Fall 2015 journal

The

HARVARD FOUNDATION Journal

FALL 2015

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

VOL. XXXV, NO.1.

NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE KAILASH SATYARTHI 2015 HARVARD HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

Guest speaker Pedro Martinez Baseball Hall of Famer, with baseball afficionado Michael Sandel, Harvard Professor of Government

Guest speaker the Hon. Nikki Haley Governor of South Carolina, with Catherine McLaughlin, Executive Director, Harvard JFK Institute of Politics

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HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, FALL 2015

Table of Contents FALL 2015 VOL. XXXV, NO.1.

Director’s Letter 3 Talking Affirmative Action Pros and Cons 4 Arab-Jewish Discussion on Israel and Palestine

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2015 Humanitarian of the Year Award to Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate

Students Meet the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year

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Reflection on Race with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley

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Pedro Martinez, Baseball Hall of Famer: A Pitcher with ‘No Space to Fail’

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Student Grant Summaries 16-17 In Memoriam 18 Student Advisory and Faculty Advisory Committee Members

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Acknowledgements

We express our appreciation to: The Faculty and Student Advisory Committees, Harvard Foundation student interns, the President of Harvard University, and the Dean of Harvard College for their support of the Harvard Foundation. We thank Jana Babatunde-Bey and the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation for the support of the annual Humanitarian Project.

The insignia of the Harvard Foundation consists of five interconnecting circles in the colors black,brown,red,white, and yellow, symbolizing the major recognized ethnic groups of the human race under the Harvard motto Veritas (“Truth”).The symbol,“the unbroken circle of humanity,” was designed by Dr. S.Allen Counter in 1981.

The Harvard Foundation Journal has been produced semi-annually since 1982. The publication is designed to inform the Harvard family about the intercultural programs sponsored by the Foundation throughout the year that address a variety of salient topics related to race, culture, ethnicity, and religion. The Harvard Foundation Journal is produced by the Harvard Foundation staff, interns, and director.

For more information please contact: The Harvard Foundation B02 Thayer Hall, Harvard Yard Cambridge, MA 02138 Phone: 617-495-1527 | Fax: 617-496-1443 | harvfoun@fas.harvard.edu

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Director’s Letter To the students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation, Thank you for your support of and contributions to the programming of the Harvard Foundation in the fall semester of the 2015-2016 academic year. Our monthly student-faculty committee meetings were well attended, and each meeting included student representatives from more than 50 Harvard College recognized ethno-cultural organizations. These meetings were constructive, informative, civil, and aligned with the mission of the Harvard Foundation. In the fall semester, the Harvard Foundation received more than 70 grant applications from Harvard College student organizations for a total of approximately $70,000 for support-proposed ethno-cultural projects.

From these applications the Foundation sponsored 40 projects, providing a total of $25,000 in student grant support.

These programs included the Latina Empowerment and Development conference led by Latinas Unidas, featuring Sila Calderon, the first female governor of Puerto Rico; Native Americans at Harvard’s programs of indigenous cultures and people; Harvard Vietnamese Association for a program on South East Asians in the higher education; Harvard DHARMA on discussions on topics relating to Hinduism.

The highlight of the fall semester was the annual Harvard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year and the Peter J. Gomes Lecture in Memorial Church. The 2015 Humanitarian of the Year was Kailash Satyarthi of India, winner of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize, who “has been a tireless advocate of children’s rights for over three decades.”

In addition to delivering the Peter J. Gomes lecture to hundreds of students, faculty, and guests, Mr. Satyarthi met with a group of Harvard College students at Wadsworth House for a discussion of his work and his humanitarian efforts to prevent the exploitation of children. Mr. Satyarthi was welcomed to Harvard by Dean Rakesh Khurana, who presented welcoming remarks at the Memorial Church lecture, and Harvard Foundation interns Irfan Mahmud ’16 and Avni Nahar ’17. The visit of the distinguished Nobel Peace Prize laureate was widely appreciated and praised by Harvard students and faculty.

Gov. Nikki Haley made history in 2015 when she removed the controversial Confederate flag from the South Carolina State House. This courageous and long overdue act was received with profound appreciation among African-Americans nationwide, whose ancestors and contemporaries have suffered under the abuse of this flag since the time of American slavery and the reign of the Ku Klux Klan. At a Phillips Brooks House gathering with Harvard College students and later at a dinner in Winthrop House hosted by the House Masters, Gov. Haley discussed her decision to remove the divisive flag and its offensive symbolism from the state grounds, an act that no previous governor had dared to do. During her visit, Gov. Haley met University Marshal Jackie O’Neill; Catherine McLaughlin, executive director of the Institute of Politics; Dr. Ronald Sullivan of Harvard Law School; and Dr. Rakesh Khurana, Dean of Harvard College. She was presented with an Award of Appreciation for her visit as guest speaker and for her leadership in improving race relations by the removing the Confederate flag.

At the request of students, the Harvard Foundation sponsored a joint program with Harvard Palestinian Solidarity Committee and Harvard Hillel’s Progressive Jewish Student Alliance in an effort to improve inter-ethnic understanding and relations between the Palestinian and Jewish Communities. The program featured the noted scholar Padriag O’Malley, the John Joseph Moakley distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation at University of Massachusetts, Boston. Professor O’Malley led a panel discussion in the Phillips Brooks House parlor that included Harvard Palestinian student Fatima Bishtawi, Harvard Hillel’s Hannah Hess and Halah Ahmad, president of the Harvard Islamic Society. Diana Eck, professor of comparative religion and Indian studies, who took part in the panel discussion, introduced Professor O’Malley. The theme of the discussion was Professor O’Malley’s recent book, The Two-State Delusion: Israel and Palestine: A Tale of Two Narratives. By all accounts, the program was very successful in that we achieved the Harvard Foundation’s mission of bringing Harvard College inter-ethnic and inter-religious groups together in greater understanding.

Continued on page 18

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TALKING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION’S PROS AND CONS s events nationwide put the spotlight on complaints against universities and their affirmative-action policies, a group of Harvard College students met on the evening of November 16 in Quincy’s Stone Hall to discuss the potential benefits and shortcomings of affirmative action.

A current lawsuit against Harvard, alleging racial discrimination in its admissions policies, as well as complaints at other American universities that certain groups (such as white and Asian applicants) have been unfairly disadvantaged by affirmative-action policies, made the discussion especially relevant and timely. The event was co-sponsored by the Asian-American Women’s Association, the Half-Asian People’s Association, and the Black Student Alliance.

Co-facilitator Avni Nahar and I began the conversation by asking our fellow students for their opinions on economic-based affirmative action, and whether it could replace race-based affirmative action.

Some students believed that economic-based affirmative action would result in less-biased admissions decisions, but the majority agreed that because class and race are profoundly different categories, both need to be considered. Participants in the conversation agreed that the disadvantages of being in a low socio-economic class can be distinctly different from the disadvantages of being an ethnic or racial minority, though the two are often connected and informed by one another.

One student raised the question: What would a race-blind admissions process look like? In some ways, this was a more practical question than whether universities should exclude race from the admissions process, and it led to productive conversations and other poignant questions. Many students said that race came up in their college application essays, which made it nearly impossible for those reading them to remain unaware of their racial identities. Other students said that their race is so inherently connected to their lived experience that it cannot be detached from holistic descriptions of themselves as students and as people.

Further discussion focused on the effect affirmative action has on Asian and Asian-American applicants, with some complaining that their status as a “model minority” puts these applicants at a disadvantage. The talk then turned toward an examination of who is impacted by affirmative action, and how.

One student pointed out that, historically, affirmative action has been remarkably beneficial for AsianAmericans, and to say that it puts them at a disadvantage denies an important part of affirmative action’s history. Another student said that the terms “Asian” and “Asian-American” encompass a huge population, and that affirmative action may prove beneficial to some but not others in those categories.

The last question we examined was the way that affirmative action affects how students of color are perceived on campus. Some people told stories of the assumptions others made about their backgrounds in regard to their status at the College. One said that common stereotypes about marginalized groups can lead to the assumption that minority students are only accepted to the College because of affirmative action, or that they are accepted only because the School needs representation from certain minority groups.

The conversation ended with most students agreeing that although affirmative action has great value on campus, there is still more to be done to improve diversity and inclusion in our community.

by Jess Erion ’19

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ARAB-JEWISH DISCUSSION ON ISRAEL AND PALESTINE, LED BY PADRIAG O’MALLEY

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adraig O’Malley the John Joseph Moakley Distinguished Professor of Peace and Reconciliation at the University of Massachusetts Boston, visited Harvard College at the invitation of the Harvard Foundation to lead a discussion on the current relations between Israel and Palestian based on his new book, The Two-State Delusion: Israel and Palestine - A Tale of Two Left to right: Lowell Faculty Dean, Dr. Dorothy Austin, Faitma Bishtawi Narratives. ’17, Lowell Faculty Dean Professor Diana Eck, Author Padriag O’Malley,

Hannah Hess ’19 and Halah Ahmad ’18.

The director of the Harvard Foundation, Allen S. Counter, welcomed O’Malley and the students and faculty in attendance at the program. Diana Eck, professor of comparative religion and Indian studies made introductory remarks. O’Malley followed with a speech about his book, his thesis, his research methodology, and an extensive description of the current status of the Israeli-Platestinian conflict. O’Malley offered that the two-state solution currently being proposed by many nations as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is unworkable and unlikely at this time because of rigid and in some cases intractable disagreement on the terms of this arrangement. He added that after scores of interviews with Jewish and Palestinian citizens in the area, he could find little consesus on some of the most challening differences in approaches. However, O’Malley was optimistic that through continued negotiations for peace involving enlightened young Jewish and Palestinian leaders, such as those being trained at Harvard, the University of Massachussetts, and other universities, there is tremendous hope that we can attain peace and a two-state solution in the future.

Members of the student groups Harvard Palestinian Solidarity Committee, Harvard Hillel’s Progressive Jewish Alliance, and Harvard Israel Initiative were actively involved with the discussion, as were many students from diverse student groups. Students asked challenging and insightful questions of O’Malley and of each other to advance the discussion, and to find ways of opening up effective routes of dialogue and discussion on campus and in the larger world.

O’Malley brought free copies of his most recent book, and distributed them to many students in attendance. He also generously donated multiple copies to the Harvard Foundation. The Foundation’s director, S. Allen Counter said that “this was one of the most impressive, enlightening, and civil discussions that Harvard has ever had on this important subject.” He added, “Professor Padriag O’Malley is one of the world’s most distinguished scholars, critical thinkers and authorities on the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for peaceful solutions.”

by Cengiz Cemaloglu ’18

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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi honored with the 2015 Humanitarian Award Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Ceremony

At Memorial Church, the Harvard Foundation honored its Humanitarian of the year.

L-R: Avni Nahar ’17, Dean Rakesh Khurana, Kailash Satyarthi, Dr. S. Allen Counter, Irfan Mahmud ’16.

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n October 16, the Harvard Foundation honored Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi as the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year. Satyarthi accepted the award authorized and signed by President Drew Faust and Dean Rakesh Khurana in tribute to his humanitarian work on behalf of all the children for whom he has fought throughout his career.

The award ceremony in Harvard’s historic Memorial Church began with a introductory remarks from Dean Rakesh Khurana. He praised Satyarthi’s work in India and compared his mission to provide education for youth with that of the mission of Harvard College. Harvard Foundation interns Irfan Mahmud ’16 and Avni Nahar ’17 both delivered tributes to Satyarthi that focused on the breadth of his work and his many accomplishments in children’s labor rights and activism. Nahar, who had personal experiences with child labor in India, gave a speech that focused on her own past and the importance and gravity of Satyarthi’s work. Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter presented the award on behalf of Harvard President Drew Faust and the faculty with a tribute to Satyarthi’s life-long committment to improving the quality of life of children and his inspiration to the world, as recognized by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Kailash Satyarthi greets members of the audience, including Winthrop House Master Stephanie Robinson and her sons Trey and Chase Sullivan.

Satyarthi also delivered the Rev. Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Lecture, which covered many themes from the origins of his work to the future of his movement. He told impassioned stories about child slavery and bondage and presented anecdotes of his attempts to liberate them. His passion for and dedication to his work in the face of governmental and corporate obstruction was abundantly clear. His speech was very well received by the audience, who responded with a resounding standing ovation. The program ended with Chase Sullivan, the 6-year-old son of Winthrop House Masters Ronald Sullivan and Stephanie Robinson, presenting Satyarthi with flowers and delivering a short speech of tribute.

“Dr. Kailash Satyarthi was able to engage and inspire any student who thinks of themself as a leader or activist,” said Harvard Foundation intern Olutoyin Demuren ’18. “His commitment to compassionate intelligence provides an important perspective to the way that we understand problems in the world.”

Satyarthi spent a great deal of time with students before and after his talk, graciously speaking to them about his personal life, his work, and his passion for humanitarian service. Energized by their youth, he delighted students by repeatedly engaging with them, learning about their experiences, answering all their questions, and taking selfies with them on his phone whenever he could.

Satyarthi’s day of recognition and honor ended with a reception and dinner graciously hosted by Lowell House House Masters Diana Eck and Dorothy Austin. The dinner included more than 100 students, faculty, and guests in the Lowell Dining Hall, where the hosts served a gourmet Indian meal. During the dinner program, Harvard Foundation intern Jasmine Chia ’18 offered remarks of tribute to the guest of honor. Finally, Satyarthi delivered inspiring remarks, including how College students could support anti-child labor efforts through the 100 Million for 100 Million Initiative, the largest youth movement in the world.

The students left feeling energized by Satyarthi’s passion and commitment to his cause, and inspired to pursue public service and humanitarian work in the future.

by Irfan Mahmud ’16 and Avni Nahar ’17

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STUDENTS MEET NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE AT WADSWORTH HOUSE

rior to his lecture in Memorial Church, Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi met with faculty members at the Harvard Faculty Club. During the luncheon, he discussed his foundation, its aims, purposes, and effective methods for supporting child education and anti-labor exploitation.

He welcomed faculty members to get involved with his foundation, and asked for their ideas about how to enhance the effectiveness of his initiatives. The luncheon was attended by Professors Ali Asani and Diana Eck, and Dean Robert Mitchell, among others.

Following the luncheon, Satyarthi visited Wadsworth House, where University Marshal Jackie O’Neill graciously received him and gave him a tour of the photographs of Harvard University honorary degree recipients. He signed the official Harvard University Guest Register and wrote a statement of appreciation for his award. O’Neill presented Satyarthi with a history of Wadsworth, going back to the time of President George Washington’s use of the building.

Satyarthi then met with student leaders in the Wadsworth House conference room for an engaging discussion. Many of the students were Harvard Foundation student interns, others were members of the Indian community at Harvard, and still others were selected by lottery based on the questions they had submitted in advance. Students were pleasantly surprised by Satyarthi’s warm and engaging manner. He asked everyone in attendance for their names and some personal information, and made sure to introduce the staff who accompanied him and to thank the Harvard Foundation and its director, S. Allen Counter. Satyarthi talked about his work with child laborers and his upcoming initiatives to make his efforts to stop the exploitation of childrens as workers a worldwide endeavor. He then opened the floor to questions.

There were many. One student asked whether students should get involved with the private sector in order to influence the social sector, rather than jumping straight into nonprofit work. Satyarthi acknowledged the importance of financial power, but encouraged the students to follow their passions, from which everything else would fall in line. He also shared stories about balancing the intensity and difficulty of his work with personal safety, and the emotional weight that humanitarian activism demands. He ended by encouraging students to become “3-D” with the keys to successful action and activism — dreaming, discovering, and doing.

Satyarthi ended the meeting by asking all attendees to collect on one side of the room for a group photo, and then for a “selfie.” He graciously agreed to many individual photographs and talked with the students in greater detail about their backgrounds and aspirations. A group of students from the Harvard-U.S. India Initiative asked Satyarthi to attend their second annual conference in Mumbai, where Indian high school students can come together to hear from leaders in the political, economic, entertainment, and social sectors, and Satyarthi accepted their invitation. Finally, he ensured that each student in attendance received one of his assistant’s cards, and, in line with the generous and gracious spirit he demonstrated throughout the day, encouraged them all to be in touch.

by Irfan Mahmud ’16 and Avni Nahar ’17

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Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and 2015 Harvard Humanitarian of the Year Kailash Satyarthi engages with Harvard College students on issues of international child labor abuse in the conference room at Wadsworth House.

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L-R: Senior Harvard Foundation intern Irfan Mahmud ’16 welcomes the guest of honor at Boston Logan Internation Airport; Dr Khurana and welcome the guest of honor; Dr. Satyarthi greets a Harvard College student at Memorial Church; Satyarthi meets w

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, FALL 2015

r. S. Allen Counter honors Kailash Satyarthi with the 2015 Humanitarian of the Year Award; Counter and Dean Rakesh with Harvard Foundation interns; University Marshal Jackie O’Neill welcomes the guest.

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REFLECTING ON RACE WITH SOUTH CAROLINA GOV. NIKKI HALEY

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he summer of 2015 was a historic one for race relations in the United States. Amidst the growth of the Black Lives Matter movement, increased reports of police brutality, and well-publicized incidents of racially motivated hate crimes around the country, the season was cause for somber reflection on just how much work needs to be done in order to achieve interracial understanding, improved police community relations, and social justice for African-Americans and others.

After her historic decision to remove the Confederate flag from the state capitol in July, the Harvard Foundation hosted South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley for a conversation about race relations in her state and throughout the South. Gov. Haley told students at a Phillips Brooks House parlor gathering, that she felt compelled to remove the Confederate flag from the South Carolina State House after the tragic massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charlestown, where white supremacist Dylann Roof slaughtered nine African-American worshippers during Bible study. She spoke of how other Southern States that displayed the Confederate flag had been inspired to remove this hateful American symbol of racial divisiveness.

Haley began her visit to Harvard with a meeting with President Drew Faust, followed by a meeting with Dean Rakesh Khurana. She spent the rest of her trip engaging with students. As of one the student coordinators of the governor’s visit, I was most enthused about the conversation she had with students at Phillips Brooks House, where she shared some of her own story of growing up as a woman of color in the South, and her reasons for removing the Conferederate flag. She happily fielded questions from students in the audience. This program was followed by a student-faculty dinner at Winthrop House hosted by House Master Ronald Sullivan and Stephanie Robinson and Catherine McLaughlin, executive director at the Institute of Politics.

After receiving a plaque of appreciation for her visit to Harvard from Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter, the governor addressed the audience about her efforts to improve educational opportunities for minorities and others in her state, as well as to improve interracial relations. She paid tribute to her collegue and friend Clementa Pickney of the South Carolina Senate, who was killed in the shooting at Emanuel AME Church.

The visit was an important forum in which to share and debate many viewpoints and perspectives.

Although Harvard’s undergraduate body is largely liberal, I think it is important to invite people representing a spectrum of beliefs and political viewpoints in order to create a robust dialogue.

by Cary Williams ’16

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Dean Rakesh Khurana, University Marshal Jackie O’Neill, and Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter welcome Gov. Nikki Haley to Wadsworth House to sign the Official Guest Registar Clockwise: South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley receives an Award of Appreciation from S. Allen Counter, director of the Harvard Foundation; Professor Ronald S. Sullivan, Winthrop House Master; Kenneth Manning ’70, Ph.D. ’74, a South Carolinian; and Brian O’Connor ’78.

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BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER PEDRO MARTINEZ,

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A PITCHER WITH ‘NO SPACE TO FAIL’ n the mound, he was a wily wizard ferociously staring down hulking batters as his pitches mercilessly blew past them. But off the field, he radiated pure joy, a playful prankster with the soul of a poet. Those confusing impulses seem impossibly contradictory unless your name is Pedro Martinez. And then it makes perfect sense.

The retired Boston Red Sox pitching great and now Baseball Hall of Famer toured Harvard before stopping by Sever Hall Tuesday evening for a lively conversation with Michael Sandel, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, hosted by The Harvard Foundation.

The two touched on Martinez’s difficult road to the major leagues, during an era when performanceenhancing drugs were widely used. They discussed his family and faith, and some of the more memorable moments in his remarkable and improbable 18-year career, including his thoughts on being sent late into Game 7 of the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees despite pitching on one day’s rest. (“That was shocking!” he joked. “I’m still asking for that answer from [then-manager Terry] Francona!”)

“Ever since I started, I had no space to fail,” Martinez said of growing up in Manoguayabo, Dominican Republic, in a tiny shack crowded with his parents, five siblings, and a few scattered chickens and cows, playing baseball in the yard with his brothers and cousins. While money was tight and food was scarce, his parents made it clear that hard work and determination were abundant and free.

The Red Sox retired Martinez’s uniform number 45 last fall at Fenway Park, and in July he became only the second Dominican player, after San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal in 1983, to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. His bilingual acceptance speech was less a celebration of his own achievements than it was an expression of gratitude to be shared with all Dominicans.

“I would like you to actually see me as a sign of hope for a Third World country, for Latin America, someone that you can really look up to, and feel comfortable enough to say, ‘I’m proud of you,’ ” he told the crowd that day.

Despite the early success of his older brother Ramón, a starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Martinez said baseball scouts never projected that he’d amount to much because he was a small, skinny kid who didn’t look like the typical ballplayer. The anger he felt watching others with lesser skills — but who were bigger and stronger — being given the few available opportunities to do what he loved fueled a competitive fire and relentless desire to prove the skeptics wrong.

“I never said anything, I listened a lot. I kept it all in,” said Martinez. “Now I’m speaking openly about it, but back in those days, I just had to listen, swallow it, and bring it out competing.”

The slights cut deep, but the stakes were simply too high to let his true feelings show as a young player from the D.R.“That piles up in your heart,” he said, “But as soon as you snap in one of those [baseball] academies, being from where I am, you’re out. You guys are disciplined here, very educated, but over there, there’s no other chance.”

Even after he made it to the “show” — first with the Dodgers, then the Montreal Expos, and later the Red Sox — Martinez’s drive never wavered. But it didn’t dampen his excitement and joy at finally having reached a lifelong goal.

“I was so thankful I was there, I was so thankful to keep my teammates happy,” Martinez said of his chatty, spirited demeanor when not in the game. “Every game I survived was a blessing. I wasn’t supposed to make it; I was supposed to fall short.”

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PEDRO MARTINEZ, BASEBALL HALL OF FAMER, A PITCHER WITH ‘NO SPACE TO FAIL’

Baseball Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez addresses an audience of Harvard College students;.baseball afficiando Michael Sandel, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government Theory in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, meets with guest of honor.

Despite the many difficulties on the road to fame, Martinez said that in retrospect he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“I became a lot wealthier than I was when I was in the shack, for sure, but I don’t know that I would trade my childhood for probably any other. My struggles, I don’t think I would give them away for anything,” he said. “My struggles made me appreciate every little success I had in my career.”

by Christina Pazzanese, Harvard Staff Writer Courtesy of the Harvard Gazette

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STUDENT GRANT SUMMARIES PADAME This semester, PADAME held rehearsals in which students were able to learn different African dances. They were then able to perform them at different venues, and in doing so shared an aspect of African culture with students at Harvard and the general public. PADAME also offered students the chance to try African foods (specifically Ethiopian) in an informal outing. This allowed students to experience yet another dimension of African culture! This outing was a new event PADAME tried this semester, and we hope to give people the experience to try different cuisines in the future!

Harvard Dharma Every week we have aarti and discussions on topics relating to Hinduism. We invited people into our prayer space for monthly pujas, or ceremonial offerings, and attended weekly discussions with Harvard’s Hindu Chaplain, Swami Tyagananda. Dharma members constructed a beautiful altar for Golu, which can still be seen in Canaday basement. Our largest event celebrating Navratri was Hungama, a massive Bollywood/garba/raas/bhangra dance party that started with a puja and continued with dancing. We ended the semester with Diwali, the Hindu celebration of light and the Goddess of fortune, Lakshmi.

Vietnamese Association This semester has been one of the funnest, busiest, and most rewarding semesters for the Harvard Vietnamese Association. We ran events like the Southeast Asians in Higher Education discussion, which gave a wide range of Harvard students a chance to discuss issues like inclusivity, privilege, and academia with experts in the field. Our first ever Vietnamese Cultural show drew in a crowd that overflowed from the SOCH performance room, and got praise from parents of little Vietnamese children to students here at the college for the beautiful glimpse into Vietnamese culture and life it provided.

Japan Society We served traditional Japanese food at the annual Fall Feast, and Japan Interest Social, where we aimed to spread awareness about Japanese culture. Similarly, at our inaugural Natto Eating Contest, we aimed to raise awareness about Japanese culture in a fun and interactive way by having people eat Natto, a traditional Japanese food. At the Boston Career Forum Mixer, we hosted a mixer so that Harvard students could interact with Japanese students from both American and Japanese universities, who had convened in Boston to attend the career fair in Boston.

Native Americans at Harvard College NAHC has worked throughout the semester to bring awareness of indigenous cultures and traditions to the Harvard community. Events were held to showcase indigenous performances, food, and community. It was our goal to bring light to the indigenous community on campus and to show what we have to offer as not only a student group, but as indigenous people. Not only have our events helped to bring awareness to others, but also created a stronger sense of community within the small Native community on campus.

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STUDENT GRANT SUMMARIES

are

Latinas Unidas The mission of the Latina Unidas (LU) was to do less but better. Thanks to the generous funding of the Harvard Foundation, we have built our reputation for well-organized events such as our second Wellness Study Break with AAWA and ABHW. We have done our traditional events such as the LU Soiree in Winthrop and our pre-LEAD general meeting of Dress to Impress and How-to-Network. We especially proud of ending the semester with our LEAD conference and hope to continue building a strong Latina community.

Under Construction We had a really great concert; superb set and a good turnout. We collaborated with THUD at the beginning of our concert, which was a great experience.

Overall we feel like we achieved our mission of producing diverse, excellent music with a commitment to represent and graciously share our Christian faith.

A success!

South Asian Student Association This semester was a very successful one for SAA. On top of continuing with a lot of our traditional events such as InSAAnity and Spiced, we also had our first ever joint Fall-Dinner and Andaaz. This combined an amazing Community Dinner with a fashion show during Freshmen Parents' Weekend. We also had a successful Community Meeting in which we got feedback from our members about our events.

We also started prepping for Ghungroo which will happen early next semester.

Act On A Dream For the Ricardo Aca event, the program was split up into two parts. Undocumented students and allies were welcome to participate in a photo campaign and dinner with guest Ricardo Aca (picture 1). In the second part, Ricardo Aca was AoD's guest lecturer, and he spoke on the subject of his experiences navigating activism and art in the workplace.

Fuerza Latina Cocina Caliente was a cook off that Harvard Fuerza had in order to encourage Latinx culinary arts. Additionally, two major dinners that Fuerza threw were the Latinx Faculty Dinner and the Holiday Dinner. The Faculty Dinner, open to all, was the first of its kind and was well attended - both students and professors all enjoyed the event Asian American Women’s Association For the Spoken Word workshop, AAWA collaborated with Speak out Loud to conduct a peer-led discussion and writing workshop. We watched and discussed video examples of spoken word performances relating to race and SES. Then we free-wrote and shared our writing if willing. For the gender identity discussion event, we talked about the intersection between gender and race, and how being BGLTQ as a minority is a much different and often more difficult experience.The 10th Anniversary was a celebration of AAWA's work on race and gender inclusion and brainstorming for future directions.

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-In MemoriamThe students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation were deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague William “Bill” Gelbart in August 2015.

He served Harvard with distinction for more than 30 years as a geneticist and professor of molecular and cellular biology. Gelbart was a wonderful person, an outstanding scholar, and a compassionate man who was committed to the highest ideals. He cared deeply about interracial and interreligious relations on campus, and he dedicated himself to the Harvard Foundation’s mission of diversity, equity, and inclusion for many years. As chairman of the Harvard Foundation’s Faculty Advisory Committee, Dr. Gelbart was actively and genuinely involved with both students and fellow faculty in guiding the Foundation’s many programs for greater interethnic understanding and civility. We often discussed how much we both wished to create a more ethnically harmonious, friendly, and peaceful world for our children. Our students selected Dr, Gelbart to receive the Harvard Foundation’s Faculty of the Year Award in 2014. He was enthusiastically involved in the Foundation’s intercultural and interreligious programs and initiatives until his final days. Dr, Gelbart will be sorely missed by our students and faculty, and especially by me, for his continuous support, involvement, and engagement with the work of Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation express our sincere condolences to the Gelbart family, and we thank them for sharing Bill with us.

Dr. S. Allen Counter The students and faculty of the Harvard Foundation mourn the passing of our professor, colleague, and friend Dr. Stanley Hoffman, the Paul and Catherine Buttenwieser University Professor Emeritus. Dr. Hoffman was a compassionate teacher and advisor to generations of Harvard students. He was also a reliable source of advice and inspiration to the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations. We shall miss his graciousness, good nature, always helpful guidance and his warm demeanor.

Dr. S. Allen Counter Director’s Letter Continued from page 2 One of the most popular programs of the semester was the presentation by baseball legend Pedro Martinez, facilitated by Harvard Baseball aficionado Michael Sandel, the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Government Theory in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Approximately 400 students of diverse backgrounds who were fans of Martinez and lovers of the game attended this program. Martinez delivered an inspiring talk about his life, from the poverty of the Dominican Republic to his success in American baseball and ultimately the Hall of Fame. He delivered to our students’ gems of wisdom and ethical values that guided his life. Sandel asked astute questions that evoked both humorous and philosophical responses from Martinez.

The student and faculty of the Harvard Foundation look forward to a series of high-caliber programs for the Harvard College community in the spring semester. We are grateful for the support of President Drew Faust, the office of the Dean of the College, and the faculty advisory committee to the Harvard Foundation.

Dr. S. Allen Counter Director, The Harvard Foundation

HARVARD FOUNDATION JOURNAL, FALL 2015

Harvard Foundation Student Advisory Committee Member Organizations 2015-2016 2015-2016 SAC Board • Cengiz Cemaloglu ’18 , SAC Co-Chair •Jasmine Chia ’18, SAC Co-Chair • Yousra Neberai ’18, Communications Chair •Dylan de Waart ’19, Financial Chair

Africa Business and Investment Club • Association of Black Harvard Women • Ballet Folklórico de Aztlán • Canadian Club • College Students for Bangladesh • Concilio Latino de Harvard • Dharma (Harvard Hindu Students Assoc.) • Disorient Players •Dominican Students’ Association • Fuerza Latina • Harvard African Students Association • Harvard Asian-American Dance Troupe • Harvard Bhangra • Harvard Black Men’s Forum • Harvard Black Pre-Law Society • Harvard Black StudentsAssociation • Harvard BlackCAST • Harvard College Bolivia Association • Harvard Bulgarian Club • Harvard Chinese Music Ensemble • Harvard College Act on a Dream • Harvard College First Generation Student Union • Harvard College Irish Dancers • Harvard College Latino Men’s Collective • Harvard College Lebanese Club • Harvard College Sangeet • Harvard College Teatro • Harvard Francophone Society • Harvard Global China Connection • Harvard GLOW • Harvard Haitian Alliance • Harvard Half-Asian People’s Association • Harvard Hellenic Society • Harvard Hillel • Harvard Hong Kong Society • Harvard Islamic Society • Harvard Japan Society • Harvard Korean Association • Harvard Latinos in Health Careers • Harvard Organization for Latin America • Harvard Peruvian Society • Harvard Philippine Forum • Harvard Polish Society • Harvard Queer Students and Allies • Harvard Society of Arab Students • Harvard South Asian Association • Harvard South Asian Dance Company • Harvard South Asian Men’s Collective • Harvard Taekwondow • Harvard Taiwanese Cultural Society • Harvard Thai Society • Harvard Undergraduate Brazilian Association • Harvard Vietnamese Association • Harvard-Radcliffe Asian American Association • Harvard Radcliffe Catholic Students Association • Harvard-Radcliffe RAZA • Holoimua O Hawaii • Harvard Radcliffe Chinese Students Association • Iranian Association • Kuumba Singers of Harvard College • La Organización de Puertorriqueños • Latinas Unidas de Harvard • Mariachi Veritas de Harvard • Native Americans at Harvard College Nigerian Students Association • Pan-African Dance and Musical Ensemble • Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia Association • Harvard US-India Initiative • Simplicissimus, Journal of Germanic Studies

Harvard Foundation Faculty Advisory Committee Members 2015-16 Ali Asani, Professor of the Practice of Indo-Muslim Languages and Cultures Alison Simmons, Samuel H. Wolcott Professor of Philosophy Benedict Gross, George Vasmer Leverett Professor of Mathematics Bruce Price ’72, Associate Professor of Neurology, Chief of the Department of Neurology at McLean Hospital Cassandra Extavour, Associate Professor of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology David L. Evans, Senior Harvard College Admissions Officer Harry Richard Lewis, Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science Jay M. Harris, The Harry Austryn Wolfson, Professor of Jewish Studies John E. Dowling ’57, Ph.D. ’61, Gordon and Llura Gund Professor of Neurosciences, Professor of Ophthalmology Leo H. Buchanan, Audiologist, Harvard University Health Services Marla Frederick, Professor of African and African American studies and of Religion Michael McElroy, Gilbert Butler Professor of Environmental Studies Robert Lue, Professor of the Practice of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Director of Life Sciences Education Robin Gottlieb, Professor of the Practice in the teaching of Mathematics S. Allen Counter, Director of the Harvard Foundation, Professor of Neurology Sandra Naddaff, Dean Harvard Summer School, Scott Edwards, Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Curator of Ornithology William A. Graham, Dean of the Faculty of Divinity Emeritus, William R. Fitzsimmons ’67, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid to Students Xiao-Li Meng, Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Whipple V. N. Jones Professor of Statistics Peter Burgard, Professor of German, Faculty Associate of the Minda de Gunzberg Center for European Studies Dr. Tom Conley, Professor of Visual and Environmental Studies and of Romance Languages and Literatures

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THE HARVARD FOUNDATION TEAM STAFF AND INTERNS Irfan Mahmud ’16 Kirin Gupta ’16 Cary Williams ’16 Tiffany Ramos ’16

Jonathan Sands ’17 Avni Nahar ’17 Doni Lehman ’17

Cengiz Cemaloglu ’18 Jasmine Chia ’18 Nuha Saho ’18 Olutoyin Demuren ’18

Jess Erion ’19 Devontae Freeland ’19 Mahnoor Ali ’19 Dylan de Waart ’19

Dr. S. Allen Counter, Director Wairimu Mwaura, Administrative Coordinator Hayley M. Harris, Programming Fellow

The Mission of the Harvard Foundation In 1981, the president and deans of Harvard University established the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations with the mandate to “improve relations among racial and ethnic groups within the University and to enhance the quality of our common life.” In pursuit of this mission, the Foundation seeks to involve students of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds in the ongoing enterprises of the University. The Foundation sponsors annual programs and activities that are designed to promote interracial and intercultural awareness and understanding in the Harvard community, as well as to highlight the cultural contributions of students from all backgrounds.

The Harvard Foundation B02 Thayer Hall Harvard Yard Cambridge, Ma

HARVARD COLLEGE