The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVI, No. 134

The Harvard Crimson The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLVI, No. 134 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Monday, December 2, 2019

editorial PAGE 4

news PAGE 5

sports PAGE 7

Calls for a multicultural center are nothing new at Harvard.

Fire sweeps through Border Cafe and HGHI Building Sunday afternoon.

Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey falls to Boston College.

Harvard Settles Close Captioning Lawsuit

By LUCY LIU Crimson Staff Writer

Harvard reached a settlement with the National Association of the Deaf Wednesday in a 2015 lawsuit alleging that the University failed to adequately close caption its publicly accessible online video and audio content.

According to the February 2015 complaint in federal court, much of Harvard’s free online content, which includes podcasts and recorded lectures, either lacked closed captioning or such captions were “unintelligible.” The complaint argued that this deprives deaf and hard of hearing individuals of “benefits” afforded to those without disabilities. It also alleged that Harvard violated obligation of universities receiving federal funding to “provide people with disabilities equal access to their programs and activities” under the 1973 United States Rehabilitation Act. Per the settlement reached last week, the University must take steps to improve the accessibility of content posted to its official website and associ-

ated media platforms. Harvard agreed to caption Harvard-produced content posted on or after Dec. 1, 2019 to University websites or to associated video websites. For pieces of content posted earlier, Harvard will provide captions within five business days of a specific request for captions from an individual wishing to access that content.

Harvard will also provide captions for livestreams of University-wide events.

Harvard will also be expected to pay attorneys fees for the plaintiffs, which total more than $1.5 million.

Howard A. Rosenblum, NAD’s chief executive officer, said in a press release that providing closed captions is a vital part of making learning accessible for the deaf and hard of hearing.

“As Harvard learned through this lawsuit, universities and colleges are on notice that all aspects of their campus including their websites must be accessible to everyone,” he said. “Captioning video content is a basic form of access that

Harvard

By JAMIE S. BIKALES and RUOQI ZHANG Crimson Staff Writers

a bargaining session Tuesday, which was originally scheduled to be the final session before the deadline. During Tuesday’s session, the union and the University exchanged counterproposals, but were unable to reach any new tentative agreements, according to Swain.

The union did not respond to a request for comment.

Following Tuesday’s session, the union sent an “official strike notice” and guidelines for action during the strike to members.

According to the guidelines, striking union members will turn over grade books, papers, and all other materials for courses they teach at 10 a.m. on Dec. 3 and proceed to “strike headquarters” at the Phillips Brooks House in Harvard Yard.

From there, the union members will proceed to picket lines or conduct other related duties.

The strike is planned to continue indefinitely until a contract

University President Lawrence S. Bacow and Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 responded to a pair of letters sent by the Massachusetts Congressional delegation and alumni from the Class of 1969 supporting Harvard’s graduate student union in its contract negotiations with the University.

With less than a week until Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers’ Dec. 3 strike deadline, Bacow and Garber’s responses addressed differing proposals between Harvard and the union on key issues regarding grievance procedure for sexual harassment and discrimination complaints, compensation, and health benefits.

All 11 members of Massachusetts’ Democratic congressional delegation sent a letter to University President Lawrence S. Bacow Nov. 21 encouraging the University to “ensure fair treatment and strong workplace protections” for student workers.

“We believe this strike would be detrimental to students, workers, and community members and we therefore urge you to engage in good faith effort to reach a fair agreement before the strike deadline,” they wrote.

In responses sent to each senator and representative individually Wednesday, Bacow identified a number of “core issues” that remain outstanding in the negotiations. Among these areas, Bacow wrote that collective bargaining over “financial aid, grades, and assessment of academic achievement” are “unacceptable’ because he characterized them as academic issues.

Garber also acknowledged that there remain significant differences over “fundamental issues” that the University will not negotiate on in his email response to a Nov. 17 letter from 45 members of the Class of 1969.

Among these issues are the financial aid component

See SESSION Page 6

See LETTERS Page 6

­

Welcome to HarvardX. We will now review rules for this course.

See lawsuit Page 3

CAMILLE G. Caldera—Crimson Designer

Harvard, Union Set Extra Meeting Time

By JAMIE S. Bikales and RUOQI ZHANG Crimson Staff Writers

The first significant snowfall of the year covers Tercentenary Theatre as students return from Thanksgiving break. ZADOC I.N. Gee—Crimson photographer

Harvard’s graduate student union and the University agreed Tuesday to schedule one additional bargaining session for Dec. 2, one day before the union’s looming Dec. 3 strike deadline, according to University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain.

Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Automobile Workers is set to go on strike if a contract agreement is not reached after the next bargaining session. In the event of a strike, student teaching staff could choose to halt their paid instructional work, including holding sections and office hours and grading assignments and exams. Graduate research assistants on strike would withhold 20 hours of their paid research work not related to their academic program.

The additional negotiating date was confirmed during

Admins Address Union Letters

HLS Working Group Emerson to Develop New Seal Saw TwoBy MICHELLE G. KURILLA Crimson Staff Writer

Harvard Law School Dean John F. Manning ’82 announced plans to develop a new seal for the Law School in an email to students on Tuesday.

In 2016, Harvard Law School retired its former seal following historical research that revealed it has ties to slavery.

“As many of you know, HLS retired its former shield in 2016 after historical research revealed that Isaac Royall, Jr., on whose family crest the shield was based following a bequest to Harvard College in 1781, earned his wealth through the labor of enslaved people,” Manning wrote.

Prior to the seal’s removal, it featured three sheaves of wheat and adorned the school’s doors, chairs, apparel, letterheads, web pages, social media avatars, and the banners that typically served as the backdrop to each graduating class’ commencement ceremony.

Inside this issue

Harvard Today 2

In the spring of 2016, the law school replaced the Royall crests with a crimson seal with “Harvard Law” written in bold across the front.

Manning wrote that the new seal will need to fit within Harvard’s current suite of seals.

“Working in conjunction with the University and the Harvard Corporation, we will move forward with the proposal of a new shield that fits within Harvard’s suite of shields and that represents the broad aspirations of Harvard Law School,” he wrote.

Law School and History professor Annette Gordon-Reed will serve as the chair of the working group tasked with developing the new seal.

Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives Jessica L. Soban ’02 will serve as the project manager.

The working group will comprise faculty, staff, alumni, and two current students.

See SEAL Page 3

News 3

Editorial 4

Alarm Fire Friday

By Molly C. mccafferty Crimson Staff Writer

The Cambridge Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire in Emerson Hall in Harvard Yard Friday afternoon.

The fire originated in a chimney-like shaft in the building where an exhaust pipe runs from a basement generator through a vent in the ceiling, Acting Fire Chief Gerard E. Mahoney said in an interview. Construction workers performing a generator test reported just before noon that they smelled smoke in the building, and as of roughly 1:45 p.m., firefighters believed the fire to be under control.

Mahoney said that the building was unoccupied other than the construction workers and ­

See EMERSON Page 3

Sports 7

Cambridge firefighters douse the flames in Emerson Hall after smoke started pouring out of the building around noon on Friday. SARA KOMATSU—Crimson photographer

Today’s Forecast

sunny High: 44 Low: 30

Visit thecrimson.com.

Follow @TheCrimson on Twitter.

snow

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

DECEMBER 2, 2019

PAGE 2

HARVARD TODAY

For Lunch Butter Chicken Shrimp and Monterey Quesadilla Rice, Bean and Lentil Casserole

For Dinner Beef Fajita with Fettucine Tomato Basil Cod Filet Quinoa Jambalaya

TODAY’S EVENTS A Conversation with Stephanie Ferguson Kresge Hall, 12-12:30 p.m.

IN THE REAL WORLD Trump’s Lawyers Won’t Participate in Impeachment Hearing

Tune into the livestream to hear from Stephanie Ferguson, a global healthcare consultant, to hear about her work at the World Health Organization in strengthening global healthcare delivery. The event is hosted by Harvard Public Health Voices in Leadership and the Harvard T. Chan School of Public Health.

Coachella.

On Sunday, President Trump’s lawyers announced they would not participate in the House Judiciary Committee’s first public impeachment hearing.

During the hearing, legal experts will assess whether Trump committed impeachable offenses.

Deadly Political Unrest in Iran

Research Week Kick Off Fong Auditorium, 4-6 p.m.

Interested in research? Stop by 77 Dunster St. to meet the staff at the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships office and learn about the programs it offers. Plus, enjoy some refreshments!

Matthews residents construct a snowman during the first significant snowfall of the year on Sunday evening. ZADOC I.N. GEE—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Following an unexpected sharp increase in gasoline prices, protests erupted in Iran calling for an end to the Islamic Republic’s government. The protests elicited responses from security forces that resulted in at least 180 deaths.

DAILY BRIEFING Harvard reached a settlement with the National Association of the Deaf Wednesday in a 2015 lawsuit alleging that the University failed to adequately close caption its publicly accessible online video and audio content. Per the settlement, the University must take steps to improve the accessibility of content posted to its official website and associated media platforms. In other news, University President Lawrence S. Bacow and Provost Alan M. Garber responded to a pair of letters sent by the Massachusetts Congressional delegation and alumni from the Class of 1969 supporting Harvard’s graduate student union in its contract negotiations with the University.

AROUND THE IVIES UPENN Members of the University of Pennsylvania’s Black Student League announced the creation of “Faces Of Black Penn,” a new magazine that will showcase the lives of black undergraduates at Penn, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported Tuesday. The Black Student League will publish the magazine online as well as in print and distribute 110 copies at a launch party next week. According to BSL members, Faces of Black Penn was inspired by the “Humans of New York” photojournalism series as well as Penn’s Latinx-interest magazine, “La Vida.”

CORNELL

Cornell cancelled classes this Monday due to a snowstorm that is projected to hit its Ithaca campus, the Cornell Daily Sun reported on Sunday.

In the past 26 years, there have only been four class cancellations, including this one. This snowstorm and its six to 12 inches of anticipated snow caused Cornell’s earliest snow day in decades. The school’s most recent snow days all occured in March.

Neighboring universities, including Binghamptom and SUNY Cortland, also cancelled classes due to the storm.

PRINCETON

TigerCuff, an on-campus matchmaking service created by Princeton sophomore Ronnie Kihonge, has now matched 126 Princeton students using questionnaires and a matching algorithm, the Daily Princetonian reported last Monday. Kihonge said he created the platform to aid what he saw as a loneliness problem on campus. Matched pairs received discounts for dates at local restaurants.

A second round of TigerCuff was implemented after some students missed the Nov. 6 deadline, but Kihonge said he has no plans for further matches.

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 Ruth A. Hailu ’21

Design Editor Camille G. Caldera ’22

Assistant Night Editors Andrea M. Bossi ’21 Elizabeth X. Guo ’22

Photo Editor Brendan J. Chapuis ’22

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

Editorial Editor Anna M. Kuritzkes ’20 Sports Editor Benjamin R. Morris ’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.

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 2, 2019

EMERSON FROM PAGE 1

Two-Alarm Fire Brings Firefighters to Emerson that there were no injuries.

Tourists, reporters, and other onlookers gathered in and around Harvard Yard Friday afternoon as firefighters scaled the roof of Emerson — which houses the Philosophy department — where smoke was funnelling out of a vent.

Firefighters had difficulty accessing the fire because of masonry surrounding the pipe chase. Using axes and power saws, crews made several holes in the roof to ventilate and let in water, Mahoney said. He said the damage from the fire was not extensive.

“I mean, there’s some damage — we had to breach a couple of walls up on the top floor to access this, like, chimney area, and of course there’s always any time you have a fire there’s water damage — but I don’t think there’s too much on the lines

of actual fire damage or smoke damage,” Mahoney said.

He compared the situation to a related incident that happened in the adjacent Sever Hall

Harvard appreciates the quick response of CFD crews to address and extinguish the fire.

Jonathan L. Swain University Spokesperson

in August, adding that he plans to speak with the engineers and construction workers on the project about certain steps they should take to prevent similar fires from happening again.

“They’re related in the sense that the nature of what was go-

ing on is very similar. So we’re a little concerned about how this happens again,” Mahoney said.

As of 3 p.m, the fire had been extinguished, though a fire watch would remain at the scene through the evening, according to University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain.

“Due to the holiday break, there were no classes or other activities taking place in the building at the time of the fire, and with that no injuries to faculty, staff or students. Harvard appreciates the quick response and efforts of CFD crews to address and extinguish the fire,” Swain wrote.

The University will assess the damage to determine if students and faculty will be able to access the building when classes resume Monday. molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com

SEAL FROM PAGE 1

LAWSUIT FROM PAGE 1

HLS Group Working to Develop New Seal

Follwing Lawsuit, Harvard to Close Caption Online Content

Currently, the group consists of Director of Facilities and Operations John Arciprete, Law School professor I. Glenn Cohen, Harvard Law School Association President Daniel E. Eaton, Associate Dean for Communications and Public Affairs Melodie L. Jackson, and Staff Attorney with the American Civil Liberty Union’s Racial Justice Program Amreeta S. Mathai.

Two Law School students will also be chosen to join the working group. Interested students are invited to submit an ­

online application to the Dean

The Working Group will create a number of opportunities for community members to share their ideas and perspectives.

John F. Manning ‘82 Harvard Law School Dean

of Students Office by Dec. 23.

Manning wrote in his email that the process will benefit from the creativity of the Law School.

“This process will benefit greatly from the thoughtful and creative input of the HLS community,” Manning wrote.

“As such, the Working Group will create a number of opportunities for community members to share their ideas and perspectives, and I want to thank you in advance for your input.” michelle.kurilla@thecrimson.com

opens up academic learning to not only deaf and hard of hearing people but the world.”

Following NAD’s initial lawsuit, Harvard filed a motion to dismiss which was denied in 2016. In 2018, Harvard filed a motion for judgment, portions of which — including an argument that Harvard websites were not “places of public accommodation” — were again denied in April 2019. Harvard and NAD engaged in settlement discussions during the months following the ruling.

University spokesperson Nate Herpich wrote in an

emailed statement that the settlement aligns with other digital accessibility initiatives at Harvard, namely, the captioning previously provided for HarvardX online courses and the school’s Digital Accessibility Policy introduced in April.

The Digital Accessibility Policy addressed captioning for content posted to Harvard websites.

“Harvard is pleased to confirm the amicable resolution of the lawsuit brought by the National Association for the Deaf (NAD) regarding online captioning for video and audio con-

The T closes. We don’t.

Breaking news, 24/7.

The Crimson thecrimson.com

tent. The settlement is grounded in Harvard’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging,” Herpich wrote.

“Our websites provide a wealth of opportunities for our community members to communicate and to share ideas, and we want these websites to be available to everyone who wishes to access them. This agreement with the NAD builds on the University’s longstanding work toward ensuring a campus that is accessible and welcoming,” he added. lucy.liu@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | DECEMBER 2, 2019

PAGE 4

EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

OP-ED

Isn’t 50 Years Enough, Khurana?

C

alls for a multicultural center at Harvard aren’t new. As early as the 1960s, students have poured their labor into various forms of activism: proposals, reports, task forces, committees, protests, editorials, survey responses. If there was a channel for expressing student opinion in the past half-century at Harvard, the conversation around a multicultural center no doubt made an appearance.

But apparently, 50 years isn’t long enough.

In a November interview, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana said there were challenges surrounding the creation of a multicultural center and that Harvard will need to continue research before making any decisions. “I appreciate that from a student’s perspective that things can seem like they take a longer time.

And partly, you know, it’s because constructing anything… takes time,” he said.

While we appreciate that from a current administrator’s perspective that it seems like students demands for a multicultural center ignore a time-consuming research and implementation process, we implore Khurana and other administrators to consider its history as a proposal.

This is not an issue today’s students have spearheaded, nor one that has been “rushed” in any sense of the term.It’s been over half a century, and nothing has changed. The administration has yet to announce any steps directly dedicated to the implementation of a multicultural center that promise action, preferring

instead a course of nebulous rumination.

Any senior administrator offering such indifference towards a multicultural center, even if the statement technically leaves the door open for such a center in the future, disheartens us as an ongoing part of that tendency to defer to simply thinking about an issue and nothing else.

Without any clear pathway to action, Khurana’s statement seems to be yet another sign that a multicultural center isn’t coming anytime soon.

Hopefully we aren’t waiting another 50 years.

Next year’s president and vice president of the Undergraduate Council — James A. Mathew ’21 and Ifeoma E. White-Thorpe ’21 — have made it clear that establishing a multicultural center is a top priority for them in 2020. While these goals are admirable and laudable, the burden of achieving this goal should not be placed on any sole group or individual, but rather the University collectively.

The UC at its best can only be a platform meant to represent students, springboard their concerns, and advocate for change.To place the overwhelming task of creating a multicultural center — a task that’s been in the works for

half a century — on the shoulders of two individuals over the course of their oneyear tenure is unreasonable. And while this task does not fall squarely on the UC, to the extent that the group represents students and that the creation of a multicultural center continues to be a student demand, we still encourage the Council to continue advocating for it.

If Khurana truly believes more time is required, we encourage him to clarify what exactly the extra time will accomplish, and to offer a programmatic schedule of fact-finding and planning that will pave the way — at long last — to an actual multicultural center.

In the absence of such a program, we unfortunately cannot view this statement as anything more than a continuation of the University’s storied history of stonewalling efforts to bring a multicultural center, something many comparable institutions already have, to Harvard.

Without any clear pathway to action, Khurana’s statement seems to be yet another sign that a multicultural center isn’t coming anytime soon.

Hopefully we aren’t waiting another 50 years.

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!

@thecrimson

OP-ED

Big, Structural Change, Somewhere Else

F

or years, some of our most daunting challenges have gone unaddressed.

The very institutions that are supposed to represent us have withered and are seen, at least by marginalized groups, as untrustworthy, or simply a joke. This malaise has led to a proliferation of political movements for change: These movements have called for a political revolution, or big, structural change, or even the outright abolition of traditionally prominent governing institutions.

If you didn’t click the links above, go back and check them now. (Or just take my word for it). Half of them are about national news, and the rest have to do with goings-on on our own campus. The parallels — our collective discontent, our disenchantment with the process meant to bring about change, our readiness to throw it all out and start again — are striking.

If you ask members of the Harvard community, which leans heavily left, many will express genuine enthusiasm for these deep structural calls for reform on the national scene.

So why, when it comes to Harvard’s own campus, are we entangled in the same kinds of seemingly intractable structural problems? If our shared methodological belief about systemic structural problems is that their solutions require fundamental transformations of the systems that perpetuate them, how come some University administrators support some form of universal healthcare coverage, but not genuinely accessible mental healthcare for all University affiliates?

One relatively simple answer is that, while such initiatives might be popular, they do not have the support of University administration.

But this explanation demands interrogation: Why don’t they? Does it just so happen that the relatively smaller number of people on our campus whose worldview sees progress as incremental and is skeptical of structural change all occupy leadership roles in the administration?

If so, this would be a notable statistical anomaly, unless candidates for leadership were selected with that view in mind.

And that selection process, if it occurred, would not in and of itself be indefensible. Incremental theories of progress are intellectually legitimate.

If the University’s leadership sees its

collective worldview as starkly opposed to that of a large portion of its students and faculty on this core methodological question of how organizations and societies improve themselves, that seems like an important conversation we should be having together as a community.

But, in the absence of such a conversation, I’m doubtful that, coincidentally, everyone in the administration is skeptical of big, structural change in the abstract.

It seems more likely that, for national issues, many leaders of the University are sympathetic to political movements that seek to solve major societal problems like income inequality or inadequate healthcare coverage with sweeping governmental action. But that sort of belief has not translated — for the most part — to concrete action to transform

So why, when it comes to Harvard’s own campus, are we entangled in the same kinds of seemingly intractable structural problems? the circumstances that perpetuate our biggest on-campus concerns.

For instance, a task force commissioned by the University acknowledges that financial insecurity plays a serious role in perpetuating mental health concerns among graduate students and that undergraduates feel “perpetually overwhelmed.”

But classes have gotten longer and the University and the graduate student union are at an impasse over, among other things, compensation. Not that shorter classes or a better compensation package are the only — or even, on their own, sufficient — solutions to mental health issues on campus.

But, whatever new programs the University’s mental health task force recommends, they seem unlikely to constitute a genuine cultural and structural transformation of the workload and expectations placed on students by, say, capping homework hours, or offering sufficiently generous benefits that nobody suffers from financial stresses while at Harvard. Failure to account for the structural factors at play in our biggest problems — the stress inherent in competing for high grades, prestigious extracurriculars, and ultimately, a job, or the rising cost of childcare and housing — will

By NICOLAS R. ECCLES

S

tudents have called upon Harvard University to create a multicultural center for just over 50 years now — to no avail. In fact, the Harvard-Radcliffe Afro-American Cultural Center opened up in 1969 only to close five years later after receiving zero funding from the University.

With the largest endowment of any university currently sitting at $40.9 billion, Harvard definitely has the ability to afford funding a multicultural center.

It’s not as if the university doesn’t like to spend its capital either; the chairs out in Harvard Yard alone cost nearly $800 each. However, when a cohort of student groups submitted a proposal to then-Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III in 1995, the dean responded: “It would be inconsistent with [Harvard’s] purpose to set aside space for racial, ethnic and cultural groups. Third-world or multicultural centers promote racial separation.” This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Harvard has acknowledged the importance of diversity in its imperfect race-conscious admissions process and Judge Allison D. Burroughs agreed in the Students for Fair Admissions v.

Harvard court ruling. She defended the benefits of diversity, stating, “Diversity will foster the tolerance, acceptance and understanding that will ultimately make race conscious admissions obsolete.”

But on campus, diversity feels very superficial. The College flaunts its diversity on its website, taking pride in the fact that there are “more than fifty cultural, ethnic, and international student organizations.”

Yet some of these organizations and cultural affinity groups are literally hidden underground in the basements of Harvard’s freshman dormitories.

Students have been adamant about the need for a multicultural center, yet our voices remain unheard and we continue to be denied.

The Crimson

By ARI E. BENKLER

Stop Putting Us in the Basement

make any prospective reform unlikely to really succeed.

There is one notable exception to the University’s track record of not wading into the waters of structural change. Efforts to get rid of the final clubs pointed, at varying times, to a culture of exclusivity, discrimination, and sexual assault and harassment as reasons why they contributed to a toxic culture on campus. The actual efficacy of the proposal, as well as counter-proposals about how the University could better ensure that everyone found a social home on campus, matter less than that the University actually sought to transform the social institutions of undergraduate life in pursuit of a better reality for a larger number of people. And that effort offers proof-of-concept that the administration is sympathetic to methods of structural reform, though notably only in a case where the structures in question were not their own. And in implementation, even that seems to have withered into hardly any change at all.

And this brings us to the catch with big, structural change: It’s really hard.

Building consensus for a particular institutional transformation, even if the idea of some transformation is popular, can be difficult. Even when you do, there’s no sure bet it’s going to work. And most of all, for leaders to even admit that it’s necessary in their own institutions requires a serious act of intellectual honesty: recognizing their institution’s role in perpetuating the system that produces the very problems they seek to solve.

For those of us who believe that enduring structural problems require enduring structural change, recognizing that fact and internalizing it as we ourselves prepare — one day — to leave Harvard and become leaders in our own right, is the first step to achieving meaningful progress. Leaders of institutions become inculcated into a set of procedures, an institutional culture that works from a status quo. So, when those procedures are challenged for producing bad outcomes, whether it be income inequality, racial disparities in institutional trust, or social isolation, we have to be willing to interrogate our own deeply held beliefs and our institutional commitments if we are to see the full set of ways we can use — and change — our institutions for the better.

—Ari E. Benkler ’21. a Crimson Associate Editorial Editor, is a Social Studies concentrator in Leverett House.

The hypocritical nature of Harvard’s attitude towards diversity has to change. It’s time for Harvard to stop placing cultural affinity groups underground while broadly displaying diversity everywhere but the school itself.

The natural question is: Why do we even need a multicultural center? Imagine putting yourself into the shoes of a multiethnic boy during his freshman year at Harvard.

This boy has often felt isolated or excluded from communities in his life due to his very mixed and diverse background of being African American, Indian, and Korean.

He looks ethnically ambiguous and has a difficult time fitting in at Harvard. Despite efforts to find community — whether it be joining the Black Men’s Forum or the Korean Association — he continues to feel out of place, like he doesn’t fully belong in any one community.

He feels the lack of a common space that others find in predominantly white finals clubs funded by predominantly white alumni.

Now, this isn’t just one random case. This is a very real experience that many Harvard students feel. In fact, that multiethnic boy you were just picturing is me.

This is a very real experience that many Harvard students feel. In fact, that multiethnic boy you were just picturing is me.

We need a multicultural center now more than ever. Harvard should have taken the initiative to fund this center long ago when Yale, Princeton, and Brown built culturally distinct centers for its student body nearly 50 years ago.

We are all familiar with the adage, “it’s better late than never.”

But now Harvard is 60 years late and it’s time to enact real change.

Students have been adamant about the need for a multicultural center, yet our voices remain unheard and we continue to be denied.

Last year, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana said, “Harvard is carefully considering a multicultural center and is making sure to consult all affected affiliates…

We don’t want to just rush into something without making sure that we really brought everybody along and everybody’s had a chance to participate in what way feels right to them.”

It has been over 50 years. Since the need for a multicultural center is not a priority for the administration, we need to reinvigorate the student body on this issue.

We need to reanimate the student body enough that the administration can finally listen to us.

Yet even students who try to organize events to bring people from different backgrounds together still encounter the same problem of lacking a space.

I myself have struggled to book a space for a concert event I’m hosting to demonstrate the need for a multicultural center.

Ironically enough, this in and of itself actually proves the point that there is a lack of a common space for minority students and a need for a multicultural center at Harvard.

Students of color have left the basement.

We are standing in front of the Harvard administration, waiting to be heard.

—Nicolas R. Eccles ’22 is a Crimson Editorial comper in Mather House.

PAGE 5

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | DECEMBER 2, 2019

Fire Hits Border Cafe, Global Health Institute

By ANDREA M. BOSSI CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

A two-alarm fire broke out Sunday afternoon in the shared Border Cafe and Harvard Global Health Institute building at 32 Church St. minutes after 1 p.m., according to a tweet by the Cambridge Fire Department.

The Cambridge Police Department diverted traffic in the nearby blocks of the surrounding area. CPD warned in a tweet at approximately 2:07 p.m. that residents should expect traffic impacts in Harvard Square during the response to the fire.

At least 40 firefighters were deployed and dealt with the fire in the exhaust duct, according to Wicked Local Cambridge.

The Cambridge Fire Department did not respond to a request for comment.

The fire originated in the kitchen exhaust system with-

in the Border Cafe restaurant, CPD spokesperson Jeremy Warnick said.

“No injuries, but there were some traffic impacts. And, it has since been contained,” he said.

Faculty Director of the Harvard Global Health Institute Ashish Jha, who went into the HGHI office to catch up on emails, said he does not think anyone was in the office at the time of the fire. He left the building minutes before the smoke appeared.

“Around five after one, I walked out to go get a cup of coffee. And then about five minutes later, I noticed smoke,” he said.

“From the distance, I thought, I don’t think it’s our office, but I walked back only to discover all of this.” “ Just before I left my office, I did a quick walk around — not because I was worried or anything — but because I of-

ten when I’m there on weekends will just check if anyone else is there and say ‘hi,’ he added. “And there was nobody else there in the office.”

The Harvard Global Health Institute did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday night.

Mauricio Nivera, who cooks at Border Cafe, said Border staff were working in the kitchen when the alarm sounded.

“There were lots of us in the kitchen working and we all had to get out, but I didn’t see any fire in the restaurant, only above,” Nivera said.

Border Cafe management did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday night. At 3:34 p.m., CPD reported in a tweet that while Mass Ave. opened again, Church Street remained closed. andrea.bossi@thecrimson.com

A fire broke out Sunday afternoon in the shared Border Cafe and Harvard Global Health Institute building at 32 Church St. around 1 p.m. JOSHUA A. NG—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

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

That’s artsy.

The Crimson

thecrimson.com/arts

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

DECEMBER 2, 2019

PAGE 6

LETTERS FROM PAGE 1

SESSION FROM PAGE 1

Bacow, Garber Write Harvard, Grad Union Add Letters Days Before Strike Extra Negotiating Time currently in graduate student workers’ compensation distributed as stipends. The University’s proposal would bar the union from negotiating over the terms of graduate student workers’ stipends. HGSU, however, proposed compensation proposals that included provisions regarding the stipend.

In his letter to legislators, Bacow wrote that the University is guided by three “core principles.”

“We must protect the integrity of our teaching mission; we must protect the academic freedom that undergirds our research mission; and we must serve all of our students in each of Harvard’s schools and academic programs, regardless of union membership,” Bacow wrote.

Bacow also discussed a divide over grievance procedures for sexual harassment and discrimination complaints – a key issue in the negotiation, writing that the union’s proposal would be inconsistent with federal Title IX regulations and covers only part of Harvard’s student body. HGSU’s proposal would establish an alternative ­

grievance procedure through which members of the union could choose to file complaints regarding sexual harassment and discrimination. That process could eventually lead to a third-party arbitration outside of the University’s internal Title IX procedures.

Forty-five members of the Class of 1969 also sent Bacow a letter on Nov. 17, urging him to improve pay and job security for graduate students and nontenure-track faculty. According to the alumni’s analysis, 65 percent of teachers — including graduate students — are not tenured or on the tenure track.

Paula J. Caplan ’69 — a research psychologist who previously taught at Harvard — said in an interview that the lack of job security she faced as a lecturer and teaching assistant at Harvard motivated her to cowrite the letter with Barbara C. Foley ’69.

“If I hadn’t had some financial security to fall back on, that would have been utterly devastating,” Caplan said. “So my heart just goes out to the people who are in that position.”

The letter notes that the

alumni have “taken note, with alarm” that the University expects faculty to pick up the work of striking graduate students.

“Harvard has essentially ordered the members of its tenured and tenure-track faculty to scab on their less advantaged colleagues,” the alumni wrote.

In his response, Garber wrote that while faculty members have the rights to support HGSU’s strike, they need to ensure that students will be able to complete their academic work.

“With that in mind, several weeks ago, across the University, we began contingency planning for a potential strike and our faculty and staff must be a part of fulfilling that responsibility,” Garber wrote.

Garber also wrote that he appreciated the alumni’s perspective on non-tenure-track faculty, and noted that the University includes these teaching staff in its faculty climate survey.

“This is one key input in our overall efforts to understand the needs of these teaching staff across Harvard,” Garber wrote. james.bikales@thecrimson.com ruoqi.zhang@thecrimson.com

is reached.

“Strikers take on a variety of duties during the strike to ensure its success,” the guidance reads.

“We recommend that every striker spend 10 hours at the picket line or on other strike duty per week.”

Picket lines in Cambridge will be held each day from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “until further notice,” and picket lines on Harvard’s Longwood campus will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. each day, according to the guidelines.

The picket locations will be “variable” and not announced ahead of time.

During the strike, HGSU members can continue their “academic work as normal” in their typical place of work, and picket lines will be “porous” to accommodate this, according to union’s guidance.

The guidelines note that striking workers who lose pay are eligible to access a strike fund, though they must work an average of four hours of strike duty per week in order to qualify.

In Tuesday’s session, the ­

University offered counterproposals on provisions regarding employee appointment letters, union access and rights, a nostrike policy, discipline and discharge, and workload, according to Swain.

The University also separat-

Strikers take on a variety of duties during the strike to ensure its success.

We recommend that every striker spend 10 hours at the picket line or on other strike duty per week.

Official Strike Notice Guidelines

ed a provision on academic retaliation from the discipline and discharge provision.

In an email sent to Harvard affiliates Tuesday afternoon, University Provost Alan M. Garber highlighted his concerns with the union’s academ-

The inside scoop on Harvard, straight to your inbox.

Never be out of the loop.

The Crimson

thecrimson.com/subscribe

ic retaliation proposal, which would give union members the right to file complaints over grades and academic assessments through the union grievance procedure.

Garber wrote that he does not believe arbitrators would have the “expertise” needed to make judgements on academic matters.

HGSU and the University remain at loggerheads over economic proposals on compensation and health benefits, and noneconomic proposals such as the grievance procedure for sexual harassment and discrimination complaints.

In a bargaining session last Friday, the union presented an updated compensation proposal with a lower annual wage increase than it previously asked for.

The University also increased the amount of money it pledged for funds dedicated to health, dental, and child care.

No agreement on compensation and health care was reached in the session. james.bikales@thecrimson.com ruoqi.zhang@thecrimson.com

PAGE 7

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | DECEMBER 2, 2019

SPORTS

THIS WEEKEND’S

SCORES

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NO.5/8 MARYLAND L, 80-73 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY VS. NO. 1/1 MINNESOTA L, 4-0 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S ICE HOCKEY VS. NO. 2/2 WISCONSIN L, 5-1 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S FENCING VS. BOSTON COLLEGE L, 16-11 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S WATER POLO VS. NO. 12 BUCKNELL L, 13-12 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. USC L, 77-62 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL AT QUINNIPIAC W, 77-68 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S ICE HOCKEY

No. 9/6 Harvard Falls to No. 14/12 Boston College

By SPENCER R. MORRIS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Through the first four weeks of the season, the No. 9/6 Harvard men’s hockey team skated to its best ever start, rattling off six straight victories.

In Friday night’s home tilt against No. 14/12 Boston College, the Crimson was well-positioned to extend its unblemished record — but a two-minute span late in the second period changed everything.

The Eagles (9-4-0, 5-2-0 HEA) handed Harvard (6-10, 6-0-0 ECAC) its first loss of the campaign, by a score of 4-2, thanks to a three-score rally in the middle stanza.

“The game’s got to come down to that minute and 50 seconds where we got the three goals in the second period,” BC coach Jerry York said. “We’re down, 2-0, and we just kind of caught fire…. Our penalty killing, the two-minute span in the second, that was a pretty thorough game by us. I thought in all three zones, we played very solid.”

With under three minutes to go in the second period, Harvard sophomore Jack Drury punched home a powerplay goal, receiving a pass in close from classmate and blue-liner Jack Rathbone before opening up to the net-mouth and roofing the puck.

The Crimson appeared to be heading into the intermission with a 2-0 advantage, threatening the Eagles’ own six-game winning streak.

BC had other plans, however, and immediately got to work trimming the deficit. Mere seconds after Drury’s tally, junior forward Jack Badini, scorer of Harvard’s first-period goal, headed to the box for a tripping infraction. On the ensuing faceoff in the Crimson’s zone, Eagles forward Logan Hutsko fired a hard pass to the slot, where fellow junior Aapeli Räsänen redirected it past Harvard goaltender Cameron Gornet.

The primary assist extended Hutsko’s point streak to nine, while Räsänen notched his fifth multi-point outing of the season. The scoring play also sparked a comeback rally for BC, which concluded before the period horn.

On a seemingly contained transition play, Eagles rookie ­

NO REST FOR THE WEARY The Crimson will look to rebound from its first defeat of 2019-2020 with a mid-week matchup at Boston University on Tuesday. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA —CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

forward Mike Hardman threw a puck toward the goal from a sharp angle. Gornet attempted to snuff out the danger but instead directed a rebound into the slot with his stick. Freshman Alex Newhook was there for the visitors to bury the chance, evening the ledger at 2-2.

“They’re a good hockey team,” Harvard coach Ted Donato ’91 said. “We knew they were going to make a little bit of a run. We have to be able to manage that situation and kind of get the ship back in the right direction.”

After mustering a meager three shots on goal in the first frame, Boston College’s offense was roaring.

Two shifts after Newhook’s tuck came the Eagles’ third

strike in two minutes. A crossice dump-in allowed BC to change lines while senior Graham McPhee fetched the puck in the right corner. McPhee found forward Julius Mattila, fresh off the change, with a centering pass. Mattila slipped the puck across the slot to David Cotton, whose quick forehand-backhand deke beat Gornet.

And just like that, the Eagles had stolen the lead, and the game, from the Crimson.

“They had one guy in the zone, coach Donato began. “We were hesitant to go play him, and instead of outnumbering him and taking the puck out of his hands…we end up playing defense, and they make a great play coming off the bench.

We’re all watching the puck and not watching the guys coming off the bench.”

Harvard had multiple opportunities to knot the score in the third period. BC took three penalties in the final 20 minutes, gifting prime chances to equalize to a Crimson powerplay with formidable weapons. But the hosts failed to find twine.

Cotton, after seizing the lead for his group in the waning seconds of the second period, was whistled for a slash just 20 seconds after the opening faceoff of the third.

While Harvard loomed on the ensuing man advantage, it was not able to make the Eagles pay for their captain’s infraction.

The Crimson’s next manup chance came in the middle of the frame, but it proved to be catastrophic. Not only did Harvard come up empty on the powerplay, but BC countered with a shorthanded goal courtesy of sophomore Marc McLaughlin, boosting both its lead and its morale. The man-down tally stretched the score to 4-2, where it would remain until the end of the game.

“They end up with a powerplay goal and a shorthanded goal,” coach Donato said.

“The goaltender made four or five saves at important times, and that’s the difference in the game.”

For most of the contest prior to the Eagles’ key second-period rally, the Crimson was able

NOT ALL DRURY Despite the loss, sophomore forward Jack Drury netted his third goal of the young season. Drury is now tied for third with most points on the team (8).

CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

to contain the BC offense. Gornet (4 GA, .857 SV%) was scarcely tested early and made multiple crucial saves, yet he suffered his first loss of the season.

Staring down the ice at Gornet was freshman net-minder Spencer Knight (2 GA, .931 SV%), a first-round draft pick in 2019 of the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers organization.

“I thought Spencer made some terrific saves,” coach York said. “Point-blank shots, he just came up big. He plays angles really, really well. He’s a special goaltender.”

On Friday evening, the highly touted backstop added to his impressive campaign, ranking just outside the national top 10 in both goals against average (1.92) and save percentage (.934) for the year. Coach Donato’s group will be wary of Knight’s stout play between the pipes and the Eagles’ quickstrike ability, should the teams meet again in the second week of February’s Beanpot Tournament.

“This is a terrific series over the years,” coach York said.

“Having played in it myself and then coached, the BC-Harvard matchup to me is kind of electric. I thought the crowd responded tonight…to see two good teams play. We both play the right way: we’re quick, we make plays.”

Harvard will have little time to dwell on its first loss of the 2019-2020 slate, as it clashes with another Beantown rival in Boston University on Tuesday. The stretch of high-profile matchups continues three days later, as historic rival No. 2 Cornell visits the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. A top-10 team heading into Friday’s loss to BC, the Crimson now faces a critical opportunity to validate its place among the NCAA’s top programs.

“When you play against good teams, there are more momentum shifts,” coach Donato said.

“I thought it was a good crowd today. We hope to be in those types of situations where we’re playing against good teams with a lot at stake and good crowds. We’re a young team, and I thought [BC] pushed us in some areas that we needed to be pushed to get better.”

TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—

spencer.morris@thecrimson.com

PAGE 8

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | DECEMBER 2, 2019

Harvard

proctor opportunities

Be a leader at Harvard this summer.

Join more than 140 of your peers in the Yard and Houses to serve as a proctor for Harvard Summer School students. You'll gain valuable leadership experience and have an amazing summer while making a difference in the lives of students.

Did you work as a proctor in 2019?

Receive a $500 "signing bonus" when you return as a proctor in 2020

Open to Harvard College undergraduates, recent graduates, and Harvard University graduate students, proctors live on campus to supervise, mentor, organize activities for resident students.

As a proctor, you receive: • Free room and board on campus • Free 4-credit, 7-week Summer School course • The ability to work an outside job, up to 20 hours per week For more information, contact Kimberly Calnan at (617) 998-8543 or kcalnan@fas.harvard.edu.

•

HARVARD SUMMER SCHOOL

summer.harvard.edu/jobs Additional information at opportunities.summer.harvard.edu