happy about,” Drolet said. ”The skiing team at Harvard is really great. It’s a really supportive environment that really helped me to succeed in every way possible.” Drolet hopes that, because of slightly increased rest and re-
covery as compared to the fall, he will be able to recover from the intense training and make one last push for Canada in these Olympics. Devoted Harvard skiing fans can watch him go for gold in his final event, the men’s 50km, this Saturday, Feb. 19 at 1 a.m. EDT. madison.barkate@thecrimson.com miriam.koenig@thecrimson.com
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Harvard Wraps Up Last Homestand of the Season By SHAHMIR AZIZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
The Harvard women's hockey team came into the final few weeks of the regular season in red-hot form, having recently been crowned Ivy League and Beanpot champions. They finished their last homestand of the regular season with three home games last weekend, against Princeton, No. 9/9 Quinnipiac, and St. Lawrence. With the top spot in the ECAC rankings up for grabs as Harvard and Yale fight for first—with Quinnipiac not far behind—the Crimson entered this homestand knowing these games would be crucial in determining the final regular season standings. No. 7/6 Harvard (19-7-1, 145-1 ECAC) opened the series of games with a 2-0 victory over Princeton on Friday, in its final Ivy League contest of the regular season. The Crimson’s season standout and top point scorer, senior forward Becca Gilmore, was the first to strike, scoring a goal with 15:53 left in the second period. The goal brought her season tally to a whopping 16 goals, after which senior forward Brooke Jovanovich strengthened the Crimson’s lead with another goal at the very start of the third. Junior forward Anne Bloomer’s assist also saw her join Gilmore and junior forward Kristin Della Rovere in having 30+ points in the season, a feat that a trio of Crimson players have not managed to do season since the 2014-2015 season . Saturday saw Harvard take on No. 9/9 Quinnipiac next, which ended with Bobcats coming back to edge the Crimson 2-1 despite Harvard’s early lead. Gilmore managed to put Harvard ahead just 4:41 into the first period. However, after
A MOUNT-ANNE OF GOALS Junior forward Anne Bloomer scored her team leading 19th goal of the season on Monday vs. St. Lawrence. She has 30+ points along with her linemates Becca Gilmore and Kristin Della Rovere. ANGELA DELA CRUZ—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
this early goal, the Crimson faltered, struggling to put together an effective offensive attack in the second and third. Quinnipiac maintained their one-goal lead until the final horn, as even pulling the goaltender for an extra attacker in the last two minutes couldn’t help the Crimson tie the score. Despite the close loss, the atmosphere at Bright-Landry was not all that bad, as Harvard honored its nine seniors of the Class of 2022 with a postgame Senior
Day ceremony. “It was great! It’s always great to have all the senior families there, to celebrate this fouryear, really five-year [including the year off due to the pandemic] journey with us,” said Gilmore. “The parents are a huge part of this program and the support we get, so it was great to get to share that moment with them.” on Monday, in its last home game of the season, Harvard clashed with St. Lawrence in a game that ended in a 3-3 tie,
despite the Crimson managing to shoot 30 more times than their opponents. Bloomer scored her 19th goal of the season (the highest on the team), with Gilmore assisting on all three goals, bringing her points season tally up to 42—the highest for any Harvard player in the last nine years. “Point production is just a mirror of the team’s success, and I think our team has had quite a lot of that, after a few years now. I also have to [attribute] a lot of
this to my linemates, Della Rovere and Bloomer—they’ve been absolutely phenomenal,” said Gilmore when asked about this amazing achievement. This weekend’s results saw the Crimson maintain its second position in the ECAC, two points behind the Bulldogs with two games to go. These two away games, against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Union College on Friday and Saturday, respectively, will also determine
whether Harvard gets to host a quarterfinal playoff game. “I think these are two huge ECAC hockey games with six points on the line,” Gilmore said about Harvard’s final stretch. “We’re approaching this weekend like any other weekend— trying to come home with six points. Each game we should be getting better, and we should be peaking right now as we head into playoffs.” shahmir.aziz@thecrimson.com