The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVII, No. 3

The Harvard Crimson The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLVII No. 3 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Monday, January 27, 2020

News PAGE 5

editorial PAGE 6

sports PAGE 8

Researchers design living, programmable frog nanobots.

Op-Ed: First-generation students are not getting the support they need.

Men’s Hockey ties No. 1 Cornell, 1-1, at Lynah Rink.

Advocates Call for Accessibility

By Callia A. chuang Crimson Staff Writer

A small group of protesters gathered in Harvard Square Friday afternoon to advocate for wheelchair accessibility in a Harvard University Information Technology building.

The six protesters — led by Harvard Extension School student and former HUIT employee Raman G. Solanki — marched from the HUIT building at 65R Mount Auburn Street to the Smith Campus Center to raise awareness for people with disabilities.

Solanki said he chose to resign from his job with HUIT because the University has “no plans” to make the building wheelchair accessible. He said he met with the property manager and building manager multiple times, but they would not add a ramp or elevator to the building.

“It’s just a ramp. It’s not going to take a lot. I don’t know why they’re not doing it,” Solanki said.

HUIT spokesperson Tim Bailey wrote in an email that the office’s locations comply with

Gehrke to Leave Quincy House

­

On Friday afternoon, Raman Solanki, Robert A. Weckesser, and Christopher J. McCarthy protested the inaccessible entrance to an HUIT building at 65R Mt. Auburn St. ryan n. gajarawala — Crimson photographer

See huit Page 4

By Declan J. knieriem Crimson Staff Writer

Quincy House Faculty Dean Lee Gehrke announced he will step down from his role at the end of the academic year in an email to House affiliates Sunday.

In the email, Gehrke wrote that the recent loss of his wife and co-faculty dean Deborah J. Gerhke — who died from breast cancer in December — spurred his decision. He added that a search for new faculty deans will commence in the spring.

“It has been such a wonderful opportunity for Deb and me to serve as your Faculty Deans... but the Faculty Dean job requires the skills and enthusiasm of two people,” he wrote.

Gehrke called Deborah the “heart and soul” of Quincy but wrote that he will remain “committed” to students throughout the rest of his tenure.

“The open houses, [Quincy Philosophical Society], Kettles, IM sports, and myriad other activities will carry on without missing a beat,” he wrote. ­

Harvard spokesperson Rachael Dane wrote in an emailed statement that the College will release details on the search for a new faculty dean as soon as they are available.

In the email announcing his departure, Gehrke paid tribute to his late wife and her time as Quincy House faculty dean. He described the job as a “highlight” of her life.

“Nothing brought her greater joy than wearing the Sorting Hat, welcoming the new Sophomores, playing her music at Community Dinner, organizing paint bars, Open Houses and Lip Sync, and bringing burgers to hungry competitors after IM games,” he wrote.

Gehrke also invited Quincy affiliates to a Memorial Church service to celebrate Deborah’s life on Feb. 29. He added that he is seeking grief counseling and encouraged students to do the same.

“I want you to know that I am taking advantage of counseling services to help me through my

See gehrke Page 4

Kennedy, Markey Spar Over Iraq War

By Jasper G. Goodman Crimson Staff Writer

U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-Mass.) criticized incumbent Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), his primary opponent, for Markey’s initial vote in favor of the Iraq War at a Cambridge Democrats event featuring both candidates Sunday night.

The two candidates spoke to a room of about 150 local residents at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School. Kennedy, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2012, said Massachusetts Democrats “could get more” out of their representation in the Senate.

“I believe we are at a moment of great consequence for our party, for our commonwealth, and for our nation — and that those times require a Senator who is going to be fully engaged in every aspect of this job,” Kennedy said.

Markey declined to target Kennedy directly in his re­

marks. Asked by an audience member what policy issue the two Democrats differ on the most, Markey punted.

“Well, I’m going to leave that to him to tell you,” he said. “I’m running on my record. I’m running on my achievements — the things that I’ve fought for, the things that I’ve been successful on. And that’s what I’ve done — I’ve led and delivered for Massachusetts throughout my career.”

When Kennedy was posed a similar question, he targeted Markey’s 2002 vote in favor of the authorization of the use of military force against Iraq.

“The consequences of an Iraq War authorization that has absolutely no sunset provision — that was being used to justify the execution of, a strike on, General [Qasem] Soleimani, an Iranian general on Iraq territory back on January 7 — that impact is still being felt today,” Kennedy said.

See senate Page 4

Left: U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III (D-Mass.) shared his vision for Massachusetts and the nation. Right: Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) spoke Sunday night, as his position as incumbent is challenged in a competitive Senate race. allison g. lee —Crimson photographer

Affiliates Protest Indian Legislation

By Luke a. williams and matteo n. wong Crimson Staff Writers

Under a blue tarp hung between four light poles bedecked with Indian flags, a group of Harvard graduate students and local activists staged a 24-hour protest in Harvard Square on Sunday to mark the 70th anniversary of India’s constitution and decry India’s Citizenship Amendment Act. Passed in early December, the Citizenship Amendment Act offers asylum to undocumented immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan only if they are non-Muslim. Sunday’s protestors, as well as critics in India and across the globe, have condemned the act as justifying anti-Muslim violence and contradicting the secular values espoused by India’s constitution.

Fewer than 10 participants gathered in the Square when ­

To protest India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, a group of Harvard graduate students and local activists organized a 24-hour demonstration in Harvard Square on Sunday. camille g. caldera—Crimson photographer

Inside this issue

Harvard Today 2

News 4

Editorial 6

Sports 8

Today’s Forecast

the protest began at midnight.

But by 2 p.m., more than 100 Harvard students and Cambridge and Boston residents had joined the demonstration.

Protestors ate a potluck Indian lunch; danced to Bollywood music; and sang poems, chants, and traditional Indian songs.

Some protesters also delivered speeches.

Law enforcement in India has met student protests against the act with forceful suppression, beating students and firing tear gas into crowds.

Suraj Yengde, a protestor and a fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, said demonstrators in the Square stood especially in solidarity with women who have been leading the protests in India, including a group of hundreds who have been occupying a street in the Shaheen Bagh neighborhood of Delhi for weeks.

PARTLY Sunny High: 45 Low: 31

See india Page 4

Bruce Mann Visits Warren N.H. Office By charles xu Crimson Staff Writer

Harvard Law School Professor Bruce H. Mann traveled from Cambridge to Manchester, N.H. to rally canvassers for Democratic presidential candidate Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) on Saturday.

With Warren off the campaign trail while she attends the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump, Mann — Warren’s husband of 39 years — has stepped forward as a surrogate. At the event in the campaign’s Manchester field office, he said the Massachusetts Senator is dedicated to working-class families, a demographic that Warren has sought to court. ­

See Mann Page 4

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food fight

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

January 27, 2020

Page 2

Harvard Today

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

For Dinner Beef Fajita with Fettucine Tomato Basil Cod Fillet Quinoa and Veg. Jumbalaya

Today’s Events

in The Real World

Drafted Into the Meme Wars: Disinformation in US Elections Carr Center, 5:50-6:45 p.m.

Basketball Star Kobe Bryant Dies in Helicopter Crash

In case you didn’t read above, the title of this event includes Meme Wars. If you want to find out what exactly they mean by that, head to the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy for a talk centering on ethics and technology.

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. Bryant was a fivetime NBA champion who retired in 2016 after 20 seasons with the Lakers. As the third-alltime leading scorer in NBA history, Bryant was expected to join the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this summer.

The Films and Videos of Richard Serra Carpenter Center, 7-8:15 p.m.

Trying to start off this semester feeling more artistically cultured? Lucky for you, the Harvard Film Archive is hosting an evening of films (free for Harvard students!) at the Carpenter Center. Grab a friend and remind yourself that art exists before the semester consumes you.

Fifth U.S. Case of Coronavirus Confirmed in California

The sun sets over the Charles River as Harvard College students return to campus for the spring semester. ryan n. gajarawala—Crimson photographer

Daily Briefing

As China struggles to control the new pneumonialike virus outbreak, the fourth case of the virus in the U.S. has been confirmed. Coronavirus cases have been identified in Southern California, Chicago, Arizona, and Washington state

Dozens Die After Severe Floods in Brazil

A group of protesters gathered outside a Harvard University Information Technology building to advocate for increased wheelchair accessibility.

Organizer and Harvard Extension School student Raman G. Solanki, who previously worked at HUIT, said issues with the building led him to leave his job. In other news, Quincy House faculty dean Lee Gehrke wrote in an email to House affiliates that he plans to step down at the end of the academic term.

More than 2,500 people were evacuated and at least 30 people were killed in landslides and floods caused by intense rainstorms in Brazil’s Minas Gerais state Friday and Saturday. The state capital of Belo Horizonte received seven inches of rain in 24 hours, a record-setting rainfall which is affecting around 40 municipalities.

Around the Ivies BRown Former Rhode Island governor, senator, and Brown alumnus Lincoln D. Chafee announced his candidacy for president earlier this month, the Brown Daily Herald reported Friday. Chafee — who has previously been a member of the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as an independent — will run as a libertarian. Chafee’s platform, which stresses the importance of avoiding “foreign entanglements” and “endless wars,” will appeal to anti-war libertarians. His pro-gun control stance, however, will likely face opposition from libertarians, who are traditionally pro-Second Amendment.

UPenn

Although the Wharton School, the business school of the University of Pennsylvania, removed actuarial science from its homepage last semester, the university will continue to offer the program following student backlash, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported Thursday. The program was initially removed from the school’s website due to the planned retirement of Jean Lemaire, the faculty director of the program. After students expressed their concern about the “abrupt” removal to Wharton administrators, Wharton Deputy Dean Michael Gibbons wrote in an email to the Daily Pennsylvanian that the program will continue for three more years.

cornell

The Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life at Cornell University announced new regulations for Greek life events, the Cornell Daily Sun reported Thursday. Chapters that host events must be in “good standing” with the University and are required to employ Cornell-approved caterers to serve mixers and drinks. The new regulations also ban alcoholic beverages above 15 percent alcohol by volume from all premises at any time.

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | January 27, 2020

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

January 27, 2020

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Cambridge Adds New Truck Cams

india From Page 1

Hundreds Protest India Legislation

By charles xu Crimson Staff Writer

Cambridge’s Department of Public Works will outfit 11 garbage trucks with backup cameras in the next few months, public works commissioner Owen O’Riordan said Friday.

The decision comes after multiple accidents in which trucks struck pedestrians in Cambridge, including the October 2018 death of Cambridge resident Jie “JJ” Zhao, who was killed by a reversing dump truck.

O’Riordan said that, given the accidents and “the concerns expressed by residents, councilors and indeed many others,” the Department of Public Works has decided to make backup cameras a safety “priority” for its truck fleet.

O’Riordan wrote in an email that, of the 17 garbage trucks in Cambridge, 11 will have new backup cameras installed. The remaining six are newer models and already equipped with cameras. He wrote that he expects the entire fleet to be equipped with backup cameras “in the next couple of months.”

In addition to its garbage trucks, O’Riordan said the department will outfit its roughly two dozen dump trucks as soon as it can find cameras that will fit the trucks’ specialized design. The city will also continue consulting with the National Transportation Systems Center based in Cambridge, Mass., to find a viable solution.

“We want to be responsive to the concerns raised in the community, so I think we also want to be responsible,” O’Riordan said of the unresolved dump truck issue. “And so it’s important that the technology that we use so as to support safe driving is one that will work. And like I said, I have perhaps a misplaced fear that you may get some false positive indications from these cameras that the coast is clear.” ­

“The purpose of this is twofold,” said Ruha Shadab, a student at the Kennedy School and one of the protest’s organizers. “One is to express our discontentment with the act itself.

And the other is in solidarity with all the student-led movements, which are now just civilian movements, across India.”

Last month, hundreds of Harvard students signed a letter condemning the act and gathered in the Science Center for a similar protest.

Many of Sunday’s protestors came from beyond Harvard Yard.

“This protest is for everyone.

It’s to raise awareness about the atrocities happening in India.

Parents with children, students from Boston like myself, we’re all coming out. I’ve been here since 8 a.m,” Rochester Institute of Technology student Aaditya P. Shah said.

Boston-area activist Arif Hussain gave the opening speech at the protest’s midday rally. He began his speech with a call for celebratory dance, then outlined the protest’s goals.

“We have modeled it as an ode to dozens and dozens of places where very brave women, men, and children are sitting out just like this under constant threat of police action and under constant threat of arrest,” Hussain said. “Being privileged as we are, the least we can do is show solidarity with them and send the message: They are not alone.”

After Hussain’s speech, Rupali Samuel, a graduate student organizer, gave a calland-response reading of the Indian constitution’s preamble. Chants, speeches, and performances by local artists fol­

The Cambridge Department of Public Works provides a variety of services to maintain and improve the city of Cambridge. allison G. Lee—Crimson photographer

Meanwhile, citizens have sought the help of local and state governments in an effort to improve vehicular regulation and pedestrian safety.

We want to be responsive to concerns raised in the community.

Owen O’Riordan DPW Commissioner

The truck driver that struck Zhao, Daniel Desroche, 54, was acquitted in a criminal trial.

Following the ruling, Kezi Cheng, Zhao’s friend and former classmate, reached out to former Cambridge Mayor Marc

C. McGovern, as well as state Senator Patricia D. Jehlen and state Representative Marjorie C. Decker, to advocate for legislation requiring backup cameras on large trucks.

“Because there was no requirement for trucks to have backup cameras at the time, that could not be used as something against the driver in court, so that was really difficult to accept,” Cheng said Friday. “I mean, this is people’s lives.”

Cheng said the recent move to equip Cambridge garbage trucks with backup cameras is “good progress,” but said she hopes backup camera requirements will be incorporated into federal law eventually.

In the meantime, Jehlen and Decker have both pushed for state legislation requiring backup cameras on trucks.

“Backup cameras are already required on passenger vehicles because they are a proven tool to keep pedestrians and drivers safe,” Decker wrote in an emailed statement Sunday.

“There is no reason that we wouldn’t require this technology on large trucks that have even greater blind spots and can be more deadly than smaller passenger vehicles.”

Decker’s bill, which would require backup cameras on large vehicles, has passed the state senate and awaits review by the legislature’s Joint Committee on Transportation.

“It is reasonable to believe Jie Zhao might be alive if the driver had been afforded the technology of back up camera,” Decker wrote. charles.xu@thecrimson.com

lowed.

In an interview at the protest, Yengde warned that India’s recent update to the National Population Register is not only anti-Muslim but also anti-Dalit, India’s lowest caste.

The register, which is currently being enacted, collects demographic and biometric information on, and requires documentation from, all of India’s citizens.

This protest is for everyone. It’s to raise awareness about the atrocities happening in India.

Aaditya P. Shah Rochester Institute of Technology Student

“We are disempowered and disenfranchised by this law,” Yengde said. “The state will have more authority to discard us and deprive us of all the facilities, as well as a state sponsored initiatives, that the constitution asks the state to do for the people who belong to the lower spectrum.”

Surrounded by protestors holding signs reading “I do this for the love of India,” and “Say no to fascism,” Hussain called upon the crowd to help protect India’s constitution at all costs.

“We cherish our constitution because we have gotten it through sacrifices,” Hussain said. “Hundreds of thousands have given their lives for our freedoms, and we’re not just going to give them up like this.” luke.williams@thecrimson.com matteo.wong@thecrimson.com

mann From Page 1

SENATE From Page 1

Harvard Prof. Mann Attends Warren N.H. Office Opening

Kennedy Takes Aim at Markey Over Iraq War at Local Event The U.S. launched an airstrike that killed Soleimani, a top Iranian general, on Jan. 3 in Baghdad.

After the strike, House Democrats, who criticized the move, passed a resolution to restrict President Donald J. Trump’s war powers in Iran.

Markey said Sunday that he regretted voting for the 2002 Iraq War resolution. In an interview after the event, Markey pointed to his endorsements from peace groups, including Massachusetts Peace Action — a Cambridge-based non-profit advocating for peaceful foreign policy.

“They see me as the leader on peace issues — not only here, but across the country,” Markey ­

said.

Markey, who traveled back to Massachusetts from Washington for the event, focused his remarks on his plans to pressure Senate Republicans to vote in favor of witness testimony in President Trump’s ongoing Senate impeachment trial.

“So far, there’s been [an] overwhelming avalanche of evidence which has been presented that the president did, in fact, try to extort an investigation of the Biden family out of the Ukraine President,” Markey said.

“The evidence is overwhelming,” he added. “The Republicans say it is not. And so we say to them, ‘Then give us the witnesses.’”

Former Cambridge Mayor Marc C. McGovern, a Markey supporter, attended the event and said he was not persuaded by what he heard from Kennedy.

“There are a lot of people in Washington, and in a lot of different professions, who have been there too long and they’ve lost their effectiveness,” McGovern said. “Senator Markey is not one of those people. Senator Markey continues to be effective, he continues to be able to build coalitions, he continues to be able to get meaningful legislation passed, and he has earned re-election, in my opinion.” jasper.goodman@thecrimson.com

Never miss a moment.

Bruce H. Mann, a professor at Harvard Law School, canvassed for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign in New Hampshire. charles xu—Crimson photographer

“This is not a career move for her,” Mann said in a speech to supporters. “This goes down a lifetime of research, studying, thinking about the problems facing working families and because of the depth of her background, because of the fact that her research led her to always see people whose issues she studying and designing to be effective, that sets her apart from everyone else.”

Warren, a former Law School professor, has focused her campaign on tackling income inequality and regulating large financial institutions and individuals, proposing new taxes on corporations and wealthy households.

Mann lauded the volunteers for their work campaigning for the policies Warren “cares about and talks about and fights for.” Reminding canvassers that they are on the “front lines” of Warren’s campaign, Mann said the key to reaching New Hampshire voters is engaging with locals.

“As with any grassroots campaign, it really is face to face,” Mann said. “It involves people who are passionate about the ­

issues and about a candidate.

They’re passionate about the future on behalf of that candidate and communicate that passion to everyone they see, whether it’s through knocking on doors or through casual conversations.”

The New Hampshire primary is Feb. 11. Warren is currently polling fourth among seven Democratic candidates in the state, according to a January CNN poll. Mann also described Warren’s character on the trail and at home.

“The same Elizabeth you see in town halls — her passion and enthusiasm — and the Elizabeth you see hugging people in selfie lines is the same Elizabeth who goes shopping for sparkly shoes with our granddaughters and the same Elizabeth who absolutely terrifies bankers,” Mann said.

In his speech, Mann referenced Warren’s sharp questioning of Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf in 2016 during a Senate Banking, House, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing.

Before leaving to canvass, Veronica Joyce, a Manchester resident, said she had nev-

er seen Mann in person before but could see why he spent time campaigning for Warren.

“He’s so supportive of her,” Joyce said. “He seems very calm while also wanting change to happen and wanting people to know the truth about what she’s saying and what she’s putting forward.”

Ben Moser and Andrea Goetschius traveled from Norwood, Mass. with their five-year-old son to help canvass. Moser said they were drawn to Warren’s campaign because of her progressive policies.

“The anti-corruption pitch that they talked about here is a big piece of it,” Moser said.

“Medicare for All is a big piece of it. Universal child care is a very personal piece of it for me.”

“It’s the way that all of those policies fit together to buoy folks,” he added.

Moser and Goetschius said they hoped they could instill their values to their son through their work with the Warren campaign.

“He’s just old enough that I want him to at least remember that we tried,” Moser said. charles.xu@thecrimson.com

The Crimson @thecrimson

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | january 27, 2020

Scientists Create Living Robots from Frogs By ethan lee Crimson Staff Writer

Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute, Tufts University, and the University of Vermont published a study detailing their creation of programmable, living nanobots built from frog DNA on Jan. 13.

The robots, which are called “xenobots” after Xenopus laevis — an African clawed frog species whose cells were used in their creation — were designed using an “evolutionary algorithm” on a supercomputer.

So far, the xenobots have been programmed to independently move and interact with each other, according to Douglas J. Blackiston, the study’s co-author and a scientist at the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts.

“The types of functions that we’ve seen are different types of motions. So, we can make them swim, or crawl, and walk, using articulated muscle tissue,” Blackiston said. “They can collect and aggregate particles, so we’ve been looking at possible applications for that, where they move around in an environment in groups.”

Although the research is not the first of its kind in creating “living robots,” Sam Kriegman — a co-author of the study and Ph.D. student at the University of Vermont — wrote in an email that it is perceived as unique due to its incorporation of supercomputers when designing the xenobots.

“Xenobots are 100% biological tissue, but the big advance is that they are designed by a computer,” Kriegman wrote.

“It turns out that it is very diffi­

The Crimson @crimsonflyby

Xenobots are 100% biological tissue, but the big advance is that they are designed by a computer.

Sam Kriegman Study Co-Author

“We can already see the rudments of useful work: swarms of xenobots tend to work together to push pellets in their dish into neat piles,” Kriegman wrote.

“We can imagine future xenobots doing the same thing with microplastics in the ocean: aggregating tiny bits of plastic into a large ball of plastic that a traditional drone can gather and bring to a recycling center.”

No matter what function xenobots take on in their future applications, they are not dangerous to the environment due to their design and composition, Blackiston said.

“They have a specific lifespan, so they survive for 7 days, they run out of food, and they dissolve naturally,” Blackiston said. “And these are amphibian

cells, and so frogs also naturally shed their skin so the material that we have here is largely what would come off on a frog naturally shedding into a waterway.”

While xenobots present a number of potential benefits, some critics have also raised ethical questions regarding their statuses as living beings.

Michael Levin, a co-author of the study, associate faculty member at the Wyss Institute, and biology professor at Tufts, wrote in an email that it may be too early to address these concerns.

“They are clearly living beings, but their moral significance right now is on a level with frog skin in general. Frogs shed their skin all the time,” Levin wrote.

“I think it makes sense to deal with mammals’ moral significance first (e.g., factory farms all over the world with pigs and cows), then fish and amphibians, and after that we can worry about pieces of skin tissue.”

Looking forward, the team said they believe the research can be used for exploring different properties of cells and their applications in medicine and other areas.

“A lot of the work is actually translating this laterally into a more medical context of regenerative medicine,” Blackiston said.

“And so the types of things we’re learning here about how to generate these shapes, how to organize the cells, how to get cells to communicate effectively, have been moving into a lot of other projects and labs.” ethan.lee@thecrimson.com

huiT From Page 1

gehrke From Page 1

HUIT Protesters Demand Inclusivity

Quincy Faculty Dean to Leave

t he Americans with Disabilities Act’s accessibility requirements.

“Harvard University Information Technology (HUIT) is committed to offering an inclusive and accessible workspace for all members of our community,” Bailey wrote.

Solanki said poor upkeep of the building also prompted his resignation, describing the University’s maintenance of the steps as “below average at best.”

“I had multiple injuries on those stairs,” Solanki said. “I had slipped on those stairs.

There were many instances where the snow was not even plowed.”

Bailey wrote that Facilities Maintenance Operations — which handles snow removal — lapsed in its duties during the first snowfall of the season due to nearby construction, but that the issue was immediately addressed. FMO addresses grounds and trash pickup on a weekly basis, and staff can enter work orders for additional items that they need FMO to respond to in a timely manner.

The protest was not the first time Harvard has come under fire for failing to accommodate people with disabilities. In De­

The latest on student life.

cult to design an organism from scratch. So we tell the computer what we want the organism to do, and the computer (an evolutionary algorithm) performs a trial and error process, creating and simulating millions of virtual creatures.”

Although currently produced on a small scale, xenobots could become tools for future societal benefit once they are fully studied and developed, according to Kriegman.

cember, Harvard resolved to provide closed captioning for its online video and audio content after facing a lawsuit by the National Association for the Deaf.

Amid the the suit, advocates across the University have pushed to destigmatize disabilities and promote equal access.

In May, an advocacy group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education called International Higher Education and Disabilities created a new journal detailing people’s experiences with disabilities. In November, disability rights activist Judith E. Heumann spoke at the Harvard Institute of Politics.

At Friday’s protest, demonstrators continued the efforts, holding signs with slogans such as “#MakeHarvardWheelchairAccessible” and distributing flyers to passersby.

Protestor Jackie Bassett said she joined the demonstration because she was “outraged” that Harvard was not providing its students and employees with the “basic minimum need” of accessibility.

“It didn’t seem at all fair,” Bassett said. “This is not a third world country. This is Harcallia.chuang@thecrimson.com

personal grief, and I encourage all of you to consider the same if you are feeling sad or depressed for any reason,” he wrote. ­

I feel so grateful that Lee and Deb gave so much to the house.

Sierra M. Moore ‘20 Former Quincy HoCo Chair

Former Quincy House Committee Chair Sierra M. Moore ’20 wrote in an email that Deborah Gehrke was “beloved” by House residents and said she believes her loss of will make the House “different and emptier.”

“We love Lee, and I feel so grateful that Lee and Deb gave so much to the house and shared their lives with us,” she wrote.

“There are not enough words to express the grief we feel as a house, and I am keeping their family in my prayers.” declan.knieriem@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | January 27, 2020

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Editorial Op-Ed

Op-Ed

First-Generation Alienation

By Kevin R. English

As the spring semester of my senior year begins, I reflect on my time at Harvard.

In reflecting, I’ve often been drawn to my experiences and difficulties with being a first-generation student. Although low-income and first-generation are not necessarily synonymous, they overlap frequently, like in my case.

I struggled immensely to make the transition to life at Harvard, as many others do, and this is something that needs to be addressed. I want to take the time to discuss some of the issues for first-gen students that I have felt and heard in my time on campus.

The most difficult thing that I had to come to terms with was getting help.

There are resources available to you, but getting to a point in which you feel comfortable reaching out to them often happens too late.

Many first-gen/low-income students aren’t comfortable accessing resources that are available to them.

In trying to prove that you belong alongside peers in Canada Goose jackets by showing that you’re “strong enough” to deal with problems on your own, you fall further behind. If you went to a less rigorous public school than your Exeter buddies, you may not be used to the heightened workload.

If you are struggling with mental illness, you may be from a culture that has a stigma around seeking help and not want to reach out to campus services immediately.

There are resources available to you, but getting to a point in which you feel comfortable reaching out to them often happens too late. By this time, you may have already failed a class or had a mental breakdown. Overall, shedding this

“pride” and understanding that you have every right to use these resources and that you can’t deal with everything on your own is a long process that is common among many first-gen/low-income students.

You also are attending a university that is actively suppressing your people through investing in private prisons at a time in which our justice system systematically targets uneducated, low-income, and especially minority communities. Not only that, but when first-gen students make up essentially the same number of legacy students, 15 and 14 percent respectively, the supposed ideals of Harvard’s diversity and equal education are in question.

Looking around and seeing so few people like you — so few people with shared experiences in your life — is difficult. Knowing that some of these people will go on to work at companies that will contribute to the further oppression of your friends and family is frustrating. As legacy admits graduate from Harvard to ball out on Wall Street in finance, I’m reminded of family members’ houses foreclosed on or cars repossessed during my life due to defaulted loans.

If I sold out, I would have to go home knowing that I am doing nothing to help these people that I struggled alongside so much.

Going home is not exactly the break that you would hope it would be either.

Since you attend Harvard, that’s your identity to many people.

In well-educated communities you may still have the privilege of going home and not being called “Harvard” when you are trying to talk to some of your old friends. Being made to feel alien in one’s own home because of higher education can be lonely. Not that these other people have ill-intentions, but it’s simply what you are identified as now. This effect can be exaggerated when people are forced to take time off and return to their communities that have unintentionally isolated them and may not have

adequate resources to address the problems they are facing.

Someone returning to their million-dollar Upper East Side apartment in Manhattan is nowhere near equivalent to someone returning to the rural Midwest and having to explain why you aren’t at Harvard at the moment.

Now, after you graduate from Harvard, you essentially are different from those people, too. You now are afforded privileges that nobody else from your community receives, as you’ve graduated into an elite class of Ivy League alumni. This identity crisis is far too common for first-gen/low-income students. This doesn’t even address how race impacts this identity crisis when nearly half of white students at Harvard are legacies,

If I sold out, I would have to go home knowing that I am doing nothing to help these people that I struggled alongside so much. athletes, or children of faculty and donors.

If Harvard had better support systems in place for first-generation students, many of these issues would not be as common. If CAMHS didn’t have absurdly long wait times to get an appointment and were easier to access, or if students trusted administrators to actually listen to their concerns and feelings, people could get help.

Stronger institutional, mentor, and peer support networks for first-gen college students need to be implemented to supplement already existing organizations such as the Harvard College First Generation Student Union. At the present moment, too many first-gen students are struggling and are not getting the support they need.

—Kevin R. English ’20, is a Psychology concentrator in Kirkland House.

until I was a bit older and smarter that I knew what consent truly was. I cannot speak for every man out there, but I find it hard to believe that I am alone in carrying this guilt. It seems the concept of consent is not something often talked about with children.

Teaching consent does not have to begin with sexuality, as it is more about respecting others’ boundaries. And as a child gets older, the conversation can become more tailored to specific sexual encounters. Then maybe, just maybe, we will have a society of boys that can comprehend how wrong it is to press themselves against a woman on a crowded train. Until then, we have to do better.

And for those who were not taught consent properly that are now adults, perhaps many on the Harvard campus, it is not too late. What is important is calling out this behavior when it is detected and forcefully eradicating it. All too often we overlook such behavior in fear of hurting reputations or questioning the situation’s need for such attention, but this does more harm than good. And as much as we look towards our administration for such improvements, more is needed. The administration’s impact can only be so significant. A change like this is only truly everlasting when it is bottom-up. We, the student body, must lead the cultural shift. Implementation of a new administration policy must be a symptom of a greater change that is occurring, not the catalyst.

—Joshua M. Conde ’22, a Crimson editorial editor, is a Government concentrator in Currier House.

—Noah D. Secondo ’22, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a joint History and Romance Languages & Literatures concentrator in Dunster House.

@thecrimson Op-ed

Boys Will Be Boys, But Should They?

W

hile sitting on a heavily crowded New York subway, I witnessed a boy, no older than 15, standing ever so closely behind a woman. He made lewd gestures to his younger brother, pretending to sexually harass the young woman in front of him. At even the slightest shake of the train, the boy would proceed to press his weight against the woman’s backside and give a hollow “sorry.”

But boys will be boys, right? To make matters worse, a lady, presumably the boy’s mother, stood in front of the woman being harassed and did nothing to stop her son’s actions. But he’s going through puberty; he is confused about what’s appropriate, right? It wasn’t until I noticed and offered my seat to the woman that she was able to escape the uncomfortable situation.

But again, boys will be boys. No. Wrong. It is time we retire this phrase and stop excusing behavior such as this that allows boys to act as they please without realizing the damaging effects of their actions.

While this boy clearly knew his actions were wrong, behavior like this is cultivated from a young age. It is reported that in cases of child sexual abuse, one-third of the offenders are children under the age of 18. As such, child on child sex abuse is an unfortunate reality that must be dealt with.

One might say that it would not be right to place blame on a child who does not understand the impact of their actions. While I agree to some extent, that

W

e all introduce ourselves to new people following the standard formula: name, House or dorm, and concentration. But the question that sparks the most interest — at least for me — is where we are from.

Our ears twist to locate an engaging foreign accent; our eyebrows raise when a Midwesterner enters the dining hall. Then, of course, we begrudgingly smile when we hear the old standards: California, New York, and Massachusetts.

Just like California often means “the Bay Area” and New York means “the City,” Massachusetts is synonymous with Boston.

I’m from Massachusetts — but not from Boston. I’m from a different kind of Massachusetts.

No, not Newton. Nope, not Framingham. Worcester? I’m impressed you’ve heard of it, but no — not far enough west.

We often talk about the Harvard bubble, but there’s a bubble beyond that – the Greater Boston bubble. Eastern Massachusetts has its wonders; in fact, it’s wonderful. But I’m from Western Mass. Home to the first motorcycle and the first American automobile. Basketball and volleyball.

Emily Dickinson and Dr. Seuss. Mount Holyoke, Amherst, Williams, and Smith. Massachusetts’ persistent athletic pride permeates historic landmarks, cultural icons, and liberal arts stalwarts.

Western Mass overflows with small-town America’s classic charm: soup served in Styrofoam containers, locally owned farms that double as momand-pop ice-cream shops.

Of course, these communities — our communities — face particular hardship. Unemployment rates drop in and around Boston but lag behind further west. Even as deaths fall statewide, Western Massachusetts sees more and more of its residents’ lives stolen by the opioid epidemic. Residents face transportation injustice, funding initiatives like the Green Line Extension and The Big Dig in the wealthiest parts of the state while Western Massachusetts struggles with a disconnected public transit network.

I discuss my home because it is not unlike those of my peers. Many students hail from these communities, politically forgotten and economically disadvantaged.

When the Class of 2019 entered Harvard, they had plans to change this unfortunate reality and pursue justice. Students were committed to serving their communities — perhaps not the communities they originally came from, but at least a community — with approximately 5 percent looking to public service and nonprofits and nearly 15 percent looking to work in government. Dishearteningly, by the time the Class of 2019 graduated, only 5 percent planned to go into government and 6 percent continued on to public service or nonprofit work.

Approximately 15 percent of both the classes of 2018 and 2019 claim that the 2016 election dissuaded them from pursuing government work.

While less than 20 percent of those individuals decided to shift their post-graduate plans from the private sector to the public sector, over 35 percent swore off all positions in the federal government. When considering the data from past years, however, the 2016 election amounts to an excuse, plain and simple.

In the three editions of The Crimson’s senior survey run before ballots were cast in 2016, the rate at which graduates pursue government, public service, or nonprofit work out of college has never exceeded 13 percent and fell to a low of 7 percent. Sure, returning to our communities, our homes, is often not the most lucrative option. The consulting, finance, and technology jobs that half of graduates pursue aren’t available everywhere.

Perhaps this is why 58 percent of the Class of 2019 decided to live in California, New York, or Massachusetts after graduation.

While Harvard College strives to educate “citizen-leaders,” today’s low enthusiasm for government work is partially an institutional problem.

When I open my inbox, I am greeted by emails about recruiting events for consulting firms far more often than emails about opportunities to work in government. Opportunities in the private sector create the image of a classic summer internship experience in New York. In final clubs’ predominantly rich circles, more than half of students choose consulting or finance. Students may find the earlier recruiting windows of consulting and finance comforting as their service-oriented peers wait to hear back from employers, sometimes as late as April or May. Leadership is certainly not a quality cultivated only or always through a Harvard undergraduate education. While Ivy League graduates are generally overrepresented in corporate leadership, their presence does not amount to dominance.

(Thank God.) But that is not an invitation for so many graduates to pursue such little public service in so few places.

In October 1963, President John F. Kennedy ’40 delivered his last major speech at Amherst College in Western Massachusetts. He told graduates, “Privilege is here, and with privilege goes responsibility.” Harvard overflows with privilege, and so it must share a disproportionate responsibility.

Before graduating, every student should deeply consider where they are needed most, what their responsibility is, and in which community they can best fulfill that civic obligation. I ask, simply, that they consider serving — and leading — at home.

The Crimson

does not negate the responsibility that parents have to prevent these occurrences. Although they might not understand the effects of their actions, the harmful consequences persist nonetheless. Children who experience sexual abuse are still going to be emotionally traumatized and potentially become perpetrators of sexual abuse as well. This only furthers the persistent rape culture we have in society.

I am not advocating for sex ed after naptime or the birds and the bees before recess, but for parental accountability. Parents must teach their children the concept of consent and if their child is a survivor of sexual abuse, get them the help they need so that they don’t sexually abuse other children. These young boys that lack the awareness of their actions sometimes grow up to be men that contribute to rape culture.

Now, some readers might say that women can be abusers too, and they are right. But, with 96 percent of child sexual abusers being male, and being a male myself, I feel it is of good reasoning to speak to the upbringing of boys specifically.

But I cannot take the moral high ground. As I am now older and more aware, I look back on some past encounters with girls with a bit of shame. I can recall times where I misinterpreted body language or other signals and likely made some girls nervous or uncomfortable unintentionally. These small encounters cause me great guilt. They cause guilt because they could’ve been easily avoided had I been properly educated on consent, and how it’s needed for even the smallest of advances; it was not

By Noah D. Secondo

We often talk about the Harvard bubble, but there’s a bubble beyond that – the Greater Boston bubble.

Submit an Op-Ed Today!

By joshua m. conde

Leading from Home

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | january 27, 2020

Sports

this weekend’s

Scores

WOMEN’S SQUASH vs. DREXEL W, 9-0 ___________________________________________________________

woMen’S TENNIS VS. FORDHAM w, 7-0 ___________________________________________________________

Women’s BASKETBALL Vs. DARTMOUTH W, 64-49 ___________________________________________________________

women’s ice hockey Vs. clarkson l, 4-0 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. DARTMOUTH W, 70-66 ___________________________________________________________

men’s tennis vs. minnesota w, 6-1 ___________________________________________________________

SKIING UVM CARNIVAL 9th ___________________________________________________________

Men’s Hockey

No. 16 Men’s Ice Hockey Ties No. 1 Cornell in Ithaca, 1-1 By spencer r. morris Crimson Staff Writer

ITHACA, N.Y. — On Saturday night, players, coaches, and fans alike packed the infamous Lynah Rink for the next installment of the storied rivalry between the No. 16 Harvard men’s hockey team and No. 1 Cornell.

Yet, despite the game delivering on the drama characteristic of a Crimson-Big Red showdown, nobody left satisfied.

An eventful last five minutes, in which each team notched its only goal of the night, brought the game to overtime. But extra hockey could not provide a more conclusive result, as Harvard (9-6-5, 7-4-4 ECAC) tied Cornell (14-1-5, 9-1-3), 1-1. “[The tie is] just frustrating.

Excellent team we’re playing against,” Crimson coach Ted Donato ’91 started. “I thought we played well. I thought we really defended well. We get the lead, we’re working hard, we’re limiting chances for them and creating some stuff for us.”

The storied rivals retook the ice for the third period having skated to a goalless stalemate through 40 minutes. In the middle frame, Harvard carried play for minutes at a time, showing the first signs of one team tilting the ice slightly in its favor.

The Crimson’s 12-4 advantage in second-period shots indicated as much.

Nonetheless, the most relevant ledger of all — the scoreboard — reflected a tie, demanding that the third stanza determine a victor. And just when it appeared as though a winner had emerged, Cornell re-wrote the script.

Trailing by a score, the Big Red pulled junior goaltender Matthew Galajda with over two minutes remaining in the matchup, gaining an extra skater in his stead.

A crucial offensive-zone penalty from Harvard sophomore Jack Drury enabled a 6-on-4 for the home team, and just 10 seconds into the powerplay, sophomore forward Michael Regush potted the game-tying goal in close.

“We take an offensive-zone penalty, and it ends up being the difference between a huge win for us and a tie,” coach Do­

nato said. “As a group, we took a big step forward for us. Coming [to Lynah Rink], it allows you to have a chance to grow as a group and come together in this environment against an excellent team.”

Regush’s eighth of the season came after the Crimson failed to seal victory on several empty-net-goal opportunities.

“That’s what I talked about after the game,” coach Donato began. “I said, ‘Listen, guys, we had two full possessions with an empty net, and we took an offensive-zone penalty that put us down.’ There’s no moral victories, and we just have to keep improving.”

The tally also equalized a late-third-period Harvard goal from none other than Drury.

With four minutes left on the game clock, sophomore forward Casey Dornbach strode with the puck down the right side of the Crimson’s offensive zone.

He carried it behind the net and threw it into the slot, where Drury had broken free from a defender. The centerman found twine on the ensuing one-timer, which was upheld after Cornell coach Mike Schafer petitioned the officials for a goaltender interference review.

So, after 56 hard-fought, well-played minutes by Harvard, the visitors finally had something to show for the effort. Regush’s spoiler two minutes later restored the gridlock and in doing so resurrected the Lynah crowd, which had fallen silent after Drury’s late goahead snipe.

After the game, Drury, who was involved in the highest and lowest points of his team’s performance, bore the burden of the 1-1 draw — disappointing only because his squad was otherwise primed to take down the nation’s top squad in a notoriously hostile barn.

“It’s disappointing,” said Drury of his late-game penalty.

“At the end of the day, I can’t be doing that. It was tough. I feel awful.”

Teammates were not as hard on Drury as he was on himself.

“He’s the most angry guy in the entire room right now for that,” said junior blue-liner Reilly Walsh of Drury. “He’s

BADINI MEENY MINY MOE Junior forward Jack Badini protects the puck from a Cornell defender. The Greenwich, Conn. native attempted two shots and won 10 faceoffs over the course of the game, attaining a faceoff percentage of 50%. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELDON LINDSEY/CORNELL ATHLETICS

been the best player on our team for just about this whole season. He’s first [penalty kill], first [powerplay], basically one of our captains this year. You can just see when he plays, he’s the hardest-working guy.

And he scored the goal for us….

We wouldn’t have been in that game if it wasn’t for him.”

Considering the unfriendly crowd and formidable opponent, the Crimson’s execution of a solid gameplan was laudable. The Harvard icemen outshot the hosts to the tune of 3017, controlling possession and playing in the Big Red’s zone for notable stretches on Saturday.

These are not easy feats considering Cornell’s size, speed, and

forechecking prowess.

“The game in Boston, [Cornell] came out and put us under pressure early on their forecheck,” coach Donato recalled.

“As the game wore on in Boston, after they kind of knocked us off-balance a little bit, we played pretty well the second half of the game. But against a team like this…you’re going to have a tough time climbing uphill.”

When the two rivals met in early December, the Big Red overwhelmed the Crimson in the first period with these very strengths. Harvard was determined to prevent Cornell from dominating to such a degree, and to its credit, if anything

the visitors carried the play at Lynah.

“Shots probably told the story of the game,” Walsh said.

“When it was 5-on-5, they didn’t stand a chance. I thought we did extremely well with their forecheck…. It’s very hard to get points out of Cornell, and we haven’t gotten any points here in my three years. This is our first time. But obviously the tie isn’t what you look for.”

Galajda (1 GA, .967 SV%) was unwavering for almost the entirety of the contest, and while the Big Red’s scoring attempts were more limited — courtesy of timely blocked shots, skilled stick checks, and savvy positioning by the Crimson — senior

WE GOT A (TH)RUNNER Defenseman Henry Thrun completes a neat pass to narrowly escape an approaching Cornell forward. The freshman was drafted 101st overall by the Anaheim Ducks during last year’s NHL Entry Draft, and will go on to play in California alongside current teammate Jack Badini after graduating. photo courtesy of eldon lindsey/cornell athletics

net-minder Cameron Gornet (1 GA, .941 SV%) made key saves when called upon to preserve the primarily scoreless affair.

Just over seven minutes into the tilt, Harvard forward Austin Wong laid an ugly check on Cornell centerman Matt Stienburg. The collision between freshmen sent Stienburg into the boards close to the Big Red bench, drew an immediate whistle from the referees, and ushered in loud jeers from the Lynah crowd.

Wong was assessed a much-deserved two-minute minor penalty on the play, but considering the nature of the hit and the subsequent officials’ review, the Crimson was lucky to avoid a five-minute major and retain Wong’s services for the remainder of the bout.

The boarding infraction remained the sole critical juncture of the first period. The back-and-forth frame produced just 10 shots between the two foes, split evenly at five apiece, and set the tone for the period to follow as well.

“I think the first period [was successful] before their penalties that kind of cut our momentum down,” Walsh said. “The shots were 5-5, and they had two powerplays…. In the second period, we just tried to stick to our gameplan, same thing we were going with in the first.”

As with any Harvard-Cornell matchup at Lynah Rink, the visitors were forced to endure an aerial barrage of seafood as they skated onto the ice before the national anthem.

Each year, the Big Red student section rains hundreds of fish down on the ice before the opening puck drop, and this clash in Ithaca was certainly no exception.

After a two-point weekend that will keep the Crimson dissatisfied, coach Donato’s group now turns to a busy stretch in the schedule, featuring several road trips in between rounds of the Beanpot Tournament. Harvard will look to use this result at Lynah, which easily could have ended in two points for the visitors, as a motivator and stepping stone along the path to the campaign’s home stretch.

“It’s a very, very big step confidence-wise for our group,” Walsh said. “It’s no fluke what that score was. We’ll be in the top 10 soon enough.” spencer.morris@thecrimson.com

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | January 27, 2020