The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
|
VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 22 |
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
| WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2022
OP ED PAGE 4
NEWS PAGE 5
SPORTS PAGE 6
It’s time for science to free itself from Stockholm’s yoke
PBHA volunteers phone state reps in support of housing equity bill
Men’s lacrosse returns to the field with 17-4 thrashing of NJIT
Mather HUPD Station Closing By BRANDON L. KINGDOLLAR and SARAH GIRMA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The Harvard University Police Department is set to close its Mather House substation following years of outcry from students and faculty. The Mather facility, which opened in 2005, is one of four HUPD substations on campus. Students have long complained that the outpost — the only such facility attached to an undergraduate house — is more intimidating than it is helpful. HUPD decided last week to close the facility, according to department spokesperson Steven G. Catalano. “The decision to close the Mather House substation was made last week in response to concerns raised by Mather House staff and students as well as the amount of use of the substation by officers and community members,” Catalano wrote
in a statement Tuesday. Mather resident Faith A. Woods ’24 said she did not feel safe having the substation attached to her house. “I am well aware that the police are not there to keep me actively safe,” Woods said last week, before the department said it would close the facility. “Having a police car sitting outside of Mather every night — which it does — doesn’t bring me any sense of safety. “Instead,” she said, “it implies that we’re being watched and policed, which is not a pleasant feeling.” Eleanor M. Taylor ’22, a Mather resident, said the substation does not fulfill a purpose other than eliciting fear, pointing to the office’s small size. “The real effect that the presence of the HUPD substation has on the Mather community is simply a violent,
SEE HUPD PAGE 5
City’s First Pot Shop To Open The first recreational marijuana dispensary in Cambridge will open in March. By SALAIDH A. PEREZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
who said the new time presented a logistical challenge. At the outset of the meeting, Cheng announced that he would shift the schedule back to the regular Sunday time. The meeting began with an address from the mediator, Assistant Dean of Student Engagement Kate T. Colleran. Colleran reiterated her role in the debate and implored council members to make use of parliamentary procedure. Lowell House Representative LyLena D. Estabine ’24 then took to the floor to provide an update on the Citizens’ Assembly. The assembly, proposed by Cheng during his presidential campaign, is tasked with drafting a constitution to fundamentally restructure the student government — a prospect that has been met with skepticism by some UC members. The body, which is composed of randomly selected students and UC
Yamba Market, Cambridge’s first recreational marijuana dispensary, will open in Central Square by the beginning of March. The Black-owned business received the green light from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission earlier this month. Entrepreneurs Sean D. Hope and Sieh Samura plan to open the shop at 580 Massachusetts Ave. Hope said he believes the business’s opening will pave the way for future minority-owned businesses to participate in the marijuana market. “Oftentimes people say that Cambridge is America’s classroom,” he said. “The lessons learned in this case is that if you provide minority and small businesses an opportunity — even during an international pandemic, even when retail really is changing, because everyone is so used to using your phones and getting things brought to you — that an innovative Black-owned business like Yamba Market can come forward and can thrive.” Hope’s involvement in the cannabis industry includes legally representing one of the state’s leading medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries. Samura, a longtime activist for cannabis legalization and policy, said he first got involved in cannabis advocacy after learning the benefits of medicinal marijuana. “We’ve been on the frontlines fighting for real social
SEE UC MEETING PAGE 3
SEE CANNABIS PAGE 3
The Havard University Police Department closes down its Mather substation in response to complaints. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
UC Meeting Slowed by Lack of Quorum By MERT GEYIKTEPE and J. SELLERS HILL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The Undergraduate Council debated just two bills at its second meeting of the year due to its failure to meet quorum until one and half hours after roll call. Only 29 representatives attended the meeting — some for just a portion — with the assembly barely squeezing past its 28-member quorum. The twohour-long meeting had six pieces of legislation on the agenda, including club grants, procedural reform, and financial support for transgender students. Also on the docket was a bill to officially return the Council’s weekly meetings to Sunday after they had been moved to Tuesday by UC President Michael Y. Cheng ’22. Cheng claims the move was made to accommodate a faculty mediator but has received extensive criticism from UC members
Undergraduate Council President Michael Y. Cheng ‘22 speaks at a UC meeting on Tuesday. The meeting was delayed because the body did not have a quorum. J. SELLERS HILL—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Pollsters Talk 2022 Midterms at IOP By KATERINA V. CORR CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
A pair of top political pollsters said Tuesday that the fast-moving foreign policy crisis in Ukraine and the uncertain trajectory of Covid-19 in the United States have cast uncertainty over the 2022 midterm elections, which will shape the latter half of President Joe Biden’s first term. The pollsters — John Anzalone and Tony Fabrizio, who worked for Biden and former President Donald J. Trump, respectively, during the 2020 presidential campaign — spoke at a forum held Tuesday by the Harvard Institute of Politics. The talk was moderated by Gerald F. Seib, the Washington Street Journal’s executive Washington editor who currently serves as a spring 2022 IOP resident fellow. The firms led by Anzalone and Fabrizio jointly conduct a quarterly political poll for the Wall Street Journal. The first iteration of the survey, which was released in December, showed that Americans hold largely pessimistic
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
In-Person Club Sports Receive Mixed Reactions By JUSTIN LEE and JENNIFER L. POWLEY CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
views of the future. Sixty-three percent of respondents indicated they believe the country “is headed in the wrong direction,” a change from previous sentiments. “People were optimistic that things were going to be better for the next generation. Now, the answer is no,” Seib said in an interview following the event. “That’s a very big change.” Fabrizio said the country’s poor expectations for the future present a problem for the Democrats in the midterms. “When people … don’t see light at the end of the tunnel, that’s when it really becomes problematic for the party in power,” Fabrizio said. The poll also showed a split between the issues that Americans believe each political party is equipped to manage. Voters trust Congressional Democrats more to handle healthcare affordability, the pandemic, and Social Security, the survey showed. But it showed higher levels of trust for Congressional Republicans on the economy, combating crime,
The return to in-person activities has drawn mixed reviews from Harvard club athletes, who report facing new team dynamics created by the pandemic and related safety protocols. Club sports returned in fall 2021 as campus came back to life for the first time in nearly two years. But club athletes were greeted with markedly different Covid-19 policies than varsity competitors, who are not required to wear masks while competing. Morgan K. Sokol ’24, a women’s club soccer captain, said there have been no major Covid-19 outbreaks this year, even as the team has traveled across the country for games. “We didn’t really have any Covid issues in the fall, which was great,” Sokol said, adding that players were required to take tests before and after competing at away games. Cynthia Chen ’24, who joined the women’s club volleyball team this year, said an influx of new members following the virtual year helped her
SEE IOP FORUM PAGE 5
SEE CLUB SPORTS PAGE 5
News 3
Editorial 4
Sports 6
The men’s club basketball teams, the Hoopsters and the Classics, battle it out on court as club sports return in full force. DYLAN J. GOODMAN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
TODAY’S FORECAST
CLOUDS High: 65 Low: 22
VISIT THECRIMSON.COM. FOLLOW @THECRIMSON ON TWITTER.
15 scales, times 2
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch Asian BBQ Pork Sandwich Beef Stroganoff BBQ Mindful Chicken Sandwich
For Dinner Grilled BBQ Pork Chop Just-Caught Atlantic Vegan Cassoulet
TODAY’S EVENTS Discussion on the Portrayal of Black Heroines in American Literature Virtual, 12:30 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Join Folklore & Mythology professor Maria Tatar for a discussion on the portrayal of Black heroines in American literature throughout the years. This event is part of the W.E.B. Du Bois Research Institute Colloquium Series. Remember to register to attend!
As of Monday, abortion is decriminalized in Colombia, granting more than 30 million people in the country access to the procedure. This victory for reproductive rights adds Colombia to the growing list of countries in Latin America, including Mexico and Argentina, that have been been extending abortion access.
Colombia Becomes Third Major Latin American Country to Decriminalize Abortion
Killers of Ahmaud Arbery Convicted of Hate Crimes
Pathways to Law School Virtual, 4 p.m.- 5 p.m. Calling all aspiring lawyers. Remember to register to attend the OCS Pathways to Law School panel to learn from alumni about their journey and have all your questions about the legal profession answered.
Cloudy, overcast skies overlook the Charles River and Dunster House on a chilly Tuesday afternoon. CHRISTOPHER HIDALGO— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
AROUND THE IVIES YALE: Amid Rising Covid-19 Cases, Students Call for Hybrid Spring Semester
—THE
YALE DAILY NEWS
Lessons From Plants Virtual, 6 p.m.
COLUMBIA: Demographic Shift Shakes West Harlem Amid a Surge of Luxury Developments —THE COLUMBIA SPECTATOR PRINCETON: Princeton Honors Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa, Julia Wolfe at Alumni Day 2022 —THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN PENN: Greek Life Rush Registration Returns to Pre-pandemic Levels —THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
Perks of Being a Humanities Concentrator: Not Accidentally Blowing Up Your Dorm Room
A 22-year-old student at Brigham Young University was responsible for an explosion and the subsequent evacuation of their dorm building. The student had been experimenting with 5 pounds of what could be considered rocket fuel when the mixture blew up.
COVID UPDATES
CAMPUS LAST 7 DAYS CURRENTLY
Are you a proud plant parent? A plant enthusiast with good intentions but bad skills? Or just someone who finds plants pleasant in general? Then you will not want to miss this conversation event with professor Beronda L. Montgomery of Michigan State University as she addresses what plants can teach us about relating to one another, building diverse communities and being resilient.
The three white men who murdered Ahmaud Arbery in February 2020 have been found guilty of violating federal hate-crimes laws. Arbery was jogging when the three men chased after him in their trucks and shot him at close range. The men face up to life in prison alongside the sentences they received earlier this year in a Georgia court for murder.
68
In Isolation
140 0.54% Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
LAST 7 DAYS
CAMBRIDGE
282 1.04% 76%
Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
Fully Vaccinated
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY 1000 Students Practice Diplomacy As the Model U.N. Comes to Harvard
As the blue and white flag flying from University Hall announces, the Harvard Model United Nations (U.N.) began Thursday with nearly 1000 college students from 85 colleges participating in the four-day event. February 23, 1980
Professors Call For Total Amnesty At Boston Rally
Two Harvard professors, speaking yesterday at a rally in Boston, called for unconditional amnesty for all Vietnam war resisters and a lifting of the trade embargo on South Vietnam. February 23, 1976
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
The Harvard Crimson Raquel Coronell Uribe ’22-’23 Associate Managing Editors President Kelsey J. Griffin ’23 Taylor C. Peterman ’23-’24 Jasper G. Goodman ’23 Managing Editor Associate Business Managers Amy X. Zhou ’23 Taia M.Y. Cheng ’23-’24 Business Manager Isabelle L. Guillaume ’24
STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE Arts Chairs Sofia Andrade ’23-’24 Jaden S. Thompson ’23
Design Chairs Yuen Ting Chow ’23 Madison A. Shirazi ’23-’24
Magazine Chairs Maliya V. Ellis ’23-’24 Sophia S. Liang ’23
Multimedia Chairs Aiyana G. White ’23 Pei Chao Zhuo ’23
Blog Chairs Ellen S. Deng ’23-’24 Janani Sekar ’23-’24
Editorial Chairs Guillermo S. Hava ’23-24 Orlee G.S. Marini-Rapoport ’23-24 Sports Chairs Alexandra N. Wilson ’23-’24 Griffin H. Wong ’24
Technology Chairs Ziyong Cui ’24 Justin Y. Ye ’24
Copyright 2022, The Harvard Crimson (USPS 236-560). No articles, editorials, cartoons or any part thereof appearing in The Crimson may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the President. The Associated Press holds the right to reprint any materials published in The Crimson. The Crimson is a non-profit, independent corporation, founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. Second-class postage paid in Boston, Massachusetts. Published Monday through Friday except holidays and during vacations, three times weekly during reading and exam periods by The Harvard Crimson Inc., 14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138 Weather icons made by Freepik, Yannick, Situ Herrera, OCHA, SimpleIcon, Catalin Fertu from flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY 3.0.
Night Editor Juliet E. Isselbacher ’22-’23
Design Editors Camille G. Caldera ’22
Assistant Night Editors Isabella B. Cho ’24 Katerina V. Corr ’25
Photo Editor Addison Y. Liu ’25
Story Editors Jasper G. Goodman ’23 Alex M. Koller ’22-’23 Kevin A. Simauchi ’22 Taylor C. Peterman ’23-’24
Editorial Editor Gordon J. Ebanks ’24 Sports Editor Derek Hu ’25
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.
PAGE 3
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
Experts Talk Substance Cambridge’s First Weed Abuse at HMS-HLS Event Store to Open in Central Sq. CANNABIS FROM PAGE 1
By PAUL E. ALEXIS and KRISHI KISHORE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Legal and medical experts discussed how to support families struggling with substance abuse in a Tuesday virtual panel jointly hosted by Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Law, Brain, and Behavior and Harvard Law School’s Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics. Stephanie Tabashneck — a senior fellow in law and applied neuroscience at the centers — moderated the discussion and began her presentation with an anecdote about an expectant mother of three children who suffers from opioid use disorder, anxiety, and depression. “Julie desires to have a healthy pregnancy but feels ambivalent about going to the hospital for treatment right now and is worried about how her pregnancy will be viewed by [the Department of Children and Families],” she said. Former family court judge Beth A. Crawford, a panelist at the event, noted how those struggling with addiction — like Julie — rarely have the resources to stay the course of their treatment plan.
“Julie was given a service plan to address her opioid use disorder and was given contact information about how to do so,” Crawford said. Crawford said introducing a family drug court would have enabled Julie to be substantially more “successful.” “She would have been in the program for about 18 months before graduating,” she said. Panelist Davida M. Schiff, director of perinatal and family-based substance use disorder care at MGH, focused on medical care that could support people in early recovery during pregnancy. Schiff began her presentation by discussing MGH’s Harnessing Support for Opioid and Substance Use Disorders in Pregnancy and Early Childhood Clinic, or HOPE Clinic, which provides care for pregnant women with substance use disorders. The effectiveness of early intervention programs like the HOPE clinic, according to Schiff, are manifold and are directly linked to “improved maternal and neonatal outcomes with lower preterm birth, lower placental abruption and less fetal demise.” On the role of the law, Schiff commented on the ineffective
and detrimental prosecution of pregnant people who struggle with addiction. “Prosecution of pregnant people with substance use disorder drives them from treatment, and it risks poor outcomes — for both mom and baby,” Schiff said. “We’re seeing actually an increasing number of punitive responses from states [toward] perinatal substance use.” Schiff also critiqued the “stigmatizing” nature of Massachusetts’s 51A Statute — a law that mandates reporting suspected child abuse. “It harms the health of pregnant people and their infants because we know that this mandated reporting results in people avoiding the recommended care for them and their baby,” Schiff said. Crawford emphasized empathy when dealing with parents experiencing substance abuse. “It was very clear to me that these parents who came into our program with substance use disorder had long trauma histories like Julie did,” she said. “ I just would always say to myself, how lucky I was.” paul.alexis@thecrimson.com krishi.kishore@thecrimson.com
Follow The Crimson on Social Media
The Harvard Crimson
@TheCrimson
@TheHarvard Crimson
@TheHarvard Crimson
justice,” Samura said. “There’s a lot of people coming into the space, but I represent the people that made this space and that maintained this space and that advocated for this space when it wasn’t cool,” she added. Hope and Samura’s goal is for Yamba Market to operate as both a dispensary and educational resource on cannabis for residents in the greater Boston area, according to Samura. “We want to be the first place that they come for cannabis knowledge,” Samura said. “We are an authority for supporting
baskets imported from West African artisans. Attached to the main dispensary is The Joint, an additional space where visitors who do not consume the product can enjoy artwork, purchase non-regulated merchandise, and attend regular art events. By June, Hope and Samura aim to open their next store — Yamba Boutique — in Harvard Square. The pair also hopes to launch “Yamba Life” as a “lifestyle brand, focusing on health, wellness, art and creativity.” salaidh.perez@thecrimson.com
UC MEETING FROM PAGE 1
Lack of Attendance Stalls Undergraduate Council members, began meeting earlier this year. After the presentation, Cheng and Estabine, a member of the Citizens’ Assembly, took questions from other UC members, who expressed concern about a perceived lack of transparency in the process. Cheng said that the group convened privately to allow free discussion among members. “We didn’t want people to feel like they couldn’t express a view that might be offensive — that might be unpopular — and then get called out for that,” Cheng said. “They are planning to start hosting public events very soon, really in the next few weeks,”
Harvard, 24/7.
The Crimson thecrimson.com
a positive adult cannabis lifestyle and the communities that benefit from that.” “We normalize, we remove the stigma, we change culture, we support people to experience cannabis in the best way,” he added. Hope said that Yamba Market differentiates itself from other marijuana dispensaries by offering all visitors an “experiential” visit, regardless of whether they purchase product. At its entrance, the business boasts an open space adorned with lounge areas, artwork, and
Estabine added.
We didn’t want people to feel like they couldn’t express a view that might be offensive — that might be unpopular — and get called out for that. Michael Y. Cheng ‘22 UC President
The council also briefly discussed the status of their efforts
to preserve Shopping Week, but as debate stretched on, some members of the Council became anxious that other businesses would not have time to be considered. UC Finance Committee Chair Daniella M. Berrospi urged Cheng to begin deliberation on a bill to fund club grants but was informed that quorum had not yet been reached. After additional UC members joined the meeting via Zoom, the Council reached quorum, and two grant funding bills were passed without deliberation, for a total of $10,339.83. mert.geyiktepe@thecrimson.com sellers.hill@thecrimson.com
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL OP-ED
COLUMN
The Rate-Limiting Nature of the Nobel By LAUREN KIM
A
lfred B. Nobel’s 1895 will reads, in part: “All of my remaining realisable assets are to be disbursed as follows: the capital, converted to safe securities by my executors, is to constitute a fund, the interest on which is to be distributed annually as prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,” including “one part to the person who made the most important chemical discovery or improvement.” Though Nobel’s family was dismayed at this prospect, after five years of debate, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the first Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1901. Since then the Academy has continued to do so annually, save for eight years throughout the 20th century when no winners were awarded. Honorees of this prestigious award receive a gold medal, a diploma, and a sum of Swedish crowns equivalent to approximately $1 million. Chemistry undergraduates will immediately recognize the first three laureates’ names. We encounter Henry van ‘t Hoff, winner of the 1901 prize, through the van ‘t Hoff equation in thermodynamics. Organic chemistry students become familiar with Emil Fischer, the 1902 laureate, via the Fischer esterification reaction and learning to draw Fischer projections. And every student of kinetics has analyzed at least a few Arrhenius plots, named for 1903 laureate Svante Arrhenius, at some point in their career. What chemist wouldn’t want to join this pantheon of great scientists? Of course all scientists want their work to “confer the greatest benefit to human-
kind.” At what point, however, does pursuit of the Nobel lose its nobility? The truth is that “Nobel fever” has infected many chemists and scientists, seeping into undergraduate educations and institutions everywhere. From the very first semester of organic chemistry, a graduate student half-jokingly suggests that for solving a great question in chemistry, you’ll win a Nobel prize. The importance of the Nobel becomes increasingly clear as professors tell us which concepts in our curriculum had won a Nobel prize in this or that year, as if its importance were validated by only the prize and not its effect on the greater world. We talk about great chemists in class as dying controversially without a Nobel, (like cross-coupling pioneer John K. Stille) as if the prize were divine judgment, with Saint Peter at the gates of heaven asking to see your gold medal before granting entry. Frequent talk about the Nobel is not particularly motivating to undergraduates, though. More relevant to us is the content of the science — not the industry’s plaudits. The abstruse rules of the prize, such as only three individuals maximum being allowed to share one award, are inconsistent with the collaborative nature of science that we are taught to embrace and value. The system perpetuates itself: Students impressed with the Nobel’s importance will go on to view scientific achievement through this golden lens that overlooks the crucial contributions of every team member. Harvard flaunts its faculty Nobel laureates, posting extensive interviews and reaction videos with them, as if to set the expectation that professors here should be attracting Sweden’s attention. Former Harvard Chemistry chair Charles M. Lieber’s re-
cent conviction, in which he cited Nobel aspirations, is just another consequence of working with an eye towards the Nobel. Chemistry is widely called “the central science” for its middle position between the physical and life sciences. Lieber himself straddled the two, his research focusing on developing nanomaterials and electronics to help treat brain diseases and injuries. Chemists worldwide come to work every day to advance not just chemistry, but physics, materials science, biology, and medicine as well. Our field’s interdisciplinary work is one of its most valuable and irreplaceable strengths. We hope that this spirit of collaboration will continue to animate chemistry research everywhere. Chemistry’s centrality has never been more apparent: The solutions to many of the world’s most pressing issues, from Covid-19 to climate change and global hunger, all depend, in one way or another, on the work of chemists and the entire scientific community. As students who make up the next generation of scientists, we affirm the power that chemical institutions have to fight diseases, preserve the natural world, and improve humanity’s quality of life. We are grateful to have role models who believe the same. It’s time for science to free itself from Stockholm’s yoke. After all, those who stay up late waiting for a certain midnight call will sleep through saving the world in the morning. —Lauren Kim ’23 is a joint concentrator in Chemistry and Bioengineering in Eliot House. She is the Publicity Chair of the Harvard Chemistry Club.
The Millipede and the Subtle Art of Not Complaining Mireya Sanchez-Maes INSECT INSIGHTS
D
earest Readers, It is with great concern that I announce the presence of a pernicious and rapidly growing infestation throughout Harvard’s campus. In a matter of weeks, it has found its way into every classroom, dorm, and dining hall, and while protocol is already in place for handling such infestations, this particular occurrence has proven highly resistant to conventional treatments. The CDC has issued a statement describing the situation as, “really bad… probably? I mean, I dunno. We really only do disease stuff,” and that one guy from your Gov lecture has called it, “hella wack.” It is therefore strongly advised that all residents proceed with extreme caution, for Harvard has become hopelessly and completely infested…by negative attitudes. Yup. Now I know that sounds like something your second grade teacher might say after little Johnny decides to break all the purple crayons, but you know what? Second grade teachers know what’s up! And surely, you guys have noticed this too. Harvard students love to complain. A lot. Like, it borders on ritualistic. A typical interaction might look like this: someone asks you how your day was. You sigh and explain that “it all started when the dining hall ran out of lemon smoked salmon.” Of course, what you should be saying is, “Woah. The dining hall had smoked salmon? That’s crazy!”
Harvard students love to complain. A lot. Like, it borders on ritualistic.
Submit an Op-Ed Today!
The Crimson
@thecrimson
OP-ED
George Floyd and the Shot Heard Round the World By NICOLE B. ALEXANDER
W
hen I was in middle school, my history teacher taught my class about “the shot heard round the world”: the first gunshot fired by a soldier at the Battle of Lexington and Concord on April 18, 1775. This marked the beginning of the American Revolutionary War, a rebellion that would inspire other nations for decades to come. As a child, I was fascinated by this idea that the entire world could feel the impact of a single person’s actions. Even-
I watched the world stop as it cried for Floyd, recognizing a reality that I had known for years: our country was flawed and our system was broken. tually, I would come to learn that this was not the only time that the world had come to a halt — nor would it be the last. At least once in our lifetimes, we all hear another shot — a tragedy that stops the world. In that moment, time freezes. For my father, it was the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. For my mother, it was the murder of John Lennon. For me, it was the murder of George Floyd. In the summer of 2020, George Floyd was everywhere: my Instagram timeline, my Twitter feed, my television screen. Everywhere I looked I was re-
minded that, much like Eric Garner, a police officer choked George Floyd until he could no longer breathe — all because his Blackness was seen as a weapon. We live in a world where Black people have to hold their breath and fear for their lives when they spot flashing lights of red and blue in their rearview mirror. A world where a police officer gets to decide whether a Black man deserves to breathe. While George Floyd was not the first Black man to die while in police custody, his death prompted more public outrage than I had ever seen. Protesters took to the streets demanding that justice be served and change be made. I watched the world stop as it cried for George Floyd, recognizing a reality that I had known for years: our country was flawed and our system was broken. The murder of George Floyd was a wakeup call to the American public and my generation. A magnifying glass that exposed the cracks in our system to the untrained eye. But these issues are not new. We were not the first generation to take to the streets to fight back against this unjust system. Nor were we the first generation to look at the world around us and shudder at the horrors we saw. This fight began years ago, with our mothers and our fathers. With our aunts and uncles. With our grandparents and our great-grandparents. My own family’s fight trails all the way back to my greatgreat-uncle and aunt who marched alongside Dr. King and other Civil Rights leaders in the March on Washington and
the Selma to Montgomery March. Yet, here we are, decades later, facing the same problems they faced, fighting the same fights they fought, and marching the same streets they marched. The sound of a gunshot can last three to five milliseconds, and, for a single moment in time, that shot can be heard around the world. While the entire world stops in that moment — stunned silent and recoiling from the impact — it does not take very long for a state of normalcy to return and for everything to be set back into motion. Life goes on for those who do not have to worry about a similar fate. They return to their daily lives until they hear the next shot, moving on without healing the country’s previous wound. As we take time this month to celebrate the beauties of what it means to be Black in America and all of the rich history that comes along with it, we mourn all of the Black lives lost simply because of the melanin that enriches their skin. And so, as we smile, laugh, and cry, we will also wait. Wait for the other shoe to drop. For the next life to be lost. For the next trial to begin. For the next sentencing to occur. For the next shot to be heard around the world. —Nicole B. Alexander ’24, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a Social Studies concentrator in Kirkland House. This piece is a part of a focus on Black authors and experiences for Black History Month.
Too often, our minds tend to fixate on the negative. We obsess over things we don’t have. We constantly compare ourselves to others. We critique before we compliment. To be fair, as a satirist – and more importantly, as a low-income Latina – it’s abundantly clear that an elite institution like Harvard has a lot to critique. But that work gets tiring, fast. And if we forget to take stock of the amazing gifts we have, we risk losing our ability to see them in the first place. So, because Harvard no longer has a Gen Ed course devoted to “Positive Psychology,” I’m gonna give us all a crash course the only way I know how – through the educational medium of obscure insects! Here’s how this will work: I’ll present you with an imaginary scenario, and together, we’ll talk through some possible positive and negative responses. Naturally, insects will be featured prominently. You’re welcome. Okay, it’s time for class so you begin your daily trek from the Quad. Some people might complain that the Quad is “too far,” but this is because they are dead inside. In truth, the daily exercise means you are now hot as hell with legs for days. You enter your first class. Some people complain that the professor is boring, but judging by her faculty bio, the Pulitzer Prize committee disagreed. In the middle of the classroom is a giant millipede, otherwise known as “Archispirostreptus gigas.” There’s no metaphor here. It’s literally just a giant millipede. Some people might complain, “Uggghhh. It’s sooo annoying when non-sentient millipedes audit Harvard lectures.” But they are just jealous of the millipede’s 4.0 grade point average. In truth, millipede’s have tons of rad traits!
You enter your first class. Some people complain that the professor is boring, but judging by her faculty bio, the Pulitzer Prize committee disagreed. For example, the “Archispirostreptus gigas” is the world’s largest species of millipede, and has anywhere from three to four-hundred legs. Talk about athletically gifted, am I right? Not only does this make them every crew team’s dream, but you just know all those appendages would look great in a varsity sweater. Moreover, giant millipedes are self-proclaimed pacifists. If threatened, they simply curl into a ball and secrete an odorous substance to fend off the attacker. Coincidentally – curling into a ball and releasing odors is an excellent way to win a fight in real life. If the Harvard wrestling team adopted this strategy, I’m sure they would end their season undefeated. Now, if you’ve read this far and find yourself thinking, “Wow, Mireya. This was such a great exercise! It’s so refreshing to focus on the good in things, and, although we’ve never met, it seems like you’d have a great taste in music!” Then congrats. You are now ready to face Harvard’s infestation with a renewed appreciation for life’s gifts. But if, instead, you instead find yourself thinking, “Wow. This article had, like, zero foreign policy references. So lame. Also, millipedes aren’t insects – they’re arthropods. How does Mireya not know that?!” Then it seems you are beyond my, or the millipede’s, help. —Mireya Sánchez-Maes ’24 is a joint concentrator in English and Theater, Dance, and Media in Currier House. Her column “Insect Insights” appears on alternate Wednesdays.
PAGE 5
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 23, 2022
PBHA Volunteers Phone Mixed Reactions for Club Reps Advocating for Bill Sports’ In-Person Return CLUB SPORTS FROM PAGE
By EDONA COSOVIC CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Students in the Phillips Brooks House Association phoned Massachusetts state representatives at a Tuesday event held by the group in support of a Covid-19 housing equity bill making its way through the state legislature. Student volunteers in attendance were members of PBHA’s Housing Opportunities Program, an undergraduate group focused on combating homelessness in the Greater Boston area. The bill intends to extend eviction and foreclosure prevention measures instituted by the state during the pandemic. More than 100,000 Mass. households struggled to pay their mortgages in September 2020 due to recent unemployment, according to estimates from the Boston-based Metropolitan Area Planning Council. Most of the legislation pausing evictions and foreclosures during the pandemic is coming
to an end early this year, and some policies have already expired.
There’s assistance out there, but a lot of it is difficult to access. Sophie S. Goodman ‘25 Undergraduate
The Housing Opportunities Program kicked off the phone banking event Tuesday to raise awareness about ongoing housing issues and recruit more volunteers, according to the program’s Director of Advocacy Sophie S. Goodman ’25. “It really aligns with a lot of our mission in terms of eviction prevention, keeping people in housing,” she said. “The measures in this bill are really important, especially at this time.” “One thing that we, as a group, found really appealing about the bill is measures to ensure that landlords work with
tenants to find rental assistance before giving an eviction notice,” she added. The bill aims to support both homeowners and renters and increase the accessibility of rental assistance, including for low-income individuals and people of color. Goodman said accessibility remains an issue with the current housing assistance programs available. “Something that we’ve discussed is that there’s assistance out there, but a lot of it is difficult to access,” she said. Goodman also said she believes the event on Tuesday serves as a reminder that housing instability wrought by the pandemic persist. “Especially in places like Harvard, it’s almost like we’re feeling like, ‘Oh, the pandemic’s a little bit over,’ and we’re almost forgetting how much of an impact it’s still having on people,” she said. edona.cosovic@thecrimson.com
to feel more welcomed to the squad. “A lot of us are new and there were not too many returning players, so I definitely think that it was an interesting opportunity to bond with everyone,” Chen said. “I honestly really liked the fact that there were so many new players on the team because [it] created a really welcoming environment.” But Matthew Z. Mu ’22 and Maia J. Alberts ’23, the club swim team captains, said team bonding amid Covid-19 protocols has proven to be difficult. “One of the biggest things that we love about club swim is that it’s so community-oriented and really inclusive,” Alberts said. “But it’s just harder during Covid, because what can we do to keep socials safe?” “There’s definitely a challenge of us knowing what old club swim traditions were prior to Covid and figuring out ways to adapt them to make them
Covid safe and in line with the Harvard Club Sports policies, and still keep that essence,” Mu added. Mu and Alberts said club swim practices prior to Covid-19 were open to all members. But now, the group requires signups to meet Harvard’s pandemic-era pool capacity limits — two people per lane — and make sure members get equal opportunities to pool space and time. Jaylen C. Wang ’22, captain of the men’s club tennis team, said scheduling practice spaces has been difficult because of a surge in interest after the return to in-person activities. “There have been people who haven’t played in a while and got back onto campus and saw the opportunity and so I think even from that we’ve had a lot of demand,” Wang said. “Just from scheduling courts, it’s been a little difficult because the amount of people we’ve had coming out to practice. But
IOP FORUM FROM PAGE 1
HUPD FROM PAGE 1
Pollsters Discuss Midterms at IOP
HUPD to Close Substation at Mather Due to Complaints
and how to “deal with China.” The panelists also discussed the domestic political impact of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
There’s a tendency, or at least a temptation, for young voters to get so discouraged at the difficulty of changing the system for the better that they simply give up and walk away Gerald F. Seib WSJ Editor
“There’s a lot of little problems that can spill back here, exacerbating problems that already exist,” Fabrizio said. The Wall Street Journal poll estimated that 14 percent of voters remain undecided going into
the midterms — including a disproportionate number of people of color and young people. “The media consumption for young voters has just plummeted to a point where we’re almost not reaching them now,” Anzalone said. “The big concern for Democrats — because they’re mostly Democrats — is that they just don’t come out to vote.” In an interview after the event, Seib pointed to disillusionment among young people as a reason behind low turnout at the polls. “There’s a tendency, or at least a temptation, for young voters to get so discouraged at the difficulty of changing the system for the better that they simply give up and walk away,” Seib said. “I think it takes work by the parties, by candidates, and by people like the groups on this campus to keep reminding voters it does matter,” he added. katerina.corr@thecrimson.com
visual intimidation tactic that students are forced to see every time they enter the house,” she said. Taylor said she reached out to Mather’s faculty deans about concerns that armed HUPD officers regularly ate in the dining hall alongside students during the 2019-2020 academic year, which she said made many residents feel uncomfortable. Mather House’s faculty deans, Amala Mahadevan and L. “Maha” Mahadevan, wrote in an email to The Crimson last week that they raised concerns about the substation with HUPD Chief Victor A. Clay in fall 2021, soon after he took over as the department’s head. The deans wrote that Clay’s appointment as HUPD chief provided an opportunity to bring up student concerns about the department, including the Mather substation. Since campus reopened last fall, armed officers have not been permitted to eat in upper-
classman dining halls, according to the faculty deans.Taylor said the new dining hall rule represents “forward progress,” but criticized the slow pace of reform and a lack of transparency in the department’s decision-making process. While the Mather facility is set to close, HUPD continues to operate substations at the University’s Longwood Campus, the Smith Campus Center, and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Wexner Building. “The closure will not impact the Department’s ability to respond to calls from the community in an effective and timely manner,” Catalano wrote. According to the department’s website, the substations are part of a broader focus on “community-oriented problem solving,” aimed at building trust between the department and Harvard affiliates through increased communication and interaction. But an external review into
HUPD conducted in 2020 recommended that the department reevaluate its current approach to “community policing,” noting that many students and faculty saw the HUPD’s outreach efforts as “superficial and perfunctory.” The University has since pursued several recommendations from the report, including the formation of an advisory board composed of Harvard affiliates. Mather House resident Kai D. DeJesus ’24 said HUPD’s decision to close the substation is a “really good first step” but added that more work needs to be done to address students’ concerns. DeJesus pointed to a 2020 incident in which an HUPD officer was accused of using excessive force while arresting a Black man in Harvard’s Smith Campus Center. brandon.kingdollar@thecrimson.com sarah.girma@thecrimson.com
that’s kind of a good problem to have.” Still, Wang said that club tennis “feels really normal right now,” with consistent practices back in place and high underclassmen engagement. Nia S. Warren ’24, a captain of the club dance team, said Covid-19 policies required the group to abide by club athletic rules for practices but follow different requirements when performing at varsity games. At the beginning of the semester, as Covid-19 cases were surging due to the Omicron variant, club sports weren’t allowed to practice, Warren said — but the club dance team was still expected to perform at some varsity contests. “We could go and support athletics — which like we like to do, it’s great — but we just didn’t get to practice before,” she said. justin.lee@thecrimson.com jennifer.powley@thecrimson.com
The Harvard Crimson
@TheCrimson
@TheHarvard Crimson
@TheHarvard Crimson
From Weeks to Weld.
The Crimson thecrimson.com
SPORTS
WEEKLY RECAP
SCORES
MEN’S SQUASH VS. UPENN W, 5-4 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY VS. UNION COLLEGE W, 3-0 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S TENNIS VS. MIAMI L, 3-4 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. CORNELL L, 49-52 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S LACROSSE VS. COLORADO L, 6, 12 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S TENNIS VS. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY W, 4-2 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY VS. QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY W, 1-0 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S TENNIS
Harvard Captures ECAC Title with Three Wins By DAVID ALEY CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
“We knew we were the one seed, we knew we had a target on our back,” said junior Harris Walker. “So it was all about staying disciplined, going out there and taking care of business, doing nothing fancy.” There were two main themes of this past weekend for No. 16 Harvard Men’s Tennis as they secured the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship: composure and execution. The Crimson men competed for a grueling three-day stretch against their Ivy League counterparts in the first major team tournament of the spring season as they took on Brown, Princeton, and Columbia on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively. With high hopes as the top seed in the tournament and the memory of losing in the ECAC final two years ago still fresh on their minds, the Harvard men came through with stellar performances across the board to take home its first team hardware of the season. Harvard 4, Brown 0 The Crimson came out firing on all cylinders in its opening match against Brown. In doubles play, first-year Daniel Milavsky and senior Brian Shi defeated a duo from Brown in a quick 6-2 performance, followed by Walker and sophomore Ronan Jachuck securing the doubles point with a 6-4 victory of their own. “[Jachuck] and I have played every match together, and we keep getting better,” said Walker about the doubles performance. “We had a couple of tough losses at the beginning, but we’ve found our groove, our chemistry has gotten much, much better, and we’ve been focusing on honing the patterns that we really like. It’s all about looking to find a volley after our serve, and if we’re returning on big points, it’s about attacking.”
In singles play, Harvard found its rhythm, with Jachuck and Milavsky making quick work of their opponents in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-2, respectively. Walker remained on the court after those two singles games wrapped up, putting the Crimson on the brink of a day one victory up 3-0. With an impressive first set performance score of 6-1, Walker followed up with even more dominance to secure the team victory in the second set by a 6-1 margin. “Slowly but surely the pressure mounted and I ended up running away with it, which felt good to get it done quickly when you’re going into the rest of the weekend knowing it’ll only get tougher,” Walker said. Harvard 4, Princeton 0 On the second day of the tournament, Harvard knew it was going to face a tougher test against the Tigers. The Crimson, however, stepped up to the challenge and executed their plan perfectly en route to a 4-0 victory to move onto the final round of the tournament. Walker noted that while the team got off to a rocky start in competitions this year, it was this performance that highlighted just how far the team had come in building chemistry and gaining momentum. “Now everyone’s together and we’re starting to fire on all cylinders,” said Walker. “It’s exciting.” Building on momentum from the first match, Walker and Jachuck helped take the doubles point from Princeton 6-4, while the duo of sophomore Henry Von Der Schulenburg and junior Steven Sun brought it home with a 7-5 victory. Harvard then proceeded to win on the first and sixth courts in singles play, again leaving Walker to finish the job and secure the team victory. After two straight positive sets with a 6-4 margin, the junior, advanced the Crimson to the next round for the second day in a row.
HARVARD MEN’S TENNIS ON THE RISE Harvard beat Columbia, 4-2, on February 20th, 2022 this weekend in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship. OWEN A. BERGER—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
“It was great to clinch [the match against Princeton], and I know if I hadn’t, it would’ve been a very, very tight match,” said Walker. “Even though [we won] 4-0, it was much closer than the score indicates.” Harvard 4, Columbia 2 The final match of the tournament told a bit of a different story: for the first time all weekend, the Harvard men were backed against the wall. In doubles play, Von Der Schulenberg and Sun gained an early lead on the third court with a dominant 6-3 win, but the other two Crimson duos lost, resulting in Columbia taking the doubles point. “We were all really looking forward to the match against Columbia, and I think that actually worked a little bit against me, specifically,” said Jachuck. “I was playing a little bit tight, you know, I wasn’t really play-
ing my game.” In singles play, Harvard got back on track, as Walker and Milavsky were able to each take down their opponents by scores of 6-1, 6-3 and 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, respectively. On the third court, Shi battled closely against Columbia’s Max Westphal, going to the wire in the first set with a 7-6(3) performance.Shi followed this clutch performance with an identical 7-6(3) second set, putting the Crimson up 3-2 in the match and on the brink of victory and an ECAC Championship. This left Jachuck to seal the deal. “It got interesting because the matches next to me finished, and as matches started to come down I knew the score was getting close, but I had no idea how close we were to clinching the match,” said Jachuck. “I was pretty in the zone, focusing on myself, not worrying what was going on the other side or on the other courts.”
Jachuck dropped the first set 5-7, but then came back to take the second set 6-3. And if it hadn’t completely come together before, it was in this moment –in this last set, on the brink of a tournament victory –that the team realized its goals for the season were starting to come to fruition. “[Jachuck] has always been composed, and he’s a great example of someone who regardless of the ups and downs stays level-headed,” said Walker. “We’ve all believed in him, I’ve believed in him. Even a set down, I knew he was going to come back. He deserves it more than anyone.” Up 5-4 in the set, Jachuck stepped back to serve, stepped up for his opponent’s return just to see the ball hit right back into the net, ending the match and securing the ECAC Championship. Jachuck’s teammates immediately rushed the court to con-
gratulate him and celebrate the win. “I didn’t realize we won until all my teammates rushed the court and bulldozed me,” Jachuck said. Harvard went into this spring season with lofty goals, a top 25 national ranking and a hunger to prove themselves worthy of national recognition after a year of no competition. And with this victory, dreams of an Ivy League Title and a run in the NCAA tournament feel a bit closer to reality. “I really don’t think there are ten teams in college tennis that can beat us,” said Walker. “To have a banner that says we went far in the NCAA tournament, that’s something that lasts forever.” Next up for the Crimson are two home matches against Vanderbilt and Northwestern this weekend. david.aley@thecrimson.com
MEN’S LACROSSE
Harvard Returns to Field With 17-4 Thrashing of NJIT By KATHARINE FORST CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
On Saturday, Feb. 21, Harvard men’s lacrosse took the field for the first time in over 700 days. The Crimson led from the onset, eventually taking down the
New Jersey Institute of Technology, 17-4. Harvard attacked decisively from the first whistle with a face off win by senior fogo Steven Cuccurullo, who boxed out his opponent for an easy ground ball by sophomore LSM Greg
Campisi. The ball was then rotated down to the attack, where senior Austin Madronic – who scored a hat trick – junior Hayden Cheek, and first-year Sam King put their sets into action. Madronic tallied a pair of goals in the contest, and King
made a shifty move around the right side of the crease to score. “We’ve just gotten a lot better. Coach Corrigan was a huge help. He works a lot with the faceoff guys, and he helps us with strategy,” Cuccurullo said. “And then all the wings, Ray (first-
ISAIAH DAWSON DAWMINATES The Crimson defeats New Jersey Institute of Technology 17-4 on Saturday, February 21st, 2022, to open the new season. BRENDAN J. CHAPUIS—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
year defender Ray Dearth), Chase (junior midfielder Chase Yager), Bryn (junior midfielder Bryn Evans), [first-year midfielder] Andrew O’Berry, Greg Campisi, [first-year defender] Martin Nelson, they’re all really good athletes, and just really good players. So, it’s all them, and how much they’ve gotten better.” It took a few possessions for the Crimson to get into their groove. It had good takes on the cage, but was unable to finish. The offense, especially Madronic, worked well on the ride, and so had a lot of possession time in the first quarter as Harvard was consistently able to get the ball back in the midfield. On the other end of the field, the defense looked much more cohesive than it did in its scrimmage against St. John’s on Feb. 5. Harvard’s starting lineup consisted of first-year Collin Bergstrom, first-year Tommy Martinson, and junior Chase Strupp. First-year Ray Dearth had an excellent showing, with great one-on-one coverage. He forced a couple of turnovers that turned into clean clears up field. “Yeah, I think I think we did a great job in the ride and limiting their possession so they didn’t get the ball a whole lot. I think it’s hard as an offense when you’re not able to get into a rhythm. I thought we played well early on. We were really physical … in the first half,” commented senior goalkeeper and captain Kyle Mullin. The offensive middies had a dominant game, with first-year midfielder Miles Botkiss scor-
ing a hat trick, senior Charlie Olmert tallying two goals, junior Isaiah Dawson scoring twice, and first-year Owen Gaffney recording his first collegiate goal. They worked the ball well from up top, and did a solid job opening lanes for their adjacents so that they could take the drive down the alley. The Crimson used the inside a little bit less than in their previous showings, with the attack mainly driving down the outside. Sophomore attacker Graham Blake attributed their success to unselfish playing. “It kind of just ended up being how they were sliding. We had stuff open inside and were sharing it, but we ended up having good takes off the dribble … We have a lot of pieces that can get open and create. I think today that’s how it was but you never really know where they’re gonna come from,” he noted. Harvard recorded a shutout first half, with Mullin taking the net for the first three quarters in goal. Sophomore Christian Barnard and first-year George Alvarez split the fourth quarter, with Alvarez not allowing a score. “I think our guys that were running scout for us did a great job this week. I think coming in we felt super prepared,” Mullin said.“We knew what they were gonna do. So, it was just about executing.” The team will hope to execute again against No. 8 Ohio State on Feb. 26 as it travels to Naples, Fl. to compete in the Southwest Florida Shootout. katharine.forst@thecrimson.com