The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
EDITORIAL PAGE 4
Harvard’s lawyers should request Kavanaugh’s recusal from the admissions case.
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 05 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
| FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022
SPORTS PAGE 6
SPORTS PAGE 6
Men’s basketball goes 2-2 to start off conference play.
Fencing buckles down at St. John’s Invitational.
32BJ Marred by Internal Tensions Maura Healey ’92 Running for Gov. By SOPHIA C. SCOTT and CLAIRE YUAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
When Harvard security guards voted down a contract offer from Securitas last week, it came as no surprise to members of their union’s bargaining committee. The group, elected to represent general members in negotiations, had pleaded for weeks with leaders of their union — Service Employees International Union 32BJ — to reject the proposal. But despite the eight-person committee’s objections, the union brought the proposal to a vote anyway. It failed, 127-84. Tensions within 32BJ — which represents around 300 Harvard security workers and 700 custodians — have come to a head in recent months, with the union’s bargaining committee openly denouncing its leadership. “We don’t get to have a voice at the table, even right now,” said Amel A. Ahmed, a bargaining committee member. In interviews with The Crimson this week, seven members of the bargaining
SEE 32BJ PAGE 3
By YUSUF S. MIAN and CHARLOTTE P. RITZ-JACK CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The race for Massachusetts governor intensified last week as Massachusetts Attorney General Maura T. Healey ’92 announced her candidacy, emerging quickly as a front runner. Healey, elected as the country’s first openly gay state attorney general in 2014, joins the Democratic primary against Harvard Professor Danielle S. Allen and State Senator Sonia R. Chang-Diaz. Healey, who was re-elected in 2018 by a wide margin, has received high approval ratings during her time in office. But Massachusetts has previously seen several attorneys general try and fail to secure the governor’s seat. “The one thing that mostly hurts attorneys general is that the public perceives them as cops,” longtime Boston political consultant Michael Goldman said. Goldman, who previously advised Healey’s 2014 cam
Harvard security guards, who are employed by the international security firm Securitas, are at odds with their union leadership over contract negotiations. PEI CHAO ZHUO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
paign, said that despite the historical trend, he believes that Healey makes for a very competitive candidate. “She walks into the race not only with enormous level of favorability, but also the perception that she is as good a politician as she is attorney general,” he said. Thus far, only two Republicans — Chris Doughty, president of metal manufacturing company Capstan Atlantic, and former state representative Geoffrey G. Diehl — have declared their candidacy. Republican incumbent Charlie D. Baker ’79 is not seeking reelection. Former Boston City Councilor Lawrence S. DiCara ’71 said Doughty follows in Baker’s moderate footsteps, while Diehl tends to appeal to the farther right base of the party cultivated by former President Donald Trump, who has endorsed him. In her platform, Healey promises to help Massachusetts recover from the pandemic. The state currently faces a surge in
SEE HEALEY PAGE 3
Brattle Square Florist to Remain Open in Square By KATHERINE M. BURSTEIN and SAGE S. LATTMAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Brattle Square Florist will remain open under the ownership of longtime store manager Stephen Zedros, a member of the Gomatos family who founded the shop, its current owner announced just days away from the shop’s scheduled Jan. 31 closure. The shop, which has operated in Harvard Square for 105 years, will continue operations at its current location until March before moving down the block to 52 Brattle St. Current owner Randy Ricker announced in December that he planned to retire and close the store, citing staff shortages, rising costs, and the continuing pandemic.
But he anticipates the store will recover under Zedros’ ownership. “I think he’s gonna surmount those challenges — where, from my perspective, it was just daunting,” he said. Zedros shared a similar optimism about the shop’s future now that Harvard has returned to in-person operations. “The traffic is starting to come back a little bit,” he said. “With the kids back at Harvard, and with the faculty back, it’s stronger — much stronger — than it was.” With Covid-19 continuing to impact storefront operations, Zedros said Brattle Square Florist’s delivery service makes up a substantial part of the store’s operations, citing this month as “the busiest January for deliveries ever.”
Zedros said news of the store’s plan to shut its doors triggered a substantial reaction from its customers. “I’ve gotten enough letters and cards, I could wallpaper a room,” he said. Denise A. Jillson, director of the Harvard Square Business Association, attested to the “overwhelming” response following the announced closing. “I even received emails from people who just wanted to share their story about how Brattle Square Florist did the floral arrangements for their wedding 40 years ago,” she said. Christel Antonellis, a parttime employee at Brattle Square Florist, said Zedros’ personality and friendly demeanor has helped the store maintain a
SEE FLORIST PAGE 5
Brattle Square Florist was expected to close at the end of this month, but will now remain in operation under the ownership of Stephen Zedros. PEI CHAO ZHUO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Hillel Holds Quad Students Decry Grab-and-Go Dining Holocaust Memorial By LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Harvard Hillel held a memorial service on the steps of Widener Library in observation of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Thursday. Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the anniversary of the liberation of the concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945 and honors the lives of the millions of Jews and civilians who were killed. In its service, Hillel commemorated the life of Ita Warmund, a victim whose name was chosen from the database of Yad Vashem — Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana, Dean of Students Katherine G. O’Dair, Associate Dean of Students Lauren E. Brandt ’01, Reverend Matthew Ichihashi Potts, Rabbis Jonah C. Steinberg and Hirschy Zarchi each lit a candle in honor of the victims. In his speech, Steinberg, Hillel’s executive director, emphasized the importance of remembering those whose lives were lost in the Holocaust. “There’s hardly a family rep
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
resented here that has not been touched in some way by the sho’ah — by the Holocaust — that does not have a wound in it, which is often a gaping hole, an absence,” Steinberg said. Despite the loss and tragedy of the Holocaust, Steinberg said it was still important to work toward a “world of togetherness.” “It doesn’t mean we go through life traumatized and afraid,” Steinberg said. “But it means we go through life carrying that and figuring out how to live forward.” Harvard Chabad Rabbi Zarchi said in his remarks that the Holocaust revealed knowledge alone does not ensure moral choices. “Today we light a candle for the souls with a candle of truth,” Zarchi said. “And maybe that’s what veritas teaches us — that there has to be a truth to our knowledge and to our wisdom to ensure that that knowledge leads to morality and to ethical living and to ethical choices. As he addressed the crowd, Khurana said “remembering” is one of the “most important of all human acts” and emphasized
SEE HILLEL PAGE 5
News 3
Editorial 4
Students obtain dinner from Eliot House dining hall on Thursday. PEI CHAO ZHUO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
By AUDREY M. APOLLON and CHRISTINE MUI CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Quad students residing in Pforzheimer, Currier, and Cabot Houses reported difficulties finding places to eat between classes after Harvard’s dining halls began offering exclusively
Sports 6
grab-and-go meals. All dining halls switched to strictly takeout options for the first two weeks of the spring semester in an effort to reduce high-density gatherings on campus. Harvard has opened CGIS Café, Ticknor Lounge, and the William James basement dining area to accommo-
TODAY’S FORECAST
date Quad students who are unable to go to their rooms in between classes. At each of the three locations, select tables have been marked unavailable with signs or blocked off to comply with social distancing guidelines. But Currier and Pforzheimer House did not email Quad stu-
CLOUDY High: 34 Low: 20
dents, who often are unable to return to their Houses until the evening, about the available indoor dining areas before classes began on Jan. 24. Pforzheimer resident Sebastian L. Garcia ’24 said he was unaware of the three locations and skipped lunch before his class on Monday. “I just did not eat lunch because I didn’t know where to get lunch,” Garcia said. “I felt like the administration didn’t really think about the quad students at all, like they had kind of forgotten about our concerns for what we need to do for lunch.” Garcia added that the decision to allow Quad residents to eat at one of the indoor locations seemed counterintuitive. “They are saying that we gotta de-densify the campus, but they are still going to put us in these three places together,” Garcia said. “So what’s the difference between that and just eating in the dining halls like we would normally ?” Sophomores Afiya Rahman ’24 and Ananda M. Birungi ’24 ate in Ticknor Lounge Thursday after getting their to-go
SEE DINING PAGE 5
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dollar oysters
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
JANUARY 28, 2022
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch Grilled Pizza Sandwich Red’s Best Catch Vegan Pizza Arugula and Bean
For Dinner Herb Crusted Cod Spanish-Style Roasted Chicken Quinoa and Mindful Chicken
TODAY’S EVENTS Email Management and Using Gmail 10 - 11 a.m., Virtual
IN THE REAL WORLD
Check out the ARC’s latest workshop where they will help you turn Gmail from your enemy to your ally.
American Teacher Arrested in Russia for Smuggling Drugs
A teacher from the United States, Marc Fogel, was arrested in Moscow after he was found in possession of cannabis products at the airport. Trained dogs at customs detected the products in Fogel’s luggage. Fogel is a former employee of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, and Russian authorities arrested him to keep him from hiding in the embassy.
Muchos Méxicos: Crossroads of the Americas Exhibition 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology Take a trip to the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology to see their “Muchos Mécicos” exhibition, which explores the cultural history of Mexico.
Navigate Summer Funding 2 - 3 p.m., Virtual Money, money, money. If you’re looking for someone to fund your summer plans, join the Office of Career Services as they provide places where you can find funding.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Rocket on Course to Crash into the Moon
Two people stand on the frozen surface of the Charles River. JULIAN J. JIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
DAILY BRIEFING Tensions within 32BJ — which represents around 300 Harvard security workers and 700 custodians — have come to a head in recent months, with the union’s bargaining committee openly denouncing its leadership. In interviews with The Crimson this week, seven members of the bargaining committee said they have been shut out of negotiations by 32BJ leaders. In other news, the race for Massachusetts governor intensified last week as Massachusetts Attorney General Maura T. Healey ’92 announced her candidacy, emerging quickly as a front runner.
The Falcon 9 booster, a rocket from Elon Musk’s space exploration program SpaceX, is on course to collide with the moon. Launched in 2015, the rocket did not have enough fuel to return to Earth and has remained in space since. The rocket is expected to crash into the moon and explode on March 4.
Boston Hospital Denies Unvaccinated Man a Heart Transplant Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston has taken DJ Ferguson off the waitlist for a heart transplant at least partially because he has not received the Covid-19 vaccine. The hospital said that it was adhering to policy and maximizing chances of survival after transplantation.
COVID UPDATES
LAST 7 DAYS CURRENTLY
CAMPUS
271
In Isolation
407 1.09% Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
LAST 7 DAYS
CAMBRIDGE
766 6.02% 75%
Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
Fully Vaccinated
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Square Kiosk Finds New Owners
Convenience store and newsstand operator Muckey’s Corp. signed a lease to take over the iconic Harvard Square kiosk Out of Town News. This decision rescued the decades-old newsstand from closing after its former operator did not renew its lease, citing diminished demand for print news. January 28, 2009
Pfizer Refuses to Share Corporate Policies With Chemistry Students, Shuns Recruiting
Drug company Pfizer refused to discuss its company policies with students in Harvard’s Chemistry department, electing not to recruit from the department. January 28, 1970
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
The Harvard Crimson Raquel Coronell Uribe ’22-’23 Associate Managing Editors Kelsey J. Griffin ’23 President Taylor C. Peterman ’23-’24 Jasper G. Goodman ’23 Associate Business Managers Managing Editor Taia M.Y. Cheng ’23-’24 Isabelle L. Guillaume ’24 Amy X. Zhou ’23 Business Manager Editorial Chairs Guillermo S. Hava ’23-’24 Orlee G.S. Marini-Rapoport ’23-’24
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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 |
Boston Residents Oppose Allston Project By MICHAL GOLDSTEIN and DEVINDER S. SARAI CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Boston residents expressed opposition to plans for a new residential project in Allston that will replace an existing decades-old building at a Thursday Boston Planning and Development Agency meeting. During the meeting, the development team detailed its preparations for the new residential building, which will be located at 90 Braintree St. and will comprise upwards of 100 rental units and more than 50 parking spaces. Proposed in November 2020, the project has undergone three rounds of Impact Advisory Group meetings . The proposed project is part of a larger wave of development coursing through Allston. Developers plan to build 273 residential units at 180 Western Ave. and another 252 units at 176 Lincoln St. The University, which owns roughly one-third of the land in Allston, also plans to construct 345 units in the first phase of its Enterprise Research Campus. Meanwhile, at the former Skating Club of Boston, yet another company plans to establish a 655-unit development. Dave Wamestar, executive
director of development at Anchor Line Partners, presented the public benefits of the project, noting heightened sustainability, greater neighborhood safety, new jobs. Wamestar also said the developers “made the extra effort” to create affordable housing units on site, including 22 units under Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy. IAG member John Bligh voiced concerns about the lack of parking available to residents. “I think your parking is really low for the mass you’re building,” he said. Cailtin Coppinger, BPDA’s contact for the project, said access to parking is deliberately uncoupled from rent in the development, explaining that the strategy “ultimately leads to less vehicle usage around the city.” “People really have to make that choice if they really want to pay to have a car in the city of Boston, and sometimes, the price of parking really leads them to choosing not to have a vehicle,” she said. The project also faced criticism from public attendees of the BPDA meeting. Richard Lavoie, a vice president of Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen, Local 3, voiced his opposition
to the project, asserting that it fell short of “community standards.” “As it stands right now, it does not conform to community standards — those standards for wages and benefits — nor is there a commitment to work with a responsible contractor,” he said. Boston resident Jimmy Vaughn stated his dissatisfaction with the planned construction. “I work in the area and I am 100 percent against this project,” he said without further comment. Four other public attendees joined Vaughn and Lavoie in expressing opposition, which Wamestar said left him “perplexed.” Responding to the public comments, Wamestar said he was “taken aback” due to his work on other major projects in the surrounding area that he said have created thousands of jobs for local residents. Wamestar said he hopes the project on 90 Braintree St. can be brought before the BPDA board for approval in February. If the project receives the go-ahead, he said, construction could begin later this year. michal.goldstein@thecrimson.com devinder.sarai@thecrimson.com
JANUARY 28, 2022
HSPH Hosts Lecture on Artificial Intelligence By PAUL E. ALEXIS and KRISHI KISHORE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Business leaders and researchers discussed the opportunities and difficulties of implementing artificial intelligence solutions in healthcare in a virtual event jointly hosted by the Harvard Business School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The panel was moderated by physician Trishan Panch and included technology executives Javier Tordable and Ben Zeskind and healthcare researchers Heather Mattie and Leo Anthony Celi. In discussing applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare, Zeskin said using artificial intelligence could reveal counterintuitive insights compared to traditional models of diagnosis. “For all the medical progress that there’s been, it’s still the case that millions of people die of cancer every year. If we keep doing the intuitive thing, we’re going to keep getting the same results. So that’s why counterintuitive insights are so important,” Zeskin said. “I think that’s kind of the beauty of AI and computation,” he added.
Tordable said that there is a “black box” with machine learning models in practice as healthcare providers may lack knowledge about their mechanisms and be hesitant to use them. However, Tordable added that a potential shift in attitudes toward these models and their use in medicine may be coming. “At some point, [the healthcare system] may be using critical decision support systems that are not based on rules, right? They’re based on machine learning models for which we may not understand exactly how they work, but they may work significantly better than a human,” he said. Contrary to other panelists, Celi said there would not be “any significant advances in AI in healthcare,” citing the disparities in real-world data and the lack of vulnerable perspectives in building algorithms. “The purpose of scientific advancement is to improve population health, and the cohort of the people who carry the biggest burden of disease, I don’t think, is going to be impacted by AI,” Celi said. “For that reason, the scientific advancements are irrelevant — are useless.” Tordable said he agreed these disparities would become
a “problem.” “We have a situation where a few technology companies are well-funded institutions that have access to this type of technology and can spend the budgets and the compute power and have the budget to hire the people that can do these kinds of things, ” Tordable said. In response to audience concern about whether artificial intelligence insights may reflect algorithmic biases rather than reality, Mattie said artificial intelligence “does reflect the world that’s being used to train it.” Mattie added that she was “excited” about getting to work on curbing potential biases. Zeskin said that a challenge with the perception of artificial intelligence is that there tends to be more “hype that’s been generated” than the truthful outcomes of AI. “I think if people portray that exciting future as an exciting future, then it is totally fine,” he said. “It’s when people portray something as being here now that’s not really here now, I think that’s where it starts to get a little confusing for people.” paul.alexis@thecrimson.com krishi.kishore@thecrimson.com
32BJ FROM PAGE 1
HEALEY FROM PAGE 1
Security Workers’ Union Marred by Internal Disputes Amid Negotiations
AG Healey Launches Gov. Campaign
committee said they have been shut out of negotiations by 32BJ leaders. “We’re just asking for fair treatment — to be represented by the union that we pay dues to — and I don’t think we’re getting that,” Ahmed said. Bargaining committee member Michael A. Nowiszewski wrote in an email that the committee’s push for a better contract is the “the fight of our lives.” The internal dispute comes three months after Harvard custodians, who are also represented by 32BJ, rallied in public against the union’s leadership. The rally-goers, who gathered on Harvard’s Science Center Plaza, voiced similar concerns — namely, they claimed that their elected bargaining committee was being iced out of negotiations. “I can understand why we’re fighting Harvard — ’cause it’s their money. I can understand Securitas — that we have to fight with them so hard — because they’re trying to please their client,” bargaining committee member John F. Carbone, Jr. said. “But it’s sad that we have to fight against our own union for our support.”
32BJ is set to go back to the bargaining table with Securitas as negotiations drag into their fourth month. Guards employed by Securitas are currently working without a contract. In a statement Thursday, 32BJ SEIU Executive Vice President Roxana Rivera wrote that the union “remains determined to reach a contract agreement that our Harvard Security Officers support and deserve.” “When Securitas presented their offer on January 13 – nearly two months after the previous contract was originally set to expire on November 15 – they
We’re basically being left to hang dry, and we don’t know why. Amel A. Ahmed 32BJ Bargaining Committee
stated that this was their final offer,” she wrote. “Therefore, we believed the best course of action was to put the final offer to a membership vote.” “Now that Securitas is aware that members aren’t satisfied with their ‘final offer,’ we are
hopeful that they will come back to the table so we can achieve a contract our Security Officers are satisfied with during this difficult time for working families,” Rivera added. But bargaining committee members say the first proposal never should have come to a union-wide vote. The committee voted 8-0 to reject the contract before it was brought to general members. “We believe there’s more to be obtained,” Arun K. Malik, a member of the bargaining committee, said. “Our demands were not excessive.” 32BJ is one of more than 150 SEIU-affiliated union branches across the United States and Canada. Some members of the security workers’ bargaining committee have threatened to ask the union’s headquarters to step in to settle the dispute. “If this union cannot bring some real leadership on the table, we will summon the whole international headquarters … so we can have better people to help us negotiate a better contract,” Dominick B. De Loretta said. The union is planning to host a virtual town hall with members next Friday to discuss the
state of negotiations. Committee members argue that Securitas’ proposal fails to raise wages with the rate of inflation. They say Securitas and Harvard owe them more given that many guards have worked through the pandemic. “We believe that we’ve gone far beyond our normal duties, and that therefore we deserve to at least break even,” Malik said. Securitas did not respond to requests for comment. The guards also said their starting wages are lower than other schools in the area, including MIT and Boston University. “We’re dramatically underpaid,” Carbone said. Union members said they hope to appeal directly to University President Lawrence S. Bacow. But Bacow has previously said that the school would not intervene in intra-union disputes. University spokesperson Jason A. Newton declined to comment. “We’re basically being left to hang dry, and we don’t know why,” Ahmed said. sophia.scott@thecrimson.com claire.yuan@thecrimson.com
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Covid-19, reaching nearly 9,000 new cases on Jan. 27. “I’ve stood with you as the people’s lawyer, and now I’m running to be your governor to bring us together and come back stronger than ever,” Healey said. UMass Boston professor Erin O’Brien said Healey’s candidacy poses a challenge to other candidates, who jumped into the race months ago. “That’s not to say that an out-
That’s not to say that an outsider like Danielle Allen or Sonia Chang-Diaz couldn’t win, but it’s definitely an uphill battle. Erin O’Brien Political Science Prof.
sider like Danielle Allen or Sonia R. Chang-Diaz couldn’t win, but it’s definitely an uphill battle,” she said. “Maura Healey has name recognition in the state and nationally … and she
has a huge fundraising advantage.”
I wouldn’t call her a shoo-in just yet John G. Cluverius Political Science Prof.
Healey is starting her campaign with a strong financial advantage over Allen and Chang-Diaz. Healey had over $3.6 million in the bank as of the end of December, according to state campaign finance filings, compared to over $370,000 for Allen and just shy of $250,000 for Chang-Diaz. She outraised both Allen and Chang-Diaz in November and December, prior to officially joining the race. John G. Cluverius, an associate professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, also said he sees Maura Healey as a “heavy favorite” to win the nomination. Still, he said, “I wouldn’t call her a shoo-in just yet.” yusuf.mian@thecrimson.com charlotte.ritz-jack@thecrimson.com
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
JANUARY 28, 2022
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL OP-ED
COLUMN
I Wore Masks Before the Pandemic. I’ll Wear them Afterwards, Too. By ERIC D. HWANG
At my first ever Harvard lecture, my first ever time attending class in college, the professor walked in front of the room, peered across the hall, and declared with frustration that he hated this unspecified “thing.” As the echo of my professor’s disdain rang through the room, a few of my classmates nodded in understanding. Others chuckled in agreement. I, on the other hand, sat blankly, puzzled. It took me a few seconds to comprehend what he was referencing. As an international student from a country that has worn masks long before the Covid-19 pandemic, I didn’t realize that face coverings could be so upsetting. Let me backtrack. Hi, my name is Eric. I’m a Korean American freshman who has spent the past five years living in Korea. For context, masks were a part of Korean society long before the days of Covid-19. Particularly in the capital city of Seoul, harmful microparticles can concentrate in such high levels that your throat and lungs hurt when breathing in deeply. On particularly bad nights, I’ve seen car headlights cut across air pollution so thick it looks like there is snow or fog in the atmosphere. As such, the first time I remember wearing a mask is years ago, when my ever health-conscious dad shoved a N95 mask into my hands and told me to avoid going outside that day. Perhaps the N95 was overkill, but the idea of a mask itself was not. Even before the pandemic, the streets of Seoul were flooded with face coverings on days with bad pollution, and my school’s nurse
would always keep some extra on hand in case a student requested one mid-day. Air pollution might have been the mst common reason for wearing a mask in pre-pandemic Korea, but it certainly wasn’t the only one. Korean celebrities wore them when going out without makeup or to avoid being conspicuous in public (although they were sometimes recognized anyways). Even outside the world of K-pop, Koreans threw on masks when they felt bloated in public or could not be bothered to look nice for a run to the local convenience store. At one point, wearing a mask was even a teenage fashion trend. Even before the pandemic, it was common courtesy to wear a mask when in public while sick. So when Covid-19 hit Korea last year, masks were not a new, alien concept like they were in the U.S., and accordingly, there wasn’t substantial resistance to nationwide mask mandates. In fact, wearing masks quickly became the public standard. Not donning a mask in public — even outdoors — attracted disdainful glares and astonished double takes from people walking by. Thanks to Korea’s normative mask culture prior to the pandemic, face coverings were never a political issue; they were merely common sense, and this attitude saved lives when Covid-19 arrived. It will again if, knock on wood, another airborne pathogen spirals into a pandemic in the future. This is not to say that Koreans don’t find masks annoying; trust me, we do. I, myself, am not immune to the joyous relief of slipping my mask down as I walk along the Yard between classes, and I
can still remember ignoring my dad’s first few attempts to get me to wear the aforementioned N95. I’ve had conversations with friends from both Korea and the U.S. about the obnoxious way that breathing into a mask can fog up glasses. Koreans do believe masks are cumbersome, just as Americans do. The difference is that masks are normalized in Korean society, and they have been for a long time. That’s why I’m surprised by how many Americans seem to look for every excuse to slip off their face covering. My professor’s eagerness to throw away his mask and forget about it forever as soon as possible was just unfathomable to me. In accordance with this antipathy for masks, it seems like a large number of Americans believe that masks will be completely erased from society when the pandemic is over. As someone who came from a country that normalized masks: I urge you to reconsider. I promise, having masks around without a pandemic will not cause the sky to fall down. It was not the end of the world for us, and it will not be for you either. Whether you live in an area with bad air quality, want to protect your friends from your cold while studying together, or have the same fashion sense as a Korean middle schooler and just want to look cool, there are legitimate reasons to wear masks besides Covid-19. A normalized masking culture would prepare the U.S. for potential public health emer—Eric D. Hwang ’25, a Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Stoughton Hall.
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OP-ED
Harvard’s Lawyers Should Demand Kavanaugh’s Recusal By KAIVAN K. SHROFF
“W
hat goes around comes around.” These were the words of now Supreme Court Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh during the opening statement at his confirmation hearing. In those unprecedentedly partisan and hostile remarks, Kavanaugh railed against his political enemies, including “the Clintons” and unspecified “left-wing opposition groups.” The display was alarming to legal scholars who felt the threats undermined not only Kavanaugh’s credibility, but the legitimacy of the Court itself. Earlier this week, the Supreme Court announced it would hear a challenge to Har vard University’s race-conscious admissions policy. As University President Lawrence S. Bacow wrote in a statement responding to the news, “The Supreme Court decision to review the unanimous decisions of the lower federal courts puts at risk 40 years of legal precedent granting colleges and universities the freedom and f lexibility to create diverse campus communities.” Bacow is right to worry. Given that every lower court found Harvard’s admissions policy to be within the bounds of Supreme Court precedent, the fact that the justices are now taking up the matter suggests the conservative majority may plan to upend the law. Moreover, perhaps the University should be worried given Kavanaugh’s penchant for revenge. Harvard, through its law school, was Kavanaugh’s former employer. Prior to his nomination, he taught at Harvard Law School for nearly a decade. Yet, in the wake of several credible, high-profile, accusations against Kavanaugh for sexual assault, the Harvard community might have given
the justice a reason to exact his publicly promised retribution. Law students, alumni, and undergraduates rallied to demand that Harvard part ways with the scandal-plagued Trump nominee, who, to this day, maintains his innocence. In the fall of 2018, over 1,000 Harvard Law School graduates signed an open letter to the Law School Dean John F. Manning ’82 asking “that the Law School rescind Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s appointment as the Samuel Williston Lecturer on Law, and that he not be allowed to teach on the January 2019 Winter Term.” Six out of seven then-current Harvard Law School student sections sent their own letters, demanding a Harvard-led investigation into then-faculty member Kavanaugh. “A llowing a person credibly accused of sexual assault to teach students prior to a full investigation surely creates a hostile environment for many students, and especially survivors,” read one letter. Then came the carefully worded announcement from Associate Dean and Dean for Academic and Faculty A ffairs Catherine Claypoole: “Judge Kavanaugh indicated that he can no longer commit to teaching his course in January Term 2019, so the course will not be offered.” (The president to whom Kavanaugh owes his appointment is famous for putting it another way). While it all worked out for Kavanaugh, as things tend to for his ilk, at the time of Harvard’s decision his future was uncertain. Har vard’s announcement came on Oct. 1, 2018. Kavanaugh was confirmed later that same week by one of the slimmest margins in history. Just days before the U.S. Senate decided whether Kavanaugh would go down as yet another accused predator turned SNL punchline or be con-
firmed to a lifetime appointment on the nation’s highest court, the preeminent law school in the country seemingly weighed in. No doubt, the justice who promised “consequences” remembers. Harvard’s law yers should request Kavanaugh’s recusal from the admissions case. In fact, 28 U.S. Code § 455 on the disqualification of a judge requires that a judge or justice “shall disqualify himself in any proceeding in which his impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” Though there is debate over which rules of ethics bind Supreme Court justices, recusal is far from uncommon. The nine justices recused a total of 145 times over the 2019 term. Some may note that four other justices have connections to the Law School — Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Justice Elena Kagan each attended, and Kagan later served as dean. Yet none of these jurists publicly named their enemies and promised vengeance before the nation. Moreover, none were so publicly rebuked by the Harvard community at-large. Of course, there are strategic reasons to favor Kavanaugh’s recusal. Harvard students and students across the country are relying on the University to win this case; without Kavanaugh, the Supreme Court’s current 6-to-3 conservative-to-liberal supermajority slims to 5-to-3. But it is primarily for ethical reasons — not tactical ones — that we should publicly demand Kavanugh’s recusal. A vendetta-riddled justice should not decide a case about a policy that defines the diverse and vibrant Harvard community when that very community rejected him just years ago. —Kaivan K. Shroff is a fourth-year joint-degree student at HKS and HLS.
Open the Massachusetts State House
Aldo D. Medina A HOOSIER AT HARVARD
I
came to Massachusetts in the summer of 2020 as a bright-eyed, naive Hoosier hot off the heels of various state-level legislative involvements in my Midwestern home state of Indiana. I was excited about the prospects of attending a university located just 15 minutes away from the Bay State’s Capitol Building, and was (perhaps quixotically) expecting that spirit of public service to be welcomed in kind by its elected officials. It’s no exaggeration to say that I primarily chose Harvard for its proximity to a U.S. state capital — it’s just four stops away from the State House on the Red Line. I’d been involved in a legislative cause that was important to me back home in Indiana during high school, and through that work I had come to understand the importance of state-level legislation firsthand. I was soon convinced that Massachusetts, with a rich political culture centered around its state capital, was where I needed to be during my undergraduate years. I still remember that fateful chilly morning in December 2019 when I walked into the Massachusetts State House’s historic halls for the first time — Harvard admissions letter in hand. The now-infamous Boston Biogen conference was still more than two months away, and “Covid-19” had not yet entered the public lexicon. All I could feel was excitement at the idea of returning to the building relatively soon during college as part of my involvement in a quintessentially New England tradition: public service. As you can imagine, things haven’t exactly panned out that way. It’s frustrating to admit that today, in 2022, it’s been well over two years since I last visited the Capitol Building as an ordinary citizen wishing to exercise his constitutional right to petition. No member of the public has, actually — the Boston Globe previously reported in November that Massachusetts was the only state in the continental U.S. to have had its Capitol Building closed down for the entire duration of the Covid-19 pandemic. That still hasn’t changed, three months later. This literal lack of an open-door state government is incredibly concerning to me. Therefore, I write today to ask the leaders of this Commonwealth one thing: make the necessary accommodations to open the Massachusetts State House to the public as soon as possible. As a Hoosier who is a quasi-resident of the Bay State by virtue of my status as a Harvard undergrad, my decision to move here was heavily informed by this region’s centuries-long history with democratic reform and initiative. I know that many other students who’ve chosen to attend college in Boston in the hopes of pursuing a state-level legislative career (or in enacting legislative change themselves!) feel the same way. Still, while virtual public testimony, hearings, and internships are of some value, they’re no substitute for the real thing. We college students have already lost two years of valuable in-person legislative experiences to the Capitol Hill lockdown; we shouldn’t have to also lose the last two. When will the Bay State Capitol Building’s prolonged period of closure finally come to an end? If those details are being discussed by state leadership right now, they haven’t been keen to make them known publicly. In a recent article earlier this month, the House speaker did comment on potential vaccination mandates within the building, but he didn’t provide an estimated date for a public opening. That lack of a clear timeline should be concerning to all members of our community — Harvard and non-Harvard alike — who value a transparent, open-door state government that works for them. Pre-Covid, your status as a constituent meant that you could show up to your elected official’s office and talk to a staffer face-to-face. Today, all you can do is send an email or voicemail — and hope it doesn’t get lost in the ether. But even if one dismisses both the pedagogical value of in-person experiences for those engaged with public service and the accountability that in-person constituent-representative dialogue provides, the State House should still re-open even if only for its own sake. Clamoring for the re-opening of a government building isn’t the weird (Beacon) Hill to die on that you might think; after all, anyone who’s been in a capitol knows that there is something magical about being within an institution that exists only to serve the grand American experiment. The energy of collaborative democracy seems to permeate the air — indeed, I’ve spent many a day wandering the halls of the Indiana State House without a clear goal in mind, only to happen upon more interesting conversations or conferences than I can count. We all should be able to have similar experiences right here in the Bay State. Indiana’s State House has been up and running since last June. In fact, the tour office tells me that the building once again regularly sees school trips, tourist visits, and even weddings nearly every weekend (congrats to all the nuptials!). The 2022 Indiana legislative session more recently kicked off to great success as well, and open-door, transparent democracy remains well and alive in the Hoosier state. It’s high time that Massachusetts re-committed itself to those values, too.
— Aldo D. Medina ’24 is a History and Literature concentrator in Eliot House. His column “A Hoosier at Harvard” appears on alternate Fridays.
PAGE 5
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
JANUARY 28, 2022
HILLEL FROM PAGE 1
FLORIST FROM PAGE 1
Hillel Holds Holocaust Remembrance Event
Brattle Square Florist to Remain Open in Square
the importance of sharing the stories of victims of the Holocaust, particularly with younger generations. “Their stories are an essential part of our shared humanity, and those who are one, two, or three generations removed are committed to understanding those horrible events and retelling the stories for the next generation,” he said. “The Holocaust not only altered the contours of world history, but it shattered the lives of countless families across the world.”
loyal customer base. “You meet him once and he’ll say, ‘Oh, good to see you again. How are you?’” she said. “I think that that’s one of the reasons why people were so sad to see it go.” Zedros cited his family legacy as a motivation behind taking over the store. Brattle Square Florist traces its origins to 1917, when brothers George, Stavros, and John Gomatos opened a shop
Khurana condemned antisemitism, citing the Texas synagogue hostage crisis and the harms of staying silent in the face of oppression. “We must not forget the lessons of the Holocaust and the dehumanization upon which it depended,” he said. “And we must not forget that it is within each of us, in our capacity as humans, to decide whether to perpetuate good or evil in the world or remain indifferent.” Hillel’s memorial also aimed to raised money for The Blue
Card, a nonprofit which provides financial, emotional, and physical support to Holocaust survivors in the United States. The service concluded with a reading of “El Male Rachamim” — a Jewish memorial prayer — by Noa D. Kligfeld ’24. “May their memory endure, inspiring truth and loyalty in our lives. May their souls be bound up in the bond of life. May they rest in peace. And let us say ‘Amen,’” Kligfeld recited. leah.teichholtz@thecrimson.com
named Gomatos Brothers Fresh Produce. The business became Brattle Square Florist in 1973. “I wanted to find out if there was a way that we could still keep the name alive,” Zedros said. Zedros credited Asana Partners, the store’s current landlord, for enabling a smooth transfer of ownership by extending its lease through March. “They’ve been incredibly
fair,” Zedros said. “They’ve done everything we need to make the transition,” he said. When Ricker first announced the store’s closing, Jillson said she hoped for a “miracle” to save it. “We were surely hoping for some news like this,” she said. “So it’s positively delightful,” Jillson said. katherine.burstein@thecrimson.com sage.lattman@thecrimson.com
DINING FROM PAGE 1
Quad Students Denounce Grab-and-Go Dining Regulations lunches from Adams House. Both Pfoho residents said it was their first time going to any of the three locations that week. “I’ve been going back to Pfoho or eating at the Women’s Center because I work there, but sometimes there’s no option,” Birungi said. “It just sucks that you can’t just sit down and eat in the dhall. You have to figure out, ‘Oh, where am I gonna go eat?’” Rahman also shared frustration over having to find another location for lunch but said eating in Ticknor Lounge is “generally safer” than in a crowded dhall. “I feel like it’s kind of redundant for us to be eating unmasked in a public space rather than a dhall,” she said. “But it makes sense because there’s not that many people
here versus Adams would be insanely packed.”
I’ve been going back to Pfoho or eating at the Women’s Center because I work there, but sometimes there’s no option. It just sucks that you can’t just sit down and eat in the dhall. Ananda M. Birungi ’24
Anika Bagaria ’24 said that living in the Quad and the below-freezing winter weather
make grab-and-go dining inconvenient, especially now that classes have started. “It’s definitely a lot harder to do the Quad trips back and forth and just logistically makes no sense — one, because of my class schedule, two, the weather,” Bagaria said. “No one wants to be walking an hour a day.” Currier resident Emi P. Cummings ’24 said losing the chance to socialize with friends during meal-times was “disappointing” and cast doubt on whether the policy would significantly minimize the virus’s spread. “It’s something that a lot of students would say they look forward to at the end of classes, to be able to see a familiar face and catch up on something that happened that day,” she said. “I don’t exactly know how effective restricting dining is be-
cause I think that students still will find alternatives on ways to see their friends without actually necessarily paying for a meal.”
It’s definitely a lot harder to do the Quad trips back and forth and just logistically makes no sense — one, because of my class schedule, two, the weather. Anika Bagaria ’24
As a student athlete who leaves early in the morning for practice and returns to the
Harvard, 24/7.
The Crimson thecrimson.com
Quad around 11 p.m., Taybah A. Crorie ’24 said she eats almost all her meals outside of the Quad. This week, she started reaching out to a different acquaintance every day to eat in their dorm rooms. “I’m trying to organize each lunch and dinner with a friend who lives by the river,” she said. “It’s quite a good opportunity for me to get to know them better,” she added. Crista Martin, dining services director for strategic initiatives and communications, wrote in an email that HUDS plans to return to in-person dining when it is safe for dining hall staff and Harvard students, but did not specify when that would be. “HUDS works in close coordination with the College and
the University’s Health & Safety experts to monitor current community transmission rates and adjust the services provided accordingly,” Martin wrote. “Like everyone, we are eager to resume more normalized operations as soon as it is safe for our community – including our HUDS team – to do so.” Bagaria said that while the change is “not ideal,” takeout dining allowed her to spend more quality time with her roommates throughout the day. “There have been a couple of silver linings like my block mates and I now do lunch and dinners together all the time in our room,” Bagaria said. “But I missed seeing everyone else in Currier.” audrey.apollon@thecrimson.com christine.mui@thecrimson.com
SPORTS
WEEKEND EVENT
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY ______________________________________ ______________________________________ SATURDAY
SUNDAY ______________________________________
Women’s Swim & Dive vs. Yale 3 p.m., at Yale
Women’s Water Polo vs.Villanova 9 a.m., at Villanova
Men’s Swim & Dive vs. Princeton 9:30 a.m., Blodgett Pool
Wrestling vs. UPenn 6 p.m., Malkin Athletic Center
Men’s Hockey vs. Cornell 7 p.m., at Cornell
Women’s Squash vs.Yale 1p.m., Murr Center
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Men’s Basketball Goes 2-2 to Start Conference Play By MAHTAB SHIHAB CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
On March 7, 2020, following a dominant victory against Yale, the Crimson were looking forward to the Ivy League tournament and the possibility of securing a conference title on their home court. Little did anyone know, that would be the last Ivy League game Harvard would play for over twenty months. Following a two-year hiatus, the Crimson have finally had the chance to compete against its Ancient Eight foes. After a strong start to the season against non-conference opponents, Harvard men’s basketball (10-6, 2-2 Ivy) has had a bumpy road to start its Ivy League schedule. Close wins against Columbia and Dartmouth were bookended by losses against Brown and Cornell, the latter of which saw the Crimson get outscored by twenty points in the second half. Harvard’s struggles can, in part, be attributed to its dearth of big men in the lineup. Senior forward Mason Forbes and sophomore forward Justice Ajogbor have yet to step on the court, leading to smallball rotations that can be outmatched on the boards. This lack of rebounding was most apparent against the Big Red. Cornell outrebounded the Crimson 39-20, an immense margin that was responsible for the Big Red’s strong second-half performance. “[The injuries] have been tough, especially when we had so much time off and were envisioning our senior year going differently,” senior captain Kale Catching admitted. “It hasn’t gone exactly according to plan and that part of it is definitely frustrating.” Along with their struggles on the glass, Harvard has also had a difficult time defending the perimeter. Against its con
ference opponents this season, the team allowed a staggering 45 percent shooting from three. “A lot of [the opponents’ three-point success] is a result of our poor transition defense,” Coach Amaker said. “We’re on our heels on most possessions and teams are pushing it up and get into a rhythm. They are running their offense and getting a lot of open looks in transition.” Despite the Crimson’s misfortune with the injury bug this season and their lackluster perimeter defense, the team remains optimistic throughout its early conference schedule. “There’s definitely been a change in perspective and hopefully, little less ‘woe is me’ attitude,” Catchings said. “We are accepting the current situation as reality and I think our guys have wrapped their heads around it. It also makes us out to be a better story and it’s a great opportunity for us.” There have been bright spots from Harvard’s performances against Ancient Eight that are hopefully a sign of things to come. One of the team’s most impressive players has been senior forward Noah Kirkwood. Against the Ivy League this year, the Ottawa, Ont., native has averaged 22.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. He also has an Ivy League Player of the Week distinction to his name, after the Crimson defeated the Lions and Big Green on the road. “He’s one of the top players in our league, and I think he’s one of the better playmakers in the country,” said Coach Amaker. His performance has been along the lines of other guys we’ve had in the past such as Jeremy Lin and Wesley Saunders. Noah is in that category as a playmaker.” Kirkwood’s stellar play has come in spite of the instability of Harvard’s lineups. He is able to fill in for multiple positions and
LUKA MAGIC Junior guard Luka Sakota shoots from the free throw line against Babson on December 6th in a 74-64 victory for the Harvard Crimson. DYLAN J. GOODMAN— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
come through for the Crimson when they need it most. “It’s very easy to play with him and it’s very impressive the way he’s been able to where he’s really not even playing his own position,” Catchings said. “He’s made it a lot easier for me and can create his own shot while also creating shots for others. I think he’s done a great job, especially in recent games, as he’s had to call his own number more.”
Alongside Kirkwood, the team’s underclassmen have also had to step up in light of the injuries facing the team. The Crimson have a strong core of young talent that has played above expectations during their first conference games. “I give [the young players] so much credit,” said Coach Amaker. “They have been hard workers, they’ve earned the respect in this program to be out there to play and earn the min-
utes and nothing has been given to them. That’s a tremendous sign for these guys.” Tomorrow, Harvard is facing one of its bitter Ancient Eight rivals at Lavietes Pavilion at 5pm. They will go up against Penn, a team they have clashed with in each of the last two Ivy League tournaments. The Quakers (7-12, 4-2 Ivy) are coming off an impressive win against the Yale Bulldogs and are looking to strengthen their
conference record. Sitting at .500 in Ivy League play, this game will be critical to the Crimson’s chances of making it to the Ivy League tournament this season. “It’s definitely not panic time,” said Catchings. “We’re early in the season. But it’s definitely time to really have a sense of urgency and kind of bring that competitive edge about us.” mahtab.shihab@thecrimson.com
FENCING
Crimson Buckles Down at St. John’s Invitational By CALLUM J. DIAK CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Annenberg dining hall looks over Harvard campus, flaunting its extravagant High Victorian Gothic style. Still, in a world where the Crimson fencing team lunges and parries down the strip with such ease and elegance, the castle-like majesty of Annenberg is hardly the most medieval feature of Harvard College. Saturday, the No. 4 women (10-2) and the No. 6 men (93) journeyed to Jamaica, N.Y. to
participate in the St. John’s Invitational. Over the weekend, the Crimson faced off against some of the top-ranked teams in the country. Both Harvard teams managed to hold their own in such high-caliber competitions, with each emerging from the weekend with two wins and two losses. The day began for the women with a bout against No. 2 Columbia (20-3). Impressive sabre-work from senior Veronica Czyzewski and company still was not enough to fend off
the challengers from New York City, as the Crimson ultimately fell 15-12. A win seemed even more elusive for the women as they subsequently matched up against No. 1 Notre Dame (24-1), who swiftly claimed victory over Harvard, 20-7. However, the women were just getting warmed up. Their next opponents, the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes (10-7) were unprepared for the newfound tenacity of a previously cold Crimson team. Harvard prevailed 17-10 thanks to strong
performances from Czyzewski and the sabre fighters, as well as a dominant exhibition from sophomore Greta Candreva who secured three points in epee. To close out the event, Harvard faced off in a crucial matchup against the host team, St. John’s (1-8), hoping to even its record in the tournament at 2-2. It did just that, claiming convincing wins in sabre, foil, and epee to claim the overall victory 21-6. Ultimately, the Crimson have plenty to celebrate from
SABRE METRICS Harvard Fencing participates in the 2020 Ivy League Championships in Cambridge on Feb. 8 2020. OWEN A. BERGER – CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
the weekend. While the matchups offered a unique opportunity to steal a win or two from the first and second seeds, Harvard once again showed itself to be a sturdy top-five team, refusing to make space for any challengers. The two losses suffered at the Invitational marked the only two defeats for the women so far this season. Meanwhile, the men experienced a wholly different tournament opener. Exceptional swordplay from the sabre section composed of junior Mitch-
ell Saron, junior Filip Dolegiewicz, and junior Daniel Solomon propelled the Crimson to a surprisingly dominant 16-11 upset over an Ivy League rival, No.2 Columbia (18-4). Hoping to build off its newfound momentum, Harvard lined up against a forceful Notre Dame Fighting Irish (21-0) squad. Strong attacks early on in both sabre and foil offered hope to the underdog men’s team. The Crimson threatened to insert the first tally in the Irish’s empty loss column. Top-ranked Notre Dame, however, proved to be a force on the floor. Even with the momentum from the previous bout, and more sturdy footwork from Saron, some key strikes late in the game were just enough for the Fighting Irish to eke out a 15-12 victory. The Crimson ended up splitting its final two matchups of the day. Harvard just missed in a hard fought match against No.3 Ohio State, dropping 15 bouts while winning merely 12. The final exchange between Harvard and St. John’s (3-5) offered a chance for the Crimson to reap the rewards of its consistent hard work through the day. Harvard secured the win 16-11 to even out its tournament record to two wins and two losses. The only other loss the Crimson has suffered this season was at the hands of Penn State on Dec. 5, during the Sacred Heart Invitational in Connecticut. Both the men’s and women’s teams will return to Cambridge Jan. 29 to take on New York University, whom both teams triumphed over in their most recent encounters at the Malkin Athletic Center. This will mark the final match for Harvard before they travel to Rhode Island to compete in the Ivy League Championships in February. callum.diak@thecrimson.com