The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVII, No. 20

The Harvard Crimson The University Daily, Est. 1873 | Volume CXLVII, No. 20 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | THURSDAY, February 20, 2020

News PAGE 3

editorial PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

Brian R. Greene ’84 talks the future of the universe at Science Center

LabXchange harnesses technology to reshape education

Reed Farley returns to the basketball court after two-year hiatus

Prison Divestment Activists Sue University Harvard Tied To Foreign Funds

By Camille G. Caldera Crimson Staff Writer

The Harvard Prison Divestment Campaign filed suit against Harvard in Massachusetts state court Wednesday over Harvard’s alleged investments in companies with ties to the prison industry.

The suit — first announced on Tuesday — names Harvard University and University President Lawrence S. Bacow; the Harvard Corporation and its Senior Fellow William F. Lee; and the Harvard Management Company as defendants, alleging they have violated Massachusetts law on two counts.

In their complaint, the plaintiffs allege Harvard has refused to investigate the scope of potential investments in the prison industry — representing a “violation of fiduciary duty and breach of the Harvard Charter.” In doing so, they argue, it has breached its state-mandated duty to “manage the endowment in ‘good faith and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise in a similar situation.’”

“By continuing to profit off the caging of people, Harvard violates its legal duty to consid­

er the charitable purposes of its investments,” the complaint reads.

The complaint also alleges “untrue and misleading advertising.” The filing argues that, in order to paint itself “as a progressive institution” and attract donors and students, the University has allegedly “perpetuated misleading and false statements.”

“Harvard falsely advertises a willingness to research, engage, and act on redressing the harms that have come from its ties to slavery,” the complaint reads.

Among its statements of fact, the complaint lists a number of public statements that top Harvard officials have made on the subject of slavery. The plaintiffs allege Bacow “falsely claimed that Harvard had taken many steps in fulfilling its promise of addressing the legacy of slavery.”

“A boulder and a plaque do not address Harvard’s legacy of slavery,” the complaint read.

In the complaint, the plaintiffs asked the court to prohibit Harvard from investing in the “prison-industrial complex,”

See Lawsuit Page 3

By Camille G. Caldera Crimson Staff Writer

gram that allows some young undocumented people to live and work in the United States; TPS is a program that grants immigrants from certain countries protected status because they cannot return home due to circumstances like ongoing armed conflict and environmental disaster.

Bacow also wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan last July regarding his “deep concern” about the administration’s immigration policy.

Bacow wrote that the travel ban and the Trump administration’s immigration policies “sow fear” among Harvard affiliates.

“These restrictive travel and immigration policies sow fear in our community, disrupt scholarship, and deter international students from considering postsecondary education in

At least three foreign foundations to which the Department of Education requested Harvard disclose financial ties have been publicly linked to the University in the past.

In a Feb. 11 letter, the Education Department asked the University to disclose information about contracts and gifts from the governments and citizens of China, Iran, Russia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. It also requested disclosures about gifts from the Alavi Foundation; Huawei Technologies; Kaspersky Lab; the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development; the Skolkovo Foundation; and ZTE Corporation.

Christopher M. Hennessy, a spokesperson for the University, wrote in an email that Harvard accepts donations “in good faith.” Harvard retains full control over how funds will be used and prohibits direct donor involvement, according to Hennessy.

The Alavi Foundation — which former Iranian Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi founded in 1973 as the Pahlavi Foundation to promote the study of Persian and Islamic culture in the United States — lists a total of $606,500 in donations to Harvard between 1985 and 2014 on its website.

At least two such donations publicized on the foundation’s website were to Harvard’s Center for Middle Eastern Studies, with one earmarked to fund a tutoring program.

The website also displays a copy of a 2009 letter from Steven C. Caton — a Harvard anthropology professor who at the time directed the Center for Middle Eastern Studies — to the Alavi Foundation in which Caton credits the foundation with “subventing Dr. Ahmad Mahdavi-Damghani’s salary for the upcoming academic year.”

On its website, the Alavi Foundation emphasizes that it has “no affiliation with any government, let alone the government of Iran.”

See Letter Page 3

See ties Page 5

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A group of Harvard students advocating divestment from private prisons filed a lawsuit against the University today in Massachusetts state court. camille g. caldera—Crimson photographer

Bacow Asks for Travel Ban Removal By michelle g. kurilla and ruoqi zhang Crimson Staff Writers

University President Lawrence S. Bacow expressed concerns about federal travel restrictions in a letter to the White House. camille g. caldera—Crimson photographer

University President Lawrence S. Bacow penned a letter on Jan. 27 to President Donald J. Trump about his concerns regarding the a possible expansion of the travel ban — a federal policy announced in early 2017 that restricted entry to the United States from several Muslim-majority countries.

Days after Bacow’s letter, Trump announced that another six countries — Kyrgyzstan, Eritrea, Sudan, Tanzania, Nigeria, and Myanmar — would be added to the travel ban starting February 22.

Since moving into Massachusetts Hall, Bacow has lobbied in the nation’s capital to bolster protections for immigrants, international scholars, and recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status programs.

DACA is an Obama-era pro-

Kennedy, Duberstein Khurana Leave Board of IOP Lauds By ema r. schumer Crimson Staff Writer

Caroline B. Kennedy ’80 and Kenneth M. Duberstein have stepped down from their posts at the helm of the Institute of Politics’ Senior Advisory Committee.

Kennedy spent the past six years serving as honorary chair of the highest leadership body at the IOP — founded in memory of her father, former United States president John F. Kennedy. Duberstein, who served in senior positions in former United States president Ronald Reagan’s administration, has chaired the 17-member committee since 2013, when he succeeded Caroline Kennedy in that role.

In a Feb. 13 resignation letter obtained by The Crimson and addressed to Harvard Kennedy School Dean Douglas W. Elmendorf, Kennedy broadly explained her decision to step down from the committee.

“Over five decades, it has ­

Inside this issue

Harvard Today 2

Gen Ed Lotteries

worked closely with the Dean and the Director in a relationship of mutual respect and constructive collaboration,” she wrote. “Recent developments have convinced me that I can no longer play a constructive role at the IOP.” In her letter, Kennedy did not elaborate on those “recent developments.” She could not be reached for comment.

An article published in The Washington Post Wednesday afternoon suggested that disputes about the committee’s influence within the IOP led Kennedy to step away from the institute, which she had been involved with since her undergraduate years.

Several people familiar with the situation told The Post that Kennedy and Elmendorf had a tense relationship and that she and other members of the committee felt Elmendorf tried to assert too much control over the IOP. Some anonymous

Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana said he thinks Harvard’s new lottery system for General Education courses marks a “significant improvement” over the previous process in an interview Tuesday.

“It created confusion, stress, and was uncoordinated — that is, that people heard at different times about whether they got into one Gen Ed or not,” Khurana said of the previous system. “They couldn’t make a fully informed decision, and that left a lot of uncertainty on their schedule and that impacted other classes.”

“Since Gen Ed is required, we thought it was really important

See Kennedy Page 3

See khurana Page 3

News 3

Editorial 4

By Juliet E. Isselbacher and Amanda Y. Su Crimson Staff Writers

Sports 6

Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana said that further changes to Harvard’s General Education system are slated for upcoming semesters. Amanda y. Su—Crimson photographer

Today’s Forecast

Mostly Sunny High: 33 Low: 14

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | February 20, 2020

Page 2

Harvard Today

For Lunch Dan Dan Noodles Grilled BBQ Chicken Thighs Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese

For Dinner Baked Salmon with Dill Roast Beef w/ Peppercorn Sauce Portobello Lentil Patty

Today’s Events Harvard Out of Occupied Palestine Launch Emerson 105, 6-8 p.m.

in The Real World 2020 Democratic Debate in Nevada

Join multiple groups on campus tomorrow to listen to a panel with professors and activists from Harvard and beyond. Whether you agree, disagree or would like to learn more about what is happening in Palestine, this event is for you! There will be food.

The six remaining Democratic presidential candidates faced off in Nevada and debated political issues ranging from climate change to health care. Nevada’s presidential primary caucus will be held this Saturday, Feb. 22.

Shootings in Germany Leave at Least 8 Dead in Hanau

Harvard Linguistics Department Open House Third floor of Boylston,5-7 p.m.

The Harvard Linguistics Department will be holding their open house on the third floor of Boylston Hall. Ask questions about language, world history, and more. Oh, and there will be boba for anyone who comes.

A goose flies above the Charles River on a windy Wednesday afternoon. Zadoc i. n. gee—Crimson photographer

Police are now patrolling the two locations where shootings occurred in the German City of Hanau on Wednesday evening. The number of gunmen and motive are still unclear, but police are investigating suspects using the public’s help.

Daily Briefing The plaintiffs in a suit over Harvard’s investments in the prison industry held a press conference in Boston Wednesday. They charge in the suit that, by failing to investigate those investments, Harvard violated its fiduciary duty to donors and falsely advertised itself as a progressive institution. In other news, Harvard maintains public ties to several foreign foundations at the center of a Department of Education probe.

Global Death Toll from Coronavirus Exceeds 2,100

As of yesterday, there have been over 2,100 deaths from the coronavirus worldwide. Of these, eight deaths were reported outside of mainland China, in Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and France. The majority of reported coronavirus cases are still in China.

Around the Ivies cornell Activists from Climate Justice Cornell silently protested in three campus libraries in support of fossil fuel divestment on Tuesday, the Cornell Daily Sun reported. Fifteen demonstrators, dressed in traffic vests, walked through the buildings carrying signs and banners with pro-divestment slogans. The protests lasted just under an hour.

The University’s Board of Trustees may vote on whether Cornell should divest from fossil fuels during an upcoming meeting on March 20.

Dartmouth

A newly renovated building will be renamed Anonymous Hall in recognition of anonymous alumni support, The Dartmouth reported.

The building was previously named the Dana Biomedical Library. The funds for the renovation primarily came from the University’s ongoing capital campaign; the campaign’s anonymous lead donor requested the renaming. The new building is set to have net-zero energy consumption.

upenn

The University of Pennsylvania received $626 million from donors in 2019, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. This surpasses the combined $592.7 million raised by other colleges in Greater Philadelphia. The largest donation was a $125 million sum allocated to Penn Law School.

In addition, Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences received its largest-ever donation — $50 million — which is intended to help fund a new science research building on campus.

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON | February 20, 2020

Kennedy From Page 1

Caroline Kennedy Steps Off of Institute of Politics Board Harvard affiliates alleged that the tension between Kennedy and Elmendorf in part derived from the committee’s unsolicited involvement in IOP management.

The IOP’s website states that the advisory committee “works closely with the Institute to fulfill its mission to inspire Harvard students to pursue pathways in politics and public service,” though no specific duties are listed.

IOP Director Mark D. Gearan did not respond to multiple requests for comment Wednesday evening. Kennedy School spokesperson James F. Smith declined to comment on The Post’s specific allegations.

In an emailed statement Smith provided to The Crimson Wednesday evening, Elmendorf recognized Kennedy’s contributions to the institute.

“Caroline Kennedy is a distinguished public leader with an exemplary record of service

to her country,” he wrote. “I am extremely grateful for the extraordinary dedication and commitment she has shown to Harvard Kennedy School over many years.”

Caroline Kennedy is a distinguished public leader with an exemplary record of service to her country.

Mark D. Gearan IOP Director

Duberstein, who also recently resigned, had worked with the IOP for the past two decades, sitting on panels as well as participating in its bipartisan orientation for newly elected U.S. Representatives.

He did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday evening. Elmendorf commended Duberstein on his dedication to the institute.

“We greatly appreciate his absolute commitment to encouraging students to enter public life and for his tireless efforts to strengthen the IOP to support and inspire those students,” he wrote.

In her resignation letter, Kennedy reflected on her participation at the institute since her years at the College.

“When I enter HKS, I am reminded of my mother, my uncles and my brother, who all served on the SAC. I share their belief that inspiring the next generation of leaders to enter public service is the best way to honor my father’s memory,” she wrote.

—Staff Writer Sixiao Yu contributed reporting. ema.schumer@thecrimson.com

Physicist Brian R. Greene ’84 Discusses Universe in Talk

By Natalie L. KaHn and Jing-Jing shen Contributing writers

Theoretical physicist and Columbia University professor Brian R. Greene ’84 emphasized humanity’s unique place in the cosmos — despite occupying a miniscule sliver of space and time — at a Science Center talk Wednesday night.

In his presentation, organized by the Harvard Book Store, Greene gave the audience a preview of his new book “Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe.”

Greene said he hopes his readers can “recognize the wondrous, perhaps frightening to me, exciting fact that we occupy a little minute oasis in the cosmic unfolding.”

Greene began the talk by comparing the history of the universe to a year-long calendar, with the human race only coming into being at 11:40 p.m. on December 31.

To describe the future of the cosmos, he used the analogy of the Empire State Building, with each floor representing a duration ten times that of the previ­

Brian R. Greene ‘84 describes the history of time at a presentation about his new book — Until the End of Time — in the Science Center on Wednesday. Aiyana G. White—Crimson photographer

ous floor.

At the eleventh floor, one hundred billion years from now, the sun will grow over 200 times in size and possibly swallow the earth, according to Greene.

“By floor 38, we believe it’s likely that protons, the very heart of matter, will disintegrate, showing us once and for all that diamonds truly are not forever,” he added to laughter from the audience.

Even if humans still existed on the fiftieth floor, Greene explained, that the very act of thought would emit so much heat that they would effectively combust.

“If you think, you fry,” Greene said. Greene also suggested that due to the rapid expansion of the universe, galaxies would move so far away that their light would never reach Earth.

Astronomers in the distant future, Greene posited, might look into the night sky and see total darkness.

“To lose contact with distant galaxies is to lose contact with the very evidence for the structure of the universe as we currently understand it,” Greene said.

Harvard Book Store owner

Jeffrey Mayersohn ’73 said he admired Greene’s energetic delivery, even as the presentation delved into abstract possibilities.

“It started off with the very concrete and went into incredible speculation,” Mayersohn said.

“He took us along and we were with him every step of the way.” he added.

Greene refuted the possibility of humans having free will; thoughts and actions are simply interactions between elementary particles, which are bound to obey mathematical equations.

Yet he said that a deterministic conception of the universe need not preclude hope.

“We are made of these exquisitely ordered, wonderfully choreographed particles of nature governed fully by the physical laws, no free will whatsoever,” Greene said. “And yet even in that environment, our particular arrangements can through a flitting burst of activity, create beauty, illuminate mystery, experience wonder.”

“The fact that particles can do that fills me with a sense of gratitude that really borders on reverence,” Greene added.

letter From Page 1

Khurana From Page 1

Bacow Writes WH On Travel Ban

Khurana Says New Gen Ed Lottery Is Better

the US,” Bacow wrote. “As the purview of these orders has expanded, students, faculty, and scholars from other countries worry that their immigration status could be revoked at any time — and with no consideration of their conduct or intent.”

The White House could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

The travel ban drew intense criticism after its announcement and faced challenges in multiple federal courts, leading to a legal battle in front of the Supreme Court. The Court ultimately upheld the ban in 2018.

In the letter, Bacow wrote that the bans have “prevented” or “hindered” universities from recruiting students, faculty, and scholars. He added that the bans have made collaboration with other universities more difficult.

Bacow wrote he supports and appreciates federal efforts to keep the nation secure, but believes the government should pursue alternatives to this particular policy.

“I believe we can respond to those challenges in a way that echoes the founding ideals of our country — countless people have looked to us for hope, for the chance to learn, to contribute, and to lead better and safer lives,” Bacow wrote. “My father and my mother were two of them, and they taught me that this country is great because its doors are open to the world.”

Before the announcement, the travel ban barred entry from seven countries to varying degrees. The updated travel ban will prohibit some types of immigrant visas — but not student visas — from the newly added countries.

Harvard has consistently

lobbied for immigration-related proposals in both the House of Representatives and Senate.

Since the start of 2019, Harvard’s Office of Federal Relations has worked on immigration reform issues, student visas, and issues pertaining to international students and scholars, according to the office’s disclosure under the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

I believe we can respond to those challenges in a way that echoes the founding ideals of our country.

Lawrence S. Bacow University President

“Immigration issues like OPT, DACA, TPS and the concerns of international students are a focus of the University’s federal activities with engagement with policy makers and key administration officials,” University spokesperson Jason A. Newton wrote in an emailed statement.

Bacow closed his letter by encouraging the president to enact policies that would make America the “destination of choice” for top scholars across the globe. “I hope you will do more to advocate for the United States as the destination of choice for the world’s best students, faculty, and scholars, regardless of nationality — and enact policies that make that possible,” he wrote. michelle.kurilla@thecrimson.com ruoqi.zhang@thecrimson.com

to try to at least improve the system,” he added.

Under the new lottery system, students can rank up to five Gen Ed courses on their my.harvard online student portal.

The Gen Ed office then uses a unified ranked-choice system to assign students to their highest possible preferences.

Khurana characterized the lottery’s launch as highly successful, pointing to the fact that roughly 87 percent of undergraduates participating in the lottery were granted either their first or second-ranked course choice this semester.

The Gen Ed office began working to create a new lottery system last summer with Harvard University Information Technology, the Advising Pro-

grams Office, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Registrar’s Office, and the Office of Undergraduate Education.

The initiative to revamp the system came after College administrators observed that some students successfully lotteried into multiple overflowing courses while others failed to lottery into any.

The new Gen Ed lottery complements a broadly refreshed Gen Ed program, which was unveiled in the fall of 2019 after a four-year-long overhaul.

The Gen Ed office caps its courses at a maximum of 250 students, though professors can choose to impose stricter enrollment caps if they wish.

The office implements lotteries for courses if interest exceeds

the cap.

Khurana said he sympathized with students who do not get seats in desired courses — Gen Ed and otherwise — because the College faces a perennial problem of overflowing classes.

“I still have enough of a memory of how frustrating it was as an undergraduate not to get a course with someone that you really liked, or wanted to take,” he said.

Still, Khurana said he thinks some professors must limit their course sizes to successfully engage a small group of students in more intensive discussion.

“I think we really respect the faculty’s creative expertise and decisions on doing that,” he said.

“One of the hallmarks of

Harvard College education is that opportunity to take some of those smaller classes that allow you to have that interaction with your peers, as well as with faculty, in a kind of smaller setting,” he added.

Khurana also suggested some potential methods to maintain face-to-face instruction while also meeting student interest, including adding more course sections, finding other instructors to take over for professors on sabbatical, and experimenting with classroom formats.

“Our goal is to allow students to take full advantage of the Harvard College curriculum,” he said. juliet.isselbacher@thecrimson.com amanda.su@thecrimson.com

lawsuit From Page 1

Prison Divestment Activists File Suit Against Univ. and to make “such practices” illegal.

The graduate students listed as plaintiffs — Ismail A. Buffins, a student at the Divinity School; Amanda T. Chan and Anna L. Nathanson, students at the Law School; and Jarrett Drake and Citlalli Alvarez Almendariz, doctoral students in Anthropology — held a press conference at the Suffolk County Courthouse upon filing the lawsuit Wednesday morning.

The plaintiffs explained how their suit differed from a 2014 lawsuit that a group of seven Harvard student activists filed against Harvard; that lawsuit also alleged the University’s investment in fossil fuels violated the school’s charter.

Chan said the 2014 suit was

dismissed for lack of standing because the student plaintiffs did not have a “special position or enough of a stake in the endowment.”

“But today, we do not just stand here as students who are working in agitating for abolition and for divestment. We’re standing here as donors to Harvard University,” Chan said. “So somewhere floating around in that $40.9 billion endowment is $20 of my hard-earned debt money, which means that under the charter, the University has to consider my will and has to consider its charitable purposes.”

The complaint itself notes that the Harvard Charter “requires accountability to donors surrounding the use of funds.”

It also cites a ruling in a previous

case in which a judge found that the individuals who contributed to a charitable organization had standing to sue.

We’re standing here as donors to Harvard University.

Amanda T. Chan Law Student and Plaintiff

Though noting that he donated $12.24 to the University, Drake said in remarks at the press conference that the notion of “moral standing” was more important to him than legal standing in pursuing the lawsuit.

“I’m a descendant of enslaved people in this country. My ancestors built courthouses like this. They built statehouses like the one on Beacon Street. They built universities like Harvard,” Drake said. “And as a descendant of enslaved people, it’s impossible to see our system of mass imprisonment, and not see the relationships — the direct, direct relationships.”

“I’m here today, standing, literally, on the moral and the physical infrastructure that my ancestors, the ancestors of other people — enslaved people, exploited people — have built,” he added. “And that, to me, matters as much, if not more than, the legal standing.” camille.caldera@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | February 20, 2020

Page 6

Editorial The Crimson Editorial board

column

Excited for LabXchange

Profiting from Harvard Square

I

n 2013, we expressed hope that edX, which we saw as “the future of scholarship,” would be allowed to grow in its scope and range of content.

Today, we applaud the launch of LabXchange — an interactive learning platform that will bring free, quality science education to students around the world. The result of a collaboration between the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Amgen Foundation, this initiative utilizes the open-source infrastructure from edX to create a virtual scientific lab environment, particularly for students in areas without the infrastructure necessary for lab-setting experimentation.

As technology’s potential to reshape education — and particularly to expand its accessibility — is considerable, we are glad that Harvard is working to set the standard for high-quality, widely avail-

As funding for education has remained inadequate and inequitable, we commend Harvard for its efforts to make scientific education more accessible to all. able online education. We encourage the platform’s use of interactive formats and other multimedia tools to make online content engaging, and we hope that LabXchange keeps innovating the ways in which it delivers information to stu-

dents.

But more than the novelty and potential of educational technology, we are heartened by the ways this technology is being utilized. As funding for education has remained inadequate and inequitable, we commend Harvard for its efforts to make scientific education more accessible to all.

These efforts are critical in guaranteeing access to knowledge and increasing social mobility for those with limited access to more conventional institutional approaches to learning.

We have previously affirmed the utility of the Extension School in encouraging social mobility, and we appreciate the bite-sized nature of these modules, which better serves those who may not have the time to commit to a full course offered by the Extension School through edX. As of right now, the diversity of scientific fields offered through the program is laudable and we hope that Harvard will continue to expand its online education program in the humanities.

That said, we recognize that LabXchange cannot fully replace the experience of having the opportunity to be in a real lab and actually do hands-on work.

There are certainly components, such as providing modes of interaction and the ability to ask and answer questions, that can be added to the current program in order to enhance learning experiences and more accurately capture in-class environment.

But there is still a long way to go, and

we believe that the current program is a good start to remedy the inequities in learning.

As technology’s potential to reshape education — and particularly to expand its accessibility — is considerable, we are glad that Harvard is working to set the standard for high-quality, widely available online education.

All in all, we hope that the University continues to pursue its efforts in making education accessible and devoting its resources to enriching society as a whole.

The LabXchange launch is, indeed, representative of the sort of general approach toward engagement with the broader community — including high schoolers, working adults, and those around the world — that we would like Harvard to embody in all of its endeavors.

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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Appreciating an Allergy-Friendly HUDS

W

hen I arrived at Harvard, one of my primary concerns was not making friends or picking my classes, but rather navigating the dining hall.

I have life-threatening allergies to milk and tree nuts.

I’ve needed an EpiPen on multiple occasions despite taking extreme caution every day and have ended up in the emergency room in the aftermath of these reactions.

So it’s not surprising that my food allergies were an incredibly important consideration in choosing a college.

There was no margin for error; I would be eating at this new school three times a day for four years. After facing challenging dining experiences at two different school dining halls in middle and high school, I recognized the weight of my decision.

Recent articles have presented student criticisms of the dining experience for students with food allergies and celiac disease at Harvard.

A few students have expressed concerns about the possibility of cross-contamination in the self-serve areas and the fact that complete and updated ingredient lists must be accessed online rather than posted by each food.

One student wrote that the “email method,” in which students with food allergies order individualized cookedto-order meals by sending an email to dining services, was “reinventing the wheel.”

I have deep gratitude for the ways in which the workers at Annenberg have made my Harvard experience exponentially easier (and less stressful) than I expected it to be.

Ironically, this is exactly the program I had hoped to find in a college dining hall.

I am one of the students on the “email method.” I email Annenberg each night and let them know what time I’ll be eat-

ing meals during the next day and what I’d like for each meal.

They’ll make me a safe version of anything they have available and double-check all ingredients.

I usually order a “safe” version of something from the grill menu, but any time there’s something special like mussels or salmon (personal favorites) on the line, I’ve emailed and asked whether it was possible to cook them in a way that avoided my allergens.

On each occasion, the dish that appeared filled me with gratitude because it was clear how much thought and attention had been put into creating a safe dish for me.

There’s no doubt that the “email method” requires a bit of planning on the student’s part. As I was deciding on what college to attend, I met with the dining hall manager and head chef and expressed concern about the email method, and particularly about what would happen if my plans changed last minute.

Annenberg’s manager assured me that they understood that students’ plans are fluid, and that there would be no consequences if I ordered a meal and didn’t pick it up.

No harm, no foul.

There have been times when I’ve arrived early for a meal or forgotten to place my order the night before.

In each instance, a chef has cheerfully asked me to wait just five minutes while they prepared a safe made-to-order meal. I am constantly appreciative of the unflagging devotion of the Annenberg team to student health and well-being.

By definition, a food allergy is a marker of difference. For years, I sat awkwardly at birthday parties while my friends had pizza and ice cream. College is no different.

Nearly every event requires intervention. Whether it’s the Crimson Jam or simply dinner at a restaurant with a friend, food is a part of nearly everything we do.

I understand the desire to inhabit the world like everyone else, to pull food off the line without checking ingredients online or placing an order the night before.

For me, the goal is always safety and the fact that HUDS has a process in place

A

store closes in Harvard Square. Tributes flood in, recalling fond memories of afternoons spent in a coffee shop, or a warm bowl of soup on a cold winter night. Inevitably, the topic of rising rents in Harvard Square comes up, and many conclude that some greedy landlord was responsible for pushing out yet another historic establishment. It seems that they do this stuff for fun. The story becomes even juicier when we remember that, lately, a few of these landlords have been investment firms. Yes, now the narrative is shaping up well: wealthy investors are destroying local businesses.

This story is convenient, but it’s incomplete.

That’s because we pretty much absolve ourselves — the consumer — of any responsibility for the closures. In truth, we too hold responsibility, because the stores are, after all, there for us. That is the nature of business.

If we had wanted Crema Cafe to stay open, we should have frequented it more. Crema’s owner told this newspaper that “Crema sales dropped 30 to 35 percent in two years” before its lease wasn’t renewed. “I don’t fault the landlord,” he said. Neither should we. As someone who was fond of Crema and Papyrus, among other bygone stores, I would have loved for them to stay open. But I also recognize that not enough other consumers went to those establishments, and my occasional coffee or annual Christmas card was not sufficient to warrant a location in the square.

Put bluntly, property owners aim to find the most profitable tenants, which are the businesses that can attract the most customers; if a landlord replaces an existing tenant with a store that is less popular, they’ll lose money themselves. In turn, stores with high demand last and become staples of the square. That’s how we got places like El Jefe’s (October 2015) and Tatte (October 2016). Investment firms that buy properties in the square are no different.

If we truly want certain stores in the square, the strongest action we can justly take is to put our money where our mouth is.

The Crimson

By Orlee G. S. Marini-Rapoport

ANDREW W. LIANG a BOX OF CHOCOLATES

to keep me safe (a process that has, to date, resulted in zero reactions while in college) is far more important than the ability to wait in line with hundreds of my closest friends.

Of course, I would never presume to speak for all students with allergies at Harvard.

We are all different, whether it’s the sensitivity of our allergy or our level of comfort in trusting others to cook our

I’m grateful that Harvard offers a cook-to-order program and that every single HUDS worker I’ve ever spoken to has shown through word and deed that my safety and happiness matters. food. Having food allergies means that in order to keep ourselves safe, we lose a certain amount of spontaneity.

Can Harvard do better?

Clearly some people think so, and I suspect that Harvard’s structure of a separate dining hall for each house presents unique challenges for students who don’t know in what dining hall they’ll be eating the next day.

Fair enough.

But I’m grateful that Harvard offers a cook-to-order program and that every single HUDS worker I’ve ever spoken to has shown through word and deed that my safety and happiness matters.

As students with allergies speak up about their dining needs, let’s not forget that these are real people working to keep us safe.

Suggesting that we shouldn’t have to experience a moment of inconvenience or lose a tiny bit of spontaneity when there is quite literally a chef waiting to cook you your very own safe meal while you skip the line reeks of entitlement.

I have deep gratitude for the ways in which the workers at Annenberg have made my Harvard experience exponentially easier (and less stressful) than I expected it to be.

—Orlee G. S. Marini-Rapoport ’23, a Crimson Editorial Editor, lives in Greenough Hall.

Interestingly, in our popular narrative, the phrase “investment firm” seems to be closely associated with the mental image of a mustachioed Monopoly man holding bags of money. But that’s hardly the case. Let’s look at Asana Partners, for instance, which is a commonly cited antagonist in the square closures story.

It turns out that Asana’s major investors include a litany of pension funds: the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System, the Los Angeles Fire & Police Pension System, the New Mexico State Investment Council, the South Carolina Retirement System, the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System. The list goes on.

In fact, the largest investors in the investment firms that we love to lambast — ranging from real estate investment trusts to hedge funds — are often pension funds and endowments. The Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System pays out benefits to its more than 17,000 retirees by investing in firms that provide a sufficient return.

Every U.S. state has such funds — sometimes separate for teachers and firefighters and public servants. Individual cities have them too. Harvard has a massive endowment, as do many other schools, from the University of Texas system to Yale University. It turns out that a more accurate mental image of those profiting from Flat Patties’ demise would probably be of firefighters and public school teachers — and maybe even professors and students of other universities.

That is not to say that firefighters’ pension benefits warrant the closing of the square’s old businesses; that’s a value judgment where people can disagree. But landlords aren’t closing stores to spite us; they’re doing it because they think we’ll shop, eat, and drink at their new tenants.

Even if newer stores in the square aren’t frequented most by students, there must still be demand coming from somewhere, if the stores last.

If the demand is from tourists, we may not like their preferences, but they nevertheless matter.

Indeed, this should probably make us feel even more responsible for square closures as Harvard students, because our institution brings them here. And if the demand is from other Boston area residents, then we have even less to complain about. They actually live here long-term, while we are only transplants for a few years. In any case, we shouldn’t call upon government intervention to stop the closures either.

Calling on a government authority to limit what the owners of land can do with their own property would be contrary to the basis of a free society. And quite authoritarian. If an individual owns a plot of land, they have the right to decide who can operate there. My mandating who could live in your house would be a gross violation of your basic freedom. In just the same vein, it would be very illiberal for a fan of Zambrero to insist that it be mandated by the city to stay there, whether through artificially low rent or something else.

If we truly want certain stores in the square, the strongest action we can justly take is to put our money where our mouth is. When we like a business, we should go to it more often. And if a landlord replaces it with one we don’t like, we should avoid it. On second thought, though, the firefighters might not like that.

— Andrew W. Liang ’21, a Crimson editorial editor, is a Social Studies concentrator in Adams House.

Page 5

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | February 20, 2020

MassDOT Updates Allston on Construction Plans By taylor c. peterman Crimson Staff Writer

The Massachusetts Turnpike is set to undergo construction beginning in 2023 as part of broader changes to transportation in Allston. zadoc i. n. gee—Crimson photographer

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and Fiscal and Management Control Board held a meeting on Feb. 10 to update Allston residents and address public concern surrounding its ten-year infrastructure plan for the area.

The plan — known as the Allston Multimodal Project — will replace the Allston viaduct and straighten the Massachusetts Turnpike. It also includes plans to shrink the Allston interchange, improve multimodal connections, and create a new stop on the Worcester/Framingham Commuter Line called West Station.

The concept for the project originated in spring 2014 and has been developed by MassDOT and its design team, which is also working to file a final environmental impact statement for the plan. MassDOT Communications Director Kristen E. Pennucci wrote in an emailed statement that construction should begin over the next several years and should last for approximately eight to ten years, according to MassDOT. “Environmental filings for

the project are targeted for completion in the end of 2021 with the goal of beginning construction in late 2022,” she wrote.

The update presented at the Feb. 10 meeting listed the track configuration at West Station, minimization of single track operations during construction, and environmental policy as “current areas of focus.”

Pennucci wrote that plans for West Station are currently under review as engineers determine which configuration will better accommodate transportation services.

“The project team is reassessing the 3-track station and a 4-track configuration to ensure that West Station is robust enough to accommodate the commuter rail services and urban transit service envisioned in the planning study,” she wrote.

The meeting’s agenda also included a report on the “major themes of agency and public comment.”

Local residents have raised concerns about adverse impacts the project may have on the community, particularly regarding congestion.

Anthony P. D’Isidoro, an Allston resident, said he hopes to see a mitigation plan in place to

prevent excessive traffic and enable more efficient travel.

“We are gonna have a perfect storm of congestion as far as the eyes can see if we don’t take steps now to help minimize that,” D’Isidoro said.

Allston resident Harry E. Mattison said there needs to be a greater focus on transit as the project moves forward.

“I think there’s a really strong feeling that there needs to be much stronger reliance on transit for this project,” he said. “It will help people travel through Allston or to Allston while the highway is at a reduced capacity during construction.”

“There’s huge potential here, and so West Station needs to serve that potential,” he added.

Pennucci wrote that MassDOT is considering the public’s concerns as the team moves forward with the project.

“MassDOT takes seriously all public comment on projects and is currently reviewing the comments received since the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) scoping document was filed,” Pennucci wrote. taylor.peterman@thecrimson.com

Cambridge Appeals Harvard Maintains Ties Reversal of Weed Sales Ban to Foreign Foundations ties From Page 1

By jasper G. Goodman Crimson Staff Writer

The City of Cambridge filed an emergency motion appealing a court ruling that lifted the city’s two-year moratorium on certain cannabis sales permits, according to a city announcement Friday.

Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Kathleen M. McCarthy ruled last month that a moratorium passed by the Cambridge City Council giving “economic empowerment” applicants a two-year window to be the only recreational marijuana sellers in the city was illegal.

Economic empowerment applicants are businesses that receive recreational marijuana licenses from the state via a program that aims to help groups disproportionately impacted by past drug policies.

Revolutionary Clinics — a recreational marijuana seller — filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn the ban in October.

Keith W. Cooper ’83, the CEO of Revolutionary Clinics, claimed in an October affidavit that the moratorium would cost Revolutionary Clinics “upwards of $700,000 in profits per month at each of its Cam-

bridge stores.”

In a response filed Wednesday afternoon, Revolutionary Clinics alleged the city’s appeal will “irreparably harm” the company’s interests.

Cambridge now, on an emergency basis no less, seeks the ability to disregard this Court’s Decision.

October Legal Filing from Revolutionary Clinic

“Cambridge now, on an emergency basis no less, seeks the ability to disregard this Court’s Decision and continue to enforce an illegal law for years while it pursues appeals before both the Single Justice and full panel of the Appeals Court, knowing that doing so would irreparably harm Plaintiff and undermine the public interest,” the filing reads.

As it awaits a ruling on the appeal, Cambridge will not agree to new contracts with recreational pot companies, according to the city’s state-

ment.

Despite statewide efforts, the vast majority of recreational marijuana licenses have been given to business owners not part of the Massachusetts’s social equity program.

Western Front, an economic empowerment business that is replacing Central Kitchen in Central Square, is hoping to open its doors in the next five months.

Western Front was co-founded by Dennis A. Benzan, the former vice-mayor of Cambridge. Sumbul Siddiqui – who now serves as Cambridge’s mayor – told The Crimson in June that the moratorium is intended to give a “head start” to local businesses.

Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana in 2016 via a ballot referendum.

The Cambridge City Council passed legislation last fall that approved the sale of recreational marijuana in the city.

City Councilors Quinton Zondervan and Siddiqui added the amendment providing a two-year exclusivity period for economic empowerment applicants. jasper.goodman@thecrimson.com

The Foundation and Caton did not respond to requests for comment, and Mahdavi-Damghani could not be reached for comment.

The Qatar Foundation — founded in 1995 by then-emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser to “realize their ambitions for the future of Qatar” — and its subsidiaries appear to have had partnerships with multiple Harvard schools in the past decade.

Arabian Business Industries reported in 2012 that the Qatar Foundation joined forces with the Institute for Global Law and Policy at Harvard Law School to establish a graduate law school at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Doha, Qatar. The Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce — a non-profit — reported in 2016 that the Qatar Foundation’s Education Development Institute had partnered with the Harvard Graduate School of Education to launch a leadership program specific to teaching and learning in Qatar Foundation Academies.

The website for bint Nasser, the current chairperson of Qa­

tar Foundation, also lists a 2016 visit to Harvard’s Stem Cell Institute to “discuss ways of collaboration between the institute and Qatar’s Biomedical Research Institute.” The 20152016 Annual Report of the Qatar Foundation also lists a partnership between the Biomedical Research Institute and Harvard Medical School, entitled “Cancer Biology and Therapeutics Program.”

The Moscow Times reported that Harvard Graduate School of Design Professor Mohsen Mostafavi designed the main research facility at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology in 2012.

Mostafavi, who served as the Dean of the Design School from 2008 to 2019, has also been listed as a member of multiple boards at the Skolkovo Foundation, including the Skolkovo Town Planning Board and the Urban Council Board.

The Skolkovo Foundation is a Russian-government-funded non-profit intended to bolster technological innovation and entrepreneurship in Russia.

Harvard Law School professor Roberto Unger also praised

the Skolkovo Foundation in a 2013 video on their website.

“I have studied the work of Skolkovo with enormous admiration,” he said in the video.

In 2012, The Telegraph also named “on-going Russian-US partnerships between the Foundation and NASA, Boston’s MIT and Harvard University.”

Viktor Vekselberg — the Russian billionaire who chairs the Foundation’s board — facilitated the much-celebrated 2007 repatriation of the Russian Orthodox bells that once hung in Lowell House back to Russia.

Vekselberg reportedly paid several millions of dollars to transport and replace the bells.

The Skolkovo Foundation, Mostafavi, and Unger did not respond to requests for comment.

Harvard has not yet been publicly linked to the telecommunications companies Huawei and ZTE Corp., which are both based in China, or to Kaspersky Lab, a Russian cybersecurity firm. The three firms did not respond to requests for comment. camille.caldera@thecrimson.com

The sights and sounds of Harvard.

The Crimson @crimson_photo

Sports

In Other News

Women’s water polo

men’s volleyball

First-year Brooke Hourigan earned CWPA Rookie of the Week honors for the secondstraight week thanks to a string of dominating performances from the attacker.

Sophomore middle blocker/outside hitter Ryan Hong was named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week, his firstever weekly award.

MEN’s Basketball

Long Road Back: Farley Finally Returns to the Court By amir mamdani Crimson Staff Writer

It had been 755 days — 2 years and 25 days — since Reed Farley last played in a game for Harvard men’s basketball.

But with three minutes to play in the Crimson’s Valentine’s Day contest against Cornell, the 6’4 junior stripped off his warmup shirt, and walked down to the scorer’s table, before entering for his first action since January 20th, 2018. Although the appearance won’t necessarily pop out of the box score or show up in the highlight reel, it was a special moment that was hardly lost on his teammates, friends, and family, who were in the crowd on Friday night.

“It was surreal,” Farley said.

“It was a really rewarding and fulfilling moment to be out there with the guys and the Harvard across my chest in front of my family, because there were definitely some times over the past two years when I wondered if it would ever happen again.”

For a player beleaguered by devastating knee injuries that can so often permanently derail a career, Farley’s return represented much more than just another appearance in the game log. And although his only attempt rimmed out from threepoint territory, it barely mattered.

For the juniors and seniors that have seen the La Jolla, Ca., native endure an ACL reconstruction, multiple meniscus surgeries, a litany of other medical issues, and two long years of rehab, just his presence was more than enough.

“It’s amazing,” said senior guard Justin Bassey, of seeing Farley take to the Lavietes Pavilion floor once again. “We’ve all been rooting for him, and it’s awesome that he had the opportunity to do that with his family here.”

Of all the qualities that Farley espouses, it’s his steadfastness and consistent emotional boost, that his teammates have come to love and expect from the man who wears No. 33. Over the past two years, the 6’4 guard has been a fixture, his spot on the bench firmly entrenched as he donned coat-and-tie without fail, whether it be at home against UMass or nearly 3,000 miles away at Cal Berkeley. His desire to stay active and involved with the team through-

HE’S BACK Farley returns to the court in his last game before this year, with his last appearance for the Crimson occurring over two years prior, way back on January 20, 2018. The third-year will suit up this upcoming weekend at home over Junior Parents’ Weekend. erica denhoff—Crimson photographer

out his rehab has always been on full display. There is perhaps no better example of this than Farley’s repertoire of celebrations, which are frequently captured by cameras and television broadcasts alike.

“Bringing the energy every time, whether I’m on the court or off it, that was my way of making sure I was staying engaged,” Farley explained. “I wanted to make sure I still felt like I was a contributing member of this team.”

But don’t let his attitude fool you — the road back to the Lavietes Pavilion court has hardly been a smooth one for the junior. A torn ACL in his senior year of high school was just the beginning in a long series of in-

juries that would complicate the road to playing basketball again. In his first year in Cambridge, Farley tore his meniscus for the first time in practice, missing the rest of the season and rehabbing for months before tearing it once again shortly after his return. Months of surgeries and rehab turned into years, during a time that the La Jolla, Ca., native openly admitted was emotionally and mentally taxing.

“It’s definitely been a grind, honestly, mentally more than physically,” Farley said of his long recovery. “I did a lot of soul searching, really trying to fight through it and keep going. This is the team that I always wanted to play for, so I never thought

I’d give up or give in or anything like that.”

His first appearance back — a modest three minutes off the bench — might not seem that significant, but anyone who’s been around Harvard Basketball, or Farley, knows better.

In a way, it was a return to the normalcy of playing basketball, a game that’s taken him to venues as grand as Lexington’s Rupp Arena, where he drilled two three pointers as a freshman against John Calipari’s then-No. 19 Kentucky in front of a crowd of nearly 23,000.

For Farley, a shooting guard who averaged nearly 20 points per game as a senior in the suburbs of San Diego, playing against Cornell represented

the end of a very long road that started over two years ago. His ACL reconstruction, multiple meniscus surgeries, PRP injections, and a removed blood clot are all part of the medical history that make Farley’s reappearance on the court all the more impressive.

“Big moment,” said Coach Tommy Amaker of Farley’s return, citing the team’s collective excitement to see the shooting guard take his place on the court again. “As someone who’s been out for quite some time, and has given a lot to get himself in position to play again.”

It seems appropriate that during this season, a year in which Harvard men’s basketball will seek to exorcise its de-

GOGGLES UP Since his injury, Farley has had to spend Crimson games from the bench, but it has not stopped him from being in the game in other ways, shown here celebrating a teammate’s three-pointer. TIMOTHY R. O’MEARA—Crimson photographer

mons and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four campaigns, that Farley’s return should come as the Ivy League race heats up. And while his contributions are likely to be more significant from the perspective of being a good teammate, as he’s frequently mentioned as one of the more vocal and intelligent basketball minds shouting instructions from the bench, it remains significant that the junior is once again suiting up.

For all those that consider him a friend or a teammate, seeing No. 33 on the court once again has provided an emotional boost, an inspiration of sorts.

And in doing so, Farley hopes he can be a part of something much bigger than himself — a return to March Madness.

With three weeks remaining in the Ivy League season, and the Ivy League Tournament less than a month away, the time for a push is now for a Crimson team that wants to go dancing on Selection Sunday. Harvard is one of five teams that are all separated by just one game in the Ancient Eight standings, but only four of those teams can end up in the playoffs, which will be hosted in Cambridge.

“We know Ivy Basketball is hard, but the team’s starting to understand that we need to come out every night for a fight,” Farley said. “Having four of our last six games at home is great, we love that home court advantage and I think everyone’s fired up.”

It remains to be seen whether or not 2020 will prove to be the year that Coach Amaker’s lauded senior recruiting class finally makes the Big Dance.

There are high hopes for a Harvard team that will host Penn and Princeton in absolutely vital matchups this weekend at Lavietes Pavilion.

Many questions about this team and its ability to reach the NCAA Tournament still remain. But whether it’s participating in layup lines, threepoint drills, and laughing with his teammates, or calling out screens and defensive instructions from the bench, of one thing, you can be absolutely sure.

After two long years, Reed Farley is exactly where he’s supposed to be. amir.mamdani@thecrimson.com