The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 10 |
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2022
EDITORIAL PAGE 4
SPORTS PAGE 6
SPORTS PAGE 6
Standardized testing is the devil we know.
Men’s hockey erases 3-0 deficit, rallying for 6-3 win against BC.
Men’s tennis finishes 1-1 in in Los Angeles ITA Kickoff.
Faculty Voice Concerns Over Comaroff Sanctions By ISABELLA B. CHO and ARIEL H. KIM CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Nearly 40 Harvard faculty members signed onto an open letter this week questioning the results of misconduct investigations into John L. Comaroff, a professor of African and African American Studies and Anthropology who was placed on unpaid leave last month. Comaroff was sanctioned by Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay on Jan. 21 after University investigations found that he violated Harvard’s sexual and professional conduct policies. He is barred from teaching required courses and taking on additional advisees through the next academic year. The open letter, signed by 38 faculty members, posed a series of pointed questions about investigations into Comaroff and the sanctions levied against him. “We the undersigned know John Comaroff to be an excellent colleague, advisor and committed university citizen who has for five decades trained and advised hundreds of Ph.D. stu
dents of diverse backgrounds, who have subsequently become leaders in universities across the world,” the letter said. “We are dismayed by Harvard’s sanctions against him and concerned about its effects on our ability to advise our own students.” The letter was signed by some of Harvard’s most prominent faculty — including a former Harvard College dean and five University professors, Harvard’s highest faculty distinction. In a response sent to the signatories of the open letter Thursday that was obtained by The Crimson, Gay defended the Comaroff sanctions, noting that faculty members did not have the complete findings from the school’s investigations. “Be aware that if you do not have access to the full review, and instead are relying on public accounts relayed through the media or only what is shared by one party to a complaint, you are necessarily operating without a comprehensive understanding of the facts that have motivated the response,” Gay wrote. Comaroff was first placed on leave in August 2020 after The
Open Letter from 38 Concerned Faculty “How can advice intended to protect an advisee from sexual violence be itself construed as sexual harassment?”
Crimson reported that at least three female students were in contact with Harvard’s Title IX Office about allegations of unwanted touching, verbal sexual harassment, and professional retaliation. The school conducted two separate inquiries into Comaroff’s behavior — one by the Office of Dispute Resolution and another by the FAS. Gay’s sanctions were based on the conclusions of both investigations. Lawyers representing Comaroff wrote in a press release about the sanctions last month that “Title IX investigators found John Comaroff responsible solely for verbal sexual harassment” after reviewing allegations by three complainants. The incident in question, according to the press release, concerned advice he gave during an office hours advising session about a “student’s physical security in field research.” According to an August 2020 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education, Comaroff allegedly told a graduate student during an advising meeting that she would be raped if she
“As concerned faculty we seek clarification of Harvard’s professional criteria for us as advisors.”
“We the undersigned know John Comaroff to be an excellent colleague, advisor and committed university citizen who has for five decades trained and advised hundreds of Ph.D. students of diverse backgrounds, who have subsequently become leaders in universities across the world. ”
“We are dismayed by Harvard’s sanctions against him and concerned about its effects on our ability to advise our own students.”
SEE COMAROFF PAGE 5
CAMILLE G. CALDERA—CRIMSON DESIGNER
Khurana Praises Covid Response By VIVI E. LU and LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana applauded Harvard’s handling of Covid-19 this semester and said he is hopeful for more progress toward normalcy in a Thursday interview. Students returned to campus to renewed Covid-19 restrictions — including graband-go dining and limited common spaces — amid a surge in cases across the country due to the Omicron variant. Though some of the school’s policies have since loosened, Khurana acknowledged student frustrations over continued restrictions. In the last week, 248 Harvard affiliates — including 59 undergraduates — tested positive for Covid-19. In the interview, Khurana said the College’s Covid-19 case counts have been lower than early modeling of infections predicted, even as administrators planned for a “worst case scenario.” “I believe that we are
Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana spoke to The Crimson on Wednesday. PEI CHAO ZHUO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
SEE KHURANA PAGE 5
HMC Set to Become Carbon Neutral By DEKYI T. TSOTSONG and ERIC YAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The Harvard Management Company is set to be carbon neutral in its internal operations during fiscal year 2022 — a first among university endowment offices in the United States — according to the company report released Thursday. The announcement comes as HMC continues to work towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions associated with the University’s endowment by 2050, a goal it set two years ago. By making its operations carbon neutral, HMC will “develop a deeper understanding of carbon footprinting and carbon removal projects,” the report states. The University has long faced pressure from students and faculty to divest its endowment from fossil fuels. Last September, University President Lawrence S. Bacow announced that Harvard’s remaining investments in the fossil fuel industry – in the form of “legacy
investments” through private equity partnerships – were in “runoff mode.” Bacow wrote that HMC will not renew partnerships with private equity firms that have holdings in the fossil fuel industry, and that it “does not intend” to make further investments in the sector. In its inaugural climate report last year, HMC outlined its future plans and strategies to assess and decrease the carbon footprint of the endowment’s investment portfolio through engagement with its external managers and “like-minded” investors. Thursday’s report detailed HMC’s progress in implementing these strategies. To achieve net-zero emissions in its internal operations, HMC partnered with a third-party company called Carbon Direct to track its carbon emissions and develop methods to reduce and remove them. “HMC will continuously seek ways to reduce emissions where we can and will purchase
SEE HMC PAGE 3
Tensions Flare Over Harvard Alumni Flood Races for Mass. Posts Covid-19 Policy By YUSUF S. MIAN and CHARLOTTE P. RITZ-JACK CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
By VIVI E. LU and LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
With the fifth pandemic-era semester underway, Harvard’s Covid-19 guidelines have left students divided over the necessity of restricting a near-universally vaccinated campus amid the Omicron surge. Tensions boiled over last week when some Quincy House residents sparred over the University’s Covid-19 response via the House’s email list. In the email chain and across campus, some students have railed against Harvard’s rules — which mandate testing three times a week, masking indoors, and dining socially distanced — while others applaud them. “You have a side that’s for lifting the restrictions, and then you have a side that’s more in fa
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
vor of keeping the immunocompromised safe,” Quincy resident William H. Thompson ’23 said. “I don’t necessarily think there needs to be two sides to this debate.” “It seemed like both sides are coming out of this with bad will and bad faith,” he added. “People on both sides are tired.” Patrick I. Adolphus ’22, whose email denouncing Harvard’s restrictions sparked the chain of more than 100 replies, said he feels much of Harvard’s social life has “dissipated” and he has had a “poorer quality of education” due to last year’s remote classes. “Harvard should do a better job of balancing the benefits of its restrictions with the costs,” Adolphus said. “I think that the costs haven’t been given ample
SEE COVID PAGE 3
News 3
Editorial 4
Massachusetts faces the possibility of having Harvard College alumni serve simultaneously as governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general for the first time since 1894. State Senator Eric P. Lesser ’07 entered the race for lieutenant governor last month. At the same time, labor attorney Shannon E. Liss-Riordan ’90 and current Attorney General Maura T. Healey ’92 are running for attorney general and governor, respectively. Lesser is joining the field against State Senator Adam G. Hinds, Babson College lecturer Bret Bero, State Representative Tami L. Gouveia, Salem Mayor Kimberley “Kim” Driscoll, and Massachusetts native Scott Donohue. David Paleologos, director of the Political Research Center at Suffolk University, said that despite the lack of name recogni
Sports 6
tion among candidates for lieutenant governor, Lesser holds an early advantage. “The reason why Eric Lesser is perceived to be a front runner is because of his war chest,” he said. “He’s got three quarters of a million dollars in the bank, which is a terrific amount of money to start out with.” In Lesser’s most recent campaign filings from December, he had $651,000 cash on hand, despite not having announced his candidacy at that point. Hinds — who, like Lesser, represents Western Massachusetts in the State Senate — had zero dollars cash on hand in his most recent January campaign filings. His campaign spent $260,000 dollars in January despite having raised less than $10,000 in that same period. Bero has $119,000 cash on hand compared to $77,000 for Gouveia, $75,000 for Driscoll, and zero dollars for Donohue. Paleologos said this early fundraising advantage provides
TODAY’S FORECAST
RAINY High: 36 Low: 16
Lesser the means for additional advertising, which will play an important role in the race. “The race for lieutenant governor really boils down to media at the last minute,” he said. However, Paleologos warned that despite this early advantage, there is still a tough road ahead for Lesser. “Geography is a problem for Lesser because Western Mass. only has about 12 to 14 percent of the vote and you got two people splitting that vote,” he said. He also predicted that gender could factor into the race, with four men running against two female candidates. “This is the year that you’re probably going to see a major sweep statewide of women,” Paleologos said. This predicted trend could benefit either Gouveia or Driscoll. Paleologos also noted that Driscoll carries political advantages from her current role as mayor. “She has the support of many
Mass. State Sen. Eric P. Lesser ‘07 PHOTO COURTSEY OFFICE OF ERIC LESSER
other mayors across the state,” he said. “Those may play a bigger role in this.” Lesser, who previously worked as a special assistant to former President Barack Obama’s senior advisor, said that his time as a student at Harvard influenced his desire
SEE ALUMNI PAGE 5
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chocolate
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch Chicken with Onions Fresh Catch Atlantic Fry Vegan Tagine
For Dinner Mesquite Rotisserie Chicken Shrimp and Sausage Etouffee Vegan Sauteed Lentils Tomato
TODAY’S EVENTS Harvard Art Museums Collage Lab Harvard Art Museums, 1:30 p.m. - 4 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Feeling nostalgic about the good ol’ days when your final project in school was making collages featuring the spectrum of differently colored vegetables? Aren’t we all? But not to worry! Harvard Art Museums is hosting a “Materials Lab” where you can come out to meet fellow students, HAM staff, and most importantly, make collages! Plan Your Weekend Academic Resource Center, 2p.m. 3p.m. Do you ever feel as though the weekend flies by (absolutely no pun intended whatsoever), when you suddenly realize that you somehow managed to not only get zero rest but also get absolutely no productive work done? You’re not alone, bestie. Women’s Queer Group Virtual Event, 12p.m. - 1p.m. Harvard Counseling and Mental Health Services is hosting a women’s queer group open to all students (undergraduate & graduate).
Meta’s Stock Drops by 26 Percent
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, faced more than a 26 percent drop in stock value on Thursday, losing approximately $230 billion in value. One reason for this is the potential negative impact Apple’s new stricter privacy efforts could have on Facebook’s earnings, as discussed in a report released by Meta on Wednesday.
Covid Leads to Flower Shortage
Rain falls on Plympton Street Wednesday. CHRISTOPHER HILDAGO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
DAILY BRIEFING
After the 2020 lockdown, many flower farms, uncertain about the future, threw out all their flowers and did not plant new ones. Current labor shortages, suboptimal growing conditions, and continued uncertainty have led to a prolonged flower shortage. In light of the post-lockdown 2022 wedding boom, a lack of flowers poses a significant cause for concern.
White House Illuminated to Honor Olympians
Nearly 40 faculty members signed an open letter questioning disciplinary actions taken against Anthropology and African and African-American Studies professor John L. Comaroff, who was placed on unpaid administrative leave in January. In a response Thursday, Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay defended the sanction and the University’s investigations, which found Comaroff violated sexual harassment and professional conduct policies. In other news, the Harvard Management Company, which oversees the University’s endowment, is set to achieve carbon neutrality in its internal operations for fiscal year 2022.
In honor of the Opening Ceremony for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing today, the White House was illuminated with red, white, and blue glowing lights Thursday evening to show support for Team U.S.A. in the days to come.
COVID UPDATES
LAST 7 DAYS CURRENTLY
CAMPUS
169
In Isolation
248 0.68% Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
LAST 7 DAYS
CAMBRIDGE
472 3.2% 75%
Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
Fully Vaccinated
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Student Testifies in Clinton Inquiry
Harvard College undergraduate Caroline Self ’99 testified in Washington, D.C. before a grand jury as part of the ongoing investigation into President Clinton’s alleged affair with White House intern Monica S. Lewinsky. Self worked as an intern in the office of President Clinton’s personal secretary and said she was unaware of any improper relationship between the president and Lewinsky. February 4, 1981
Blaze Burns Weld Boathouse, Causes Little Serious Damage
A fire broke out in Weld Boathouse’s woodshop with flames that reached 30 feet high, destroying windows and burning supplies. Six members of the women’s heavyweight crew team were inside the building when the fire began, but they were alerted to the blaze by an unidentified man and were unharmed. February 4, 1998
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
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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 |
Law Review Elects First Latina President By ANNE M. BRANDES and ELIZABETH K. ROOSEVELT CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The Harvard Law Review elected second-year law student Priscila E. Coronado as its president late last month, making her the first Latina to hold the role in the journal’s 136-year history. A California native, Coronado completed a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, and worked at the Disability Rights Legal Center in Los Angeles before arriving in Cambridge to study law. Coronado wrote in an email that she chose to scratch plans to attend medical school after discovering a passion for reading and writing. Coronado wrote that she joined the Law Review to pursue those interests and meet like-minded peers. “I got involved with HLR because I knew that I loved read-
ing, writing, and research,” she said. “I also thought it would be a great way to meet others who are interested in legal scholarship and that it would be an intellectually stimulating experience.” In addition to her involvement in the Law Review, Coronado serves as a board member of First Class, an organization for first-generation law students, and La Alianza, a group geared towards Latinx students. She previously worked at the Law School’s Education Law Clinic and currently works with the Child Advocacy Program Clinic. Coronado wrote that she plans to pursue litigation, focused on education law and disability rights, after finishing her law degree. She added that she believes her experiences growing up in an immigrant family are integral to her legal outlook. “I don’t want to downplay
the achievement or the tangible way that growing up in a two-Mexican-immigrant, working-class household has shaped my perspective of the law,” she wrote in her email. “They are fundamental to the editorial perspective I bring.” At the same time, Coronado wrote that she hoped her historic election would not be used to serve a “model-minority narrative.” “I believe with every ounce of my soul that there are countless other Latinas who are equally incisive in their logic and reasoning but will never get an opportunity like this because of something as outof-their-control as where they were born,” she wrote. Coronado’s election comes one year after another historic first — her predecessor Hasaan Shahawy ’16 was elected as the Law Review’s first Muslim President. Only four years prior in 2017, the Law Review elected
ImeIme A. Umana ’14 as its first Black female president. Reflecting on the journal’s efforts to diversify its ranks, Coronado wrote that the publication has made “important progress” but still has work to do. “I’m hopeful that we will take further steps in my year as President,” she wrote. “I’m convinced that diversity is essential to our mission of publishing rigorous scholarship.” Coronado also wrote that she hopes to maintain the Law Review’s quality during her presidency. “My goal for this year is to keep the Review running as smoothly as it always does,” Coronado wrote. “That would be a victory, since the Review’s normal operations put it at the vanguard of legal scholarship written in the United States.” anne.brandes@thecrimson.com elizabeth.roosevelt@thecrimson.com
HMC FROM PAGE 1
HMC Set to Become Carbon Neutral removals for emissions-producing activities we cannot abate,” the report reads. The report also announced that HMC is building an investment portfolio to “support the transition to a green economy.” At the end of fiscal year 2021, almost one percent of the University’s endowment funds were invested in climate solutions while less than two percent remained tied to the fossil fuel industry. Most of HMC’s investments in the climate solutions industry are in emerging companies and technologies. The report stated HMC is hopeful these new investments will achieve impactful climate breakthroughs and provide sustained returns over the next few decades. “We believe these investments provide the greatest opportunity to provide catalytic capital to bridge potentially transformational technologies
from early commercialization to at-scale deployment to maximize impact,” the report states. “Importantly, HMC sees these investments as capable of achieving outsized financial returns in line with other outstanding opportunities in these asset classes.” Per the report, HMC expects the percentage of the endowment that is invested in climate solutions to “continue and accelerate going forward,” though it did not specify a timeframe or a target. The report reiterated the challenges highlighted in last year’s report of obtaining quality data on the greenhouse gas emissions of its hedge fund and private equity partners, as well as the lack of an “industry consensus” on how to measure the carbon emissions of these investments. The report highlighted the importance of collaboration with other asset managers and
external managers to “encourage better disclosure and practices to improve data availability.” Since Harvard’s net-zero pledge, many of its peer institutions with comparably large endowments, such as Princeton University, Stanford University, and the University of Pennsylvania, have made similar commitments. “As more asset owners and asset managers make net-zero commitments, we expect that climate-related disclosures will improve,” the report reads. The University has also partnered with several organizations, such as Climate Action 100+ and the Ceres Investor Network, that engage with investors on environmental, social, and governance considerations. In collaborating with “like-minded investors,” HMC said it hopes to “encourage their implementation of a strong gov-
ernance framework for addressing climate change, reducing GHG emissions, and improving corporate disclosure.” The number of shareholder proposals regarding climate change shot up to 84 during the 2021 proxy voting season, from 53 in 2020. Over the next few years, HMC will focus on developing the methods and metrics for measuring the endowment’s carbon footprint, according to the report. “We are studying different target-setting methodologies and intend to set targets that are science-based and best account for all factors that are needed to meet global climate goals,” the report states. “This will take extensive study, thoughtful deliberation, and cooperation with and by a wide range of parties.” dekyi.tsotsong@thecrimson.com eric.yan@thecrimson.com
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
COVID FROM PAGE 1
Covid Guidelines Spark Controversy consideration.” “We are not in the same place that we were two years ago, so we shouldn’t act as though we are,” he added. In his email, addressed to Quincy House residents, the House’s faculty deans, and Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana, Adolphus called Harvard’s Covid-19 restrictions “absolutely ridiculous” and a return to normalcy “long overdue.” “If someone is really that worried about covid after getting their 3 vaccines, they are free to get 12 more and continue isolating themselves in perpetuity,” he wrote in the email. “No one is forcing you to give up your 7 masks and to interact with others like a normal human being instead of treating one another as nothing more than vessels of disease.” Adolphus’ email was met with a range of responses — from messages of support and defense to memes and scathing censures of the author. Following the email’s circulation, around 20 students attended a forum hosted by Quincy Faculty Deans Eric A. Beerbohm and Leslie J. Duhaylongsod Friday for residents to discuss their views on Harvard’s Covid-19 policies. Gabriel E. Lopez-Garrido ’22-’23 said he feels Harvard’s Covid-19 restrictions are overly harsh compared to other schools and called the policies “horrible.” Lopez-Garrido added that he believes students should test at most once per week and called on Harvard to establish separate housing for students who are more concerned about contracting Covid-19. “How many billions of dollars does Harvard have in their endowment? If they really wanted to nip this in the bud, why not just make separate housing for the students who really, really need it?” Lopez-Garrido said.
Thompson said he believes Harvard’s decision to enforce the same regulations on all students — a “one-size-fits-all policy” — is “performative.”
People on both sides are tired. William H. Thompson ’23 Quincy Resident
“If we’re having cases on Harvard’s campus, and it’s not affecting those who are immunocompromised, and they are staying more isolated, and hospitalizations aren’t going up, then it’s really not a problem that I see,” Thompson said. University spokesperson Jason A. Newton declined to comment on student criticisms of Harvard’s Covid-19 policies. At the same time, some students, like Fernando J. Soca ’23, said they consider the school’s policies reasonable or even “lenient.” “I just wished that Harvard would have been a little more strict in terms of online classes being mandatory,” Soca said. Maya I. Peña-Lobel ’23-’24 called the College’s decision to allow professors to hold classes in-person or online for the first week of the semester “wise and reasonable.” Some students said they approved of Harvard’s decision to allow socially-distanced dining nearly a week earlier than previously planned. Natalia C. Villanueva ’23, who contracted Covid-19 over winter break, said she understands the necessity of Harvard’s regulations even though she wishes there were greater “flexibility.” “I know that some things can be an inconvenience, but they’re a necessary inconvenience,” she added. vivi.lu@thecrimson.com leah.teichholtz@thecrimson.com
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD
COLUMN
SATs or The Devil We Know Post-pandemic, standardized testing has to stay.
T
he College Board? Harvard’s never met her — or, rather, we’ve been too quick to forget. Last December, the University joined a chorus of elite institutions to announce it would extend its pandemic-era test-optional policy, giving four more applicant classes the option not to submit standardized testing scores. The decision marked yet another crisis for the College Board, the non-profit behind the similarly (in)famous SAT exam. Caught flat-footed by equity concerns, successful competition from the ACT, and the logistical challenges of pandemic-era test administration, the Board has struggled to adapt to rapidly changing times. But this January, amidst a growing list of entirely test-optional colleges, the centenary non-profit finally agreed to alter its flagship test, if only slightly. Starting in 2024 for domestic test-takers, the SAT will be shortened by an hour and moved online. Suffice to say, the changes in test format are an underwhelming, somewhat bizarre response to the barrage of public criticism against standardized testing. They exemplify exactly the kind of complacency that has led the College Board, college admissions more broadly, astray. We are glad, at least, to see evidence that the organization is feeling the heat it deserves. We can’t, however, join the most radical voices who urge us to forget about the College Board altogether; we can’t, in good faith, advocate for extending testing-optionality indefinitely. In the rogue’s gallery of Common App components, standardized testing is the
devil we know. Granted, the SAT has serious problems. It’s far from absolute objectivity. Combined SAT scores, on a scale from 400 to 1600, vary substantially by demographic group. White and Asian students score over 1100 on average, while all other groups average less than 1000. Higher-income students are more than twice as likely as lower-income students to get a top-tier score. Steps to increase equity, like the College Board’s free test-prep collaboration Khan Academy, are admirable, but seem to have had little effect on the test’s racial disparities.
However subjective standardized testing might be (and it is), it is still surely more objective than the alternatives. In the face of those problems, moving the test online warrants a shrug, at best. It may quicken the turnaround of scores, which is nice; it may make the test a little harder for students who can’t practice on computers, which is not. The only thing absolutely clear ex ante is how little an effect it will have next to the sweeping problems identified above. And yet. However subjective standardized testing might be (and it is), it is still surely more objective than the alternatives. The best tutor can’t take the test for you; even the worst could write you a tear-jerking personal essay. With crew teams and orchestra slots to fill at every elite college, expensive extracurriculars
provide another easy avenue for rich students to distinguish themselves. AP classes abound at better-resourced high schools, and given two straight-A candidates, the one with the harder course load is likely to look better. In this blackboxed morass of admissions criteria, subjectivity is a subsidy for the well-connected. The more complex and subjective a system, the more opportunities for admissions consultants and college-educated parents to game it. Without accountability from reporting average SAT scores, it becomes even easier for elitist universities to allow their baser predilections to enter the process — the endowment needs tending, after all. Having a reasonably objective, standardized testing element to these applications addresses this unfair advantage, at least in part, and helps to level the playing field in an otherwise highly skewed arena. Post-pandemic, standardized testing has to stay. Right now, it’s not certain that testing requirements will return. One very silver lining? The College Board is still feeling the pressure. Cosmetic changes like digitization won’t relieve it. To win back universities and earn its survival, the Board should take seriously 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.
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Harvard has a serious problem with work — and overwork — culture. you’re falling behind your peers, that you should be ashamed. Harvard has a serious problem with work — and overwork — culture. But the largest problem of all? There just isn’t enough time to do it all. With such busy schedules and such little time, the last thing we all care about is the travel time that takes us from one thing to the next. When recapping our days, we typically don’t rave about the thrilling 15-minute walk we took between classes. That time often gets lost. Goes from a fleeting moment to a forgotten memory. But just because we’re always looking towards the shiny new future doesn’t mean we should be speeding through our
So much of my identity at Harvard had been about being someone who struggled. Now that I didn’t struggle, who was I? It took some time, but I learned that I’m someone who builds something from nothing — again and again.
—Abby T. Forbes ’22 is a Philosophy concentrator in Adams House. Her column “The Trades” appears on alternate Fridays.
Just Look Up: A New Semester’s Resolution
W
Who knows? Who knows? Who knows? I just go where the trade wind blows. Protoje, “Who Knows”. The year is 2020. I’m working two part-time jobs to support myself at Harvard — quite literally picking up other students’ dirty laundry to make ends meet. I’m as happy as I’ve ever been. Now it’s 2022. I write this column from a rainforested hillside above the Caribbean. I own that hillside, as much as a person can own anything magic — a riot of green too alive to ever end, until it reaches a sea so sapphire it sings like a Tibetan bowl. I can see palm trees silhouetted on the surrounding islands of St. Thomas and St. John. Alongside my Harvard ID, my wallet holds my scuba certification license. My island teems with life, from the sea turtles who are my swimming partners to the tradewinds ruffling the mango tree growing outside my bedroom window. How, exactly, did I get here? Let’s rewind to 2020. After being booted from campus, I had two choices: go sleep on the futon at my mom’s and wait for things to get better for me, or make things better for myself. So I talked the Emergency Flight fund folks into diverting me to Puerto Rico, where I’d work in a remote rainforest on an ecological restoration crew. I’d sleep in a tent above the forest, coqui frogs singing me to sleep. This lasted only so long before Puerto Rico’s restrictions made it illegal to be outside. The ecological restoration project was cancelled. But not before I’d met my soulmate on the island next door. St. Croix is a U.S. Virgin Island 60 miles south of Puerto Rico. I flew in on a seaplane, a rickety little contraption smaller than a car. The Caribbean glittered azure below me, captivating my imagination the entire flight through. It was my first time ever seeing it.
This piece is a part of a focus on Black authors and experiences for Black History Month.
OP-ED
ith the start of a new year comes New Year’s resolutions — you know, those promises we make to ourselves on the first day of every year that we always intend to keep but never actually do. So, with a brand new semester underway, I’ve made a resolution that I do in fact plan to uphold: to stop walking to class so quickly and look up every once in a while. Last semester, I scheduled my walks to class down to the very last second. I knew exactly what time I had to leave my room to get to class on time. I practiced getting the 12-minute walk from my dorm to the Science Center down to eight minutes. I saw no flaws in my logic — after all, I was simply being more efficient, maximizing my productivity and minimizing time spent wandering around campus. And, yet, while I did in fact get to class on time (for the most part), I failed at something perhaps even more important: being present. For as long as I can remember, college has been a dream of mine. It was this faraway fantasy I spent every day working towards. I was eager to head off to college — a place that would allow me to explore economics, government, and social theory in my academic life and music, journalism, and public service in my extracurricular life – and carve my own path. But, once I got here? Well, more often than not, I spent my days constantly in a rush: running from one meeting to the next, recalculating the most optimal travel routes, too busy looking down at
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ho knows?
—Nicole B. Alexander ’24, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a Social Studies concentrator in Kirkland House.
@thecrimson
the time on my phone screen to look up and take in the fact that the dream I once romanticized had turned into my now very rushed reality. In our own ways, we are all rushing somewhere — especially at Harvard. With our student body being an aggregation of overachievers, it’s been far too easy to normalize and glorify “grind culture.” We have to be doing something at all times, every second of every day. And if your Google Calendar isn’t booked and busy on a random Thursday afternoon, or if you don’t spend every single minute of your precious time drowning in productivity, you convince yourself that
Abby T. Forbes THE TRADES
I was going to stay in the empty wing of a house belonging to the man I’d been seeing — the soulmate in question, though I didn’t know that yet. It was a beautiful house atop a hill with sweeping ocean views; he was a beautiful man with vision. The ceilings were imbuia, a sleek Brazilian wood resistant to termites and environmental battering. My plan was to stay a few days, maybe a week. As it turns out, I never left. Instead I built a life and a love. I revived a secret garden from beneath a half-century of poison vines. I dug elbows-deep into renovation projects, learning much more about basic electrical wiring and septic systems than I ever wanted to. I became scuba certified, devouring The Guide to the Caribbean Reef until I could identify every species of octopus, angelfish, and shark on sight. I gave my mom a vacation to the Caribbean. I saw my three younger siblings for the first time in more than four years and marveled at the resilient, fascinating people they’d become. I made friends twice my age and hosted parties for hundreds of strangers. I didn’t have to work — let alone at my usual minimum-wage jobs — so I wrote a novel instead. When I returned to campus last semester, I did so with high hopes. I finally had the advantages of a “typical” Harvard student. Meaning I didn’t have to pick up anyone’s dirty laundry anymore.But financial security doesn’t equal belonging. It wasn’t long before I realized that spending two years building a life from scratch made me an alien among the swarms of eighteen year olds who’d spent the past two years living with their parents, cocooned in their childhood bedrooms. So much of my identity at Harvard had been about being someone who struggled. Now that I didn’t struggle, who was I? It took some time, but I learned that I’m someone who builds something from nothing — again and again. I would never get my Harvard back, so I built a new one. Again, I built an intentional community from scratch, this time my own age. This community saved me — you know who you are. I coldemailed people I admire and built relationships I’d only dreamed of during my senior year. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: It is never too late. My story is far from the only one that calls for a record-scratch, freeze-frame. This column celebrates the lives that First-Generation, Low-Income students built from the ground up during a period of incomprehensible chaos. What did we build after being evicted from our dorms? How did these lives change the way we experience Harvard? What did we give up, what did we gain, what did we trade? This column reminds us that we are surrounded by builders. The name “The Trades” comes from the unexpected but powerful tradewinds that sweep the Caribbean. Through the power of storytelling, we’ll explore how our environments impact our identities. And how we shape our environments right back.
The Crimson
By NICOLE B. ALEXANDER
Imbuia
present. At the end of this semester, I’ll be halfway done with my time as an undergraduate. And with days flying by almost as fast as I can walk to class, I’ve realized that I should probably be more appreciative of this time while I still have it. That I should stop getting so caught up in my destination and, instead, step back and take a moment to appreciate the daily path I take to get there. From the bitter sting of the harsh Boston winds hitting my cheeks to the sweet aroma that wafts in the air around Tatte, it’s these little things about my environment — these familiar scents, feelings, and sounds — that make my daily path to class so special. And it’s more than time that I savor these moments before they are no longer a part of my present but my past. So, this semester, I want to do things differently. I want to slow down my daily walks to class and take a look around. I want to become more appreciative of the things, people, and places that surround me. I want to savor this place that I have called home for a year and will continue to call home for the next two years. I want to start taking notice of the little things that life has to offer. The ones that often go unnoticed when we don’t stop to take a look around us.
PAGE 5
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
FEBRUARY 4, 2022
COMAROFF FROM PAGE 1
ALUMNI FROM PAGE 1
Faculty Question Comaroff Sanctions
Harvard Alumni Flood Mass. Races
traveled in certain parts of Africa with her partner as an openly BGLTQ couple. Comaroff’s lawyers denied that he told the student she “would be raped” when traveling. They wrote in a statement to the Chronicle that he “did raise the risks of fieldwork, but not out of prurient interest.” “Since we the undersigned would also feel ethically compelled to offer the same advice to any student conducting research in a country with similar prohibitions, we are perplexed,” the open letter said. “How can advice intended to protect an advisee from sexual violence be itself construed as sexual harassment?” the letter said. “What rules of professional conduct are broken by informing students of the risks of gender-based violence in the multiple locations around the world that do not recognize the rights of women and LGBQ-
TIA+ individuals in the same manner as in the United States? As concerned faculty we seek clarification of Harvard’s professional criteria for us as advisors.” Comaroff declined to comment on the letter. Government and African and African American Studies professor Jennifer L. Hochschild, who signed the letter, said she hoped to receive clarification from administrators about acceptable communication between students and faculty. “What I signed the letter for was a desire to have a more open conversation about that issue,” she said. “Are there certain issues we just should not talk to students about, even if we think it’s our professional responsibility? Are there ways of talking to students which are unacceptable?”
After the Comaroff sanctions were announced last month, his lawyers wrote that “Harvard opened a second, kangaroo court process” in addition to the Title IX probe that lacked “the most elemental aspects of due process and artificially limited to a defective record.” In the open letter this week, the professors questioned “why the FAS did not accept the final results of its own Title IX investigation and opened a second investigation” into Comaroff. “What are the procedural grounds justifying this action?” the letter said. “As faculty members we must know the rules and procedures to which we are subject.” In her response on Thursday, Gay wrote that it “would not be appropriate” for her to disclose specifics about Comaroff’s behavior. “However,” she wrote, “I can tell you that the conduct
at issue is not what you have described.” She wrote that some of the allegations against Comaroff required “further review” because they addressed policies outside of the Title IX process. Gay concluded her letter by acknowledging the challenges of lodging a formal harassment complaint. “Behind every Title IX case are one or more complainants who made the difficult choice to come forward,” she wrote. “We should ask ourselves—perhaps especially the tenured faculty—what signal our reactions to the outcomes of these processes may send to our community, and particularly to those making that difficult choice of whether or not to come forward.” isabella.cho@thecrimson.com ariel.kim@thecrimson.com
to enter the political sphere. “Harvard was a very formative time for me,” he said. “And being on campus was a really important part of my development.” Lesser maintained his connection to Harvard after taking his seat in the State Senate . He teaches a class at the Harvard Kennedy School called “Hi! I’m Running for Office.” Through the class he teaches, Lesser said he wanted to show Harvard students the importance of state and local level governments, which he says are responsible for “the vast majority of policymaking on
The Crimson thecrimson.com
yusuf.mian@thecrimson.com charlotte.ritz-jack@thecrimson.com
KHURANA FROM PAGE 1
Khurana Praises Covid-19 Response pointing in the right direction,” he said. “We’ve already seen restrictions removed, and as long as we continue to go in the right direction, I can imagine we’ll continue to encourage that because we know how important our residential living environment is to our mission.” Khurana added that the school’s Covid-19 policies were “anchored” around in-person instruction though the College is now trying to ensure the residential dining system reopens “as quickly as possible.” He commended the “patience” and “sacrifices” of students who are frustrated by heightened campus restrictions this semester. “I know that good people of good conscience can have different views about Covid and the restrictions,” Khurana said. During the Thursday interview, he said the College is prepared to update policies in accordance with the evolving public health situation. “We’re all planning for when Covid moves from pandemic to endemic. I think we will have good policies, as we ordinarily do for endemic situations,” Khurana said. “And we will make sure they’re updated for the realities and public health realities of Covid.” Khurana also acknowledged student mental health struggles as a result of the pandemic. Last fall, Harvard’s Counseling and Mental Health Services reported an uptick in the number of calls they received. “I recognize a lot of students are going through a lot of change,” Khurana said. “People are still worried about their families, and just a general uncertainty can be a source of great anxiety and stress.”
Pictures worth a thousand words.
any issue.” Lesser’s platform prioritizes the creation of a high-speed, statewide rail system. He attributes his interest in transportation to his years at Harvard and his friendship with Secretary of Transportation Peter P. M. Buttigieg ’04. “My time at Harvard was kind of helping show me the stakes of that,” Lesser said. “One person that I spent a lot of time talking about those issues with was Pete Buttigieg, who was a senior when I was a freshman,” he added.
Still, Khurana said he believes the pandemic may have also provided an opportunity for students to work toward “more inclusive” spaces due to the “loss of institutional knowledge” around Harvard’s social scene.
We’re all planning for when Covid moves from pandemic to endemic. I think we will have good policies, as we ordinally do for endemic situations. And we will make sure they’re updated for the realities and public health realities of Covid. Rakesh Khurana Dean of the College
Early in the pandemic, Harvard dropped its sanctions against single-gender social clubs — Khurana’s controversial brainchild — after a consequential Supreme Court ruling on sex discrimination. “This period has been challenging for the transition of both knowledge and tradition,” Khurana said. “I’m cautiously hopeful and optimistic that the social scene that we will have for everybody who’s had their eyes open for these last couple of years will be more inclusive and more respectful.” vivi.lu@thecrimson.com leah.teichholtz@thecrimson.com
SPORTS
WEEKLY RECAP
SCORES
MEN’S HOCKEY VS. BC W, 6-3 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S HOCKEY VS. CORNELL T, 2-2 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S HOCKEY VS. BU W, 4-1 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. UPENN W, 70-63 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S SQUASH VS. YALE W, 8-1 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S WATER POLO VS. PENN STATE W, 16 -4 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S SQUASH VS. YALE W, 7-2 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S HOCKEY
Harvard Erases 3-0 Deficit, Rallies Against BC By AARON B. SCHUCHMAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Midway through Tuesday night’s matchup between the Harvard Crimson (11-7-2) and the Boston College Eagles (1012-4) at Kelley Rink with Harvard trailing 3-0, its two-game winning streak looked to be in serious jeopardy. The Crimson had other ideas. Harvard roared back to score six unanswered goals and claim a 6-3 victory over the Eagles in a possible preview for the Beanpot Tournament, which begins Feb. 7 at TD Garden. “We continue to try to establish our identity,” head coach Ted Donato said. “We’ve been battle-tested a little bit recently…for us to persevere and stay with the identity that we know works for our group is important.” The first period began ominously for the Crimson. Only one minute, 39 seconds into the game, BC center Colby Ambrosio sent a perfect pass from below the goal line to left wing Brandon Kruse, who hammered the puck past junior goaltender Mitchell Gibson for the 1-0 lead. Three Harvard defenders were caught behind the goal line on the play, leaving Kruse completely uncovered. Despite the Crimson controlling play for the next few minutes, the Eagles doubled their lead eight minutes into the first off a rush chance, where center Patrick Giles, who was streaking through the slot, deflected right wing Trevor Kuntar’s pass from the top of the left faceoff circle past Gibson. However, despite ending the first period in a 2-0 hole, Harvard controlled play for the majority of the first period, outshooting the Eagles 10-4 and out-attempting them 25-6. The top line of junior forward John Farinacci, sophomore forward Alex Lafferiere, and first-year forward Alex Gaffney contin-
ued to click, generating chances with highly effective offensive zone pressure, and senior forward Jack Donato had a shorthanded breakaway denied by BC goaltender Eric Dop. “We just made a couple mistakes and they ended up in our net,” Ted Donato said. “Our bench felt that we would get chances and that we were in the game even when we were down.” After the intermission, the Crimson once again started a period slowly, being forced onto the penalty kill twice within the first seven minutes of the second period. The Eagles were unable to convert their first man-advantage, as a loose puck in the crease was cleared away amidst a scramble by the Harvard defense, but they cashed in on their second chance when a shot-pass from defenseman Marshall Warren was redirected into the net by forward Casey Carreau to give the hosts a 3-0 edge. However, despite facing a three-goal deficit at the halfway point of the game, the Crimson’s power play unit, quarterbacked by junior defenseman Henry Thrun, gave Harvard new life. After a hooking penalty on Eagles defenseman Justin Wells sent the Crimson to the power play, first-year forward Matthew Coronato converted on a wrist shot from just above the goal line off a pass from senior forward and captain Casey Dornbach to cut the BC lead to 3-1. The power play unit wasn’t done yet. After Farinacci drew a late penalty following a strong cut to the net, Thrun’s wrist shot from the right faceoff circle snuck through Dop’s legs to trim the deficit to 3-2 with 30 seconds left in the second, sending Harvard to the locker room with momentum. “That was a big goal going into the third,” Thrun said. “It gave us a little more confidence. We knew we had them at fiveon-five, and then our power play
THRUN IT Junior defenseman Henry Thrun battles along the boards in a 5-2 victory over Brown on Nov. 23. On Tuesday, Thrun scored a crucial goal at the end of the second period in a furious, 6-1 comeback victory over Boston College. JOSIE W. CHEN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
was cooking, so we had a lot of confidence in the third.” Contrasting with its sluggish performance to open the first two periods, the Crimson began the third period with authority. Less than 30 seconds in, Laferriere fought through a strong check along the boards to sling the puck into the middle of the ice, where Gaffney’s shot hit the rear boards. However, a lively rebound from Gaffney’s shot found Farinacci, who knocked the puck past Dop to knot the game at 3-3. “I’ve been playing with my linemates for eight years growing up,” Gaffney said. “They’re
amazing players and it makes me better so I’m just trying to keep playing well and do my part of the line.” Less than a minute later, Coronato was obliterated in the middle of the offensive zone on an illegal check to the head by Eagles forward Matt Argentina, who received a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct. Despite some initial poor puck management on the ensuing power play, Harvard recovered to engineer strong puck possession in the offensive zone for the final 90 seconds of the man-advantage, and firstyear forward Zakary Karpa
hammered home a rebound off a Thrun shot to put the Crimson in front 4-3. “He’s obviously a pretty highly touted player and someone that we all look after,” Thrun said of Coronato, who remained in the game after the hit. “That kind of fires us up a little bit more to see a hit like that.” The momentum only continued to grow for the Crimson. Only 19 seconds later, first-year defenseman Ian Moore rocketed a slap shot from the top of the circle through Dop to extend the lead to 5-3 and record his first collegiate goal. Senior
forward Baker Shore added an empty-net goal with just over two minutes remaining to secure the 6-3 final. “We’re learning on the go here, and I think we’re improving,” Ted Donato said. “Guys are really focused on improvement and development.” Harvard returns to action this Friday at the BrightLandry Hockey Center versus Dartmouth College, before facing Boston University on Monday in the opening game of the 2022 Beanpot Tournament at TD Garden. aaron.schuchman@thecrimson.com
MEN’S TENNIS
Harvard Men’s Tennis 1-1 in Los Angeles ITA Kickoff By CAROLINE GAGE CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
No. 24 Harvard ended the ITA Kickoff with a 1-1 record last weekend, facing off against No. 15 Pepperdine and No. 8 USC in Los Angeles. Following a
crushing defeat by Virginia the previous weekend, Saturday’s nail-biter match against Pepperdine finally ended in a 4-3 victory for the Crimson. Harvard took three of six singles matches against the Waves, as well as two of three
doubles matches. “The doubles point was especially big for us,” said Jachuck. “That’s something we’ve been working on a lot, and I think we were able to see the improvements.” In singles, sophomore Ronan
Jachuck defeated Eero Vasa in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, and secured a 6-4 victory alongside junior Harris Walker over Corrado Summaria and Tim Zeitvogel. Meanwhile, the Crimson’s Henry von der Schulenburg
TENN OUT OF TENN Harvard men’s tennis participates in its Crimson Halloween Invite, between Oct. 29 and Oct. 31. On Sunday, it lost in a 6-1 decision to No.6 Virginia. OWEN A. BERGER—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
dropped the number one match to #8 Daniel De Jonge, 6-3, 6-3. Pepperdine also took straightset wins in the fourth- and sixth-seeded singles, defeating Daniel Milavsky and David Lins. The teams remained in close competition, and with the score tied at 3-3, the outcome rested on senior Brian Shi, who overcame #15 Andrew Rogers in an epic three sets, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4. The victory continued Shi’s four-match winning streak for the season, as well as his second three-set win in a row. Despite pressure from the crowd, the captain stayed cool, comfortably closing out the final set and securing Harvard’s first win over Pepperdine since 1999. “We knew they were a great team, but we also knew that we could go out there and get the win, so the energy was high from the start,” said Jachuck of the Pepperdine match. “The atmosphere was incredible.” The Crimson struggled to maintain that momentum against USC, ending the weekend with a decisive 0-4 loss. The Trojans, who have consistently occupied the top ten for a decade, took the point in doubles with two close wins, and subsequently won three straight-set singles matches. Jachuck fell to Ryan Colby in the fifth position match 6-3, 6-4. “[USC] showed that they’re a great team this year, but I think we’ve been learning a lot from our matches,” he explained. “We’ve been away from college tennis for two years now, so every match we play, we’re getting better.” Despite thir 2-1 doubles performance against Pepperdine
the previous day, Harvard was unable to convert the point against USC. The Trojans’ Dostanic and Bradley Frye took a 6-3 win over Brian Shi and Daniel Milavsky in the top match, while Jachuck and Walker fell to Ryder Jackson and Wojtek Marek, 6-4. The six-game, no-ad format of doubles gives players the opportunity to seize control quickly. “[Doubles] is always going to come down to a few points here and there, and the little details,” Jachuck reflected on the loss. “We were down a break, got it back, and had chances to get a lead later on but let it slip.” The Crimson, now 3-2 overall, will face Michigan in Cambridge on Feb. 6. This marks the first meeting between the teams since 2018. The Wolverines lead the Crimson 6-0 in previous matchups, but players are optimistic and ready to have the homecourt advantage. Following the ITA Kickoff, Harvard remains focused on improving and maintaining the same energy level while playing top teams. Jachuck noted the fast pace of the tennis season, but emphasized the importance of each individual match as an opportunity for growth. “It will be great to test ourselves again,” said the sophomore of the upcoming challenge. “All these matches count, and we will learn a lot from the wins and the losses.” Following Sunday’s competition with Michigan, the Crimson will travel to Ithaca, N.Y., for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament at Cornell. caroline.gage@thecrimson.com