THE HARVARD CRIMSON | APRIL 24, 2018 | PAGE 3
CPD To Create New Office POLICE BIAS FROM PAGE 1 with the police, according to the proposed budget. “Believed to be the first of its kind in the nation, the Office of Procedural Justice will focus on proactively monitoring data related to police-citizen interactions for indications of possible racial profiling, racially-biased policing, or use of force incidents,” the budget reads. “The Office will also assess the Department’s compliance with statutes, ordinances, and regulations aimed at mandating accountability.” The procedural justice initiatives will specifically focus on maintaining officer accountability, according to Councillor Alanna M. Mallon. Mallon said city officials have particularly focused on procedural justice in light of the arrest of the undergraduate earlier this month. “I know many of us are really thinking about this recently,” Mallon said. “But [procedural justice] has been something that has been in the works for a long time, and I look forward to really seeing that come to fruition.” The arrest of the undergraduate at
the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Waterhouse Street sparked allegations of police brutality from eyewitnesses in the days following the incident. Students have since formed a new activist group and held a protest against police brutality in the wake of the arrest. A video of the incident later published by the New York Times shows the student standing still surrounded by four officers while the officers talk to him briefly. The student turns around and takes two steps towards one officer before taking a step back and raising his arms to chest-level. Another officer then tackles the student from behind. While the student remained on the ground, one CPD officer punched the undergraduate in the stomach five times in an “ineffective” attempt to unpin the student’s arms and handcuff him, according to the CPD police report. The student was ultimately arrested on charges that include indecent exposure, disorderly conduct, and assault.
CPD Commissioner Branville G. Bard Jr. said at a press conference last week that the student’s arraignment has been delayed in part due to concerns about the undergraduate’s mental health. CPD also will create a new Family and Social Justice Section in the coming fiscal year to better serve “the city’s most vulnerable populations,” according to the proposed budget. These populations include children, senior citizens, and those afflicted by homelessness, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, or sexual assault. “The new section will bring together various units that individually work to provide services that divert individuals away from the criminal justice system and toward the support services they need, reinforcing the human dimension of social justice,” the budget reads. As a part of the department reorganization, CPD will also add six new positions comprising “one Deputy Superintendent, one child psychologist, one licensed social worker, and three additional patrol officers.”
UC Welcomes Student Fee Changes By JONAH S. BERGER CRIMSON STAFF WRITER
Members of the Undergraduate Council’s Finance Committee—which doles out $300,000 in grants to students groups each year—said Monday they are optimistic that College changes to student funding will benefit their budget, despite a semester marked by financial instability. According to committee chair Henry S. Atkins ’20, an increase in the total number of student groups at the College, as well as higher funding requests from some groups, combined to form a “structural tidal wave of forces” that placed the committee in a financially precarious position throughout the semester. The committee was forced to make above-average cuts to its weekly grants pack on multiple occasions, with cuts in at least two weeks topping 30 percent. At one point, the problem was so pressing—with the committee preparing to impose a 43 percent acrossthe-board cut in one week in early March—that the Council tapped into its $18,000 Emergency Fund. Nonetheless, committee leaders said they were relieved to have reached the end of the semester without being forced to make unusually large cuts in the semester’s final weeks. “I think it took a lot of foresight to be able to get us where we were, a lot of planning on our policy, a lot of planning on our budget, as the weeks progressed, so that we wouldn’t be in a state of shock at the end of the semester,” said Swathi R. Srinivasan ’21, secretary of the Finance Committee. Still, Atkins said he was disappointed the committee had to impose such large cuts to funding compared to cuts in past years. “There were times as recently as a year ago, where we were thinking 20 percent was an astronomically high cut,” Atkins said. “So the fact that we kept things below, most weeks, under 30, 35, I’m happy with, but I still wish we could have done better.”
Committee leaders also said the College’s decision to increase the student activities fee by 150 percent this coming fall will provide an opportunity for the UC to obtain more money to fund student groups. Currently, the Council receives nearly all of the money gathered from the fee. But starting fall 2018, the Office of Student Life plans to restructure the way it funds the Council, the College Events Board, House Committees, and the Intramural Sports Council, Alexander R. Miller, the College’s associate dean for student engagement, said in an interview earlier this month. Specifically, the OSL plans to form a new committee—comprising both students and administrators—that will help distribute the funds. The committee will allocate funds in part based on student groups’ ability to engage with undergraduates, according to Miller. Committee leaders called for the College to give part of the increased revenue gleaned from the fee to the Council. Ivy Yard Representative Seth D. Billiau ’21, who serves as vice chair of data of the finance committee, said current cuts are threatening the “financial stability” of student groups that don’t have other sources of funding. “Right now, there are OSL-recognized clubs that are asking the UC for money for day-to-day operations, and we say that we can give them 75 percent of the money for that, which means that they have to go to their bases of members and ask for money,” Billiau said. “With that increase in the student activities fee, I would hope that the College would prioritize student-run and student-led social spaces, like OSL-recognized organizations.” Committee leaders hesitated to assume their finances were now secure, though, saying the ideas they developed to improve the long-term stability of the budget should remain on the table. “We’re not waiting for the cavalry to arrive because we need to proceed like we’re still going to have to
deal with this situation,” Atkins said. “I suspect that whatever solution this body comes up with...is not going to fix all of our problems.” Even though funding requests exceeded the UC’s budget this year, the shortfall was far less than in some previous years. In fall 2013, for example, student groups requested close to $400,000 in grants from the Council, while the Council ultimately allocated less than $145,000. The finance committee considered multiple proposals this semester in an attempt to shore up its budget, including implementing a progressive cut on grants—which most likely would have disproportionately hurt larger student groups—but ultimately did not implement any significant structural changes. “Once we get into the actual specifics of how that would work, it can become really contentious,” Atkins said of implementing a progressive cut. “Because that hurts some organizations more than others.” The committee did, however, establish a minimum cut rate across weeks and began to more rigorously enforce its policy preventing groups in “bad standing”—or those who don’t return receipts or unused funds from previous committee grants—from receiving money from the UC. Some committee members are considering other ideas to prevent large grant cuts in the future. For example, Billiau is proposing allocating slightly more money than available in the budget under the assumption that some groups will not claim the money, similar to the way airlines sell more tickets than available seats for some flights. Billiau cautioned, though, that the idea could be risky if too much money is allocated. “In the first semester, I’m very comfortable doing that,” Billiau said. “In the second semester, I’m a little less comfortable doing that because if you run too big of a deficit, you may run into spending more money than you have.”
Square’s Andover Shop Up for Sale By HENRY W. BURNES and FRANKLIN R. CIVANTOS CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The Andover Shop—a Harvard Square staple selling menswear and formal attire—is up for sale after 65 years on Holyoke Street and 70 years in Andover, Mass. Store owners Charlie Davidson and Virgil Marson will be selling the shop and the property that it occupies in the coming months, with the hope that new owners will keep the brand alive. The Holyoke Street store is one of two locations of the Andover Shop. The store’s first location, operated by Davidson’s brother-in-law Virgil Marson and located in namesake Andover, Mass., is also up for sale. Cambridge store manager Lawrence D. Mahoney said they are working to attract a buyer that will keep both stores open and maintain the Andover Shop brand and tradition. The Andover Shop has been a Harvard Square staple since 1953 and a goto formal wear shop for generations of Harvard students and Cantabrigians. Mahoney said he believes the community the store has developed over the past 65 years is a main reason that its new owners would benefit from continuing the brand. “We have relationships with our customers and they are really members of an extended family; you know, multigenerational,” Mahoney said. “There’s definitely community.” One customer, who had stopped in the store to talk to Mahoney, said he has been shopping at the Andover Shop
since attending Harvard in the mid1970s. Mahoney also remarked on the store’s collection of well-known customers. “It’s a very unique place in that you can come in and be buying a pair of pants next to a former Supreme Court justice or world-class cellist,” Mahoney said. The Andover Shop has faced significant challenges in recent years due to Harvard’s ongoing construction of the Smith Campus Center right across the
You can come in and be buying a pair of pants next to a former Supreme Court justice or worldclass cellist. Lawrence D. Mahoney Store Manager
street. According to Mahoney, road closures from the construction over the last two and a half years have hurt the store’s sales. He said these challenges contributed to the decision to sell the
stores. “Street traffic has been reduced significantly and that’s had a negative effect,” Mahoney said. “Harvard has not been a good neighbor through the whole process.” Mahoney said Harvard was required to reimburse the City of Cambridge for its lost parking meter revenue.“Which for me sets a standard that says they should compensate the businesses for the lost revenues,” Mahoney said. A Harvard spokesperson declined to comment on the Andover Shop specifically, but emphasized that the University has made ongoing efforts to minimize the impact of construction on local streets and businesses by keeping sidewalks open and providing ample signage. Other Holyoke Street businesses have also faced challenges due to disruptive construction. Mediterranean restaurant En Boca closed its doors in June 2017—just eight months after opening—due to frustrations with the ongoing construction. En Boca has since sued Harvard for “breach of contract, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, nuisance” and other violations related to the renovation process. Harvard spokesperson Brigid O’Rourke wrote in an emailed statement that when the Smith Campus Center opens, it will likely bolster business in the area. “The enhanced public spaces, new local retail tenants, and diverse programming will ensure that the Smith Center becomes a destination that attracts additional visitors and residents to the area,” O’Rourke wrote.
Brown’s Mother to Run for City Council FERGUSON FROM PAGE 1 Several minutes later, McSpadden said that a run for office would constitute part of her broader advocacy efforts after the 2014 shooting of her son. Brown was 18 when he was fatally sh ot by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo. “We’re pushing forward and we’re coming through,” McSpadden said. “We have to get behind people that look like us and into elected seats so that they can really do what’s right in our community. I’m going to start with me when I run for city council.” “We’re seeing new people being elected, but will it change what happened then? No. But we can change the course of what may happen tomorrow and what is happening now,” McSpadden added. Pollack wrote to The Crimson after the event that McSpadden is considering the run “very seriously” and has spoken about it “publicly.” A screening of Pollack’s documentary on Brown’s death, “Stranger Fruit,” preceded the panel. Pollock recounted hearing news of the 2014 shooting and said he moved to Ferguson immediately after to research the event. “I didn’t want to go there with a Christopher Columbus-type attitude,” Pollock said. Both Pollock and Crump commented on the media’s portrayal of Brown, saying they took issue with his description as a “thug.” “Just imagine if it was your child, and then not only the death of the child, but the cover up of the character, which I think is the thing that is so unhuman about this and so different,” Pollock said. “It’s the same thing every time. First they assassinate you, then they assassinate your character,” Crump said. Crump also pointed to what he identified as the differential treatment of minorities by law enforcement. “We certainly can’t forget about Dylann Roof, the young white supremacist who went and killed nine of the most innocent people you could ever find in a church in South Carolina,” Crump said. “Then the police not only take him alive, but they take him to Burger King to get a burger and fries. Where is the humanity for Michael Brown? For Stephon Clark? For Alton Sterling? For Philando Castile?” “Young white men who have already murdered people get more con-
sideration than a young unarmed black man in America,” Crump stated.
We have to get behind people that look like us and into elected seats so that they can really do what’s right in our community. I’m going to start with me when I run for city council. Lezley McSpadden Michael Brown’s Mother Jasmine Rand, another attorney who represented the Brown family, said that lawyers are often limited in the advocacy they can provide. “That’s why Jason needs to tell this story through the film. And that’s why Lezley needs to keep telling it. We all have to work together in as many mediums as we can to create social change,” Rand said. “ We can write the most beautiful laws in the world... but that’s not enough because we have inequitable minds sitting on benches and inequitable minds sitting in jurors boxes and they’re going to continue making inequitable resolutions. Being a lawyer is not enough.” Pollock concluded the panel event with an entreaty to audience members to become involved. “In terms of the movement, please connect with us. We’re going to be here. I think that today can be a historic day in reopening the case,” Pollock said. “We will look back at this day to the people in this room and remember that it started here at Harvard.” Staff writer Paula M. Barberi can be reached at paula.barberi@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @paulambarberi.
Two Female Lecturers to Depart HKS HKS FROM PAGE 1 Zhou, a second-year master in public policy student. Danziger, who is retiring, said she had decided it was time for her “to figure out what to do with [her] life.” She said she was taking a variety of University courses in subjects ranging from Italian to acting to artificial intelligence. “Instead of performing and being the ‘professor teacher,’ I want to be a learner now,” Danziger said. Marzano-Lesnevich, who has been at the school for five years as an adjunct lecturer, teaches two courses about policy-writing. She will be leaving the school to take a tenure-track position as an assistant professor in the English department at Bowdoin College. Marzano-Lesnevich said she will be teaching creative nonfiction at Bowdoin but that she will be able to apply many of the same skills of writing narratives and stories that she taught to students at the Kennedy School. “When we make a policy or think about a policy, we are in essence telling a narrative about the way the world is and the way the world should be,” Marzano-Lesnevich said. “And so that interrogation of narrative underlies everything I do at the Kennedy School, underlies everything I do in my own writing, and at Bowdoin. I’ll be bringing out those same questions to the students, not so much around the policy but in other areas of life.” Both lecturers were “really well-regarded, really terrific people,” according to Jeffrey L. Seglin, the director of the communications program at the Kennedy School. Zhou, who took courses from both Danziger and Marzano-Lesnevich, said she enjoyed their courses and said both were “kind” to students. Zhou brought up their departures at a meeting with the Kennedy School’s newly appointed diversity dean last week and expressed her concern with the lack of female faculty at the school. A University-wide annual report about diversity showed that the Kennedy School has remained relatively stagnant in terms of number of female faculty over the past 10 years. In the report, HKS reported that 33
percent of tenure-track faculty are female, the same percentage as in 2008. In all, 21 percent of tenured faculty are female—up just one percentage point from 10 years prior. The Kennedy School recently has been facing criticism of its faculty composition with many students and faculty calling on the school to recruit and retain more women and racial and ethnic minorities. Within the past year, three female administrators have stepped down from their position at the school, with one citing the “lack of support” she received from top leaders at the school. Zhou said after not having a female professor throughout her first year at the school, it was a “priority” for her to “actively seek out” classes taught by female professors and lecturers. She said this disparity in female faculty puts women at a disadvantage when it comes to “networking” and building relationships with faculty members. “The lack of diversity in the faculty really impacts the ability of minority students and women to get access to opportunities, particularly those which some white male professors might think of their favorite, white male students first,” Zhou said. Seglin said the communications department, however, maintains an even gender balance among its faculty. “There’s people moving around; that happens every year because we have been growing the program, but it has always been in the communications program at least, it’s been for the people who were teaching there about 50 percent women and 50 percent men,” Seglin said. He said they have “already found” replacements for Danziger and Marzano-Lesnevich and the department will continue to have gender parity. Still, he said he understood concerns from students about their departures. “I can understand students being upset when a good professor decides to retire,” Seglin said. “I think that’s a testament to how good the professor was, but people should be allowed to retire if they want to.” Staff writer Alexandra A. Chaidez can be reached at alexndra.chaidex@thecrimson.com