The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873
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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 42
| CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS
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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2022
OP ED PAGE 4
NEWS PAGE 5
SPORTS PAGE 6
My mother tongue is on her deathbed; Harvard can help save her
Arnold Arboretum celebrates 150th anniversary
Women’s tennis wraps up non-conference play with back-to-back victories
Deleted Tweet Hints at Yardfest Star Tuition Case Revived by Judge By VIVI E. LU
CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Rapper Swae Lee appears in line to perform at Harvard’s first in-person Yardfest concert since 2019 after the artist tweeted — and then deleted — a spring performance schedule that included a Harvard Yard event on the day of the festival. This year’s concert — the first in-person Yardfest in two years — is scheduled to take place on April 10 in Harvard’s Tercentenary Theater. On Saturday, Swae Lee posted a screenshot showing a list of college performance dates with the caption “college dates for this month…” The schedule included events at George Washington University and the University of Mississippi. The post was deleted on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement to The Crimson, Harvard College spokesperson Aaron Goldman wrote, “We look forward to announcing our guest artist for Yardfest in the coming days.” Swae Lee did not respond to a Twitter direct message on Tuesday afternoon. Nicholas E. Kelly ’23 and Nicole T. Rozelman ’23 — the
SEE YARDFEST PAGE 5
By CARA J. CHANG and ISABELLA B. CHO CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
This year’s Yardfest is scheduled to take place on April 10 in Harvard’s Tercentenary Theater.
ADDISON Y. LIU—CRIM-
SON PHOTOGRAPHER
In June 2021, Massachusetts District Court Judge Indira Talwani dismissed a class action lawsuit against Harvard University asking for partial tuition reimbursement for semesters with virtual classes. Nearly a year later, a new judge assigned to the case has revived it. Judge Angel Kelley reversed Talwani’s dismissal of the lawsuit in March, but ruled that the case could only extend to students enrolled at the Law School, the Graduate School of Education, and the School of Public Health during the spring 2020 semester. In March 2020, Harvard moved classes online for the remainder of the semester as it closed its campus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the original suit filed in May 2020, plaintiffs across the University called for tuition reimbursement for any semester limited to virtual learning.
Belfer Center Launches Program By MILES J. HERSZENHORN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
The Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center is launching a new discussion series called Africa in Focus to explore recent political upheaval and significant foreign policy disputes within the continent. The discussion series was created by Natalie O. Colbert, executive director of the Belfer Center, and HKS students Hadja Diallo, Kadijatou “Kadija” Diallo, and Nicholas J. L. Sung. The first event of the series will be held on March 31 and focus on populism in Sudan and Ethiopia. Kadija Diallo said the significance of having programming centered around the continent outshines the actual geopolitical focus of the events. “The importance of this series is less about the topics that it’s covering, and more about just putting a spotlight on the continent,” she said. “And real-
ly putting a spotlight on thinkers coming from the continent, and focusing on the continent, and really engaging with Africa on its terms.” Kadija Diallo, who has family in Senegal, said she was inspired to work on the discussion series because she felt the Kennedy Schools lacked events about Africa. “There’s only one class specifically focused on Africa, which is called Africa in Global Politics,” she said, referring to a course taught by Harvard Kennedy School lecturer Zoe Marks. “This year [the course] was only a half-semester module, so as of right now, there’s no class at HKS for the end of this semester.” “The theme of the series came out of general interest from the student body,” she added. “But the motivation for the work itself was out of
SEE BELFER PAGE 5
By FELICIA HE and JAMES R. JOLIN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
ly low, Siddiqui told The Crimson she is looking forward to focusing on issues like universal pre-K, a fare-free bus pilot, and affordable housing. Siddiqui also said she hopes to spend more time interacting in-person with residents. Siddiqui touted Cambridge RISE — a guaranteed income pilot program she helped launch — as a pandemic-era policy worth continuing and expanding. Shde also said the pandemic created a greater sense of urgency for responding to inequities in education. “We can look at universal pre-K and the importance of that, and how so much has been exacerbated by the pandemic,” she said. “What is different is that urgency is there.” When the plan for universal pre-K in Cambridge was unveiled last month, some members of the Council and School Committee argued that the
Tender Foods, a food technology startup co-founded by four Harvard-affiliated researchers that produces alternative meats, is preparing for a product launch later this year. The company, which produces plant-based meat spun from liquid polymers, is one of 27 startups launched in fiscal year 2021 to commercialize innovations from Harvard research labs. Tender Foods specializes in products that have a unique texture, structure, and ultimately taste, according to its founders. “A lot of the stuff that tries to mimic meat is textured, but it’s not fibrous, so it’s aligned and it’s a block of stuff, but it’s not individual fibers,” said Luke A. MacQueen, one of the startup’s co-founders and a Harvard postdoctoral researcher in Bioengineering. The Tender Foods’ products will better mimic the texture of real meat, MacQueen said. MacQueen co-founded the company alongside three other Harvard affiliates: Bioengineering and Applied Physics professor Kevin K. “Kit” Parker, Grant M. Gonzalez ’13, and SEAS researcher Christophe Chantre. The fibers in Tender Foods meat are made using technology developed by Parker and his colleagues. The research group studied rotary jet-spinning, which uses centrifugal force to elongate liquid polymers into fibers. MacQueen likened the device to a “cotton candy machine” that works with different kinds of proteins. The technology was initially used for various other purposes, including organ regeneration: in 2017, the researchers managed to spin nanofibers into biocompatible heart valves. Two years later, they showed the same could be done with gelatin scaffolds to hold animal muscle cells. “Every lesson learned from
SEE SIDDIQUI PAGE 3
SEE START-UP PAGE 3
The Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs is housed in the Harvard Kennedy School.
MEIMEI XU—CRIM-
SON PHOTOGRAPHER
By KATERINA V. CORR and ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui pictured in her Cambridge City Hall office last Thursday for an interview. KATERINA V. CORR—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
Harvard Today 2
News 3
Editorial 4
SEE TUITION PAGE 5
Affiliates Launch Food Tech Start-up
Siddiqui Discusses Her Second Term as Mayor
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
At its core, the lawsuit alleges there was a “breach of contract” between the University and its students during the pandemic: Students enrolled at Harvard had a “reasonable expectation” of in-person classes and amenities but received a virtual education while paying the same fees, it argues. “Indeed, there is no plausible excuse for [Harvard] to retain and continue to charge full tuition and fees when it did not provide—and has no plans to provide—the promised educational services,” an August 2020 filing from the original lawsuit reads, adding that the University’s conduct was “unjust and inequitable.” Altogether, students suffered damages exceeding $5 million, the lawsuit alleges. In October 2020, Harvard asked the district court to dismiss the case, arguing that the University did not breach a contractual promise for in-person education and that Harvard had the right to move instruction
Sports 6
With her second term well underway, Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui said in a Thursday interview that she hopes to break out of the mold of “pandemic mayor.” After serving two years on the Cambridge City Council, Siddiqui was sworn into her first term as mayor in January 2020 — a term that was largely defined by Cambridge’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Siddiqui was unanimously elected to a second term by the Council, becoming the first female mayor in Cambridge history to serve two consecutive terms. “When the term started, it felt like déjà vu,” Siddiqui said, referring to the spread of the Omicron variant. “It really did feel like, ‘Oh my God, is this going to be another term as pandemic mayor?’” With Covid-19 case numbers in Cambridge now relative-
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
MARCH 30, 2022
PAGE 2
HARVARD TODAY
For Lunch BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich Chicken Fingers Vegan Creamy Pasta
For Dinner Bulgogi Chicken Locally Caught Fresh Fish Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu
TODAY’S EVENTS Overcome Performance Anxiety Virtual, 2 -3 p.m.
IN THE REAL WORLD
If you are stressed about academics or if public speaking gives you anxiety, the Counseling and Mental Health Services is running an ongoing workshop to introduce practices that can help reduce the impact anxiety can have on your life and performance.
Second Booster Shots Approved for Adults 50 or Over
The FDA has approved a second round of Covid boosters for those who are 50 or over and some immunocompromised people. Some experts believe a fourth dose may not be necessary and that the lack of an official endorsement from the CDC could lead to confusion.
EFoS: History & Literature Open House Barker Center Tent , 4-5 p.m. If you are considering concentrating in History & Literature or just want to learn more about the department, this open house is the perfect opportunity to meet faculty and current concentrators to ask your questions!
Russia Announces a Reduction in Attacks on Ukraine
Temperatures dropped and flurries arrived as the week began on Harvard’s campus.
TRUONG L.
NGUYEN—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
While delegates from both Russia and Ukraine met for peace talks in Istanbul, Russia claimed that it will reduce attacks on Ukraine. However, doubts remain on whether Russia will go through with its announcement.
Upcoming Foo Fighters Concerts Canceled
AROUND THE IVIES
Annual Henri Zerner Lecture: Christiane Baumgartner’s Monumental Woodcuts Harvard Art Museums, 6-7:30 p.m.
CORNELL: Students Experience Frustration Over University’s Mental Health Resources —THE CORNELL DAILY SUN
Join German artist Christian Baumgartner in her lecture where she will be discussing her recent works and exploring image perception as it relates to the graphic arts.
COLUMBIA: Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Prohibit Legacy and Early Admissions
After the unfortunate death of Foo Fighters’s drummer, Taylor Hawkins, the band has announced that they will be canceling all of their upcoming tour concerts. They will be taking the time, instead, to grieve and to heal.
Yale: Law School Dean Breaks Silence on Major Protest—THE YALE DAILY NEWS Policies Statewide —THE COLUMBIA SPECTATOR
DARTMOUTH: Ukrainian Students Seek Additional Support, Sensitivity From College Community in Wake of Russian Invasion—THE DARTMOUTH
COVID UPDATES
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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY Harvard: Free Tuition for Families Earning Under $60K Harvard families that earn less than $60,000 are now no longer expected to pay for school tuition. Previously, families that earned less than $40,000 would have their children’s tuition, room, and board waived.
March 30, 2006
Harvard Researchers Isolate Protein Required By Cancer Dr. M. Judah Folkman announced Monday that his research team had isolated a protein called tumor; angiogenesis factor (TAF) used for tumor growth.
March 30, 1972
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
STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE Arts Chairs Sofia Andrade ’23-’24 Jaden S. Thompson ’23
Design Chairs Yuen Ting Chow ’23 Madison A. Shirazi ’23-’24
Magazine Chairs Maliya V. Ellis ’23-’24 Sophia S. Liang ’23
Multimedia Chairs Aiyana G. White ’23 Pei Chao Zhuo ’23
Blog Chairs Ellen S. Deng ’23-’24 Janani Sekar ’23-’24
Technology Chairs Ziyong Cui ’24 Justin Y. Ye ’24
Sports Chairs Alexandra N. Wilson ’23-’24 Griffin H. Wong ’24
Night Editor Juliet E. Isselbacher ’22 Assistant Night Editor Audrey M. Apollon ’24 Rohan Rajeev ’25 Story Editors Jasper G. Goodman ’23 Kelsey J. Griffin ’23 Taylor C. Peterman ’23-’24 Kevin A. Simauchi ’21-’22
Design Editors Camille G. Caldera ’22 Ashley R. Masci ’24 Photo Editor Addison Y. Liu ’25 Editorial Editor Gemma J. Schneider ’23 Sports Editor Bridget T. Sands ’23-’24
CORRECTIONS Copyright 2022, The Harvard Crimson (USPS 236-560). No articles, editorials, cartoons or any part thereof appearing in The Crimson may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the President. The Associated Press holds the right to reprint any materials published in The Crimson. The Crimson is a non-profit, independent corporation, founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. Second-class postage paid in Boston, Massachusetts. Published Monday through Friday except holidays and during vacations, three times weekly during reading and exam periods by The Harvard Crimson Inc., 14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138 Weather icons made by Freepik, Yannick, Situ Herrera, OCHA, SimpleIcon, Catalin Fertu from flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY 3.0.
The March 29 story “UC Removes Election Day Question” incorrectly stated the Harvard Votes Challenge called for a UC referendum question asking students if they support designating Election Day as an instruction-free University holiday to be included as part of a referendum next semester, instead of this term. In fact, individual members of the group asked for the vote to be pushed.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
MARCH 30, 2022
START-UP FROM PAGE 1
SIDDIQUI FROM PAGE 1
SEAS Affiliates Launch Start-up
Siddiqui Talks Second-Term Goals
building tissues for regenerative medicine was applicable to building tissue to eat,” Parker wrote in an email. MacQueen said he is excited to see the variety of meats that might emerge from the startup’s technology.
There’s good things coming down the road. Luke A. MacQueen Tender Foods Co-Founder
“When those fibers are spun and collected into a system, they can be tailored to be like the meat products people enjoy, whether they be as simple as a chicken breast or much more complicated layered structures,” he said.
“Those can all be made in an artisanal way, starting with this very basic building block,” MacQueen added. The research received funding from the Harvard Office of Technology Development and Harvard’s Wyss Institute. “The first efforts to patent discoveries from my lab pertaining to meat were shot down by OTD” around 2006, Parker wrote. “We kept pushing.” MacQueen said he is excited to introduce Tender Foods’ products to the public. “As a young startup, we’ve had to kind of stay under the radar a little bit, but there’s good things coming down the road,” he said. “I ate some this morning,” Parker added in an email. “It was delicious.” felicia.he@thecrimson.com james.jolin@thecrimson.com
timeline for implementation was too long. Siddiqui agreed but noted the difficulties of expediting the policy’s implementation. “I think it’s going to really take a lot of momentum from the schools and the city,” she said. Siddiqui also said she is heartened by her office’s partnership with Lesley University to pilot an early college program for Cambridge Rindge and Latin School students. The first cohort in this program, composed of 48 students, began taking classes at Lesley in January. In addition to prioritizing educational opportunities, Siddiqui also said she looks forward to refining plans for a farefree bus pilot. “We saw during the pandemic why and who [needs] public transit and building on what Boston is doing, really showing that bus and transit can be free,” she said. “It’s an equity issue, but it also goes back to a lot of environmental justice, environ-
mental sustainability goals.” Last month, Siddiqui organized a fare-free bus program working group, which will be chaired by Councilor Burham Azeem. “My dad has never driven in this country, he’s never had a car, he doesn’t know how to drive,” Siddiqui said. “For the last 20, 30 years, he’s taken buses.” “There’s so many people like him,” Siddiqui added. “I think we should make it free for them and then, you know, free for everyone.” One of the major issues facing the Council is its search for Cambridge’s next city manager, the most influential government post in the city. The current city manager, Louis A. DePasquale, will retire in July. With the search still ongoing, some councilors have called for the Council to take a bigger role in duties traditionally reserved for the manager, such as the preparation of the city budget.
Divinity School Fellow Presents Artwork By KENNETH GU CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Taurean J. Webb, an instructor at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and a Harvard Divinity School fellow, presented a collaborative art exhibition called “Ye Shall Inherit the Earth & Faces of the Divine” at a virtual event sponsored by the Divinity School. The event — “A Home for the Human Spirit: Cultural Activism and the Moral Imagination in the Inherit Art Project” — was part of a series by the Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative at HDS. The virtual event included a preface to the work by Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary professor Brian Bantum, a video trailer, and
an interview with a featured artist. In spearheading the project, Webb hopes to reimagine links between Black and Palestinian identities and highlight “Black-Palestinian transnational solidarity and the shared joys and the shared fears.” “While this project and this conversation isn’t a move to kind of universalize Blackness or Palestinianness or exceptionalize them in these weird sorts of ways, it is an argument for and a project about constantly recasting and recasting and recasting and redeploying how we might imagine what I sometimes call these transnational resonances,” Webb said. Webb said he hoped to build on the work activists and schol-
ars have already begun in recognizing these connections and create a new “entry point” for those who were not as familiar with Palestine. “I wanted to offer them a place to enter, hoping that when they saw people who reminded them of themselves, and they aunties and they sisters and they grandmamas and they cousins that they begin to see humanity a bit more broadly,” Webb said. Webb’s project features both the work of and interviews with various artists to highlight the Black-Palestinian experience and connect it with a broader discussion of humanity. “I gathered about 15 artists — visual artists — from both the African diaspora and Pales-
Cambridge affordable housing, said her personal experience informs her desire for more affordable development in the city.
We want someone who can really look to the future. Sumbul Siddiqui Cambridge Mayor
“My priority is to have more affordable housing in Cambridge, and how we do that, I don’t necessarily care for the details,” Siddiqui said. “I know the benefits, no matter what it looks like, and however tall it is.” “I grew up in towers. And people now call those buildings really ugly,” she added. “But if it weren’t for those buildings, I wouldn’t be here.” katerina.corr@thecrimson.com elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com
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tinian exiled migration together into a visual arts exhibition that uses portraiture as a way to reflect on the relationship between humanity and the sacred,” Webb said.
I wanted to offer them a place to enter.
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Taurean J. Webb HDS Fellow
A traveling exhibition created from the project will continue to move around the U.S., and Webb plans to release a film in 2023. kenneth.gu@thecrimson.com
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Siddiqui said she is waiting to hear the conclusions of a charter commission tasked with reevaluating the relationship between the city manager and the Council before taking a firm position. Still, she said the Council could have “more of a role” in some areas. “The relationship with the city manager and the Council — how can it be changed?” Siddiqui said. “I think, really, it’s for the commission to decide.” The Council recently released a “leadership profile” for potential candidates and plans to appoint a new manager in the summer. “We want someone who can really look to the future,” Siddiqui said. “Think about how we expand affordable housing, how we improve transportation infrastructure.” “The greatest challenge [for the next manager] will be, how do we move the needle in these areas as quickly as possible?” Siddiqui added. Siddiqui, who grew up in
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
MARCH 30, 2022
PAGE 4
EDITORIAL OP-ED
COLUMN
My Mother Tongue Is on Her Deathbed By SAMEER M. KHAN
I
have a confession to make: I took Latin in high school. Revealing this part of my past is always a gamble within Harvard’s gates — some are captivated by my choice, others frankly baffled — but I hold tight to it. Latin and I go back; admittedly, only a fraction of the language’s nearly 3,000-yearold existence, but we’ve had each other since the dramatically-humbling experience of seventh grade, which, by all accounts, gave the actual Dark Ages a run for their money. And of course, I must affirm that Latin is, indeed, dead. I hardly equivocate about befriending (or, perhaps, being haunted by) the ghost of a language. But Latin’s very death was precisely what mesmerized me about it: The language was inextricable from its history, and I was fascinated by what the ancient nooks and crannies of Latin literature could reveal to me about the collapse of its almighty civilization. I dedicated five years of my life to that history, to the firm prose of Cicero and the lush poetry of Vergil that, in all of their antiquity, seemed to resurrect an entire people from their grave. But while I had been so diligently dusting the tombstone of one dead language, I hadn’t realized that, at the very same time, I had been sealing the grave of my own people’s mother tongue right behind me — that breathing life into Latin meant that I had been suffocating Kashmiri, the language of my ancestors. Unlike with Latin, I cannot defend my proficiency in Kashmiri: I do not know Kashmiri, and I never have. My parents are both fluent speakers of the language, which is guttural yet melodic, nurtured by its Persian, Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Dardic ancestors but hardened by Kashmir’s own distinct history of colonialism; still, my sister and I failed to absorb even a crumb of our linguistic heritage.
This failure torments my family. My parents, my sister, and I collectively bear the guilt of complicity in Kashmiri’s impending extinction within our own family tree. And for a language attributed to only seven million native speakers, what does the vanishing of one lineage of Kashmiri mean? As settler-colonial politics continue to dictate the pulse of Kashmir, the most militarized area on Earth, in whose hands does the future of Kashmiri rest if not those of Kashmiri families like my own? That my neglect of Kashmiri for Latin proved so fatal is endemic to an academic landscape — from primary to professional education — where lack of representation is malignant. And when this lack presents in an institution as commanding as Harvard, it metastasizes, reproducing feelings of invisibility and insignificance that have characterized the experience of students from marginalized groups for generations. Indeed, before course enrollment each semester, my eyes glitter in shameless hope for what I might find about my motherland; yet, time after time, my Crimson Cart consistently locates little to no returns on the search terms, “Kashmir,” “Kashmiri,” or any permutation of my identity for which I would beg to see made visible in this institution. Remarkably, this year, introductory, intermediate, and advanced instruction in Kashmiri are supervised (but not taught) through Harvard’s South Asian Studies Department, albeit for the first time in years and “according to the academic needs of students,” rather than pure intellectual curiosity. On the other hand, of the four courses I’ve managed to excavate from years of course offerings that, even for one unit, center Kashmiri culture, only one is offered this entire academic year. Even so, its narrow focus on Kashmiri Brahmins largely obscures the contributions and traditions of lower-caste and Muslim Kashmiris, satisfy-
ing the very same impulse for invisibility that is so often embedded into the structures of courses at Harvard. I’d like to think, though, that universities, especially Harvard, share the responsibility to keep my people’s history alive. In many ways, Harvard is an arbiter of belonging; it sculpts national priorities and, in the process, shapes what and who matters (or doesn’t) as the world watches. To forget is political, but for Harvard to consciously remember Kashmir — to engrave my people into the memory of this institution — would be an even more profoundly political move, an act of resistance against an international architecture bent on forgetting and disenfranchising Kashmiri experiences. Ultimately, for the people of Kashmir and other communities whose lives exist largely on fault lines, a helping hand from Harvard would be intensely symbolic. It would ensure that, as scholars, we can approach the diversity this world has to offer not as archaeologists disentombing a long-gone past, but as individuals committed to protecting and cherishing the still-beating heart of our world today. Harvard will, of course, not save Kashmir — I never expected it to do so. But its support could very well immortalize Kashmir as a place, a history, and a people worth saving. Here, then, lies the future of Kashmir within Harvard’s walls: an opportunity not just for mere representation of Kashmir at this University, but for an intentional, proud celebration of Kashmiri history and language. And I pray to see the same kind of belonging for the traditions of other underrepresented communities on campus — otherwise, I fear too many other students may not be able to save their cultures from their deathbeds before it’s too late. —Sameer M. Khan ’24, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a History of Science and Social Anthropology concentrator in Adams
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Đoàn: Making a Name for Myself By RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN
I
can already imagine the faces. Crinkled noses, slack-mouthed gapes, eyebrows drawing together in frustration — or maybe worry. Three lines creep across their foreheads, accompanied by a nervous scratch of the jaw, a bite of the lip, or a clasping of sweaty hands. Perhaps I’m at a restaurant reserving a table for two. Or I’m at Annenberg, exchanging numbers with someone I just met. No matter the circumstance, my new name will warrant confusion to all who dare speak it. The same words will inevitably present themself: Could you repeat that? On New Year’s Eve of this year, I printed out Form CJP 27, got it notarized at the local Commerce Bank, and tenderly placed it in a manila folder alongside a certified, long-form copy of my birth certificate and a CVS money order of $180. One last deliberation, one final breath, and I slipped out of the house without telling a soul, taking the family car through miles of Central Mass. woodland to file for a name change. The process to turn Ryan Nguyen into Ryan Đoàn-Nguyen had begun. Ryan Đoàn-Nguyen. It’s quite the mouthful for the average English speaker, bound to make taking attendance a hell of an experience. But when I stepped into the biting December air after an hour at the Worcester Probate and Family Court, a gust of wind collapsing onto my cheek, Ryan Đoàn-Nguyen was what I shouted into the skies, and it felt perfect. I felt like a new hire entering the workplace of their dream job. Like a housewife leaving her marriage after years of discontent. I was standing at the steps of a reimagined future — an ocean of possibility. New name. New year. New me. Yet every time I tell people about my name change, they never fail to remind me of the pains of hyphenated life. Think of the struggle with medical documents
and plane tickets, the computer systems and insurance, points out my father, with the economical attitude of an engineer. Imagine spelling your name over the phone, and consider the time it’ll take for your Harvard records and email address to reflect the change, informs my academic advisor. We already butcher your last name, joke my friends, a second part will be impossible. Believe me, though. I’ve run through every scenario, every pain and troubling obstacle, a thousand times over. This name change was never a spur-of-themoment decision. It was the culmination of months of dreaming as I rummaged through articles of others who’d done it themselves, countless hours researching mass.gov to understand Massachusetts name change law inside and out, and one too many sleepless nights spent conducting mental cost-benefit analysis on the tiles of my ceiling. It was the apex of head-scratching reflection and the jolting realization that what I had carried for 19 years through this world would no longer be the same. Still, the concerned relative asks: Why on Earth am I making my already difficult name even harder? The love I have for my family is paramount. Đoàn, my current middle name, is my mother’s name. It takes me to the handbuilt house of Ông Ngoai, my grandfather, and scorching summers spent in West Coast sun. It brings me back to eight aunts and one spirited uncle, their laughter spilling through the screen door into sticky evening air as we reset the mahjong table for our twentieth round. It carries me to youthful moments in the company of twelve cousins — chasing geckos together across stucco walls; sledding down grassy hills on tacky pieces of cardboard; sharing bites of backyard-grown mangosteen, soursop, and dragon’s eye; and placing bets with dollar bills as we hover cross-legged around a bau cua cá cop mat.
Đoàn ties me to Bà Ngoai, my grandmother, who inspires the life I want to lead. Đoàn is the two of us conversing into the thick of night to the hums of crickets and cicadas, her spinning tales with that signature fierce aura about her. Đoàn is her chronicling the murder of her mother, the dreams of American liberty, the spine-chilling moments she hid under floorboards with ten children, breaths held as the men above searched for traitors. Đoàn is the South China Sea’s sharp sting when they reached Pulau Bidong and capsized the overcrowded fishing boat. Đoàn is refusing to be pushed back into the deadly waves. Đoàn is equal parts joyous and painful. Đoàn is messy. Đoàn is crooked. Đoàn is home. And there’s a deliberateness to the changing of my name — in challenging the fated, predetermined, and powerful — that imbues me with a newfound sense of agency. Perhaps bringing my mother to the forefront of my name constitutes just the slightest act of resistance against patriarchal, patrilineal, and patrilocal Vietnamese customs. Maybe systemic change can come from forcing people to stumble on yet another foreign syllable in this country where my language once wasn’t welcome. The satisfaction might be due in part to my silly desire to be the only one on campus with my name (yes, there’s another Ryan Nguyen in Harvard’s Class of ’25). All I know is that my new name feels right, and that’s enough of a reason for me. A name is the one passed-down thing you forever carry with you. Should your house burn down or your belongings disappear, you still have your name. So, throw all the hurdles you want at me. Mispronounce me as many times as you want. I’m making my name mine, and I’m wearing it with honor. —Ryan H. Doan-Nguyen ’25, a Crimson News comper, lives in Matthews Hall.
Mother Nature Was an English Major Mireya Sánchez-Maes INSECT INSIGHTS
I
t is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single student in possession of a Harvard degree, must be in want of a high-paying job. However little known the feelings or views of such a student may be upon their first entering the College, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the populace that innocent first-years flock to the altars of CS and Econ with little regard for the trivial frivolities of History and Literature. I mean, sure, they’ll take a distributional Philosophy class, and heck, maybe even minor in Music if the credits line up! But major? “Pffft. I’d like to be employed, thank you very much.” Yikes. Talk about pride and prejudice, am I right? Well listen up undergrads, ’cause I’m about to blow your minds. Those mythical jobs in the arts? They’re real, and your friends in the humanities are trying to get them. But contrary to popular belief, the greatest thing standing in their way isn’t job scarcity or talent saturation. No, the truth is far ghastlier than that, for those brave enough to major in the humanities must also face… sarcastic comments!
Talk about pride and prejudice, am I right? Well listen up undergrads, ’cause I’m about to blow your minds. Those mythical jobs in the arts? They’re real, and your friends in the humanities are trying to get them. I know. The stakes have never been so high. But seriously. Why are y’all hating on the humanities so much? Between all the musical bullying and “yo… how are you gonna live, tho?” majoring in the humanities feels a lot like joining a Harvard improv troupe — no one wants to do it. Which is a bummer (for them, of course) because there’s nothing cooler than saying “yes, and…” to music and art. Also, as Harvard’s sole entomological opinion columnist, I’m obligated to mention that some of nature’s coolest insects majored in the humanities. (Yup - this is a scientifically accurate phenomenon that definitely happens.) So in honor of these cool critters, I’m going to highlight mother nature’s savviest insects – the humanities majors. First up are Pottery Wasps. These visual artists spend hours fashioning custom pottery with their very own mandibles. And by laying their eggs inside the masonry, they prove that it’s not impossible to use your art to put a roof over your family’s head! But despite spending long hours crafting nature’s most intricate ceramic masterpieces, NO ONE cares. These wasps literally have to paralyze larvae and drag them into the pots – just to show off their art! They shouldn’t have to do that! People should just come to their art showings! Why are art shows so empty guys? Please come. Please? Next up are cicadas – the unsung heroes of the insect world! (Ha ha). They spend their time harmonizing and singing show tunes, but they really don’t get enough credit for how cool their vibe is. In fact, cicadas have a lot of haters. Birds, reptiles, fish, spiders, wasps, and pets all consider them easy targets just because they chose to funnel their evolutionary talents into something other than athletic prowess. But you know what? Singing is cool, too! Let’s get those singers some varsity sweaters, shall we? The Caddisfly larvae use silk they’ve strung to their back to form a protective case around their body. That’s right, these sexy beasts knit their own clothes. They have a lot of imitators, too. As one of the most common aquatic prey, Caddisfly larvae are mass produced in stores and used by fishermen to try and trick fish. In other words: Caddisflies are trendsetters that everyone wants to copy but no one can. Harvard College knitting club, anyone? “Anobium punctatums” (A.K.A. bookworms) have devoured everything from Moby Dick to Twilight: Breaking Dawn, the Extended Edition. Oh, you didn’t know there was an extended version? Well there is and these guys have eaten it all up. They live in Lamont and know everything about everything. They’re English majors. Very cool. Last, but not least, we have the Death Feigning Beetle. These thespians can perform (or play dead) at the drop of the hat. They spend their whole lives perfecting their craft and reading Judith Butler’s performance theory only to be barraged by incredulous STEM majors. “Can you even use acting in real life?” “Yes,” replies the Death Feigning Beetle. “For example, just right now I am pretending to be interested in this conversation.” So yeah. The humanities are great. And real talk? The immense privilege that accompanies ANY Harvard degree is insane. Is this fair? No. Does it make sense? Not really. But will it help you out if you choose to pursue a creative profession? You betcha. So if you’re living with this privilege and STILL hating on the humanities, perhaps the real thing stopping you is the fear of deviating from predefined paths. So the next time someone tells you they’re majoring in the humanities, don’t laugh and offer to pay for their unemployment. I mean, if you REALLY wanna donate money, I guess that’s fine. I could use some new socks. But other than that, a simple, “Woah, cool! Please invite me to your film screening,” will suffice. —Mireya Sánchez-Maes ’24 is a joint concentrator in English and Theater, Dance, and Media in Currier House. Her column “Insect Insights” appears on alternate Wednesdays.
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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |
YARDFEST FROM PAGE 1
Deleted Tweet Hints at Yardfest co-presidents of the Harvard College Events Board, which organizes Yardfest — did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Swae Lee, an American rapper hailing from Mississippi, is known for songs like “Black Beatles” with Gucci Mane, “Unforgettable” with French Montana, and “Sunflower” with Post Malone. “Sunflower” topped the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 2020. Swae Lee released his debut album “SremmLife” in 2015 as part of the hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd, alongside his broth-
er Slim Jxmmi, and has since collaborated with artists such as Nicki Minaj, Camila Cabello, and Drake. The College canceled Yardfest in 2020 and held a virtual event featuring Aminé and Trevor Daniel last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hundreds of students turned out for the last in-person Yardfest in 2019, when Bazzi and Kiara performed. Previous Yardfests have featured artists including Lil’ Yachty, Wale, Steve Aoki, and Jessie J. vivi.lu@thecrimson.com
MARCH 30, 2022
Arboretum Celebrates Anniversary By EMILY Y. FENG and ANDREW M. LU CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
The Arnold Arboretum celebrated its 150th anniversary with a special lecture at its Weld Hill Research Building on Tuesday afternoon. The event featured a discussion of the Arboretum’s history, including its founding and primary benefactors. Lisa E. Pearson, head of the Arboretum’s Horticultural Library and Archives, delivered a lecture on the institution’s origin story at the event. “It’s a story that actually starts early in the 19th century with two Massachusetts merchants, Benjamin Bussey and James Arnold, who made requests in the middle of the century to encourage education in
TUITION FROM PAGE 1
botany, horticulture, and agricultural science,” Pearson said. Bussey, a successful businessman in the early 1800s, helped found the Arboretum by donating land to Harvard. Arnold, also a businessman, participated in several horticultural organizations and reserved some of his assets to go toward agricultural causes in his will. On March 29, 1872, the Arnold Arboretum was officially born after George B. Emerson — a member of the Class of 1817 and a trustee of Arnold’s will — helped direct funds to establish it. “However, the institution as we know it today did not spring fully formed into existence on that date,” Pearson said. “It took about another 25 years of designing, political wrangling,
and labor.” Charles S. Sargent — a member of the Class of 1862 who served as the founding director of the Arboretum — worked closely with famed landscaping architect Frederick L. Olmsted to design the Arboretum’s public space. In a letter to Olmsted in 1885, Sargent wrote, “One function of an arboretum is to serve as a museum of living trees.” The city’s expenditures on the Arboretum’s construction were upwards of $650,000 at the time, according to Pearson. By 1900, Pearson said, “the landscape was finished and Charles Sargent could heave a well-deserved sigh of relief at a job well done.” The Arboretum includes both native and global plant
species. During an audience Q&A, Pearson gave examples of plants collected from North America, Eastern Asia, Europe, and Africa. Pearson acknowledged at the start of the event that Indigenous peoples inhabited the Arboretum’s lands for more than 7,000 years. “We’ve worked with the Massachusett tribe and with the Harvard Native American program to highlight that particular story,” Pearson said in an interview after the event. During the celebration, Arboretum Director William E. “Ned” Friedman outlined a broad vision for the living museum. “This is not simply a place where we grow trees,” Friedman said. “This is a place where people come together.”
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Tuition Refund Case Revived Belfer Center Launches New by Judge After Dismissal Program Focused on Africa online. Further, Harvard’s filing said that the lawsuit would require the courts to pass judgment on the quality of the University’s education in light of the school’s tuition — an “impossible” task. University spokesperson Jason A. Newton declined to comment on the lawsuit and Kelley’s reopening of the case. LeElle B. Slifer, an attorney for the plaintiffs and an Harvard Law School alumna, said she is “confident” that the court will side in favor of the students. “They cannot expect for students to pay the same amount for their tuition when they are not getting the benefits that they agreed to when they ma-
triculated at Harvard,” she said. “It is not fair to students.” Slifer also said the plaintiffs disagree with Kelley’s decision to limit the lawsuit’s scope. “We just don’t think that is a fair characterization to limit our claims to just spring of 2020,” she said. “We’re limited to it now, but there’s always a possibility we can appeal.” Abraham Barkhordar, one of the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit and a current third-year student at Harvard Law School, described the stark differences between his experience with in-person and online semesters. “The remote semesters lacked so much of the peer-topeer interaction — just meeting people in the laundry room
or as you’re walking around the dorms,” Barkhordar said. “That doesn’t happen online,” he added. Barkhordar also said that he believes it was the “right thing” to file the suit. “No matter how long it goes on, whatever the result is, it was right to bring it and it was right to at least try to hold the school responsible,” Barkhordar alsosaid. On March 7, the plaintiffs entered an amended complaint in accordance with Kelley’s ruling. Harvard has until April 4 to file its answer. cara.chang@thecrimson.com isabella.cho@thecrimson.com
recognizing the need that there’s no Africa-focused programming at HKS,” she added. Colbert explained that global crises can have a disproportionate impact on the continent, which is why she emphasized the necessity of paying attention to socio-economic and political issues specific to Africa. HKS.” Colbert explained that global crises can have a disproportionate impact on the continent, which is why she emphasized the necessity of paying attention to socio-economic and political issues specific to the continent of Africa. “A lot of the climate studies that are coming out will say that Africa — among other regions —
is facing a lot of the difficult impacts of climate change, while not also being necessarily the leading contributor, say, to carbon emissions,” Colbert also said. “Even if it doesn’t necessarily seem like some of these dynamics should be priorities, say, for the U.S. or for other big global powers, they are important in the context of countries in Africa who are grappling with these issues and looking to find solutions,” she added. Colbert said the programming is in its “nascent phase” of planning but noted she would like to add more events in the next academic year. “We would like to explore some additional discussion se-
ries, finite topics to take advantage of the current conversations that are happening,” she said. “Ahead of COP 27 next year, that’s being hosted in Egypt, I think there could be some interesting angles to explore, specifically on climate, climate security, [and] climate finance issues in Africa,” she said. Hadja Diallo said the issue is not that Africa is ignored but rather how the continent is treated during discussions on global politics. “Even when Africa is included in those conversations, it’s usually not as an equal player,” she said. miles.herszenhorn@thecrimson.com
From Weeks to Weld.
The Crimson thecrimson.com
SPORTS
UPCOMING
SCHEDULE
WEDNESDAY ______________________________________
FRIDAY ______________________________________
SATURDAY ______________________________________
Baseball vs. Holy Cross, 4:00pm, at Holy Cross
Men’s Volleyball vs. St. Francis Brooklyn, 7:00pm, at St. Francis Brooklyn
Women’s Heavyweight Crew vs. Cornell, at Weld Boathouse Women’s Lightweight Crew vs. Princeton and Georgetown, at Princeton
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Crimson Wraps Non-Conference Play with Victories By ARTHA JONASSAINT CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The No. 71 Crimson is heating up just in time for Ivy League action after it closed out non-conference play with two home wins over the weekend with a close 4-3 victory over the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a dominant 7-0 performance over Hofstra University. Harvard has now won three straight matches and remains a perfect 5-0 at home. “I’m really pleased with how our team performed this past weekend,” head coach Traci Green said. “We really showed a ton of grit, resilience, and I like the way we played together the entire time. I feel like we’re on an upward trajectory and it’s right in time for Ivy Season.” After finishing 2-2 on their road trip to Orlando, Fla. over spring break, the Crimson (9-7, 0-0 Ivy League) returned home to host the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (10-4, 3-0 Atlantic 10) on Saturday, March 26 and Hofstra University (2-7, 0-2 CAA) on Sunday, March 27. “Orlando was a really pivotal trip for our team,” junior Sophia Ho said. “It was really crucial for us to learn how to work together and learn what kind of mindsets our team performs best under. It’s really good that we have that [experience] under our belt now because we feel a lot more united, and we all feel like we’re working towards a common goal going into Ivies.” Harvard had a slow start in its match against the Minutewomen on Saturday as UMass secured the first point of the match in doubles play. While the Crimson’s top-seeded doubles team of first-years Maxi Duncan and Holly Fischer had a strong 6-3 victory, the
third-seeded pair of senior Rachel Lim and junior Kayla Leschly fell 2-6 to the Minutewomen. The second-seeded team of first-year Angel You and sophomore Iveta Daujotaite lost in a close 7-6 (4) tiebreaker as the visitors gained a one-point advantage in the best-of-seven point tiebreak. Heading into singles play with the disadvantage, Harvard needed a strong performance to secure the win. It did so by winning four of the six matches at the second, third, fifth, and sixth spots. You led 2-0 in the fifthseed contest before her UMass counterpart retired, giving Harvard its first point of the match. Sophomore Sany Gawande earned a solid 6-1, 6-1 victory at the number six spot while Duncan, the number two seed, won in straight sets 6-3, 6-3, and Fischer secured the win for the Crimson at the three spot in three tough sets, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3. “We’ve been in that position before, so I had complete confidence in our players that they would respond correctly, dig in, and bounce back,” Green said. “Top to bottom, everyone fought hard, and it just so happened to come down to the very last match, and Holly Fischer, one of our first-years, was able to pull it out for us.” Harvard looked sharp on Sunday in its 7-0 victory against Hofstra, not dropping a single set the entire match. This was just the second time this season that the Crimson won each match in straight sets. “Going into Sunday, our mindset was to compete, and they did just that,” Green said. “Again, from top to bottom, our girls really dominated the other
LIM IS LEGENDARY Senior Rachel Lim goes for a volley during a match against Boston College last November. OWEN A. BERGER—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
team. We really didn’t give them a chance. That was our goal and we wanted to end on a high note heading into Ivies.” The doubles team of Duncan and Fischer continued their strong weekend performance with a solid 6-3 win at the top spot. Lim and first-year Rachel Arbitman secured a 6-2 victory at the two-seed. You and Daujotaite recovered from their heartbreak loss on Saturday with a decisive 6-2 victory at the third-seeded doubles slot. On the singles side, Ho, se-
nior Rachel Eason, junior Mihaela Marculescu, Lim, Gawande, and Daujotaite all secured victories in straight sets over Hofstra. “None of us took the match too lightly,” Ho said. “We all wanted to give everything we had and really show, at our last match before the Ivies, we’re a team to be afraid of and a team that the other Ivies look out for. I think we did a good job of sending that message.” The back-to-back weekend wins mark a three-game win
streak for Harvard. Its momentum is timely as it begins conference play next week. Even with a hot streak, the Crimson is focused on taking the rest of its season one match at a time. “We are going into the Dartmouth match with a fighting mindset in the sense that it’s going to be a tough fight; every game that we play from now on is going to be an Ivy League game, so they’re all going to be close games, so we need to be ready for anything,” Ho said. As the team prepares for
their first conference match-up, Coach Green is confident in her team’s ability to show up strongly for the rest of the season. “I have confidence in everyone on our team to step up,” Coach Green said. “This is the time we play our best tennis at Harvard women’s tennis and we’re ready to do that.” The Crimson will look to extend its win streak this weekend as it kicks off Ivy League play against Dartmouth (6-7, 0-0 Ivy League) Saturday, April 2 in Hanover, N.H.
SKIING
Harvard Performs Strong in NCAA Championships By MADDIE B. BARKATE, MIMI S. KOENIG, and CAROLINE BEHRENS CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
Harvard skiing put up a strong performance at the recent 2022 NCAA Skiing Championships in Utah. The Crimson, led by junior nordic skier James Kitch and first-year alpine skier Matt Ryan, finished in the top 30 in every event. Kitch competed in the 10 kilometer classic, placing 26th with a 26:10.1 time, as well as the 20 kilometer free
style, finishing in just over 45 minutes. Ryan also had a strong showing for the Crimson, placing 28th after his second run in the giant slalom, advancing four spots on the overall leaderboard. On Friday, Ryan continued his strong form, finishing 30th in the slalom. Ryan noted that although he was disappointed in his result in the slalom, in which he was disqualified for straddling a gate, he was pleased with his placing in the giant slalom. It “was right about where I had anticipated,
based on my previous results this season,” he noted. Although just a first-year, Ryanmade an immediate impact for the Crimson. Typically finishing in the top 20 in his events, Ryan nabbed a career-best sixth place in slalom at the Dartmouth Carnival on Feb. 11-12 and ended eighth in the Colby Carnival on Jan. 1415. As the first Harvard male alpine skier to compete at the NCAA Championships since 1988, Ryan followed up on his consistent strong showings throughout the season, over-
coming his early disqualification and a weather delay that pushed his race back a day. “The postponement from Wednesday to Thursday definitely allowed for much better race conditions,” Ryan said. “I think the postponement added to the sense of anticipation, but we experience postponements all the time in ski racing, so I wouldn’t say it had any adverse effect on the outcome of the race. We just refocus for the following day and execute our plan.” After the delay, Ryan didn’t
waver, and came through with a strong 30th place finish in the slalom. Such focus undoubtedly contributed to the team’s strong performances all year, as the Crimson saw 12 different skiers finish within the top 25 at a Carnival. Kitch has been a steady presence for the Crimson the entire season, competing in all six Carnivals this year. He consistently placed in the top 30 throughout the season, including eight top 20 finishes. This was his third NCAA
POWDER TO THE PEOPLE Nordic skier James Kitch and alpine skier Matt Ryan finished their seasons by competing in the NCAA tournament. PHOTO COURTESY OF LILY KOFFMAN
Championship appearance, an event where, in 2020, he posted the best-ever Nordic time in Harvard history with his 13th place finish in the 10k freestyle. Kitch was quick to emphasize the differences between this NCAA run and his last. He attended his last NCAAs in March 2020 alone due to Harvard’s Covid travel regulations. “[I felt] so supported that whole week. It was all just really fun to be out in Utah for a week in March,” he said. Kitch attributed his success this season to one of the Crimson’s new assistant coaches, Brandon Herhusky. “I had an absolute blast working with him this year,” he said. “Brandon and Chris [City, the Paul J. Finnegan Family Head Coach for Harvard Nordic Skiing]...know me better than I think any coaches have known me before on how I respond to racing.” Although the Crimson are finished competing for the year, they have already begun preparations for next year’s season. “[The NCAAs] really invigorated my love for skiing, and I’m excited to do one last collegiate year next year,” Kitch said. After its strong performance in the NCAA Championships, Harvard has a strong foundation to build on over the offseason. “I felt really fortunate that the NCAA brought me out there, and I got to spend a week racing against some of the fastest people in the country,” Kitch said.”It was just a really great time.” Ryan echoed his sentiments: “As a team, we performed exceptionally well, breaking personal bests and records all season. I am proud of our team and am excited for next winter, as we have been progressively improving year over year.” madison.barkate@thecrimson.com miriam.koenig@thecrimson.com