The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVI, No. 140

The Harvard Crimson The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLVI No. 140 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | friday, DECEMBER 13, 2019

editorial PAGE 6

news PAGE 5

sports PAGE 7

García Peña’s tenure denial is disheartening.

Harvard Arboretum workers ratify new four-year contract.

Tyler Ott ‘14 uses NFL platform to support second step.

Ethnic Studies Advocates Univ. and HGSU Schedule Occupy Admissions First Meeting Since Strike By ruoqi zhang Crimson Staff Writer

After more than a week of picketing, Harvard and its graduate student union scheduled their first bargaining session since the strike began Wednesday — the meeting is set for Dec. 18.

Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers went on an indefinite strike Dec. 3, the strike dead­

line set by HGSU bargaining committee members. The strike was authorized by more than 90 percent of voting members in a late October vote. While the two parties agreed on 12 tentative contract provisions during the 13-month-long negotiation process preceding the strike, differences remain on key issues such as compensation, health care, and a grievance procedure to adjudicate sexual

harassment and discrimiantion complaints.

Union organizers called the newly scheduled three-hour bargaining session “simply inadequate” in an email sent to union members Wednesday.

“Our bargaining committee has accepted this invitation to bargain and reminded the ithat they are ready to bargain

See bargain Page 3

Students in favor of an Ethnic Studies concentration occupy the Harvard College Office of Admissions and Financial Aid on Thursday afternoon. camille g. caldera—Crimson photographer By camille g. caldera and amanda y. su Crimson Staff Writers

Roughly 50 Harvard students occupied Harvard’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid Thursday to demand the University create an ethnic studies department, arguing that Harvard must extend its commitment to diversity beyond race-conscious admissions. ­

The protest coincided with the day that Harvard released early action admissions decisions. At 7 p.m., the Harvard Admissions Office informed 895 high school seniors of their acceptance into Harvard’s Class of 2024.

Throughout the sit-in, students wielded signs reading “After you admit us don’t forget us” and “Want diversity? Teach our histories!”

Speakers at the sit-in linked the fight for ethnic studies with the recent admissions lawsuit decision. In October, federal judge Allison D. Burroughs ruled against anti-affirmative action advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions and in Harvard’s favor, finding that the College’s race-conscious admissions policies do not

See studies Page 3

Members of the Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Automobile Workers stand in front of University Hall.

The union has reached their seventh day of picketing. jonathan g. yuan—Crimson photographer

Early Admit Rate Rises to 13.9 Percent By camille g. caldera Crimson Staff Writer

Harvard College’s early action acceptance rate increased for the first time in six years — from 13.4 percent last year to 13.9 percent this year.

The College invited 895 of 6,424 early applicants to join its Class of 2024 Thursday around 7 p.m. The 13.9 acceptance rate represents a 0.5 percent increase from last year. The early admission acceptance rate has not increased year-over-year since 2013.

The number of early applicants also decreased by 537, representing a 7.7 percent decrease from last year’s applicant pool, which totaled 6,958. The number of early applicants has only decreased once — also in 2013, with the Class of 2018 — since Harvard reinstated its early action admissions program in 2011.

The number of students accepted also decreased, with 40 fewer students receiving early admission to the Class of 2024

Harvard Early Acceptance Rates

22%

­

20%

Crimson Staff Writers

18.2%

16% Acceptance Rate

By alexandra a. chaidez and aidan f. ryan

21.0%

18.2%

18%

16.5%

14.8%

14.5%

14.5% 13.4%

14%

13.9%

12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0%

Bacow Speaks On Tenure Reversal

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

Incoming Class Year Akhil S. Waghmare—Crimson Designer

than in the Class of 2023.

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ‘67 attributed the decline in applicants to a few factors, including demographics, “uncertainty economically in the

world,” and the “broad category of economic issues.”

“What’s happening right now is a little bit of a plateauing, or a decline in the number of high school seniors,” Fitzsimmons said. “These people have

been born, so this isn’t speculation. This year, the demographics work a little bit against, one could argue.”

Fit zsi m mon s a lso

See admissions Page 3

A mid controversy over the tenure denial of Romance Languages and Literatures associate professor Lorgia García Peña, University President Lawrence S. Bacow said in an interview last week that he has never reversed a tenure decision during his time at Harvard, nor did when he served as president of Tufts.

The University informed García Peña — who specializes in Latinx studies — of the decision not to grant her tenure Nov. 27. Harvard affiliates have since protested the denial, staging a sit-in in University Hall and outside the Provost’s office, writing letters to administrators, and organizing rallies in Harvard Yard.

Bacow said last Friday that tenure cases are presided over by the University President ­

or by the Provost. He would not comment on who chaired García Peña’s tenure committee or who the members of the committee were.

Bacow said he has never seen a tenure decision reversed during his time as a university president.

“I’ve never reversed a tenure decision,” Bacow said. “I have not seen one reversed during my time as president of Tufts.

I don’t recall one ever being reversed during my time as Chancellor of MIT.” Bacow served as president of Tufts from 2001 to 2011 and chancellor of MIT from 1998 to 2001.

During the interview, Bacow repeatedly refused to answer questions related to the nature of García Peña’s tenure denial.

“I cannot comment on confidential discussions about any particular faculty member

See bacow Page 3

Dean Khurana Supports Ethnic Studies Program By shera s. avi-yonah and delano r. franklin Crimson Staff Writers

Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana said in an interview Tuesday that he supports Harvard undergraduates’ calls for a formalized ethnic studies program.

“I think [ethnicity, migration, and indigeneity] are critical areas of knowledge that we need to, Harvard needs to not only have, but actually have unparalleled strength,” Khurana said.

Khurana’s comments follow a letter sent to students by Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay on Mon­

Inside this issue

Harvard Today 2

day. In the letter, Gay wrote that Harvard has an “institutional commitment” to the discipline and discussed an ongoing search for four faculty who specialize in ethnic studies.

Khurana said in the interview Tuesday that he agrees with Gay’s letter and believes Harvard must enable students to study ethnicity during their time at Harvard.

Gay wrote in her letter to students that she believes Harvard’s faculty, not FAS administrators, should spearhead the push for an undergraduate Ethnic Studies concentration at Harvard. Khurana said he hopes undergraduates will also be directly involved in the pro-

News 3

Editorial 6

cess through FAS student-faculty committees.

“One of the things that I hope is that this — from an undergraduate perspective — helps create a strong set of courses and a secondary and concentration. So the evolution toward that I’m very excited about,” he said. “And when we do create new concentrations, one of the areas in which concentrations get developed is a committee called the Education Policy Committee, which has undergraduate representation on it.”

Khurana’s comments come amid a spate of undergraduate-led protests calling for

See khurana Page 3

Sports 7

Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana discusses the possibility of an Ethnic Studies concentration in an interview Tuesday. shera s. avi-yonah—Crimson photographer

Today’s Forecast

rainy High: 44 Low: 41

Visit thecrimson.com.

Follow @TheCrimson on Twitter.

ANF + JDH

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

December 13, 2019

Page 2

Harvard Today

For Lunch Chicken Pizza Red’s Best Fr esh Catch Basil Chicken Pizza

For Dinner Cheese Tortellini Turkey Meatballs Black Bean Griddle Cake

Today’s Events Harvard Square Holiday Fair Science Center Plaza, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

in The Real World

Looking to do some holiday shopping while you take a break from studying for finals? Swing by the Harvard Square Holiday Fair, the longest running holiday crafts festival in Cambridge, to pick up anything from a handcrafted necklace to handmade ceramics. The fair is open through December 15th.

Barnard Student Killed in Stabbing Near New York Campus

Harvard Bookstore Winter Warehouse Sale 2019 Memorial Church Choir Room, 2-4 p.m.

Whether you’re looking to pick up some exciting new reads for winter break or get a headstart on textbooks for next semester, be sure to check out the Harvard Book Store’s semi annual warehouse sale. Books ranging from fiction to history to science will be going for prices as low as just a few dollars.

A Barnard college student was stabbed to death while walking through Morningside Park. The murderer has not been identified yet, and the city is providing mental health professionals to Barnard students.

UK Conservative Party Likely to Win Election

Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party is expected to win the UK election, and they have been leading voter opinion polls. The British government called an early election due to Brexit and political chaos.

Construction at Harvard Hall continues in freezing temperatures Thursday afternoon. Kathryn s. Kuhar—Crimson photographer

Daily Briefing Ethnic studies advocates occupied Harvard’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid Thursday to demand an ethnic studies department, arguing that Harvard must extend its commitment to diversity beyond race-conscious admissions. The protest coincided with the day that Harvard released early action admissions decisions. Harvard’s early admission acceptance rate increased this year for the first time in six years — from 13.4 percent last year to 13.9 percent this year.

Negotiators Reach Bipartisan Spending Deal

Lawmakers say they have reached a bipartisan spending deal that details nearly $1.4 trillion in government spending, giving Congress and the White House until funding runs out on Dec. 20 to approve the deal. Details of the deal are yet to come, but lawmakers say it contains a resolution on the most controversial issue, a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Around the Ivies columbia Columbia administrators selected Casa Latina, a Latinx group on campus, to occupy a soughtafter building on campus, the Columbia Spectator reported. Several student groups made bids to occupy the brownstone at 542 W. 114th St. While Columbia allowed any student group to apply to occupy the building, the University’s selection committee encouraged fraternities, sororities, Special Interest Communities, and any student groups with shared interests in particular to apply.

Members of Casa Latina said the space will enable them to build a shared sense of community.

cornell

Cornell’s student assembly voted to raise its student activity fee nearly 40 percent in its last meeting of the semester, the Cornell Daily Sun reported. The fee, which the assembly passed unanimously, will increase from $234 to $321 for the 2020-2022 fiscal year. It forms the largest hike since 2003.

princeton

Princeton’s Undergraduate Student Government released a report detailing the school’s carbon emission usage and environmental recommendations for undergraduates since 1990, the Daily Princetonian reported. The report, which was written by the organization’s Sustainability Task Force, said that the USG report was written to disclose discussions from the Princeton Student Climate Forum in October.

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

Night Editor Jordan E. Virtue ’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

Assistant Night Editors Shera S. Avi-Yonah ’21 Alexandra A. Chaidez ’21 Molly C. McCafferty ’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

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

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.

Story Editors Alexandra A. Chaidez ’21 Angela N. Fu ’20 Jamie D. Halper ’20 Molly C. McCafferty ’21

Design Editors Elena M. Ramos ’20 Akhil S. Waghmare ’20 Photo Editors Jonathan G. Yuan ’22 Ryan Gajarawala ’22 Editorial Editor Robert Miranda ’20 Sports Editor Henry Zhu ’20

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.

Page 3

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | december 13, 2019

studies From Page 1

bargain From Page 1

Students Rally For Ethnic Studies Union, Harvard Will Bargain lawfully discriminate based on race.

Cecilia A. J. Nuñez ’20 and Catherine H. Ho ’21 — both of whom testified along with six other current and former Harvard undergraduates in the October 2018 admissions trial — spoke about their experiences in the aftermath of the trial during the sit-in.Nuñez said in a speech at the sit-in that even though she testified on behalf of Harvard’s race-conscious admissions policies, she and other students of color still feel unwelcome on campus. In her speech, Ho criticized Harvard for simultaneously “tokenizing” students of color while denying them access to diverse curricula and faculty mentors.

Asked for comment, Faculty of Arts and Sciences spokesperson Anna G. Cowenhoven referred to FAS Dean Claudine Gay’s recent email on ethnic studies. In the email, Gay

promised an “institutional commitment” to building an ethnic studies program and reiterated her recent efforts, which include an ongoing cluster hire.

At one point during the protest, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana arrived in the admissions office and sat down in the hallway, taking notes as he watched the students chant.

Khurana said in an interview after the protest that he attended the sit-in to listen to students’ concerns.

“Everybody on our campus deserves to be heard,” he said.

Students who work for the admissions office also spoke at the protest, calling on Harvard to reaffirm its commitment to diversity beyond admitting students of color by also creating a formalized ethnic studies program.

Maribel Nava ’20, who works for the Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program, said at

the sit-in that she signed onto an open letter addressed to Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons ’67 today.

Maria J. Perez Franco ’20, a Harvard First Generation Program student coordinator, told protesters that she feels like she is “lying” to prospective students who ask about diversity on campus.

Fitzsimmons said in an interview Wednesday that he finds Gay’s recent email on ethnic studies “very encouraging.”

He also noted that the numbers of minority students who apply and are accepted to Harvard have “held up.”

Protesters also denounced Harvard for denying Romance Languages and Literatures associate professor Lorgia García Peña tenure earlier this year.

Her tenure denial has reignited protests calling for an ethnic studies department.

After the University informed García Peña of the tenure decision on Nov. 27, Harvard affiliates have protested the verdict by penning open letters, hosting rallies, interrupting a faculty meeting, and staging sit-ins at University Hall and the Office of the Provost.

García Peña did not respond to a request for comment.

After the sit-in, event organizers hosted a teach-in with graduate students to discuss the history of ethnic studies in the United States and share poems. Event organizers asked The Crimson to leave the teachin — held in the admissions office — multiple times, citing attendees’ discomfort. Some students physically tried to block The Crimson from taking photographs and verbally harassed reporters. camille.caldera@thecrimson.com amanda.su@thecrimson.com

Admissions From Page 1

College’s Early Admit Rate Jumps s­peculated that the California wildfires, natural disasters, and school shootings might have affected application numbers.

He said that when schools are forced to close, some students are unable to consult with their college counselors to complete college applications.

The percentage of applicants that Harvard saw from California declined 16.6 percent, representing a loss of 116 applicants, according to Fitzsimmons. He called the decline “huge” and said California is usually ranks among the top three states.The percentage of students admitted early action who identify as African American, Latinx, and Native American and Native Hawaiian increased slightly, from 12 to 12.7 percent, 10.1 to 11 percent, and 1 to 1.3 percent, respectively. The percentage of students admitted early action who identify as Asian Americans fell from 26.1 percent to 24 percent from the Class of 2023 to the Class of 2024. In October, a judge ruled in favor of Harvard on all counts brought against it by anti-affirmative action group Students for Fair Admissions, who had alleged that Harvard discriminates against Asian American applicants The percentage of admitted students who are international citizens also declined from 11.2 percent to 9.6 percent. Fitzsimmons said the decline in the number of international citizen applicants was less than the overall decline.

around the clock until we reach a fair agreement,” it read.

After the Dec. 2 bargaining session, during which HGSU put forward updated economic proposals, the University spent several days evaluating the financial impact of HGSU’s proposals, according to a University-wide email sent by Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 Wednesday.

“Over the past week, the University has been reviewing those proposals to understand their economic implications,” Garber wrote. “We are scheduled to meet with the union next week to discuss these proposals as well as new counter proposals on other issues from both sides.”

HGSU, which boasts roughly 4,000 members, represents graduate and undergraduate teaching staff and graduate research assistants across the University. Even as hundreds of union members and their supporters have cycled through the picket lines for the past week, many student workers have chosen not to join the strike. In his email Wednesday, Garber wrote that while students have the right to strike, those who do not should not face consequences.

“As a University, we prohibit and do not tolerate intimidation, harassment, and retaliation,” Garber wrote. “Whether or not students choose to participate in the strike, they should not be subjected to this behavior.”

Members of the union’s bargaining committee did not respond to a request for comment.

In its new proposals, HGSU made changes to its compensa-

tion and health care proposals.

Changes to the compensation proposal include reduced minimum wage requirement and annual wage increases at 5 percent this year and 3.5 percent in each subsequent year. The modified health care proposals would require a lower contribution from Harvard to student workers’ health insurance, and raise the threshold for benefit eligibility.

As HGSU entered the second week of its indefinite strike, striking student workers withheld their teaching responsibilities, such as grading assignments, holding review sessions, and grading final exams. Graduate students on strike also withheld 20 hours from their paid research assistant responsibilities that are not included in their academic programs. Members and supporters picketed around Harvard’s Longwood and Cambridge campuses, and stopped deliveries by picketing around loading docks across the University. Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana said in a Tuesday interview that his office is preparing to minimize disruptions to undergraduate students if the strike continues through next semester.

“We are focused on minimizing the disruptions for our students,” Khurana said. “We will work together with our various offices to try to minimize disruption and provide guidelines and instruction for managing registration, new classes, et cetera.” ruoqi.zhang@thecrimson.com

khurana From Page 1

Harvard College maintains offices at 86 Brattle Street, just off Harvard Square and near Harvard Yard. kathryn S. Kuhar—Crimson photographer

“There were some who worried — including us, actually — as we were going into the year that there would be a major decline on the part of international citizens, or people applying from abroad, generally,” Fitzsimmons said, citing the political climate in the United States.

“That turned out not to be the case, actually, so that was encouraging.”

Women comprise 51.7 percent of the admitted class thus far, slightly more than last year, when women made up 51.3 percent of the early admit class. The class included magnified numbers of women who are interest-

ed in physical sciences and computer science. This year, 57.4 percent of admitted students who said they intend to concentrate in the physical sciences are women, compared to 52.9 percent last year and 33 percent the year before. For computer science, 49.1 percent of interested students are women, an increase from 42.9 percent last year, and 29 percent the year before.

10.1 percent of the admitted students were from first-generation college backgrounds, up from 9.6 percent last year.

Those admitted under early action are not obligated to attend the College and have until

May 1 to decide whether they will accept. The deadline to apply under the regular admission program is January 1.

Fitzsimmons called the admitted class “stunning.”

“It’s not just the people we admit, it’s most of the applicants.

You’d be honored and thrilled to get to know these people. The shame of it all is that we have so few spaces,” he said. “You can’t help but read these applicants stories, and not believe, despite all the conflict and trouble, that the world isn’t going to be better.” camille.caldera@thecrimson.com

Khurana Backs Ethnic Studies Prog. immediate action toward an Ethnic Studies program.

Protesters have held rallies, staged a sit-in at University Hall, and interrupted a faculty meeting.

Over the past month, Khurana has looked on during several student protests related to ethnic studies and calls for the University to divest its endowment from fossil fuels and Puerto Rican debt.

He said he tries to attend student protests with “humility.”

“I think it’s really important to recognize that there’s something that’s motivating these

protests and I see my role as to recognize there are people who have experienced some kind of frustration or pain,” he said.

“My job is to hear that and listen to it, and recognize that many of these protests are often being led by people who don’t feel empowered, or feel marginalized in some way.”

“I feel my role is to understand what part I might be playing in having contributed to that pain or frustration and what I can do about it,” he added. shera.avi-yonah@thecrimson.com delano.franklin@thecrimson.com

bacow From Page 1

Like

Bacow Says He Has Never Changed A Tenure Decision ­in a promotion case,” he said.

An ethnic studies protestor came into direct contact with Bacow at the December Faculty of Arts and Sciences Meeting, where the individual stood at the front of the room holding a sign calling on Harvard to reverse García Peña’s tenure decision, among other demands.

In the meeting, Bacow asked the protestor to move to the side of the room and provide their name.

When the individual did not respond, he called the faculty to a vote to compel the protestor to move.

Multiple faculty members dissented, and the protester remained in place.

Reiterating his statements at the Faculty meeting, Bacow

said in the interview last Friday that it was “poor precedent” for the faculty to allow the protestor to stay in the room.

“I thought it was poor precedent to have somebody stand and protest in the middle of the room,” Bacow said.

“I asked him to move to the side.”

García Peña is not the first faculty member specializing in ethic studies to have been denied tenure in recent years.

Gay began a nationwide search in June to hire three to four faculty members who specialize in Asian American, Muslim American, and Latinx studies.

Still, at least three tenure-track professors who specialize in race or religion have

either been denied tenure or left the University since 2018.

In November 2018, the University declined to tenure Harvard Graduate School of Education associate professor Natasha K. Warikoo; History assistant professor Genevieve A. Clutario accepted a position at Wellesley College soon after; and the Divinity School denied tenure last spring to Science and Religion associate professor Ahmed Ragab.

Bacow referred questions about the development of ethnic studies at Harvard to FAS Dean Claudine Gay, calling ethnic studies “an issue for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.”

The Crimson on Facebook.

Facebook.com/

TheHarvardCrimson Don’t stop there.

Facebook.com/

CrimsonFlyby

alexandra.chaidez@thecrimson.com aidan.ryan@thecrimson.com

Follow

@thecrimson on Twitter.

You know you want to.

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

December 13, 2019

Proud to cover Harvard for 146 years and counting.

Keep the old sheet flying.

The Crimson thecrimson.com

Page 4

Page 5

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | December 13, 2019

Council Considers Zoning Harvard Arboretum Proposals in Meeting Workers Ratify Contract

By DEclan J, Knieriem Crimson Staff Writer

The Cambridge City Council Ordinance Committee considered zoning changes aimed at increasing the amount of local businesses in Harvard Square at a meeting Wednesday night.

The proposed changes include granting exemptions for developers renting retail spaces less than 1,500 square feet, limiting storefront space for businesses like cannabis dispensaries and banks, and amending zoning language to allow for greater density and less parking requirements.

Cambridge resident Patrick W. Barrett III presented the petition’s proposals to the committee. He said the proposals are a “beginning step” to address aspects of Harvard Square that are “incongruous” with the city’s goals.

“While it may not be earth-shattering in the sense of zoning, it’s earth-shattering in the sense that we have a commonality agreement, and we have forward momentum for an area that I think we all can agree needs help,” Barrett said.

Harvard Square has seen a slew of closings in recent months.

In September, three businesses — Flat Patties, Black Ink, and Out of Town News — bid farewell to their Cambridge storefronts.

Though many have gone, businesses such as Spyce, Veg-

gie Grill, and Bluestone Lane — which opened in place of departed Crema Cafe — have taken root. During the meeting, Cambridge Mayor Marc C. McGovern cautioned councilors to consider the way that they discuss the state of Harvard Square, saying that they should be “careful.”

“Yes, it’s changed, and yes, there are issues — but saying things like, ‘Oh, this is a terrible place’ — it’s not going to draw people into the Square to

Let’s just be a little more supportive of the Square.

Marc C. McGovern Cambridge Mayor

support the businesses that are there now,” he said. “So, let’s just be a little more supportive of the Square.”

Multiple organizations, including the Harvard Square Neighborhood Association and the Harvard Square Business Association, collaborated on the petition, according to Barrett.

The petition garnered 18 signatures from residents, comprising members of both the HSNA and the HSBA. Suzanne P. Blier, president of the HSNA and an African American Studies professor at Harvard, said the petition’s mission is to “encourage more

local businesses” to successfully operate in the Square and to create a “vibrant” and diverse area.

“I think at this point, all of us really want a vibrant Harvard Square,” she said. “It’s a question of coming together and seeing what we can do by way of incremental changes that will make Harvard Square even more thriving and using Harvard Square as a model for other places in the city, and even elsewhere, of what you can do when you bring citizens and businesses and institutions.”

Denise A. Jillson, executive director of the HSBA, said that though the changes are not a “panacea” to address all the issues in Harvard Square, it will provide “a little more flexibility” for businesses opening in the area. She cited foot traffic as a major factor in the Square’s future success.

“This doesn’t solve all the problems,” Jillson said. “This just gives property owners and developers one more tool in the toolbox. We want to make sure that there’s a robust streetscape.”

The committee ultimately voted to keep the proposal in committee, citing further questions.

They directed the Community Development Department to work with the petitioners to continue to develop the proposals. declan.knieriem@thecrimson.com

By James S. Bikales Crimson Staff Writer

­ arvard’s arboretum workers H unanimously ratified a new contract Wednesday, securing a 3 percent increase in wages for the four years the contract is in place, along with new benefits and job classifications.

The 17 permanent staff who maintain the arboretum grounds in Boston — along with full-time seasonal employees — are represented by 32BJ SEIU, a union comprising many groups of workers across the University. 32BJ SEIU also represents roughly 1,000 Harvard custodians and security guards, but each unit negotiates its own contract. The arboretum workers’ contract expired Nov. 15, which was also the day that the two sides reached a tentative agreement on a replacement.

32BJ SEIU Vice President Roxana Rivera said the bargaining committee felt “very strongly” that they had come to a good tentative agreement and voted unanimously to bring it to the membership for ratification.

The contract was ratified 18-0 Wednesday, according to alternate shop steward and horticulturist Laura J. Mele.

In addition to the wage increase, the contract adds one personal day for full-time employees, creates a new job classification of lead horticulturist, and allows seasonal employees to take holiday, sick, and vacation time.

“It was very important to ensure that these workers and their families were able to stay up with the rising cost of living in Boston,” Rivera said.

Shop steward Nima Samimi, who works as a gardener, said he was “proud” of the contract he and his co-workers had won.

“In a time when employers in many different sectors are chipping away at contracts, we were able to maintain our wages, benefits, [and] rights at a high level, which is a big deal in horticulture in particular, since our sector is rarely unionized,” Samimi said.

Although bargaining stretched to the final day of the previous contract, Rivera said this was not because of contentions in the negotiations, but an “issue of schedule.”

“There wasn’t an issue of, you know, where we didn’t think that either side was bargaining in good faith,” Rivera said.

University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain wrote in an emailed statement that the two sides met for 10 to 12 formal negotiating sessions since September and came to a mutually beneficial agreement.

“This agreement recognizes the important role SEIU 32BJ workers have in the success of the Arboretum’s mission and work, and reflects the commitment on the part of both the SEIU and the University to a fair and equitable agreement that provides additional benefits and wage increases to union mem-

bers, alongside operational flexibility for Arboretum management,” Swain wrote.

Rivera said that because the contracts for the janitorial staff and security guards each expire in November 2020, instead of alongside the arboretum workers’, she felt it was important to negotiate a strong contract for the arboretum workers.

“It was important for us to... win a good contract for the Harvard Arboretum workers because I think that, you know, will help as we go into next year for the rest of the bargaining unit,” Rivera said.

Mele said that although the unit was “fortunate” to already have a strong previous agreement, all 17 members met once a week since February to discuss potential improvements.

Each person researched the history and implementation of one or two contract articles and brought any concerns to the group, Mele said.

The unit consists of horticulturalists, arborists, and gardeners, Mele said. A typical day includes meeting in the morning to discuss priorities, then dispersing in teams of two to three to maintain various aspects of the 281-acre grounds.

“This is basically a living museum so every tree and shrub has been planted on purpose and collected from all over the world,” Mele said. “It’s really a very unique job.” james.bikales@thecrimson.com

Car Hits Pedestrian Economics Still Top College Concentration in Harvard Square

By Camille g. caldera Crimson Staff Writer

By ema r. schumer Crimson Staff Writer

A Harvard student sustained non-life threatening injuries after a car driving along Massachusetts Avenue in Harvard Square hit the student Wednesday evening, according to the Cambridge Police Department.

Around 5:20 p.m., the student was struck in the crosswalk on the avenue in front of Harvard Book Store, located at 1256 Massachusetts Ave., off Plympton Street. CPD officers and first responders arrived on the scene and transported the student to a local hospital. CPD issued the operator of the motor vehicle a citation at the scene, CPD Deputy Superintendent Dennis O’Connor wrote in an email.

Harvard spokesperson Rachael Dane did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Cameron J. Maltman ’20 witnessed the incident as he was walking from Widener Library to Adams House.

Maltman said he was jaywalking across the avenue in front of TD Bank when he heard “an acceleration” from a car and then a scream.

Maltman said he looked in the direction of the car and saw the student “fly up into the air” five or six feet above the ground “off the hood of the car.”

A crowd of bystanders waited with the student until paramedics arrived and carried the student away on a gurney.

Rob J. Lutters, the manager of the eyeglass store SEE on Massachusetts Avenue near the location of the incident, said he did not see the accident occur but observed its aftermath.

Lutters became aware of the commotion on the street when a woman, who opened the door

to his store, “screamed in the doorway and then just ran towards the crosswalk,” he said.

Following the woman outside, Lutters noticed a white car stopped in front of his storefront, which he identified as the vehicle that hit the pedestrian.

Lutters said he saw the driver exit the car and run in the direction of the crosswalk toward the victim and a crowd of people, who were stopping traffic on the avenue.

Lutters said the car suffered noticeable damage, including a “localized smash” on the front window.

The car — which had Tennessee license plates, a dent on its hood, and a cracked headlight — remained parked on the avenue directly in front of Tatte Bakery and Café as of Thursday night.

Harvard University Police Department spokesperson Steven G. Catalano declined to comment, deferring to CPD because the incident occurred on a city street.

After reflection, Maltman said he feels “frustrated.”

“Seeing fellow students have that happen to them is incredibly frustrating for me.” he said.

“That should never happen.

Things need to change.”

The incident bookends a semester that saw multiple traffic accidents in Harvard Square.

Just last week, a car driving through the same part of Massachusetts Avenue smashed through a gate and hit a tree, resulting in one fatality and one other injury.

In September, a truck fatally struck a pedestrian walking in the crosswalk next to the Out of Town News kiosk, the busiest intersection in Harvard Square.

Economics maintained its position as the most popular concentration, with 612 undergraduate concentrators at the College this fall, according to the Director of the Office of Institutional Research Karen Pearce.

Despite these numbers, the department’s total concentrators went down from previous years.

The department boasted 639 total concentrators last year and roughly 660 concentrators in each of the previous three years.

“We are delighted to see strong continued interest in economics,” Jeffrey Miron, the director of undergraduate studies for Economics, wrote in an emailed statement. “We strive to make the concentration interesting and appealing, despite the large size.”

Computer Science retained its second-place position with

503 undergraduate concentrators.

The department has seen consistent growth each year since 2009, when it had just 93 concentrators.

Boaz Barak, the co-director of Undergraduate Studies for Computer Science, wrote in an emailed statement that the department is not focused on the number of concentrators it has.

“Our goal is not to have as many concentrators as possible, but rather to make sure that every CS student feels supported and included, no matter what is their background and prior experience,” Barak wrote.

Government was the third most popular concentration at the College at 328 students.

The number of Government concentrators has been declining for over a decade, hitting a low of 325 concentrators last year.

“Our students are very diverse in their interests, so it is difficult to summarize why they chose Gov — except to

point to the wide range of interests among our faculty,” Nara Dillon, the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Government wrote in an emailed statement.

Applied Math, at 299 concentrators, and Social Studies, at 271, came in at fourth and fifth place.

The most popular concentrations for sophomores to declare fell in nearly the same order as the most popular overall concentrations, with the exception of Applied Math and Social Studies.

According to the concentration data, a plurality of sophomores chose Economics, clocking in at 193 new concentrators.

Meanwhile, 156 sophomores chose Computer Science and 127 chose Government. Social Studies and Applied Mathematics clocked in as the fourth and fifth most popular concentrations, respectively.

Miron wrote that he believes students choose to concentrate in Economics because of its “in-

Never miss a moment.

ema.schumer@thecrimson.com

Like

The Crimson Facebook.com/

TheHarvardCrimson Don’t stop there.

Facebook.com/

The Crimson @thecrimson

teresting” and “practical” subject matter.

“I think we attract significant numbers of concentrators because economics addresses intellectually interesting issues and teaches practical tools that help students in their personal and professional lives,” he wrote.

Eight sophomores declared a concentration in Environmental Science and Engineering, the College’s newest concentration.

It had five concentrators last year, the concentration’s inaugural year.

The concentration now has a total of 19 concentrators, according to Pearce.

Theatre, Dance, and Media — another recently added concentration — also drew eight sophomore concentrators, bringing its total to 29. Sophomores were required to declare their concentrations by November 14. camille.caldera@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | december 13, 2019

Page 6

Editorial The Crimson Editorial board

Column

Another Blow to Ethnic Studies

Is a Consulting Job Ever Just a Job?

L

ast month, Romance Languages and Literatures associate professor Lorgia García Peña was denied tenure. She has taught at Harvard since 2013 and has won a number of high-profile awards since then, including 2015 Professor of the Year. The decision sparked significant controversy on campus — with student sit-ins, protests, and an open letter that garnered nearly 5,000 signatures calling on the administration to reverse its decision. Nationwide, academics and students have questioned the University’s decision.

Student groups at Harvard have linked the decision to the University’s longstanding lethargy over instituting an Ethnic Studies department.

Given administrators’ professed commitment to ethnic studies, we are disheartened by the decision to deny Garcia Peña’s tenure, especially in light of her well-regarded research in the field and her position on the search committee for faculty in ethnic studies. That said, we are not surprised considering multiple similar situations over this past year.

For example, Divinity School Professor Ahmed Ragab, who has done extensive research in Islamic studies, was denied tenure last spring. As the volume of these incidents increases, our willingness to believe that they are totally unrelated and purely due to the idiosyncrasies of each individual’s tenure process decreases.

Though the opaque nature of tenure-granting makes it hard for us to fully comprehend the details behind each

decision about who gets tenure and who doesn’t, we believe that this decision is detrimental to Harvard’s prior commitment to ethnic studies and hope that Harvard keeps this disturbing trend in mind for the future.

Especially in light of Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Claudine Gay’s message affirming her inistitutional commitment to ethnic studies, we are baffled by this decision. What better way is there to truly show support of ethnic studies and the creation of a program for

The fight for ethnic studies and the fight to assert the validity of knowledge produced by minority communities has stretched decades too long. such a field than the granting of tenure to an obviously qualified and dedicated professor, who has clearly displayed the intent for creating such a program for undergraduates by serving on the faculty search committee?

It is evident that tenure-track faculty from minority backgrounds have faced unique representational barriers, Over the past decade, the number of minority tenure-track faculty members only increased by one percent to 11 percent.

And the percentages are even lower for those who actually attain tenure. This continual denial of tenure to seemingly qualified professors from minority

backgrounds is not only contradictory to Harvard’s values of inclusion and diversity, but is also an utter disrespect and devaluation of their knowledge-production.

Overall, Harvard is setting itself up to lose its position as a leader in knowledge-production by undervaluing Ethnic Studies as a discipline and undervaluing the academic contributions of professors from minority backgrounds working in these fields of research. The consequences of this decision for the University and its students are clear.

Many talented undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members may choose other academic homes if they want to pursue ethnic studies, because the University has demonstrated its unwillingness to support the field.

As the University sets out a new verbal commitment to ethnic studies, students, faculty, and other Harvard affiliates should continue to push for specific goals and actions that will make such a commitment a reality. The fight for ethnic studies and the fight to assert the validity of knowledge produced by minority communities has stretched decades too long.

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.

Submit an Op-Ed Today!

Riya Sood SMILE OR GRIMACE

A

shining bastion for Harvard students has been tarnished this past week.

One might think that I am referring to the graduate students being on strike. Or the fire that temporarily closed down Border Cafe. Or the separate fire that burned part of Emerson Hall.

But no, I am referring to something near and dear to the hearts of many Harvard students — the revelation that the consulting firm McKinsey & Company advised Immigration and Customs Enforcement on how to best save money in its border detention facilities.

And one cannot underestimate how many Harvard students actually will be working at McKinsey or adjacent firms.

Based on The Crimson’s Class of 2019 survey, a plurality of the students who plan on working right after graduation — 18 percent — will be working in consulting.

For comparison, this is the same amount of students who will be working in government, politics, public service, nonprofit, academia, or research combined.

Obviously, Harvard is the bastion of do-gooders and citizen-leaders that everyone believes it to be. Maybe all of these people plan on being the next Pete P.M. Buttigieg ’04 — they’ll go work at McKinsey, move to the Midwest, and then run for president!

Thus, this tarnishing of McKinsey, being the “best” of the consulting firms, is one that might force Harvard students to contemplate their entire existence.

Because what is one’s self-worth if it isn’t entirely based on one’s post-graduate job?

If McKinsey is not helping ICE save money at the expense of humans’ living conditions, then how will all the consultants afford all of their expensed meals, free flights, and essential Patagonias?

At this point, we should wonder what McKinsey will advise its next client of Customs and Border Protection in exchange for a $10 million

Obviously, Harvard is the bastion of do-gooders and citizen-leaders that everyone believes it to be.

The Crimson @thecrimson Op-Ed

What Have I Learned From Harvard?

By ROBERT MIRANDA

I

have always had a very romanticized, and therefore unreasonable, view of college. I came to Cambridge nearly four years ago hoping to become a better person. I thought I would join a theatre group, learn photography, further my creative writing interests, study abroad, and write a thesis to cap it all off.

And yet I have not.

It’s an understatement to say my reality today is very different from many of these dreams. Throughout this semester, I’ve wondered whether I’ve properly used my time on this campus. In many ways college has been a repeat of high school for me, as the most significant activity I joined was the newspaper. I’ve been involved in student journalism for over seven years now — a third of my life.

Can I truly and honestly say that Harvard has made me the better person I wanted to be? I don’t know. What I can say is Harvard has shown me my limitations and strengths, and given me a realistic sense of who I really am.

My greatest fear in life is wasting it.

In many ways I am still the scared freshman who asked how I could use my time at Harvard to learn about myself. Recently I questioned the decisions I made and the organizations I joined, wondering whether any of it was meaningful or fulfilling, unable to decide. Once in a fit of anger I called it all “wasted effort.” Were my college years all for nothing?

But slowly I have begun to realize that all of it has meant something. Through every activity I’ve participated in, every acceptance and every failure, Harvard taught me how to slow down and think about how I really want to use my time.

By thinking about the things I did and didn’t enjoy doing, or didn’t derive fulfillment from, I realized how I truly want to use my time.

Something else I’ve thought about is how difficult it is to go through Harvard while staying true to myself and humble.

Our campus loves to brag.

We love to outshine each other on our resumes to get to the next stage, the next “Harvard”: the prestigious consulting job, top-tier graduate program, trendy tech firm.

I don’t mean that everyone who pursues these goals isn’t humble, or that they lie to themselves, or that those things aren’t worth pursuing.

There are many people I deeply admire who will work at Bank of America or study at Yale Law School next year. I only know myself, and I know that if I pursued many of the prestigious things my peers did, I would not have been as true to myself, or as fulfilled, as I wanted.

Yet, not knowing what I really wanted, I moved aimlessly from club to club, class to class, leadership position to leadership position, interview to interview, searching for fulfillment. As I became busier and busier, I discovered I enjoyed my time less and less. Work is a never-ending cycle; there is always something higher to achieve, something more to do, something greater to strive toward. This isn’t unique to Harvard; it plays out in every aspect of life, especially if one chases prestige.

It would be wrong to assume that I hate Harvard or that I think about my time here negatively. I have made the greatest friends I’ve ever had in my life here. I discovered a value and depth in friendship I never knew before. My friends — especially my roommates — have always been there for me in my highs and lows, and my Harvard experience would not exist without them.

There is one decision I made in college that has brought me deep joy — when I gave in to my heart’s desires and concentrated in English.

Every poem, every book, and every essay I have read remains with me; every course has taught me something. I read literature because it gives me an understanding of how to live my life, and what humanity has in common, all through the forgiving lens of fiction. It has taught me that no matter how different we all are, and however little we may have in common with each other, we are all more or less the same. (And not everyone is as smart as they appear.) This isn’t limited to fiction — I see this at Harvard all the time.

This semester I made two life changes which have also brought me incredi-

ble happiness — embracing the Catholic faith I was raised in, and running most mornings (though the snow has recently made this more challenging). Yet if you asked me to give the most meaningful act I discovered in college it would be this, best encapsulated by the writer Norman Maclean: “Usually, I get up early to observe the commandment observed by only some of us — to arise early to see as much of the Lord’s daylight as is given to us.”

My greatest fear in life is wasting it. In many ways I am still the scared freshman who asked how I could use my time at Harvard to learn about myself.

Maclean wrote this in the greatest piece of writing I’ve found in college, his novella “A River Runs Through It.” There is both grandeur and a beautiful, subtle power in seeing a day run its course. On a campus where we are often self-absorbed, busy, thinking about what’s next, we need only to observe a sunrise to be humbled and reminded of what is beyond us, to place everything into perspective, whether we are religious or not.

Each morning I gaze out from my bedroom window and silently give thanks for being alive to see another day begin.

It brings me a feeling I can only inadequately describe as serenity.

Can I truly and honestly say that Harvard has made me the better person I wanted to be? I don’t know. What I can say is Harvard has shown me my limitations and strengths, and given me a realistic sense of who I really am.

No, I am not as humble, or as kind, or as understanding, or as patient, as I would like to be — yet. But there is hope.

Maclean’s commandment reminds me how to slow down and set myself on the right track. As long as I’m there to witness every sunrise and every sunset, to remember who I am and what brings me meaning, I’ll be okay.

—Robert Miranda ’20, a Crimson Editorial Chair, is an English concentrator in Pforzheimer House.

fee. Maybe it will be faster and cheaper to not inspect cargo from European countries. Does it really matter if a few people might be put in danger in the process?

Clearly, we should be thanking McKinsey for doing us such a service and advising our government on how to best implement its policies!

As much as most people will be willing to admit that what McKinsey did in this situation is wrong, it seems unlikely that many, if any, Harvard students will look into changing their post-graduate plans or career goals due to this exposé. Because at this point, they have perfected the lies that they tell themselves.

Of course this is in no way their fault. For those working at McKinsey, they would never agree to work on such a case.

Besides, the students who will end up working at these firms are just trying to gain job experience! They are not responsible for the concerning things that take place in these companies while they are just gaining their skills. And in all honesty, there are probably very few young McKinsey analysts who knew about the ICE engagement at all.

But at some point, we must acknowledge that being a bystander is not a positive thing. Maybe as we seniors go into the workforce, we cannot find a perfect firm, and thus we cannot be scared off by every flaw that an organization has.

(Bain & Company also had a controversial engagement with South Africa to the point that they have been accused of facilitating improper political conduct, helping then-President Jacob Zuma avoid taxes, and — possibly the most egregious concern for a Harvard student — giving bad advice.)

Does that mean, though, that we should just not bat an eye at even the most egregious of problems?

This tarnishing of McKinsey, being the “best” of the consulting firms, is one that might force Harvard students to contemplate their entire existence. Because what is one’s selfworth if it isn’t entirely based on one’s post-graduate job?

At some point, maybe students do have to take a step back and wonder: Even if their actions have no effect on their firm’s decisions, they still do not want to remain complicit.

If people are willing to forgo working in any government-related agency during the Trump administration, whether or not the agency is affected by Trump policies, then why is this situation so different?

Hopefully one day, Harvard students will look around and realize that they should pursue more careers in government, public service, and academia instead of consulting.

Because, really, could even McKinsey make the case that the most socially beneficial thing for Harvard students to do after graduation is to go into consulting?

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

Page 7

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | december 13, 2019

Sports

this weekend’s

Scores

Men’s Basketball vs. UMASS W, 89-55 ___________________________________________________________

Men’s Ice Hockey vs. Colgate L, 4-3 ___________________________________________________________

woMen’s Basketball Vs. Maine W, 69-40 ___________________________________________________________

men’s ice hockey Vs. Cornell L, 3-1 ___________________________________________________________

women’s ice hockey vs. Brown W, 3-2 __________________________________________________________\

track And field 1st (women’s), 1st (men’s) ___________________________________________________________

Women’s ice hockey vs. Yale W, 4-2 ___________________________________________________________

football

Alum Uses NFL Platform to Support Second Step

By Zing Gee Crimson Staff Writer

This past week, Week 14 of the NFL season, hundreds of players across professional football participated in the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign.

Participating players wore custom cleats to showcase different causes that are meaningful to them, and the cleats were auctioned online after the games to raise money for their chosen causes. One hundred percent of the proceeds go directly to the charities and organizations.

The highest current bid for a My Cause My Cleat item? Tom Brady’s cleats, which support the TB12 Foundation and Best Buddies, are currently sitting at $20,100 at the time of publication.

If you had tuned into the Seattle Seahawks’ game against the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday, you would have seen Tyler Ott ‘14, Seattle’s long-snapper, in white and purple custom cleats. Ott chose to represent The Second Step, an organization based in Newton, MA that is devoted to raising awareness of domestic violence and providing support, housing, and critical services to people affected by domestic violence and their families. The cleats were designed by local artist Julieanne Strom Brill.

Tyler and his wife Ashley Ott ‘11, a former women’s ice hockey player, live in Milton, MA are both Harvard graduates, with Tyler concentrating in economics and Ashley in psychology.

Both lived in Dunster house.

Ashley played forward for the women’s ice hockey team while Tyler played long snapper and tight end for Harvard before he graduated and moved on to the NFL. From 2014 to 2016, Tyler had stints with the Patriots, Giants, Rams, and Bengals organizations before getting a phone call from the Seahawks on January 1, 2017 after their snapper was injured during their last regular season game. He was signed before the Seahawks’ first postseason game against the Lions that year and has stayed with the team ever since.

Before the beginning of the 2019 NFL season, the Seahawks offered Ott a three-year extension to his one-year deal for 2019, taking his contract through the 2022 season. The deal, worth about $4 million, marks the first time Ott has received a contract longer than a single year, giving him and Ashley some well-earned and wel­

CLEATS YOU OTT TO APPRECIATE Tyler Ott ‘14, Seattle’s long-snapper, wore white and purple custom cleats to bring attention to The Second Step, an organization whose goal is to support survivors of domestic violence. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OTT FAMILY.

comed stability. This has allowed Ashley, a partner at Vantage Point Financial, to open up a Seattle branch office for her company, giving her the flexibility to work on each coast.

The couple originally got involved in The Second Step after attending a book launch for No More Secrets by A Sisterhood of Survivors, the story of six women’s participation in a healing group with The Second Step.

Ashley was inspired and joined

several committees to learn more about The Second Step, and was then asked to become a board member.

“I’ve been a board member for over a year now and have enjoyed helping The Second Step evolve,” said Ashley. “The work and the passion of those that work for The Second Step should be emulated by other organizations, and I believe [it’s] something that can be a model for other domestic violence

no-profits.”

“Like Ashley said, it’s a powerful organization and I think they approach the subject different than most,” Tyler shared.

“When these women share their survival stories they show others the ‘greener side of the grass’ and that they too can get out of abusive relationships.

They also show the world that anyone, from all backgrounds and upbringings, can be in abusive relationships.”

Ashley reflected on her experience listening to a keynote speaker at The Second Step’s Celebrating Success Gala last year, who shared her story of domestic abuse and recovery.

“She looked like me, had a similar upbringing in a suburb of MA, and ended up in a relationship where she was abused physically and verbally. It just reminded me again, that it could happen to anyone, and it does.

Domestic violence is unfortu-

LOOKING ON APPROVINGLY Harvard football coach Tim Murphy, who has been in charge of the Crimson’s football program since 1994, coached Tyler Ott and multiple other future NFL players . timothy r. o’meara—Crimson photographer

nately extremely prevalent and many victims need the help and support that The Second Step provides. This is why it’s so important to spread the message of the great work they do.”

The couple’s involvement with The Second Step and support for its message and programs is why they chose to use their platform to bring more awareness to the organization and to the growing issue of domestic violence. The NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign provided the perfect opportunity to do so, giving Tyler the chance to wear his custom cleats to support the cause.

“The NFL has made headlines in the wrong ways regarding domestic violence in the past few years. It’s a big stage with a lot of viewers and influence,” said Tyler. “Hopefully dedicating my cleats to The Second Step sheds some light on the issue of domestic violence, the resources available for victims, and how we all can help.”

The game against the Rams was broadcast on primetime national television during Sunday Night Football, and despite the Seahawks’ loss, the exposure for a good cause was a win.

If you’d like to learn more about The Second Step or become involved in the organization, please visit TheSecondStep.org.

“The Second Step is a community of survivors, advocates, and volunteers who foster the safety, stability, and well-being of those who have experienced domestic violence,” said the website. “We provide comprehensive services, including safety planning, legal advocacy, counseling, peer support, transitional housing, and other essential services to adults, youth, and children in Greater Boston and MetroWest.” zing,gee@thecrimson.com

FAREWELL

.

MyeongSeo Kim—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

The 146 Guard of The Crimson th

Mireya C. Arango Sabrina W. Chok Jessenia N. Class Aline G. Damas Jensen E. Davis Mariah Ellen D. Dimalaluan Nenya A. Edjah Caroline S. Engelmayer Elijah T. Ezeji-Okoye William S. Flanagan Angela N. Fu Kristine E. Guillaume Jamie D. Halper Edith M. Herwitz Kaylee S. Kim Sonia Kim Kathryn S. Kuhar Anna M. Kuritzkes Joanne Lee Amy Y. Li Theodore T. Liu Robert Miranda Spencer R. Morris

Norah M. Murphy Timothy R. O’Meara Cade S. Palmer Claire N. Park Elena M. Ramos Isabel C. Ruehl Abigail L. Simon Eliya O. Smith Caroline E. Tew Caroline A. Tsai Jordan E. Virtue Akhil S. Waghmare Lucy Wang Katherine E. Wang Lucas Ward Nicholas F. Wong Michael E. Xie Luke W. Xu Shireen Younus Amy E. Zhou Henry Zhu Charlie B. Zhu Andrew J. Zucker

Keep the old sheet flying.