The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLIX, No. 58

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The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873

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VOLUME CXLIX, NO. 58

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CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

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THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 2022

EDITORIAL PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

SPORTS PAGE 6

What are we suppposed to call Dorm Crew now?

No. 13 men’s tennis extended its winning streak to five with two victories

Women’s lacrosse toppled Columbia, 14-8, over the weekend

Consent Policy Sparks Concerns By CARA J. CHANG and ISABELLA B. CHO CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

When Harvard released a set of proposed changes to its sexual harassment, non-discrimination, and anti-bullying policies two weeks ago, a new definition of consent was one of the key changes. The new policies, if adopted by the University’s highest governing board, would define consent as an “active, mutual agreement” — a stark departure from the University’s current policies, which require only “agreement, assent, approval, or permission” through words or actions. But two weeks into an open comment period in which affiliates are invited to give feedback on the proposed policies, some have taken issue with the word “active” in the new definition. The proposed changes are the product of a set of working ­

groups convened by University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 in January 2021 that sought to assess Harvard’s interim Title IX and sexual misconduct policies and draft new anti-bullying and non-discrimination procedures. Some student advocates on campus welcomed the proposal as a step in the right direction but said the school should adopt a standard of “affirmative” — not “active” — consent. Our Harvard Can Do Better, an anti-sexual assault advocacy organization, said in a statement the “language within the definition is unclear and troublesome.” “Our concern is that ‘active,’ while it may make intuitive sense to people for a model of healthy sexual interaction, does not have as clear a definition as affirmative,” William M. Sutton ’23, an organizer for Our

SEE POLICIES PAGE 3

Severe Covid Studied at HMS By JONATHAN A. COSGROVE, EMILY Y. FENG, and DORCAS GADRI CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Hessler returned to China in 2019 to teach nonfiction writing at Sichuan University. Throughout the event, he spoke about the changes between his two stints in the country — many of which he said were manifested by his students, reflecting China’s rapid urbanization and the effects of the one-child policy. “Even from the very beginning, the difference was so striking,” he said. “In the old days, almost all of my students came from the countryside. For example, I taught my nonfiction class, not one of them was from a rural background.” Similarly, only one of Hessler’s students during his time in the Peace Corps was from a one-child family, he said, but “there was only one kid with siblings” when he surveyed a class of freshmen in 2019. Hessler also described the upward mobility that has allowed for the growth of a new

A research team led by Harvard scientists discovered triggers for the hyperinflammation accompanying severe Covid-19 cases in a study published in Nature on April 6. Scientists at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital collaborated to produce the findings, which revealed connections between infected immune cells, respiratory problems, and organ damage. Judy Lieberman ’69, a co-author of the study and HMS professor, said no prior research had explored the link between inflammation and Covid-19. “It’s well recognized that inflammation, and something called cytokine storm — which is an extreme form of inflammation — is at the root of severe Covid, but nobody knows how it got triggered, or why,” she said. The study found that Covid-19 infects monocytes and macrophages, white blood cells that respond to infection by identifying antibodies surrounding the virus and, afterward, taking up the virus — a process that results in programmed cell death, or pyroptosis. Pyroptosis releases inflammatory molecules that are linked with organ failure and excessive blood clotting, especially among older patients or patients with comorbidities. Caroline Junqueira, an HMS researcher who co-authored the study said these bodily responses could best be characterized as “immunopathology,” in which the body “becomes the disease itself.” Junqueira added that despite the negative effects of pyroptosis, it can still be a protective mechanism through warding off viral replication because it is faster than the replication process. “Cell death is really fast,” she

SEE IOP PAGE 3

SEE HMS PAGE 3

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The Harvard Office for Gender Equity is located in Harvard’s Smith Campus Center. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Peter Hessler Talks China at IOP Forum By KENNETH C. MURRAY and JOHN N. PEÑA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Author and journalist Peter B. Hessler spoke about his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in China while delivering the 2022 S.T. Lee Lecture at the Harvard Institute of Politics on Wednesday evening. The lecture, named for Singaporean businessman and philanthropist Lee Seng Tee, was introduced by Kennedy School professor Fredrik Logeval, who described its focus as exploring how “geopolitical developments might shape global approaches to policymaking.” Hessler, a staff writer at the New Yorker who has authored several bestselling books on China, first traveled to the country with the Peace Corps in 1996. He taught English in Fuling, China, for his two years in the Corps before joining the New Yorker, eventually leaving China in 2007. ­

At Wednesday’s IOP Forum, journalist Peter Hessler discussed his research in Fuling, China and the changes he observed as a result of China’s urbanization. KENNETH C. MURRAY—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Petrie-Flom Center Hosts Event on Cannabis Experts Discuss Covid, Mental Health By RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN and SRIJA VEM CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

By KRISHI KISHORE CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Child psychiatric epidemiologist Tamsin Ford discussed Covid-19’s impact on childrens’ mental health at a virtual research presentation hosted by the Harvard School of Public Health on Wednesday. Based out of the University of Cambridge, Ford researches the effectiveness of mental health services and interventions aimed at children and young adults. Wednesday’s event was part of the Population Mental Health Forum Series hosted by HSPH professor Karestan Koenen. Ford began by highlighting the drawbacks of three systematic reviews conducted by McGill University, which screened the abstracts of over 90,000 research papers. The reviews examined changes in mental health throughout the pandemic, factors driving these changes, and intervention strategies. “The McGill team were more focused on adults at the beginning, and they are only looking at emotional disorders,” Ford said. “I think there’s a real issue ­

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Harvard Today 2

about behavior, peer relationship, and prosocial skills.” Ford continued by explaining the results from a systematic review conducted at the University of Cambridge, which identified 51 studies helpful for understanding children’s mental health amid Covid-19. “Children who were doing really well pre-pandemic experienced a drop in prosocial skills and peer relationships, whereas those who were struggling prior experienced better peer relationships and more prosocial behavior, which is really intriguing,” Ford noted of the review. Ford also discussed similar findings from a report published by the Harvard School of Public Health that collected mental health data from 13- and 14-year-old students across 17 schools between 2019 and 2020. The report found improvements among students struggling with depression before pandemic. “Overall, there was no difference on their mental health measures between the two times in the whole population,”

SEE COVID PAGE 3

News 3

Editorial 4

Experts in neuroscience and law discussed the legalization of cannabis and highlighted its implications for public policy at a virtual panel hosted by Harvard Law School’s Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics on Wednesday. The event, jointly hosted with Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Law, Brain and Behavior, featured neuroscientist Yasmin Hurd and forensic psychologist and attorney Stephanie Tabashneck as moderator. Petrie-Flom Center Executive Director Carmel D. Shachar introduced the panel. Hurd began by describing the science of cannabis and cannabidiol, speaking on the potential adverse effects of marijuana use by young people, whose brains have not fully developed. She also discussed the future of treating substance use disorders, advocating for a shift away from the criminal justice system. In an interview after the event, Shachar criticized the reliance on the criminal system ­

SEE CANNABIS PAGE 3

Sports 6

The Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics, housed Harvard Law School, was founded in 2005. JULIAN J. GIORDANO—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

TODAY’S FORECAST

CLOUDY High: 62 Low: 47

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