The Harvard Crimson - Volume CL, No. 29 by The Harvard Crimson

THE HARVARD CRIMSON THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873

| VOLUME CL, NO. 29 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

LAW SCHOOL

CLASS OF 2027

EDITORIAL

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Walking and Rolling Towards a Safe and Sustainable Square

Harvard Shakes Off Rough Start and Notches First Win

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Law School Reprimands Students at Phone Bank SPEECH CONCERNS. Harvard Law School administrators reprimanded students phone banking for a ceasefire in Gaza Wednesday, instructing them to leave the Caspersen Student Center lounge. SEE PAGE 4

FAS

Freshman Survey uuuuu The Harvard College Class uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu of 2027 by the Numbers

FAS Dean Hoekstra Silent on Occupation SIT-IN. Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi E. Hoekstra said she did not “have anything further to add” about the ongoing occupation of University Hall by pro-Palestine Jewish students. SEE PAGE 5

ELECTIONS

King Takes Lead Over Harding REVERSAL. Cambridge School Committee challenger Andrew R. King took a slim lead over Richard Harding Jr. after the third day of vote counting. Official results will be announced Friday. SEE PAGE 12

ARTS

LOREM IPSUM. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. surveys Aenean freshmen commodoabout ligula their eget dolor. Aenean massa. MEET THE FRESHMEN. At the beginning of each semester, The Crimson backgrounds, academic Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient ridiculus mus. Donec quam felis, ultricies nec, pellenaspirations, and lifestyles. In this year’s installation, Themontes, Crimsonnascetur also asked students about their views on the use of artificial tesque eu, pretium quis, sem. Nullapolitical consequat massa enim. Donec pede justo. SEE PAGE 6 intelligence in education, national issues, andquis admissions practices. SEE PAGE 6 SAMI SAMI E. TURNER E. TURNER — CRIMSON — CRIMSON DESIGNER DESIGNER

PROTEST

Pro-Palestine Students Occupy University Hall BY CAM E. KETTLES AND ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

he occupation of University Hall by nine pro-Palestine student organizers will continue through the night, a student protester announced late Thursday evening, after Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana gave them the opportunity to leave without disciplinary consequences. Maya M.F. Wilson ’24, a Crimson Magazine editor and one of the students in University Hall, said Khurana spoke to the protesters just before 11 p.m. and offered them the chance to leave without facing the Administrative Board, the body that handles disciplinary action against students.

COLLEGE

AND PATON D. ROBERTS CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

SOULFUL TOUCH. MacPherson reflected on his past faults and his plans for the future during a concert at Roadrunner Boston on Nov. 5. His set was sure to please both new and diehard fans. SEE PAGE 13

around 5 p.m., no students were arrested as of early Friday morning. “What did we come here for? We came here to get fucking arrested or Ad-Boarded if our demands weren’t met,” one of the protesters occupying University Hall said in a speech through the basement window late Thursday night. The group’s demands include an immediate call by Harvard’s administration for a ceasefire, the creation of an investigative committee on the presence of Islamophobia on campus, and a University statement asserting that anti-Zionism and antisemitism are not the same. Around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Julia K. Pastreich ’25, a member of Harvard Jews for Palestine, said the group plans on occupying University Hall until the demands are met. “We’re here to show there is anti-Zion-

ist and non-Zionist Jewish presence on campus, and that’s not being represented by the administration right now,” Pastreich said. “We’re here to stand in solidarity with all the student organizers in PSC and other organizations.” “We will see how the police responds and how the University responds,” she added. University officials and Harvard University Police Department had initially refused to allow supporters to enter the building or bring them food. But at 9 p.m., Adams House Faculty Dean Salmaan Keshavjee brought burritos to the students. Earlier, Khurana had provided the demonstrators with Twizzlers. Around 11 p.m., after organizers said Khurana rejected their offer to leave,

SEE PAGE 5

RHODES

Students Gear Up for The Ten Undergraduates Game During Spirit Week Named Rhodes Scholars BY SOPHIA C. SCOTT

Sam MacPherson Concert Review

According to Wilson, the protesters gave Khurana three conditions to end the occupation: a written response to the students’ demands, a meeting with University President Claudine Gay, and a guarantee that the students would not be disciplined by the Ad Board. Khurana said he could not accept the offer, Wilson said. College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo declined to comment, writing that conversations between Khurana and students were confidential. He declined to say whether the students would face disciplinary action. As of early Friday morning, the students remained in the basement of University Hall, with no indication that they planned to depart willingly. Though police officers in the building spoke with protesters and scanned their Harvard IDs

As the 139th playing of The Game approaches, students across campus are preparing by planning transportation and housing, attending spirit week events, and organizing mixers with Yale students. While Harvard’s football team has already claimed at least a part of the Ivy League title, Saturday’s matchup will determine whether Yale shares the prize. This will be the first Harvard-Yale Game hosted in New Haven without pandemic-related restrictions since 2019. In 2021, Yale did not offer Friday night housing to Harvard students, citing Covid-19 concerns. This will be the first Harvard-Yale Game hosted in New Haven without pandemic-related restrictions since 2019. In 2021, Yale did not offer Friday night housing to Harvard students, citing Covid-19 concerns. Harvard offered tickets for shuttles to New Haven on Friday evening and Saturday morning, though the tickets sold out

earlier this week. Some students are selling their tickets on house email lists, often asking for the best offer. Abdul M. Mohammed ’24 described the upcharges for shuttle tickets as a similar situation to last year’s resale market for tickets to the actual Game, which saw some Harvard students resell their free undergraduate tickets for more than $100. “I remember like last year, closer to the day, the rates were almost two and a half times as much as when they got them for,” he said. “It was kind of crazy — it was terrible.” Harvard Athletics sold tickets across campus throughout the week, but their campus supply ran out Thursday afternoon. In an email to undergraduates, they advised students without a ticket to purchase one at the Yale Bowl before The Game begins on Saturday. Mohammed said this year’s installment of Harvard-Yale will be the first time he attends the historic football game. “I’ve experienced the culture around the big rivalry for sure. So I’m going to look forward to experiencing that again,” he said

SEE PAGE 4

BY SAGE S. LATTMAN AND SOPHIA C. SCOTT CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Ten members of Harvard’s Class of 2024 have been selected as Rhodes Scholars to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford. Nine Harvard students are among the 32 American Rhodes recipients announced by the American secretary of the Rhodes Trust on Saturday. Harvard College produced the most American Rhodes Scholars for the fifth year in a row, and no other school produced more than two winners. The U.S. winners are Aishani V. Aatresh ’24, Suhaas M. Bhat ’23-’24, Benjamin Chang ’23-’24, Isabella B. Cho ’24, Mira-Rose J. Kingsbury Lee ’24, Xavier R. Morales ’23-’24, Lyndsey R. Mugford ’23’24, Lucy Tu ’24, and Eleanor V. Wikstrom ’24. Asmer A. Safi ’23-’24 was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship last month for the Pakistan constituency. Within the U.S., 862 students were endorsed by roughly 250 colleges and universities for the scholarship, according to

the press release. Over the weekend, 240 finalists representing 90 institutions interviewed for the scholarship in-person in their respective regions. Students from the New England region, including Mugford and Kingsbury Lee, were interviewed just across the Charles. Others had longer trips — like Safi, who flew 7,000 miles to Pakistan. Aatresh, who hails from the North California district, was playing board games with her fellow finalists when the committee sent word that the results would be announced in five minutes. All of the finalists were told to stand as the two district winners — Aatresh and Wikstrom, a Crimson Editorial Chair — were announced. Mugford had a similar experience as she waited for results on campus. “It was obviously very tense because we were all very nervous, but it was very warm and fun, like we were all in it together,” Mugford said. This year’s scholarship recipients have a wide-range of academic focuses, including political theory, microbiology, physics, and public health.

SEE PAGE 4

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

LAST WEEK

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

PSYCHEDELICS

PUBLIC HEALTH

INDIA

Pollan Talks Psychedelics Research

HSPH Prof. Discusses Wildfire Harms

Fellow Hosts Study Group on Gay Rights

DRUG RESEARCH. Author Michael K. Pollan, a Harvard lecturer in English and professor of the practice in non-fiction, spoke about the future of research into the societal and cultural aspects of psychedelics during a Mahindra Humanities Center talk on Wednesday. The conversation, moderated by Mahindra Humanities Center interim Director Bruno M. Carvalho, marked the center’s first event on the topic of psychedelics since Harvard received a $16 million donation last month for the Study of Psychedelics in Society and Culture. BY

INCREASING SEVERITY. Kari C. Nadeau, professor of climate and population studies at the Harvard School of Public Health, discussed the increasing severity of wildfires and their detrimental effects on human health at a virtual presentation Thursday evening. The event was held on the eve of COP28, a United Nations climate change conference that will focus entirely on health for the first time. The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability and the University’s Vice Provost for Advances in Learning co-hosted the talk. BY

LOUIS-FRANCOIS P. BELANGER AND ELYSE C. GONCALVES — CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

DANIELLE KIM AND CAM N. SRIVASTAVA — CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

MARRIAGE EQUALITY. In the wake of the Indian Supreme Court’s recent refusal to legalize gay marriage, Nitika Khaitan — a fellow of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy and Safra Center for Ethics — hosted a study group Thursday on the history of LGBTQ+ rights in India. The session was part of a series of study groups that Khaitan, a criminal defense lawyer, has hosted about the complex history of marriage equality activism in India. At Thursday’s session, Khaitan discussed an array of landmark cases on the issue. BY ELIZABETH R. HUANG AND DARCY G LIN — CONTRIBUTING WRITERs

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The Week in Photos

AROUND THE IVIES YALE STUDENTS ATTEND ‘MARCH FOR ISRAEL’ RALLY

UNIVERSITY HALL OCCUPIED BY ACTIVISTS

Over 40 Yale Students from the Slifka Center for Jewish Life attended the “March for Israel” rally on Tuesday afternoon in the National Mall. The march was organized by the Jewish Federations of North America with the goal of showing support for Israel and the people killed or kidnapped in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. The New Haven Jewish Federation sent over 100 people, and they joined the Yale students in Washington.

DEMONSTRATORS gather outside University Hall while inside, around a dozen students occupy the building in support of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE YALE DAILY NEWS

THC Read more at THECRIMSON.COM

PRINCETON ALUMNI NAMED AS DIRECTOR OF THE NIH On Nov. 9, Princeton graduate Dr. Monica Bertagnolli became the director of the National Institutes of Health, the largest medical research entity in the United States. Bertagnolli is the second woman and first surgeon to hold the position of director, and she was previously the director of the National Cancer Institute. She was nominated in May by Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

TWENTY BROWN STUDENTS ARRESTED AFTER UNIVERSITY HALL OCCUPATION The 20 Jewish students who occupied University Hall on Nov. 8 to call for a ceasefire in Gaza were all arrested by the Brown Department of Public Safety. All of the students are a part of the student group BrownU Jews for Ceasefire Now, and began their sit-in after a walkout organized by Students for Justice in Palestine and the Palestine Solidarity Caucus. The arrested students were all charged with willful trespass, and they now have a Nov. 28 court date set.

DIWALI. The Harvard South Asian Law Students Association hosted a celebration on Monday for Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights. The holiday took place on Nov. 12.

SAL KHAN. Khan Academy founder and CEO Sal Khan said the use of artificial intelligence in education is “an imperative” at an event hosted by the Axim Collaborative Tuesday afternoon.

SEDINA A. ACKUAYI — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

SARAH G. ERICKSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

FIVE STUDENTS OCCUPY HOUSTON HALL OVERNIGHT TO SHOW SUPPORT FOR PALESTINE FREE SPEECH Five members of the student group Freedom School for Palestine refused to leave Houston Hall on Tuesday. The group organized a teachin in the space during the day on Tuesday, and stayed in the space until 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday despite the Penn Police Deputy Chief of Investigations threatening protesters with arrests if they did not leave. The group’s programming continued on Wednesday with demands for a ceasefire in Gaza, free speech protections at Penn, and “freedom of thought on Palestine,” according to their Instagram.

THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

ART INSTALLATION. The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee hosts ‘Life Under the Rubble’ art installation for Palestinians killed in war in Harvard Yard thursday.

RUTH SIMMONS. The former president of Prairie View A&M University, spoke with Harvard Radcliffe Institute Dean Tomiko Brown-Nagin in an event at the Knafel Center.

FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

SACHI LAUMAS — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

NEXT WEEK

THE HARVARD CRIMSON NOVEMBER 17, 2023

What’s Next

IN THE REAL WORLD JUDGE DECLARES MISTRIAL AFTER JURY DEADLOCK IN TRIAL OF OFFICER IN BREONNA TAYLOR RAID The judge declared a mistrial Thursday in the trial of former Louisville police officer Brett Hankison, who was charged in the police raid that killed Breonna Taylor, after jurors were unable to come to a unanimous decision. Hankison was charged with violating the civil rights of Taylor, her boyfriend, and her neighbors by using excessive force in a 2020 police raid.

THOUSANDS OF STARBUCKS WORKERS GO ON DAYSTRIKE Thousands of Starbucks employees across 200 locations in the U.S. went on a one-day strike on the chain’s Red Cup Day on Thursday. The strike marks the latest move in the two-year campaign to unionize the chain’s stores — one that organizers called the largest strike yet — and the fifth major labor action since a Starbucks store in New York unionized in 2021. The strike comes on one of the corporation’s busiest days, when reusable red cups are given out to customers ordering holiday drinks, and follows a Wednesday walkout from around 30 stores.

Start every week with a preview of what’s on the agenda around Harvard University

Friday 11/17

Monday 11/20

Wednesday 11/22

BLODGETT CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES PRESENTS PARKER QUARTET

MOVIE SCREENING: AIMLESS BULLET

FALL SEMINAR SERIES: SCIENCE IN THE NEWS

Tuesday 11/21

Thursday 11/23

CHDS SEMINAR: “DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING IN HEALTHCARE APPLICATIONS

THANKSGIVING DAY

Paine Concert Hall, 8 p.m. Head to Paine Concert Hall to watch the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet perform a program of four pieces. Featuring Daniel Chong and Ken Hamao on violin, Jessica Bodner on viola, and Kee-Hyun Kim on cello, the Quartet have won numerous awards and competitions and have performed in venues worldwide.

Saturday 11/18 HARVARD-RADCLIFFE CHORUS FALL CONCERT

Sanders Theatre, 8 p.m. Come see the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus perform their annual fall concert.

Sunday 11/19

24 Quincy St., 7-8:50 p.m. The Harvard Film Archive will be showing Yu Hyun-mok’s Aimless Bullet. A literary adaptation of a homonymous novel by Yi Pom-son, the story follows a displaced North Korean family after the Korean war.

Virtual, 1-2 p.m. Wesley Marrero, a professor of engineering at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, will discuss the development of data-driven models to drive health policy and medical practice. These new models and methods may be able to use the increasing availability of healthcare data to provide improved healthcare decisions.

NARCAN TRAINING

Northwest Building 103, 4-9:30 p.m. Harvard and MIT graduate students will share the scientific stories and discoveries they find most fascinating. Organized by Science in the News, a Harvard Griffin GSAS student group, this event is part of their Fall Seminar Series.

Happy Thanksgiving! Nothing is happening on campus. Go on a walk and admire the Cambridge turkeys.

Friday 11/24 HARVARD UNIVERSITY MEN’S ICE HOCKEY VS UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Bright-Landry Hockey Center, 4-7 p.m. Head to Bright-Landry Hockey Center to cheer on Harvard’s Men’s Ice Hockey Team as they face off against the University of Massachusetts in their sixth game of the season. Their previous game on Nov. 11 resulted in a win against Cornell University, and the game before that on Nov. 10 resulted in a tie with Colgate University and a fall in the overtime shootout.

Harvard Art Museums, 2-3 p.m. The Harvard Art Museums will host a Narcan training in conjunction with their exhibition, Objects of Addiction: Opium, Empire, and the Chinese Art Trade. The training will be facilitated by the Cambridge Public Health Department and Somerville Health and Human Services. Narcan can block opioids from binding to receptors in the brain, reversing an opioid overdose.

U.S. REP. GEORGE SANTOS WON’T SEEK REELECTION FOLLOWING HOUSE ETHICS PROBE Republican Rep. George Santos announced he will not seek reelection to the House next year, following the release of a House Ethics Committee probe into the use of his campaign funds. The long-awaited report found “substantial evidence” that Santos had used campaign finances for luxury goods and botox, among other suspect purchases.

PRESIDENT BIDEN AND CHINESE LEADER XI JINPING SUMMIT CONCLUDES IN AGREEMENTS

ENTERING FALL

U.S. President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke for over four hours on Wednesday, concluding in an agreement to cooperate on several issues, including an agreement to resume military-to-military communications and an agreement surrounding fentanyl. Biden’s officials and analysts call the summit a step in the right direction in bringing stability into a historically rocky relationship.

MLB OWNERS APPROVE OAKLAND A’S RELOCATION TO LAS VEGAS The owners of all 30 MLB teams unanimously approved the Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas Thursday, though the A’s aren’t expected to play in Vegas until 2028. The move comes three years after the NFL’s Oakland Raiders made the same move. FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE HARVARD CRIMSON Cara J. Chang ’24 President

STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE Brandon L. Kingdollar ’24

Cynthia V. Lu ’24

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Magazine Chairs Io Y. Gilman ’25 Amber H. Levis ’25

Design Chairs Sophia Salamanca ’25 Sami E. Turner ’25

Eleanor V. Wikstrom ’24 Christina M. Xiao ’24

Blog Chairs Tina Chen ’24 Hana Rehman ’25

Multimedia Chairs Joey Huang ’24 Julian J. Giordano ’25

Arts Chairs Anya L. Henry ’24 Alisa S. Regassa ’24

Sports Chairs Mairead B. Baker ’24 Aaron B. Schuchman ’25

Technology Chairs Kevin Luo ’24 Justin Y. Ye ’24

Associate Managing Editors Leah J. Teichholtz ’24 Meimei Xu ’24 Editorial Chairs

Associate Business Manager Derek S. Chang ’24 Copyright 2023, 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

Night Editors Isabella B. Cho ’24 Mayesha R. Soshi ’24

Leah J. Teichholtz ’24 Meimei Xu ’24 Eric Yan ’24

Assistant Night Editors Rahem D. Hamid ’25 Joey Huang ’24 J. Sellers Hill ’25 Yusuf Mian ’25 Paton D. Roberts ’25 Sally E. Edwards ’26 Sidney K. Lee ’26

Design Editors Toby R. Ma ’24 Sami E. Turner ’25 Laurinne P. Eugenio ’26

Story Editors Ariel H. Kim ’24 Brandon L. Kingdollar ’24

Photo Editors Joey Huang ’24 Julian J. Giordano ’25 Cory K. Gorczycki ’24 Christopher L. Li ’25 Addison Y. Liu ’25 Nathanael Tjandra ’26

CORRECTIONS The Harvard Crimson is committed to accuracy in its reporting. Factual errors are corrected promptly on this page. Readers with information about errors are asked to e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@thecrimson.com.

Editorial Editors Tommy Barone ’25 Arts Editor Zachary J. Lech ’24 Sports Editors Mairead B. Baker ’24 Aaron B. Shuchman ’25 Emma S. de jong ’26 Nghia L. Nguyen ’26

poodle

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

NEWS

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

ACTIVISM

HLS Rebukes Students for Phone Banking CONFRONTED. HLS administration reprimanded students phone banking for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza Wednesday, drawing backlash from students. BY JO B. LEMANN AND NEIL H. SHAH CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

arvard Law School administrators told students phone banking for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza to leave the Caspersen Student Center lounge Wednesday, according to a video reviewed by The Crimson and students in attendance, sparking free speech concerns among students. Participants said a group of administrators — which included Stephen L. Ball, dean of students; Monica E. Monroe, assistant dean for community engagement, equity, and belonging; and Jessica L. Soban ’02, dean

of student services — told the students they were violating school policy by phone banking in the Caspersen lounge and soliciting other students to join them. The incident took place shortly after Ball and Monroe sent an email Wednesday to students reminding them of University free speech and non-discrimination policies, as well as HLS-specific guidelines on protesting and personal conduct. The email said the school’s shared spaces were meant to be “used for personal or small group study and conversation that respect the rights of others to use the space.” The group of students, not affiliated with any organization, had been phone banking in the lounge — which some call “Belinda Hall” in honor of a person enslaved by the Royall family, who were prominent Law School donors — for more than two weeks without any previous incidents with administrators, they said. Lisa Fanning, a third-year law

student in attendance, said administrators who approached them did not explain to them what policies they had violated. “They came to us and they said that what we were doing was actually in violation of the student handbook and that they had sent out an email earlier today that clarified this policy that we couldn’t be doing this in a student lounge,” Fanning said. “‘Doing this’ is what they kept saying. They said ‘this’ is not allowed in the student lounge.” Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal wrote in an emailed statement that the school, “in keeping with its procedures, reminded a group of students gathered in the WCC about the school’s policies regarding time, place, and manner.” He wrote that this policy and others were shared with all HLS students earlier that day. “The students were welcomed to partner with a recognized HLS student organization, each of which may reserve a table in the

appropriate location,” Neal added. Fanning said that after administrators told her flyers were acceptable but soliciting other students was not, she held up a flyer that directed passersby to ask her about it. However, she said, when the group of administrators returned, they told her she would be referred to the Administrative Board for potential disciplinary action. Neal did not confirm if students had been referred to the Administrative Board. Wednesday’s encounter comes amid national controversy surrounding free speech and activism related to the Israel-Hamas war at Harvard and other college campuses. Students and administrators alike have faced intense backlash from alumni, donors, and affiliates across the political spectrum. Responding to the incident, Law Students for a Free Palestine, an organization of students from

38 law schools across the country, released a statement that alleged Harvard students had been “uniquely targeted by repression.” According to the statement, handing out flyers and displaying posters are protected in the HLS Handbook of Academic Policies. “Picketing in an orderly way or distributing literature outside the meeting is acceptable unless it impedes access to the meeting,” per a section of the school’s handbook cited in Ball and Monroe’s Wednesday email. The group also expressed concern about a potential response from the administration to a silent vigil planned for Thursday in the Law School’s Wasserstein Hall. “Harvard Law’s administration is suppressing every form of student speech — to the point that we think the administration will still crack down on this silent vigil,” the group wrote in the statement. Neal did not comment on alle-

gations that the school had suppressed free speech. Students have had a history of using the lounge for activism, Fanning said, but “administrators have never reacted in the way that they did today.” “Harvard Law School is taking the approach of free speech for students except for those students that want to speak about Palestine,” she added. Allie R. Ryave, a second-year law student in attendance, said she was disheartened by the HLS administration’s actions, which she described as an attempt to silence her and others. “I feel frustrated that I came to this school because I care about what happens in the world and I want to be a part of making it better, and every time I feel like I tried to do that here, there’s some unreasonable pushback,” she said. jo.lemann@thecrimson.com neil.shah@thecrimson.com

HLS Affiliates Participate in ProPalestine ‘Day of Action’ BY NEIL H. SHAH CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Students line up to buy Harvard-Yale tickets at Smith Campus Center. This year will be the 139th rendition of The Game. TRACY JIANG — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE GAME FROM PAGE 1

Students Gear Up for The Game During Harvard-Yale Spirit Week Meredith E. Blanchard ’26 said while she is excited to see The Game at Yale for the first time, assignments due next week make it difficult for her to fully enjoy the weekend. “It’s kind of a busy week, so I’m trying to get everything done before The Game — I have a lot of stuff due Monday and Tuesday, so it’s a bit of a damper on the weekend,” she said. The College Events Board hosted various events to build excitement ahead of The Game, including a “State Fair,” “Ride or DIY,” and the annual “Bulldog Roast.” Barbara A. Sheehan ’27, who plans to drive to Yale on Friday for her first Harvard football game, said she enjoyed the various fes-

tivities this week in preparation for The Game. “Some of the events leading up so far have been really fun,” she said. “I was able to make a stuffed duck. It was a lot of fun. It has a fun little Harvard-Yale T-shirt on.” Ines De La Morena ’23-’24 and Helen D. Eichorn ’23-’25 attended the Bulldog Roast Thursday evening, a tradition hosted by Organismic and Evolutionary Biology lecturer Andrew J. Berry. The event also features student comics. Eichorn, an Integrative Biology concentrator, said the comedy show was “funny,” and it was “nice” to hear from Berry, her adviser, in a different setting than usual. “Yale sucks,” De La Morena

added. Following the roast, students participated in a merch-making event in the Eliot House dining hall. The Harvard Undergraduate Arts & Crafts Club organized the event. Attendees had the opportunity to customize bucket hats and drink holders with Harvard insignia. “We’re the last generation preCovid because it’s the ’23-ers that took a gap year,” De La Morena said. “So I’m excited to see some people that I started college with and feel like a freshman again before I leave this campus forever,” De La Morena added. sophia.scott@thecrimson.com paton.roberts@thecrimson.com

ore than 100 Harvard Law M School affiliates gathered in a crowded Caspersen Student Center lounge Thursday afternoon for a silent vigil to mourn Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war. After the vigil, they rallied outside Wasserstein Hall in support of Palestine and against alleged suppression of free speech on campus. The demonstrations were part of a “Day of Action” by Law Students for a Free Palestine, a newly formed national group of law students from more than 30 schools. The group also held events at several other law schools, including the University of Virginia, the University of Southern California, and New York University. At the time of the event, access to Caspersen Student Center and Wasserstein Hall was restricted to only Law School affiliates. In addition to usual Harvard ID scanners, Harvard University Police Department officers and Securitas guards were stationed in and around the building. The demonstrations came just one day after students phone banking for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza were told by administrators to leave the very same lounge — sparking free speech concerns from students. As a result, organizers from Law Students for Palestine expressed concerns that the school would “crack down” on the vigil. But Corinne Shanahan, a law student in attendance, said HLS Dean of Students Stephen L. Ball agreed at the event that they were

not violating school policy. HLS spokesperson Jeff Neal did not comment on whether the events today violated the school’s rules. Affiliates participating in the vigil remained in silence for 11 minutes while they covered their mouths with black tape. At the end, they took the tape off — which attendees said symbolized that they could not be silenced — as they proceeded to rally outside Wasserstein Hall. During the rally, a series of speakers condemned violence against Palestinians in Gaza as well as what they referred to as a lack of free speech on these issues. There were also approximately a dozen counterprotesters in attendance who held up signs with pictures of Israeli hostages who were taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 invasion. Both demonstrations were peaceful and did not engage with each other. One pro-Palestine student speaker alleged that free speech rights on the topic of Palestine were being suppressed. “Our universities and workplaces work overtime to silence the slogans, protests, and voices uniting to stop this genocide,” they said. University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on criticisms of Harvard’s administration. Neal, the HLS spokesperson, similarly did not comment on these criticisms. Another speaker at the rally — who spoke on behalf of the rankand-file members of the Harvard Graduate Student Union who support the Boycott, Divestment,

Sanctions movement — said those in attendance are currently witnessing a “moral failure of the mainstream media and University administration.” “We’re here to call out the moral rot as evidenced by their refusal to speak out and stand up against genocide,” they added. Last week, HGSU-UAW voted to adopt national union statements endorsing the BDS movement — which calls for a boycott of Israeli businesses and an end to international support for Israel in protest of the country’s treatment of Palestinians — and calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. After the rally, dozens of attendees marched to Harvard Yard, where students affiliated with Harvard Jews for Palestine were occupying University Hall. The HLS affiliates carried a banner listing the names of Palestinians who have died as a result of the conflict. Israa M. Alzamli, a law student who helped organize Law Students for a Free Palestine, said the “Day of Action” across various law schools and the group’s formation were motivated by a desire to “have one strong, unified voice and show each other support during this crazy McCarthyism that’s happening for anyone who’s speaking about Palestine.” “People want to speak. People want to be public,” she said. “And people aren’t afraid, and they’re not going to be silenced, and so I think that was really why and how the group came together so fast.” neil.shah@thecrimson.com

RHODES FROM PAGE 1

Ten Harvard Students Selected as Rhodes Scholars Aatresh is currently pursuing a special concentration she crafted called “complex biosocial systems.” At Oxford, she plans to pursue an master of philosophy in nature, society and environmental governance. “It definitely hasn’t sunk in yet,” Aatresh said. “For me, it’s a recognition of the importance of community and camaraderie and trying to figure out how to do things differently and more thoughtfully at Harvard and in the world.” Some students expressed feeling a heightened sense of responsibility that comes with the scholarship. “I feel like the work begins now,” Bhat said. “It’s, of course, validating. It feels good to win prizes, as I think anyone would tell you, but mostly I’m excited because I can now focus on doing the actual work I want to do

in the world.” “I don’t have to worry about winning prizes anymore. Now I can focus on actually doing things that I really care about in the world,” he added. For Bhat, the co-founder of Harvard Undergraduate Group Peer Therapy, this means working to improve access to mental health resources on campus and around the world. Cho, an English concentrator and a Crimson News editor, said she seeks to combat the idea of the humanities in crisis in higher education. “There’s a real public mandate to energize the humanities so that they’re seen by all as a true peer to the sciences and social sciences,” Cho wrote in an emailed statement. “It’s my hope that my time at Oxford can help me understand how we can infuse more experimentation into

the way we bring humanities to students, and how those innovations might help address the ideological divides we see not just in pedagogy but in politics and jurisprudence as well.” Tu, who hails from Omaha, Nebraska, described herself as “a very proud first-generation American” and said she sees this as a driving force behind her work in journalism. “I’m the daughter of two Chinese immigrants,” she said. “English is not my or my family’s native language.” “They really instilled that tenacity in me and that ambition,” Tu said of her parents. “They also instilled the importance of always seeking out the stories of people who might be overlooked the same way I think my family was overlooked because we didn’t speak the native language.”

Ten members of Harvard’s Class of 2024 have been named Rhodes Scholars.

Safi, the only international Harvard Rhodes scholar elected so far this year, plans to study the intellectual history of Marxist and religious thought in South Asia. “I’m one of two Pakistanis

that gets elected from a country of 230 million,” Safi said. “It comes with an overwhelming sense of responsibility and a need to continue speaking the truth and being able to advocate for the things one cares about.”

The Rhodes Trust will continue to announce winners from the remaining international constituencies over the coming weeks. sophia.scott@thecrimson.com sage.lattman@thecrimson.com

NEWS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON NOVEMBER 17, 2023

FAS DEAN

Hoekstra Silent on University Hall Sit-In HOPI HOEKSTRA did not discuss the occupation of University Hall by pro-Palestine students. BY RAHEM D. HAMID AND ELIAS J. SCHIGSALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

s a dozen students from Harvard Jews for Palestine staged a sit-in just two floors below her office in University Hall Thursday afternoon, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Hopi E. Hoekstra spoke with The Crimson — and had nothing to say on the occupation. Hoekstra said she was “aware of the situation, but I really don’t have anything further to add” in a Zoom interview Thursday afternoon. The interview was originally scheduled to be in-person in University Hall, which also houses the offices of several other top Har-

vard administrators. The occupation began Thursday morning, just hours before The Crimson’s interview with Hoekstra. Harvard University Police Department officers restricted access to the building shortly thereafter. More than 100 students and affiliates rallied outside University Hall at around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday in support of the demonstrators, who remained in the building. Just before, Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana spoke with the students in the building, but FAS spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo declined to comment on the content of their conversation. Hoekstra would not say if she had spoken with any protesters. “I really want to move on from this topic,” she said. The protesters called on the University to call for a ceasefire, create a committee to investigate Islamophobia on campus,

and state that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. Hoekstra declined to comment on their demands. As with her last interview with The Crimson, Hoekstra largely avoided directly addressing campus controversies over Israel, Gaza, and antisemitism, instead deferring to University President Claudine Gay’s previous communications to affiliates. “I think that statements that have been made have been clear about antisemitism,” Hoekstra said. Hoekstra declined to comment on whether or not she would support the creation of an advisory group focused on Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism in addition to the newly launched task force on antisemitism Gay announced late last month. In a Nov. 9 email to Harvard affiliates, Gay condemned antisemitism, Islamophobia, ha-

rassment, and violence and affirmed Harvard’s commitment to free speech. Gay also censured the pro-Palestine phrase “from the river to the sea,” which she stated has “specific historical implications” that “imply the eradication of Jews from Israel.” More than 100 faculty members across eight Harvard schools signed an open letter earlier this week criticizing Gay’s condemnation of the phrase. The faculty signatories, who included nearly 50 members of the FAS, also called on the University to create a task force focused on Islamophobia. Hoekstra would not comment on the faculty’s criticism. “President Gay’s statement really speaks for itself, and again, there’s just no place for discrimination of any kind at Harvard,” she said. When asked how concerned she was by antisemitism on

campus, Hoekstra said that “bullying and intimidation really run completely counter to our academic mission,” and pointed to available resources for affiliates, such as the University’s anti-bullying and non-discrimination policies. Harvard has faced significant pressure from prominent donors and alumni, who have said Harvard’s condemnation of antisemitism has been insufficiently swift or forceful. In Monday’s open letter, faculty members wrote that they were “astonished by the pressure” from alumni, donors, and other affiliates “to silence faculty, students, and staff critical of the actions of the State of Israel.” Hoekstra declined to address alumni and donor pressure on administrators, saying that “what we really need to focus on here is really thinking about what’s important to Harvard and what we’re doing right

now on campus.” “This is a challenging time on campus, and we’ve been really focusing on supporting the physical safety and emotional wellbeing of our students,” Hoekstra said, praising the role of house deans and tutors in supporting undergraduates. rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com

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Faculty Criticize Gay’s Censure of Slogan BY RAHEM D. HAMID AND ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

An art exhibit in Tercentenary Theatre paid homage to Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war. FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

PSC Hosts Exhibition in Harvard Yard BY MADELEINE A. HUNG CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee organized an art exhibition in Harvard Yard on Wednesday to mourn the Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war. The one-day-only installation, titled “Life Under the Rubble,” was erected in Tercentenary Theatre. The installation included everyday items such as furniture, clothing, books, and medical equipment, all spray-painted red and damaged to “show the destruction of life and property,” according to a PSC spokesperson granted anonymity due to safety concerns. The PSC’s art installation comes in the wake of national backlash that began after the PSC and other student groups published a joint statement that called Israel “entirely responsible” for the violence amid the Islamist militant group Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Earlier this month, students from Harvard Hillel and Chabad installed a Shabbat table in Tercentenary Theatre as a tribute to those kidnapped or killed by Hamas. The PSC’s exhibition was organized into six parts — “The Home,” “The Hospital,” “The School,” “The Graveyard,” “The Refugee Camp,” and “The Diaspora” — which represent “the six domains of Gazan life under siege today,” according to a website specifically created for the art installation. “‘Life Under the Rubble’ visually mourns the lives of over 11,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza during the ongoing genocide that has unfolded in the past month,” the PSC spokesperson wrote in a statement. “As the media and mainstream discourse seeks to dehumanize Palestinians — reducing Gazans to numbers — this exhibit aims to bring the loss of the past month to Harvard Yard,

to not only create a space for grief, but to also highlight memories and aspirations.” Students and affiliates from multiple Harvard schools — especially the Graduate School of Design and the Medical School — helped create the installation, according to the spokesperson. Midway through the exhibition, several counter-protesters set up signs bearing Israeli flags and the names and faces of people who had been killed or kidnapped by Hamas. Near the end of the exhibition, a person stood on the steps of Memorial Church and waved oversized Israeli and American flags while shouting at passersby. “By putting up this installation in Harvard Yard, we hope to spark a conversation about how the violence in Gaza is not removed from our own reality as students and Harvard’s institutional complicity,” the PSC spokesperson wrote. University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment. Harvard President Claudine Gay condemned the pro-Palestine slogan “from the river to the sea” in a statement last week. “Combating antisemitism and fostering free expression are mutually consistent goals,” she wrote. “We are at our strongest when we commit to open inquiry and freedom of expression as foundational values of our academic community.” The PSC spokesperson wrote the organization aims to “call out the institution that ignores these lives” that the installation mourns. “This installation seeks to challenge Harvard’s silence — and silencing — of voices, and to empower our student body and community to keep speaking out in the face of injustice,” the spokesperson wrote. madeleine.hung@thecrimson.com

More than 100 Harvard faculty members across eight of the University’s schools criticized Harvard President Claudine Gay’s condemnation of the pro-Palestine slogan “from the river to the sea” in an open letter to the president Monday. Amid heightened campus tensions surrounding the war in Israel and Gaza and rising pressure from University donors to more forcefully condemn antisemitism, Gay issued a statement last Thursday condemning the phrase. Gay also wrote that Harvard would work with a newly formed antisemitism advisory group to implement antisemitism training for affiliates. The letter’s signatories include prominent professors such as former Lowell House Faculty Dean Diana L. Eck, Philosophy Department Chair Bernhard Nickel, and History professor Sugata Bose, a former member of India’s parliament. Monday’s letter stated that the pro-Palestine phrase has “a long and complicated history.” Calling attention to the specific phrase as “necessarily implying removalism or even eliminationism,” the letter added, is “imprudent as a matter of university policy and badly misjudged as an act of moral leadership.” The letter stated the signatories were “profoundly dismayed”

with Gay’s statement, which it said raised concerns about academic freedom. “The University’s commitment to intellectual freedom and open dialogue seems to be giving way to something else entirely: a model of education in which the meaning of terms once eligible for interpretation is prescribed from above by a committee whose work was, on Tuesday, described to the faculty as only beginning,” they wrote. Criticism of Israel, they added, “cannot be ruled as ipso facto antisemitic.” University spokesperson Jason A. Newton confirmed that Gay had received the letter, but he declined to comment further. The faculty called for Gay to direct the advisory group to “explain the definition of antisemitism” to affiliates “before recommending any policies touching upon the freedom of thought and expression on our campus.” The letter seemed to reference statements by Harvard Chabad President Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, who condemned the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee — a student group that penned a controversial statement holding Israel responsible for the initial attack — as “supporting terrorism” in an email to The Crimson. “At a moment when an affiliate of the University has with apparent impunity stood in the yard and accused students of supporting terrorism, your delineation of the limits of acceptable expres-

sion on our campus is dangerously one-sided,” the faculty wrote. In his email, Zarchi called on Harvard to de-recognize the PSC, following similar sanctions of pro-Palestine student groups at Columbia University and Brandeis University. But in their letter, the faculty called on Gay not to take disciplinary action against the PSC. The faculty also asked Gay to resist “calls to set aside the University’s normal disciplinary procedures to prematurely sanction students and employees because of concerns raised about their political activity absent specific allegations of wrongdoing” and to reverse sanctions already placed on affiliates “pending a procedurally sound investigation.” Walter Johnson, a History professor and the first listed signatory on the letter, confirmed in an email that the letter was referring to Elom Tettey-Tamaklo, a Harvard proctor who was relieved of his position last week after appearing in a video of a confrontation at a “die-in” supporting Palestine at Harvard Business School. The viral video showed Tettey-Tamaklo, a safety marshal at the event, directing a man identified by several media outlets as an Israeli student away from the event and blocking his camera. The video sparked calls from prominent alumni for Harvard to take disciplinary action against the protestors. Harvard College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo de-

clined to comment, citing a policy against commenting on personnel matters. The faculty letter also called on Harvard to “explicitly and specifically” affirm the school’s commitment to academic freedom, denounce what they described as a “‘Palestinian exception’ to free speech,” and create an advisory group on “Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism.” Two signatories — Sociology assistant professor Adaner Usmani ’08 and Harvard Law School professor David W. Kennedy — are also members of the Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard, a group formed in April to advocate for free speech at the University. “We are firmly committed to academic freedom for our students — all of them. As should be obvious, this commitment brooks no ‘Palestine exception’ for students who harshly attack Israel’s policies,” Edward J. Hall, a Philosophy professor and one of the Council’s founding co-presidents, wrote in an emailed statement on behalf of the Council’s presidents and executive director. “While those students, and the groups to which they belong, should be ready to face pointed criticisms both of their ideas and the words they choose to express them, they must not fear official sanction,” Hall wrote. rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com

PROTEST FROM PAGE 1

Pro-Palestine Activists Occupy University Hall students remaining in the basement dislodged a window screen, and other organizers outside University Hall began passing them food and personal items. The demonstration began at around 11 a.m., prompting HUPD to restrict access to the building and tighten security around the Yard throughout the day. The students, who numbered roughly a dozen at the beginning of the sit-in, were affiliated with Harvard Jews for Palestine, an unrecognized student group at the College advocating for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Members “stand in solidarity with Palestine” and “echo the demands of pro-Palestinian movements demanding justice,” according to the group’s Instagram account. An email sent to University Hall staff at 11:22 a.m. from Evren Celimli, an area manager at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Office of Physical Resources and Planning, said HUPD officers had arrived on the scene and the doors to the building were locked. At 11:40, he sent a follow-up advising staff to work outside the building for the rest of the day. At around 12:30 p.m., more than 20 people gathered in front

of University Hall — which houses the offices of top Faculty of Arts and Sciences and College administrators — to support the occupying students in a rally. Students inside the building banged on the lower level windows of the building, chanting “Let them in.” Roughly 45 minutes later, at 1:15 p.m., dozens of protesters from a separate demonstration at Harvard Law School joined the protest outside University Hall. Around six HUPD officers and a few Securitas officers were stationed at the four entrances to the building around noon on Thursday, informing students — and visitors hoping to attend an afternoon concert in the building — that they weren’t allowed to enter. More than 100 students and af-

filiates returned to the John Harvard statue around 4:30 p.m. for a second rally in support of the students inside the building. Several Jewish and Palestinian students and campus organizers spoke at the rally, as did History professor Walter Johnson, “You have known for a long time that the words ‘free speech’ have never meant free speech about Palestine,” Johnson said. “The field of debate over ‘free speech’ in our universities has always been dependent upon an elision of Palestine.” HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano did not respond to multiple requests for comment. University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to com-

ment on the students’ calls for a ceasefire. The occupation by Harvard Jews for Palestine is the latest in a series of student demonstrations demanding an end to violence in Gaza. Last month, more than 1,000 protesters rallied in Harvard Yard calling for an end to the war. The University has faced intense backlash from donors and alumni over pro-Palestine activism on campus, including over a confrontation at an Oct. 18 “diein” protest at the Business School. University Hall has long been a target of student activists during campus protests. Earlier this year, dozens of students occupied the building in protest of Harvard’s continued employment of African and African American Studies and Anthropology professor John L. Comaroff. In 1969, several hundred students took over University Hall in protest of the Vietnam War, a demonstration that led to between 250 and 300 arrests. Crimson staff writers Michelle N. Amponsah, J. Sellers Hill, Julian J. Giordano, Miles J. Herszenhorn, Nia L. Orakwue, and Neil H. Shah contributed reporting.

More than 100 protesters gathered outside University Hall Thursday evening. FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

cam.kettles@thecrimson.com elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

COVER STORY

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

Meet the Harvard College Class of 2027 ALLISON G. LEE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE CRIMSON surveyed freshmen on their beliefs and backgrounds this fall. BY MICHELLE N. AMPONSAH AND EMMA H. HAIDAR CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

hen members of the Harvard College Class of 2027 filled out their college applications last fall, they did so while the nation anticipated the Supreme Court’s impending ruling over Harvard’s race-conscious admissions policies. The Supreme Court’s decision ending affirmative action in higher education reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, forcing Harvard’s admissions office back to the drawing board. The Court’s decision also drew greater scrutiny over one of Harvard’s long-standing admissions policies — legacy preferences. Legacy admissions are also largely unpopular with Harvard’s freshman class. Approximately 63 percent of students who responded to The Crimson’s annual freshman survey reported that they do not support legacy admissions. When asked if any of their relatives attended Harvard or Radcliffe, just over 75 percent of respondents said they do not have relatives that attended Harvard or Radcliffe.

Of those with no legacy connections, 66 percent responded that they do not support legacy admissions, while 55 percent of those with legacy connections to the College reported they do not support legacy admissions. Preferences in the admissions process for children of alumni and donors have been criticized by Supreme Court justices, President Joe Biden, and politicians across the aisle. The Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into Harvard’s use of legacy preferences in July in response to a complaint filed by Lawyers for Civil Rights and three other organizations. Harvard’s top administrators have addressed criticisms of legacy preferences in the last few months. “Everything is on the table,” University President Claudine Gay said in an October interview in response to questions about potential changes to Harvard’s admissions policies. However, Gay did not specify whether legacy preferences would be removed. As Harvard freshmen started their first semester at college, around 45.9 percent of students in the Class of 2027 completed The Crimson’s freshman survey, spanning topics about their backgrounds, beliefs, political views, social media use, and the application process.

The survey was open from Aug. 21 to Sept. 23. The Crimson did not account for potential selection bias in its analysis of the survey results. Because of rounding, statistics may not total to 100 percent. The first installment of The Crimson’s survey of the Class of 2027 analyzes students’ experiences and opinions of the Harvard application process and the demographics of the class in a landmark year for admissions at the University. Affirmative Action and Diversity The ultimately successful suit brought by anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions sparked a nationwide debate about Harvard’s admissions practices. Still, the majority of Harvard’s freshman class who responded to The Crimson’s annual survey support affirmative action policies in the admissions process. Roughly two-thirds of the Class of 2027 — 66.5 percent of respondents — support the use of affirmative action in college admissions, while 14.7 percent of respondents are not in favor of affirmative action policies. Nearly 19 percent remain unsure. Approximately 86 percent of respondents said Harvard should strive for racial diversity in college

admissions. Nearly 10 percent of respondents said they were unsure, while the remaining 4.7 percent disagreed. Nearly 85 percent of freshmen surveyed said they did not feel pressure to mention their racial identity in their college application. Around 39 percent of respondents mentioned their racial identity in their college application essays, while roughly three-fifths of respondents — 61.3 percent — did not. Of those who did mention their racial identity in their application essay, 97.6 percent of freshmen said they did not intentionally misrepresent themselves at any point in the college admissions process. About 30 percent of respondents who reported annual family incomes greater than $500,000 hired a counselor not employed by their high school. Of those with family incomes of $250,000 to $499,000, 18.7 percent indicated the same, followed by 17.9 percent of students with family incomes of $125,000 to $249,000. Approximately 6 to 7 percent of respondents with annual family incomes less than $124,000 utilized a private college admissions counselor. White students made up 40 percent of respondents to the survey, followed by Asians and Asian Americans, who constituted 32.3 percent of the total. Black and Lat-

inx students made up roughly 11.1 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively, while Native Americans and Native Hawaiians represented 2.2 percent of the class.

Harvard does not provide enough aid and 1 percent said the College provides too much aid.

Financial Aid

Approximately 16 percent of respondents indicated that they are the first generation in their family to go to college, while 84.1 percent of respondents are not. Of respondents who said they attended public non-charter high schools, 41.4 percent identify as white, around 10.7 percent are Black, 7.7 percent are South Asian, 24.6 percent are Asian American, and 8.7 are Latinx students. Respondents who attended private non-religious high schools were mostly white-identifying at 35.1 percent, followed by Asian American at 27.6 percent, 13.2 percent Black, and 8.3 percent Latinx. Respondents whose annual family income totals $500,000 or higher were more likely to report that they attended private non-religious or religious schools. Of students in the Class of 2027 who reported annual family incomes of less than $40,000, 13.8 percent said they attended public charter schools while 10.6 percent attended public non-charter schools. Just 6.3 percent reported attending private religious high schools.

In recent years, Harvard has expanded its financial aid offerings to incoming students. For the second consecutive year, the College raised the threshold for free attendance to $85,000 for the 2023-24 academic year as the cost of attendance rose by 3.5 percent. Among respondents, 13.4 percent reported annual family incomes of $500,000 or higher, 13.8 percent reported between $250,000 and $499,000, 19.4 percent between $125,000 and $249,000, 12.5 percent between $80,000 and $124,000, 12.7 percent between $40,000 and $79,999, and 10.3 percent of respondents reported family incomes under $40,000. Approximately 18 percent said they preferred not to say. While 22.5 percent of respondents reported receiving full financial aid from the College, 35.2 percent reported receiving partial financial aid. Roughly 42 percent responded that they do not receive financial aid from the College. When asked their opinion on the amount of aid, 59.3 percent of respondents said the College provides just the right amount of aid. Approximately 40 percent said

Before Harvard

michelle.amponsah@thecrimson.com emma.haidar@thecrimson.com

Freshmen Less Likely to Support Building Denaming Proposals BY TYLER J.H. ORY AND JOHN N. PENA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Proposals and protests to dename prominent Harvard buildings with controversial namesakes have taken center stage over the past year. But freshmen are split on their support for these proposals. Roughly a third of the Harvard College Class of 2027 said they support proposals to dename campus buildings because of their controversial namesakes, according to The Crimson’s fall survey of the freshman class. This figure is down from the 51.6 percent of the Class of 2025 who found such proposals strongly or somewhat favorable in 2021. Following repeated calls from Harvard affiliates to dename buildings named after figures with controversial legacies, the University is formally considering proposals to dename several buildings on campus. Earlier this year, Harvard affiliates circulated a petition to dename Winthrop House, which is named after slave owners. As of September, the petition had amassed more than 1,000 signatures, including more than 150 members of the Class of 2027, according to organizer and Crimson Editorial editor Clyve Lawrence ’25. As for respondents who did not support denaming proposals, 21 percent viewed them as unfavorable, 19.9 percent had no opinion, and 24.6 percent did not have enough information to respond. Views were divided along political preference, with 46.8 percent of self-identified progressive or very progressive students in favor of the proposals and 80.4 percent of conservative or very conservative students opposing the proposals. The second part of The Crimson’s four-part survey of the Class of 2027 examines the class’ views

on national politics and hot-button campus issues. Around 45.8 percent of students in the Class of 2027 completed The Crimson’s freshman survey. The survey, which was open from Aug. 21 until Sept. 23, included questions about their backgrounds, beliefs, political views, social media use, and the application process. The Crimson did not account for potential selection bias in its analysis of the survey results. Because of rounding, statistics may not total to 100 percent. Campus Politics Just under a fifth of the freshman class, or 19.2 percent, said they were concerned or very concerned about their ability to freely express their views on Harvard’s campus, compared to 45.3 percent who were unconcerned or very unconcerned, 30.5 percent who were neither concerned nor unconcerned, and 5.1 percent who said they did not have enough information to answer. Of the conservative students who answered this question, 58.8 percent said they were concerned or very concerned about their freedom to express views on campus, compared to 14.5 percent of progressive students. Some professors have criticized what they describe as a lack of academic freedom on campus. More than 70 academics started the Council on Academic Freedom at Harvard in the spring to promote ideals of free speech. The vast majority of freshmen — 82.8 percent — support efforts to promote academic freedom and free inquiry on campus, with just 1.2 percent against these aims. Nearly half of surveyed freshmen, at 46.9 percent, found proposals to defund or abolish the Harvard University Police Department unfavorable, while 35.3 percent said they did not have enough information to answer. Only 7.7 percent of respondents

found such proposals favorable, while 10.1 percent said they had no opinion. Opinions varied significantly among political preference, with 31.1 percent of very progressive students in favor, while only 2 percent of progressive students in favor. Forty-two percent of progressive students were against proposals, along with 67.9 percent of moderates. Among conservative and very conservative students, 90.2 percent were against proposals to defund or abolish Harvard’s police force. Just 4.6 percent of students said they did not support proposals to create an ethnic studies department, while 53.2 percent answered in support. The remaining students said they did not have an opinion or did not have enough information to answer. A majority of freshmen identified as either not at all religious or not very religious. Though 23 percent considered themselves somewhat religious, only 12 percent of respondents said they were very religious, with 2.5 percent of those surveyed identifying as extremely religious. Almost half of the freshman class reported as agnostic or atheist. Catholics make up the largest religious group at 16.4 percent, followed by those who identified as non-denominational Christian, Protestant, Jewish, Hindu, and Muslim. National Politics Respondents to the freshman survey predominantly reported progressive political views, with 64 percent identifying as progressive or very progressive. Just 8.4 percent of students reported having conservative or very conservative views, and 24.4 percent reported moderate views. More than half, or 52.9 per-

Source: The Harvard Crimson’s Class of 2027 Survey.

cent of respondents, considered themselves to be affiliated with the Democratic party, compared to 5.5 percent affiliated with the Republican Party. Those who consider themselves politically independent made up 12.1 percent of the class, and 27.7 percent surveyed as being unaffiliated with a U.S. political party. Freshmen were split on their opinions of President Joe Biden. Almost 40 percent found the incumbent president favorable, 28.3 percent unfavorable, 22.6 percent had no opinion, and 9.3 percent did not have enough information to respond. Just 3.6 percent of respondents viewed former President Donald Trump favorably, while 86.8 percent viewed him unfavorably, 6.8 percent had no opinion, and 2.8 percent did not have

enough information to respond. A third of self-identified conservative or very conservative students viewed the former president favorably. Nearly half of freshmen reported that they did not have enough information for an opinion on the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement advocating for economic sanctions against Israel. Sixteen percent of respondents have no opinion on the movement, 11.8 percent have an unfavorable opinion, and 22.7 percent have a favorable opinion on BDS. Respondents completed the survey in September, prior to the outbreak of violence in Israel and Gaza following Hamas’ attacks on Israel on Oct. 7. Across political views, very progressive students were most

likely to view the BDS movement as favorable. Roughly 49 percent of very progressive students viewed the movement as favorable, compared to 21.6 percent of progressives, 9.9 percent of moderates, and 7.8 percent of conservative or very conservative students. Following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, students rallied in Harvard Yard and denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nearly 60 percent of survey respondents viewed U.S. aid to Ukraine as favorable, compared to 9.2 who viewed it as unfavorable. Eleven percent had no opinion, and 20.3 percent said they did not have enough information. tyler.ory@thecrimson.com john.pena@thecrimson.com

COVER STORY

THE HARVARD CRIMSON NOVEMBER 17, 2023

ACADEMICS

Athlete SATs Trail by 160 Points, ACTs by 3 LOWER SCORES. Surveyed athletes had lower SAT and ACT test scores than other freshmen. BY RAHEM D. HAMID

application process. The Crimson did not account for potential selection bias in its analysis of the survey results. Because of rounding, statistics may not total to 100 percent.

AND J. SELLERS HILL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

he SAT scores of recruited athletes in the Class of 2027 trailed those of non-athletes by more than 160 points, according to The Crimson’s survey of the freshman class. The disparity was greater than seen in recent years, with recruited athletes averaging a total score of 1368 and non-recruited students scoring an average of 1531. Recruited athletes who took the ACT, a different standardized test, also received lower composite scores, earning an average score of 31 versus 34.3 for non-recruited students. The finding comes amid national debate on how race, legacy, and recruited athlete status should factor into college admissions processes, particularly those used by the College. Recruited athletes in the Class of 2027 were also less racially diverse than the wider school population. More than 62 percent of recruited athletes were white, with no other ethnicity making up more than 10 percent of recruited athletes. This number is down from the 83 percent of recruited athletes in the Class of 2025 who are white. The third part of The Crimson’s four-part survey of the Class of 2027 examines the class’ academic and extracurricular backgrounds as well as their views on artificial intelligence. Around 45.8 percent of students in the Class of 2027 completed The Crimson’s freshman survey. The survey, which was open from Aug. 21 until Sept. 23, included questions about their backgrounds, beliefs, political views, social media use, and the

Before Harvard Predictably, in high school, the Class of 2027 excelled. Almost half, at more than 47 percent, said they were in the top two percent of their high school class, though more than 35 percent said their high school did not rank. To achieve their grades, a plurality of respondents — 35 percent — reported studying, on average, for less than 10 hours a week, followed by approximately 29 percent who said they studied between 11 and 19 hours a week. The average SAT and ACT scores reported by members of the Class of 2027 were 1522 and 34.2 respectively, though these numbers varied along athlete and legacy status. The average total SAT score among legacy students was 1543, while it was 1515 for non-legacy students. An overwhelming majority of the Class of 2027 is also experienced in high-level math. Ninety percent of the class reported they had completed math coursework in high school at the level of calculus or higher. Students hailing from private or public charter schools were also more likely to have completed math coursework above the level of calculus — 38 and 35 percent, respectively — when compared to the 25 percent of students who completed the same level of coursework at non-charter public schools. Outside the classroom, community service was the most popular high school extracurricular activity among the class, with more than 70 percent of respondents saying they had volunteered in high school. Athletics and student government were also popular pursuits,

Source: The Harvard Crimson’s Class of 2027 Survey.

with 53 and 40 percent of respondents saying they participated in the activities, respectively. At their high schools, just over 23 percent of the surveyed freshmen reported serving as student body president or the equivalent role for their institution. Plans for Harvard In keeping with past year, the Class of 2027 reported they were largely happy with where they ended up for college. More than 75 percent of the surveyed freshmen said Harvard was their first choice, and more than 41 percent were admitted early. Roughly half — 46 percent — of surveyed freshmen applied to a certain New Haven-based institution, and just under 38 percent of applicants were admitted. For the seventh time in a row, freshmen were most likely to anticipate studying Economics, Government, or Computer Science. In keeping with previous years, recruited athletes were

more likely to study Economics than non-recruited students, at 19 percent and 13.7 percent, respectively. Still, this trend was less pronounced than it was for the Class of 2025, which saw 36.7 percent of recruited athletes express interest in Economics. Approximately 33 percent of surveyed members of the Class of 2027 said they were planning on concentrating in one of the three fields, with Economics being the most popular. Currently, the Economics Department is the College’s largest by undergraduate enrollment. A similar percentage of respondents — just under 32 percent — said they were planning on pursuing a joint or a double concentration, but more than half said they were unsure. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted to implement double concentrations for the first time in fall 2023 following student and faculty advocacy. Notably, at 34 percent, female students were more likely to indicate interest in pursuing a joint or

double concentration when compared to the 29 percent of male students who did so. Approximately two-thirds of students, at just under 66 percent, said they were planning on pursuing a language citation, a secondary field, or both. Respondents said they expect to be studying a lot more at the College than in high school: approximately 42 percent of respondents said they anticipated studying between 20 and 29 hours per week. Just 2 percent expected to study for less than 10 hours a week. Artificial Intelligence The Class of 2027 was divided on the value of artificial intelligence in higher education. While nearly half of the surveyed freshmen said that artificial intelligence would have an extremely positive or somewhat positive impact on higher education, just under 30 percent said it would have a somewhat negative or extremely negative impact.

Forty percent of students who identified as “very progressive” said they believed AI would have a somewhat negative or extremely negative impact on higher education, compared to 31 percent of progressive students, approximately 20 percent of politically moderate students, and a quarter of conservative or very conservative students. Nevertheless, more than 35 percent of very progressive students said they believed AI would have a somewhat positive or extremely positive impact on higher education, as well as half of conservative or very conservative students. A minority of the freshman class — 23 percent — said they had used AI to help complete high school coursework. Nearly 96 percent of students said they did not plan on submitting AI-produced work in college, and more than 81 percent of students said they had never cheated in an academic context. rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com sellers.hill@thecrimson.com

Surveyed Male Freshmen More Interested in Final Clubs, Social Orgs BY ELLA L. JONES AND NIA L. ORAKWUE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Even though recruitment for Harvard’s exclusive social organizations — final clubs — generally takes place in a student’s sophomore fall, the topic is top of mind for a number of members of the Class of 2027. According to The Crimson’s annual survey of the freshman class, 37.8 percent of the class said they were “very interested” or “somewhat interested” in joining a final club, a sorority, or fraternity. This figure stood at 46.5 percent for men who responded to The Crimson’s survey and 31.4 percent for women. Interest in social organizations also varied by family income. Roughly 45 percent of freshmen whose parents annually earn $250,000 or more combined said they are somewhat or very interested in joining these clubs, while only 30.8 percent of students whose parental income is under $124,000 said the same. Of students who attended private schools, 47.7 percent of students were interested in joining social organizations. This marked a sharp increase over students from public schools, with 31.5 percent of these students interested in social groups. Surveyed students who were interested in final clubs and other social organizations were more likely to have cheated in an academic context, with 34.6 percent of those who were “very interested” in social clubs answering that they had previously cheated. This fourth segment of The Crimson’s four-part survey of the Class of 2027 examines the lifestyle choices and behavior of this year’s freshmen. Around 45.8 percent of students in the Class of 2027 completed The Crimson’s freshman survey. The survey, which was open from Aug. 21 until Sept. 23,

included questions about their backgrounds, beliefs, political views, social media use, and the application process. Due to rounding, reported statistics may not total exactly 100 percent. The Crimson did not account for potential selection bias in its analysis of the survey results. Employment at Harvard and After Nearly half of the Class of 2027

— or 44.6 percent of freshmen — said they intended to pick up a term-time job. The percentage of those seeking a job was significantly lower among students who do not receive financial aid from the College, with 29.3 percent planning to work during the term. In October, Harvard’s non-academic undergraduate workers voted to create the Harvard Undergraduate Workers Union-United Auto Workers.

For many students at the College on financial aid, unionizing is a means of ensuring financial stability. Fifty percent and 65.4 percent of students on partial or full financial aid, respectively, said they intend to start working during the term. More than a quarter of incoming freshmen who responded to the survey, or 28.2 percent, anticipated attending a professional school in some capacity imme-

diately after graduation. Another 12.4 percent anticipated entering academia, which would also require continued education. Four percent of entering students anticipated working in consulting, 9.4 percent in finance, roughly 6 percent in technology, and 7.7 percent in government or politics. The Crimson’s survey of the graduating Class of 2023 found that 22.1 percent of students ultimately pursued careers in finance, 12.1 percent in technology, and 19.6 percent in consulting. Just 2.5 percent of graduates answered that they were pursuing careers in government or politics. When asked about their goals for 10 years after graduation, 18 percent of the Class of 2027 said they hope to pursue careers in politics or government. Almost 12 percent of students see themselves in academia in a decade, while 13.8 percent are interested in working in health care in some capacity. Just 6.4 percent and 1.2 percent of students hope to work in finance and consulting 10 years post-graduation, respectively. Sex, Drugs, & Alcohol

Source: The Harvard Crimson’s Class of 2027 Survey.

As in years past, the majority of the freshman class said they entered the College as virgins. Nearly two-thirds, or 63.4 percent of respondents, said they had never had sex. For those who have had sex, 56.2 percent have had one sexual partner. A small majority of respondents reported first having sex in 11th grade. The vast majority of the Class of 2027 had not engaged in using illicit substances before starting college — with the exception of alcohol. Only 40 percent of respondents said they had never consumed alcohol, and 12.3 percent of the incoming class said they had a form of fake identification — presumably to drink before their 21st birthdays. This marks a slight dip from the Class

of 2025 which saw 14.6 percent of students reporting owning fake identification. Marijuana surpassed tobacco or nicotine in popularity with freshmen. Of respondents, 72.7 percent said they had never smoked marijuana, versus 85 percent for tobacco and nicotine. This figure includes both cigarettes and e-cigarettes containing nicotine. Cocaine proved to be the least popular drug among members of the Class of 2027, with less than a percent of respondents answering that they had used the drug. Personal Life More than half of women, or 52 percent, worry about experiencing sexual assault or harassment on campus. Four percent of male students and 71.4 percent of nonbinary or genderqueer students fear the same. A third of students who said they are “very interested” or “somewhat interested” in joining social organizations also said they are concerned about experiencing sexual assault or harassment in college. Eighty percent of respondents to the Class of 2027 survey said their greatest source of pressure is self-imposed, while 8.2 percent said they feel the most pressure from their parents or family, and 6.3 percent said they feel no pressure at all. Roughly a third of students in the Class of 2027 have previously sought mental health counseling. The top social media platforms among the freshmen class are Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat at 95.9 percent, 61 percent, and 60.7 percent, respectively. Nearly 42 percent of surveyed students used TikTok, and X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, is used by 24.2 percent of freshmen. ella.jones@thecrimson.com nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

NEWS

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

HKS

Over 50% Drop in Black Students at HKS ENROLLMENT DROP. Harvard Kennedy School report finds more than 50% drop in the number of Black or African American students since 2021. BY ASHER J. MONTGOMERY CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

he Harvard Kennedy School saw a more than 50 percent drop in enrolled students identifying as Black or African American in 2023 as compared to 2021, according to an annual diversity report released by the school Tuesday morning. The number of Black or African American students at HKS dropped from 68 in 2021 to 31 this year. The school has also seen a drop overall in the proportion of enrolled American students and does not provide race and ethnicity data on international students. The proportion of HKS students who identify as Black or African American dropped to nearly 7 percent of American students in 2023, compared to 9 percent in 2022 and 11 percent in 2021. The report also showed a decrease in the proportion of Latinx students — from approximately 13 percent of American students in 2021 to 10 percent in 2023. The percentage of U.S. students who identify as Asian American increased from 18 to 25 percent of American students over the last two years. The proportion of white students from the U.S. remained the same at 51 percent. The Kennedy School does not present data about the race and ethnicity of its international stu-

dents because “race and ethnicity are interpreted differently in different settings around the world,” according to the school’s diversity report. In an email to HKS affiliates announcing the results of the diversity report, Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf said HKS must “redouble” efforts to diversify the student body. “The reports are crucial in our efforts to understand demographic diversity at the Kennedy

School and to see where we need to improve,” he wrote. Elmendorf also announced the formation of a new diversity task force made up of faculty, staff, and students, which will aim to increase the demographic diversity of the student body while complying with the recent Supreme Court decision striking down affirmative action. The task force will be run by criminal justice professor Sandra Susan Smith and Assistant Dean

for Enrollment Services Meredith C. Siegel. According to the email, the Kennedy School is also mandating implicit bias training for degree program admissions readers as well as several initiatives to increase financial aid services at HKS, including the creation of an application fee waiver. In February, Kennedy School students advocated for needbased application fee waivers in a letter to Elmendorf. Prior to this

initiative, HKS was the only Harvard school aside from the extension school that did not provide a fee waiver for financial need. The Kennedy School will also shift from a merit-based financial aid system to “a greater focus” on financial need in determining aid awards, according to Elmendorf. History, race, and public policy professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad said in an interview last month that he noticed a significant drop in the number of Black

students in the master in public policy program just from his own classes — a change he called a “severe problem.” Faculty have said increasing the school’s diversity should be a major priority in the ongoing search for a new Kennedy School dean. “I think the new dean should be as aggressive as possible to ensure that the population of the school at all levels from administration to faculty, staff, and students, reflects the lived and professional experiences of people from every group in society,” Muhammad said. While the percentage of international students increased 4 percentage points to 56 percent according to the report, the percentage of international faculty dropped from 3 percentage points to 14 percent. In interviews with The Crimson last month, several HKS faculty raised concerns about the discrepancy between the number of international students and what they described as a U.S.-centric slate of course offerings — another issue that will factor into the search for a new Kennedy School dean. “If we’re going to continue to build classes that are at this level of international students, we will have to diversify the curriculum and enhance the faculty’s skill sets to meet their particular needs,” Muhammad said. “The school remains U.S.-centric in terms of the expertise of its faculty, and that mismatch is a source of some challenge in the classroom, both for me and for many of my colleagues,” he added. asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com

Group Urges Release of Asat BY NEIL H. SHAH CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

The Office of BGLTQ Student Life is located in the basement of Thayer Hall, a freshman dorm. JENNIFER Z. LIANG — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Undergrads Laud Intersectional Spaces Hosted by QuOffice BY HANA ROSTAMI CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Students praised the Office of BGLTQ Student Life’s fall semester “affinity spaces,” which enable queer undergraduates of overlapping intersectional identities to support each other, engage in dialogue, and discuss shared experiences. Interns at the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, often referred to as QuInterns, have organized 10 affinity spaces for various intersectional identities this semester. The events are held on Thursdays in the QuOffice, located in Thayer Hall’s basement. The QuOffice’s LGBTQ+ affinity spaces have included a trans+ space, a first-generation, low-income space, and a Black space. There are two more affinity spaces slated for the semester: a Nov. 30 space for queer students who are Asian American or Pacific Islander and a Dec. 7 event for students who are aromantic or asexual. Atlas Sanogo ’24, a co-president of the Queer Students Association and a QuIntern who helped organize the Black queer affinity space, said two to three interns staff the spaces. These spaces act as a “community building base,” according to Sanogo.

“It always feels very comforting to be able to find other people who share your experience,” they said. Kris B. King ’24, who works at the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, said they aim to “foster spaces for trans community members” in their role. “I’ve said for many years that Harvard has a lot of trans-plus folks, but they don’t necessarily have a trans community,” they said. “We’re only just now on the precipice of having enough folks interconnected and a critical mass of community members that are engaged with one another to really have a ‘community.’” Safara Malone ’27, who attended QuOffice’s Black affinity space on Oct. 19, said she felt it allowed students with similar identities to connect with one another. “I think having that space to just take up space with people who are just like me is really important,” Malone said. Malone said the space was unique at Harvard, adding that she often will “hide different parts” of herself in queer spaces. “Sometimes, it’s hard to find other Black and queer people. And I think it was one of the first spaces that I’ve been since I started coming to Harvard that I actually felt like I could fully be myself,” Malone said.

Oliver J. Slayton ’26, another intern at the Office of BGLTQ Student Life, said, the spaces aim to recognize students’ intersectional identities. “We recognize that folks are not just their queer identities, and rather their queer identities are a piece of the larger puzzle of who they are, and we hope to be able to engage some of the other pieces that make up who people are in our identity spaces,” they said. Slayton said the spaces helped them “have more vulnerable conversations” with other queer students who have overlapping identities, though the spaces also encouraged “forms of celebration” and activities including watching movies and playing games. The affinity spaces also offer students the opportunity to directly engage with QuOffice staff, which “can be a really nice peer group to dip your toes into the queer community at Harvard,” according to Slayton. Sanogo encouraged students to reach out with requests for affinity spaces because they are often “quite contingent” on the office’s interns. “We really want to make sure that as many identities are represented as possible,” they added. hana.rostami@thecrimson.com

Harvard Law School Advocates for Human Rights, a student group at HLS, sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden Monday urging him to demand that the Chinese government release tech entrepreneur Ekpar Asat — the brother of Rayhan Asat, the Law School’s first Uyghur graduate. The letter was sent in advance of Biden’s meeting Wednesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. House Republicans on the Select Committee on China had previously called on Biden to demand Asat’s release during the summit. Asat traveled to America in February 2016 to participate in the International Visitors Leadership Program, hosted by the U.S. State Department. Three weeks after concluding the program and returning to China, in April 2016, Asat was detained by the Chinese government and placed in an intern-

ment camp in Xinjiang. In 2020, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of “inciting ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination.” The charges, according to January 2021 tweets from the State Department, were a “sham” and were adjudicated with “no trial, no lawyer, no evidence, no due process.” “We call upon you to demand Mr. Asat’s immediate release, condemn the use of forced labor, torture, and arbitrary detention in the Xinjiang Region, and commit to the protection and freedom of the Uyghur people,” HLS Advocates for Human Rights wrote to Biden. The State Department referred requests for comment to the White House. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. In January 2021, more than 70 Harvard student organizations signed a statement — also written by HLS Advocates for Human Rights — demanding Asat’s “immediate release.” Later that year, in April 2021, HLS hosted a virtual event marking five years since his detention. Rayhan Asat, Ekpar Asat’s sis-

ter, said HLS Advocates for Human Rights’ statement helped make sure that her brother’s “plight is not forgotten” and that “the plight of Uyghurs” mattered to students at Harvard. HLS Advocates for Human Rights co-president Hina Uddin, a third-year law student, said that Ekpar Asat’s ongoing detention “is a case of abandonment” on behalf of the United States. “This is a case of the United States inviting someone to participate in a U.S.-sponsored program and that person then being forcibly disappeared upon his return to China,” Uddin said. “We, as HLS Advocates, don’t think that anyone should be punished for engaging with the United States or learning about U.S. diplomacy or participating in diplomacy.” “I think that is one of the really egregious things about this case and why it’s really imperative that the United States government take up this issue again and again with China,” she added. neil.shah@thecrimson.com

NEWS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON NOVEMBER 17, 2023

LABOR

HGSU Endorses BDS, Calls for Ceasefire ENDORSEMENT. Harvard graduate student union voted Friday to endorse BDS and support calls for ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. BY CAM E. KETTLES CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

arvard’s graduate student union voted on Friday to endorse national union statements supporting the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement against Israel and calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In the largest non-contract vote in the union’s history, more than 60 percent of roughly 600 votes from members of the Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Auto Workers were in favor of signing two statements. Approximately 64 percent of the union voted to support a statement signed by UAW rankand-file members endorsing BDS, a movement advocating for the economic and cultural boycott of companies, organizations, and institutions with ties to Israel. The statement, which calls for the end of “occupation and colonization of all Arab lands,” has not been adopted by the UAW. “As members of the labor movement, we call on U.S. labor unions to cut all ties with Israeli unions,” the UAW rank-and-file statement reads. Around 69 percent voted to support a second statement primarily signed by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America calling for a ceasefire in

The Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Auto Workers voted to sign statements endorsing the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement and calling for a ceasefire. FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

the ongoing war in Gaza. “We commit ourselves to work in solidarity with the Palestinian and Israeli peoples to achieve peace and justice,” it reads. The union’s decision comes as more than 11,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis have died in the fighting that ensued following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Harvard has garnered significant national attention after more than 30 student groups signed a statement holding Israel responsible for the violence. Despite both votes’ high turnout and double-digit approval margins, HGSU-UAW’s decision to sign the statements sparked outrage among many members of the union. Shani Cohen, a former bargaining committee member who

voted for the statement calling for a ceasefire and against the BDS endorsement, said she will resign from the union over its handling of the crisis. “The union kind of failed its basic role in protecting members and being in solidarity with members that are Israeli or Jewish,” she said. Cohen, who was a peace activist in Israel before coming to Harvard, said she felt the union ignored Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and that the UAW rankand-file statement implied support for “eradicating” Israel. She said she believes HGSU-UAW’s actions were “contributing to the climate of campus in which we as Israelis are demonized not based on any qualities but based on our identity.”

The union also faced significant backlash over a decision not to vote on an amendment to a statement condemning doxxing attacks on students allegedly connected to pro-Palestine activism. The amendment would have also condemned antisemitism and acknowledged safety concerns among Jewish students. HGSU-UAW Trustee Max G. Ehrenfreund ruled the amendment out of order at an Oct. 19 meeting. Ehrenfreund said he deemed the amendment out of order only because it didn’t specifically address the doxxing attacks. He added that a different statement that also condemns antisemitism was referred for membership comment and review and is still being discussed.

The union’s condemnation of doxxing was a statement about “specific labor management questions” on freedom of expression and protection from discrimination, Ehrenfreund said. “It’s not really appropriate to discuss other kinds of questions when we’re concentrating on one issue that we all recognize is somewhat separate from broader questions about the conflict,” Ehrenfreund said. But HGSU-UAW member Ari Ne’eman called that decision “a serious breach of trust.” “It doesn’t make any sense to me, it doesn’t make sense to anyone at least that I’ve spoken to why we would condemn one but not the other,” Ne’eman said of Islamophobia and antisemitism, respectively. “I do not feel like I can trust this union anymore. And that makes me very sad. Because a month ago, before October 7, I would have sung its praises to the sky,” he added. Amelia Spalter, who joined the union after Oct. 7, said the decision not to vote on the amendment was undemocratic. “The union unilaterally, undemocratically, and counter to our shared values as union members, announced that Israel and antisemitism were not relevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” Spalter said. Ehrenfreund said it would be a “mischaracterization to suggest that the union tried to suppress debate.” “The union is committed to combating discrimination, harassment, and prejudice in all its forms,” he said. HGSU-UAW member Oliver S.L. Lazarus, who voted for

both statements, wrote that the union’s conduct reflected more “immediate concern” over doxxing as a result of pro-Palestinian advocacy. He added he has always felt supported by the union as a Jewish member. “American unions have historically failed to offer our solidarity with Palestinians, and our support of the UAW and UE statement offers one small corrective to this broader history. Labor plays a fundamental role in the struggle against occupation and war,” Lazarus wrote. Ehrenfreund acknowledged that many members were upset with how organizers handled the votes and said the union can be effective in combating antisemitism “as well as other forms of racial hatred.” The disagreement over HGSU-UAW’s political affiliation reflects a broader debate in labor organizations, according to UAW staff organizer and former HGSU-UAW President Koby D. Ljunggren. “Labor does and should play a strong role in pushing political issues, whether that’s directly related to our working conditions or standing in solidarity with other workers, nationally and internationally,” Ljunggren said. Spalter said the union should only engage in political advocacy when it affects pay, working conditions, and benefits “directly and materially,” which she said neither statement did. At HGSU-UAW’s next general membership meeting this Thursday, the union can put additional statements to a vote. cam.kettles@thecrimson.com

FAS Ends Fiscal Year 2023 with $62 Million Surplus BY ROHAN RAJEEV CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences reported a surplus of

$62 million for fiscal year 2023, according to a report presented at a faculty meeting Tuesday. The surplus represents a decrease from the $68 million surplus the FAS reported from

fiscal year 2022. The dean’s unrestricted reserves rose to $205 million, rounding out at 13 percent of the annual expense and meeting the University’s benchmark of 10 percent. The FAS

ROHAN RAJEEV — CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

reached this threshold for the first time in its history in fiscal year 2022. In the presentation, the FAS highlighted its investment in faculty and expansion of the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative. “Beginning with the Class of 2027, the cost to attend Harvard College is free for families with annual incomes below $85,000, and expected contributions for families with incomes between $85,000 and $150,000 max out at 10 percent of annual income,” the report read. Total revenues rose 7.1 percent from fiscal year 2022 to $1.6 billion. Endowment income distribution continued to account for the largest share of cash revenues. Current use gifts grew 32.6 percent, representing the largest category of growth from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023. This value also signifies the highest value for the category in five years, “attributed to one significant gift of $35M,” per the report.

The modest returns on revenues come amid a decrease in Harvard’s overall endowment value for the second consecutive year, with rising distributions to Harvard’s schools that have outpaced revenue growth over the same period. The report states that though “the Harvard Corporation manages distributions to reduce the impact of down years on the FAS, continued below-target earnings could constrain revenue growth in future years.” FAS expenses totaled $1.5 billion, an 8.5 percent increase from fiscal year 2022. Compensation — salaries, wages, and benefits — comprised the vast share of expenses at $707 million, 46 percent of the total. Non-compensation expenses — such as for space and occupancy, supplies, and equipment — accounted for an increased 8.4 percent from fiscal year 2022, as the report cited on-campus activities having “surged back to levels seen before the pandemic.” In a closing note, the report

classified fiscal year 2023 as “the end of the pandemic period” as a financial matter. “During this year, we saw a return to prepandemic levels of staffing, following an early retirement program, and prepandemic levels of expenditure on everything from campus operations, to travel and meals,” the report read. Reflecting on fiscal year 2023, the FAS administration expressed optimism for future growth in the face of “elevated inflation levels, capital market fluctuations, and increasing competition for talent,” though noted that this optimism is tempered by the “muted” performance of recent years. “However, we enter this period of uncertainty from a position of financial strength and, thanks in no small part to our strategic planning efforts, prepared for the careful financial management and tradeoffs that will be required,” the report stated. rohan.rajeev@thecrimson.com

Harvard Legacy of Slavery Initiative Launches Grant Program BY TESS C. WAYLAND CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

The Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery Initiative will offer annual funding up to $350,000 for long-term projects and $25,000 for smaller projects that address systemic inequities for descendants of slavery, the University announced Monday. The program, called Request for Proposals, will give grants for projects co-led by Harvard affiliates, excluding alumni and University-affiliated hospital staff, and nonprofits. Projects would be preferably based in Cambridge and Boston. Funding for the inaugural class will begin in July 2024. Harvard’s landmark 2022 report on its historical ties to slavery recommends both “monetary and nonmonetary” reparative efforts. The program is the first grant program by the Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery initiative. “We want to fund projects that

lead to innovative solutions that address gaps in education, the racial wealth gap, health disparities, and criminal justice reform. These issues disproportionately impact descendant communities,” said Roeshana Moore-Evans, the executive director of the Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery initiative, in an interview with the Harvard Gazette, a University-run publication. Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 expressed excitement about the initiative in a Thursday interview. He said the grant program will engage with goals and partners that aren’t typical for a research university. “It will be designed to ensure that the people who the entire initiative is intended to help will have a voice in how these funds will be used and will help develop activities that we hope will have great impact,” Garber said. Vice Provost for Special Project Sara N. Bleich echoed Garber’s hope for the project’s impact.

“We hope to establish long-lasting partnerships that will achieve meaningful, transformative impact, and to solve real-world challenges impacting our local communities,” Bleich said to the Gazette. “This is not an academic exercise. We’re looking to drive real changes for real people in the real world,” she added. Projects will be evaluated in two stages. First, proposals will be approved by Harvard affiliates and locals from Cambridge and Boston, yet to be assembled. Second, the selected projects will submit full proposals to a committee that includes Kenneth E. Reeves ’72, former mayor of Cambridge; Ruth J. Simmons, Harvard’s senior adviser to the president for HBCU engagement; and Martha L. Minow, the former chair of the Harvard and the Legacy of Slavery Implementation Committee. The application, which opened Monday, lists two types of proposals: short-term “seed projects,”

with a budget of up to $25,000 over one year, and long-term “impact projects,” with a budget of up

to $350,000 over two years. Proposals are due in January 2024, and awardees will be announced

by April 2024. tess.wayland@thecrimson.com

A plaque at Wadsworth House honors Titus, Venus, Juba, and Bilhah, four enslaved people who lived and worked for two Harvard University presidents who resided there. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

EDITORIAL

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

STAFF EDITORIAL

Links Beyond Linking Groups LINKING GROUPS are important, but they shouldn’t make or break student life. Despite our reservations about the process that produced it, this change invites us to reflect on how we approach our friendships on campus. BY THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

or many Harvard students, the weeks leading up to Housing Day are punctuated with exhilaration, uncertainty, and more than a little stress. Finding a blocking group, which guarantees co-housing with up to seven peers, and deciding on linkmates, which guarantees placement in the same housing neighborhood, often involves navigating a complex matrix of relationships, leaving in its wake a slew of relational casualties. For the Class of 2027, however, things will be slightly different this coming spring. Although blocking groups will remain, the College will no longer allow students to link with other blocking groups. Citing ongoing House renewal projects, a recent increase in student population, and the availability of accommodations, the College claims it is doing away with linking groups to preserve the random lottery assignment system. While we understand the administrative concerns behind the decision, as students, we believe that Harvard went about it in the wrong way.

Save for a sneaky update to a 2016 blog post on the College’s website and a subsequent Crimson article, students were left completely in the dark about this decision. We worry this could have led students in housing-related roles, like Peer Advising Fellows, to disseminate misleading information about housing. Furthermore, by apparently limiting undergraduate input in the decision making process to groups like the Committee on Student Life (which hardly suffices as a representative body), administrators

“

Save for a sneaky update to a 2016 blog post on the College’s website and a subsequent Crimson article, students were left completely in the dark about this decision.

demonstrated striking disregard for the perspectives of the students this will affect. As a result, the reasoning explicated by the administration, though legitimate, does not resonate with us as a board. This decision has stakes for campus life. Link-

ing groups offer students the opportunity to form and deepen friendships beyond just their blocking groups. As such, they are a locus for social life on campus. For Quadlings, who live in proximity to only around a quarter of their fellow upperclassmen, linking groups also offer a safeguard against social isolation. Still, while we acknowledge the importance of linking groups, they shouldn’t make or break student life. Despite our reservations about the process that produced it, we believe this change invites us to think more reflectively and generatively about how to approach our friendships on campus. Blocking and linking groups offer proximity and convenience, making it easier for us to maintain relationships with our pre-existing friends. With these groups, grabbing a meal and communing for a Saturday movie night is just a door, a floor, or a building away. For this reason, students too often neglect to sustain deep and meaningful friendships outside these groups, and the decision to not block or link with someone can prove the death knell on that relationship. This shouldn’t be the case. Housing arrangements should remain just that — housing arrangements. They shouldn’t form the sole basis for a friendship, nor the sole reason one should end. As Harvard ends linking, students should look to forge and nurture meaningful relationships outside the House system. This requires work on Har-

vard’s end, too: Lifting inter-house dining restrictions, for example, would enable students to meet

“

As Harvard ends linking, students should look to forge and nurture meaningful relationships outside the House system.

their friends from different houses over meals, allowing such relationships to thrive. Ultimately, any decisions regarding the blocking system on campus should thoroughly consider real research and data on the student experience. For now, while we object to Harvard’s procedure, we hope this decision on linking will be an opportunity to thoughtfully probe our friendships, and imagine the possibilities they open for flourishing — outside just one House or neighborhood.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles of similar topics.

OP-ED

The Missing Link: In Defense of Linking Groups BY LUCAS T. GAZIANIS

forceful op-ed in defense of linking groups is likely to be met with apathy. It’s not obvious, I’ll admit, that we should care about Harvard’s quiet decision to remove the option to link with another blocking group from the housing lottery process. After all, upperclassmen already have their linkmates. The next batch of sophomores will simply have a different — not necessarily worse — lottery experience. I want to offer two perspectives: the forceful defense of linking you might not have considered and the reason Harvard’s decision is worth talking about, even if you don’t care about linking groups. The reason I value linking groups so highly isn’t that they’re essential to every student’s experience — it’s that my linking group has been essential to mine. And no one should be deprived of that opportunity without a much better justification than Harvard has offered. Many students find living in the Quad isolating — I’ve heard some people even transfer to River Houses — but I haven’t. I’ve been surrounded by 13 of my closest friends the entire time, essentially guaranteeing a rich social web around the Quad that leaves little to be desired in my “home” life. My linking group is only roughly half of this web, but I can’t imagine how different my college years would have looked without it. I doubt most people assign the same personal importance to linking. It’s true that students will form close friendships in the absence of linking groups, and our social circles evolve as we meet new peo-

ple throughout college. But especially for Quad residents, the opportunity to start off one’s upperclassman years alongside a large group of friends can be indispensable. Admittedly, lottery groups are only a best guess about our future social lives. But the ability to make this guess is one of the greatest features of Harvard’s housing system, one that’s allowed some of my closest friendships to form and flourish. Arbitrarily halving the ceiling on the size of that group may not be bad for most, but it doesn’t seem very good for anyone, either — linking has always been an option, not a mandate. I characterized Harvard’s decision as arbitrary, but the truth is that we are left to speculate about the soundness of its reasoning. Harvard has largely declined to articulate why it abolished linking, hiding instead behind generic references to a growing student population and creating a more “fair and equitable” housing system. I struggle to grasp how limiting student autonomy in an already randomized housing system advances fairness or equity. I could attempt to guess Harvard’s underlying worries — perhaps it’s concerned about increasing the flexibility of the housing system — but without further explanation, it requires a feat of mental gymnastics to understand why, after almost two decades, there’s any reason to change it now. The opaque rationale the administration has offered is simply a deficient justification for a meaningful change in student life. Whether or not linking has been important to our Harvard experience, we should demand a higher standard from the people who govern us at school. The administration should explain why a

Leverett students donned bunny ears and chanted in front of University Hall on Housing Day morning in 2022. TRUONG L. NGUYEN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

growing student population makes it infeasible to sort the same number of students across the Houses in larger units. And it should tell us clearly how limiting students to the guarantee of living near seven of their friends, instead of 15, advances fairness and equity. Harvard hasn’t endeavored to convince us of any of this — it’s taken our apathy and inattention for granted. But vacuous word salad can’t do the work

of justification, on this or on any other issue. Letting students link is important — undoubtedly more for some than for others. But it’s also important to raise the low bar for transparency to which Harvard seems to hold itself.

–Lucas T. Gazianis ’24, an Associate Editorial editor, is a Social Studies concentrator in Currier House.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Faculty Aren’t Therapists CAMPUS MENTAL HEALTH. The best place for students to seek mental health help will never be faculty. We have teachers to teach us, and counselors to counsel us. Sticking to those roles allows each piece of our campus to work smoothly. BY THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

he mental health crisis on college campuses has been extensively litigated in the media, public health journals, and even student newspapers like our own. Yet, a solution to this persistent problem has remained elusive. A recent article in the Chronicle for Higher Education highlights how some colleges have pushed faculty to serve as first responders to student mental health challenges. Over the past year, three quarters of faculty surveyed by the Healthy Minds Network had private, individual conversations with students about their mental health struggles. Such an institutional approach to mental health is inappropriate. Student therapy is not the job of the faculty. Faculty are hired to research and teach, not counsel students in need. Their experience and expertise is in academia, not mental health support. They are not adequately trained to assume the role of therapist; in times of crisis, they cannot provide the professional help that students may require, to the detriment of both parties. This does not mean that faculty should ignore or dismiss student mental health. They should still be

largely compassionate and sympathetic to students undergoing mental health crises. But the extent to which faculty should care for student mental health is academic in nature. School is a large part of the student experience, and may also be a significant stressor. In acknowledging the impact of their courses on student mental health, faculty might consider — although it’s ultimately their decision — implementing more lenient policies, such as excused mental health days, flexible deadlines, and extension banks, to reduce student stress. Directly counseling a student could compromise the faculty-student relationship — an important professional relationship that may involve academic feedback, formal mentorship, and letters of recommendation. Instead, laxer policies would allow for students to take the space they need, without having to explicitly request accommodations or justify themselves to their professors, inadvertently overstepping their bounds in the process. If students continue to seek out faculty for oneon-one counseling, colleges should instruct faculty to set strong boundaries. One faculty member quoted in the Chronicle described how she — somewhat jokingly — tells her students that her job title is “instructor,” not “therapist, emotional-support animal, or their mom.” This kind of gentle but explicit delineation of the role of faculty would help students understand who to approach for various concerns. When students raise mental health concerns to their teachers, it is most productive for faculty to acknowledge the concerns and consider what course adjustments they are able to make, but ultimately point out their lack of counseling qualifications and

Counseling and Mental Health Services Office, one of the main resources available to students, is located on the fourth floor of Harvard University Health Services. KENDRA N. WILKINSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

redirect students accordingly. Faculty should be trained to understand the distinctions between various mental health offices at their college — for example, Counseling and Mental Health Services and the Disability Access Office at Harvard — so that they can best advise students on where to seek help. But the best place for students to seek mental health help will never be faculty themselves. In college, we have teachers to teach us, and counselors to counsel us. Sticking to those roles allows each piece

of our campus to work smoothly in a functioning whole.

EDITORIAL

THE HARVARD CRIMSON NOVEMBER 17, 2023

STAFF EDITORIAL

COLUMN

A Safe and Sustainable Square A CAR-FREE HARVARD SQUARE may feel like a fever dream today, but the spread of micro-mobility options can move us one step closer to a better city for all. BY THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

arvard campus sidewalks have been slightly busier than usual. As the micro-mobility movement surges in popularity, walking through the Yard or the Square is no longer as peaceful as it once was — flocks of electric scooters dominate the streets, causing traffic while students rush to their morning classes. Last week the Boston Globe published a story about the proliferation in sidewalk traffic and its impact on pedestrians. While we agree with the article’s criticism that electric scooters zooming by passersby on the sidewalk are inconvenient, we also recognize they’re just that: inconvenient. The kerfuffle over scooters distracts from a discussion on the real threat against safety in Harvard Square: the deadly scourge of cars. We dream of a Harvard Square facilitating the ideal of mobility justice: a world where all people, regardless of background, ability, or mode, can move through public spaces with dignity. We want to experience joy on our streets, from relaxed river strolls along Memorial Drive to hurried CVS-runs across Mass Ave.

sible — including to individuals with disabilities — and promote the use of sustainable micro-mobility bikes, skateboards, and e-scooters. After all, bikes emit staggeringly fewer emissions than cars and are better for our community’s air quality than automobiles. While we completely endorse micro-mobility transportation as healthy and beneficial for society, we support keeping Harvard Yard a pedestrian space, and encourage students who wish to bike or skateboard to class to use real streets instead of whizzing through (or, on unfortunate occasions, headlong into) throngs of students headed to class. A recent survey of Cambridge residents shows that people are hoping to see the streets become more friendly to cyclists, and we are excited to see our streets develop. The goal should be to make Cambridge a 15-minute city; residents must be able to safely and quickly access grocery stores, classrooms, and restaurants on foot or on two wheels. As this movement attracts both momentum and resistance, it’s important to recognize how power and inequality inform government decisions about the accessibility of our streets. We cannot let the desires of the few, such as the preferences of wealthier and whiter residents with concerns about the impact of bike lanes on parking, drown out the voices of many — the voices that care deeply about making Cambridge’s streets safer. In the meantime, as we continue developing our limited street infrastructure, we should

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We dream of a Harvard Square facilitating the ideal of mobility justice: a world where all people, regardless of background, ability, or mode, can move through public spaces with dignity.

Importantly, this vision is absent of cars. Cars are bad for our city and noxious for our environment, exerting a tremendous cost through dangerous speeding and harmful pollution. The death toll for Americans in car crashes since 2000 is higher than the American death toll in both World Wars combined — a statistic begging for substantive policy action. Since the death of 67-year-old cyclist Sharon Hamer, who was tragically killed by a truck driving through Harvard Square four years ago, we have called for a car-free Harvard Square. It is important to recognize that car crashes like these are not accidents, but rather are the consequences of our failing to create safe, dependable street infrastructure. That Boston and Cambridge are the top Massachusetts localities in cyclist deaths so far this year is cause for deep reflection and policy reform. However, this isn’t just a question of removing cars from the Square; we must also actively ensure that our campus is pro-pedestrian and pro-cyclist. Policies aiming to improve safer streets should ensure that our sidewalks remain acces-

be mindful of our fellow travelers by remaining careful when navigating sidewalks. Bikers should similarly avoid careless riding by using bike lane facilities. We should proudly champion the cause of mobility justice and continue informing the Cambridge City Council of our needs. By doing this, we can mitigate the stigma around micro-mobility, protect our urban environment, and dismantle a culture that often lacks social cohesion by building our community from the streets up. A car-free Harvard Square may feel like a fever dream today, but the spread of micro-mobility options can move us one step closer to a better city for all.

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SEVEN SISTERS

On Sisterhood: Women’s Colleges Past and Present FROM MY DORMITORY WINDOW, I see a university that is as much mine as any man’s, and I am hopeful for its future. BY MCKENNA E. MCKRELL

have never quite been able to articulate what my experience at an all-girls high school meant to me, but I do know that I loved it. I relished the promise of sisterhood, our allout spirit week, and especially how every day my pleated uniform skirt, rolled to be three inches shorter, could be styled with cozy, worn-out slippers and unwashed hair. When I got to Harvard, I expected it to feel foreign and uncomfortable to see men in the dining hall, my classes, and my dormitory, but it never once did. *** After months of speaking to women about their experiences carving out a place for themselves at Harvard, I look back at my high school and marvel anew at its utopia where women held every leadership position, won every award, and were welcome in every space on campus. A place made entirely for us — there is a certain comfort this fact provides. Over the course of this column, I have attempted to understand how the union of one sister and an old boys’ club came to be — exploring the ways that women and Radcliffe are permanent and inseparable threads in the fabric of Harvard’s history. But I believe I would be remiss to leave it there. I would be neglectful to ignore the women’s colleges that continue to tout a mission quite like Radcliffe’s, in an entirely new era. While Radcliffe chose the path of merging to ensure women access to resources at Harvard and in higher education writ large, most of the other Seven Sisters — Smith, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, and Wellesley — chose another: to preserve their indepen-

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I would be neglectful to ignore the women’s colleges that continue to tout a mission quite like Radcliffe’s, in an entirely new era.

dence and continue to operate as women’s colleges. In writing this column, in tracing Radcliffe’s path, I have wondered how the women’s colleges that remain understand their mission and role in higher education in a changing cultural landscape — one where women have continued to gain access to higher education at much higher rates than men. Tim Recuber, an assistant professor at Smith College, told me what he sees as the evolving mission of women’s colleges. Initially these spaces were meant to counteract exclusion from educational spaces that were all male. Today, he said, these colleges continue to foster an environment conducive to learning for women and women-identifying people, but more than that, create a comfort level in the classroom and on campus that works for their students. Many of the individuals I spoke to emphasized how women’s colleges do not work for every student, but remain an important avenue for those who might thrive in or benefit from a single-gender environment. “Only a small percentage of high school graduates will even consider applying to a women’s college,” Carrie N. Baker, a faculty member at Smith College, told me. “For students that want that kind of environment, it’s a really important opportunity to still have,” Baker said. “An environment where women’s rights aren’t questioned, where we are supported to do whatever we want. Students are supported to pursue whatever interest or issue they want. They’re not second guessed, they’re not questioned. They’re not subordinated.” Beyond their unique gender dynamic, many

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I continued to wonder how these colleges navigate an increasingly complex understanding of gender identity.

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of the people I interviewed discussed how women’s colleges are also enticing because of the resources and opportunities they offer their students. Lola L. Stacy, a freshman at Smith College who also attended an all-girls high school, noted that during the application process she was not daunted by the idea of a single-gender environment because of her high school experience. However, this was not the main factor in her decision to attend a women’s college. “I liked the idea that it was a lot smaller than most universities,” she said. “A place that I would get to know my teachers and get to know the peo-

ple on the campus as well.” Still, for many, the single-gender environment factored more forcefully. After transfering from a co-ed institution to Barnard College as a sophomore, Marjorie L. Folkman, an associate professor at and alumna of Barnard College, told me she felt much more grounded. “I found I could work within this environment and really find my voice,” she added. The proximity of Barnard College to its co-ed counterpart, Columbia University, makes it most

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Most of the Seven Sisters have created admissions policies which are open to any woman-identifying student, and support them through graduation even if they undergo a gender transition.

similar to the historical relationship of Harvard and Radcliffe. The two schools are separated by a single street, and while students can take classes at either school, students at Barnard College live on their own campus and the administration operates independently. “The difference at Barnard is there’s a sense of connectivity that kind of just continues — it’s a vibrating thing, it sort of continues forth,” Folkman said when prompted to describe the differences between the schools’ communities. Beyond the intangible pull of Barnard College’s community, Folkman emphasized how the environment encourages students to take up space and make themselves heard. “The atmosphere is supportive of women speaking their voice — not that it doesn’t happen at co-ed colleges by any means — but the understanding, the expectation, and also the belief in women taking space, women taking physical space, taking political space, and being in this company of women,” Folkman said. Baker made a similar point about Smith College. “Women don’t get spoken over. They don’t get excluded from court class discussions. They ask all the questions, they fill all the leadership roles,” she said. Most people I spoke to agreed that though women have made strides in higher education, in recent decades, they saw no foreseeable end to the need for and value in a women’s college due to lasting cultural and societal inequalities. Despite this apparent consensus, I continued to wonder how these colleges navigate an increasingly complex understanding of gender identity, and whether their mission might expand beyond the purview it once did. “Smith admits women and graduates people,” Baker told me. Most of the Seven Sisters have created admissions policies which are open to any woman-iden-

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Women battled more than 300 years of tradition to establish themselves at Harvard.

tifying student, and support them through graduation even if they undergo a gender transition while in school. This type of inclusive policy felt right to the people I spoke with. “I appreciate the way that the college has thoughtfully found its way into an admissions policy that holds on to those traditions while also being inclusive,” Erin P. Cohn, a Smith alumna and director of Smith’s Wurtele Center for Leadership, told me. *** Folkman told me that she was glad Barnard had not been absorbed by Columbia in the way Radcliffe once was, but after months of conversing with and writing about the women who represent Radcliffe’s past and present, I cannot help but celebrate two worthy paths towards uplifting women in higher education. Women battled more than 300 years of tradition to establish themselves at Harvard, and the institution of Radcliffe — and her administration, faculty, and students — helped them do it. Who Harvard is intended to serve often feels dictated by its long history as an Old Boys’ club for the white, the wealthy, and the male — but from my dormitory window, I see a university that is as much mine as any man’s, and I am hopeful for its future.

–McKenna E. McKrell ’26, a Crimson Editorial Editor, is a Classics Concentrator in Adams House. Her column, “Seven Sisters and the Old Boys’ Club,” runs tri-weekly on Wednesdays.

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

METRO

NOVEMEBER 17, 2023

CAMBRIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Educators Union Reach Tentative Contract TENTATIVE CONTRACT. Educators union reaches tentative contract agreement with Cambridge school district. BY SALLY E. EDWARDS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Cambridge Education Association is a union representing teachers and employees of Cambridge Public Schools. FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

he Cambridge Public School District and the Cambridge Education Association reached a tentative contract agreement last week after more than a year of negotiations — though the deal faces obstacles to ratification, including educator skepticism over a proposal to extend the school day. The tentative agreement contains pay increases, workload monitoring, and a more comprehensive salary scale for educators’ academic credentials. The deal was reached after months of advocacy by the CEA, including rallies outside of school buildings and Cambridge School Committee meetings, a resident letter-writing campaign, and demonstrations involving working only the contractual school day. Prior to the agreement, educators worked without a contract, though terms of the previous agreement remained in effect — a state of affairs that has lasted more than two months into the fall semester.

Cambridge Public Schools spokesperson Sujata Wycoff announced the tentative agreement on Nov. 9. The deal came just two days after Cambridge voters decided to reelect all four incumbent School Committee members who sought another term. “The Cambridge School Committee and Superintendent Victoria L. Greer are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with the Cambridge Education Association (CEA) on a three-year (20232026) teacher contract,” she wrote in an emailed statement to The Crimson. CEA President Dan Monahan said the agreement is “one of the best contracts that I’ve ever negotiated.” “It has over 17 percent increase in salary for educators — which is broken down into 9 percent for cost of living increases, and a little more than 8 percent for increased length of the school and work day,” he said. One challenge that remains ahead of the agreement’s approval, however, is convincing educators to agree to an extension of the contractual school day. Monahan said he recognizes that extending the school day may pose “a huge challenge for many, many of our educators” — though he noted the salary increase that would accompany the

schedule shift. During the contract’s negotiation, educators expressed reluctance at the prospect of extending their work hours. In a Sept. 19 School Committee meeting, Bill Folman — an eighth-grade social studies teacher at Vassal Lane Upper School — said he does not agree with the prospect of extending the school day. “Right now, I can tell you five things that would improve learning outcomes in my class,” he said. “Certainly, an extra 30 minutes of the school day would not be on that list.” The agreement also includes compensation recognition for increased education levels — a stipulation educators pushed for during contract negotiations. The current teacher salary schedule did not provide increased compensation for individuals who have spent more than 60 semester hours of graduate credit in addition to a master’s degree. According to Monahan, the new agreement adds a new “Master’s plus 75 column” to the salary schedule. “Now, the higher your education level, the higher your salary can go,” he said. Monahan said that the contract also includes “a lot of wins around workloads, particularly

for special educators.” “We didn’t get like hard caseload and workload numbers in the contract,” he said. “But what we did get is agreements to actually measure that and to have a report around how equitable those workbooks caseload are around the district.” According to Monahan, one of the biggest victories of the agreement was a provision not included in the final deal — a measure the district had sought that would have increased the use of student assessment results to evaluate educators. Monahan called the proposal “deeply problematic”. “The School Committee wanted to increase the use of assessment results in educator evaluation,” he said. “At the last minute, we were able to convince them to withdraw that proposal.” Monahan said that though he feels “hopeful” the agreement will pass, he believes the CEA has “a lot of work to do” to educate its members before the ratification vote, which is scheduled for Nov. 29 through Dec. 1. “We wouldn’t have agreed to this tentative agreement if we didn’t think that it would pass,” he said. “But it’s certainly not a slam dunk.” sally.edwards@thecrimson.com

King Takes Lead in School Committee BY SALLY E. EDWARDS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

In a surprising reversal, challenger Andrew R. King has taken a narrow lead over Richard Harding Jr. in the neck-and-neck race for Cambridge School Committee, after Harding had appeared to eke out a victory in preliminary election returns. Additional ballots on the third day of vote counting Thursday showed King — a Cambridge activist and postdoctoral researcher at Boston University — with a 3-vote lead over Harding, a former School Committee member, in the eighth round of Cambridge’s ranked choice tally. After each round of the vote, the lowest-performing candidate is eliminated and their votes are transferred to voters next-ranked choices. The city will announce the official results on Nov. 17 after tallying all provisional ballots and mailed overseas absentee ballots. Currently, there are 18 overseas ballots and 17 provisional ballots which have yet to be counted. King, a former Cambridge Public Schools student, made a name for himself in the race through his stark opposition to the use of standardized testing — like the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System — to evaluate student and educator achievement. “I’ve been a staunch opponent of the harmful, high-stakes MCAS testing system since eighth grade since we have walked out of the Graham Parks School here in Cambridge,” he said at a Septem-

ber forum hosted by the Cambridge Education Association. “We need to go further and ultimately transition away from the MCAS system and move towards the next generation, holistic state assessment system.” Unlike Harding, King was endorsed by the CEA. King has said his positions on educational policies are guided by the assertion that “educator working conditions are student learning conditions.” He has vocally supported the union during year-long contract negotiations with the district. Attending a Sept. 18 CEA demonstration, King said he joined the event “to support educators.” “They’ve been waging an ongoing struggle,” he said. “They’re fighting, we’re trying to fight for them for just compensation, for excellent working conditions.” Dan Monahan, the president of the CEA, said that he was “excited” to see the latest results. He added that, while he “appreciated” Harding’s statements on issues like paraprofessional compensation, the CEA was unable to endorse his candidacy because they “lacked information” about specific positions. Out of the three CEA endorsed candidates, only Caroline M. Hunter is currently a secure member-elect. “A lot could change in the next few days,” Monahan said. “We endorsed Andrew King, and he’d be an exciting candidate to have — so we’ll see how that plays out this week.” sally.edwards@thecrimson.com

Andrew King speaks at a Sept. 18 School Committee meeting in support of educators’ rights. JOEY HUANG — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Cambridge Public Safety Committee public hearing took place Wednesday afternoon in Cambridge City Hall. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

City Manager’s Absence Sparks Controversy at Cambridge Public Safety Hearing BY JINA H. CHOE AND RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

The Cambridge Public Safety Committee convened a public hearing Wednesday afternoon to address matters related to emergency response alternatives in Cambridge — though some city officials received criticism for not arriving on the scene themselves. Several attendees, including Councilor Quinton Y. Zondervan, criticized City Manager YiAn Huang ’05 and Cambridge Community Safety Department officials for not attending the hearing. Chaired by Zondervan, the Public Safety Committee is a body within the Council that considers matters of policing and public safety in Cambridge. The session featured updates and discussion on the work of two local non-police public safety alternatives: the Cambridge Community Safety Department, which the city has allocated $3 million in funding for in 2023, and the Cambridge Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team, also known as HEART. The Public Safety Committee also fielded public comment and questions. “It’s not a good look when the

Community Safety Department doesn’t attend a public safety hearing,” said Spencer Piston, a political science assistant professor at Boston University. “It’s certainly not a good look when the City Council passes a policy order for the city manager to do something and then the city manager doesn’t do it — and eight months later, doesn’t even show up to report on it.” “They’re stringing along Cambridge HEART. They’re playing games,” added Piston, who researches alternatives to policing. “If they weren’t, they would have funded Cambridge HEART by now, and they would have showed up to talk about it.” Cambridge Police Department spokesperson Jeremy C. Warnick wrote in an email to The Crimson Wednesday that the city has made “significant ongoing efforts to providing and supporting alternative response” on the “investing, staffing, training, and building out” of the CSD and “allocating substantive time and resources to building a successful partnership with HEART.” Warnick did not provide comment on specific criticisms. The Community Safety Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Former Mayor and Councilor Marc C. McGovern said he “was

on the task force that helped create” the Community Safety Department and underscored its value. “I have great hopes for the Community Safety Department,” McGovern said. “I don’t think it helps to say the Community Safety Department is not going to be any good because then people will erode trust in it.” Due to Huang’s absence, Zondervan read emailed updates on HEART provided by Huang. “The team is in a very busy period of training, developing protocols and policies, building an IT system and preparing for a 2024 warm line for when civilian responders are taking 911 emergency calls,” Huang wrote. In a Monday statement to The Crimson, HEART co-director Corinne Espinoza wrote that the group is “still fighting for a contract for services with the City to fund our work, which we provide at no cost to the community member.” Via a city contract, HEART currently receives federal funds through the American Rescue Plan, which has provided special, emergency funding in the wake of the pandemic. The group has requested and been reimbursed approximately $30,000 as of early November. “Currently, the City’s Com-

munity Safety Department (CSD) has $1.5 million budgeted to share with local grassroots orgs doing this type of work,” Espinoza wrote. “We want the City to invest funds in Cambridge HEART’s work.” McGovern said at the hearing that the city cannot provide funding to HEART without first having a signed contract with the group, noting that it is easier to fund the Community Safety Department as a city department. “You ask this question of, ‘Why can the city fund the Community Safety Department but hasn’t funded HEART?’” McGovern said. “We cannot give money to HEART without a contract.” jina.choe@thecrimson.com ryan.doannguyen@thecrimson.com

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON

ARTS

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

MUSIC

CANDID:

SAM MACPHERSON BRINGS A CANDID COLLEGE KICKBACK SINGING with vulnerability, Sam MacPherson reflected on his past faults as well as his plans for the future. BY SARAH M. ROJAS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

SOFIA ANDRADE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

ith only an acoustic guitar and simple stage lighting, Sam MacPherson brought his soulful touch to the Roadrunner Boston on Nov. 5. A native eastcoaster from Red Bank, N.J., MacPherson opened for Jeremy Zucker’s “Is Nothing Sacred?” Tour, perfectly complimenting the music of this indie star. MacPherson’s set was sure to please both new and diehard fans, with music ranging from from his most popular hit singles to unreleased songs. The night started with crowd favorites, including “Safe to Say” and “Crash Course.” The audience also gained insight into the personal story behind “Last Minute,” one of his most-streamed pieces: After

years of an on-and-off relationship that started in high school, the song details a climactic love confession just before MacPherson is about to move across the country to Los Angeles. Interspersed between songs, MacPherson also took the time to shout out two special guests in the crowd. “If you hear a tall, deep, burley, Scottish accent over there in the corner, those are my two best friends from college that are here,” said MacPherson. In a way, the simplistic stage — void of excess lighting, instru-

ments, and effects — effectively mimicked the environment where MacPherson started producing music; any listener could envision him bringing a simple college dorm room to life with relatable lyrics and the hum of his guitar. Near the end of the set, MacPherson decided to pay tribute to his college musical self-discovery by singing “Thinkin Bout You” by Frank Ocean. Not only was this one of MacPherson’s favorite songs, but the initial spark that launched him into a career as a singer-songwriter. “I remember sitting in that dorm room and finding this song and this artist…It’s the first artist that made me want to write mu-

sic of my own, and songs of my own, and become an artist of my own,” said MacPherson. “So, I thought I’d play that song for you — hopefully you’re a fan of Frank Ocean.” This reflective moment was especially memorable because it preceded a song that wasn’t his own — emphasizing the power of gaining inspiration from other artists. To finish off his performance, MacPherson gifted the audience with a performance of his unreleased single entitled, “I Don’t Want to See You Try.” Before performing, MacPherson left the audience with a solemn, yet hopeful message about mental health and verbalizing our love for one another. “This song is about a dark moment in my life. It’s about the time that someone that I loved told

me that they weren’t sure if they wanted to be alive anymore, and they were going through a lot, and they were really struggling with their mental health. And I didn’t, at the time, know what to say,” said MacPherson As he sang with lyrics full of pure vulnerability, MacPherson reflected on his past faults as well as his plans and hopes to be more vocal in his love and support for others. “This song, even though it was a dark moment, had become a reminder to me,” said MacPherson, “and hopefully to you after I play it, to call the people you love and tell them that you love them.” sarah.rojas@thecrimson.com

Grupo Corpo’s Spiritual Revival Ignites the Stage BY MARIA F. CIFUENTES CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

As the Boch Center Shubert Theatre descended into darkness, an utter silence settled over the audience who eagerly awaited the performance of Brazil’s renowned contemporary dance ensemble, Grupo Corpo. A bright light illuminated a lone dancer, accompanied by a startling and pulsating techno beat, signaling the arrival of a mesmerizing spectacle set to transport the viewers’ spirits to an entirely different realm.

Grupo Corpo’s performance, which ran from Oct. 28-29, marked their return to Boston since their last premiere in 2018. The group is known for their signature Afro-Brazilian cultural choreography and seamless blend of musical genres such as samba and rock with an underlying electronic rhythm. Through Rodrigo Pederneiras’s ingenious choreography and Paulo Pederneiras’s crafted stage design, the performance transcended mere dance by creating a story of heartfelt revival. The dancers demonstrated not only exceptional athleticism

and coordination, but also managed to deeply move the audience with their emotive facial expressions between moments of serenity and chaos. From the moment the dancers flooded the stage for their first piece “Gil Refazendo,” wearing all white linen outfits, they evoked a sense of peacefulness through their elegant spins and gentle jumps, executed flawlessly and in sync. The performance created a captivating juxtaposition of tranquility and intensity, as their slow, graceful movements clashed with the raw, static reverb musi-

Davi Gabriel and Agatha Faro from Grupo Corpo perform “Gil Refazendo” at Boch Center Shubert Theatre. COURTESY OF ROBERT TORRES

cal sounds. While this stark contrast initially might have seemed distracting, the choreographer’s thoughtful design and the dancers’ unmatched talent resulted in an unforgettable fusion that entranced the audience. There were also multiple instances where the music transitioned from beautiful piano melodies to vibrant trumpet riffs with a rhythmic drum beat. Each movement felt like a surprise, as the dancers’ tapping feet suddenly overpowered the drums, adding to the magical chaos of the piece. A shifting background image of regenerating sunflowers accompanied the piece, the flowers transforming from a withering state to vibrant life. At first glance, the slow image seemed to have no meaning, but towards the end it became clear that the flowers mirrored the dancers’ journey of renewed life and the regrowth of their souls. As this is the group’s comeback performance “Gil Refazendo” (Gil Remaking) emulated the message of renewal and remaking, and this spirit was evident in the title itself. Remarkably enough, the ballet was completely reconstructed to reflect Gilberto Gil’s music and the soundtrack which is based on a rereading of his most famous themes. Gil, who is considered one of the godfathers of Brazilian music, arranged the soundtrack to include phrases and themes from his well known compositions like “Aquele Abraço,” “ Tempo Rei,” and “Andar com Fé.” These songs — ranging from powerful ancestral drums to lively woodwind tunes, accompanied by joyful hip sways and precise hand movement —

radiated an electrifying energy as the music flowed through the dancers. Eventually, the music died down and an intense pulsating beat filled the silence once more. The cast stomped in perfect unison and converged into a circle, embodying the thumping sound of a heartbeat. As the background image zoomed out, a beautiful field of blooming sunflowers was revealed, leaving the audience stunned by the serene culmination to an intense experience. Although the groups’ entire performance showcased the beauty of Afro-Brazilian cultural traditional dance and the joyous feeling it brings, the second piece, “Gira,” immersed the audience into a dark and mystical world of religious rituals. Through precise foot choreography that blended stomps and graceful hand gestures, as well as powerful lifts followed by fierce landings, a sense of raw human emotion emitted from the stage. Cohorts of dancers emerged from a pitch black void after taking off black tulle that concealed their presence, allowing them to blend seamlessly with the backdrop illuminated only by a row of candles. As the audience awaited their next moves, they watched in awe as the dancers appeared nude from the waist up, exposing the intimacy of a human’s connection to a deity. The soundtrack for this piece was also very different from the first. The dancers executed perfect spins and engaged with their partners in a rough but sensual manner, to a soundtrack that ranged from vocal chants to melodious flute sounds, and deep bass. The choreography also in-

corporated ritual gestures of Umbanda. The integration of such marvelous choreography and eclectic music composed by the band Metá Metá expressed a passionate devotion to a higher being. Additionally, solo dancers stood motionless at times under a spotlight, suddenly letting the gong beats take control of their movement. In these moments, they seemed to be entranced, as if their spirits had elevated out of their bodies. This beautiful and solemn surrender to the music was deeply moving. Throughout the performance, the audience gasped in amazement at the remarkable athleticism and strength of each dancer. The male dancers exhibited proficient skill, effortlessly lifting their female partners. Even during moments where the partners appeared to be fighting, whether by a firm pull or a powerful push, the female dancers descended gracefully, which highlights the group’s exceptional ability to balance strength and elegance. Nearing the end of “Gira,” the entire cast emerged from the darkness as a unified force, suddenly dropping to the ground and moving their arms in perfect harmony. Each member looked up at the sky with facial expressions of cheer and relief, marking the end of their story of renewal and the start of a new era of life beneath a fading light. The transformative night left the audience yearning for that same euphoric feeling and longing to embark on their own journeys of revival, filled with inspiration and undeniable wonder. maria.cifuentes@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

ARTS

NOVEMVER 17, 2023

BOOKS

So You Want to Read LGBTQ+ Fiction QUEER FICTION is much more than just many people’s first encounter with LGBTQ+ representation. BY ISABELLE A. LU CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

or many readers, fiction was their first encounter with LGBTQ+ identities. Marginalized in mainstream media, queer characters have long been sought out and cherished in the pages of books. In recent years, LGBTQ+ fiction has come a long way, often one of the first platforms for diverse genders and sexualities to gain visibility. Though the genre is still evolving, such books offer an invaluable space for queer discovery, reflection, and joy. For those seeking an entry point into the genre or simply looking for their next read, this list offers a short selection of great LGBTQ+ fiction. Exploring the common period of queer awakening, young adult fiction is the first stop. Next, the list explores examples of how LGBTQ+ representation is making space for itself across genres, from sci-fi to fantasy. Lastly, this list covers novels that shed light on LGBTQ+ life in the margins of history. Coming-of-Age, Young Adult Fiction “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

In the summer of 1987, the moody Ari Mendoza meets the lively Dante Quintana at the town swimming pool. As the two fall in love with art, rain, the world, and each other, Ari struggles to feel

comfortable with both his sexuality and Mexican-American identity. Sáenz tenderly captures the feeling of being a teenager and discovering the world’s beauty, wonder, and melancholia. For readers who’ve never read LGBTQ+ fiction before, this is the place to start. “Radio Silence” by Alice Oseman This is not a love story. Frances Janvier is a Cambridge-bound study machine by day and a wildly popular artist for fantasy podcast “Universe City” by night. When she becomes best friends with the podcast’s mysterious creator, Aled Last, she begins to entirely reevaluate her life ambitions. Between the stress of college applications, the connection of fandom, and the quiet euphoria of genuine friendship, Oseman writes about teenagers with an unmatched authenticity. After reading “Radio Silence,” the entire, wonderfully queer “Osemanverse” awaits. “Last Night at the Telegraph Club” by Malinda Lo In 1950s San Francisco Chinatown, at the height of the Red Scare, Lily Hu wonders how to be a dutiful Chinese daughter and a perfect All-American girl — having just realized she is a lesbian. As she and her classmate Kathleen frequent a lesbian bar called The Telegraph Club, Lily discovers both Tommy Andrews, a cross-dressing performer, and her growing love for Kath. This book pairs thoughtful explorations of societal prejudices and Chinese-American identity with the exhilarating revelation of a queer underground. “I Wish You All the Best” by Mason Deaver

Ben De Backer’s coming out is disastrous: kicked out by their parents, they move in with their estranged older sister and are thrown into a new high school in the middle of senior year. Navigating anxiety and depression with their therapist, Ben’s low profile is disrupted after they meet the charming Nathan. As one of the first prominent books about the experience of a nonbinary teenager, Deaver’s novel is a recent landmark in the young adult genre. Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Graphic Novels “This is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone NAYELI CARDOZA — CRIMSON DESIGNER

In this epistolary sci-fi romance, enemy agents Red and Blue strike up an unlikely correspondence amidst an interstellar time war. As they leave each other letters across time and space, what begins as taunts gradually transforms into a life-threatening romance. El-Mohtar writes Red’s letters and Gladstone writes Blue’s, the two wielding the sharp, elegant, visceral prose of intellectual matches. “The House in the Cerulean Sea” by TJ Klune 40-year-old Linus Baker is whisked away from his dreary office job to inspect an island orphanage housing six highly unusual children, including a gnome, a wyvern, and the Antichrist. As Linus grows close to the children and their extraordinary caretaker, Arthur Parnassus, he confronts the prejudices within himself and the local community. Klune’s whimsical and compassionate fantasy is sure to warm any reader’s heart.

“On a Sunbeam” by Tillie Walden This thick graphic novel is a sweeping sapphic space story about Mia, the newest crewmate on a building restoration spaceship, and her quest to find her long-lost, high school love. Walden’s art style features bursts and washes of color within the darkness of space, a romantic and mysterious backdrop to the all-female and nonbinary cast’s emotional odysseys. “The Prince and the Dressmaker” by Jen Wang Crown Prince Sebastian has a secret: He dazzles the Paris fashion world as his glamorous alter ego, Lady Crystallia. After he hires the young dressmaker Frances, the two begin to fall in love, crossing social borders as Sebastian’s parents search for a royal wife for him. This fresh graphic novel celebrates gen-

derqueer expression with its gorgeous gowns and sweet storyline. Historical Literature “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker First published in 1982, this Pulitzer-winning epistolary novel remains one of the most widely banned books today. Through Celie’s letters, Walker openly depicts racism, violence, and abuse in the lives of African-American women in the early 20th century. Despite her suffering, Celie develops profound female relationships, takes control of her own voice, and rediscovers forgiveness and faith. “The Heart’s Invisible Furies” by John Boyne In heavily Catholic, 1940s Ireland, Cyril Avery grows up struggling with his homosexuality and unknown parentage. Examining Irish

history through the lens of Cyril’s life, Boyne powerfully plumbs modes of queer existence and cycles of intolerance over seven decades. Tempering loss and loneliness with humor, the depiction of Cyril’s reality allows readers to experience an entire life within just one novel. “The Song of Achilles” by Madeline Miller In this wildly beloved retelling of “The Iliad,” Miller revives Heroic Age Greece with vivid emotion and scholarly detail. Patroclus, a minor prince, follows the glory-destined warrior Achilles throughout their adolescence and into the Trojan War. Miller combines tragedy, cruelty, and desire into a breathtaking myth of epic, yet intimate, proportions.

isabelle.lu@thecrimson.com

‘The Book of Life’: Finding Healing Amidst Genocide BY ELYSE G. MARTIN-SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“May we live together to never die like this again,” said playwright and lead performer Odile Gakire (Kiki) Katese in ArtsEmerson’s production of “The Book of Life” on Oct. 18. The co-production between Volcano Theatre and the Woman’s Cultural Centre infuses energy into a timely subject through an innovative multimedia performance, effectively transforming the theater into a space for collective healing and remembrance. Co-created and directed by Ross Manson, “The Book of Life” serves as a poignant reminder of the profoundly harmful impact of the Rwandan genocide and the enduring

resilience of the Rwandan people in the face of immense tragedy. The Rwandan genocide was a period of mass ethnic violence in 1994, resulting in the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives. Over approximately 100 days, the Hutu ethnic majority orchestrated a systematic campaign of extermination against the Tutsi minority, fueled by long-standing ethnic tensions and political strife. The genocide’s impact is the inspiration for this powerful work that cannot be encapsulated in theater alone. “The Book of Life” provides moments of direct experience, education, and personal reflection to envision a more unified and peaceful future. Katese makes the sensitive material accessible to all ages by seamlessly interweaving an

African folktale about Grandmother Spider, letters from survivors, and inquisitive personal questions. The joyous drumming of Ingoma Nsya, Rwanda’s first women’s drumming ensemble, fills the stage with smiles and laughter. The group is comprised of both survivors of the genocide and relatives of Hutu perpetrators, facilitating the unity and healed community they envision for the country as a whole. The drummers wear bright blue dresses and rainbow braids, creating an embodied performance that blends music and movement, which adds a sense of authenticity and empowerment. This tapestry of joy and pain, light and darkness, delves into the complexities of humanity in a journey towards healing after

mass violence, which balances levity with the gravity of the topic. However, this same juxtaposition of mundane and uncomplicated stories with accounts of extreme violence occasionally creates a stark contrast that seems overly simplistic and disengaging. The minimalist set design by Patrick Lavender accentuates this effect. Nonetheless, the production finds redemption in the evocative projections by Sean Frey and Kristine White, which contributes to the dynamic liveliness of the production. This production serves as one of many necessary reparatory initiatives, recognizing that its breadth cannot stand alone in addressing the loss caused by genocide. During the show, Katese fa-

cilitates unique elements of audience interaction, encouraging the audience to participate in the storytelling. In response to the destruction of familial ties that occurred during the genocide, Katese asks every member of the audience to draw a grandfather figure that is later projected during the show along with drawings from past shows. This demonstrates that this show lives beyond the stage and cultivates a family tree and network out of the harmful event, bringing back lost and forgotten histories. The artists empower the audience to take a grandfather illustration home with them in hopes of continuing the conversation outside the theater. This small action works to “undo” history by reimagining the past

while successfully bridging the gap between stage and reality. In the hands of a stranger, ancestors come alive once more. The lasting and unique memento crafted ensures the show’s enduring legacy, invoking this rewritten past into the present and future. “The Book of Life” transcends traditional theatrical boundaries, becoming a vehicle for both personal and communal healing. By confronting the legacy of the Rwandan genocide with creativity and compassion, Kiki Katese and her collaborators offer a powerful testimony to the perseverance of the human spirit and the potential for reconciliation and understanding, even in the aftermath of the darkest chapters of history.

‘Princess Power’: Colorful Fruitdoms and Geopolitics Galore BY ALESSANDRO M.M. DRAKE CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Aristocracy, monarchy, geopolitics, climate disasters — these are some of the heavy themes broached by the season opener of “Princess Power,” a new children’s TV show streaming on Netflix — which will from now on be reviewed with almost complete seriousness. Entitled “The Princesses and the Frosty Fruitdom Fiasco,” the episode certainly lacks nuance in various aspects of its approach, but overall, its strong message about the importance of collaboration outshines its defects, yielding an episode that bodes well for the rest of the season. “Princess Power” features four “fruitdoms” (kingdoms) — Kiwi, Blueberry, Raspberry, and Pineapple — which all form their own similar monarchistic societies, and are also presented as very ethnically homogeneous, indicating a lack of immigration from fruitdom to fruitdom. These four

absolute monarchies (the extent of citizens’ say in the government is a “suggestion box” in a later episode) are clearly very strong allies, however, all four have princesses who not only are on good terms, but live together in a neutral territory. The show’s title theme, revolving around the line “princesses wear pants,” displays the socially progressive nature of the fruitdoms, which is a pleasant surprise when compared with their distinctly undemocratic societies. Viewers follow the progression of the four princesses — with occasional glimpses into the lives of the “fruitizens” (citizens) and the royal families — as they use teamwork and friendship to solve whatever nuisance of a conflict rears its head. The show is animated in classic children’s style with soft edges, saturated colors, and large, smiling faces. In the premiere, Kira Kiwi, princess of the Kiwi Fruitdom and second in line to the throne behind her older sister, has to save her fruitdom’s tricentennial celebration from disaster when a

thick layer of snow and cold overwhelm the fruitdom. She soon finds out that two of her princess friends, Beatrice Blueberry and Penelope Pineapple, accidentally caused the fiasco when one of Penelope’s snow-making inventions spiraled out of control. Surprisingly, although international tensions surely escalate as a consequence of this careless action, it does more to bring the four old friends to collaborate to solve the problem rather than to divide based on spite. In fact, that brings us to one of the episode’s stronger aspects. The princesses, Kira, Beatrice, Penelope, and Rita, are simultaneously fleshed out as individual characters and also have an honestly endearing group personality when together — one that is complemented by these individual quirks. For example, Kira Kiwi (Dana Heath) is obviously very knowledgeable about animals: She mentions how arctic foxes can change their fur in the winter to adapt to their environment, and this inspires the

group to distribute warm clothing to the residents of the Kiwi fruitdom. Penelope Pineapple (Luna Bella Zamora), perhaps the show’s strongest character, has a knack for science and engineering which comes into play with her custom-built hover plane as it displays some fascinating vertical thrust capabilities. Beatrice Blueberry (Madison Calderon) is into athletics and functions as good social glue among the group, and Rita Raspberry (Trinity Jo-Li Bliss) loves to dance, sing, and paint. Clearly, these princesses have some outsized effect on the political power landscape among the fruitdoms, with their rulers giving them surprising amounts of responsibility when it comes to decision-making. There are certainly drawbacks to this, both for the characters in the show and for viewers. For one, they never even consider the option to simply postpone the tricentennial, which seems like an obvious choice. To go a little deeper though, viewers don’t get to see

enough of the interactions of the princesses with their subjects — the feelings the fruitizens and their families have towards much of their government being run by these untrained children are never explored, and the show could certainly delve a little deeper into the various personal relationships between the princesses. In addition to the fraught geopolitical tensions, the music forms a large part of the episode — there are multiple song breaks not including the title theme. The initial tricentennial song is pretty average — a happy-go-lucky beat and some xylophone pings are uninspired, and the title theme is also somewhat strange with its focus on princesses wearing pants (which seems to have a double function as the name of the sequence). But the culminating song in the episode’s lowest point, where the characters finally realize the true power of leaning on your friend, is a musical diamond in the metaphorical rough. With incredible vocal performances especially by Beatrice voice actor

Madison Calderon, and harmonies that delve into intertwining rhythms, the climactic song really stands out as a highlight of the episode, and is hopefully something future episodes will exhibit more of. Overall, the episode’s message that conflict resolution is a step-by-step process — and one that is made significantly easier with friends by one’s side — is important for kids to learn early, and is successfully portrayed here. While the premise of “The Princesses and the Frosty Fruitdom Fiasco” may not be the strongest, and the setting is certainly strange, one cannot help but feel that the princesses, through their relentless alliteration and constant optimism, actually help pull the show together: The four characters form the glue that transforms a collection of haphazard plot points into a smooth, enjoyable episode, and one that promises enjoyment throughout the rest of the season. alessandro.drake@thecrimson.com

FIFTEEN QUESTIONS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON NOVEMBER 17, 2023

onathan L. Zittrain is a professor at Harvard Law School and faculty director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. His work focuses on internet governance, privacy, and artificial intelligence. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. FM: You co-founded the Berkman Klein Center over 25 years ago and have been writing about the internet and the law for even longer. In that time, what is the biggest change you’ve seen in how people think about the online world and how it should be governed?

Q&A:

JONATHAN ZITTRAIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AI, AND COMPUSERVE THE LAW PROFESSOR sat down with Fifteen Minutes to discuss AI regulation, moderating online communities, and the Applied Social Media Lab. “I’m very interested in ways to see how people can gather with a sense of shared ownership rather than a corporate patron overseeing the conversation,” Zittrain says. BY HEWSON DUFFY CRIMSON MAGAZINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR

JLZ: I think the biggest change in mainstream thinking has been a shift from a rights-based way of looking at the Internet to a public health framework. The rights-based way focused on perceptions of a stifling late 20th-century media environment that was like three network news desks, with the same kinds of anchors, and one newspaper in each town. And a sense that the internet offered a microphone to everyone. And the biggest thing that could mess it up would be government coming in to trample on people’s newfound freedoms. I think by 2010 that was starting to look pretty frayed. Both because there were hints that social media in particular were taking people to places that, at any given moment, they wanted to be online. But when you added it all up, they were feeling less happy, less motivated, more lonely, ironically. And I think a realization that there are many instances in which one person speaking can genuinely intimidate or quiet someone else, that government censorship is only one form of flattening discourse. And so that greatly complicates the story of the 1990s. Today, I think it’s a really tricky question to reconcile rights and public health thinking and vernacular. People just don’t even use the same words to describe the same things.

even in writing that book, I recognized there were technologies where generativity might not be so good, such as ones that would facilitate somebody building a nuclear reactor in their backyard. I tend to think of AI a little bit like asbestos. It’s extremely useful. It’s getting bolted wholesale and retail into all sorts of things, where it’s not even obvious that it’s inside it. I don’t know, when I’m chatting with an airline agent online, exactly what combination of human and past-human put into a blender and processed out as GPT I’m actually talking to. And like asbestos, if it turns out there’s some big regret or problem, it’s gonna be awfully hard to retrofit. And I say this as an optimist. Then again, I’m writing a sequel to “The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It” right now called, “Well, we tried.” FM: An ongoing class-action lawsuit against Github and OpenAI alleges that their language models violate copyright laws and opensource licenses by reproducing code from their training data without proper attribution to its original authors. How do you think AI models will fare under current copyright law? How should AI companies compensate the authors of the data they use, if at all? JLZ: I think the “should” question probably should trump the “is” question. I think it does make sense to start with questions like, “What kind of society are we trying to build? What do we find really valuable when people sit down and write, or sing, or compose?” If there are ways to automate that, are we turning lots of people into artists who can’t hold a paintbrush, but do know how to prompt DALL-E? Or are they something different? Are they coaches rather than players? These are very basic questions that illustrate we don’t know what we want. Is this an economic question about making sure artists have livelihoods? Is it a moral rights question about being able to credit them as inspiration? What a time to be alive and what a time to not be alive. If you’re an AI, it’s just an extraordinary moment.

FM: The BKC recently launched the Initiative on Artificial Intelligence and the Law, for which you serve as an adviser. And this spring, you’re teaching a course entitled “Case Studies in Public and Private Policy Challenges of Artificial Intelligence.” As AI comes to play a bigger role in our lives, and given the Biden Administration’s recent executive order on AI, how do you think governments should go about regulating it? What concrete steps can companies, politicians, and judges take? JLZ: It’s such a great question. And it has echoes of the puzzles of regulating the internet over the past 25 years. If we’re talking about the most recent advances in AI that people are really taken by — socalled generative AI incorporated into large language models — I think it’s moving so quickly, in a way that the internet 25 years ago was thought of as developing quickly, but this is faster. It just remains amazing to me that in the autumn of 2023, experts — those closest to the building of these models — can’t agree on whether if they shove a few more tens of millions of texts into them, will they more or less have leveled off from where they were? Or will they have a further leap in capability or even cognition? We kind of have to wait for the timer to ding on the Easy Bake oven before we take GPT5 out of it and see what it’s like. What extraordinary times to live in and how difficult to regulate. I’m very mindful that the Europeans have regulated cookies on browsers, and that took about 25 years. This becomes another example of what I now think of as the three-and-a-half prob-

FM: How often do you use ChatGPT? JLZ: Not that often. FM: Do you have any of-

fline hobbies?

JOSE AVALOS — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

lems of digital governance. One, we don’t know what we want. We can’t agree on what we want. Two, we don’t trust anybody to give it to us. Three, we want it now. And four, thanks to AI we can scale it everywhere. That’s a weird combination of demands. FM: Recently, many leading AI companies have stopped open-sourcing their models and begun obfuscating the details of their research, citing safety concerns. As someone who has worked on increasing public access to technical knowledge — including open-sourcing your own torts textbook — how do you feel about this turn away from the ideals of open access? Do you think this is a reasonable safety measure or a self-interested business strategy? JLZ: I don’t know, and I am bemused by people who think the answer is obvious. There are

several things that can be true. One is, for a really powerful technology capable of great harm, it might be a bad idea if everybody has access to it. Call that a munitions view. Another is, for a really powerful technology that can do good things, but also can do really bad things, it can be really bad if just a few actors had concentrated power over it, and the rest of us can’t see it or understand it, but are simply subject to it. Both of those are problems. I wrote an entire book and open-sourced it, not just that torts book, called “The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It,” which really was a paean to generative technologies that anybody unaccredited could build upon and take in whatever direction they wanted: technologies of code that then facilitated generative content, projects like Wikipedia. So I’m kind of all in on generativity. And at the same time,

JLZ: I have maintained an aquarium for many years — a saltwater aquarium. I’ve been fond of small appliance repair, which has gotten a little harder and harder to do over time. It has become more the joyless task of plugging in components until it works again, rather than untangling wires and re-soldering them. hewson.duffy@thecrimson.com

FM Fifteen Minutes is the magazine of The Harvard Crimson. To read the full interview and other longform pieces, visit THECRIMSON.COM/ MAGAZINE

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

SPORTS

NOVEMBER 17, 2023

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Harvard Wins First Game Harvard women’s ice hockey faces off against Yale in 2022. LEANNE ALVARADO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

MOMENTUM Harvard picked up its first win against Boston University this Tuesday after two weekend losses. BY JOSEPHINE S. ELTING AND CHRISTOPHER D. WRIGHT CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

eading into Tuesday’s matchup with Boston University (5-4-1, 4-30 HEA), Harvard women’s ice hockey team (1-8-1, 0-8-1 ECAC) was on a three game losing streak and had been outscored

by a 22-3 margin. It appeared as if the Crimson had a long season ahead of them, especially after it lost to Cornell and Colgate

over the weekend. However, Harvard opened the scoring with a goal from firstyear defender Kaley MacDonald and never looked back. Thanks to insurance goals from junior forwards Crawford and Gabi Davidson Adams, the Crimson skated to a 3-1 victory over the Terriers. The recent Harvard resurgence has been due in large part to the contributions from the class of 2027. In each of the Crimson’s last three matchups, a firstyear has scored a goal. “Each game all the freshmen have gotten a little more confident,” MacDonald said. Cornell 5, Harvard 1 In the first game of the weekend slate, Harvard welcomed rival No. 7 Cornell (10-0-1, 6-0-0 ECAC) to Bright-Landry Hockey Center. The Crimson started the game with momentum on its side as it won the opening faceoff and recorded the first shot on goal. Only two minutes into the game, Harvard also had the first opportunity on the power play as the Big Red’s Avi Adam was called f o r cross-checking. Despite the advantage, the Crimson were unable to muster a shot on goal during the pow-

Harvard women’s ice hockey faces off against Yale in 2022. LEANNE ALVARADO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

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er play. Six minutes into the first, Cornell scored the opening goal of the contest. The Big Red’s Kaitlin Jockims netted the goal by following up her initial shot, which had been saved by junior goalie Alex Pellicci. During the second half of the first period, Harvard’s lack of discipline took center stage as Cornell was able to stretch its lead to three after scoring two power play goals. The first of the two goals was set up by a cross-checking penalty against junior forward Eva Dorr. Cornell’s Grace Dwyer scored on a blistering shot that breezed straight past Pellicci. The second goal was conceded following a hooking penalty by first-year forward Angelica Megdanis. The Big Red’s Katie Chan scored by redirecting a shot from Izzy Daniel into the back of the net. Scoreboard-wise, the second period was much of the same as Cornell stretched its advantage to five goals after Daniel and Lily Delianedis each lit the lamp. However, the Crimson defense appeared to better contain the potent Big Red offense in the second frame. After being outshot 18-9 in the first period, Harvard was only outshot 11-9 in the

second. The Harvard offense was also able to put sustained pressure on the Cornell goalie in the period.

“

The pace is a lot faster and more physical. Kaley MacDonald First-Year, Women’s Ice Hockey

The improvements of the second period paid off in a third period goal. Midway through the period, MacDonald scored her first collegiate goal on a slapshot that was setup by junior defender Mia Biotti. The play was a culmination of hard work in practice. “We had talked about doing a one-timer earlier in practice,” said MacDonald about her connection with Biotti in the third. Despite the goal, the Crimson were unable to surmount Cornell’s four goal lead and dropped the match 5-1. Colgate 10, Harvard 1 Harvard faced a hard task on Saturday in the No. 3 Colgate Raiders (9-1,4-0 ECAC). Going in, the Raiders were undefeated in ECAC competition. Their squad features last year’s NCAA points leader Danielle Serdachny and many other offensive threats. The Raiders struck early in the first period, netting their first of many goals. Harvard had strong offensive possessions in the game as junior forward Ellie Bayard orchestrated patient passing between the Crimson forwards. Despite clear improvement on offense from the beginning of the season, three shots on goal was not nearly enough to challenge the steady Colgate defense. As the game progressed Colgate’s offense got faster and more aggressive. They brought all five skaters across the blue line on their attacks and the stick skills of Serdachny proved too much for the Crimson. At the start of the third period Colgate goalie Kayle Osborne was caught outside of the goal, allowing first-year forward Zoe Boosmara to put Harvard on the board. Despite it being a large loss, the Crimson showed a lot of physicality and grit on Saturday. Colgate has been one of the top teams in the ECAC for the past six years making four NCAA tournament appearances including one championship appearance. The Raiders are one of the toughest squads the Crimson will face this year and gaining ex-

perience against such a technical team will be useful going into more Ivy League play. Harvard 3, Boston University 1 Harvard ended its three game homestand against Beanpot rival Boston University. The Terriers entered the matchup on a hot streak as they had won four of their last five outings. The Crimson jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first period thanks to a connection between Boosmara and MacDonald. At the four minute mark, Boosmara picked up the puck in the neutral zone and skated up the left side before finding MacDonald skating free in the slot. MacDonald guided the puck into the back of the net for her second goal in the last three matches. With her recent success, MacDonald appears to be adapting to the differences in the college game. “The pace is a lot faster and more physical,” said MacDonald about college hockey. Two minutes after the MacDonald goal, Crawford extended the Harvard lead to two. The play started with sophomore Gwyn Lapp winning the puck on the left side boards. After winning the puck, Lapp played it to junior Hannah Chorkse behind the net. Chorske then floated the puck in front of the net where a cutting Crawford was able to find it and guide it past the outstretched sticks of several defenders into the goal. After several minutes of backand-forth play, the Crimson added another goal late in the second period, as Davidson Adams scored at the 16-minute mark to put Harvard up 3-0. However, BU refused to throw in the towel and mounted a comeback. As the second frame came to an end, the Terriers scored to slice Harvard’s lead to two. BU’s comeback fell short due to the tremendous play of the Crimson defense down the stretch. Although the Harvard offense was outshot 13-3 in the final frame, Pellicci made several clutch saves to fight off the comeback for a 3-1 win. Going forward, the key to the Crimson’s success could be an attitude shift. “The message [to the team] is just to have fun,” said senior captain Shannon Hollands following the loss against Cornell. Harvard will travel to Durham, New Hampshire on Nov. 21 to face the University of New Hampshire Wildcats (6-7-1, 4-4-1 WHEA) before heading to Washington, DC to face Minnesota (7-2-0, 5-2-0 WCHA) and St. Thomas (5-8-0, 0-8-0 WCHA). josephine.elting@thecrimson.com christopher.wright@thecrimson.com

SPORTS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON NOVEMBER 17, 2023

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Harvard Starts Season 3-0 for First Time Since 2013 OUT OF THE GATE Wins over UMass Boston, Rice, and Northeastern have the Crimson at 3-0. BY ALEXANDER K. BELL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

arvard men’s basketball is off to a 3-0 start to the season for the first time since 2013 after defeating local rivals Northeastern, 80-56, on Tuesday night. The Crimson led by a margin of as much as 37 points en route to the victory, with four players hitting double-digit point tallies. Harvard has been potent offensively this season and is averaging 82 points per game. The Crimson beat UMass Boston 7850 in its home opener, before dispatching Rice 89-76 in Houston on Friday ahead of its matchup with the Huskies. In last season’s opening game, Harvard grinded out a dramatic 70-69 victory over Northeastern on the road. The repeat of that tight contest many may have been expecting on Tuesday night did not end up being much of a contest at all. The Crimson roared out to a 33-14 lead 14 minutes into the first-half and never looked back. Among the Northeastern squad was former Harvard captain Luka Sakota, who moved to Northeastern as a graduate transfer at the end of last season after four years with the Crimson.

Sophomore guard Chandler Piggé spoke about playing against his former teammate and captain. “He let me and other freshmen know, coming in, what the culture was like here. Now we’re trying to continue the legacy that he and so many others left,” said Piggé regarding Sakota’s impact on the team. “At the same time, we’re competitors, so we’re going out there trying to win, trying to just make it hard for him,” added Piggé. Harvard certainly succeeded in making life difficult for Sakota, limiting the guard to 0-7 from the field and just two points, coming from a pair of free throws. The Crimson were led offensively by first-year guard Malik Mack, who scored an efficient 22 points in just 23 minutes by shooting 9-of-11 from the field, including 4-of-5 from three-point range. Malik’s 22-point game was his second game with over 20 points in the past week, after scoring 20 against Rice in the Crimson’s 89-76 win last Friday and earning Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. “Malik is an amazing point guard,” said Piggé. “It’s amazing watching him come in as a freshman with such confidence, being able to score the ball at will, but also being a point guard at heart he just loves to get others involved, always making sure we get guys in the right spot,” added Piggé. When asked about how he

The Crimson bench cheers on their team at an away game against Brown in January 2023. ZING GEE — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

exudes such confidence on the court in just his third collegiate game, Malik reflected on his experience growing up. “Just coming from the DMV area, we got a lot of good basketball players,” said Malik. “I played with a lot of good basketball players, and played against a lot of great basketball players. If you don’t have confidence, you’re gonna be the odd man out, so it really just comes from the DMV, how I grew up. You gotta have confidence in everything you do.” he added.

In addition to Malik, Piggé, sophomore forward Chisom Okpara, and junior guard Louis Lesmond also scored in double figures against the Huskies. Lesmond is returning to play after being kept off the court with an injury last year. A sharp shooter, Lesmond contributes to Harvard’s ability to score quickly on the break, hitting three-pointers at will. The Crimson recorded 14 fast breaks in comparison to Northeastern’s zero, a testament to its ability to play quickly as a team, but also slow down the

game a bit when necessary. Defensively, the Crimson were able to stifle Northeastern as well. Senior forward Justice Ajogbor exerted his presence around the rim and blocked four Northeastern shots. The Huskies were limited to just 37.0% from the field compared to Harvard’s 50% and were outrebounded by the Crimson, 44-28. When asked about Harvard’s 3-0 start, Piggé emphasized the team’s desire for more. “It feels great, it honestly really does,” said Piggé. “I think

there’s a mentality on our team, though, that we’re not satisfied. We’re happy for the way that we started and now we just want to keep building.” The Crimson will now continue that quest away from home as they face four consecutive road games. Harvard plays local teams UMass and Boston College this weekend, before heading to Colgate on Wednesday, Nov. 22, and Indiana University on Sunday, Nov. 26. alexander.bell@thecrimson.com

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