The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX , NO. 6
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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
| MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2022
EDITORIAL PAGE 4
SPORTS PAGE 6
NEWS PAGE 5
Harvard’s latest pandemic policy choices make sense.
The Harvard men’s ice hockey team captured two victories on the road.
Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust Approves $7 Million Development.
Emergency Shuts Down Harvard T Possible SCOTUS Pick on Overseers By SARAH GIRMA and BRANDON L. KINGDOLLAR CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
R ail service along the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s Red Line was suspended for over five hours Sunday following a “medical emergency” at the Harvard T station involving “a person under a train,” the MBTA tweeted. Shortly after 5 p.m. Sunday, first responders swarmed the Harvard T station and the MBTA halted trains in both directions. During the closure, shuttles replaced regular rail service between the Alewife and Park Street stations. According to MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo, Red Line service was restored at 10:35 p.m. after investigators departed, having cleared the scene. The status and identity of the individual under the train
By CARA J. CHANG and ISABELLA B. CHO
Emergency personnel responded to an accident at Harvard rail station Sunday evening. PEI CHAO ZHUO—CRIMSON
SEE RAIL PAGE 3
PHOTOGRAPHER
Classes Begin Online, Hybrid By VIVI E. LU and LEAH J. TEICHHOLTZ CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Despite returning to campus for an in-person semester, some Harvard students attended classes over Zoom last week — a relic of last year’s remote instruction. Earlier this month, Harvard allowed faculty members to move classes online for the first week of the semester due to the Omicron surge. More than 320 affiliates have tested positive for Covid-19 over the last seven days — a 0.85 percent positivity rate. Though most students supported the guidance, many opted for the classroom over the Zoom room, citing Zoom fatigue and the advantages of in-person learning. In addition to attending a General Education course offered solely online, Mina Barac ’25 chose to attend three of her classes in-person following a year of virtual learning. “My whole senior year I didn’t go to school once,” Barac said. “I’m going back to Zoom now, which is not ideal, but at least most [classes] are offered in-person. So that’s not too bad.” Charlotte J.P. Hannan ’25 said she prefers attending classes in-person because it helps her stay focused. “It’s much easier to get distracted if I’m on my computer, either by other tabs or just being in my room and not being in the classroom,” Hannan said. “I can see how it would help some people, but I’m not one of those people.” Several students praised the physical experience of an in-person classroom as opposed to a virtual Zoom. “I’m in a STEM concentration, so one thing I’m really happy about is being able to do labs in-person,” Jackson P. Kehoe ’22 said. “That was a big drawback of online classes for sure, just missing out on that lab component.” Lynne L. Xie ’22, whose classes were entirely in-person, said she prefers the in-person format for her smaller seminar courses. “I can see how for discussion, it’s much better to facilitate with a lot of words and meanings which come across in
SEE CLASS PAGE 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
Harvard Will Distribute High-Quality Masks on Request By LUCAS J. WALSH and VIVIAN ZHAO CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
A s part of its new Covid-19 public health measures for the spring semester, Harvard will provide KN95 masks to students upon request. Harvard has allotted 30 masks per student each month, according to an email from College spokesperson Rachael Dane. Freshmen can procure the masks from Yard Operations, and upperclassmen should request them from their house administrators. The new policy by the University comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its guidance on face masks, clarifying that cloth
masks offer the least protection against Covid, while KN95s and N95s offer the most. Each school at the University will handle the KN95 mask distribution on its own, according to University spokesperson Jason A. Newton. He wrote in an email that the University set up contracts to purchase the masks, but the schools can use them “based on their supply needs.” Harvard University Health Services Director Giang T. Nguyen wrote in a Wednesday email sent to affiliates that the school had seen a decline in its positivity rate compared to the first week of January, when the Omicron variant led to a surge in Covid-19 cases. “Looking ahead, public health experts anticipate the
most recent Omicron-driven surge will be in decline in the coming weeks,” he wrote. “The policies and protocols we have put in place enable us to continue on-campus academic activities, while also keeping our community safe,” he added. Nguyen urged affiliates to wear high-quality masks, including a “surgical-style mask or a cup-style protective mask such as KN-95.” He noted the importance of finding a mask that is both airtight and comfortable to wear for long periods of time. “Masks continue to be highly effective in reducing risk of transmission regardless of vaccine status,” Nguyen wrote. Junior Aakash Mishra ’23
SEE MASKS PAGE 5
CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
When Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer announced his retirement last week, Ketanji Brown Jackson ’92 immediately rose to the top of many court watchers’ short lists. A Washington, D.C. Circuit judge, Jackson is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. Since 2016, she has also served on the Harvard Board of Overseers — the University’s second-highest governing body. Breyer is set to step down as the court prepares to hear a slew of high-stakes cases — including a lawsuit against Harvard seeking to strike down affirmative action in American higher education. The court agreed last Monday to take up a pair of challenges to race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. If appointed, Jackson could face questions over a potential conflict of interest in the case. Jackson, who was elected by Harvard alumni to a sixyear term on the Board, is set to leave the body this year. The 30-member board provides input about the direction of the school and probes the quality of the University’s programs and initiatives. Experts are divided on whether her position on the Board would warrant a recusal if she were appointed. Indiana University law professor Charles G. Geyh, an expert on judicial conduct and ethics, said a recusal should hinge on whether she was involved in implementing race-conscious admissions policies during her time in University governance. “In her capacity as a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, if she was responsible for creating, implementing, or enforcing the policy that she is now being asked to review, I would probably argue that she should step aside in that situation,” Geyh said. The Board of Overseers does
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson ’92. PHOTO COURTSEY ROSE LINCOLN VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
not provide direct input on Harvard’s admissions policies. There was no mention of the Board in a 130-page opinion issued by a federal judge in 2019 that detailed the admissions process at Harvard College. Harvard Law School professor Noah R. Feldman ’92 said “there would be a strong argument that she would not need to recuse” if appointed to the bench. “On the Board of Overseers, neither she nor the other overseers would have had definitive say over the admissions process at the University,” he said. But recusals often hinge on public perception, experts say. “There’s the question of perception — public perception,” Feldman said. “For that reason, one could imagine her thinking seriously about whether she might want to recuse, so as to avoid any such perception, however mistaken that perception might be.” Paul Bender ’54, an Arizona State University law professor, said Jackson’s time at Harvard could be reason enough for her to recuse herself from the case. “I would imagine this Board of Overseers has some overseeing responsibility of the College and that would be enough for
SEE SCOTUS PAGE 3
Over a Foot of Snow Buries College Campus By CLAIRE YUAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
This weekend’s nor’easter buried Cambridge in 14 inches of snow, offering students their first snowy day of 2022 — and for some students, their first snowstorm ever. With libraries and gyms closed due to the snow, students took advantage of their extra time to embrace the outdoors by sledding, swimming, and even streaking through the snow. Some students accustomed to warmer climates said they had never seen a snowstorm
like Saturday’s. Shwe Y. Win ’25, who has spent most of her life in Hawaii, said the storm was her first encounter with severe winter weather. “I had never really experienced winter before, let alone snow,” she said. “Yesterday during the blizzard, I looked out the window, and it was very serene.” Having grown up in Mexico, Jorge García Ponce ’25 said that he had witnessed his first snowfall on campus in November, but
SEE SNOW PAGE 3
Students awoke on Sunday to witness the aftermath of a nor’easter that delievered over a foot of snow the day before. PEI CHAO ZHUO AND JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHERS
News 3
Editorial 4
Sports 6
TODAY’S FORECAST
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JANUARY 31, 2021
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch BBQ Texas Grilled Cheeseburger Honey Mustard Chicken Beyond Sausage
For Dinner Coconut Ginger Chicken Thighs Crispy Flounder Chicken Nugget Bahn Mi
TODAY’S EVENTS Home Hockey Game vs. MIT Bright Landry Hockey Center 7:45 p.m. - 10:15 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Head to the Bright Landry Hockey Center at 7:45 to cheer on the Harvard Club Hockey team as they play against MIT.
Rafael Nadal Sets Men’s Record for Most Grand Slam Singles Titles in Tennis
Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal won the Australian Open men’s singles title Saturday, breaking the record for most grand slam singles titles in tennis history. It was Nadal’s 21st major title, beating out longtime rivals Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic who each hold 20 grand slam wins.
Jody Freeman: Climate Change & the Law Virtual, 5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Show off your pipes and audition for the Harvard University Choir. You can sing anything from Happy Birthday to your favorite solo work, so anybody can give auditions a whirl. ARC Accountability Hour Academic Resource Center, 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Ottawa at Standstill due to Vaccine Mandate Projects
Students congregate in Tercentenary Theatre on Saturday during the blizzard. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
DAILY BRIEFING
North Korea Tests Long-Range Missiles
Rail service along the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority’s Red Line was suspended for over five hours Sunday following a “medical emergency” at the Harvard T station involving “a person under a train,” the MBTA tweeted. The status and identity of the individual under the train remained unclear as of Sunday evening. In other news, after Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer announced his retirement last week, Ketanji Brown Jackson ’92, a member of the Harvard Board of Overseers, immediately rose to the top of many court watchers’ short lists.
North Korea launched its seventh missile test this month on Sunday. The missile traveled 497 miles, making it the country’s most powerful missile launch since 2017. Analysts claim the North Korean missile testing allows for an expansion of missile forces in the nation.
COVID UPDATES
CAMPUS
321 0.85% Total New Cases
CURRENTLY
LAST 7 DAYS
ARC has decided to hold weekly “accountability hours,” where you can show up, set a goal for the hour, and proceed to actually fulfill said goal (to some extent) because the peer pressure will leave you without a choice. Pull through for some guaranteed productive times.
Ottawa, capital city of Canada, has been at a standstill for two days and counting due to the ‘Freedom Convoy’ protest against a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the United States-Canada border. Around 90 percent of Canada’s cross-border truckers are already in compliance with the mandate.
Positivity Rate
163
In Isolation
LAST 7 DAYS
CAMBRIDGE
588 6.02% 75%
Total New Cases
Positivity Rate
Fully Vaccinated
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Judge Sets Bail at $1 Million for Chemistry Chair Charged with Lying to Federal Officals
A federal judge set bail at $1 million for Harvard Chemsitry Department chair Charles M. Lieber, who was charged for concealing funding he recieved from the Chinese Government. Lieber lied to federal investigaors about his ties to China’s Thousand Talents Plan, a program established to attract overseas researchers. January 31, 2021
Harvard Chess Club Prepares for Comeback
After failing to make the podium the year before, Harvard’s chess team prepared for a comback at the 2013 Ivy League Chess Championship, held on Feb. 22. January 31, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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PAGE 3
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
RAIL FROM PAGE 1
T Service Halted in Square remained unclear as of Sunday evening. Passengers reported delays resulting from incident at the Harvard T station. Finn M. Gardiner, a disability advocate, said he was stranded at the Harvard Square station for over an hour waiting for shuttle service after the incident halted his train. “We were being ushered outside to the streets in the bitter cold onto sidewalks that were not completely shoveled because of yesterday’s blizzard, and that’s not ADA compliant,” Gardiner, who himself is disabled, said. “I should not have had to lift my walker up the curb to look for buses that haven’t even arrived yet,” he added. Carol J. Simon was riding the outbound train when officials told her to vacate the station. Due to the cold weather, Simon — who is disabled — remained in the lobby just outside the turnstiles into the station. She was told that the next train would arrive in “a couple of hours.” Roommates and College students Ryan H. Doan-Nguyen ’25 and Abhi S. Patel ’25 planned to take the T to Boston’s Chinatown to dine at their favorite Thai restaurant, but were surprised to find caution tape blocking their path to the inbound rail. Doan-Nguyen, a Crimson multimedia editor, said he almost could not believe the announcement in the station that
the Red Line had been closed due to a person under the train. Patel said his first thoughts were of the Jan. 15 murder of Michelle A. Go, who was pushed to her death in front of a New York City subway train. “I was thinking, you know, is this like a copycat attack or something?” Patel said. “I was really worried that it was a hate crime as well,” Doan-Nguyen added. “Just the uptick in attacks against Asian Americans and in cities like New York and Boston — you never really know what might have happened.” John L. Pulice, a Ph.D candidate at Harvard Medical School, wrote in an email that when he arrived at Kendall Square station shortly after 6 p.m., the station was closed with over thirty people waiting outside to travel in each direction. “People shouted that they had been waiting for [90 minutes] in the freezing cold for a shuttle bus to no avail,” Pulice wrote. “We received no information otherwise about when or if a shuttle bus would eventually come.” Spokespeople for the Cambridge Police Department and Massachusetts State Police deferred to the Transit Police and District Attorney’s office, respectively. Neither responded to requests for comment Sunday evening. sarah.girma@thecrimson.com brandon.kingdollar@thecrimson.com
CLASS FROM PAGE 1
Students Reflect on Hybrid Courses body language that you can’t really get from online,” Xie said. “It also just feels more personal.” Michael D. Wu ’22-’23 said he felt “a little bit of disappointment” upon hearing that his class at the Harvard Business School would run entirely online for the duration of the semester. Still, Wu said he was excited to attend the rest of his in-person classes. “I like seeing other friends, other people,” Wu added. “It’s just nice to feel like you’re physically in a space, and it feels more like college than just doing a Zoom classroom does.” Some students who attended class virtually said they welcomed the benefits of Zoom school. Joseph H. Meyer ’25, whose Expository Writing course was held exclusively on-
line, said beginning the year on Zoom helped him “ease into” his second semester. “It was kind of nice, because you could just get up whenever, go get breakfast, and then bring it back and eat it during the class, and not have to worry a ton,” Meyer said. Many students said they agreed with Harvard’s decision to let professors decide whether or not to begin classes virtually. Ethan Taotafa ’23, who attended classes online rather than in person because he was quarantining, said he was a “fan” of the hybrid option. “Forcing people to go one way or the other — I don’t agree with that,” Taotafa said. “It’s good to have flexibility.” vivi,lu@thecrimson.com leah.teichholtz@thecrimson.com
JANUARY 31, 2022
Radcliffe Dean Speaks on New Book By CAROLINE E. CURRAN and SARA DAHIYA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, discussed the launch of her book at a virtual event hosted Friday. Brown-Nagin’s book, “Civil Rights Queen: Constance Baker Motley and the Struggle for Equality,” is a biography of Constance Baker Motley, an attorney and judge during the civil rights movement. The book, details Motley’s career as an activist and lawyer, highlighting her experiences as a Columbia Law School student, working under Thurgood Marshall, and becoming one of the most eminent civil rights lawyers of her time. Brown-Nagin said Motley took on a wide range of roles as a Black female lawyer. “‘Motley morphed from lawyer to therapist, a role she often played in high stakes civil rights cases,’” Brown-Nagin quoted from her book.
Brown-Nagin said Motley dedicated her life to the civil rights movement and advocacy for gender equality. “One of the things that I really admired about her is that she was the first but she made sure that she was not the last,” Brown-Nagin said. “She hired law clerks, who had graduated from Harvard and Columbia, other prestigious institutions, but were not getting looks from other judges. She hired them, and she inspired them,” Brown-Nagin added. Brown-Nagin said Motley’s persistence allowed her to become a lawyer and judge despite coming from a working-class, immigrant household in New Haven, Conn. “She wasn’t meant to be a lawyer,” Brown-Nagin said. “Her parents were West Indian. They didn’t have money even to send her to college, much less to law school.” Brown-Nagin discussed how Motley attended law
school with the financial support of philanthropist Clarence Blakeslee. “There were very few women, but she made it through, and she ended up being one of the lawyers who helped to make civil rights law,” said BrownNagin. Brown-Nagin said she was driven to write the book because she felt it was important to tell Motley’s story. “I have to say I was just determined to get it done, because I believed in the project so much,” Brown-Nagin said. “I thought it was worth my time and my effort to just make sure that Constance Baker Motley is as widely known as she deserves to be.” Motley was nominated for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit as a successor to her mentor, Thurgood Marshall — a step that highlighted the recognition of civil rights activists at the time. Her alignment with the civil rights and prisoners’ rights movements as
a Black female lawyer, however, proved to be a “double-edged sword,” according to BrownNagin: Motley was not selected for the role. “Her identity was weaponized — to use a word that is tossed around today — against her,” Brown-Nagin said. “We need to ensure that that story about Motley is known and that that isn’t replicated.” Brown-Nagin said Motley’s story is relevant given President Joe Biden’s pledge to nominate a Black woman to replace Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. “The [Biden] administration has to be prepared for the slings and arrows that will come, and they will come no matter how brilliant or how qualified the woman is, they will come and they need to be anticipated,” Brown-Nagin said. “I hope that telling Montley’s story will encourage people to do that.” caroline.curran@thecrimson.com sara.dahiya@thecrimson.com
SCOTUS FROM PAGE 1
Possible SCOTUS Pick Sits On Overseers me to think that she should recuse herself,” he said. President Joe Biden promised last week to replace Breyer by nominating the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. National media speculation has swirled around Jackson as a top contender, along with Leondra R. Kruger ’97 and J. Michelle Childs. If approved by the U.S. Senate, the nomination would not change the overall ideological bent of the court, which currently has a six-justice conservative majority. The United States Code says members of the federal judiciary must disqualify themselves if their “impartiality might reasonably be questioned.” In the court’s 2020 term, just one jus-
tice recused themself from a case after it was taken up, according to the watchdog group Fix the Court. Since 2015, justices have recused themself from a case at the merits stage just 22 times. Even if Jackson played no role in overseeing Harvard’s admissions policies, “it is just the kind of thing that looks terrible,” Bender said. Sanford V. Levinson, a law professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said it would be “very dicey” if Jackson didn’t recuse herself. “Judge Jackson is on the board even as we speak, and so it would seem to me that she would have some explaining to do if she didn’t recuse herself,”
he said. Harvard Law School Professor Richard H. Fallon Jr. wrote in an email he thinks Jackson would recuse herself in the case if appointed. “If Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson were a member of the Supreme Court, I think she very likely would have to recuse herself from the Harvard affirmative action case,” he wrote. However, even if Jackson recused herself from the Harvard suit, Feldman said there is a distinct possibility she could retain her vote for the UNC suit — which he called constitutionally “more important” because UNC, as a public university, is a state actor. Jackson did not respond to requests for comment.
Two sitting justices may also face calls to recuse themselves from the SFFA case: Justice Elena Kagan was the dean of Harvard Law School from 2003 to 2009. Justice Clarence Thomas’s wife sits on the board of advisors of the National Association of Scholars, an anti-affirmative action group that filed an amicus brief backing SFFA.A single recusal would be unlikely to impact the outcome of a case given the court’s current six-justice conservative majority. “Harvard cannot win unless it can somehow get the votes of two of those six,” Fallon wrote. cara.chang@thecrimson.com isabella.cho@thecrimson.com
SNOW FROM PAGE 1
Over a Foot of Snow Buries Harvard’s Campus Saturday’s storm was his first blizzard. García Ponce added that he spent almost the entire day outside in the snow, even sledding down the Widener steps using a trash can lid. “Then we realized it wasn’t the best idea,” García Ponce said. He said that some students then began using plastic signs or even mattresses instead. One such student, Fasai “Prin” Pulkes ’25, said students were using any items available. “We would just grab signs, or there were Annenberg trays as well,” she said. “There was
snow at the bottom, so — crash landing!” For members of Harvard Club Swimming, the storm presented a different kind of fun. Qijia Zhou ’24, a club member, joined a few of her teammates to take a dip in the snow in nothing but their swimsuits. “Our club swim captain just called me and was like, ‘Hey, I know you’re in the quad, do you want to go for a snow swim?’” she said. “I was like ‘Of course, why not?’” Pulkes added that she even saw some other students running through a snowy Harvard Yard “in their underwear.”
“I don’t know how they survived,” she said. “It was really cold.” For those students who dared venture out to Harvard Square, a slew of store closings awaited. Kelsey Chen ’25, a Texas native, went to the grocery store with her roommate “in the freezing cold” only to find it closed due to the storm. “ We went out at nine in the morning in the freezing cold when nobody was out,” she said. “The store — it said it was open on Google Maps — was closed when we got there, so that was an experience which I had nev-
er been through before.” In addition to store closures, Cambridge officials also responded by announcing a Snow Emergency Parking Ban, which prohibited drivers from parking on streets marked with “No Parking During Snow Emergency” signs between 11 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Sunday. The Cambridge city government website documented more than 180 pieces of equipment working to clear the roads during the day on Saturday, and city workers continued clearing paths throughout the night. claire.yuan@thecrimson.com
From Weeks to Weld.
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JANUARY 31, 2022
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD
Isolation, Contact Tracing and the New Covid Reality
N
ew spring, new term, new Covid policies — you know the drill. As of this semester, Harvard, in a sharp departure from previous terms, will no longer provide isolation housing for infected students or coordinate a broad-based contact tracing effort. Instead, students who test positive for Covid-19 will be required to self-isolate in their rooms and notify their close-contacts from their newfound, inhouse confinement. While initially shocking, we consider the University’s shift to be in accordance with the pandemic’s own shifting nature. After almost 400 million cases worldwide, Covid-19 now seems on track to become an endemic threat: a constant virological presence in our communities. Endemics vary in location and severity, spanning everything from malaria to the simple common flu; they are public health threats that, while challenging to society in their own right, are no longer characterized by the disruptiveness and unpredictability that defined the first few waves of Covid-19. If present trends continue, we will eventually have to adapt and coexist with Covid. Against this epidemiological backdrop, Harvard’s latest policy choices start to make sense. That, too, is not surprising — since the dawn of the pandemic, the administration’s approach has been vindicated time and time again. Harvard, an institution in communication with epidemiologists from all over the world, has generally been right in the past in crafting Covid-19 policies, erring, if anything, on the side of caution. Case counts on campus have, in fact, remained commendably low throughout the course of the pandemic. As Covid-19 propagates in the form of the more transmissible but less severe Omicron variant, a shift in policy must accompany the shift in the nature of the virus. The University must strike a balance between
the logistically feasible and epidemiologically ideal. That’s not to say that Harvard should abandon containment efforts altogether. The University’s decision to close dining halls for the first two weeks and retain indoor masking, for example, reflects its enduring and laudable commitment to student safety, more lenient isolation policies notwithstanding. The question, then, is whether those efforts will be enough, particularly for those members of our community who are most likely to suffer severely from a Covid-19 infection. Will this change in policy unduly endanger our immunocompromised peers, elderly professors and Harvard University Dining Services staff, and any other Harvard affiliates at elevated risk? The answer seems, at best, uncertain. As such, Harvard should provide more assurance that immunocompromised students will have access to the College’s limited alternative housing. Isolating in place with a Covid-positive roommate places all of us in harm’s way; for the immunocompromised, the potential risks can be terrifyingly higher. While eligible students with elevated risk for complications are said to have priority for these slots, Harvard must prove in its execution that these students will, in fact, receive fair treatment and priority access. Moreover, with an inflated number of cases on campus, it is imperative that infected students have access to structured academic support. A positive result should not cause a student to fall behind academically at a university that has an abundance of resources available. There must be a systematized way to ensure access to classes outside of shared PowerPoint presentations and iPhone recordings. Above all, as the University continues to make changes to Covid-19 protocols, their execution of said policies must
be efficient. This is not the time for vague emails about “troubling and unprecedented times.” Harvard has a responsibility to clearly communicate why decisions are being made while acknowledging the efficacy and potential downfalls of the measures they put in place. This may include the recognition that they don’t always know precisely what is best. Crucially, this burden does not fall entirely on the University: We must hold ourselves individually accountable. Even as Harvard’s isolation policy changes in line with Covid-19, we must keep up with common-sense mitigation strategies like KN95 masks and stringent testing enforcement in order to keep our community safe. Given the most recent changes in contact-tracing policy, students who test positive have an obligation to personally notify everyone they may have exposed to Covid-19. This action is not only quick, intuitive, and necessary — it’s also, quite simply, the right thing to do. The Covid-19 pandemic has placed a series of unexpected hurdles in the path of everyone for nearly two full years, and in large part, we — students, faculty, and administrators alike — have adjusted accordingly. As we look ahead to a spring semester where the prominence of Covid-19 remains an unfortunate reality, we must all continue to play our part to ensure the success of Harvard’s ever-shifting policies and to keep one another safe. 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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DISSENT
Dissent: Harvard Can’t Give up on Covid
H
arvard’s newest Covid-19 policies — revised in preparation for a spring semester darkened by the tumultuous clouds of the surging Omicron variant — are the administration’s most careless decision yet in regard to the pandemic. These new measures differ in key ways from the University’s previous approach: Students who test positive will now “isolate” in their rooms, and the University has declined to guarantee isolation housing to those who request it. Contact tracing, it seems, is now up to us; the University will no longer inform the close contacts of students who test positive. Rising case rates on campus and beyond certainly complicate Harvard’s mitigation policies, but Harvard’s new approach seems, to us, too close to giving up. Among our peers, even Yale College’s updated Covid-19 policies clearly guarantee that roommates of those who test positive will be able to obtain isolation housing. In contrast, Harvard’s vague language — which emphasizes that alternative housing is “limited” and “not guaranteed” — is far from reassuring, especially for immunocompromised students who rely on the safety provided by isolation housing more than others. Considering Harvard’s many properties on and around campus, we find it hard to believe that the University has run out of other options. Meanwhile, delegating contact tracing to those infected puts an important responsibility in the hands of a student body that has shown itself too willing to disobey safety guidelines. Whenever Harvard has set a bar for its Covid-19 policies, students have managed to lim-
bo right under it. Public health on our campus is not an individual problem; it shouldn’t be left up to individuals alone to solve. What underlies Harvard’s entire non-strategy, in our view, is a thread of Covid-19 fatalism, if not outright indifference. It seems to us that there are two ways to interpret Harvard University Health Services Director Giang T. Nguyen’s recent email where he cites “the unprecedented number of cases within our community that we must support,” only to announce that university-coordinated contact tracing and isolation housing have been effectively eliminated. The first is that Harvard, of all places, cannot financially or logistically support the increased demand for contact tracing and isolation housing; the second is that the University believes the risk of Covid-19 to be so high that mitigation is no longer worth pursuing. Given the meteoric rise of the University’s endowment last year, how are we to believe anything other than the latter? When our board endorses Harvard’s decision, this is what they claim to agree with: Two years in, the raging pandemic is simply no longer worth the effort. The country thinks of Harvard as the gold standard in higher education — Harvard likes to think so, too. But assuming that role comes with a lot of responsibility, and Harvard’s words and actions are widely reported. Because of this, the ramifications of Harvard’s Covid-19 policy extend far beyond Cambridge. The implications of policies like these have been discussed by scholars since the start of the pandemic. The brunt of their apathy falls squarely on the elderly, the uninsured,
and others who cannot afford (financially or otherwise) infection, and this is as true on campus as it is everywhere else. Besides the community of exceptional faculty and staff who support us, many of whom are older, this burden will primarily be felt by our immunocompromised peers, medically vulnerable and already overburdened by pandemic-related anxiety. The saddest part about all of this, though, is that if Harvard’s policy fails, it likely won’t be students or even staff who’ll face the worst consequences. Instead, it will be vulnerable members of communities — workers in Harvard Square, our homeless neighbors, young schoolchildren — who interact with ours. By shifting the weight of responsibility onto students, Harvard hasn’t just weakened community-level counter Covid-19 efforts; it has also conveniently positioned itself to escape blame in the inevitable wake of its neglect. What is perhaps most frustrating about Harvard’s new policy is its insincerity: the masking of institutional indifference as pragmatic adjustment that allows Harvard to act —Jasmine M. Green ’24, an Associate Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Lowell House. Haley A. Lifrieri ’24, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a Computer Science concentrator in Winthrop House. Joel Sabando ’24, a Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Lowell House. Dissenting Opinions: Occasionally, The Crimson Editorial Board is divided about the opinion we express in a staff editorial. In these cases, dissenting board members have the opportunity to express their opposition to staff opinion.
COLUMN
The Lottery
Hana M. Kiros HARVARD EVERYWHERE
I
drove up to college having never visited, figuring Cambridge was El Dorado. Henry N. Lear ’24, administrative director of the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, says that’s typical. “A lot of students kind of look around and are really surprised at the fact that there’s an incredible amount of homelessness all around us.” We’re talking in the middle of an especially hectic day for him. The weekend’s blizzard, which brought a record-breaking two feet of snow, is a day away, and HSHS is supersaturating its capacity to bring in more guests. On nights when weather can kill, “it’s kind of built into our policy,” he says “to set out five additional cots in our main space where our guests eat.” Harvard’s student-run homeless shelters, HSHS and Y2Y, have reduced their capacity since reopening amid the pandemic. “We’re hoping to bump up to 19” for the storm, Henry tells me. They house as many as they can while keeping beds reasonably distanced. Jim Stewart, director of First Church Shelter in Cambridge, reminds me: “Folks who are living on the street are not necessarily hale and healthy to start with.” An outbreak could tear through a shelter. But even after the pandemic ends, Cambridge’s shelter capacity will remain too small. Every day, HSHS and Y2Y hold a lottery to determine who will occupy the available of their 15 and 22 beds, respectively, and every day, people lose. Xi Wu, a senior at Wellesley College that goes by Franny, is HSHS’s Technology Director. She breaks the system down for me; I feel naive for being horrified. “The winners of the beds are determined through three daily lotteries,” Franny explains. Monday, Thursday, and Sunday mornings, HSHS lotteries its available long-term beds to Cambridge’s homeless. “And a lot of people are interested because it’s like the jackpot. You get it and you can stay for three weeks.” At 9 p.m., and again at 11 p.m. if there are no shows, one day beds are distributed daily. When I ask Franny if she’s ever had to personally tell someone she couldn’t offer them a place to stay, she seems surprised by the question. “Yeah, yeah. I mean, you have to do that.” The number denied always varies, but bad news happens every day. To try and make the process less personal, HSHS assigns every unhoused person a number, and then, like the local news, reads the winning lotto numbers out; sometimes by phone, sometimes in person. “There’s this feeling of elation and you’re satisfied when you’re calling somebody and saying, ‘Yes, Mike, you won a bed’, especially if it’s a guest you’re familiar with,” Franny tells me. “You know how much it means to them.” But, too often, the news is bad. “Sometimes guests get confused,” Franny says, and offer their names and assigned numbers again as she explains to them what the mismatch between their number and those she read out means. “More experienced guests just ask for the number and hang up if they didn’t win it. And you’re left with a little bit of emptiness.” No shelter is designed to serve as a permanent solution. But this model, in which shelters like HSHS serve as a band-aid until people can access more permanent resources, is utterly broken. “Sometimes on Christmas you have HSHS alumni from 20 years ago come and volunteer with us, and those people look at the roster and will say, ‘I recognize these guests from 20 years ago,’” Franny told me. I asked Cambridge City Councilor Quinton Y. Zondervan, in typical long-winded fashion, why. His answer was short. “Because we don’t have enough housing.” “Right now, if you tried to get on the waiting list for that type of housing, you’re looking at a waiting list of 20,000 people ahead of you,” Zondervan told me. Cambridge’s shocking price of housing is to blame — which is to say that Harvard is too. The average rent in Cambridge is $3,145, per a 2016 report. Housing here is 280 percent higher than the national average. This is the market that Cambridge’s poor, disabled, and low-wage workers lose out in. Zondervan talks me through a typical scenario: “Market rent is $3,000, but the voucher only covers up to $2,000.” Most of Cambridge’s unhoused can then only use their vouchers at housing units with fixed, affordable housing managed by the Cambridge Housing Authority. This housing is scarce. “So a lot of times these voucher holders end up being excluded from the market.” As they spend years on a public housing wait list, they’re effectively excluded from housing entirely. Harvard has acknowledged its role in Cambridge’s housing crisis. It’s 20/20/2000 initiative committed $20 million from 2000 to 2020 to establish low-interest loans for affordable housing units (which, “for reference sake,” Zondervan tells me, “would buy you, maybe, 40 units of housing today.”) Since that program elapsed, HSHS and Y2Y, two student-run programs, have been Harvard’s most consistent effort to offset the housing crisis. Harvard gave $250,000 in 2020 to help turn a high school into an emergency shelter after Covid forced HSHS and Y2Y to close and required Cambridge shelters to shrink capacity. The city certainly needs not only more, but better shelters — non-congregate, safe, and with low barriers to entry. But a renewed investment in creating affordable housing is required if Harvard truly wants to invest in Cambridge, the city it has molded since 1637. With help from the world’s richest university, the day could come when HSHS and Y2Y don’t have to lottery off shelter. I can’t think of a better cause to put the University’s surprise $283 million budget surplus towards.
—Hana M. Kiros ’22, a former Crimson Editorial Chair, is an Integrative Biology Concentrator in Pforzheimer House. Her column, “Harvard Everywhere” runs on alternating Mondays.
PAGE 5
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
Funding Approved for New Housing By ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
The Cambridge Affordable Housing Trust approved a funding request of nearly $7.4 million for an affordable housing development in the Neighborhood Nine area of Cambridge in a virtual meeting Thursday afternoon. The trust — a fund established by the Cambridge City Council for low-income development — will finance a new 107-unit building at 52 New Street, developed by the Just-AStart corporation, through the 100 Percent Affordable Housing Overlay ordinance. The new funding comes on top of $10.6 million already allocated to the development through the Trust, according to Christopher Cotter, housing director for the Community Development Department. The AHO, passed by the Council in October 2020, loosens current zoning laws to enable developers to build larger apartment complexes in Cambridge — under the condition that all of the building’s units are affordable and the developers adhere to design guidelines
laid out by the ordinance. The Council will consider housing “affordable” if its rent and utilities do not exceed 30 percent of the occupying household’s income, which must be less than the median household income for the City of Cambridge. The current median income for a four-person household in Cambridge is $120,800. Although the passage of the
It’s a huge problem, and we have to keep fighting to add more stock to the supply of housing for people with modest needs. Dr. Alberto Ascherio Professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design
AHO met with some opposition from resident groups such as the Cambridge Citizens Coalition, some city residents who had initial reservations about the ordinance were “pleased” with its implementation for the new development, according to
Assistant City Manager Iram Farooq. “Some of those who had been quite skeptical [of the AHO] were actually very pleased with the results of this process, and felt it really was a poster child for the implementation of AHO,” Farooq said in the meeting. Harvard professor Suzanne Preston Blier, founder of the Harvard Square Neighborhood Association and president of the Cambridge Citizens Coalition, said she opposed the AHO because she preferred converting “existing historic structures” to accommodate “smaller, multiunit” affordable housing. Blier also expressed concerns that the developments permitted by the AHO would lead to too much density in Cambridge.“Look at core issues of environmental equity and health equity. When you have so much density, and you remove open spaces and trees, that has a major impact, and I would say the major impact to date of the AHO has been to double the density of the current developments,” Blier said. James G. Stockard Jr. — former chair of the Cambridge
Housing Authority and lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design — emphasized the importance of new developments in addressing the demand for affordable housing in Cambridge, adding that every new affordable unit has “between 10 and 20” applicants. “It’s a huge problem, and we have to keep fighting to add more stock to the supply of housing for people with modest needs,” Stockard said. Elizabeth Marsh — a project manager overseeing the New Street development for Just-AStart — said that although the long timeline for large-scale affordable housing construction can be frustrating, she hopes the project will be “inspirational” for other affordable housing developers. “I always say that it feels like Sisyphus pushing the rock up the mountain, because the need for affordable housing is so great, and it takes so long to produce it,” Marsh said. “And 100 or so units, as amazing as it is, is just a drop in the bucket in terms of the actual need — there are thousands of people on the elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com
MASKS FROM PAGE 1
Harvard to Give Out High-Quality Masks said he usually purchases his own KN95 masks but had not previously heard of the option to request the masks from the school. “I would definitely request it because I mean, free masks,
right?” he said. “I definitely need more, and I don’t want to spend more money on it.” Rhocar B. Constant ’24 said that he does not expect to request KN95 masks. But he added that the option
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to request high-quality masks will be helpful to others on campus. “I think that’s dope for people that need that and would feel more comfortable with that,” he said.
“I don’t think a lot of people use it, but I think the people that do use it will use it a lot,” Constant added. lucas.walsh@thecrimson.com vivian.zhao@thecrimson.com
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JANUARY 31, 2022
Researchers Find ‘Likely’ Cause of MS By PAZ E. MEYERS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
In a longitudinal study over two decades in the making, researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that Multiple Sclerosis, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the central nervous system, is “likely caused” by infection with Epstein-Barr virus. The research study, a team effort led by Harvard Chan School Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition Dr. Alberto Ascherio, was published in the Jan. 13 issue of Science. It provides evidence in support of a longstanding theory that Epstein-Barr virus is linked to the pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis. Signs of infection with Epstein-Barr virus, which affects over 90 percent of the adult population worldwide, have been found at high rates in MS patients by multiple previous studies, which suggests a connection between Epstein-Barr virus and MS but is not conclusive evidence of a causal relationship. “The idea that the EBV, the Epstein-Barr virus, is associated with multiple sclerosis has been around for many years, but the main problem is that EBV is nearly ubiquitous,” Dr. Ascherio said. “There is this curse of the ubiquitous exposure [to EBV] where it’s not that it cannot cause a rare disease, but it’s just difficult to prove.” Over a 20 year time period, the researchers examined blood serum samples taken every two years from active-duty U.S. military personnel whose initial serum samples were negative for EBV. Ascherio explained that they were looking to establish the sequence of events for when patients first became infected with Epstein-Barr virus and when they were diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. “We found that they cannot get MS basically, unless they were first infected with
Epstein-Barr Virus,” Ascherio said. “That clearly established that you first have to be infected [with EBV], then you can have the beginning of the pathological process that leads to MS.” Ascherio said the study also represents a critical step towards eventually developing a cure for Multiple Sclerosis and improving upon the treatments currently available. “The implication is that if we could prevent infection [with EBV], then we could prevent Multiple Sclerosis, so there is ongoing research on an EBV vaccine,” Ascherio said.
The implication is that if we could prevent infection [with EBV], then we could prevent Multiple Sclerosis, so there is ongoing research on an EBV vaccine. Dr. Alberto Ascherio Professor at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health
“We are collaborating with clinical investigators to explore the possibility of testing antiviral drugs in people with MS to see if those can improve treatment,” he added. Despite the causal relationship between Epstein-Barr virus and MS established by this study, developing MS is still relatively rare for people infected with Epstein-Barr virus according to Ascherio. Dr. Ascherio also acknowledged the contributions of several key members of the project including Senior Research Scientist Kassandra L. Munger, and postdoctoral research fellows Kjetil Bjornevik and Marianna Cortese. paz.meyers@thecrimson.com
SPORTS
SATURDAY ______________________________________ SUNDAY ______________________________________ WEEKEND EVENT FRIDAY ______________________________________ FENCING VS. NYU W, 16-11 WOMEN’S SQUASH VS. YALE W, 7-2 MEN’S ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ WEEKLY RECAP
SCHEDULE SCORES
Football vs. Penn Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Yale MEN’S W, 228-125 12 p.m., Harvard Stadium 6 p.m., at___________________________________________________________ Yale SWIM & DIVE VS. PRINCETON
Wrestling at Journeymen Classic WOMEN’S ICE VS. CLARKSON W, 6-2 ___________________________________________________________ AllHOCKEY day in Mainheim, Pa.
WRESTLING VS. PENN L, 29-6 MEN’S TENNIS VS. USC L, 4-0 MEN’S ___________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________ Women’s Rugby vs. West Point Army Women’s Basketball vs. Northern Illinois Women’s Volleyball vs. Brown WOMEN’S WATER POLO VS. VILLANOVA W, 20-11 12 p.m., Mignone Field p.m., at Northern Illinois University 7 p.m., Malkin Athletic Center ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Harvard Extends Winning Streak with Comeback By OSCAR E. MERCADO CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Despite trailing by as much as 13 points late in the contest, Harvard women’s basketball (10-9, 4-3 Ivy League) completed a furious fourth quarter comeback to notch a 70-63 victory over conference foe Penn (7-11, 2-4). The victory marked the Crimson’s first win at the Quakers’ home venue, The Palestra, since 2012. Four Crimson players reached double digits in points against Penn, led by junior guard McKenzie Forbes with 18 points. Junior guard Annie Stritzel (12), sophomore guard Lola Mullaney (11), and junior guard Maggie McCarthy (11) were the other points leaders. The two remaining starters, first-year guard Harmoni Turner and senior guard Tess Sussman, each contributed double digit rebounds. Forbes also led the way with 4 assists in the contest. Penn junior guard Kayla Padilla started the game firing on all cylinders, going on a 9-2 run by herself to give the Quakers an early advantage. The teams then traded several baskets, but Penn remained in control, holding a commanding 13-6 lead. Harvard struggled in the first
quarter against the Quakers, shooting 3-for-18 from the floor. However, with one second left in the quarter, Forbes nailed a buzzer beater three-pointer to cut Penn’s lead to four. “Penn did play pretty good defense,” said Harvard head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith in response to her team’s poor offensive start. “But I think more was due to the fact that we just did not execute very well. We were doing things that were uncharacteristic of us.” The Quakers continued their hot start in the second quarter, widening its lead to 18-11. Stritzel delivered an offensive spark for the Crimson when, playing the role of super sub, she tallied four points in under a minute. Following a pair of three pointers from Forbes, Harvard trailed only 23-21. However, Harvard’s offensive struggles reemerged as the team was held scoreless for two minutes until Stritzel delivered a three-pointer to end the dry spell. The teams traded more baskets, and Penn ended the first half with a 33-28 lead. “We like to attack and run,” coach Delaney-Smith said. “But, I felt we were making too many quick, flash, bad decisions on the offensive end of the floor. That’s what I think hurt us in
the first half.” After the break, Penn came out swinging once more, holding the Crimson scoreless for nearly three minutes while tacking on seven points to extend its lead into double digits, 40-28. The lead peaked at the 2:23 mark in the third quarter off of Penn senior guard Mia Lakstigala’s three pointer, which gave Penn a 47-34 advantage. Harvard’s top scorer, Turner, was held scoreless until this point, but with her team in a deep hole late in the contest, the highly touted firstyear erupted with back to back field goals. Mullaney added in a three-pointer to end the quarter on a 8-2 run for the Crimson and cut the deficit to 49-42. Harvard continued its newfound success, embarking on a 15-6 run to begin the final quarter and took its first lead of the game 57-55. Coach Delaney-Smith explained the blueprint for her team’s comeback was her team’s persistent attack in transition, which led to fatigue for the thin-rostered Quakers. Once Harvard took the lead, it never looked back, outscoring Penn 28-14 in the final stanza to reach the final score of 70-63. “Our philosophy as a staff is to convey confidence and that
OH SAY KEN YOU ZIE! Junior guard McKenzie Forbes scores a lay-up in November’s victory over Merrimack. Forbes scored 18 points in Saturday’s comeback win over the Quakers. OWEN A. BERGER— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
we believe in [the team],”Coach Delaney-Smith said. “But, truth be told, that is something they did for themselves, and we could see it in their faces and in their eyes. They kept telling each other we’re going to win
this game.” With its sensational comeback victory, Harvard extended its win streak to three games and retained an outright hold on the fourth and final spot in the Ivy League Tournament brack-
et. The Crimson will return home to host conference rivals Brown and Yale next weekend Feb. 4-5. oscar.mercado@thecrimson.com
MEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Pair of Victories Get Crimson Back to Winning Ways By BRIDGET T. SANDS and AARON B. SHUCHMAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
While their home turf was blanketed with snow, the Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey team blanketed their competition on the road this weekend. The Crimson were sent to New York face off against two conference opponents, the Colgate Raiders, who entered the weekend 3-6-2 in interconference play, and the Cornell Big Red, entering 8-2-0. Harvard itself began 7-4-1. This weekend’s games continued a stretch of six games in 11 nights for the Crimson, putting a lot of pressure on the team’s depth and especially its goaltending, as junior goaltender Mitchell Gibson started both halves of the back-to-back set. “It’s definitely a challenge for us, playing six games in 10 or 11 nights,” head coach Ted Donato said. “But I think we have a lot of confidence in the depth of the team. We don’t just rely on a few players, so I think we were able to make it through pretty well as far as the energy level.” Despite entering the weekend on a two game losing streak following losses to Clarkson and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the Crimson rebounded with a 5-3 against Colgate before earning a 2-2 regulation tie and shootout win against Cornell. “I don’t think we were in a
spot where we were really concerned with how we were playing,” Ted Donato said. “It’s always a tough road trip to go to Colgate and Cornell, and I thought our guys responded really well.” HARVARD 2, CORNELL 2 (HARVARD WINS IN A SHOOTOUT) Facing a big test with a road game at No. 8/9 Cornell, Harvard played a strong overall game to earn a regulation tie and shootout win to take five of six possible points from the Big Red this season. The game began ominously for the Crimson, as a boarding penalty to junior forward John Farinacci just 63 seconds into the game. Cornell forward Brenden Locke converted the man-advantage opportunity just 20 seconds later to put the Big Red ahead 1-0. Despite conceding the early lead, Harvard carried the play for the rest of the period. Sophomore defenseman Ian Moore had a golden opportunity to tie the game on a shot from the high slot, but the puck rolled just past Cornell goaltender Ian Shane. Farinacci also set up first-year forward Alex Gaffney for a prime chance in front of the net that rolled just past Shane. After a chaotic defensive zone sequence at the tail end of the first period, the Crimson drew a penalty on Cornell’s Justin Ertel to earn a power play chance to carry over to the second frame.
At the start of the second period, Harvard began to capitalize on their strong play. Senior defenseman Marshal Rifai tied the game at 1-1 on the carryover power play with a rocket of a slap shot from the faceoff circle, and first-year forward Matthew Coronato put the Crimson in front three minutes later when he corralled the rebound of his own shot just outside the crease. Despite Harvard controlling play once again for the first half of the second period, Cornell was able to tie the game with nine minutes remaining on a goal by forward Matt Stienburg. From that point forward, Cornell regained some momentum, and began peppering Gibson with chances. The goaltender stood strong, however, and sent the Crimson to the dressing room knotted at 2-2. “We’ve got a couple freshman defensemen, and they’ve really come into their own,” Gibson said. “Everyone’s been taking care of the little things, little details that we’re paying more and more attention to. Just blocking shots and being selfless.” Despite the rapid pace of the first two periods, the third period was significantly tighter defensively, with the two teams combining for only 11 shots on goal. Coronato and junior forward and captain Nick Abruzzese each had quality scoring chances but were denied by Shane, sending the game to three-on-three overtime.
ALL’S FARINNACI IN LOVE AND WAR Junior forward John Farinnaci roars in November’s 3-2 win over Cornell. Farinnaci finished a successful weekend with two goals against Colgate. OWEN A. BERGER— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Despite outplaying Cornell for significant portions of the game, with Harvard outshooting the Big Red 36-22 for the night, the Crimson was unable to solve Shane during overtime, further extending the game into a shootout. With shootout goals from senior forward and captain Casey Dornbach, sophomore forward Alex Laferriere, and Abruzzese, Harvard prevailed in the shootout after six rounds, with Gibson making the decisive save on Cornell’s Sullivan Mack. “I think no matter what you want to win,” Gibson said. “There was a lot of excitement during the shootout just to get bragging rights that you came out with a win against a good team like that.” Donato was similarly thrilled with the outcome considering the rivalry implications between Harvard and Cornell. “That’s a game that’s always special to us and to come out and play well and carry the play for most of the night and to ultimately win in the shootout was a great way to end the weekend,” Ted Donato said. HARVARD 5, COLGATE 3 In the first game of the weekend back to back, the Crimson (9-6-1 overall) were in Clinton, NY on Friday to take on the Colgate Raiders (8-13-2 overall). After a very competitive 60 minutes of ice play, Harvard came out on top 5-3, breaking their two game losing streak. The first period did not lack in action. Both teams erupted with energy, shift changes jumping out quickly from behind the bench. Within the first four minutes, the Crimson were on the power play, after the Raiders’ first-year forward Alex DiPaolo was sent to the box with hooking. Although Harvard’s power play unit has converted on less than 20% for the season, a clear attempt by Colgate was intercepted by junior defenseman Henry Thrun, who passed to the open sophomore forward Alex Laferriere that found the back of the net on a wrist shot. Less than a minute later, with the Raiders back to fullstrength post power play, the Crimson notched another, extending their lead to 2-0. Junior forward John Farinacci snuck one past Colgate senior goalkeeper Farrier, with Farinacci’s linemates Laferriere and first-year forward Alex
Gaffney credited with the assists. “Although they’ve only played together for a few weeks, I think they’ve looked excellent for us,” Ted Donato said of the Farinacci-Laferriere-Gaffney line, noting that the trio has previous experience playing youth hockey together. Although down 2-0, the Raiders kept game-play competitive and aggressive, with possession staying quite even. Colgate’s senior forward Josh McKechney executed 7:27 into the period, taking Harvard’s lead down to one. Repetitive change of possession allowed for fast breaks for both teams. The Crimson were more controlled and consistent, taking time to set up a structured offensive. This would work to their advantage, as firstyear defenseman Ian Moore rocketed a slap-shot that found the twine behind Farrier after being deflected in by senior forward Jack Donato with just under eight minutes remaining in the period. Colgate kept competitive, but so did Harvard. At 13:02 in, first-year forward Matthew Coronato was charged with hooking, causing a power play which his teammates successfully killed. However, the penalty kill unit would fail at their next opportunity, when junior defenseman Ryan Siedam was charged with holding with 3:04 remaining. While the Crimson frantically attempted a clear after junior goalkeeper Mitchell Gibson lost control of a save, the congestion of the goal area got the best of them, allowing the Raiders’ junior forward Matt Verboon to sneak the puck under Gibson’s glove. Both teams remained strong in the last two-some minutes of the period. Harvard started the second of three strong. The Crimson’s second line of Laferriere, Farinacci, and Gaffney took their first shift head on, a shot by Farinacci within the first two minutes of the period barely missed, and the frustration resulted in a confrontation among the teams in front of the net. It was broken up just before gloves dropped, and Colgate’s junior defenseman Liam Watson-Brawn was sent to the box for hitting-from-behind on the play prior. Harvard failed to convert the power play. Consequently, on the Raiders’ first posses-
sion back to full strength, senior forward Griffin Lunn found the back of the net off of his own rebound 4:04 into the period, his maneuver causing Gibson to fall and lose awareness of the puck. Although gameplay was competitive and both teams had an abundance of fast breaks, Lunn’s score would be the only of the period. Harvard failed to capitalize on two more power plays, while Colgate failed once, after the Crimson’s senior forward Baker Shore was penalized with hooking. The contest continued to be fast and aggressive, but Gibson kept Harvard in the game, stopping ten shots on goal within the period. The first three-fourths of the last period continued the close competition among the teams. Gibson continued to come up with big saves, and the second line of Laferriere, Farinacci, and Gaffney continued to make big plays. “Going into the third in a tie game, I was really happy with the way we responded,” Ted Donato said. “It was a much needed win and really a great boost to morale.” Game play was steady and there was no clear dominance, until Farinacci punched home a backhander off of a Gaffney pass with 4:17 remaining in the game. Harvard continued their momentum, keeping possession in their offensive zone. They drew an icing call from the Raiders, which led to a faceoff in their offensive zone, to which Crimson senior defenseman Marshall Rifai gained possession, and sent in his second goal of the season, third of his career, and Harvard’s fifth of the game, solidifying their win. “This stretch of games is really a great learning opportunity, and I think we’ve come out feeling a lot better about where we are as a team and where we could get to,” Ted Donato said. The Crimson finished the game with first-year defenseman Jack Bar in the box on a cross-checking call, but were still able to neutralize Colgate’s six man offense, as Farrier was pulled from net. The Crimson will head across town and look to add to its winning streak in a pre-beanpot showdown against the Boston College Eagles (10-11-4) this Tuesday at Kelley Rink in Chestnut Hill, Mass., at 7pm. bridget.sands@thecrimson.com aaron.shuchman@thecrimson.com