The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVI, No. 87

The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873 | VOLUME CXLVI, NO. 87 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS | FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

EDITORIAL PAGE 4

NEWS PAGE 3

SPORTS PAGE 6

Instead of money, donate your time to primary candidates

A Rhode Island man pleads guilty to stalking a professor

Around the Ivies: a preview of the upcoming football season

Corp. Holds Ties to Fossil Fuels

Khurana Stresses Free Speech

By ALEXANDRA A. CHAIDEZ and AIDAN F. RYAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Harvard Corporation member Theodore V. Wells has recused himself from any Corporation deliberations or votes related to fossil fuel divestment since 2015, when he became counsel for oil and gas company ExxonMobil in climate change litigation, according to University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain.

This revelation comes as Divest Harvard organizes students across campus to participate in a global climate strike Friday. The group has sought to reveal Harvard’s less visible administrative ties to the fossil fuel companies, in particular highlighting governance board members’ personal links the industry.

In addition to Wells, several members of the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — have maintained financial and professional ties to the fossil fuel industry through their employment or company investments.

The Harvard Corporation and University President Lawrence S. Bacow ultimately hold the power to decide when the University divests, and have remained adamantly against taking such action with the fossil fuel industry.

In addition to Wells, Corporation members David M. Rubenstein, Paul J. Finnegan

By SHERA S. AVI-YONAH and DELANO R. FRANKLIN

­

CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

The Harvard Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, often meets in Loeb House. QUINN G. PERINI— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

’75, and Timothy R. Barakett ’87 also have financial or corporate ties to fossil fuel entities.

Since 2015, Wells has served as lead counsel for ExxonMobil on several occasions, including during an investigation by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman into whether the company lied to investors about climate change risks. The case is set to go to trial Oct. 22.

Wells did not respond to re-

peated requests for comment, but Swain wrote in an emailed statement that Wells has recused himself from discussions or votes on fossil fuel divestment since he began his work for ExxonMobil.

Rubenstein maintains fossil fuel ties through the Carlyle Group, a private equity group he co-founded. The firm has invested in a number of oil and gas projects, with Rubenstein tell-

WARREN

By RUTH A. HAILU and MOLLY C. MCCAFFERTY CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

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CORY 2020 FEEL THE BERN

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KAMALA HARRISFOR THE

PEOPLE

MARGOT E. SHANG—CRIMSON DESIGNER

Students Back Dem. Campaigns

By CAMILLE G. CALDERA CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

As the Democratic primary race heats up across the country, various groups supporting individual campaigns have begun to crop up on campus, each seeking to differentiate the candidates from the wide field and gain supporters.

Ahead of the fourth national debate slated for mid-October, Harvard students have formed clubs on behalf of six candidates: former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), South Bend Indiana Mayor Pete P.M. Buttigieg ‘04, Senator Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Senator Bernie Sanders (IVt.), and Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).

Four of the clubs are recognized subgroups of the Harvard College Democrats, while two — Harvard for Bernie and Harvard for Biden — are in INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Harvard Today 2

the process of becoming recognized, according to Hank Sparks ’21, the president of the College Democrats. The College Democrats do not make endorsements at the primary stage.

“We’ve had subgroups for as long as we’ve been around, especially in primaries where we don’t endorse,” Sparks said. “In 2016, we had Harvard for Bernie and Harvard for Hillary.”

The campaign subgroup approval process requires drafting and editing a detailed organizing plan and holding a test event — like a watch party or phonebank — to gauge student interest in the candidate.

“If our board thinks they’d be beneficial to campus organizing, we approve them,” Sparks said.

A f ter receiv ing

SEE DEMS PAGE 5

News 3

SEE CORP PAGE 3

SEE KHURANA PAGE 5

Harvard History Department Rebrands

H

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ing CNBC in 2015 that the group had about $9 billion to spend on energy investments.

Rubenstein has also introduced former ExxonMobil CEO and United States Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson at several speaking engagements in his role as president of the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Rubenstein declined a

Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana said in a Wednesday interview he believes Harvard students should keep in mind the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ free speech policy as they air dissenting opinions and plan on-campus protests.

“The way change happens in society is that people have to hear voices. They have to be able to argue points of view and be able to persuade,” Khurana said. “It’s not only a part of our College’s mission, but I think it’s really important for democratic society right now.”

Khurana also touched upon the topic of free speech in his August welcome email to students. He wrote then that he is “concerned” about some aspects of on-campus disagreements and pointed undergraduates toward the FAS guidelines adopted in 1990. FAS maintains these regulations, which apply to all FAS “gatherings,” because academic pursuits like research, teaching, and learning require the “free interchange of ideas,” according to the guidelines.

“While I am proud that so many of you fiercely advocate for your beliefs, I am also concerned that sometimes on this

campus we see those with differing opinions as undeserving of our attention, our respect, or our compassion,” he wrote.

“Hearing each other’s points of view, having our own assumptions challenged, and interrogating our values are experiences central to Harvard’s liberal arts and sciences education.”

Khurana’s comments this semester come amid a national reckoning regarding free speech protections on college campuses. The University of California, Berkeley; Middlebury College, and the University of Chicago have all made national headlines for campus free speech controversies.

In 2017 at Harvard, the Harvard Financial Analysts Club invited controversial ex-pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli to campus, where he was interrupted by chanting protestors and a false fire alarm.

Later that year, Harvard’s Open Campus Initiative’s invitation to controversial sociologist Charles A. Murray ’65 — whose work linking race to IQ has been denounced and discredited by academics — drew dozens of protesters.

Khurana has previously said he was “pleased” to see students engage in activism and protest. His comments came

Editorial 4

Harvard’s History department has made a number of structural changes to its curriculum and outreach efforts this semester in an attempt to attract and retain concentrators and unaffiliated undergraduates.

Most notably, this fall the department rolled out a new series of “foundations” courses geared toward freshmen and students outside the concentration, including those attempting to fulfill the General Education program’s new Social Sciences distributional requirement.

Sixteen of the courses — also known as “101s” — are being offered this semester, with topics ranging from Harvard history to using science as a historical source.

Professor Maya R. Jasanoff

’96 said the changes were driven by a need to repair history’s “image problem,” adding that freshmen often enter Harvard with the misconception that the discipline is merely “a bunch of names and dates to be memorized.”

“People think it’s all about the past, but it’s really about the present and the future,” she said.

Director of Undergraduate Studies Lisa M. McGirr, who spearheaded the overhaul, agreed. She said that the changes were in part borne out of a “crisis in the humanities” that followed the 2008 recession, when she says more and more undergraduates began selecting their concentrations based on employability concerns. Nationally, the phenomenon is well-documented — a survey from the American Historical Association found that from

2014 to 2017, course enrollments dropped by 7.7 percent in history departments across the country.

In another attempt to combat the “crisis,” Harvard’s History department also debuted new “career course clusters” this fall. McGirr said the clusters are designed to guide students interested in business, journalism, and law career paths among others toward History courses that will be useful in their chosen fields.

“People feel insecure. They want to ensure that they have a skill set that they can take beyond college for their future careers,” McGirr said. “What we know, and what we’re trying to make sure students understand, is that the kind of skills they gain in History — those fundamental skills of powers of communication, of really great writing and critical analysis —

those are the kind of things that are going to be used in all sorts of careers.”

A number of students said they are receptive to the new curriculum. Phoebe G. Barr ’23, a freshman in Jasanoff’s foundations course on the British empire, said she feels the course is more “approachable” than other History department offerings.

“This is a very good class for a freshman who’s just sort of starting out in college history,” she said. “There was another history course I shopped that looked like it was going to be a lot more reading and required me to buy, like, 10 books, and I thought, this course seems interesting, but maybe not for my fall of freshman year.”

Before the restructuring, Government concentrator

SEE HISTORY PAGE 5

Graduate Councils Discuss Union

By LUKE A. WILLIAMS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

­ tudent council presidents from S 11 of the 12 graduate schools and the Harvard Graduate Council president and vice president discussed increasing cooperation with the Harvard Graduate Students’ Union-United Automobile Workers at the biannual “Presidents’ Circle” meeting Thursday night.

The meeting also covered diversity and inclusion grievance processes, lactation room standardization, and transportation to the new Allston campus.

Bryan O. Buckley, president of the HGC — an umbrella student government with members

SEE PRESIDENT PAGE 3

Sports 6

Student body presidents from each of Harvard’s graduate schools convened in The Heights restaurant on the tenth floor of the Smith Campus Center Thursday. SHERA S. AVI-YONAH—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

TODAY’S FORECAST

MOSTLY SUNNY High: 81 Low: 61

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dumpsters

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

september 20, 2019

Page 2

Harvard Today

For Lunch Red’s Best Fresh Catch Dan Dan Noodles Steamed Broccoli

For Dinner Teriyaki Turkey Tips Pepper and Sausage Pizza Steamed Edamame

Today’s Events An Evening with Champions 7:30-10:30 p.m.

in The Real World

A great chance to watch amazing skaters and help raise money for pediatric cancer care and research, all run by students! An Evening with Champions will bring together Olympic and National skaters at the Bright-Landry Hockey Center to raise money through The Jimmy Fund. And the first 200 students get free tickets!

National Pepperoni Pizza Day 2019

Today is officially National Pepperoni Pizza Day, so go out and try to find some savory deals to celebrate this special day. While it may not be as popular as National Pizza Day in February and Pi Day on March 14, it’s still a great day to be a pizzalover.

Colt to Stop Manufacturing Consumer AR15 Rifles

Climate Justice and Divestment Strike 11 a.m.

Divest Harvard will be rallying in Science Center Plaza today to strike for climate justice and fossil fuel divestment. At 12 p.m. they’ll be marching together to the official Boston Climate Strike to join allies across the world in protesting.

Robinson Hall houses the History department, which launched a campaign promoting introductory-level classes this semester. DELANO R. Framklin—Crimson photographer

Colt, a U.S. gun maker, plans to stop manufacturing consumer AT-15 rifles, the military-style rifle used in several recent mass shootings. While the financial ramifications of this decision are unclear, Colt plans to turn their focus towards government weapons contracts.

Daily Briefing Harvard Corporation member Theodore V. Wells has recused himself from any Corporation deliberations or votes related to fossil fuel divestment since 2015, when he became counsel for oil and gas company ExxonMobil in climate change litigation, according to University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain.

This revelation comes as Divest Harvard organizes students across campus to participate in a global climate strike Friday. In other news, the History department has made several changes to its curriculum and outreach efforts this semester in an attempt to attract and retain concentrators and unaffiliated undergraduates.

Around the Ivies brown Brown has partnered with independent film production company A24 to connect students with the award-winning company and provide events, such as free advance film screenings, on campus, according to the Brown Daily Herald. A24, which has held screenings through the Ivy Film Festival (hosted annually on Brown’s campus) in the past, will become an official collaborator with the festival this year. The company has already partnered with 14 universities in an effort to expand its presence among college students, who tend to consume media in nontraditional ways.

dartmouth

Dartmouth’s Phi Delta Alpha fraternity was suspended over the summer and remains on alcohol probation this fall after serving alcohol to an underaged student, according to The Dartmouth. The incident follows two other alcohol-related violations by College fraternities in 2018, one of which resulted in the revocation of the Dartmouth Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter’s charter. Phi Delta Alpha will be placed on “alcohol probation” for the coming term, then on College Probation during the winter 2020 term.

yale

Laurie Santos, head of Yale’s Silliman College, has come under fire for an email suggesting she can regulate students’ speech, the Yale Daily News reported. After receiving numerous complaints about a Silliman College junior’s Instagram caption, which joked about the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and detention centers, Santos sent an email saying she would “take action” and bring the post “up with the proper channels,” according to the News. Students, professors, and administrators responded by reaffirming students’ freedom of speech, with Yale President Peter Salovey saying that heads of colleges “do not have the right to regulate students’ free speech.”

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873

The Harvard Crimson Kristine E. Guillaume President Angela N. Fu Managing Editor Charlie B. Zhu Business Manager

Staff for This Issue

Associate Managing Editor Jamie D. Halper ’20

Arts Chairs Kaylee S. Kim ’20 Caroline A. Tsai ’20

Design Chairs Elena M. Ramos ’20 Akhil S. Waghmare ’20

Associate Business Manager Amy E. Zhou ’20

FM Chairs Norah M. Murphy ’20 Abigail L. Simon ’20

Multimedia Chairs Kathryn S. Kuhar ’20 Kai R. McNamee ’21

Editorial Chairs Jessenia N. Class ’20 Robert Miranda ’20

Blog Chairs Lorenzo F. Manuali ’21 Trula J. Rael ’21

Technology Chairs Nenya A. Edjah ’20 Theodore T. Liu ’20

Night Editor Luke W. Xu ’20

Design Editor Margot E. Shang ’21

Assistant Night Editors Tamar Sarig ’22 Cindy H. Zhang ’21

Photo Editor Shera S. Avi-Yonah ’21

Story Editors Angela N. Fu ’20 Jamie D. Halper ’20

Editorial Editor Ari E. Benkler ’21 Sports Editor Leon K. Yang ’21

Sports Chairs Joseph W. Minatel ’21 Henry Zhu ’20

Corrections Copyright 2019, The Harvard Crimson (USPS 236-560). No articles, editorials, cartoons or any part thereof appearing in The Crimson may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the President. The Associated Press holds the right to reprint any materials published in The Crimson. The Crimson is a non-profit, independent corporation, founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. Second-class postage paid in Boston, Massachusetts. Published Monday through Friday except holidays and during vacations, three times weekly during reading and exam periods by The Harvard Crimson Inc., 14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138 Weather icons made by Freepik, Yannick, Situ Herrera, OCHA, SimpleIcon, Catalin Fertu from flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY 3.0.

The Sept. 19 story “College Adds Event Moderator Policy” incorrectly stated Matthew S. Miller’s middle initial.

The Sept. 19 story incorrectly attributed a statement from University spokesperson Jason A. Newton to University President Lawrence S. Bacow.

PAGE 3

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

Man Pleads Guilty to Stalking Prof.

By MICHELLE G. KURILLA and MOLLY C. MCCAFFERTY CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to sending dozens of graphic, threatening emails to a Massachusetts professor reportedly affiliated with Harvard, according to court documents and local news reports.

The man — 29-year-old Matthew Haviland of North Kingston, R.I. — also sent threats to a school in Massachusetts reported to be one of Harvard’s professional schools.

Haviland pleaded guilty to one count of stalking and two counts of transmitting a threat in interstate commerce. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $250,000 plus additional restitution.

Public defender Scott Lauer, who represents Haviland, declined to comment on the plea.

On March 10, 2019, Haviland sent approximately 28 emails to the Massachusetts professor over the span of several hours threatening to rape, kill, and eat the unnamed professor, according to an affavidt filed by the Chelsea Police Detective and FBI Task Force Officer Richard C. Laft, Jr. Laft wrote in the affidavit that the professor’s support of abortion rights and criticism of President Donald Trump motivated the threats.

On March 15, Haviland sent threatening emails to the pro­

fessional school. He accused the school of racism against white people and decried recent “debate or discussion within the [REDACTED] University admissions platform.” In one of his 12 messages targeting the school, he wrote that the school should be bombed, though he took the assertion back soon afterwards.

Since Haviland was first arrested on April 24, multiple Boston news outlets have reported that the person who received the threats is a Harvard faculty member, though the victim is only identified in court documents as a professor who works at a Massachusetts university. A Havard spokesperson declined to comment on the threats’ alleged connection to the University.

The United States District Attorney for the District of Massachusetts will recommend a sentence of 21 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine as part of a plea agreement reached in late August, according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

DOJ spokesperson Elizabeth McCarthy declined to comment on the case.

Haviland is currently in custody. U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin has scheduled his sentencing for Dec. 10 at John J. Moakley United States Courthouse.

PRESIDENT FROM PAGE 1

Grad Student Presidents Talk Union from all twelve graduate schools —, convened the presidents as an effort to revitalize the meeting. Previously, Presidents’ Circle meetings had been held sporadically, but Buckley said he would ensure they happened every semester in the future.

The regular meeting schedule is part of Buckley’s mission to increase collaboration among graduate students.

Zachary M. Hayworth, president of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ Graduate Student Council, advocated at the meeting that the HGC create a graduate student union liaison position to facilitate communication between the two organizations.

He also suggested that the other graduate student councils cooperate with the union on some level.

Elected in the spring, Hayworth’s executive board is the first among the 12 graduate school student governments to

michelle.kurilla@thecrimson.com molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com

explicitly cooperate with the union on advocacy opportunities. The GSC has already created a union liaison position.

“It’s a matter of how long until the union has a contract.

I think it’s in all graduate students’ best interest that the union gets a contract as soon as possible. That’s the point of the cooperation. It’s not a matter of being pro- or anti-union,” Hayworth said.

Buckley said he agrees that graduate students should cooperate with the union.

He added that HGC met with the union over the summer to explore possible collaborations and disagreements between the two groups.

The group also discussed differing grievance processes across the University and how they could standardize the procedures.

“Some of the issues were around diversity and inclusion, specifically a grievance process, which the College actually has

already,” Buckley said. “How can we have a more systematic way of doing that at the graduate schools, when a student feels discrimination happening because of a faculty member?”

Buckley said the presidents suggested creating a standardized grievance procedure framework based on previous policies and experiences across the schools.

The issue of lactation room disparities also came up at Thursday’s meeting.

Though each of the graduate schools houses lactation rooms, the reservation procedures, availability, and quality of equipment vary from school to school.

During her tenure, former GSC President Blakely O’Connor spearheaded the standardization of lactation room policies and equipment across campus — an effort now taken up by Hayworth and the GSAS Office of Work and Life.

“We were talking about,

‘Do you have a changing table in the men’s bathroom? Do you not? Does the lactation room have pumps? Does it not have pumps?’

None of the rules are standard like that, things that should probably be essential,” Buckley said.

The group also discussed transportation issues that could arise when the University opens its new School of Engineering and Applied Sciences campus in Allston. Buckley said some presidents are concerned graduate students may find it harder to move between schools for class as Harvard’s campus grows.

“As we think about the Allston campus, the M2, how do we have students that want to cross-register across all these different schools, and if there is even a simple way to actually get to all these schools.” Buckley said. luke.williams@thecrimson.com

The latest on music, film, theater, and culture.

CORP FROM PAGE 1

Tracing the Corp.’s Ties to Fossil Fuels request for comment, but his spokesperson, Christopher Ullman, said the Carlyle Group’s recent climate change initiatives include creating a renewable energy fund and an environment, social, and governance strategy plan.

Finnegan, who is also Harvard’s treasurer, co-founded Madison Dearborn Partners — a private equity firm that has previously invested in oil and gas production.

Finnegan wrote in an emailed statement that Madison Dearborn invested in three energy projects, including a large wind power company.

“Since Madison Dearborn’s founding in 1992, we have made three energy related investments, none of which involves coal,” Finnegan wrote. “We invested in a national pipeline operator, a natural gas fired power plant operator and one of the largest wind power companies in the country.”

Corporation member Timothy R. Barkett’s former hedge fund, Atticus Capital, owned a mining company and a petrochemical company in 2010, but the hedge fund shut down that year. While a slate of Corporation members have maintained ties to the industry, at least two members — Karen Gordon Mills ’75 and Jessica Tuchman Mathews ’67 — have worked to advance environmental causes.

Mills was the founding partner and managing director of Solera Capital, which invests in industries including environmentally responsible paint product producers, among other ventures.

Mathews served as the founding vice president and director of research at the World Resources Institute — which works on policy for environmental issues — from 1982 to 1993, and worked on the staff of the Committee on Energy and

the Environment of the Interior Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Students from the climate activist group Divest Harvard have repeatedly raised concerns about Corporation members’ professional ties to the fossil fuel industry.

The group released a statement on their website on Sept.

16 detailing Wells’s connections to the fossil fuel industry and calling on his exclusion from any discussions within the Corporation concerning divestment.

Divest Harvard member Tadhg Larabee ’22 said the group is hoping to do more to shed light on the Corporation’s ties to the fossil fuel industry this semester.

“The Corporation has 13 members, and that does include [the] President but it also includes a lot of powerful lawyers, bankers, business owners, all of whom should be lobbied and also held accountable for the ways that they contribute to Harvard’s investment in the fossil fuel industry,” said Larabee, who is also a Crimson Arts editor.

Asked about divestment, Swain referred to Bacow’s September statement in Harvard Magazine regarding campus debate on the issue.

“While I, like my predecessors, believe that engaging with industry to confront the challenge of climate change is ultimately a sounder and more effective approach for our university, I respect the views of those who think otherwise,” Bacow wrote in September. “We may differ on means. But I believe we seek the same ends—a decarbonized future in which life on Earth can flourish for ages to come.”

That’s artsy.

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | September 20, 2019

Page 4

Editorial The Crimson Editorial board

Donation Nation

S

enator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a Harvard Law school professor Emerita and Cambridge resident, may not be leading the polls, but she sure is winning over the wallets of Harvard affiliates. A recent report showed that Harvard affiliates have given Warren more than $42,000 — more than twice the donations given to South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete P.M. Buttigieg ’04 and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden, who have garnered $20,000 and $19,900, respectively. Harvard affiliates have also donated $11,000 to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and just $250 to former Secretary of Housing and Development Julián Castro.

Given Harvard’s ongoing ties to the political system, we need to reflect deeply on its role in constructing our democratic process.

While this commitment of Harvard affiliates to political engagement is admirable, we urge Harvard affiliates to find ways of contributing to the political process that go beyond donations.

Political engagement can take many forms, including campaigning, canvassing, and encouraging others to do

the same. It includes mobilizing others to vote, attending town hall meetings, joining political organizations, and volunteering to work at polling stations.

It is asking uncomfortable questions of ourselves and others about the nature of what we believe and how those beliefs affect the public discourse around us.

It’s also worth recognizing that while these contributions are substantial and meaningful, the financial influence of Harvard affiliates on the political process goes far beyond these small scale donations.

For example, in 2016 the fifth largest individual political donor in the country was Harvard Law School graduate Paul E. Singer ‘69, who donated nearly $2 million to Republican candidates.

Singer is only one example.

The influence of Harvard affiliates on campaign finance is a powerful and arguably pernicious force at times.

We continue to believe that money has an outsized influence on the American political process.

Large political donations amass the potential to unfairly amplify the voices and influence of the wealthy, directly contradicting the principles of a democracy. A democratic government best serves its people when their interests, in all of their diversity, are fully and equally represented regardless of their bank balance.

column

Given Harvard’s ongoing ties to the political system, we need to reflect deeply on its role in constructing our democratic process. We can always

We can always strive to be more ethical contributor to the political process. So, instead of just donating money to candidates, donate your time, your principles, your expertise — your dedication to upholding the democracy. strive to be more ethical contributor to the political process. So, instead of just donating money to candidates, donate your time, your principles, your expertise — your dedication to upholding the democracy.

Oh yes, and vote.

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 on similar topics.

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It’s Not (Yet) Too Late for Harvard to Lead

By James G. Anderson, Naomi Oreskes, and Kirsten A. Weld

A

s Harvard faculty members, we write to applaud the vision and commitment of our students participating in the Global Climate Strike today.

The ecological crisis now at hand presents us all with a grave existential threat — and an urgent need for meaningful collective action.

We call on the Harvard Corporation, and, importantly, the Harvard Management Company, to display similar vision and commitment, and to take seriously the abundant and mounting evidence in favor of fossil fuel divestment.

Incremental, business-as-usual approaches are simply insufficient for confronting the unprecedented ethical and practical challenges posed by the climate crisis.

Harvard has divested from morally abhorrent actors in the past — namely,

We call on the Harvard Corporation, and, importantly, the Harvard Management Company, to display similar vision and commitment, and to take seriously the abundant and mounting evidence in favor of fossil fuel divestment. apartheid South Africa and the tobacco industry.

In the case of South Africa, Harvard waited until the global consensus on divestment was so overwhelming that its continued financial involvement proved embarrassing.

This time, will Harvard instead decide to lead?

Among the many arguments supporting divestment is the fact that the climate crisis is an issue of human rights and discrimination.

Certain human rights are considered universal and sacrosanct — the right to life, health, water, food, housing, and an adequate standard of living.

It is no exaggeration to say that these rights are already in jeopardy for millions, indeed billions, of people, and that this state of affairs is set to worsen dramatically if we do not act now.

The poor (a majority of whom are women), children, the elderly, and people of color suffer vastly more from climate disruption than well-to-do, predominantly white populations, who have the power and means to more safely insulate themselves from the crisis — for the time being.

Fossil fuel corporations, supported by investments from wealthy institutions like Harvard, are deepening eco-apartheid around the world, not mitigating it. How this aligns with the University’s stated values is anyone’s guess.

University administrators have insisted, repeatedly and for years, that Harvard will have a more positive impact on the climate crisis by working with the fossil fuel industry, not divesting from it.

We have asked for evidence of this assertion, insofar as shareholder or investor engagement is concerned, and received none.

But because their business model relies upon the continued extraction of coal, oil, and gas, fossil fuel companies are not, and cannot be, good-faith partners in the work of decarbonizing the planet.

For this reason, and because investments in the industry are increasingly risky in light of the coming shift to renewable energy, more than 1,000 institutions, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds have divested or begun the process of divesting.

That list includes the University of California system, which has just announced a full divestment of its endowment and pension investments from fossil fuels.

We have also been told that divestment is a poor strategy, as it would be a

merely “symbolic” gesture with negligible financial impact on the fossil fuel industry.

Of course it is symbolic: The point is exactly to leverage Harvard’s considerable cultural authority to inspire other major institutions to divest, thus fundamentally shifting the terms of debate about the role of this industry in perpetuating and deepening the climate crisis.

How else is political change sup-

University administrators have insisted, repeatedly and for years, that Harvard will have a more positive impact on the climate crisis by working with the fossil fuel industry, not divesting from it. We have asked for evidence of this assertion, insofar as shareholder or investor engagement is concerned, and received none. posed to come about, at the scale that is needed?

Yet divestment is not only symbolic: Just 100 companies are responsible for over 70 percent of global emissions.

Targeted divestment would make a world of difference.

We look forward to a robust discussion of these issues at faculty meetings in schools throughout the University this term. It is our hope that this discussion will yield a new approach, one commensurate to the scale of the problem at hand.

In the meantime, we will stand with our students at the Climate Strike.

James G. Anderson is a Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry. Naomi Oreskes is a Professor of the History of Science. Kirsten A. Weld is a Professor of History. The writers are members of Harvard Faculty for Divestment.

Who Actually Earns a Spot?

Riya Sood Smile or Grimace

M

oney is involved in college admissions.

This is the shocking twist that is gripping Americans in 2019. The Mueller Report? The burning of the Amazon rainforest?

Boris Johnson’s rise? All irrelevant compared to this brand new information that no one saw coming. Being wealthy can actually be an advantage for getting into prestigious colleges.

From 2011 to 2018, parents paid over $25 million to William Rick Singer, founder of a college preparatory organization, who orchestrated a bribery ring. These weren’t just any random parents desperate to get their unknown child into college either — these parents included actresses, CEOs, well-known hedge fund managers, and more impressive figures. Singer then used their money to bribe various admissions officers and

While this is by no means a new introduction of money into the college admissions system, it’s definitely a new usage of privilege. athletic recruiters to accept these students despite their lack of genuine credentials.

There’s even a catchy name for it — Operation Varsity Blues. Maybe Lori Loughlin is a bit offended that it wasn’t called Operation Fullest House instead, but she seems to have bigger concerns right now.

Although, as we’ve seen with the sentencing of Felicity Huffman — another of the parents — maybe Loughlin’s concerns need not be so overblown. The consequence for cheating in an already heavily rigged system is a whopping 14 days in prison. Clearly this will be a massive deterrent to anyone else who considers this approach. While this is by no means a new introduction of money into the college admissions system, it’s definitely a new usage of privilege. It turns out that wealth doesn’t just come in handy for donating money for a new building, using systematically privileged sports such as crew, polo, and sailing as an advantage, hiring experienced tutors to train one’s kids for the SAT, or paying tuition for expensive preparatory schools.

It turns out that there’s actually an easier way — certain parents chose to bribe and defraud their children’s way into prestigious universities instead. Of course this is not a conventional way to get into college. Most students instead go through a more normal application process where they actually play these sports and earn the scores they report. But they are wasting their time. For desperate housewives and full houses, these methods evidently require too much effort.

They understand the best way to earn admission is to cheat.

Some parents were willing to allegedly pay up to $6.5 million to have their children admitted to these universities — which at this point begs the question, why not just donate directly to a college to gain admission for their child?

But gone are the days of the Kushners’ $2.5 million donation to Harvard in 1998 to admit a young Jared. It seems as though we are in a new reality. Nowadays, maybe donating directly limits options too much. Or it requires even more funds. Or it possibly just leaves too much risk of a possible rejection. Regardless of the reason, the price has clearly gotten too high. And yet trying to actually earn a spot is also simply not an option.

At this point it doesn’t even matter what the next big indictment in American society will be, because the same groups of people will be associated with spending too many years using money for various fraudulent reasons. With the Trump administration’s associates, there were lawyers, asset managers, and people affiliated with the entertainment industry all getting involved somehow. With this college cheating scandal, there are lawyers, asset managers, and people affiliated with the entertainment industry again all getting involved.

And yet again, these people will likely face very minimal consequences for their actions.

In reality, is how to use money to get ahead really the most unrealistic lesson that these parents could teach their children?

Notably, though, this narrative doesn’t even take the students themselves into account. Obviously the most morale-boosting experience in the low-stress environment of college would be finding out that one’s parents paid millions of dollars to bribe their way in to these universities!

And even if these students already knew, it still has to be an absolute joy to have all of your peers watching you all the time and wondering if you could have gotten on your own.

At this point, between bribes, tutors, coaches, and everything else, it’s hard to even say what it takes for one to “earn” a spot at college. We can’t all have Nobel Peace Prizes or Olympic medals, so where does that leave everyone vying for an exclusive spot at these prestigious universities? It makes one wonder what these students will even learn at their various institutions and whether it may be too late for them to differ from their parents’ example.

But in reality, is how to use money to get ahead really the most unrealistic lesson that these parents could teach their children?

—Riya Sood ’20 is a Statistics concentrator in Leverett House. Her column appears on alternate Fridays.

PAGE 5

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | SEPTEMBER 20, 2019

DEMS FROM PAGE 1

KHURANA FROM PAGE 1

Students Back Dem. Candidates

Khurana Stresses Free Speech

approval from the Democrats Executive Board, subgroups operate independently and have their own student leaders.

The parent organization, however, provides them access to RoomBook, allows them to publicize over its email list, and offers opportunities to apply for funding.

Leaders of the candidate-specific organizations said they have a variety of plans and goals to engage students on campus over the next year.

“We’re going to do a lot of text banks and phone banks, and then we’re going to take trips up to New Hampshire to do canvassing there to make sure that [Warren] wins the primary,” said Oswaldo Ambrosio ’22, one of the founders of Harvard for Warren.

The first Democratic primary is in New Hampshire on Feb. 11, 2020.

Other groups, like Harvard for Pete, are focused on area-specific outreach.

“We’re going to try to spread

the word about Pete on campus and in Cambridge,” said Michael Baick ’22, the founder of Harvard for Pete.

“I think that we have to talk to everyone at Harvard about it and to take advantage of the platform that we have to organize around Boston to get in touch with other Pete supporters,” he added.

Una Corbett ’20, vice chair of Harvard for Kamala, said her club has similar aims. She also said the group is focused on teaching its members useful skills.

“It’s really important to me and to us that we build members’ skill sets,” she said.

“We’re not just saying, give us your time for this candidate.

We’re helping you to grow in a campaign setting.”

Some clubs already organized trips to New Hampshire for the state’s Democratic Convention earlier this month.

Harvard for Kamala, for example, took a bus of 25 Harvard students and 25 students from

other Boston-area colleges to New Hampshire.

“When I looked at that bus, it was something I’ve never seen in democratic politics before with young people — it was full of black and brown students,” Harvard for Kamala founder Damien Richardson ’20 said.

Ambrosio also led 50 students to New Hampshire on behalf of Warren.

Candidate club leaders said they’re also focusing on the Massachusetts primary, which will fall on Mar. 3, 2020, and is part of the collection of highstakes primaries known as “Super Tuesday.”

“Massachusetts counts,” Baick said. “We’ve got to go up to New Hampshire and win that primary, and then we’ve got to come right back here and win here.”

Though only the Harvard for Biden group is affiliated with the official campaign, many of the student campaign leaders are in contact with representatives of the campaigns.

Leaders from a number of groups — including Richardson, Baick, and leaders of Harvard for Bernie and Harvard for Cory — worked for or with their associated campaigns over the summer.

Piper Winkler ’21, for example, said she and others decided to found Harvard for Bernie after attending Students for Bernie Summer School, a program run by Sanders’s campaign to train students in organizing on campus. She is also part of the campaign’s campus corps.

“Harvard for Bernie recognizes that its role is not simply to advocate for a presidential candidate,” she said.

“Our organization is part of a national people-powered movement to demand progressive action for economic, social, and environmental justice through solidarity with the many groups who tirelessly bring awareness to those goals.” camille.caldera@thecrimson.com

after activists interrupted University President Lawrence S. Bacow as part of their push for the University to divest its en-

The way change happens in society is that people have to hear voices.

Rakesh Khurana Dean of the College

dowment from the fossil fuel industry and companies tied to prisons.

The College updated its resource guide for student groups this year to elaborate on free speech policies based on the FAS free speech guidelines.

This year’s resource guide explains that organizations

HISTORY FROM PAGE 1

Harvard History Dept. Rebrands Before the restructuring, Government concentrator Pablo T. Rasmussen ’20, said it was hard to find “entry points” into the

It’s really about the present and the future.

Lisa M. McGirr History Director of Undergraduate Studies

department. The new founda-

tions courses make it easier for students to pinpoint what kinds of classes are accessible to those who are unfamiliar to the subject, he said.

“Not only would I have felt comfortable and been excited about the subject, but I think that if I had taken this freshman year, I would have at least had History on my radar for possible concentrations,” Rasmussen said. ruth.hailu@thecrimson.com molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com

Harvard, from the Law School to Longwood.

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inviting controversial or high-profile speakers must make use of College-approved moderators.

Khurana said he included the nearly 30-year-old policy in his email to students because of the current political moment.

“I think that’s what it means to be an electric, alive institution. The potential for an institution like Harvard, is to do what academic institutions have done at really critical, axial moments in society, which is to be the place where we’re deciding who we want to be, the place where the ideas are being generated,” Khurana said. “It’s not only a part of our college’s mission, but I think it’s really important for democratic society right now.” shera.avi-yonah@thecrimson.com delano.franklin@thecrimson.com

Sports

Weekly Recap

SCORES

Field Hockey @ Massachusetts W, 3-2 ___________________________________________________________

Women’s Soccer vs. UMass Lowell W, 4-1 ___________________________________________________________

Men’s Soccer @ Providence L, 1-0 ___________________________________________________________

Women’s Volleyball @ Northeastern L, 3-1 ___________________________________________________________

Women’s Volleyball vs. Boston College L, 3-2 ___________________________________________________________

football

Around the Ivies: Well Worth the Wait

By Joseph W. Minatel Crimson Staff Writer

“ Who’d Harvard play this week?” my grandfather asks me on the phone Sunday afternoon.

We were on our weekly call just following the Colts game, where we examine Indy’s pros and cons from the contest, almost always settling upon some sort of outline for the rest of the year that allows for a playoff berth.

“We haven’t started our football season yet, grandpa,” I respond for the third straight week. The elder Joseph Minatel still refuses to use the internet, and the Indianapolis Star doesn’t exactly cover the Ancient Eight week-to-week, so I am his goto source for his newfound fandom of Crimson sports. “Well, when are they going to start?

It’s football season!”

My namesake was right about one thing: it is indeed football season. Nearly a month after most schools in the country started their campaigns, the Ivy League football season is finally upon us.

All eight teams will finally be in action, starting to play catchup with a country that has thoroughly forgot about baseball and has spent its weekends glued to the couch in jerseys. In this magical time at the beginning of the season, every college and professional team that isn’t the Dolphins knows that their chances of glory are still ripe for the taking, no matter how promising or slim.

In an effort to guarantee that I’ll be covering conference games in the snow, the Ivy League traditionally starts its season in the third weekend of September, perfect for Dartmouth’s absurd academic calendar. It seems like they have about 80 days of school a year somehow, although I know I’d pray for a 12-week break from Hanover too.

Football, however, is only acceptable in large doses. With eight games on the slate this week, the Ancient Eight is sure to be busy. Let’s get this show on the road. ­

BUTLER AT PRINCETON

Since I mentioned my grandfather at the beginning, I have to start with his beloved Butler Bulldogs. His tutelage led to my back-to-back victories in the family bracket challenge in both 2010 and 2011 thanks to my faith in Butler’s runner-up campaigns.

Unfortunately, the games won’t be played in the holy land of Hinkle Fieldhouse and it isn’t March. Princeton hasn’t lost a game since 2017, including last season’s 50-7 drubbing of the Bulldogs, and the high-powered offense couldn’t be stopped

PAVING THE WAY In last year’s match-up with San Diego, the offensive line led the way for 266 Crimson rushing yards en route to an impressive 36-14 victory. Harvard hopes to continue this success this season as they travel to California to face off against the Toreros. The Crimson holds a 3-0 series lead over San Diego. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—Crimson photographer

by 11 Gordon Heywards. Forgive me grandpa.

Princeton by 35

HOLY CROSS AT YALE

For the second-straight season following its 2017 outright Ivy League title, Yale was tabbed as the preseason favorite to take home the conference’s crown.

While this game won’t affect the standings in the slightest, the Bulldogs finally have a chance to prove that they weren’t mistakenly picked to take home the title (again) as they were last year.

Last year’s Holy Cross match-up to kickoff Yale’s season went about the same as their 2018 campaign: unlimited opportunity and a high ceiling, followed by a disappointing collapse. The Bulldogs blew a 21-point lead in the first quarter and eventually lost 31-28 in overtime, as Crusaders’ kicker Derek Ng didn’t need any vow-

els to walk it off with a 45-yard game-winning field goal.

This year, Yale has recovered from its injury-plagued season and is returning an absurd 21 of 22 starters. Even if injuries strike again and dash its Ancient hopes, it can’t all happen at the Yale Bowl in the first week, right? Maybe it’s that preseason ranking jitters, but at least those yips are out of the Bulldogs’ system.

Ithaca will hopefully not mistake for the Big Apple.

Last season, Cornell avoided the cellar by at least winning a game (thanks Brown), but the Big Red played a few top teams well and won back-to-back victories over Harvard and Brown for the first time since 2000 and 1993, respectively. With this team returning 14 starters, I wouldn’t write them off so easily.

tle, Dartmouth’s lone loss was a 14-9 slugfest against undefeated Princeton. The Big Green defense was second in the nation, allowing a remarkable 12 points per game. Dartmouth returns about half of its starters from both sides of the ball. As long as they don’t get sunburnt on what may be their first trip to the beach, the Big Green Defensive Machine™ should jump right back into the swing of things.

Yale by 14

Cornell by 14

Dartmouth by 10

CORNELL AT MARIST COLLEGE

After an extensive 30-second Wikipedia search, it seems Marist College is the only institution of higher education that claims the mighty Red Fox as its mascot. It makes one wonder what Mike Leach would think of the crafty animal choice.

Marist will host its neighbors from way upstate in Poughkeepsie, which the players from

DARTMOUTH AT JACKSONVILLE

With Dorian well out of reach, Dartmouth will lucky escape the wilderness of New Hampshire and head to the tropical Jacksonville. The Big Green have quietly put together strong season after strong season, with its 38-12 overall record over the past five years is the best in the Ancient Eight. Only five points away from an outright league ti-

COLUMBIA AT ST. FRANCIS

After years of bullying, Columbia looks like it has finally put together a solid program. Yes, this very sports board once claimed that Columbia was in fact the worst athletic program in the Ivies. At the time, in May of 2012, we were right. And we remained right for some years after that.

However, with a 6-4 record in 2018, the Lions put together its second consecutive winning season. Columbia’s football team has not recorded this accomplishment since the 1962 season. You read that right. The last time Columbia took home back-to-back winning seasons was during the John F. Kennedy presidency. The moon was still unexplored. We didn’t even have a Super Bowl yet. In that same time period, they won exactly no games in six different seasons. I double, triple, and quadruple checked their own record books on this one, I promise it’s true.

It seems, however, that things have finally turned around for the Lions. This year, despite being ranked sixth overall, Columbia even received a first-place vote in the Ivy League preseason poll. With this type of momentum that they haven’t seen since the first James Bond film was released, I don’t see how Columbia can start off poorly.

Columbia by 7

PENN AT DELAWARE

LET THE GAMES BEGIN Nearly a month after most of the country began its college football season, the Ancient Eight is ready for a weekend of exciting match-ups across the Ivy League, including Harvard’s opener against San Diego. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—Crimson photographer

I’m afraid I used up my mascot talk too early on the Red Foxes. I should’ve planned to wait for the Fightin’ Blue Hens. It really doesn’t get much better than that unless you’re a minor league baseball team (see: Montgomery Biscuits).

This criminal lack of foresight doesn’t even come close to the nefarious behaviors covered in The Daily Pennsylvanian this past week, highlighted by a disorderly conduct citation caused by a thrown water bottle. Can’t make this stuff up.

This week, Penn should be more worried about the pigskin being slung around instead of water bottles. We all know that the quarterbacking talent coming out of Delaware has proven elite on the next level.

Delaware by 7

BROWN AT BRYANT

Brown did not win a single Ivy League football game last season. They also did not win a single conference game the year before that. Brown had the worst offense in the conference, however, on the other hand, they had the worst defense in the conference.

The Bears brought in their former star quarterback and Princeton offensive coordinator James Perry as head coach, boding well for the offense over the entire year for a team returning all but one offensive starter.

Perry’s previous job?

Head coach of Bryant University. Maybe he’ll use some firsthand knowledge of the Bulldogs that even Belichick couldn’t steal.

Brown by 3

HARVARD AT SAN DIEGO

Here we are. The start of the season. It’s a long trip to the land of Ron Burgundy. Harvard may only be returning half of its starters, but the Crimson is coming off of a three-game winning streak. All four losses from last season came by one possession or less. Andrew Yang just spoke on campus. Things are looking up.

Harvard started last season with a resounding 36-14 victory in the first half of its homeand-home series with the Toreros. Junior running backs Aaron Shampklin and Devin Darrington combined for a mind-boggling 266 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last time around. Even half of that is usually enough.

Harvard by 7 joseph.minatel@thecrimson.com