The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVI, No. 65

The Harvard Crimson The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLVI, No. 65 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Thursday, may 2, 2019

News PAGE 5

news PAGE 5

sports PAGE 6

Graduate Student Council appointed its first liason to the graduate union.

Nine Harvard professors elected to National Academy of Sciences.

See the best sports photojournalism of the spring semester.

Graduate Union Occupies University Hall

Gov Dept Releases Report By jonah s. berger and molly c. mCcafferty Crimson Staff Writers

Several individuals participated in a sit-in at University Hall in support of the Union March happing right outside the building. Amanda y. su — Crimson photographer

By James s. bikales and Ruoqi zhang Crimson Staff Writers

As roughly 30 members of the graduate student union marched through Harvard Yard shouting “no contract, no peace,” approximately 30 others huddled inside University Hall, echoing back their chants.

Over the course of more than 10 hours, members of the Harvard Graduate Students Union– United Automobile Workers and their supporters protested, calling on the University to include third party grievance procedures, pay raises, and wider ranging health insurance benefits in their contract. At the same time, union organizers

staged a five-hour sit-in at University Hall, an administrative building.

The protests marked the first anniversary of the union’s official certification by the National Labor Relations Board — which officially fell April 30.

It also coincided with International Workers’ Day, celebrated May 1.

Union supporters and organizers started gathering around Massachusetts Hall at 8 a.m., while another group of HGSU organizers entered University Hall for the sit-in.

Inside University Hall, Harvard University Police Department officers stood in front of the entrance to the restroom, blocking students’ access to the

bathroom, according to Patricia N. Manos, a student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences who participated in the sit-in.

“It definitely made people uncomfortable,” Saul A. Glist ’22, an organizer for the Student Labor Action Movement who participated in the sit-in, said of the bathroom situation.

“And definitely, if we had stayed longer, people would have had to leave for that.”

HUPD spokesperson Steven G. Catalano did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

This is not the first time HUPD has blocked entrances to bathrooms during sit-ins at University Hall. When fossil fuels

See union Page 3

A protester speaks to the crowd. During the march, protestors sang organized chants. amanda y. su—Crimson photographer

Participants chat as they march in the Union March in front of the John Harvard statue. Amanda Y. Su—Crimson photographer

Nearly 14 months after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against Government Professor Emeritus Jorge I. Dominguez resurfaced, the Government committee responsible for scrutinizing departmental culture released a final report concluding it failed to provide a safe work environment for its affiliates.

The committee’s 53-page report, sent to department affiliates Wednesday, calls on the University to approve more faculty hiring and to launch an independent review of “failures of communication and reporting” that facilitated Dominguez’s abuse. The committee found that both the department’s and the University’s responses to Dominguez over the past few decades “triggered a crisis” within the department.

“We believe the University and the Government Department failed to uphold a

See report Page 3

Harvard Will Pilot Protestors Deliver TPS Petition To Bacow New Title IX System

By Camille G. Caldera Crimson Staff Writer

By Simone c. chu and iris m. lewis Crimson Staff Writers

Harvard will pilot a new online anonymous reporting system for Title IX complaints starting this July, following months of discussions across the University.

The new system is designed to be a resource for students, according to University spokesperson Nate Herpich. “The intent is for the system to be online, as a resource for the Harvard community, in addition to the already existing staff, resources, and trainings available through the Title IX Office,” he wrote in an emailed statement. Herpich did not provide specific logistical details about Harvard’s program.

Title IX is a federal anti-discrimination law designed to combat unfair differentiation on the basis of gender, and some schools use anonymous Title IX

reports to record information regarding incidents of sexual misconduct on or around campus. Anonymity allows individuals to report all the details that they are comfortable with reporting right after an incident has occurred. Once an anonymous report is filed, however, different schools have different protocols.

Princeton, for example, has an anonymous phone reporting system, which it says it is not confidential and that reports may result in investigations.

Northeastern University allows for anonymous reporting, but acknowledges that resulting investigations are necessarily inhibited by anonymity. Cornell, Dartmouth, and Reed College also allow individuals to make anonymous reports.

Advocates of anonymous reporting — including the Academies of Sciences, Engineering,

See Title ix Page 5

More than 50 people wielding signs including “TPS Workers Make Harvard Possible” and “Inaction=Oppression” crowded outside Massachusetts Hall on Wednesday, calling for the University to support workers with Temporary Protected Status and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

Harvard Students 4 TPS, a student organization formed this semester, called on University President Lawrence S. Bacow to meet the demands of Comité TPS, a local advocacy group. Demonstrators delivered a petition with nearly 600 signatures to President Bacow’s office, though he was not there to receive it in person.

TPS is a U.S. Department of Homeland Security designation for foreign nationals from 10 select countries who are unable to return due to safety concerns such as armed conflict or natural disasters. DACA is an Obama-era initiative that al-

Protestors at the TPS Rally presented a petition, signed by over 200 individuals, asking President Bacow to defend the rights of those under Temporary Protected Status. quinn g. perini—Crimson photographer

lows undocumented youth to legally live and work in the U.S. Harvard Students 4 TPS focused their efforts on employment insecurity and driver’s license expirations. The petition

demanded that Bacow protect the jobs of the roughly 150 TPS employees at Harvard and lobby Massachusetts Governor Charlie D. Baker ’79 to permit TPS and DACA recipients to re-

By Shera S. AVI-YONAH and delano r. franklin Crimson Staff Writers

Natara Grey, an assistant director for student diversity and inclusion at the Harvard Kennedy School, spoke about diversity and fostering a sense of inclusion in communities at the HKS Diversity Forum. quinn g. perini—Crimson photographer

Harvard Today 2

See TPS Page 3

Al Gore To Speak At College Class Day

SEE PAGE 5

Inside this issue

tain driver’s licenses.

“President Bacow needs to support the Massachusetts government, specifically the

News 3

Editorial 4

Sports 6

Today’s Forecast

Former United States Vice President Al Gore ’69 will address the graduating Class of 2019 at the College’s Class Day, the speaker selection committee announced Wednesday.

Gore, who studied Government at the College 50 years ago, served as vice president under Bill Clinton.

He ran unsuccessfully for president in 1988 and was the Democratic Party’s nominee in the hotly contested presidential 2000 race. Gore comes from a storied American political family — his father served as a United States senator from Tennessee for 18 years.

During and after his time

rainy High: 48 Low: 42

in office, Gore became a recognized environmentalist and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his activism. The year before, Gore wrote and starred in the Academy Award-winning documentary on climate change, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

Senior Class Committee First Marshal Catherine L. Zhang ’19 said in a press release that she hopes Gore’s experience with activism will inspire her classmates as they leave the College.

“More than ever, we need people to be inspired to serve, to see a need for change and to work toward progress,” Zhang said. “Al Gore has demonstrated unwavering service

See gore Page 3

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california roll

THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

may 2, 2019

Page 2

Harvard today

For Lunch Grilled Pizza Sandwich Red Spiced Chicken Multigrain Penne with Vegetables and White Beans

For Dinner Chicken Marsala Home Style Beef Lasagna Lentil Shepherd’s Pie Barley Risotto

Today’s Events CEB & Raza Present: La Mesa de Mayo 6-8 p.m.

CEB strikes again, this time in collaboration with Raza to talk about Cinco de Mayo and its origins. A nice meal and good music at the SOCH are promised .

ARTS FIRST 2019 Harvard’s 2019 ARTS FIRST festival begins today, and it is something you simply can’t miss. With a plethora of free performances, exhibitions, public art walks, artmaking, and more, you won’t run out of things to do! Check out the schedule, support your friends, and use this four-day event as an excuse to take some good study breaks.

in The Real World Shooting at UNC Charlotte Leaves Two Dead

Former UNCC student Trystan Andrew Terrell has been charged with the murder of two students and the attempted murder of four others. While the shooter’s motives remain unclear, the campus community is devastated.

Alabama Considers Abortion Ban

The Harvard Arts festival began on Tuesday afternoon and featured live bands throughout the day in the tent outside the Science Center. QUINN G. PERINI — Crimson photographer

The conversation around government intervention in the reproductive rights of women continues.

Recent approval of an abortion ban in Alabama could mean the criminalization of abortion in the state, if successfully passed into law. Under this law, in-state doctors performing abortions could face a prison sentence of up to 99 years if caught.

Daily Briefing Harvard’s graduate student union staged a sit-in at University Hall Wednesday morning to pressure the University into accepting its contract proposals. While roughly 30 union organizers sat inside, another 30 members marched in front of the buildilng, chanting slogans. In other news, the Government Climate Change Committee released its final report, which calls for an external review and more faculty hiring.

Around the Ivies The DARTMOUTH

The Dartmouth reported Tuesday that Elliott Fisher, a prominent tenured professor at the Geisel School of Medicine, has been dismissed as director of The Dartmouth Institute, a health policy research and graduate education program at the Geisel School. Fisher’s dismissal follows a workplace conduct investigation which began last August. Although he will also lose his endowed professorship title, he will be allowed to continue to research pursuits. Another subject of the investigation, former TDI Chief of Strategy and Operations and former Dartmouth College Executive Vice President Adam Keller, also recently resigned from his post at TDI.

princeton

Two undergraduates found that personal information including names, student identification numbers, and class years were unprotected in Princeton’s Central Authentication System, according to the Daily Princetonian. The undergraduates, Yang Song and Adam Chang, brought attention to the security flaw after they found that changing certain upperclass links made personal information available without a login. Princeton University spokesperson Mike Hotchkiss stated that the information was not meant to be shared publicly.

columbia

The Food Pantry at Columbia, which distributes free, nonperishable food to students and nonstudent affiliates, will receive $5,000 annually through a partnership between Columbia Dining and the national nonprofit Swipe Out Hunger, according to the Columbia Daily Spectator.

A survey conducted earlier this semester by Columbia’s School of General Studies found that more than a third of the school’s students experience low or very low food security. The Food Pantry at Columbia, which was officially recognized in 2016, previously received funds from the undergraduate student councils and individual donations, but Columbia did not provide regular funding.

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

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.

Night Editor Luke W. Xu ’20

Design Editor Margot E. Shang ’21

Assistant Night Editors Connor W. K. Brown ’22 Sonia F. Epstein ’21

Photo Editor Quinn G. Perini ’22

Story Editors Caroline S. Engelmayer ’20 Angela N. Fu ’20 Kristine E. Guillaume ’20 Jamie D. Halper ’20 Jordan E. Virtue ’20

Editorial Editor Shireen Younus ’22 Sports Editor Henry Zhu ’20

Corrections The Harvard Crimson is committed to accuracy in its reporting. Factual errors are corrected promptly on this page. Readers with information about errors are asked to e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@thecrimson.com.

Page 3

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | may 2, 2019

Union From Page 1

Report From Page 1

Graduate Student Union Gov Dept Report Finds Occupies University Hall ‘Institutional Failure’ divestment activists occupied the building in 2015, HUPD took similar measures.

Up to seven HUPD officers monitored the protesters outside throughout the day, but did not otherwise engage with the demonstration.

Once the protesters emerged from the building, Caleb S. Weinreb, a Ph.D. candidate in Systems Biology who participated in the sit-in, told the group outside that they occupied the building because “we can’t wait any longer.”

He said that none of the participants “withheld” their work today, but he said that if the University fails to adequately address the union’s concerns, the union will authorize a strike.

“We will organize for a strike if they don’t take us seriously,” Weinreb said. “We’re here because it’s been too long and time’s up.”

Nearly 500 people participated over the course of the day, according to longtime union organizer Niharika N. Singh. At any given time, there were between 30 and 40 people marching in circles around the Yard and John Harvard statue.

The union’s sit-in was an “unusual tactic” to put pressure on Harvard, according to former Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board William B. Gould IV. “It’s not unheard of. It has happened in recent years as well as during the Great Depression,” Gould said. “But it doesn’t usu-

ally happen in the course of negotiations.”

Gould added that the sit-in will likely not have legal repercussions for the bargaining process itself, according to Gould.

“The key test would be whether the reaction had the effect of interfering with the bargaining process or blocking the bargaining process,” he said.

“That kind of conduct wouldn’t interfere with the bargaining in

We will organize for a strike if they don’t take us seriously.

We’re here because it’s been too long and time’s up.

Caleb S. Weinreb Ph.D. Candidate

good faith.”

University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on the sit-in.

State Representative Marjorie Decker spoke before the marchers around 11 a.m. Members of campus activist groups including Divest Harvard — an organization pressuring Harvard to divest from its holdings in fossil fuels — also gave short speeches in support of the marchers throughout the day.

The march drew support from other labor groups at Harvard and around the Boston

area. Members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers, Service Employees’ International Union Local 32BJ, and UNITE HERE Local 26 joined the march.

No administrators interacted with the demonstrators inside the building, according to Weinreb. But, some administrators left the building within twenty minutes of the sit-in beginning, said SLAM organizers Ria Modak ’22, who participated in the sit-in.

“We had very little interaction with anyone inside the building,” Modak said.

Modak said HUPD officers did not try to remove the group, and that the officers were generally “very respectful.”

Glist said that once the group was inside, some of them studied, took naps, and even “played catch with a little foam ball.”

Bargaining committee member Cole M. Meisenhelder said that in the wake of the march, the union expects “serious responses” from the University in their next bargaining session Tuesday. Swain wrote in an emailed statement that the University remains “fully engaged” in negotiations.

“The University feels both sides are bargaining in good faith and remains committed to achieving a contract that is good for HGSU-UAW and the University as a whole,” Swain wrote. james.bikales@thecrimson.com ruoqi.zhang@thecrimson.com

­asic commitment: the provib sion of a safe and productive work environment,” the committee wrote. “That failure directly affected dozens of students, staff, and junior faculty.”

The department formed the Committee on Climate Change in March 2018, days after more than 20 women publicly accused Dominguez of incidents of sexual misconduct spanning four decades. The University opened a Title IX investigation into Dominguez’s conduct in April 2018.

The committee reiterated their calls for an external review, which they first recommended to administrators in October 2018. On Wednesday, the committee sent a letter to University President Lawrence S. Bacow, University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay, several other administrators, and a University attorney advocating for a review of what they called a “prolonged institutional failure,” according to the report.

The report stipulates that the committee seeks a “forward-looking” external review of University-wide procedures and any institutional deterrents to reporting misconduct. It specifically asks that the investigation consider how Dominguez continued to receive promotions even after people reported him to “various actors” across the University.

Bacow wrote in a letter to graduate students in March that

the University will not initiate an external review until it completes its internal investigation.

Government Professor Steven R. Levitsky, who chaired the committee, said Wednesday that the committee has not received any indication from administrators that the Title IX probe has concluded. University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on the status of the investigation and the committee’s letter to Bacow.

The committee also recommended in the report that the department ask Gay for authorization to conduct two faculty searches. The department would specifically seek out one new hire who specializes in gender politics and another whose focus is in the field of race and ethnicity.

“Courses on race, immigration, identity, and gender politics are in high demand, yet largely missing from our offerings,” the report states. “Our peer institutions also tend to offer more courses in these areas than we do.”

Among the committee’s 18 other recommendations are several improvements to reporting procedures and initiatives to ensure the department represents the interests of all of its affiliates.

One such recommendation is the creation of a standing committee comprising departmental faculty, staff, and students focused on “equity, diversity, and inclusion,” tasked with developing “recruitment and retention strategies” for underrepresent-

ed minorities.

The committee proposed creating a “departmental Title IX liaison position” filled by a senior member of the department to coordinate with the University’s Title IX Office as it launches an anonymous reporting system for sexual misconduct that will be rolled out in July 2019.

They also called for a voluntary in-person bystander training for the entire department each year.

The report also notes the department has an “obvious problem” in retaining female faculty members long enough to be considered for tenure. In the past 25 years, only two women have gone up for tenure in the department, and just one of them was promoted. In contrast, 14 men went up for tenure, and 12 were promoted.

Levitsky noted that the policies outlined in the report are only recommendations and that the department’s faculty have not yet voted to approve them.

And even if that occurs, he cautioned that entrenched institutions do not change “overnight.”

“Just writing down reforms, putting them on paper, having a press release about them is never enough,” he said. “There needs to be buy-in from the community, and the good news, I think, is that there’s been a lot of engagement from within the Government department community, again, from senior faculty on down to undergraduates.” jonah.berger@thecrimson.com molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com

GORE From Page 1

TPS From Page 1

Gore To Speak At College Class Day

Protesters Deliver TPS Petition to Bacow

leadership, and his work has resonated deeply with a new generation of young people, shaping how so many of us think about service, our planet, and our place within the world.”

While a student at Harvard, Gore lived in Dunster House with his roommate, the actor Tommy Lee Jones ’69.

Gore previously returned to campus in 1994 to speak at Harvard’s 343rd Commencement.

He has also come back to

campus on several occasions since then, speaking at Tercentenary Theatre in 2008 at a multi-day celebration of sustainability and in Sanders Theater in 2016 about the threat of climate change.

Gore will address the Class of 2019 on May 29. The next day, Harvard will hold its 368th Commencement ceremony. shera.avi-yonah@thecrimson.com delano.franklin@thecrimson.com

From the Law School to Longwood.

governor, to advocate for extensions of drivers’ licenses for TPS recipients so they don’t lose this vital form of their livelihoods,” Emily E. Ager, a Harvard School of Public Health student and a founding member of Harvard Students 4 TPS, said.

The group also pushed for Bacow to pursue more national advocacy, including partnerships with other college and university presidents and placing calls to a number of senators in support of a path to permanent residency for TPS holders.

In a February trip to Washington D.C. Bacow met with senators about TPS and DACA, and sent letters to two senators in March advocating for recipients of both programs.

Harvard students supported protestors at the TPS Rally outside of Massachusetts Hall with signs demanding Harvard to take action.

The majority of Wednesday’s crowd spilled over from the Harvard University Graduate Student Union-United Automobile Workers demonstration in nearby University Hall.

Demonstrators walked from one side of the Yard to the other, chanting, “Up, up, with liberation, down, down, with exploitation.”

When they arrived at Massachusetts Hall, the crowd transitioned to shouting, “down, down, with deportation, up, up, with liberation.”

Representatives from the

Harvard students supported protestors at the TPS Rally outside of Massachusetts Hall with signs demanding Harvard to take action. quinn g. perini—Crimson photographer

Harvard Prison Divestment Coalition and the Harvard Undergraduates for Environmental Justice, which advocates for University fossil fuel divestment, also spoke at the protest.

Doris Reina-Landaverde, a Harvard janitor, spoke on behalf of TPS workers on campus and stressed the importance of retaining her driver’s license.

“The license for us is ending the day that TPS ends,” she said.

“I’m so happy, really happy today, to see you all coming here to support us.”

Harvard University Dining Services Chief Shop Steward Edward B. Childs also spoke at the protest, linking federal attempts to revoke TPS to anti-union efforts.

“These workers have been working here for 15, 20, 25 years. They are majority in the unions, unlike other constituencies in this country,” Childs said. “They know when they went after TPS that they were going to dismantle the unions.

That’s why we have to fight for them, because an attack on TPS

is an attack on every worker in this country.”

Jeremy A. Stepansky ’21, another founding member of Harvard Students 4 TPS, was stopped at the entrance to the building by security and had to hand the petition off to be taken inside.

“We kind of hoped we’d be let in,” he said. “We’re going to be watching what they do in the coming weeks and days in terms of adhering to those demands.” camille.caldera@thecrimson.com

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | may 2, 2019

Page 4

Editorial The Crimson Editorial board

column

Axle Developers Show Initiative

The Fallout of Free Food

L

ast week, three College students announced the creation of a new debit card, Axle, designed to facilitate cheaper smallscale transactions. These developers hope the card will become widely used by Harvard students and accepted at stores across Harvard Square.

We welcome this announcement and achievement, and commend these student entrepreneurs for their innovative spirit and their attempt to improve the lives of Harvard students.

We are generally cautious about the rapid commercial changes in Harvard Square, and have lamented the increased cost associated with this transformation. Yet, we believe that Axle’s developers are providing an opportunity for more affordable shopping in Harvard Square by eliminating that fees generally charged by larger debit and credit card companies.

Too often, students feel as though we are not in a position to effect change in the broader world and that the economic realities of our lives rely heavily on the business decisions of large corporations. Yet as a core value, Harvard instills in its students the drive to challenge the status quo and the institutions that govern our lives.

This principle should apply equally to the businesses and financial institutions that affect our daily lives — from large-scale issues like student debt to smaller-scale purchases, such as El Jefe’s burritos and BerryLine frozen yo-

gurt. To that end, we applaud the founders of Axle for taking matters into their own hands and challenging the notion that students are too young or ignorant to shake up the business world.

We are pleased to see that students are stepping up to provide services they feel are lacking in the current market.

The founders of Axle have identified the need to facilitate rapid, small-value transactions without the traditional fees that come with processing debit cards, and they have taken decisive action to fulfill that market niche.

Yet, we believe that Axle’s developers are providing an opportunity for more affordable shopping in Harvard Square by eliminating that fees generally charged by larger debit and credit card companies.

By doing so, they are directly impacting change that can make the lives of students more affordable in the day to day. Furthermore, the positive responses from potential student users indicate that their product has the potential to benefit a wider population beyond Harvard students.

However, the founders of Axle should be careful about data privacy

concerns that may arise from their service. While Axle is currently limited to three vendors in Harvard Square, it may face problems as the number of users and card-accepting vendors grow.

We have previously raised concerns about data breaches that may occur when collecting students’ private financial information.

As Axle is used to make financial transactions, the stakes of protecting the sensitive private data it stores are considerable. Simplifying small financial transactions is helpful, but the developers must show caution and ensure that user data is well protected.

Overall, we are heartened to see that student entrepreneurship is continuing on this campus. The developers of Axle are showing how students can actualize novel entrepreneurial endeavors that can improve the lives of students and other consumers.

We hope to see more student entrepreneurs come up with creative business plans like this, providing helpful services and allowing them to gain valuable experience.

This staff editorial solely represents the majority view of The Crimson Editorial Board. It is the product of discussions at regular Editorial Board meetings. In order to ensure the impartiality of our journalism, Crimson editors who choose to opine and vote at these meetings are not involved in the reporting of articles on similar topics.

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Op-ed

Similarities in Our Differences

N

o matter where you are on campus, it is impossible to escape hearing about the straining political arena and the polarized climate that we are in.

Whether in class or simply sitting in the dining hall, everyone seems to have an opinion about where this country is and where it is headed.

With the 2020 presidential election around the corner, however, it is important to remember that identifying or affiliating with Democrats or Republicans should not mean everything. In other words, we should not fear looking at an issue from multiple perspectives outside our own.

Yes, this is easier said than done.

Many of us already identify with a party or have strong opinions about how we want the social and economic future of our country to look.

To be a better country and to avoid political turmoil, we must identify and comprehend group struggles while finding common ground for solutions.

In fact, key factors such as education, birthplace, religion, and job prospects, make it possible to map where individuals stand on the political spectrum.

There are, of course, those who deviate from this predicted standard, but the majority of us tend to stand where our early upbringing and environments have taken us.But what if the majority stopped being the majority?

What if we were to look at things objectively – from the point of view of an

outsider? This hypothetical is something that can be seen right here on campus.All of us are imprinted with certain social beliefs, stereotypes, and expectations from the moment we can understand a language. My friends, your friends, and people in general are born into cultures that they must understand and (unfortunately) abide by because of the unwritten consequences of being isolated or ignored by their entire family or community.

Whether this be in the Deep South or up North, in the rural or urban sectors, in the uptowns or downtowns of a city, or simply within one’s culture, a fear of straying from the acceptable belief set can significantly impact the way we form our values. Often, our learned beliefs are positively reinforced while our vehement opposition to contrary opinions becomes more entrenched.

However, as we get older and move away from the immediate location of our political socialization, we can learn more about issues that polarize our government and people respectively.

We can actively engage with this new knowledge and change the way we think about our beliefs that can, at times, come to a head on campus. As students, and as the next generation of voters, politicians, and lawmakers, we have the opportunity to reverse the hatred and polarizing path of our nation and to opt for a more collaborative and cooperative approach.

At Harvard, we are no longer in the midst of the politically exclusive realm of our community. We are no longer inclined to ignore or oppose the other political party. We are no longer able to use the excuses of our backgrounds to remain ignorant and unresponsive to ours and others concerns.

We have the freedom to break away from our background strongholds and

F

ood is a central part of any person’s life, but it seems to maintain a special kind of importance for college students. Harvard students are always searching for new coffee shops to study at or coupons for popular places around campus.

This obsession with food becomes especially prominent in campus activities.

It seems that every single piece of promotional material hung around campus has some mention of food: “Meeting on Thursday, with free food from Jefe’s!” or “Come and stay for a catered dinner!”

It seems like every day that there are offers of Insomnia cookies or Felipe’s burritos that flood my inbox, as clubs try to entice members into attending their events.

When I first came to Harvard, all of this excited me.

Throughout high school, I always kept on the eye out for opportunities for free or discounted food, whether it be Free Cone Day at Ben and Jerry’s or an email list that would save me a few dollars on my bill.

During my first semester, when I was already exploring a ton of extracurriculars, departments, and concentrations, I vowed to attend as many of these kinds of events as possible.

The free food gave me some variety from the dining hall, where I ate most of my meals, and it was a nice perk to have at an event I was already planning on attending.

When I went to these events, though, I got the sense that others were only interested in the food, as some people showed up when refreshments were served and left halfway through the presentations.

When I went to these events, though, I got the sense that others were only interested in the food, as some people showed up when refreshments were served and left halfway through the presentations. After a few weeks, the free food started to become less appealing.

The Crimson

By ridhwana z. haxhillari

Jonathan Yuan food for thought

to create our own independent thoughts by adapting to the arguments, oppositions, and concerns of others.

As young adults, we may not be the entire electorate or be able to make policy changes in the system, but we are able to remind ourselves and others that our backgrounds provide only half the story.

We can utilize the diversity of campus to develop workable skills to unite as people rather than to sensationalize differences as parties.Just because we affiliate with a party does not mean we have to bash the other. Or, just because we are open to listening to the other side does not mean we have to agree with what they represent. Rather, our democracy was created under the impression that the diverging views of groups could hash out their issues and come to a more cohesive solution.

Therefore, to be a better country and to avoid political turmoil, we must identify and comprehend group struggles while finding common ground for solutions. As young adults, we may not be the entire electorate or be able to make policy changes in the system, but we are able to remind ourselves and others that our backgrounds provide only half the story.

That viewing the world through the lens of others maybe, just maybe, will give us a brighter tomorrow, both locally and nationally.

—Ridhwana Z. Haxhillari ’21, an inactive Crimson Editorial editor, is a Government concentrator in Lowell House.

After a few weeks, the free food started to become less appealing.

As classes ramped up, I didn’t have time to go to guest lectures or meetings.

And, even if I could, I began to see a greater cost in spending a few hours at an event that I didn’t have much interest in — a cost that outweighed the benefits of a free snack or meal.

I also noticed the overuse of food as a means of attracting interest.

Flyby’s Free Food Watch, a section of their daily email with details of events with free food that day, is a testament to how extreme this can be.

Each and every day, more and more events started to appear. But I no longer wanted to keep up.

Over time, I started to feel a lack of engagement with these organizations.

If all they felt they had to offer was free food to everyone who showed up, going to their meetings didn’t feel special anymore; I didn’t get the sense that they cared about who I was or why I was interested.

Personally, I don’t believe that the issue is that food is present at meetings.

I always enjoy when a club I’m a part of decides to offer refreshments every once in a while. Food also provides a fantastic opportunity to build community.

However, overemphasizing food as an incentive to join an organization makes me uneasy, since it seems to reduce the importance of the activities that the club is promoting.

Having food be the main punchline of an email or a flyer makes it seem like the only important reason to join the organization is getting these free perks.

I understand that every organization is concerned about gaining members, and providing snacks might attract more people.

But people who only come for the snacks may not respect the important learning, actions, or leadership that the club wishes to promote.

Only through attracting individuals who sincerely care about what they do will organizations here be able to create a dependable base of passionate and dedicated students, ensuring their future success.

These won’t be the people that stay engaged and apply for higher positions.

Instead, they’ll come to meetings where they can execute a similar strategy of dining and dashing.

Free food may increase the crowd, but it won’t improve the quality or attachment of the organization’s members.

At least to me, the second goal seems a lot more important. If an organization is well run and serves to address a specific issue or idea, people who are interested in it will join anyway. Only through attracting individuals who sincerely care about what they do will organizations here be able to create a dependable base of passionate and dedicated students, ensuring their future success.

—Jonathan Yuan ’22 lives in Thayer Hall. His column appears on alternate Thursdays.

Page 5

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | May 2, 2019

HKS Director Discusses Diversity at Forum

By Jania j. tumey Crimson Staff Writer

Amid ongoing student activism surrounding diversity and inclusion at the Harvard Kennedy School, Natara Gray – the school’s assistant director for Student Diversity and Inclusion — spoke at a forum Wednesday to discuss her work to bolster diversity since assuming her role in 2016.

It’s really important for a place this big...to really be centralized when it comes to the inclusion, belonging, and diversity.

Natara Gray Director for Student Diversity and Inclusion

The event, organized by four Kennedy School students involved in recent activism on the topic, garnered an audience of about 40 students.

Before taking questions, Gray opened the discussion with remarks on her work to improve recruitment of students and faculty of underrepresented backgrounds.

“I personally think that it’s really important for a place this

big who has such a large history to really be centralized when it comes to the inclusion, belonging, and diversity,” Gray said.

Gray also described her work directing the Kennedy School’s annual Public Policy and Leadership Conference — a weekend-long event to improve the school’s reach to undergraduates from historically marginalized backgrounds. Gray said she secured increased funding for this year’s conference, which enabled her to admit 25 more students to the February event.

In addition to speaking about specific initiatives, Gray also answered students’ questions about her career in diversity and inclusion work, which she said is closely tied to her identity as a black woman. “I’m always a black woman when I walk in the room. There’s no way to opt out of that,” Gray said. “This is a 24hour, seven-day a week job.”

In recent years, the Kennedy School has been the site of ongoing student activism to promote greater diversity and inclusivity in its students, faculty, and course offerings.

Student activists launched a petition in April demanding more faculty of color and more attention to issues of race and racism in curriculum.

As of last week, the petition had garnered over 300 signatures, according Sophie P. Dover, a Kennedy School students

involved in organizing efforts.

Kennedy School student Camilla N. Taufic, who helped organize the event, said she is “grateful” for Gray’s work to improve diversity in an interview

The administration is trying on certain issues.

Kyle D. Ofori Harvard Kennedy School Student

after the forum.

“We don’t have very many student-facing diversity positions within the administration at HKS, and it’s really an amazing resource and a wonderful thing,” Taufic said.

Kyle D. Ofori — a Kennedy School student who also helped organize the event — said that though it seems “the administration is trying on certain issues,” he has not seen the results of the Kennedy School’s efforts to bolster diversity. “We imagine there is work being done behind the scenes, but if we can’t see it all, it’s hard to just trust that it’s happening,” he said.

Kennedy School spokespeople Gail Chalef and Thoko Moyo were not immediately available for comment. jania.tumey@thecrimson.com

9 Professors Elected to National Sciences Academy

By Juliet E. Isselbacher Crimson Staff Writer

The National Academy of Sciences added nine Harvard professors to its ranks, the group announced Tuesday.

Chemistry professors Joanna Aizen, Cynthia M. Friend, and Daniel Kahne; Economics professors David Laibson and Matthew Rabin; Neurobiology professor Bernardo L. Sabatini; Engineering professor Zhigang Suo; Sociology professor David

I have gotten other honors before, but I would honestly say this is certainly the biggest one — ­ the National Academy of Science.

David R. Williams Sociology Professor

R. Williams; and Physics professor Amir Yacoby were among the 100 scholars tapped to join the Academy this year.

These 100 new members elevate the Academy’s active membership to 2,347 scientists. Election to the small and exclusive group, comprising “the country’s leading researchers,” is one of the highest honors that a

GSC Appoints Liaison to Graduate Union

By LUKE A. WILLIAMS Crimson Staff Writer

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ Graduate Student Council appointed its first liaison to the graduate student union Wednesday evening — hours after the union occupied an administrative building in Harvard Yard.

The Council also voted to issue a statement of support for fossil fuel divestment, marking the first time it has publicly taken a position on the issue in recent years.

The GSC elected Hans M. Pech, a Germanic Languages and Literatures Ph.D. student who ran unopposed, as the mediator between the GSC and the Harvard Graduate Students Union - United Automobile Workers leadership teams. Pech currently serves as his department’s representative to both HGSU-UAW and the GSC. “I’ve been involved with the union a little bit. I’m pro-union,” Pech said in an interview after the meeting. “At the German department I’ve been mediating ­

union events, even promoting a little bit, while trying to keep it neutral. Trying to get people to vote, go to the rallies, sign petitions, and so on.”

GSC president Blakely B. O’Connor, who will leave office this month, said the liaison will be instrumental in maintaining a line of communication between the union and the GSC in coming months. The liaison will help organize joint advocacy efforts, keep both organizations informed on where their duties overlap, and facilitate opportunities for collaboration.

O’Connor said the liaison will be able to show HGSU-UAW and the GSC “how we might be able to work together.”

Pech said he was not approached before Wednesday night about the liaison position.

Rather, he made a spontaneous decision he said was well-suited for him.

“I’m looking to generally pass on more information from the union to the graduate student body, and because I feel like there are a lot of fears, or assumptions, or generally mis-

aligned expectations of what the union achieves and what it actually does, I hope to set a little bit of that straight,” Pech said.

The appointment of the new liaison comes at a time during which the council is seeking to build relations with the union.

At its board elections last month, the GSC voted in an overwhelming majority of pro-union members.

Wednesday’s meeting also saw the GSC unanimously vote to support the Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign’s motion for the University to publicly disclose the contents of its endowment. The GSC also voted to support calls for Harvard to divest its nearly $40 billion endowment from the fossil fuel industry.

The latter motion marks the first time this semester the GSC has issued a direct statement of support on an issue instead of a statement advocating another group’s activism.

While the resolution in support of the Prison Divestment Campaign passed in under two

minutes without a single dissenting opinion, the resolution in support of fossil fuel divestment proved more controversial due to its stronger language and direct association with the GSC. “It doesn’t make any sense to invest in companies that are destroying our future,” said Andrew S. Ross, who proposed the fossil fuel resolution. “We can add our voices to those of the undergrads, those of the alumni, and those of everyone calling for divestment.”

Ph.D. student Dakota E. McCoy reiterated Ross’s call for a more vocal, active GSC. “I feel that it actually is a much more powerful and impactful resolution if it comes from us, rather than us saying ‘Oh yeah, we support you, Divest Harvard,’” McCoy said. “We shouldn’t be afraid to own this as the GSC. Vote how you want, but now is the time, versus pushing this off to the fall.”

The resolution passed unanimously aside from one abstention. luke.williams@thecrimson.com

Transformative coverage.

scientist can receive, according to the Academy’s website.

Only members of the Academy may nominate candidates, who must go through an “extensive and careful vetting process” before being voted upon at the Academy’s annual April meeting, per the webpage.

Williams, who studies how social environments can shape mental and physical health, said he feels particularly honored to have been chosen as a social scientist, since most of the group’s members come from the hard sciences.

“The overwhelming majority of the members come from the basic sciences,” Williams said. “So, in that sense, it’s doubly an honor.”

“I have gotten other honors before, but I would honestly say this is certainly the biggest one — the National Academy of Sciences,” he added.

Sabatini, whose father and brother both earned spots in the Academy, said he thinks membership in the group is “the ultimate sort of validation for a scientist.”

“It’s a bit odd, as well, in the sense that it’s a wonderful club — a club in which a lot of significance is in getting to the club,” said Sabatini, who studies synapses, neural plasticity, and action selection. “And as of now, I don’t really know what all the sort of benefits and responsibil-

ities are. Hopefully one day I’ll be able to contribute to science, policy, and leadership in a way that’ll make a difference.”

Yacoby, who studies the strongly correlated electron physics and quantum information science, said that while he is excited to have been chosen, it has never been his “motivation to win any of these prizes or honors.”

“It’s very, very nice to be recognized for the work that you’re doing, but I think I do not foresee it really altering my re-

Hopefully one day I’ll be able to contribute to science, policy, and leadership in a way that’ll make a difference.

Bernardo L. Sabatini Neurobiology professor

search,” he said.

He said he hopes the recognition will push him to keep improving as a teacher.

“Maybe this honor will make me a better role model for younger students who are interested in similar careers,” he said. juliet.isselbacher@thecrimson.com

title ix From Page 1

Harvard to Pilot Title IX Reporting System and Medicine, which spearheaded a sexual misconduct climate collaborative in which Harvard is involved — say that anonymity helps support victims.

Sanika S. Mahajan ’21, an organizer for anti-sexual assault advocacy group Our Harvard Can Do Better, wrote in an email that she supports the idea of anonymity. “The initiative to kickstart an online anonymous reporting system is an exciting step forward for the fight against sexual violence and misconduct on campus,” she wrote.

“The implementation of this system could lower barriers to reporting for many survivors, and they are more likely to report sooner.”

Mahajan added that she hopes to see transparency around how the administration handles the anonymous reports.

The Government Department Committee on Climate Change mentioned the anonymous reporting system in its final report, which was released May 1.

The report indicates that the committee — which was tasked with investigating departmental culture in the wake of multiple sexual misconduct allegations levied against Government Professor Emeritus Jorge I. Dominguez — was interested in instituting its own anonymous reporting system, but was asked not to because the University was planning to roll out its own.

“To further reduce barriers to reporting, we planned to pro-

pose the adoption of an online anonymous reporting system,” the report reads. “However, the Title IX Office will launch a university-wide anonymous reporting system in July 2019 and thus asked us to refrain from creating an alternative system.”

In December 2018, University President Lawrence S. Bacow recommended the Title IX office create an online reporting system following the release of a report on University Title IX policies.

He did not mention at the time, however, whether this would be an anonymous system.

University Spokesperson Jonathan Swain wrote in an emailed statement that the report resulted from consultation with various University stakeholders.

“The Title IX Office has engaged with a diverse set of Harvard community members for suggestions on such a system’s functionality, as well as offered them the opportunity to participate in testing the system,” he wrote.

Another major Title IX initiative — the Survey on Sexual Assault on Misconduct — wrapped up on April 30. Four years ago, the results of the first iteration of the survey spurred a series of changes in the Title IX Office, including an increase in the number of coordinators and more employee and student trainings. simone.chu@thecrimson.com iris.lewis@thecrimson.com

Harvard, from the Law School to Longwood.

The Crimson thecrimson.com

The Crimson thecrimson.com

Sports Weekend event

schedule

Friday ______________________________________

saturday ______________________________________

Men’s Tennis NCAA Championships 6 p.m., vs. No. 10 TCU

Softball vs. Cornell 12 p.m. & 2:30 p.m., Soldiers Field

The Best Sports Photos from the Spring Semester With the last day of classes officially in the books, most of Harvard’s varsity teams have also ended their campaigns. However, a select few are still in action, gearing up for postseason runs. Squads in this latter list include men’s tennis, softball, and women’s golf. Before this chapter of Harvard Athletics concludes, take a look at some of our best photos from the spring semester.

NO STOPPING HER The Ivy 7s championship game against Dartmouth was knotted up at the end of regulation. It did not take long in overtime, however, for junior Dominique Cantave to seize a break-away opportunity and deliver the game-winning try for Harvard. This was Harvard’s third-ever victory in the Ivy 7’s tournament. Quinn G. PERINI —Crimson photographer

PROTECTING THE CREASE Senior netminder Michael Lackey looks to corral the puck during Harvard’s NCAA Regional Semifinal game. Harvard fell 4-0 to end its season. TIMOTHY R. o’MEARA—Crimson photographer

FULL EXTENSION Senior outfielder Ben Skinner makes a diving catch with the Fenway Park bleachers in the backdrop. Harvard challenged UMass in the Beanpot finals, but fell short. QUINN G. PERINI—Crimson photographer

CRACK OF THE BAT A Harvard batter prepares to make contact with the ball during an afternoon matchup with the Columbia Lions. Harvard currently sits in prime position for a berth in the two-team Ivy playoffs to determine the Ivy champion. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—Crimson photographer