The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVI, No. 37

The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873 | VOLUME CXLV, NO. 37 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS | MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2019

EDITORIAL PAGE 6

NEWS PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 7

Harvard and HGSU-UAW should pursue good-faith negotiations

The mother of a former undergradute alleged Harvard violated the ADA

Women’s Basketballs falls to Penn, ending Ivy League season

Harvard Sued For Images of Slaves Plaintiffs Ask Court to Hear Suit

By CHE R. APPLEWHAITE and MOLLY C. MCCAFFERTY CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

­ EW YORK — Standing oppoN site the Harvard Club of New York and surrounded by cameras, microphones, and lawyers, a Connecticut woman announced Wednesday that she has sued Harvard to gain the rights to historic photos of enslaved people she says are her ancestors — and to challenge the University’s continued ties to slavery.

The plaintiff, Tamara K. Lanier, filed suit against Harvard in Middlesex Superior Court Wednesday, alleging that the University unlawfully possesses and profits from the photos, which are believed to be some of the oldest photos of American slaves in existence. The photos — commissioned by Harvard biologist Louis Agassiz in the 19th century in an attempt to prove a scientific theory of white superiority — depict Lanier’s greatgreat-great grandfather, Renty, and his daughter, Delia, according to the complaint.

Lanier argues that Renty and Delia could not have consented to being photographed at the time and could not own the photographs Agassiz made. She also alleges that the University has refused to acknowledge her relation to Renty and Delia and has refused to return the photos to her. The images are currently housed in the Harvard Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, which Lanier

By SANJANA L. NARAYANAN and SAMUEL W. ZWICKEL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

As part of a display titled “Slavery in the Hands of Harvard,” artist Noel W. Anderson’s diptych “Renty Henry” is on display in the lobby of CGIS Knafel. KATHRYN S. KUHAR—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

also names as a defendant in the lawsuit.

In the suit, Lanier request that the University turn the daguerreotypes over to her, give up all profits it has made off the photos, and pay punitive damages to her. She is also asking Harvard to acknowledge “that it was complicit in perpetuating and justifying the institution of slavery.”

University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to

comment on the suit on behalf of the University, writing in an email that Harvard had not yet been served Lanier’s complaint.

Civil rights attorney Benjamin L. Crump — who has represented the families of victims of police violence such as Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Tamir Rice — is serving as counsel for Lanier. Crump wrote on Twitter that Lanier’s case may turn out to be one of the most important lawsuits since Brown

v. Board of Education.

“When Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves, we at least were under the impression, under the belief, that finally black people owned their person, and incumbent in that was ownership of our image,” Crump said at a press conference Wednesday.

“But Harvard is saying to Tammy Lanier and her family that Renty still is a slave, he still does

SEE PHOTOS PAGE 5

­ laintiffs in the social group P lawsuits rejected Harvard’s Feb. 8 motions to dismiss their state and federal complaints and asserted the legal merits of their arguments in Friday court filings.

The plaintiffs argued in the federal filing that the University’s sanctions against members of certain single-gender social organizations is illegal under Title IX, a federal law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex, because it discriminates against both men and women.

The University has previously contended that the penalties against single-gender social organizations affect men and women equally.

“The policy punishes a male student in a men’s club based solely on his sex and the sex of the members of his club. It also punishes a female student in a women’s club based solely on her sex and the sex of the members of her club,” the federal filing reads.

“That is sex discrimination against both students, not neither of them.”

Harvard spokesperson Rachael Dane rebuffed the discrimination allegations in an emailed statement that referenced the University’s motions to dismiss the lawsuits.

“Harvard College’s policy on unrecognized single-gender social organizations does not discriminate against any undergraduate student and is a measured and lawful policy that treats all students equally,” she wrote.

The filings are the most recent developments in a pair of parallel lawsuits — filed in December 2018 — that accuse Harvard of infringing upon students’ freedom of association and unconstitutionally discriminating on the basis of sex.

The College’s controversial social group sanctions, which debuted in May 2016 and took effect beginning with the Class of 2021, prohibit members of single-gender social clubs from receiving Harvard endorsement for prestigious fellowships like the Rhodes, and from holding sports captaincies and leadership positions in extracurricular campus organizations.

Plaintiffs in the federal suit include parent groups for fraternities Sigma Chi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, international organizations for sororities Kappa Kappa Gamma and Kappa Alpha Theta, Harvard’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and three current Harvard students who belong to all-male social groups and have chosen to remain anonymous.

SEE SANCTIONS PAGE 3

Experts Harvard Moves to Say Exec. Dismiss Lawsuit Order is Unclear

By SHERA S. AVI-YONAH and DELANO R. FRANKLIN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

By JONAH S. BERGER and MOLLY M. MCCAFFERTY CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Experts say it is unclear how President Donald Trump’s recent executive order conditioning certain federal funds to universities based on their free speech policies will affect Harvard given the order’s vague nature and unclear enforcement mechanisms.

Trump — who promised in a speech in early March to sign such an order — was surrounded by conservative student activists and cabinet members at a White House ceremony Thursday, as he declared the federal government will not give money to universities that “do not allow you to speak.” The order aims to promote “free and open debate” on college campuses across the country.

“The heads of covered agencies shall… take appropriate steps, in a manner consistent with applicable law, including the First Amendment, to ensure institutions that receive Federal research or education grants promote free inquiry, including through compliance with all applicable Federal laws, regulations, and policies,” the order reads.

Legal experts have criticized the order’s ambiguity, noting that it is unclear how it will be enforced in practice.

In fact, its ambiguity may even threaten its constitutionality, according to University of California, Berkeley Law School Dean Erwin Chemerinsky.

“It’s unconstitutional because the law is clear that any conditions on federal funds have to be explicitly stated, and this is so ambiguous that no college administrator can know what he or she can and can’t do

SEE ORDER PAGE 3 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Harvard Today 2

­ arvard filed a motion on H March 8 to dismiss a lawsuit it currently faces alleging it was negligent in the care of Luke Z. Tang ’18, an undergraduate who died by suicide in 2015.

In the motion, the University argued that it and its employees did not fail to meet any “duty of reasonable care” and that the plaintiff’s allegations do not prove Harvard caused Tang’s death.

They argue that Harvard employees did not have reason to believe Tang was at increased risk of suicide in the months before he died.

Luke Tang’s father, Wendell W. Tang, filed the wrongful death lawsuit against the University and several of its employees in the Middlesex County Superior Court in November

2018, roughly three years after his son’s death.

The lawsuit names the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — as well as residential dean Catherine R. Shapiro, Lowell House Resident Dean Caitlin Casey, Harvard University Health Services mental health counselor Melanie G. Northrop, and HUHS psychiatrist David W. Abramson and accuses each of them of “negligence and carelessness.” The suit argues their actions directly resulted in Luke Tang’s death and calls for monetary damages of at least $20 million.

Harvard’s motion references the 2018 Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision in Nguyen v. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in which the plaintiff accused MIT of negligence in his son’s suicide.

SEE DISMISS PAGE 3

DESIGN SCHOOL

The main building of the Graduate School of Design, located on Quincy Street, includes a central workplace for students. KAI R. MCNAMEE—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Bacow Voices Support for Winthrop Review

SEE PAGE 4

By AIDAN F. RYAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Alicia Pelton alleged that Harvard College discriminated against her son, former undergraduate Ty Pelton-Byce.

During his time at Harvard, Pelton-Byce lived in Mather House. SHERA S. AVI-YONAH—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

News 3

Editorial 6

Sports 7

TODAY’S FORECAST

­niversity President LawU rence S. Bacow said in an interview last week that he supports the College’s efforts to “get a sense of what’s really going on” through its review of Winthrop House climate amid outcry over Faculty Dean Ronald S. Sullivan, Jr.’s decision to represent Harvey Weinstein.

The College launched the review Feb. 26 after students and faculty criticized Sullivan’s decision, arguing that Sullivan’s representation of Weinstein — who currently faces multiple allegations of sexual assault — is incompatible with his role as a faculty dean. Bacow said Friday that he is in favor of the College’s efforts to gather more information.

PARTLY CLOUDY High: 48 Low: 25

“It’s important during times like this to listen to our students and I think that’s what they’re trying to do,” Bacow said. “I think they’re trying to get a sense of what’s really going on.”

Bacow’s statements Friday marked the first time the University president has commented publicly on Sullivan since his decision to represent Weinstein first sparked criticism from students on campus.

Asked if he had spoken with Sullivan, Bacow said he has “not been involved in this issue at all — in any way, shape, or form.”

“This is an issue for the College,” Bacow said. “And it’s being dealt with at the level of the College.”

The New York Post first reported Sullivan would join

SEE BACOW PAGE 4

VISIT THECRIMSON.COM. FOLLOW @THECRIMSON ON TWITTER.

mushroom

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

MARCH 25, 2019

PAGE 2

HARVARD TODAY

For Lunch Spicy Grilled Chicken and Bacon Sandwich Thai Coconut Shrimp Curried Tempeh and Squash

For Dinner Chicken Breast with Poblano Sauce Shaking Beef Vegetable Potsticker

TODAY’S EVENTS Oliver Heldens at Harvard Panel Discussion 6-7:15 p.m.

IN THE REAL WORLD Mueller’s Report is Finally Here

Widely known for his original dance music, super-popular DJ Oliver J. L. Heldens is coming to Harvard with his management team for a panel discussion. Whether you’re an aspiring DJ yourself or just really love bedroom dance parties, head down to the Lower Common Room of Adams House for some insight into the industry.

The Activists 7:15-8:15 p.m.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller submitted his findings after about two years of investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election, and Attorney General William Barr publicly sent a summary of the results to lawmakers yesterday.

According to Barr, Mueller did not find that there was a conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, but Mueller did not draw a conclusion about whether Trump criminally obstructed justice.

Senior goaltender Michael E. Lackey III lets the puck slide past in a Friday loss to No. 9 Clarkson.

TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Stop by the Harvard Kennedy School (Littauer 150) to hear gun reform activists Emma Gonzalez and David Hogg, along with former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum, speak about mobilization to enact lasting change within communities.

DAILY BRIEFING Plaintiffs in the social groups lawsuits filed motions Thursday arguing that Harvard’s sanctions on unrecognized social groups constitute sexbased discrimination and that the court must hear the suits. The University previously filed motions to dismiss stating that the penalties affect men and women equally. In other news, experts said that President Trump’s recent executive order tying federal research funding to colleges’ free speech policies is ambiguous and may be unconstitutional.

Brexit: Potential Prime Minister Replacements Support Theresa May

After Prime Minister Theresa May’s repeated failures to pass her Brexit deal, many British news organizations have claimed that politicians are preparing to replace her as Prime Minister.

However, two of the officials that seem most primed to take May’s place have publicly come out in support of her.

AROUND THE IVIES BROWN

Brown’s Advancement Office has helped arrange meetings between faculty and prospective freshmen who are children of alumni or whose families are prospective donors, The Brown Daily Herald reported. These meetings have been arranged for at least the past twenty years. After these meetings, faculty members were asked to inform the Admissions Office of any salient student impressions to add to the student’s portfolio. The Advancement Office said the program no longer exists and claimed that it benefitted a diverse group of students. The Admissions Office said it was not aware of the program.

CORNELL

At an open-mic discussion on a campaign on Palestinian rights, undergraduate student Sydney Eisenberg allegedly made Islamophobic remarks, the Cornell Sun reported. Eisenberg, who opposes the movement, directed the comment towards Omar Din ’19, a student who supports the movement. The discussion concluded immediately after the remarks. The President of Cornell Hillel later apologized to Din, and Cornell Hillel issued a statement condemning Islamophobia.

YALE

On March 7 Yale’s faculty members voted to make urban studies a major in the architecture school, the Yale Daily News reported. Previously, urban studies was only available as an area of concentration within other majors. Students in the class of 2021 and beyond will have the option to declare the major, which will incorporate preexisting architecture classes and classes from other departments into the curriculum. Dean of the School of Architecture Bimal Mendis told the Yale Daily News that the major will focus on urban planning, design, and development.

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 Jensen E. Davis ’20

Design Editor Matthew J. Tyler ’22

Assistant Night Editors Delano R. Franklin ’21 Sahana G. Srinivasan ’22

Photo Editors Shera S. Avi-Yonah ’21

Story Editors Angela N. Fu ’20

Sports Editors Jackson Delgado ’22 Kostas Tingos ’22

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.

Editorial Editor Robert Miranda ’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 | MARCH 25, 2019

ORDER FROM PAGE 1

DISMISS FROM PAGE 1

Experts Call Exec. Order Unclear

Harvard Moves to Dismiss Lawsuit

without risking federal funds,” Chemerinsky said.

Because Harvard is a private university, the federal government does not have the authority to dictate its free speech policies — but the government can create conditions for the University to receive federal funding.

In 2018, Harvard received $622 million in federal research funding. Thursday’s order would likely only affect a small portion of that, if any. The agencies covered by the order, including the Department of Defense and the National Science Foundation, comprise roughly 25 percent of Harvard’s federal funding. Grants from the National Institutes of Health — which is not included in the order — make up over 70 percent of the University’s government funding.

In recent years, the free speech debate at Harvard has been driven in part by the Open Campus Initiative, an organization launched in 2016 to “test” the University’s commitment to free speech by inviting controversial speakers to campus.

OCI invited controversial ­

sociologist Charles A. Murray ’65 — whose theory that race can be linked to IQ has been denounced as “racist pseudoscience” by the Southern Poverty Law Center — to speak at the Harvard Mineralogical and Geological Museum in September 2017. The University paid the Cambridge Police Department $12,000 to provide Murray with heavy security at the event, which some students criticized as providing a platform for racist ideology.

Alexis M. Mealey ’21, the current president of OCI, said in early March that the proposed order left her “conflicted,” given that in her view, the extent of free speech restriction vary between institutions. At Harvard there is not a “huge need” for government intervention, she argued.

“It’s totally outside of his power as President of the United States to threaten to withdraw federal funding from universities,” she said. “But I also think that any steps we can take to improve a greater range of speech are steps that should be considered, perhaps not in the capacity that he is proposing.”

University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain pointed to University President Lawrence S. Bacow’s October 2018 inauguration address, in which the newly elected president said it was important that Harvard promote “ideological diversity” and protect the “freedom to speak one’s mind.”

“The University’s commitment to the free exchange of ideas and freedom of expression is well established,” Swain wrote in an emailed statement.

“As such, this action is unnecessary and inappropriately links an already strong commitment to free speech to a ‘to-be-determined’ process around federal research grants.”

Richard Parker, a lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School, said the executive order constituted a “red-meat idea for young conservatives.” Still, Parker — who co-founded the left-leaning magazine Mother Jones — said Harvard has suppressed free speech in past decades.

He pointed to administrators’ decision to deny tenure to two economics professors in the mid-1930s — known as the “Walsh-Sweezy controversy”

— in a move that sparked allegations of ideological discrimination against socialist ideas.

Experts also said the executive order’s perceived partisan motivations may undermine its efficacy. University of Florida Professor Clay Calvert, who directs the university’s First Amendment Project, wrote in an email that the order may not have any practical effect because it requires public universities to abide by the First Amendment, which they are already legally required to do.

Private universities set their own free speech policies.

Calvert wrote that the order constitutes “executive overkill to score political points.”

“Trump’s order clearly panders to his political base, which perceives a pall of political correctness cast over many college campuses,” Calvert wrote. “I worry that what’s going to happen is that the President is going to take some instance where he doesn’t like what a college is doing and say they should lose their federal money.” jonah.berger@thecrimson.com molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com

SANCTIONS FROM PAGE 1

Greek Groups Ask Court to Hear Lawsuit The international parent organization and newly reinstated Harvard chapter of Alpha Phi, along with a Delta Gamma management corporation, are plaintiffs in the Massachusetts state case.

Early last month, Harvard’s lawyers argued that judges should reject the lawsuits on the grounds that even if the plaintiffs’ factual claims are true, they do not show that the sanctions policies are discriminatory. They rebuffed claims that

the rules limit freedom of association or otherwise disadvantage students of either sex.

Harvard also alleged that some of the plaintiffs do not have standing to bring the suits because the national and international Greek organizations are accusing the University of discrimination on behalf of their members. Moreover, since the third anonymous student plaintiff, John Doe 3, is an upperclassman who is not subject to the social group penalties,

Harvard’s lawyers contended that he, too, does not have legal standing.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs disagreed, asserting that they do in fact have standing. They said that the sanctions have impeded the mission of sorority parent organizations and have caused John Doe 3 “psychic and reputational harm,” qualifying the parties to bring the suits.

“But even one plaintiff’s standing is enough to establish this Court’s jurisdiction,

and Harvard does not dispute that two plaintiffs— John Doe 1 and John Doe 2—have standing,” the plaintiffs’ federal filing reads.

Harvard will have until April 19 to respond to both the state and federal filings. After receiving Harvard’s response, the federal district court will either issue a decision or call a hearing on Harvard’s motion to dismiss. sanjana.narayanan@thecrimson.com samuel.zwickel@thecrimson.com

In that case, the Court found that colleges do not have a “generalized duty to prevent suicide.”

Rather, it held that universities must take measures only in certain circumstances.

These circumstances include cases in which administrators become aware of a student’s suicidal ideation or previous suicide attempts made by a student.

Harvard’s lawyers argue

[Wendell Tang] has not supplied...events that would have triggered a new duty to [Luke] Tang.

Motion to Dismiss

Wendell Tang’s lawsuit does not meet the standards established in the 2018 case for proving the University and its employees were negligent in failing to prevent Luke Tang’s death.

In addition to the motion to dismiss, Harvard filed a supporting memorandum citing state case law to bolster its argument.

The document argues that administrators met the standard of care required by the Court because they addressed Luke Tang’s first suicide attempt by transporting him to McLean Hospital. It also alleges that, contrary to the complaint, Harvard administrators were not aware that Luke Tang continued to have suicidal ideation after his time at McLean. “[Wendell Tang] has not supplied facts identifying any subsequent events that would have triggered a new duty to [Luke] Tang after the spring semester ended and immediately prior to his death in the fall,” the filing reads.

Harvard spokesperson Rachael Dane did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday. Dane has previously declined to comment on the case, citing its pending status.

Wendell Tang’s lawyers filed a response opposing Harvard’s motion on March 8, arguing that Harvard assumed a legal obligation of care under the precedent set in the Nguyen v.

MIT case. They argued that the named Harvard employees in the case individually had voluntary “special relationships” with Luke Tang and knew that he continued to struggle with suicidal ideation in the months preceding his death.

The lawyers included a draft of a 2015 “contract” outlining the terms for Luke Tang’s treatment during his time at the College. They argued the contract demonstrates Harvard failed to meet its obligations of care.

Harvard previously informed the court that it intended to file a motion to dismiss on behalf of itself and its employees, including Shapiro and Casey, on Jan. 16. Abramson filed a motion to dismiss separately on Jan. 18. That same day, Northrop denied the allegations against her and requested a jury trial.

Northrop’s filing specifically aimed to refute allegations that she had a special relationship with Luke Tang or could have foreseen and prevented his death. The original schedule for the suit listed March 11 as a deadline for the court to hold hearings on certain motions, including motions to dismiss.

The court has not yet filed further documents in the case docket, and the ultimate outcome of the two parties’ filings remains uncertain. shera.avi-yonah@thecrimson.com delano.franklin@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

MARCH 25, 2019

PAGE 4

DOE Complaint Alleges Harvard Violated ADA

By SHERA S. AVI-YONAH and DELANO R. FRANKLIN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

­­ arvard currently faces a comH plaint filed with the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights alleging the College’s 2018 decision to place former student Ty Pelton-Byce ’20 on a mandatory leave of absence constituted disability-based discrimination.

The complaint — filed March 14 by Pelton-Byce’s mother, Alicia Pelton — alleges that College officials had violated section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits institutions that receive federal funding from discriminating against people with mental or physical disabilities.

The complaint states that Pelton-Byce — who played for the men’s varsity hockey team — was diagnosed with depression by two mental health professionals and argues the College failed to provide appropriate accommodations for his diagnosis when administrators put him on a mandatory leave of absence after he received a failing grade and an unsatisfactory grade in two classes during spring 2018.

Pelton-Byce’s case first came before the Administrative Board in spring 2018, according to the complaint. On May 14, 2018, after he finished his exams and returned home, Mather House Resident Dean Luke Leafgren emailed him to inform him he had failed a class and would almost certainly be required by the Ad Board to take a year-long leave of ab-

Harvard has a reputation of being the leader, being the best, but clearly is not when it comes to mental health.

Alicia Pelton Complainant

sence.

At the time, Leafgren cited College policies that allow students to request exceptions to the usual two semesters of leave.

In an email attached as evidence in the complaint, Leafgren wrote that “exceptions are rare and are only granted when extenuating circumstances have impacted a student’s ability to meet their academic requirements.”

The Ad Board’s policy states that a requirement to withdraw from the College is the standard response for a student who has received two consecutive unsatisfactory grades. Student may request the Ad Board to reconsider any of its decisions if new, relevant information becomes available.

Days after Leafgren emailed Pelton-Byce, he received a diagnosis of clinical depression from a psychologist, according to the complaint. Pelton claims that Leafgren knew about Pelton-Byce’s depression as early as May 16, 2018.

Pelton argues that, even before the Ad Board heard her

son’s case, Leafgren’s behavior communicated that his mental health would be seen as a reason not to grant him an exception to the two-semester absence policy.

Leafgren also allegedly told Pelton in a May 22, 2018 phone call that “Harvard is not a place for getting healthy, it is a place for the healthy because it is so intense.”

Leafgren declined to comment on the allegations or on Pelton-Byce’s case, citing Ad Board confidentiality policies.

Pelton alleges that emails and phone calls from College officials revealed a “mental health discriminatory culture” in the weeks leading up to the decision to place Pelton-Byce on leave.

In addition to a personal statement, Pelton-Byce submitted letters from two mental health professionals to the Ad Board. In the statements attached to the OCR complaint, both wrote that they believed he was capable of returning to the College in fall 2018 and adequately completing his academic work.

Pelton wrote in the complaint that the Ad Board forwarded the statements to Counseling and Mental Health Services social worker Melanie G. Northrop. A 2018 Harvard Disability Services report — which concluded the University had not discriminated against Pelton-Byce — cited Northrop’s conclusion that one letter “did little to connect [Pelton-Byce’s] diagnosis to his poor academic performance.”

Northrop also allegedly questioned the number of times the clinicians had treated PeltonByce before writing their letters.

In the OCR complaint, Pelton alleges that Northrop’s handling of her son’s case “illuminate[s] the mental health discriminatory culture at Harvard, within the Harvard Administrative Board and their procedures.”

Northrop did not respond to a request for comment on the complaint.

On May 30, 2018, Leafgren informed Pelton-Byce that the Ad Board had decided to place him on the year-long leave.

“The Board took this decision believing that a year away from Harvard will ensure that you will have the time to develop the insights and skills necessary to succeed when you return, including if your depressive episode returned,” he wrote.

At the time, Associate Dean for Academic Integrity and Student Conduct Brett Flehinger’s “primary concern” was whether Pelton-Byce had been in treatment for long enough to ensure he would be able to succeed academically, according to the Disability Services report. Pelton alleges that PeltonByce’s depressive episode was the sole reason Flehinger was concerned about his ability to complete his work.

Flehinger, who serves on the Ad Board, did not comment on the allegations in the complaint.

Pelton alleges the Ad Board’s decision reflects its consideration of Pelton-Byce’s depression as a “negative factor” and

its failure to recognize it as an “extenuating circumstance.”

In June 2018, Pelton-Byce requested that the Ad Board reconsider his case in their August meeting. College policies allow for a second review if the applicant presents either “new materially relevant information” or “reasonable evidence of a procedural error.”

Pelton-Byce submitted additional documents to the Ad Board including letters from his doctors and Harvard Law School Professor William P. Al-

The Board took this decision believing that a year away from Harvard will ensure that you have the time to develop the insights and skills necessary to succeed when you return.

Allston is far away.

That’s why we live tweet games.

Luke Leafgren Mather House Resident Dean

ford. The letters cited his progress over the summer as new information for the Ad Board to consider.

Pelton wrote in the complaint that on Aug. 14, 2018, Flehinger called Pelton-Byce to tell him the Ad Board did not reconsider his case. He allegedly said that the Ad Board “cannot make reconsiderations just because students work on themselves over the summer.”

Following his failed reconsideration request, Pelton-Byce requested on Sept. 6, 2018 that Disability Services investigate whether the College discriminated against him by failing to accommodate his depression.

The Disability Services report found the Ad Board followed internal procedures and did not discriminate against PeltonByce.

In January 2019, PeltonByce transferred to the University of Wisconsin.

In an email to The Crimson, Pelton wrote that she filed the complaint because she believes the College’s mental health accommodations are insufficient.

“Harvard has a reputation of being the leader, being the best, but clearly is not when it comes to mental health,” she wrote.

“The more research I was doing the more I realized they are behind in the undergraduate school when it comes to mental health issues, services, awareness and programs.”

College spokesperson Rachael Dane declined to comment on the complaint.

The Department of Education has six open investigations into alleged disability discrimination at Harvard — one 2013 case into the University, two 2017 cases into the Extension School, and three 2017 cases into the Kennedy School.

Per Department of Education policy, the Office for Civil Rights reviews all complaints but does not publicly acknowledge a complaint unless the Office decides to open an investigation.

Never miss a play.

shera.avi-yonah@thecrimson.com delano.franklin@thecrimson.com

BACOW FROM PAGE 1

Bacow Voices Support of Winthrop Climate Review Weinstein’s legal team on Jan. 23. Two days later, Sullivan wrote an email to Winthrop House residents defending his decision by saying that defense attorneys have a duty to represent the “unpopular defendant.”

Sullivan and co-Faculty Dean Stephanie R. Robinson wrote another missive days later announcing new “processes” they would implement, including appointing Resident Dean Linda D.M. Chavers as the “point person” for sexual assault issues in the house.

In the weeks following Sullivan’s announcement, students wrote open letters and held protests, calling on the College to remove Sullivan from his Faculty Dean position. Winthrop House was also vandalized, with messages including “Down w Sullivan” were spray-painted ­

on the House’s exterior. Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Scienc-

It’s important during times like this to listen to our students and I think that’s what they’re trying to do. I think they’re trying to get a sense of what’s really going on.

Lawrence S. Bacow University President

es Claudine Gay weighed in on the debate and called Sullivan’s response to students’ concerns “insufficient” in a February interview with The Crimson.

The College launched a climate review of Winthrop headed by former Dean of Freshmen Thomas A. Dingman ’67 in the wake of student criticism. As part of the review, Winthrop students received an online survey about their experiences in the House.

Bacow said Friday that though he has received updates from Khurana and Gay about Sullivan and Winthrop House, he is not directly involved.

Citing his distance from the issue, Bacow also did not directly answer whether he believes Sullivan has properly handled communicating his representation to Winthrop students.

“I’m not close enough to it,” Bacow said. “I mean again, I leave it to them to make those judgments.” aidan.ryan@thecrimson.com

The Crimson @THCSports

PAGE 5

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | MARCH 25, 2019

PHOTOS FROM PAGE 1

Harvard Sued Over Slave Images not own his image.”

“This lawsuit is setting a precedent, because not only is it fighting for the linear descendants of Renty, but it is also fighting for the linear descendants of all African slaves,” he added.

Harvard’s complicity in the American slave trade has become a topic of increasing campus conversation in recent years.

In 2016, after student protests, the University disposed of the Harvard Law School seal, which referenced the crest of a slaveholding donor family; that same year, then-University President Drew G. Faust convened a faculty committee to advise the University on researching Harvard’s ties to slavery. More recently, Harvard joined the University of Virginia’s Universities Studying Slav-

This lawsuit is setting a precedent, because not only is it fighting for the linear descendents of Renty, but it is fighting for the linear descendents of all African slaves.

Benjamin L. Crump Civil Rights Attorney

ery initiative.

But Lanier’s lawsuit alleges that, by refusing her ownership of the photos, the University perpetuates its ties to slavery.

The complaint — which contains a five-part narrative history of the life of Renty and the history of the daguerreotypes — states that Agassiz commissioned the photos of Renty and Delia as part of an effort to document physical evidence of polygenism, the theory that different racial groups do not share a common biological ori-

gin. Defenders of slavery in the 19th century used polygenism to argue that African and African-American people were genetically distinct from and inferior to white people.

The complaint states that, as subjects in Agassiz’s study, Renty and Delia were “stripped naked and forced to pose for the daguerreotypes without consent, dignity, or compensation.”

“Responsibility for that crime lies squarely with Harvard, which elevated Agassiz to the highest echelons of academia and steadfastly supported him as he promoted and legitimized the poisonous myth of white superiority,” the complaint reads.

Lanier said at the press conference that she first connected herself to Renty and the photographs through the oral history her mother passed down to her from childhood.

“The story really begins with my mother,” Lanier said.

“She held on to a story that’s been told now for 160 some-odd years, and she made sure that I, my sisters and brothers, and my children, her grandchildren, knew the story.”

“It was important to her that I documented the story,” she added.

Lanier’s lawyers wrote in the complaint that, after her mother’s death, Lanier conducted interviews, searched libraries and archives, and browsed online “genealogy sources” in a “years-long journey” to document the connection between Renty and her family.

That journey eventually led her to Harvard. In 2011, Lanier wrote a letter to Faust asking that Harvard review the documentation she had collected and provide more information about how the University had used the daguerrotypes.

Faust allegedly responded that the Peabody Museum — which had possessed the photos since an employee found them in the museum’s attic in

the 1970s — was “involved in projects regarding those daguerreotypes” and would contact Lanier if they learned any new information, according to the complaint. The complaint states that no one contacted Lanier further about “ongoing projects, new information, or interest in verifying her lineage and connection to the daguerreotypes.”

The complaint also alleges that the University and the museum continue to profit off of the images. In 2017, the Peabody published the image of Renty on the cover of the 30th anniversary edition of “From Site to Sight: Anthropology, Photography and the Power of Imagery,” which is distributed through

What I hope we’re able to accomplish is to show the world who Renty is and tell that story.

Tamara K. Lanier Plaintiff

Harvard University Press.

The complaint alleges that Harvard charges a “hefty ‘licensing’ fee” for use of the photographs.

University spokesperson Rachael Dane wrote in an emailed statement on behalf of the Peabody Museum that the Peabody does not currently charge to license the images and that the photos are in the public domain. The museum charges $15 to produce a high resolution image of the daguerreotypes, for which it receives around 10 requests per year on average.

Dane also wrote that about 122 copies of “From Sight to Site” have been sold at $40 each, and that the Peabody receives $16 per copy sold.

Lanier said at the Wednesday press conference that it has

been “painful” to see Harvard reproduce the images, both on the textbook and in publications for a conference on slavery she attended at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study last year. She wrote in her complaint that she has experienced emotional distress as a result of Harvard’s conduct and asked to be compensated for “emotional distress, humiliation, anxiety, and other emotional pain and suffering.”

“Initially, when I first saw the image, I found some pleasure in seeing the image of the person that I had heard so much about,” Lanier said. “But then, when I measured that against the ugly stories about Louis Agassiz… I was very, very disappointed, and I felt solace in the fact that my mother had passed before she could have seen the image.”

Joshua D. Koskoff, another of Lanier’s lawyers, added that the University has misrepresented Renty, rendering him “invisible” by not acknowledging his life story and his descendants.

“What does Harvard today say about Renty and Agassiz?”

Koskoff said. “About Renty, they say he was anonymous, invisible; about Agassiz, they talk about him being a celebrated, famous and brilliant scientist.”

“So as much as the case is about all the things we are talking about, in its purest sense, it is a search for the truth,” he added.

If Lanier wins the rights to the daguerreotypes, Crump said they intend to take the photos on a tour across the United States — naming Detroit, Oakland, Los Angeles, and St. Louis as possible stops — before finally loaning them to museums.

“What I hope we’re able to accomplish is to show the world who Renty is and tell that story,” Lanier said. che.applewhaite@thecrimson.com. molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com.

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | MARCH 25, 2019

PAGE 6

EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

OP-ED

Pursuing Good Faith Negotiations

What is Wrong With Harvard?

T

he ongoing negotiations between Harvard and the newly-formed graduate student union have raised many issues regarding graduate students’ quality of life, such as access to internal arbitration policies and professional development resources. While the complexities of the Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Auto Workers’ demands and the University’s resource constraints make the negotiation process nuanced and complex, we hope that both sides are able to come together in a productive and speedy manner that is as fair as it can be to all involved.

One issue that has taken center stage in the ongoing contract negotiations is the union’s insistence on a provision that would allow members to pursue a neutral third-party grievance procedure to arbitrate complaints of sexual harassment and discrimination. The University has expressed multiple concerns about this proposal, claiming that a third-party arbitration process would lack the “thoroughness, fair play, and due process” of its own internal policies.

We disagree with the University on this issue. Given Harvard’s lamentable history in dealing with cases of sexual misconduct, notably in cases like that of Government Professor Emeritus Jorge I. Dominguez, we broadly agree with HGSU-UAW on the need for a neutral arbitration procedure to review grievances brought against the University with regard to discrimination and sexual misconduct. Given the many ways in which

students can and have been discriminated against on this campus historically, we do not believe that Harvard should have sole oversight in internal cases brought against its affiliates. We have repeatedly stated that the University must rethink and refocus its internal culture and policies with regard to sexual harassment, and we feel that other instances of discrimination — on the basis of race or disability status, for instance — must be treated in a similarly impartial manner.

We understand that there are significant legal and ethical complexities that would be involved with a major institutional shift of this nature, and any new changes, including the potential cre-

We broadly agree with HGSUUAW on the need for a neutral arbitration procedure to review grievances brought against the University with regard to discrimination and sexual misconduct. ation of a third-party grievance procedure, must be studied with care. However, Harvard’s own grievance procedures and resources can be seen as complicated for those forced to navigate them.

Students already battling to seek justice for assault or discrimination must

not be asked to fight on two fronts — one against the accused and another against uncooperative institutions. It bears repeating: Sexual assault — not to mention discrimination on the basis of a host of different factors — occurs with troubling frequency to many on this campus. We hope that both parties eventually come to an agreement to help process future occurrences in a way that is acceptable to all.

We also wish to show our respect on a personal level for the graduate students who are negotiating with the University on behalf of HGSU-UAW. We consider their actions to be selfless and admirable, especially because they seek to not only better their own situations, but also those of students who come after them, given that any contract that is finalized will likely far outlast their own time as Harvard students.

In light of all this, as we have expressed in the past, we continue to hope that University representatives keep the best interests of graduate students at heart and that both parties continue to pursue these negotiations in good faith.

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.

By CLAIRE TSENG

W

hat is wrong with Harvard? This is a staple question in many interview and club applications.

For many clubs I applied to, I was asked in interview after interview to lament every possible one of Harvard’s shortcomings, and I’ve heard similar conversations occurring in other places around campus.

Yes, perhaps there are some reasons to complain.

In fact, the list goes on — roommates making noise at 3 a.m., ten-minutes of waiting for the non-existent water flow of my sink to rinse my toothbrush clean, and of course, the chronic, constant anxiety everyone here seems to experience, our collective inability to separate work from home.

Any of us can name various things that have bothered us in our few months or three years here, but what is the point? Do we ever solve our problems by moping about our dorms, unfair situations, and busy schedules?

On campus, I often hear passersby complain about their clubs, their classes, their meal from Harvard University Dining Services. Yet they still involve themselves in the very activities they criticize.

Pre-meds will take classes they despise, while others will pursue boring internships for the sake of adding a line on their LinkedIn account.

People who came to Harvard hoping to win a Nobel Prize will decide to give Wall Street a chance, not because they suddenly become interested in finance, but because it seems like the way to get a leg up.

Many of our problems with the College stem from an expectation that everything needs to be already perfect, already in place, but we, as students who attend Harvard should be the individuals the action driving what is happening around us.

ISABELLA C. ASLARUS —CRIMSON ILLUSTRATOR

COLUMN

What Do We Owe Harvard?

Grace M. Chao THE UNDERGROUND

M

y thesis is finally turned in, and the end is at last in sight. Senior Gift Marshals will soon begin their polite and persistent requests for donations to the Senior Class Gift, our extracurriculars will collect our post-Harvard contact info, and we will become part of the Harvard alum network on what is hopefully a sunny afternoon in May. Before and after we vacate our dorms, we will be constantly petitioned for financial support for Harvard and our assorted extracurriculars and teams.

Our attitudes toward the Senior Gift and other similar requests to give back spark a critical conversation about what we believe we owe to Harvard, if we believe we owe anything at all.

We often have understandable hesitations regarding our own financial constraints or ethical quandaries of forking over money to the “Great Capitalist Satan” or “Kremlin on the Charles.” We want to know why such a rich institution even needs our gifts, and want to guarantee that our gifts will be impactful.

I do not claim that every single senior

Our attitudes toward the Senior Gift and other similar requests to give back spark a critical conversation about what we believe we owe to Harvard, if we believe we owe anything at all. should give at least something to Senior Gift or that every alum should donate something, nor that every student’s Harvard experience merits a display of gratitude.

I recognize that even a small donation would be a real financial burden for some of my classmates.

But I would argue that some of the assumptions behind our hesitations about giving are not as altruistic or as authentic

as we imagine them to be.

The opinion that most of us owe something to Harvard and that some signal of gratitude is worthwhile is not likely to be a popular one.

By the time we graduate, most of us will feel that Harvard did nothing but take and take and take from us, draining our time, emotional well-being, and resources.

None of us expected this journey to be easy, but few of us expected it to be so hard, so often.

But I am, thankfully, not nearly the same person I was freshman year, nor are my friends and peers the same people they were freshman year.

We are perhaps more cynical or burnt out, but we have grown, we have become stronger, and we have become something far more than our freshman selves.

The conversations that have changed my life, the experiences on campus and far beyond that have let me see the world past my home, they just wouldn’t have happened without Harvard.

Insofar as Senior Gift and other campaigns are often framed as gift-giving, our seemingly prudent and wise desire to guarantee good stewardship of our funds misses the very nature of a gift.

When we give birthday gifts to our friends, for instance, we don’t stand over them and say, “Now, this is what I want you to use it for! If you don’t use it in this way, I will not give it to you! Actually, your salary is much higher than mine, so I might not get you anything in the first place!”

When we give a gift, we are ultimately not concerned with the substance of the gift itself, even though we want to ideally give something useful or generous. We are not concerned with how it will or will not be used.

We are usually not concerned with whether the person is absolutely deserving of some kind of material blessing in the first place.

We give because we care about the recipient and want to express our affections in a tangible way. A gift is first and

foremost a reflection of the giver’s disposition to the receiver.

I know that giving back to Harvard is not quite the same as giving to another person.

But our experience here was made up of professors, classmates, beloved friends, and even challenging peers. It was made up of their vivid ideas, colorful stories, late night talks, and intellectual tests.

Our Harvard experience was made up of people, people who we could spend an eternity repaying for their influence on

Therefore, I believe that I owe something to Harvard for everything that its students and teachers have given me. I want the doors that opened to me here to be open to students who come after me, and even more so. our lives.

Therefore, I believe that I owe something to Harvard for everything that its students and teachers have given me. I want the doors that opened to me here to be open to students who come after me, and even more so.

I know that what I can give financially or with my time will not go very far, and I know that Harvard doesn’t really need what pittance I can offer.

But those hesitations will not be on my mind when I write that first check.

Rather, I will think on the wisdom, joy, and laughter that I have shared in wellloved dorms and dining halls over the past few years, earnestly hoping that the next occupant of my soon-to-be-empty room will also delight in their seat at Harvard’s table.

—Grace M. Chao ’19 is an Economics concentrator in Mather House. Her column appears on alternate Mondays.

Though venting can be useful, our constant habit of complaining only cultivates a culture of finding the bad in life, refusing to see new perspectives, and avoiding the beautiful things happening around us.

Although asking “What’s wrong with Harvard?” originates as a call to improvement, our responses often manifest as an optimal opportunity to allow our negativity to consume us.

While we should seek to improve our lives, we should also embrace what we love doing, and move towards fixing our issues with anything within our ability.

Although it is certainly easier to simply acknowledge Harvard’s imperfections, we should seek to improve our surroundings in a more direct, actionable manner.

Clubs, such as those affiliated with the Phillips Brooks House Association and the Institute of Politics’ public service initiatives, are making great strides in helping our environment, increasing voter turnout, and engaging young kids with their passions and democracy at large.

These groups are solving some of our society’s greatest issues.

So for the many of us out there who have complaints, let us change the question we are always asking.

Rather than ask “What’s wrong with Harvard?” let us ask “How can we improve Harvard?”

Only through this shift in mentality will we start noticing the positive changes occurring around us daily.

We will all remember that every person on campus has diverse passions. Everyone has something they care about.

Everyone has something they can bring to the table. Many of our problems with the College stem from an expectation that everything needs to be already perfect, already in place, but we, as students who attend Harvard should be the individuals the action driving what is happening around us.

For the many of us out there who have complaints, let us change the question we are always asking.

Rather than ask “What’s wrong with Harvard?” let us ask “How can we improve Harvard?” Only through this shift in mentality will we start noticing the positive changes occurring around us daily.

We can fix things and our acknowledgement of problems is our call to fix it. Each student here should find causes important to them and working towards their goals.

Moving forward, we need to create a campus that can see more than the scandals and our differences.

We all come from different backgrounds and live by varying morals, but together, this is our chance to fix things.

Pessimism can spread like wildfire, but positivity can serve as a powerful extinguisher.

We should learn to look on the bright side and identify what we can improve and what makes life interesting.

There is no one correct way to fix our problems, but complaining without acting is certainly not the first step toward change.

—Claire Tseng ’22, a Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Straus Hall.

PAGE 7

SPORTS THIS WEEK’S GAMES

PREVIEW

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | MARCH 25, 2019

TUESDAY ______________________________________

FRIDAY ______________________________________

SATURDAY ______________________________________

Baseball vs Holy Cross 3:30 p.m.

Men’s Ice Hockey vs. No.3 Massachusetts NCAA Tournament Northeast Regional Semifinal 3 p.m.

Softball vs Brown 12:30 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Men’s Basketball Drops Ivy Tournament Final to Yale

By AMIR MAMDANI CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

For Harvard men’s basketball, the scene was all too familiar As the cheers in Payne Whitney Gymnasium rose to a deafening roar, and the game slipped away, the Crimson could do nothing but watch their hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 evaporate into a cloud of could-have beens.

For the second straight year, Harvard was the regular season champion and number one seed of the Ivy League forced to play on the road, falling to Yale by a 97-85 score, the hosts of this year’s tournament. A year after losing to second-seeded Penn in Philadelphia in the finals, Sunday’s championship game offered an opportunity to exorcise last season’s demons, but the Crimson were unable to overcome the Bulldogs’ offensive juggernaut and raucous home court environment.

“Certainly [Yale] played at a much higher level here this afternoon, they are very deserving of the victory and to representing our conference in the NCAA Tournament,” Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. “I thought we played exceptionally well in spurts. In order to win a game like this, we need forty minutes of outstanding basketball. We didn’t have that today.”

Even 38 points from junior guard Bryce Aiken wasn’t enough to keep Harvard in the game, as Yale came with wave after wave of offense. The Randolph, N.J., native finished 11of-21 from the field, and was the most lethal player on the court, but was unable to rally his team to victory After a slam-dunk from freshman guard Noah Kirkwood gave the Crimson a 5245 lead and breathing room, the Bulldogs responded with an extended 28-7 run to give them

firm control over the came.

“We didn’t defend well, that was ultimately what it came down to,” Aiken said. “We let them get a lot of easy shots, and allowed them to go on a run and they capitalized on it.”

The big run was just another part of the deja vu that plagued Harvard in the championship.

A year after the Quakers rattled off a similar stretch during last season’s finals, Yale did their most impressive work without the Ivy player of the year.

With Miye Oni picking up his fourth foul of the game with just over 14 minutes in the game, he was forced to go to the bench. With the Crimson leading 54-53 at that point, everything seemed in place for the five-point underdogs to pull off the road upset and punch their ticket to the Big Dance.

“My initial reaction [to the Oni foul] was bad call,” said Yale senior guard Alex Copeland, “My second reaction was I looked at the clock and I looked at the rest of the guys on the court, I said, we need to do it without him and we need to hold it down until he could get back into the game. We played so hard. ” Instead, the Bulldogs rode an impressive showing from Copeland, and clutch play off the bench from sophomore guard Azar Swain, to sweep away the top-seeded Harvard bunch. Copeland poured in bucket after bucket, as Amaker desperately tried to contain the savvy veteran with a mixture of Kale Catchings, Justin Bassey, and Rio Haskett, but was ultimately unable to.

The Los Angeles, Calif., native led Yale with 25 points, on an ultra-efficient 9-of-14 from the field, tacking on seven free throws and a game-high seven assists. Even with Oni anchored to the bench, Copeland was able to facilitate offense through Swain, and senior Blake Reyn-

AMAZING AIKEN Junior guard Bryce Aiken elevates for 2 of his 38 points against Yale in the Ivy League Championship Final. Aiken finished 11-of-21 from the field, but this was not enough to secure the victory against the Bulldogs. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

olds, who finished with 15 and 14 points respectively.

“A couple of times I tried to slow [Copeland] down, much to no avail,” Yale Coach James Jones said. “He just drove right past me and right pass anyone in front of him to get to his spot and pull up [for] a jump shot, and he gets people so off-balance. And with that he attracts so much attention, so he’s able to find guys and make them better.”

Ultimately, the Bulldogs’ shooting in their home gym proved simply too much to overcome. Yale finished the game shooting at over a 60 percent clip, and knocked down 22-of-

24 free throws, good enough for 92 percent. The Bulldogs took care of the ball as well, commiting just seven turnovers, ensuring that Harvard couldn’t climb back into the game.

Although Aiken’s heroics were the brightest spot of the Crimson’s afternoon, Kirkwood also played terrifically in the biggest game of his young career. The Ottawa, Ontario., native drilled several triples to keep Harvard in the game as Yale started to pull away.

The Ivy League Rookie of the year knocked down 3-of-5 from beyond the arc, finishing with 19 points, as the only player oth-

er than Aiken to record double figures. The Bulldogs struggled to contain Kirkwood’s explosive scoring, frequently throwing double teams at the freshman and Aiken.

For a second straight season, the Crimson must accept the harsh realities of how difficult it is to win on the road in the Ivy League. Harvard was tasked with beating co-champions Yale for a third team this season, and a second time at Payne Whitney Gymnasium, but were unable to finish the job.

Ultimately, the Crimson must accept its automatic bid to the NIT as a small consola-

tion prize, with the knowledge that the 2020 Ivy League Tournament will be played at Lavietes Pavilion in Cambridge. On a Sunday afternoon filled with hope of a trip to March Madness, the most exciting stage in college basketball, the pain of last season has once again resurfaced.

Despite these small silver linings, when the final horn expired at Payne Whitney, Aiken and Harvard were left with nothing but frustration at coming up painfully short, for a second straight year. amir.mamdani@thecrimson.com

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Women’s Basketball Falls in WNIT to End Season

By MAHTAB SHIHAB CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Down three, with just under fifteen seconds left in the game clock, the ball was given to the team’s sharpshooter, junior guard Katie Benzan. She hoisted a triple, attempting to tie the game and extend the season.

Unfortunately for the Crimson, Georgetown guard Dionna White blocked Benzan’s shot, effectively ending the team’s

hopes of advancing to Round 3 of the WNIT. This past Sunday, Harvard (17-14, 9-5 Ivy) saw an end to its WNIT run after losing to Georgetown (17-15, 9-9 BIG) in a tight contest at Lavietes Pavilion. The game was a tale of two halves for the Crimson.

After a dominant offensive start by the Hoyas, Harvard fell by double digits at the half. With a new defensive game plan and a switch to more inside scoring,

the Crimson came back in the second half and took a one point lead before ultimately losing by a score of 70-65.

The game started with the Hoyas stifling the Harvard offense. The Crimson did not score for the first four minutes of the game and Georgetown jumped to a 6-0 lead. Inside scoring from junior forward Jeanne Boehm helped lead the Harvard offense early but the Hoyas’ jump shooting in the

first quarter helped them jump out to a 16-11 lead.

“We played a jump defense the entire game, and leaving their shooters wide open was not the game plan,” Coach Delaney-Smith said. “There should have been a little better effort to get them out of their comfort zone.”

Georgetown only had two players score in the first quarter; guards Dionna White and Nikola Kovacikova. White’s

EYES ON THE PRIZE Junior guard Katie Benzan surveys the defense and looks for an open teammate in Harvard’s game against Georgetown in the WNIT. The Hoyas would come out on top, putting an end to the Crimson’s season TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

scoring would continue to trouble the Harvard defense throughout the game as she capitalized off turnovers and scored in transition.

“11 had quite a game for Georgetown,” Delaney- Smith said. “I don’t think we played 11 well in the first half. She went coast to coast, she picked out pocket. We weren’t taking her out of her zone and she’s an incredible player.”

In the second quarter, the Hoyas continued to get steals and take advantage of Crimson turnovers. Georgetown also took advantage of Harvard on the boards in the second quarter, getting second chance points off of their offensive rebounds. The Crimson was held to a 30% shooting clip at the end of the half.

“I think we started off not shooting well,” Boehm said.

“We usually start out shooting from the arc pretty well and it didn’t turn out that way.

Their athleticism and quickness bothered us a little bit and we had trouble connecting on some passes and were turning the ball over too much.”

Harvard’s shooting began to improve as the second period waned but the Hoyas always had an answer. The Crimson went into the half with a double-digit deficit, losing by a score of 37-26.

In the second half, Boehm’s inside presence and sophomore forward Jadyn Bush’s rebounding led the offensive charge for Harvard. Katie Benzan also had two triples in the quarter that helped swing the momentum and cut the deficit to single digits. The Crimson went into the final period down 53-47.

“What we did better in the second half than what we’ve done in a long time is actual-

ly read each other and have an inside,” Delaney-Smith said.

“Jeannie decided to be the player we know she can be. We were moving the ball and got the shots we wanted.”

Inside scoring continued to be the key to Harvard’s comeback in the fourth quarter.

Boehm had seven points and three rebounds in the period that allowed the Crimson deficit to decrease. With just under three minutes remaining, senior guard Madeline Raster weaved through the defense to give Harvard its first lead.

“We noticed pretty early that the inside was open and the guards down the stretch did a great job of getting the ball inside, ” Boehm said. “The opportunities were there and we did a great job of taking advantage. “ In the final minutes of the game, the two teams increased their defensive intensity and Harvard maintained its one point lead. With thirty seconds remaining, Georgetown retook the lead off of a breakaway basket. They held the Crimson scoreless in the final seconds and made their free throws down the stretch to clinch the game 70-65.

This game was the seniors’ last of the season, and their leadership and experience were critical to Harvard’s success.

Seniors Madeline Raster, Sydney Skinner, Nani Redford, and Kelsey Bogdan were all integral pieces whose legacies will endure and whose talents will be missed next season.

“They’re a real hard-working senior class,” Delaney-Smith said. “They came early, they stayed late, they worked on their game. It’s a class we’ll miss for sure.” mahtab.shihab@thecrimson.com

SPORTS

IN OTHER NEWS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

BASEBALL

Harvard ended its WNIT run with a 70-65 loss to Georgetown. Harvard reached the second round of the WNIT for the fifth time in program history, and ended the season with a 17-14 record.

Harvard earned its first Ivy League series victory of the season, taking two games of a three game series against Penn. Harvard will play Holy Cross on Tuesday.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Women’s Basketball Falls to Penn, Ending Ivy Season

By LEV COHEN AND MAHTAB SHIHAB CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Penn guard Ashley Russell grabbed a rebound, then looked ahead to see teammate Tori Crawford streaking ahead of the defense. Russell found her teammate, who laid the ball in to put the Quakers up 37-18 on Harvard midway through the second quarter. It was the Quakers’ seventh straight make to start the second quarter, and Penn never looked back, going into halftime with an 18-point advantage and extending it to as many as 30 points in the second.

Harvard (16-13, 9-6 Ivy) dropped its semifinal contest against Penn (24-5, 13-2) 91-62 at the Lee Amphitheater this past Saturday night, exiting the Ivy League Tournament in the semifinals for the third consecutive year.

Despite boasting one of the best defenses in the country, it was the Quaker offense that was the star of the game tonight. Shooting 54.4% from the field and having five players score in double figures, Penn’s offense was seemingly unstoppable. The Quakers scored over 20 points in every quarter, and dominated the game from start to finish.

“I am completely shocked by how we started this game and how we responded to normal things in a basketball game,” said head coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. “Whether it’s an official’s call you don’t agree with or a missed shot… instead of us getting mad and digging in a little bit we just went back on our heels and I never expected my team to do that. I am shocked by that and I don’t have an answer for why we reacted ­

that way.”

It was not supposed to go this way.

The first two matchups between Harvard and Penn went to at least one overtime, with the Crimson sneaking past the Quakers in double overtime in Cambridge before Penn returned the favor in an overtime win at the Palestra a few weeks later.

“We talked a lot about putting 40 minutes together,” said junior forward Jadyn Bush.

“The biggest difference between those two overtime games and tonight was that before we were able to put 40 minutes of solid defense together regardless of whether our shots were falling. Tonight our shots not falling greatly affected our defense and it ended up costing us.”

Both teams expected another close one on Saturday night, but it was clear pretty early on that this night was going to be different. After Harvard took its only lead of the game, Penn went on a 12-0 run to end the first quarter, then hit another three to start the second to push its lead to 24-10.

“Honestly they started in the zone,” said Delaney-Smith.

“They had a game plan to catch and shoot threes from kids that maybe don’t have that role all year long. They have great rebounders and we were supposed to box them out. They just hit the shots and we reacted really poorly to that perfect flow they had at the start of the game and I just couldn’t get my kids to recover unfortunately.”

The Crimson never got close after that. For a brief moment at the start of the third quarter, it appeared that Harvard might yet get back into the game. It

HOT HAND Junior Katie Benzan scored 12 points in the loss to Penn, leading the team. Benzan cut the Quakers’ lead to 15 with a three-pointer early in the third quarter, but the Crimson was not able to recover from a deficit that reached 30 points in the second quarter. COURTESY OF SEAN GIBNEY.

forced a steal, leading to a three from junior guard Katie Benzan — who ended up leading the team with 12 points — to cut the lead to 15. When the Quakers turned the ball over a second consecutive time, it seemed as if the tide was changing.

But Penn quickly regained control, scoring 11 of the next 14 points to push the lead to 23 and eventually extending the margin to 26 at the end of the third quarter. Russell led the way for the Quakers, scoring 20 points

and adding four assists as she looked in control of the offense throughout.

“When your shots don’t fall, it’s tough to get into that role or that zone, but that’s the sport of basketball, sometimes they fall, sometimes they don’t,” Benzan said. “Regardless, we have to keep that intensity on the defensive end. They just played us much tougher. They got to the 50-50 balls and the long rebounds. When you’re not making shots on one end, and they’re

outhustling you on the other, it’s a tough combination. When you have that combination, you unfortunately lose a big one, and it’s really hard to have that loss here at the tournament.”

In the fourth quarter, the desperate Crimson resorted to playing more physically and to taking more risks defensively.

Harvard committed 13 fouls in the fourth quarter, leading to 17 Penn free throws. With frustration mounting, senior guard Nani Redford committed her

fourth foul in the backcourt with 3:23 to go, then slammed the ball on the floor out of frustration. The referees gave Redford a technical foul, ending her night and her Ivy League career and serving as a fitting coda to a bitterly disappointing night for the Crimson.

Harvard now awaits word on whether it will participate in an invitational tournament. lev.cohen@thecrimson.com. mahtab.shihab@thecrimson.com.

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY

Men’s Hockey Falls to No. 9 Clarkson in ECAC Semifinal

By SPENCER R. MORRIS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

The No. 12/11 Harvard men’s hockey team entered Friday’s ECAC semifinal clash with No. 9 Clarkson looking to avenge last year’s defeat in the same round.

The Crimson (19-10-3, 13-7-2 ECAC) fell short, though, bowing out to the Golden Knights (25-10-2, 13-7-2) by a score of 5-2 in the round of four for the second straight year.

A poor start to the game set Harvard back in the early going, but the Crimson managed to cut Clarkson’s three-goal lead to just a single score a minute into the third period. This comeback effort, however, would fall victim to an unfortunate call and a bad bounce, ultimately rendering the contest out of reach for the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament.

“We needed to play better,” Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91 said. “We gave goals away too easily. [We] give up a faceoff goal, certainly had a little bit of puck-luck working against us, ­

as they got a couple bounces….

We got it to 3-2, had some really good looks.”

The Crimson entered the second intermission trailing 3-1 instead of 3-0 thanks to a tally from junior defenseman Adam Fox 14 minutes into the middle frame. The potted puck, which changed directions en route to the back of the net, put the game within reach for the Harvard icemen, who had yet to find their groove by the mid-way point of the contest.

With the strike, Fox took sole possession of the program’s all-time record for most points scored by a defenseman in a single season. Mark Fusco ’83, a Hobey Baker Award winner in his own right, was the previous record-holder with 46 points in his senior year.

Another offensive-minded defenseman brought the Crimson closer to knotting the game when, early in the third period, freshman Jack Rathbone bulged the net on a shot from the high slot. Rathbone now has at least one point in seven

straight outings (3–5—8).

Suddenly, after falling behind by three scores early on, Harvard had a legitimate chance of clawing all the way back to a tie game. “[Rathbone’s goal] was enormous,” co-captain Michael Floodstrand said. “That got everybody going. The first goal was huge, obviously, by [Fox].

That second goal really solidified the fact that we were back in the game.”

But a spell of bad luck would halt the Crimson’s surge. Seven minutes after the pivotal Rathbone snipe, Golden Knights sophomore Jack Jacome punched home a goal with his skate after crashing the Harvard net. Upon review, the officials upheld the call on the ice — a good goal — much to the disbelief of coach Donato and his bench.

The margin returned to two goals, and the questionable call cut short any momentum the Crimson was riding after trimming Clarkson’s advantage to one.

THIS IS NOT THE END The Golden Knights ended the Crimson’s ECAC playoff run, but Harvard still clinched an NCAA Tournament berth due to its season-long performance. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

With just four minutes remaining in the final frame, the Golden Knights buried the dagger. Junior defenseman Jordan Schneider fired a shot from the point that ricocheted off Harvard defenseman Reilly Walsh’s stick, fluttered toward the goal, and beat confused junior backstop Cameron Gornet.

For the Crimson, the resulting three-goal spread was insurmountable at that point.

Frustratingly, both of Clarkson’s third-period marks were instances of the “Hockey Gods” siding with the Golden Knights and were thus relatively out of Harvard’s control.

“We weren’t really getting many bounces,” Floodstrand noted. “I don’t think we really truly got up until the third period, so it’s definitely something we have to work on.”

Harvard’s lackluster start forced it to play from behind almost from the very beginning of the contest. By the 5:13 mark of the opening period, Clarkson already owned a two-goal lead.

Three minutes into the tilt, a faceoff in the Crimson’s defensive zone went sour. Golden Knights junior Haralds Egle found twine on a wrist shot from the high slot. Classmate Nico Sturm, one of the elite twoway forwards in college hockey, won the draw cleanly, setting up Egle’s 18th tally of the season.

Sturm and Egle finished the night with two points apiece, as did Schneider courtesy of a fortunate bounce on the final goal of the game.

Clarkson carried play for the next few shifts, and the tilted ice continued to yield results.

Freshman forward Anthony Callin followed up Egle’s strike with one of his own, putting home a loose puck after a scrum in front of the net failed to neutralize the rebound from Harvard net-minder Michael Lackey’s initial save.

For the Crimson, focus remained intense and spirits high, but the excitement of competing

in the ECAC final four quickly faded to the reality of an early multi-score deficit.

“It’s a tough start, especially in a big game like that where momentum swings are enormous,” Floodstrand said.

“That’s a very good team. Getting down to them is exactly not what you want — not our plan all week. So that definitely takes its toll on the bench.”

Lackey, meanwhile, was in the process of settling into his first game minutes since Feb. 16’s injury against, coincidentally, the Golden Knights. Two immediate goals against made it that much more difficult for the senior puck-stopper to regain the confidence and rhythm he possessed prior to his knee ailment.

“It was going to be a tough situation regardless, just coming off [one month] not playing,” said Floodstrand of Lackey’s return. “Let alone him coming back from an injury, those are tough shots regardless that we shouldn’t give up.”

Lackey never truly settled into his crease, and coach Donato had little choice but to pull his senior goaltender in favor of Gornet. Thirteen minutes into the middle stanza, Clarkson freshman Nick Campoli sent a wrist shot toward the cage from just over the blue line. The seemingly low-threat attempt squeaked through Lackey’s pads and dribbled over the goal line. The savable shot proved to be the game-winner.

While the skaters in front of him also left something to be desired through the first half of Friday’s affair, Lackey simply was not providing the high-caliber goaltending required to knock off a top-10 foe like the Golden Knights. Gornet, whose solid performance during Lackey’s month-long absence (5-10, 1.83 GAA, .938 SV%) allowed Harvard to continue its high level of play, once again received a chance to prove himself. “[Gornet’s] been dynamite

for us, and he played really well when he came in today,” Floodstrand said. “He gave us a lot of momentum, made a couple great saves. One goal is, in my opinion, a blatant kick, and the other one was absurd. So you can’t really put any blame on him. He did a great job.”

Despite the loss, Harvard’s season did not end on Friday night, as it did last year with a conference semifinal loss to Clarkson. Shortly after the final horn, the team was made aware that it had clinched a spot in the NCAA Tournament, a 16-team league-wide battle for the top spot in college hockey.

“It’s tough right now, but it’s obviously a learning experience for a lot of us,” said Fox after the game, before learning that his group had clinched a spot in the Tournament. “We have to right the ship if we are fortunate enough to make the tournament.”

After No. 4 Minnesota Duluth’s handling of No. 5 Denver in the NCHC semifinals on Friday, the Crimson’s at-large bid to the big dance was solidified. The program will return to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last five years and the seventh time under coach Donato’s leadership.

The defeat still stings, though, especially among veteran Crimson players.

“It’s a fun tournament to win. We know from experience,” said Floodstrand of the ECAC playoffs. “It stings losing in any situation, but [especially] at the end of the year, when you can give yourself…a better opportunity to win the [NCAA] Tournament by getting a higher seed, as well as winning a [conference] championship. It stings the older you get.”

Harvard will await the official draw of the NCAA Tournament to determine its regional semifinal placement and opponent for next weekend. spencer.morris@thecrimson.com