The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873 | VOLUME CXLVII, NO. 21 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS | FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020
EDITORIAL PAGE 10
NEWS PAGE 7
SPORTS PAGE 12
The task of selecting five sets of faculty deans will greatly impact student life
Experts say Education Department funding guidelines are opaque
Harvard track and field meets record performances
HUPD Arrest in Smith Campus Center By CHARLES XU CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Police arrested a man in the Smith Campus Center atrium shortly before noon on Thursday. JENNY M. LU—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
arvard police arrested a black H man for trespassing in the Smith Campus Center Thursday morning after a physical altercation, drawing criticism from some eyewitnesses. Witness Connor J. Schoen ’21 said the arrested man — who he identified as Tyrique Simmons — was walking through the main corridor of the center wearing a Harvard sweatshirt and carrying a skateboard when police told him to get on the ground. Schoen said an officer “ran up” to Simmons almost immediately. “It was very unclear as to why he was being apprehended,” Schoen said. “He was not causing a ruckus.” A video of the incident posted to Twitter shows two officers pushing Simmons down from a sitting position on to the floor, holding him, and rolling him over as they arrested him. “This morning in Smith
Campus center the police used excessive force to arrest a black man who was apparently trespassing in the open areas of Smith,” the tweet reads. Schoen said he was “appalled” by the officers’ behavior toward Simmons. “What happened next was extremely disturbing and really traumatizing for a lot of people watching,” he said. “He was grabbing him forcefully, screaming at him, telling him to get on the ground. Tyrique went to his knees, and was screaming, ‘Why is this happening? What did I do? What did I do?’ The officer was not answering his questions, was not providing any clarity, did not attempt to have a civil conversation with someone who wasn’t even resisting.” Kara Bratlie — who was with Schoen at the time — said HUPD officers recognized Simmons and called his name before apprehending him.
SEE SMITH PAGE 7
One in Four Athletes in Class of 2020 Quit Teams By EMA R. SCHUMER CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
hough hundreds of members T of the Class of 2020 have suited up for Harvard’s 42 varsity athletic teams during their time at the College, more than one in four athletes ended up quitting their teams, according to online roster data. Roughly 27 percent of current seniors — 83 out of 308 — who played a varsity sport at some point in their time at Harvard did not play for that team this academic year, according to The Crimson’s analysis. These 308 students include both recruited athletes and “walkons,” who joined a varsity team after gaining admission to the College. Teams experiencing the highest rates of attrition — at least fifty percent — include women’s lightweight crew and men’s soccer. At the other end of the spectrum, field hockey and men’s basketball had perfect retention. Attrition rates were similar for men’s and women’s teams overall, roughly 28 percent for men and 25 percent for women. Though Ivy League schools do not usually release athlete attrition statistics online,
Brown University’s athletics director told the school’s newspaper in 2016 that roughly thirty percent of athletes quit their sport at Brown. Ten former Harvard athletes in the Class of 2020 interviewed for this article described a host of factors that led them to leave their respective teams — including injuries, mental health concerns, academic and extracurricular interests, and a diminished love for their sport. Director of Athletics Robert L. Scalise wrote in an emailed statement that athletics are one of many opportunities the College offers its students and that his department supports student-athletes as they navigate Harvard. “Athletic participation helps our students grow, learn, and enjoy themselves while they use and develop their personal, physical, and intellectual skills at Harvard,” he wrote. “[Athletics] should never be the sole reason an individual decides to attend the College. Student-Athletes must have the freedom to explore all the extracurricular and academic opportunities Harvard has to offer Scalise added that he thinks CAMILLE G. CALDERA—CRIMSON DESIGNER
SEE ATTRITION PAGE 11
HOOP Holds First Event By JULIET E.ISSELBACHER and AMANDA Y. SU CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
new student group demandA ed the University disclose and divest its investments in companies tied to Israel’s presence in Palestine during the organization’s Thursday launch event. The group — Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine — is pursuing “a campaign centered around the actualization of Palestinian liberation,” according to a mission statement posted to Medium. Drawing more than 200 attendees, the Thursday evening launch event featured a panel of guest speakers, including two student organizers from Brown University — Yara Doumani and Anchita Dasgupta — Harvard professor Cornel R. West ’74, and Harvard Divinity School fellow Rami Younis. Omar Barghouti — a founder of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement — also spoke to event attendees via Skype. BDS is an international movement seeking to “end international support for Israel’s oppression of Palestinians and pressure Israel to comply with international law,” according to its website. During the event, Bargouti criticized Harvard for being “complicit” in supporting the state of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. “Stopping complicity in Israel’s crimes is not heroic. It’s not charitable,” he said. “We’re not asking Harvard to drop everything and stand with the Palestinians. We’re just asking them to stop aiding our oppressors.” University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain did not respond to a request for comment on the allegation that Harvard is “complicit” in human rights abuses in Palestine. The extent of Harvard’s ties to Israel and companies that operate in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip is unknown. Panelists also discussed how different human rights causes are interconnected and said they believe mutual support
SEE PALESTINE PAGE 11
HLS College Approves New Kirkland Shield Affiliates By SYDNIE M. COBB and DECLAN J. KNIERIEM CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The College granted Kirkland House preliminary approval to change its shield, capping a years-long effort by students and House affiliates to redesign the emblem due to its resemblance to the Confederate flag. In an email to Faculty Deans Verena A. and Tom C. Conley, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana assented to the new design and lauded the pair for creating a “welcoming and inclusive” House environment. “Kirkland is free to use the alternative shield,” he wrote. “I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge all your efforts in engaging Kirkland in thinking about symbols.” The heraldic artist Pierre de Chaignon la Rose, class of 1895, designed the original Kirkland shield while he was a member of the Committee on Arms, Seal, and Diplomas. It features the Kirkland family crest overlaid with the cross of the Bishop INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
of Carlisle — the Scottish home of the Kirkland family. The design — a cross adorned with three stars — has sparked some controversy over the years due to complaints that it resembles the flag of the Confederate States of America. The redesign features three stars — arranged in an inverted triangle position — emblazoned on a black and crimson background. Verena said in an interview Thursday that the House selected the new design with extensive input from House affiliates. Those efforts included two House-wide town halls in November 2019, student questionnaires, and individual and group meetings to gather feedback. House affiliates mainly objected to the emblem’s cross, according to Conley. She said that it was the most “salient feature” in calls for change. “It became more or less
SEE SHIELD PAGE 7
News 7
Editorial 10
Condemn Reinhardt By KELSEY J. GRIFFIN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
arvard Law School students, H faculty, and administrators have condemned sexual harassment in the judicial system following Law School graduate Olivia A. Warren’s Feb. 13 testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. Warren worked as a clerk for federal judge Stephen R. Reinhardt after her graduation from the Law School in 2017 up until his death in 2018. She testified that she experienced repeated instances of sexual harassment during her time in his chambers, alleging that the judge personally insulted her and ridiculed the #MeToo movement. “On my first day, I was confronted with a drawing of a sine
SEE HLS PAGE 9
Sports 12
Harvard Law School affiliates speak out to condemn sexual harassment in the legal profession. ZADOC I. N. GEE— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
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