The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 37
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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
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OP ED PAGE 6
NEWS PAGE 5
SPORTS PAGE 6
My uncle Brent paid the ultimate price for work that threatened the powerful
Experts discussed the Equal Rights Amendment at a Radcliffe panel
Women’s basketball’s season ended at the hands of Princeton on March 11
Nieman Fellows Honor Renaud By VIVI E. LU CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
The Nieman Foundation’s 2022 cohort assembled a memorial in remembrance of Brent Renaud, acclaimed journalist and former Nieman fellow, in Harvard’s Science Center Plaza Tuesday afternoon. Around 20 people attended the remembrance of Renaud, who was killed on March 13 by Russian forces in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv, while filming Ukrainian refugees fleeing from the war. He was working alongside Juan Arredondo, another Nieman fellow, who survived the attack with injuries. An award-winning journalist and filmmaker, Renaud spent the 2018-2019 academic year at Harvard through the Nieman Fellowship, an opportunity for journalists to attend classes and workshops while building relationships with other fellows. Renaud and his brother Craig filmed documentaries for many media organizations, including HBO and the New York Times,
covering conflicts such as the ISIS invasion of Iraq and Mexican cartel violence. Nieman fellow Pacinthe Mattar read an overview of Renaud’s life, and the fellows took turns reading messages sent in by Renaud’s peers from the 2019 Nieman class. At the gate of Harvard Yard, they laid down roses in front of a shrine for Renaud, which included a photograph and a description of his work. “As a class, we are honoring Brent’s work by doing what drove him as a journalist: shining light on the marginalized, the oppressed and the overlooked,” the Nieman fellows from the 2022 class wrote in a handout distributed to attendees. Jorge Caraballo, a Nieman fellow who helped organize the event, described the gathering as “beautiful” in an interview following the event. “We really feel that this fellowship is a community, and
SEE RENAUD PAGE 5
Service Project Returns to City By KATERINA V. CORR CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Filmmaker and director Mira Nair ’79 donated her professional archive — including photographs, film scripts, and journals — to the Radcliffe Institute of Advanced Study’s Schlesinger Library. Nair has directed feature films such as “The Namesake,” “Monsoon Wedding,” and “Queen of Katwe,” along with several web series. The Asian American director brought a wide array of languages into her works, ranging from Japanese
The Cambridge Neighborhood Service Project, an initiative offering young people the opportunity to collaborate on community service projects, began its yearly programming this month — its first in-person cycle since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.The program began as a collaboration between the City of Cambridge’s Office of Workforce Development and its Cambridge Youth Programs. “It was created as a collaboration between those two offices to kind of marry the idea of youth development and providing opportunities for young people with the idea of developing career exploration and job skills,” George M. Hinds, director of youth employment at the Office of Workforce Development, said. Jeneen Mucci, the director of program quality and training for Cambridge Youth Programs, said the service component of the initiative is designed to be long-lasting and impactful. “It isn’t something that is done one time and then it’s something you feel good about as community service, but what is the learning that comes from that that can trickle out into the community?” she said. Each year there are about 45 students who participate in the program, Hinds said. The students are divided into several cohorts — each headquartered at a different youth center in the city — that separately work on a team project of their choice.According to Mucci, these projects have had a wide-ranging scope, from focusing on the cohort’s youth center to impacting residents in the greater Cambridge area. Before the pandemic, Mucci said, students in a cohort at the Moses Youth Center organized an interactive “game of
SEE ARCHIVES PAGE 3
SEE SERVICE PAGE 3
Passerbys pause to commemorate and honor Bren Renaud’s legacy at a memorial set up in the Science Center Plaza. VIVI E. LU—CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
Tax on Weed Repealed by City
Mira Nair Donates Archive to Library
By ELIAS J. SCHISGALL
By CAROLINE E. CURRAN and SARA DAHIYA
CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
The Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a policy order repealing a three percent “Community Impact Fee” tax on recreational marijuana in a meeting Monday evening. The policy order eliminated the tax, currently part of Massachusetts state law, in a move to “support the viability” of recreational dispensaries in Cambridge, according to an early version of the policy order. Though Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana in 2016 and Cambridge began issuing permits for recreational dispensaries in 2019, retail weed shops have been slow to open. The city’s first recreational dispensary, Yamba Market, will open to the public next week. Sean D. Hope, a co-owner of Yamba Market, said that dispensaries are “not set up to be profitable” under the existing tax regime. “[Taxing] 3 percent of gross in a startup business is unheard of, especially when it’s a business that the city is trying to incentivize to be in Cambridge,” Hope said. In addition to the community impact fee, sales of marijuana are subject to a 10.75 percent excise tax and a 6.25 percent state sales tax.Under the current law, the community impact fee compensates the city for “additional expenses and impacts” on municipal services such as law enforcement and public health. The policy order, however, argues that evidence from Northampton, Mass. suggests the repeal of the tax “would not have any appreciable impacts” on Cambridge finances. Northampton waived its own community impact fees for recreational dispensaries in January.In an interview with The Daily Hampshire Gazette, then-Mayor of Northampton David Narkewicz said community concerns about dispensaries in Northampton “have not materialized.” “A lot of the concerns, potential concerns, about this
CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
SEE CANNABIS PAGE 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Harvard Today 2
Acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair donates her professional archive to Harvard’s Schlesinger Library.
CHRISTOPHER
HIDALGO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
IOP Hosts Youth Activist Panel on Gen Z’s Role in Politics By TARAH D. GILLES and JOHN N. PEÑA CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
A panel of youth activists discussed the role young people play in American politics at a forum hosted Tuesday evening at the Harvard Institute of Politics. The panel — moderated by Alicia J. Menendez ’05 — featured the Institute of Politics’ longtime polling director, John Della Volpe, along with climate activist Sophia Kianni, gun control advocate David M. Hogg ’23, and 2021 Time Magazine Kid of the Year Orion M. Jean. The group discussed efforts encouraging young people to participate in politics and youth activism. In an interview following the forum, Hogg highlighted the importance of youth activism, but said it can often be “really hard work.” “It is exhausting work,” Hogg said in the interview following the event. “It is especially exhausting for the people that need the most help in the first place.” Hogg said many young people are discouraged by some aspects of the American political system, pointing to the filibuster.
News 3
Editorial 4
Kianni, who serves as the U.S. representative on the United Nations’ Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change, highlighted institutional flaws that she said make the work of young people an uphill battle. At the event, Kianni criticized big oil and gas companies, which she said benefit from the perception that individuals are responsible for solving climate change. Change at the individual level will do little to address climate change, Kianni said during the forum. “It’s really up to our government to hold these companies, to hold these corporations responsible and accountable,” Kianni said. Kianni also called on politicians to do more to implement changes that young people advocate for. “It’s really easy for politicians to use us as material for their campaigns, to do photo ops with us, but I think the next step is actually working with us,” she said. Della Volpe said Generation Z is often misconceived by older generations as “a bunch of socialists who hate America.” “No generation has dealt
SEE IOP PAGE 3
Sports 6
A panel of youth activists discussed Gen Z’s influence on politics on Tuesday evening. From left, Alicia J. Menendez ’05, David M. Hogg ’23, and Orion M. Jean. TARAH D. GILLES—CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER
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For Lunch For Dinner Asian BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich Grilled BBQ Pork Chop Beef Stroganoff Just-Caught Atlantic BBQ Mindful Chicken Sandwich Vegan Cassoulet
TODAY’S EVENTS Spring Undergraduate Research Spotlight Virtual, 12 -1:15 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
Harvard undergraduates have been working hard on their research projects. This afternoon, they’ll receive an opportunity to show it off. Join the Zoom (available upon request) to hear about their research topics and what it’s like to get involved with science and engineering research at Harvard.
Ukraine’s Air Defense System Confounds Russian Air Forces
A Reckoning in Boston: A Film By James Rutenbeck Virtual, 3:30-4:45 p.m.
Earlier this month, a local journalist working in Ukraine was kidnapped and then tortured by Russia soliders. After being ambushed, he was captured and then subjected to severe physical injury for nine days — one of many journalists injured, captured, or killed while on the job in Ukraine
Join the Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health in screening this documentary about Black women’s experiences with racism as it relates to stress and health in Greater Boston. Additionally, register for the panel discussion with Kafi Dixon and other panelists from the community to learn more. Advancing Racial Justice in Philanthropy: Aspiration or Reality? HKS , 6 p.m.
The Ukrainian military has been using Soviet-era defense batteries from the 1980’s with modern missiles provided by the U.S and other Western countries to inflict severe damage on Russian planes and helicopters. This has brought a moderate pause in Russian air operations.
Journalist Reportedly Kidnapped by Russia Forces in Ukraine
The sun shines down on Widener Library as spring is welcomed back to campus. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
AROUND THE IVIES PRINCETON: Senate Launches USG Reform Project, Agrees to Sponsor DEI Committee Referendum —THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN CORNELL: Students Report Mixed Experiences With University-Provided COVID Isolation Accommodations —THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
Judge Jackson Defends Her Record in Confirmation Hearings
On Tuesday, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s defended herself against Republican attacks on subjects of child abuse and matters of race. Judge Jackson claimed to understand the limited power of a judge in the Supreme Court system and promised to “stay in her lane.”
BROWN: GLO, Brown Agree on Stipend Increases for FY2023—THE BROWN DAILY HERALD PENN: SPEC to Unveil First In-Person Spring Fling Concert Lineup Since 2019 on Wednesday —THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN
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Join Crystal Hayling, Rajasvini Bhansali, Amoretta Morris, and Carmen Rojas for this installment of the IOP and IARA’s speaker series, Reckoning With the Past, Rebuilding the Future. Learn about efforts to bring racial justice and diversity to the field of philanthropy, where people of color are highly underrepresented.
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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Freshmen Stage Mock Funeral In Support of Lettuce Boycott
Twenty freshmen performed a mock funeral protesting grocery chain A&P’s sale of lettuce not picked by members of the United Farm Workers Union. The demonstrators, accompanied by a makeshift band playing funeral marches, paraded around the Yard carrying a coffin with the A&P insignia and a flag reading “Long Live the [UFW] Strike.” March 23, 1973
Russia Walks Out as 500 Delegates Stage Mock UN Session in Sanders
In “Massachusetts’ first” Model UN session, Sanders Theatre hosted 500 delegates from 33 Boston schools. Among other highlights, the delegate acting as Czechoslovakia denounced the Soviet purges and seceded from the Soviet bloc, prompting the Russian delegate Allan Solomon to walk out of the session. March 23, 1953
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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The March 22 article “Garland to Speak at Joint Ceremony” incorrectly stated the Senate Judiciary Committee is made up of 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans. In fact, the panel is made up of 11 Democrats and 11 Republicans.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
IOP FROM PAGE 1
SERVICE FROM PAGE 1
Youth Activists Hosted by IOP
Youth Service Project Returns
with more trauma, more quickly in their young lives than this generation,” Della Volpe said.
It is exhausting work. David Hogg ‘23 Gun Control Advocate
Panelists offered mixed opinions about the future of American politics. “Not looking too bright right now,” Hogg said in an interview. “I think there’s a lot of rosy
romanticism about, ‘Oh, the kids will save us,’” Hogg said in the interview. “Kids are not going to save us,” he added. “We’re going to save us.” In an interview after the event, Jean, who is 11 years old, offered a more positive outlook. “We are going to be the ones who are able to spread kindness and make political difference, and vote, and all these different things, so that we can grow up in the world that we want to be in,” Jean said.
life” that sought to reflect experiences with racism and sexism that residents reported in surveys conducted by students.Attendees were assigned an identity at the event before beginning their journey, Mucci said. “There was a table that was college and financial aid, there was a banking table, there was an area that represented the prison system,” Mucci said. “You were given a pathway of how and when to interact with each of these phases, and based on your identity was how you were received.” Mucci said a recent cohort focused on homelessness. “They decided that their fi-
nal project would be care packages and giving those to local shelters to support those experiencing homelessness,” she said. Some students focused on supporting their peers. “They’ve done resource libraries in the youth centers for college readiness to get more materials that their peers could use in later years as they did their college prep work,” Hinds said. Mucci said that before the pandemic, the Neighborhood Service Project began a collaboration with the Design Museum Foundation to introduce students to design thinking.
NAIR FROM PAGE 1
The first cohort of students accepted to the program was unable to complete the internship because it was halted due to the pandemic, Mucci said. Last year, the design-focused program was held virtually. Mucci said the Neighborhood Service Project was initially established for 14 and 15-year-olds, but shifted to serve high schoolers during the collaboration with the Design Museum. Now that the collaboration has ended, this year’s program is open to students aged 14 to 18. “We do appreciate and see the importance of having older teens to be able to support
MARCH 23, 2022
and mentor the younger teens,” Mucci said. Hinds said returning to in-person programming will allow the initiative to be organized more thoughtfully. “We are coming out of a period where we were innovating, but in reaction to crisis for the last couple years,” Hinds said. “I’m excited for the staff to be able to work in a way that is thoughtful, not reactionary — actually setting things up for young people to really have a great experience and have great success this spring,” Hinds added. katerina.corr@thecrimson.com
CANNABIS FROM PAGE 1
Schlesinger Library Gets Nair’s Archives Cambridge Nixes Tax on Weed
Nair’s archive makes a prominent addition to the South Asian American archives currently housed at Schlesinger, according to the library’s director, Jane Kamensky. “A major South Asian American collection like Mira’s is a wonderful illustration of the breadth of this effort and allows us to show the wide and variegated fabric of what Asian American means,” Kamensky told the Harvard Gazette, a University-run publication. A Visual and Environmental Studies concentrator at Harvard, Nair claims her time at the College sparked her inter-
est in photography and laid the groundwork for her filmmaking career. Despite previous requests for her archives from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the filmmaker chose Harvard to store her collection. “Harvard has changed my life,” Nair told the Gazette. “There’s no question about it.” “It actually is the foundation of my films, even 30-40 years later, because I understand the electricity of truth,” she added. In a lecture at Radcliffe College, Nair highlighted how her undergraduate experiences have informed her filmmaking,
noting the exploration of racial tensions in her movie “Mississippi Masala.”
A major South Asian American collection like Mira’s is a wonderful illustration of the breadth of this effort. Jane Kamensky Schlesinger Library Director
“Moving between the white
and Black campus groups I felt a tension between them,” she said Nair’s donation comes amid efforts by the library to diversify its archives. The library, aided by a working group, has acquired archives from journalist Helen Zia and podcast host Pin Pin T’an Liu. “I’m really happy that the Schlesinger and these great bastions of libraries are now opening their doors to the same internationalism that they had when they opened their doors to me,” Nair told the Gazette.
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industry mostly came from people who opposed legalization and thought there would be increases in crime, or there would be increases in drug abuse, etcetera,” he said. “We certainly haven’t seen that here in Northampton.” Since it started issuing recreational dispensary permits in 2019, Cambridge has prioritized applicants of color or with prior drug-related criminal offenses. Councilor E. Denise Simmons, the primary author of the policy order, said that eliminating the tax would “bring some
relief and some fairness” to these applicants. Hope said the move shows the city is “really sticking by” its commitment to progressive values in approaching the marijuana industry in Massachusetts. “We’re really hoping that other cities and towns will look at Cambridge, look at the bold, progressive step, look at how many of these minority businesses we have opened, and would hopefully follow suit,” Hope said. elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com
THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
MARCH 23, 2022
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EDITORIAL COLUMN
OP-ED
Accessible Needs to be Accessible: Here’s How
In Memory of My Uncle Brent Renaud
By ANUKSHA S. WICKRAMASINGHE
O
ne of the first pieces I knew I’d write for my column, even before I knew I’d write a column, was a piece about navigating the Accessible Education Office. Registering for accommodations was a process that I found harder to navigate than I would have liked. Perhaps, the AEO has always struck me as a salient topic because, in the words of Rachel Auslander ’22-’23, co-founder of the Harvard University Disability Justice Club, “The AEO is many students’ first introduction to the idea of being disabled” — even if the AEO rarely acknowledges the crucial introductory role it holds. Since my initial concept for the piece, there has been more coverage, from both Crimson News and Editorial (ed-love!) about the experiences with Harvard’s AEO, from the lack of flexibility and accessibility to the need for a solution. Each piece recognizes and appreciates the AEO’s attempts to make Harvard more accessible and accommodating, and though this recognition is critical, it is not enough to solve that oftentimes, in the accommodation process, the burden can be placed on students it seeks to accommodate. With this piece, I want to focus on how the AEO can be improved from a broader disability justice perspective, which encompasses neurodiversity. Understanding where the AEO can improve begins with delving deeper into the difficulties behind the AEO process. Late on Housing Day Eve, Auslander and I hopped on a Zoom call to discuss the ins and outs of the AEO. Because as Auslander pointed out, the AEO can be one of the first experiences students have with being disabled, the process can have several additional challenges — though this isn’t to suggest that it’s necessarily easier for those with longer-standing disabilities. As Auslander explains, “Students don’t need to identify as disabled, but those who do and those who know about disability rights and disability justice are better equipped to advocate for themselves and overcome internalized ableism.” Many people first interfacing with the AEO, however, have not done that yet, Auslander explains, and this is their “first time and first experience” requesting resources that would flag them as disabled. For one, as Auslander notes, overcoming the internalized ableism surrounding accommodations can be complicated. It’s a notion that I can personally relate to, because admittedly, I’d still think to myself, ‘But I made it to Harvard without accommodations — maybe I’m not trying hard enough,’ despite knowing that I’ve always been trying my hardest. I’d wonder if people would even believe that I’d need accommodations, considering, as Auslander captures: “With invisible disabilities, it’s especially challenging given that there’s no proof. The proof — it happens when you’re alone in your bedroom, or in your own experience in your daily life. It’s not necessarily something you can show to people.” We’re here to remind you that you’re not alone in using accommodations, and if they help you, you should use them. “You’re not weak or incapable for using them. You just need them to get things done,” Auslander says. “That doesn’t make you not a good Harvard student or something. You’re still fit to be here even having accommodations.” In this context, it’s all the more invalidating to hear messages from AEO officers that you don’t need certain accommodations, shouldn’t ask for them, or shouldn’t use their accommodations, as Auslander has reportedly heard other students have experienced. Such notions are, at their core, both ableist and dismissive of students’ needs. These challenges are often exacerbated struggles in knowing what accommodations to even ask for. Auslander tells me that the AEO can often rely heavily on doctors’ assessments, which may focus too heavily on the “illness side” rather than the “disability
side” meaning that though doctors may know what medicines, procedures, and surgeries may be best, they may not be as helpful in recommending lifestyle modifications and suitable accommodations. Beyond that, for most AEO conversations, “You’re expected to come to the conversation knowing exactly what you need,” Auslander says, which I can relate to. Especially if you’re new to knowing or being disabled, “You might just know your experience of dealing with navigating the disability. You don’t what could change,” she explains. You may not know what flexibility and accommodations you can be afforded, from extended time to “a different chair in class.” For anyone currently struggling with identifying accommodations, she recommends referring to the Job Accommodation Network, which is particularly helpful if you have a diagnosed disability or have an idea of what disabilities you may have. Arguably, though, the biggest challenge that the AEO faces is a lack of resources, which the Editorial Board has emphasized before. We have called for increased transparency surrounding how often the AEO is used. Harvard spokesperson Alixandra A. Nozzolillo confirmed in an email that 15 to 20 percent of College students use the AEO, but that this number does not account for all “disabled students in the College,” or the total Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ use of the AEO. The range may account for fluctuations in students with circumstances such as temporary accommodations. Despite how prevalent AEO use is, this number is not one that I could find publicly. It underscores yet another barrier students face when accessing the AEO: a lack of information. Auslander recounted to me her own story with the AEO. She had actually heard about the office from a student because despite her proctor knowing she had a disability, her proctor didn’t interpret it as one. And, though mental health resources receive significant publicity and discussion during Opening Days, accommodations do not receive the same attention, furthering the lack of awareness. Even still, she says that had she known earlier that the AEO existed, she may not have realized that it was for her because, at the time, she didn’t see herself as disabled. She highlights that especially with neurodivergence and mental illness. “There’s an assumption by Harvard that people who are disabled come into the University knowing they are disabled,” Auslander says, something that is far from the case. Frankly, the fact that up to one in five students use the AEO makes the lack of funding and resources for the AEO all the more appalling. HUDJ, however, is working on several initiatives to make navigating the AEO a smoother process. Such projects include advocating for an increase in AEO staff and clearer language to increasing awareness about the AEO’s policies. Joining HUDJ is a great first step towards navigating and learning more about the disabled experience, and it’s fantastic that HUDJ is doing this work, but students shouldn’t be “left to their own devices and have to rely on unpaid student activism,” says Auslander. I agree. So, what can the AEO do? What can Harvard do? For starters, the AEO needs much more funding — funding that could go towards hiring much more staff and increasing awareness and information about the office. “What would an ideal AEO look like?” I ask Auslander. She tells me that if I publish one thing from our interview, it should be her call to “triple the number of AEO staff” which would resolve a significant portion of student issues such as long wait times and communication difficulties. Increased funding, staffing, and resources are just the beginning, though. To Auslander, an ideal AEO would center student experiences, be more experimental with accommodations for students, and increase disability education
for AEO staff, including how to navigate internalized ableism. And a better Harvard? Well, as Auslander argues, the AEO, which is an administrative body, isn’t enough. “There needs to be a nonadministrative Disability Center for undergraduates that directly engages with them, just like QuOffice or the Women’s Center.” This kind of center would provide a space for everyone, disabled or not, “to learn more about disability in a very welcoming space that is accessible.” Beyond that, Auslander tells me, Harvard needs to increase its accessibility, both structurally and through policies. Additionally, though it’s a stretch, it would be most ideal if students could get accommodations directly through professors. For students seeking advice on how to maximize their experiences with the AEO, both Auslander and Nozzolillo recommend advocating for yourself. In particular, Nozzolillo recommends timely communication with the office. Auslander emphasizes trying your best to come into the office with what you struggle with. “You don’t have to come knowing what you need. You need to come knowing what’s challenging now.” She elaborates: “What the problem is, is that if [students] explained the challenges they’re facing, they might not have thought of all the challenges they’re facing.” Her tip is to “Write down everything that you’re struggling with. Maybe it’s getting out of bed, maybe it’s turning in homework on time, maybe it’s getting to class on time.” Of course, for everyone, Auslander emphasizes that learning more about disability justice is a critical step, whether it be following disabled people on social media to reading books on the history of disability. Lastly, “fight for yourself,” Auslander says. Don’t limit yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask for accommodations that may help you. If you think you’re struggling, Auslander recommends reaching out to the AEO and making a doctor’s appointment. And she notes, if you feel that you have exhausted the resources of the AEO to no avail, know that there is a grievance policy that you can refer to. You’re not alone in your AEO journey. This piece isn’t to say that the AEO isn’t doing good work. The AEO has come a long way, promoting student input in the accommodations process and streamlining it to utilize a secure student information management system, Nozzolillo wrote in her statement. It’s clear that the AEO truly does care about student experiences, from understanding the “stress and uncertainty” that can come from navigating the accommodations process to appreciating and welcoming student feedback and advocacy, whether it be from students in their AEO meetings or from groups like HUDJ. Beyond the improvements the AEO itself has made, you can hear from students its served the impact of their work. Taylor Jackson ’25, currently on a leave of absence and in the process of being diagnosed with a new disability, wrote in a statement, “Even when I started my freshman year virtually due to COVID, I was met with enormous welcome and understanding from the AEO via zoom.” “After all of the love and support I have received from Harvard AEO, I have no worries about being accommodated fairly upon my return to school with my new diagnosis. There are so many things to worry about when you are ill and your future is changing, but I am beyond lucky to not need to worry about being treated fairly upon my return,” she added. Someday, hopefully soon, that may be the experience for all of us who interact with the AEO. —Anuksha S. Wickramasinghe ’24 is a Neuroscience concentrator and Crimson Editorial editor in Mather House. Her column “Adhdventures” appears on alternate Wednesdays..
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By SARA KOMATSU
I
n the spring of 2019, I got coffee with my uncle’s brother Brent A. Renaud, a Nieman Fellow at the time. I was a pre-frosh, nervous about matriculating; Brent was kind enough to offer me his time and insights about Harvard. He seemed to truly enjoy his time here and the work he was doing, from taking classes to mentoring students to working on his own projects. It meant a lot to me to have family already at the institute where I was to spend my next four years. It was the first time I felt as though Harvard wasn’t so distant. I’d grown up in awe of Brent and my Uncle Craig’s work as journalists and documentary filmmakers who willingly entered dangerous conflict zones to lift up those without a voice and expose the realities of war, oppression, and injustice to all. I watched my aunt worry over their trips to Mexico to cover drug cartels, or to Iraq when the Arkansas National Guardsmen were deployed there.
I’d grown up in awe of Brent and my Uncle Craig’s work as journalists and documentary filmmakers who willingly entered dangerous conflict zones to lift up those without a voice and expose the realities of war, oppression, and injustice to all. As I grew in age and in understanding of their mission, I fostered a deep respect and admiration for their bravery and incredible commitment to telling such important stories.
As I grew in age and in understanding of their mission, I fostered a deep respect and admiration for their bravery and incredible commitment to telling such important stories. Last week, Brent was tragically shot and killed near Kyiv, Ukraine, while covering the refugee crisis there. He was with Juan Arredondo, also a former Nieman Fellow, who is still recovering from his injuries in Kyiv. I had known that he was in Ukraine. Though I was concerned, I had assumed he would be safe while documenting the refugee crisis — hopefully distanced from the center of fire. But as we found out more, we learned that journalists in the area were being targeted and attacked by Putin’s government. As Brent’s family, we all knew the risks of his line of work. We believed in its necessity just as he did. In making visible the unfortunately oft-overlooked suffering at the heart of crises, Brent threatened the control of those in power — and paid the ultimate sacrifice for it. This was his life’s work. He made an outsize difference in the world up until the very end.
In making visible the unfortunately oft-overlooked suffering at the heart of crises, Brent threatened the control of those in power — and paid the ultimate sacrifice for it. My thoughts are with the people of Ukraine and their friends and family elsewhere who are affected by this baseless conflict. Additionally, I look to the journalists who are carrying on the work that Brent was doing, and especially to my Uncle Craig, who was Brent’s other half in his life’s work. I grieve for Uncle Brent and all the others hurt in this crisis, and I am angered by the unnecessary loss and suffering. Most of all, I am heartbroken over the time I thought I had left to connect with Brent, to learn from him, to see the heart that he put into these projects — a time unfairly cut short.
Most of all, I am heartbroken over the time I thought I had left to connect with Brent, to learn from him, to see the heart that he put into these projects — a time unfairly cut short. While he was a Nieman Fellow, Brent, along with Juan, put in many hours at The Crimson mentoring our student journalists. In the spring of 2019, when I expressed interest in joining The Crimson, he recommended the organization wholeheartedly to me. Last week, a former Crimson editor who had worked with Brent told me that, before his fellowship ended, Brent had expressed his excitement at the prospect of my joining the Crimson. My work here and elsewhere will always be inspired by his passion. Rest in peace, Uncle Brent. —Sara Komatsu ’23-’24, a Crimson Arts Editor-at-Large, is an English concentrator in Dunster House.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
Radcliffe Experts Discuss ERA By RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN and EMILY Y. FENG CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Leading legal experts discussed the decades-long campaign for the adoption of the Equal Rights Amendment at a virtual panel hosted by the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study on Tuesday, which marked the 50th anniversary of the ERA’s passage through the U.S. Senate. The event, titled “Equal Rights and Wrongs,” featured Columbia Law School professor Jamal K. Greene ’99 and Fordham University law professor Julie C. Suk ’97. Harvard history professor Jane Kamensky moderated the panel, which drew more than 200 attendees. First introduced by the National Women’s Party in 1923, the ERA is a proposed constitutional amendment that would guarantee equal legal rights for
all U.S. citizens regardless of sex. Though the ERA passed the Senate with a vote of 84 to 8 in 1972, it failed to receive ratification by three-fourths of state legislatures within a congressionally mandated seven-year window. “The ERA seemed unstoppable,” Kamensky said in her introduction, quoting from a book Suk authored. “Spoiler alert: It wasn’t — unless, maybe it still is.” Suk responded to critics who say that the ERA is redundant because the 14th Amendment provides protections against sex discrimination. “It may be redundant,” she said. “But there are worse things than redundancy — among them, the lack of action by our executive, legislative, and judicial bodies to put into effect the equal rights safeguards already in the Constitution.”
Greene, a former Crimson sports editor, said the ERA should be interpreted as enumerating more rights than the 14th Amendment currently provides. “There’s a broader interpretive inference that one can draw that makes the potential passage of an ERA not just consequential, but I think quite revolutionary,” he said. “Otherwise, what would be the point of passing it?” Suk said the adoption of the amendment would be consistent with existing provisions in other democracies such as France, Germany, and Ukraine — whose constitutions guarantee equal rights for women and men. In an interview after the event, Suk said current debates on the ERA boil down to disagreements over how it should be interpreted. “It’s possible to interpret [the
ERA] to mean that you always have to treat men and women the same, but it’s also possible to interpret that to mean you can recognize differences to address disadvantages that now exist,” Suk said. “Can you treat people as equal while recognizing that they are not exactly the same in their needs and potentialities?” Kamensky said in an interview. “I think that’s still a live question.” Tuesday’s panel was co-hosted by Schlesinger Library’s Long 19th Amendment Project, which supports scholarship on the efforts by American women to obtain the full rights of their citizenship. Greene said “the ERA is worth fighting for” in his concluding remarks, and Suk expressed her agreement. “We need a space in which people feel that the Constitution can be changed,” Suk said.
RENAUD FROM PAGE 1
Slain Journalist Remembered one of our members was killed,” Caraballo said. “It’s painful for us, but it’s especially painful to those who know him.” “It was important that we show solidarity not only with another Nieman but with another journalist who was killed while working,” said Dave Mayers, a current Nieman fellow, in an interview after the event. Nieman Foundation curator Ann Marie Lipinski said the Nieman fellows and program administrators were “shaken” by the news of Renaud’s death. “It’s gotten increasingly dangerous for journalists in so many parts of the world to do their work,” Lipinski said in an interview. “They wanted to honor Brent, but also make this larger point about the im-
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portance of journalism and the dangers of practicing it in this moment.” Samantha Henry, Nieman Foundation assistant director for programming, called Renaud’s death “a painful loss for the journalism family” and emphasized the legacy of his work. “As others who knew Brent have said, he wouldn’t want the story to be about him,” Henry said in an interview. “He would want the story to be about his Ukrainian colleagues, about the Russian journalists who are trying to do independent media under severe crackdown, about the Ukrainians on the frontlines trying to report in their own country.” vivi.lu@thecrimson.com
SPORTS
WEEKLY RECAP
SCORES
MEN’S LACROSSE VS. BOSTON UNIV. W, 13-10 __________________________________________________________
MEN’S HOCKEY VS. NO. 6 QUINNIPIAC W, 3-2 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S BASEBALL AT. UCLA L, 3-2 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. SACRED HEART W, 3-1 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S SOFTBALL AT. YALE L, 4-3 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S TENNIS VS. BRIGHAM YOUNG W, 4-2 ___________________________________________________________
MEN’S TENNIS VS. UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO L, 4-3 ___________________________________________________________
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Harvard’s Ivy Madness Trip Ends in Heartbreak By OSCAR E. MERCADO CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
or the third time this seaF son, Harvard (13-14, 7-7) fell to Princeton (25-5, 14-0). Unlike the two previous contests, this Ivy Madness matchup was a barn burner, with both offenses excelling in the clutch. The Crimson rallied late but ran out of gas, losing by a score of 72-67 in its final game of the season. “They left it on the floor,” said head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith, whose remarkable 40-year career came to an end in the loss. “I wanted them to win for them, and they wanted to win for me. That makes the whole package very emotional… I can’t be more proud, they played their hearts out.” Indeed, the team’s effort exceeded that which it displayed in its previous outings against Princeton. Harvard’s tandem of junior guard McKenzie Forbes and first-year guard Harmoni Turner again led the team offensively, scoring 22 and 19 points, respectively. Sophomore guard Lola Mullaney contributed many momentum baskets that kept Harvard in the game when the team was on the brink of defeat. This massive team effort allowed Harvard to give Princeton its toughest challenge yet within the conference: Princeton had beat every team in the Ivy League by double digits. Princeton’s defense shined in the first quarter, forcing Harvard into a rough start to the pivotal playoff matchup. In the first ten minutes, Harvard shot poorly from the field, 4-for-15, and the team committed 5 turnovers. Despite the initial struggle, Forbes’ seven points in the period, including a deep triple off a nifty dish by Turner, carried the Crimson, which found itself only down 19-13 to the Tigers after the first quarter. Mullaney got the ball rolling in the second quarter, hitting back-to-back field goals that ignited a 16-6 run by Harvard to take a 32-25 lead. The run ended off back-to-back triples from Mullaney and Forbes. Princeton’s Abby Meyers responded
to Harvard’s onslaught with an off-balance three-pointer and stepback jumper, then an assist on a triple to retake the lead 3332. The Tigers then continued their momentum, as Princeton’s Kaitlyn Chen knocked down a stepback jumper as time expired to conclude a 10-0 run that gave the Tigers a 35-32 advantage over the Crimson at the half. The Tigers continued their hot streak to start off the third quarter. Two quick field goals by Meyers sparked an 11-2 run for Princeton to extend its lead to 46-34. Harvard’s duo quickly responded with a contested jumper by Forbes and an off-balance triple by Turner to cut the lead to single digits. The teams traded baskets to reach the score 52-41, then both teams’ defenses clamped down. The final three minutes of the quarter was a defensive gridlock, with neither team able to buy a bucket. Harvard ended the standoff with a triple, courtesy of junior guard Maggie McCarthy, to cut the lead to eight as the quarter concluded. With the pressure mounting, Harvard came out of the gates firing in the fourth quarter. Turner drilled a deep, stepback three-pointer, then Forbes muscled her way into the lane for a tough and-one layup. Meyers scored a jumper for the Tigers, but Forbes quickly responded with an assist to McCarthy. Forbes once again drew another foul, this time on a three point attempt, going 2-for-3 on the charity stripe to tie the game at 54-54. “They amaze me,” said Delaney-Smith when asked about her team’s resilience despite losing to a team that had beaten them twice previously. “We’re down, we made a mistake and played horribly. And they just find this connection and work out this synergy.” Princeton responded once more, embarking on a 12-4 run to take a 66-58 lead late in the game and send the Crimson’s season to the brink. Harvard remained resilient: a jumper by Turner, free throws from Forbes, and a neat assist
THE FANTASTIC FORBES Junior guard McKenzie Forbes lays the ball in in a 99-75 victory over Merrimack on Nov. 30, 2021. The first weekend of Spring Break, Forbes’ 22 points were not enough to lead the Crimson to victory OWEN A. BERGER—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
from Mullaney to junior guard Annie Stritzel got the Crimson within two. After two free throws by Princeton, Stritzel returned the favor to Mullaney, finding her for a deep contested three to make it a one-point game. Unfortunately for Har-
vard, that was the closest the team got; the Crimson’s offense stalled as the team ultimately succumbed to the Tigers, 72-67. “We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs this season,” Forbes reflected. “Through all of it, we tried to stick together. No matter what happens we
play together and stick together to the end.” The team now hopes that the culture and experiences it has built this year will translate to more success next season. The team will go into next season missing its central piece in Delaney-Smith, who has dedicat-
ed the last 40 years to creating a successful program at Harvard, winning 11 conference titles and nearly 69 percent of her conference games in becoming the winningest head coach in Ivy League history. oscar.mercado@thecrimson.com
WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY
Harvard’s Historic Year Ends In NCAA Tournament By CHRISTOPHER D. WRIGHT CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Harvard traveled to Ridder Arena, the site of its last NCAA tournament game in 2015, hoping to kick off a success-
ful NCAA tournament run. Its tournament run started with a matchup versus a familiar foe, the University of Minnesota Duluth; the Crimson had already lost to the Bulldogs twice during the regular season and
looked to change its fortune. After 60 minutes of play and the final buzzer, UMD advanced to the quarterfinals as the Bulldogs (25-11-1, 19-8-1 WCHA) used Gabbie Hughes’ hat trick to coast to a 4-0 victo-
ry over Harvard (22-10-1, 16-5-1 ECAC). “Duluth got the better of us today,” said Crimson coach Katey Stone. Only 39 seconds into the game, UMD kicked off the scor-
CANADA’S SHOT TALENT Senior forward Brooke Jovanovich skates up the ice during the Crimson’s 4-3 overtime win over RPI in December. She fired a team leading seven shots in the game against Duluth. ANGELA DELA CRUZ—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
ing when forward Elizabeth Giguere delivered a pass from behind the goal that was sent into the back of the cage by Hughes. Around two minutes later, Harvard tried to mount an offensive of its own. After a series of saves, junior forward Kristin Della Rovere sent a shot that narrowly missed and hit the pipe. Intense back and forth continued throughout the period without any addition to the scoreboard. This was due in large part to the defensive effort of Crimson senior goalie Becky Dutton who bounced back after the early score to save seven shots in the period. “Becky was a huge pillar for us and I wish we could have given her more,” senior defender Emma Buckles said. The beginning of the second period was almost identical to the first. Harvard fell behind two goals after Anna Klein delivered a pass that was scorched into the back of the net from just inside the faceoff circle by Hughes. Midway through the second, the Bulldogs extended their lead when Hughes fired a shot from close range. The goal resulted in the first collegiate hat trick for the 2022 Patty Kazmaier finalist, an award that is given annually to the best division 1 women’s hockey player. Despite a three goal differential, both teams were tied at 19 shots after the second frame. “They took advantage of their opportunities and we were playing catchup for the entire 60 minutes,” Stone said.
Six minutes into the final frame, McKenzie Hewett scored off a wrist shot to extend the UMD lead to four. The Crimson went on the power play with 13 minutes left in the game after the Bulldogs were assessed a two minute minor for body checking. However, it was unable to score and thus its comeback chances flickered out. UMD’s first line of Klein, Hughes, and Giguere proved to be the difference in the matchup. The lineup, consisting of a former Patty Kazmaier winner and a 2022 finalist, accounted for all of the goals and assists throughout the first two periods. “They’re a phenomenal line, there is no going against that,” Dutton said. When reflecting on the season in the post-game press conference, Stone highlighted one characteristic that she thought was core to the identity of the team. “The heart and soul of this team is nothing to be reckoned with,” Stone said. For Harvard, the first round exit was a sad ending to an otherwise successful season. The season was the most successful for the Crimson since the 2015 season that featured a run to the NCAA tournament championship game. Harvard claimed the Beanpot Championship, Ivy League Championship, and ECAC regular season title all for the first time since 2015. christopher.wright@thecrimson.com