The Harvard Crimson - Volume CXLVI, No. 44

The Harvard Crimson THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873 | VOLUME CXLVI, NO. 44 | CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3, 2019

EDITORIAL PAGE 4

NEWS PAGE 3

SPORTS PAGE 6

Athletes deserve their place at Harvard College.

Outgoing HUHS Director Paul J. Barreira discusses app pilot.

Men’s baseball ekes out win against Northeastern in Beanpot.

Faculty Call for Divest Forum

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

Members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences called on University President Lawrence S. Bacow to lead a Faculty discussion on Harvard’s fossil fuel investments, citing “widespread, deep, and reasonable disagreement” with Bacow’s response to the issue.

Philosophy Professor Edward J. Hall raised the issue on behalf of nine professors during the Faculty’s monthly meeting Tuesday. The group asked Bacow to host an open forum or dedicate a portion of a Faculty meeting to the issue, and to include members of the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — in the discussion.

“We are not in the first instance a mere corporation, where all substantive decisions are taken by managers,” Hall said. “We are a college, committed to open intellectual debate even on issues that might directly affect our own future.”

“It would, in our view, be ethically and intellectually irresponsible not to let Harvard’s response to this crisis be guided by serious and sustained community-wide discussion,” he added.

Bacow responded that he would be “happy” to fulfill the

professors’ request and would see if he could include a member of the Corporation in the discussions. He did not commit to any changes in investment decisions.

The Faculty members’ demand comes amid renewed student-led calls for Bacow and the University’s investment arm, the Harvard Management Company, to withdraw controversial investments, including those in the fossil fuel industry and in companies tied to prisons. In recent months, students have delivered multiple petitions to Massachusetts Hall regarding divestment.

Faculty members across the University most recently organized around the issue in December when the group Harvard Faculty for Divestment issued an open letter to Bacow arguing that the fossil fuel industry’s aims are “discordant with our mission and with the purposes of the endowment.”

Since the letter’s publication on Dec. 11, more than 230 faculty have signed on to the statement.

Faculty members have argued for divestment in the past with some success. In the 1980s, professors spoke out against Harvard’s investment in firms that conducted business with the apartheid government in South Africa. The University

SEE DIVEST PAGE 5

Summit Promotes Campus Survey

Laverne Cox shares her personal experience as both a member of and advocate for the BGLTQ community at one of a series of Gender Summit events held Tuesday across campus. QUINN G. PERINI—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

By SIMONE C. CHU and IRIS M. LEWIS CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Panelists, performers, and speakers at Harvard’s inaugural gender equity summit — Harvard Hears You — crossed the stage in the Smith Campus Center on Tuesday as onlookers passed through, staying for minutes or hours at the day-long

event.

The event — co-hosted by the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and the Title IX Office — centered on issues of gender equity and inclusion across different industries and aspects of daily life. The day concluded with an evening panel featuring Emmy-nominated transgender actress Laverne Cox, design consultant

and fashion influencer Nicolette Mason, fashion designer Christian Siriano, and Talk to Jess C.E.O. Jess Weiner.

The summit began Tuesday morning with opening remarks from Undergraduate Council President Sruthi Palaniappan ’20 and Vice President Julia M. Huesa ’20, followed by a speech from University President Lawrence S. Bacow.

Bacow’s remarks were interrupted by a protest from the Harvard Prison Divestment Club, whose members dropped a banner behind Bacow’s head reading “Harvard Profits from Womxn’s Imprisonment” and held up signs from the crowd.

Zoë L. Hopkins ’22, who helped plan the protest, said Bacow did not respond to the banner in his speech.

“Prisoners broadly are sort of denied a basic standard of hygiene, but this becomes particularly harsh with women, in terms of feminine and menstrual care, reproductive healthcare, et cetera,” Hopkins said, explaining the issues the group hoped to highlight.

The group has repeatedly lobbied Bacow in recent months to divest the University’s nearly $40 billion endowment from companies associated with the United States prison system.

Bacow has consistently declined to acquiesce to their demands.

University spokesperson Jonathan Swain declined to comment on the protest.

Following the introductory remarks, more than 100 people attended an opening keynote featuring consultant Jess Weiner, who helped launch Dove’s Real Beauty campaign and Mattel’s more inclusive additions to its Barbie line.

Weiner spoke about her experiences advocating against

SEE GENDER PAGE 5

Faculty Discuss Shopping Week, Biotech Nohria Speaks Out to Defend Capitalism

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

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences debated proposals to implement a new data requirement for the General Education program, establish a new biotechnology degree, and study course registration changes at its monthly meeting Tuesday.

The new Quantitative Reasoning with Data requirement would replace the current Gen Ed requirement in Empirical and Mathematical Reasoning, which students can fulfill using classes that cover statistics, probability, mathematics, logic, or decision theory.

To complete the proposed requirement, students must take a course “involving math-

ematical, statistical, and computational methods that will enable them to think critically about data,” Dean of Undergraduate Education Amanda Claybaugh said at the meeting.

Though Claybaugh declined to provide specific courses that would fulfill the requirement, she said courses that engage with data in any department could count, citing Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science as examples.

The proposal comes as the Faculty of Arts and Sciences transitions to a new General Education program slated to start in the fall after a 2015 committee found that the current system is “failing on a variety of fronts.”

Faculty members debated the underlying philosophy of

the proposed requirement, with some arguing that it privileges classes focused on data analysis or applied science over classes that teach basic science or logical reasoning.

“I would like to argue for a broad, inclusive requirement in quantitative reasoning per se, that would include the data-driven courses the committee has identified, that would affirm the value of basic science, and that would leave Harvard nimble enough to adapt to changing issues in science and society,” Mathematics Department Chair Curtis T. McMullen said.

Dean of Science Christopher W. Stubbs praised the proposal in response, saying he believes many undergraduates are “deficient” in data analysis skills — a

13 Members

By JAMIE S. BIKALES and RUOQI ZHANG CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Union Overall Harvard College Students in Teaching Positions Other Harvard School Affiliations = 50 people

MARGOT E. SHANG—CRIMSON DESIGNER

Harvard Today 2

News 3

SEE MEETING PAGE 5

Union Undergrads Unaware of Membership

Bargaining Comittee

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

problem he said he finds unacceptable, especially among students in the sciences.

“I have students that don’t have the capacity to fit data to a line,” Stubbs said.

The faculty also debated a proposal to establish a biotechnology master’s degree program that would be jointly overseen by the Business School and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Professor Mark Fishman said just 15 years ago, virtually none of his students were interested in biotechnology, but in recent years, he believes a clear majority are considering such a career.

“It’s becoming a tremendous emphasis by the students,”

Editorial 4

Some undergraduate teaching staff said they were previously unaware of the potential impact that ongoing contract negotiations between Harvard and its new graduate student union — which represents undergraduate teaching staff — will have on eligible College students.

Roughly 450 to 500 College students who work as teaching fellows and course assistants are part of the union, constituting the largest voting bloc in the union, according to Evan MacKay ‘19, the union’s undergraduate organizer. The union, Harvard Graduate Students Union — United Automobile Workers, has been negotiating with Harvard approximately every two weeks since October 2018 after forming nearly a year ago.

The union represents all undergraduate students employed by the University who hold instructional roles, meaning

Sports 6

terms of the contract currently being negotiated between HGSU-UAW and Harvard will impact them. There is one undergraduate member on the 13-person HGSU-UAW bargaining committee.

Some undergraduate teaching staff, however, said they were unaware that they are included in the union’s bargaining unit and expected to pay union dues once the contract is ratified.

Ryan S. Jiang ’20, a teaching fellow for Computer Science 181: “Machine Learning,” said he could not recall interacting with the union, nor was he aware that undergraduate student workers would be covered under the contract once it is finalized.

“If there was, like, an opportunity to learn more about what they are doing and stuff like that, I would definitely be willing to,” Jiang said.

A HGSU-UAW information session for undergraduate

TODAY’S FORECAST

SEE UNION PAGE 3

Dean of the Harvard Business School Nitin Nohria discusses capitalism and the school’s programs. SHARLEEN LOH—CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

By SAM E. SHARFSTEIN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Dean of Harvard Business School Nitin Nohria said one of the most significant challenges the school faces today is the erosion of faith in capitalism and the business world at large in an interview Tuesday.

He said that since the Business School has always been so closely associated with broader trends in the business world, it must work toward reassuring society that businesses and the capitalist system are productive.

“We — as a school that has often been associated with business, which is closely associated with capitalism — need to ask, ‘what can we do to make sure that society’s trust in capitalism remains strong and can be rebuilt,’” Nohria said.

He noted that the school has taken several actions in an effort to answer that question, including introducing more courses focused on ideas about economic structure.

“We are trying to find ways that we can engage our students in those kinds of conversations, all the way from having a second year course called ‘Reimagining Capitalism’ that has become one of our most successful second year electives, to

RAINY High: 63 Low: 36

now trying to bring that material back into the first year of our MBA curriculum,” he said.

The shift in public opinion on capitalism is especially pronounced among young Americans, according to a Gallup poll.

Less than half of people in the 18 to 29-year-old age group had a positive view of capitalism in 2018. This marked a 12 percentage point decline in the past two years.

Nohria also said the school has recently undertaken made an effort to consider areas of research and “projects on the future world” that have previously been considered outside of the scope of a business school. “[The Business School focuses on] research that relies on what can business do to address questions that historically people may have thought of as being in the public realm, whether it’s healthcare, K through 12 education, workforce retraining,” he said.

The school has also begun directing its resources and research toward economically marginalized communities, according to Nohria. In particular, the school is focusing on bringing more economic opportunities across America.

“We’re now trying to ask the

SEE NOHRIA PAGE 3

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON |

APRIL 3, 2019

PAGE 2

HARVARD TODAY

For Lunch Turkey and Provolone Panini Margarta Pizza on Multigrain Spicy Vegetable and Potato Curry

For Dinner Butter Chicken Red’s Best Fresh Catch Green Pea Basmati Rice Pullao

TODAY’S EVENTS Culture Clash: Failure is not an option vs. Fail early and fail often 12-1 p.m.

Join Dr. Ellen Ochoa, a veteran astronaut and 11th Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and Brittany Butler, Executive Director of the Social Innovation + Change Initiative for a talk abou air and space travel and the rewards of failure.

Anna Clark: “The Poisoned City: Flint’s Water and the American Urban Tragedy” 4-5:30 p.m.

Journalist Anna Clark will be discussing her new book The Poisoned City about the Flint, Michigan water crisis, which has been named one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, Kirkus Reviews, Audible, Amazon, and the New York Public Library.

Here on Earth: Emmet Gowin on a Life in Photography 6-7:15 p.m.

American photographer Emmet Gowin will be speaking on his entire career since 1960 spent teaching and honing his craft of photography, and his unique studies of moths and aerial photography of nuclear plants, among others.

IN THE REAL WORLD Republican Health Care Plan Delayed

Despite President Trump’s promises that the Republican government would be replacing President Obama’s Affordable Care Act with a new and improved health care act, it was revealed Monday night that the new act will take at least 19 more months to create, and then only if the Republicans win the 2020 election.

Algeria’s President Resigns

Outgoing HUHS Director Paul J. Barreira speaks about a potential pilot plan to implement artifical intelligence app in an interview Tuesday. SANJANA RAMRAJVEL —CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

Just yesterday Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigned his position, after having been in power for over two decades. The Algerian military and protests had been calling for his resignation for weeks, and the president had stated the day before that he would be stepping down by the end of this month.

Another Racehorse Dies in Santa Anita Park

DAILY BRIEFING Members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences called on University President Lawrence S. Bacow to lead a Faculty discussion on Harvard’s fossil fuel investments, citing “widespread, deep, and reasonable disagreement” with Bacow’s response to the issue. Bacow responded that he would be “happy” to fulfill the professors’ request and would see if he could include a member of the Corporation in the discussions. In other news, panelists, performers, and speakers took the stage at Harvard’s inaugural gender equity summit Tuesday.

Since Christmas, 26 racehorses have died in Santa Anita Park in California, with the most recent thoroughbred death occurring this past Sunday.

Gelding Arms Runner tripped during a race and injured itself, forcing it to be euthanized just weeks before the Kentucky Derby.

AROUND THE IVIES DARTMOUTH

A fundraising drive will bring major changes to the Dartmouth’s First Year Student Enrichment Program, a pre-orientation program aimed at preparing first-generation and low-income students, according to The Dartmouth. Additional funding will help expand the program from several days to four weeks, allow for a “wide array” of workshops, and provide opportunities for participants to sit in on simulation courses.

COLUMBIA

Columbia’s student government body — the Columbia College Student Council — voted to double funding for the school’s MetroCard program, the Columbia Spectator reported. The vote may mean that the Council will be able to subsidize transportation for all eligible students instead of using a lottery system. The additional funds, sourced from an alumni fundraiser, come just before the Council distributes the first round of subsidized MetroCards to a select group of lowincome undergraduates. At the Council meeting, some members said they hope alumni funds will be directed towards initiatives that directly impact all undergraduates.

YALE

Yale University President Peter Salovey said in a statement to the Yale Daily News that he “regrets” the withdrawal of 13 professors from the Ethnicity, Race, and Migration program. The faculty members announced their resignation Friday, citing administrative disinterest in the program.

While Salovey cited Yale’s financial support of the program and efforts to hire and compensate junior faculty, he declined to answer a question asking whether the professors could have taken a different route.

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873

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STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE

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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.

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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 | APRIL 3, 2019

Suskind Talks Autism, Undergraduates in Union Treatment App at Ed School Unaware of Membersip UNION FROM PAGE 1

By AMIR K. HAMILTON

students in March was attended by fewer than five undergraduates.

Jessica L. Eng ’21, a teaching fellow for Computer Science 50: “Introduction to Computer Science” last semester, said she received emails from HGSU-UAW while working as a teaching fellow, but she “personally did not interact” with the union.

“I think right now, a lot of their efforts — from the language of the emails — were more graduate-focused,” said Eng, who is currently comping The Crimson’s Arts board.

Eng also said she participated in organizing efforts on behalf of the union prior to last year’s vote and before she herself became a student instructor.

This effort, however, had nothing to do with her own personal — or expected — future membership in the union.

Evan C. MacKay ’19, the only undergraduate on HGSU-UAW’s committee that negotiates directly with Harvard, said that the “miscommunication” or “confusion” among undergraduate members who are

unaware that they are part of union’s bargaining unit is “unfortunate.”

“It’s really important to us that student workers would know that they are part of the unit and have more clarity on that,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons why we put forth proposals that would have student workers actually receiving an appointment letter that would tell them that they are in the unit.”

Not all current undergraduate teaching staff receive an appointment letter upon acceptance to their instructional positions, according to MacKay. A proposal by HGSU-UAW would require such letters be provided to new hires, along with information about the union, he said.

“We’re hoping that in future semesters, when we have a secured contract, that problem will be avoided,” he said.

MacKay said the divide between undergraduate and graduate student workers is partly a result of the Harvard administration’s efforts to “divide the undergraduate and graduate community.”

He cited a University proposal in October that would have excluded student workers who “did not meet a certain cap, in hours per week” from the bargaining unit.

“They have consistently put forth proposals that treats undergraduate and graduate students differently in how benefits might apply to them,” MacKay said.

University spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain wrote in an emailed statement that Harvard did propose a minimum average number of hours per week for student workers to be in the bargaining unit early in the negotiations. The union, however, rejected that proposal and the University withdrew it. The two sides reached a tentative agreement on union recognition in early November that includes all undergraduate teaching staff.

“The University has never disputed which classification of students would be included in this bargaining unit,” Swain wrote. jamie.bikales@thecrimson.com ruoqi.zhang@thecrimson.com

CONTRUBUTING WRITER

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron S. Suskind lectured on autism and identity at the Graduate School of Education Tuesday evening, sharing his experiences raising a son with autism and his efforts to develop a therapy app.

Suskind, a lecturer at Harvard Law School, was a senior national affairs reporter at the Wall Street Journal and has also contributed to the New York Times Magazine and Esquire. He won the Pulitzer Prize for a 1995 series of articles about honors students in Washington, D.C.. which he later adapted into a book.

In 2014, Suskind authored “Life, Animated,” a memoir detailing his son Owen’s life with autism.

The book was made into a documentary of the same name, and the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2016.

Suskind said Owen’s growing awareness of other people’s perception of him as he got older motivated Suskind to

HUHS Considers Piloting Diagnostic App

By MICHELLE G. KURILLA CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Harvard University Health Services is looking into piloting an app that would allow patients to diagnose their symptoms at home, HUHS Director Paul J. Barreira said in an interview Monday.

The app uses artificial intelligence to provide medical advice to users, according to Barreira. Other companies have already used the technology, and HUHS may pilot the app at the University, Barreira said.

The program would lead a patient through questions about their symptoms before offering treatment advice.

The app would also collect data on its users, allowing providers to track diagnoses of their patients, according to Barreira. ­

“There’s a capacity for this to be incorporated into our medical record so we could see what happened,” Barreira said. “And then we could call the student the next day and say, ‘what’d you

The question they ask could have been answered without being seen or could have been answered by a telephone operator.

Paul J. Barreira Harvard University Health Services Director

do with it?’”

Barreira said the app could improve efficiency and help

HUHS better use its resources.

By advising patients remotely, the technology could eliminate unnecessary doctor visits and cut down on wait times for appointments, allowing providers to reserve resources for those who need them most.

“It would cut down on emergency rooms,” Barreira said. “It would cut down on urgent care.

Sometimes — particularly after hours — students just walk in just because it’s here. The question they ask could have been answered without being seen or could have been answered by a telephone operator.”

Though HUHS has not officially started plans for a pilot, Barreira suggested that the College could test the app in one of the undergraduate house neighborhoods: River East, River Central, River West, or the Quad.

Another location HUHS is considering for the pilot is Harvard Business School, as HUHS is in the process of closing their satellite clinic on its campus.

Barreira said he thinks the Business School would be more readily accepting of the program.

“I think the Business School students are more likely to adopt it, because they’ve had more experience with self-care,” Barreira said.

“They’re older. They’re across the river — that might as well be across the English Channel. It’s hard to get over here from the Business School. I could imagine them being more readily willing to adopt it.”

“We’re trying to think very creatively about what is the best way to connect with students.” he added. michelle.kurilla@thecrimson.com

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write the memoir.

“I think what triggered it was when our son Owen, who’s on the autism spectrum, was about nineteen, and he said to me and my wife Cornelia one night, ‘people don’t see me for who I am,’” Suskind said.

“He was starting to become aware of the way people were looking at him.”

“We would have to write a book with the goal of changing the way people see people like our son,” he said.

In “Life, Animated,” Suskind writes about how Owen’s affinity for Disney films helped him develop the ability to speak after years of mutism.

More recently, Suskind built a team of experts to design a communication app called Sidekicks for children with autism.

The app uses YouTube clips concerning the child’s interests to improve their communication with parents and therapists.

“They can share the video in real time, but remotely, which is crucial,” Suskind said.

“None of that energy and anxiety from mom. Kind of

private, kind of not, kind of like we’re sitting at the couch looking at the TV, side by side.”

As part of the app development, Suskind partnered with the Project on Affinities and Language at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to scan brain activity of people on the autism spectrum while using the app.

“These are showing key areas of neural function, many of them not expected to activate in any way among spectrum populations,” he said referencing images from the research.

“She is processing that language in a neurotypical fashion.”

“For a spectrum family, this is an orchestra and crescendo.

It’s hope and joy,” he said of the findings associated with the app.

Miso Kwak, a student at the Graduate School of Education who attended the talk, said she was impressed by Suskind’s lecture and work.

“He’s thinking about autism through the lens of strength rather than deficit,” she said.

NOHRIA FROM PAGE 1

Nohria Defends HBS Mission, Programs question, ‘how do we more seriously get engaged with the American heartland and think harder about parts of America that feel left behind?’ What we can do to bring more economic opportunity?” he said.

The University has made an increased effort in recent years to spread its message from Cambridge across the nation.

University President Lawrence S. Bacow has personally engaged in this effort, visiting schools across the country in an effort to counter ideas that Harvard only serves the United State’s liberal elite.

Still, Nohria said the school’s largest area of concern at the moment remains addressing

underlying distrust in the United States’ economic framework.

It’s really important for business to regain the trust of society.

Nitin Nohria Harvard Business School Dean

“It’s really important for business to regain the trust of society,” he said. “Harvard Business School needs to more proactively think about how to do that.” sam.sharfstein@thecrimson.com

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | APRIL 3, 2019

PAGE 4

EDITORIAL THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

OP-ED

A Socioeconomically Equal Experience

Dear Class of 2023

T

he recent nationwide admissions scandal has revealed how students and families of privileged socioeconomic backgrounds are able to leverage their wealth, often in dishonest ways, to gain admission to prestigious universities. But the problem of wealth disparities extends beyond college admissions. Relative to the rest of the population, wealthy students often have unequal access to the resources and institutional knowledge that make for a positive and productive college experience. Certainly no exception, Harvard has significant work to do in making students from all socioeconomic backgrounds — particularly historically marginalized ones — feel included and empowered.

Consider Graduate School of Education professor Anthony A. Jack’s research on the socioeconomic initiatives that elite universities pursue. Jack looks at how low-income students, even those who might be termed “privileged poor” — low-income students that come from affluent private high schools — face a set of common difficulties in college. As part of his research, Jack examines how many socioeconomic initiatives, like those that allow low-income students to attend events they might not be able to afford on their own, are well-intended and largely beneficial, but make low-income students feel that they are different from and treated as less than their wealthier peers.

As we have opined in past, low-income students at Harvard are certainly

no exception, and Harvard should take a hard look at how its institutions contribute to this sense of difference. While the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative has been incredibly beneficial for countless students and families, it is important to acknowledge that the problem of socioeconomic inequity runs deeper than admission and requires more comprehensive solutions than currently available.

Harvard has significant work to do in making students from all socioeconomic backgrounds — particularly historically marginalized ones — feel included and empowered.

The University, we acknowledge, will not be able to fix this societal problem on its own. Nevertheless, there are some measures that Harvard might consider on its journey toward providing the best experience possible for its low-income students.

Jack discusses how low-income students in elite colleges can feel out of place when they participate, often by necessity, in paid janitorial programs — which at Harvard translates to Dorm Crew.

Rethinking work contributions like Dorm Crew and similar requirements for financial aid and the ways these inter-

act with power dynamics could be a positive step towards addressing these issues. Many other tangible measures may include: compensating students for labor they contribute in unpaid student organizations, providing more accessible funding for food and housing on breaks, and expanding its online resources for first-generation, low-income students.

Finally, Harvard should continue to pursue and prioritize student research that tries to better define the scope of this problem and enable students to tackle the issue drawing from their extensive knowledge of student life at Harvard.

Yet, students must also consider their own responsibilities in helping make Harvard a welcoming and inclusive environment. It falls upon students to be more vigilant and considerate about the way in which we recognize our privilege and interact with our peers.

Universities will always be encumbered by bureaucracy, but that need not be the case for students. Change starts with us — in our classes and dining halls, pre-orientation programs and extracurricular activities.

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

Submit an Op-Ed!

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op-eds@thecrimson.com

OP-ED

In Support of Athlete Admissions

By ROMY DOLGIN

T

here’s a saying that goes, “There are two kinds of Harvard students: pointy students and round students.” This may sound a little weird, but after I first heard this analogy in freshman year, the Harvard landscape started to make a whole lot more sense to me.

The saying suggests a pointy person is someone whose skills all funnel into one very specific point of interest. They earned their way through the grueling admissions process mostly, but not exclusively, because they have a unique, honed skill that sets them apart from the pack.

These students are the musical savants or mathematical geniuses among us. Maybe Greg’s college essay wasn’t quite up to snuff, but he’s the internation-

Including students with different priorities, backgrounds, experiences, and values is crucial to making this campus a place where students can meet and learn from those unlike themselves. al chess champion and brings a unique set of skills to the table.

A round person, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily excel at one particular skill, but they’re fairly well equipped in a large number of areas.

Katie can write a killer paper, perform complex calculations, and took piano lessons for a few years growing up.

Her work may not be publishing ready yet, and she may not be starring in her own concierto, but she has a diverse set of talents.

Since the Harvard admissions trial began, and truthfully for quite some time before it, conversation has been abuzz

about what makes an applicant “Harvard material.” Particularly, I have heard many students question whether student athletes fit the bill.

In truth, however, athletes are pointy students like any other, and therefore do not deserve the position they’ve held in the discussion regarding Harvard’s admissions practices.

The unsatisfying truth is that there is no formula for a successful application to Harvard.

Harvard seems to seek out pointy people and round people alike, and the standards for those categories are likely quite different. This distinction makes it near impossible to define a set list of necessary characteristics for a potential Harvard student because the admissions team values diverse talents among its students.

Throughout the admissions conversation, athletes have been unfairly grouped into the class of admitted students which includes legacies and children of donors.

The tacit belief among many I have spoken to is that this portion of the student body constitute evidence of unfair admission standards, implying that they did not earn their spots at this school as other students did.

Moreover, some believe these students are taking the spots of other, worthier candidates because they held this unfair advantage.

Athletes do not deserve to be lumped into this category. Athletes are pointy.

Their uniquely honed skill is their athletic ability.

I am not suggesting that athletes don’t have a multitude of other talents as well, they surely do, but those who were recruited were specifically selected because their athletic talent is a unique skill the University values.

It makes just as much sense to consider athletic accomplishment in admissions as it does to consider if a student published a novel before they were 16

years old. Both are special qualifications that could make for a fitting addition to the Harvard community.

The talents, abilities, and mindsets brought to the student body by athletes aid in diversifying the College. Those who play team sports might be able to help infuse a group project with the values of cooperation and teamwork.

In truth, however, athletes are pointy students like any other, and therefore do not deserve the position they’ve held in the discussion regarding Harvard’s admissions practices.

A student who is accustomed to studying alone could truly benefit from their group-mate’s experience in working as a unit.

A victory celebration after a big game, if made open and inclusive to other members of the student body, could provide a reprieve from studying for the student who had four midterms and a paper last week.

Including students with different priorities, backgrounds, experiences, and values is crucial to making this campus a place where students can meet and learn from those unlike themselves.

This campus doesn’t need pointy students more than round students or vice versa.

A fair mix of both contributes to making Harvard the special place that it is.

Athletes are an important part of that puzzle, and they deserve to be here just as much as any other student.

—Romy Dolgin ’21, a Crimson Editorial Comp Director, is a Linguistics concentrator in Lowell House.

By CHRISTOPHER KWON

A

s a curious recent admit last year, I gathered information about Harvard to find out what I could expect the following fall.

I only started inquiring after the regular admission results, though many other recent admits may have started thinking about student life long before I did. But now, as a second-semester freshman who is quickly finishing his first year of college, I realize that I internalized advice more than I should have.

So, perhaps somewhat ironically, here’s my advice for incoming first-years: Take the advice of current or past students with a grain of salt. Firstyears should arrive ready to create their own experiences, not mimicking others’.

However much I asked for advice or sought to learn about prior experiences, no amount of knowledge could prepare me for the curveballs of my first year.

For me, deciding what classes to take turned out to be one of the most confusing times during my first year. In the beginnings of my research, the Q-Guide system, a database for student class evaluations, allowed me to narrow down which subject I wanted to take a class in. A couple of classes in each slot seemed easy enough to decide upon given that I could reach out to past students or utilize shopping week, a week during which students can attend potential classes.

But choosing between two similar courses such as the first-year life science track Life and Physical Sciences A: “Foundational Chemistry and Biology” or Life Sciences 1a: “An Integrated Introduction to the Life Sciences” proved to be more difficult than I had imagined.

Personally, I enjoyed being torn between one or two courses during shopping week; at least I was researching and personally trying to decipher the rumors floating around about each class.

What confused me was an overload of personal advice that I received from talking with my peers.

I took such advice as fact and made my decisions based off of it, bypassing my own thoughts in the decision.

It is true that a given Harvard student will share their honest opinions of a class. And I find few reasons to not trust the experiences of a student who has already taken the class.

But such opinions are never objective and hidden behind every word is an underlying tone of “Yes, you should take it” or “No, you should not take it.” Subconsciously, I internalized these experiences as fact. I did wonder at times, “Why can’t students give me a matter-of-fact opinion of a class?” But I realized that such an opinion does not exist.

Opinions of a class cannot be objective because students use different criterion to reflect upon a class; oftentimes, unrelated sentiments can dramatically shift students’ views of a class such as whether a friend takes a class with them or whether they liked the personalities of those teaching the course.

Looking back, asking these questions implied that I wanted to know what I should take during my first-year. But, incoming first-years should learn sooner rather than later that no one knows what is right for you but yourself. Beyond classes, I remember having questions about extracurriculars in relation to what groups I would fit into on campus.

Students seem to have an understanding of which student groups on campus incorporate significant social aspects, sometimes to equal degrees to the activities of the club itself.

But these social aspects aren’t immutable.

Because club enrollment and board members change year by year, clubs on campus are defined by the group of students that are currently in it, and one student’s past social experience may not be the experience that another student has the following year.

Thus, I would encourage students to join a club in spite of prior conceptions.

Taking advice as fact should not be the intention of seeking it. And having the right intention when asking questions brought me to understand the merit in making decisions for myself. One of the reasons I reached out heavily to current students was to quell my worry about making the wrong choice.

I will never stop asking for advice from friends, family, and advisors in making decisions because I trust them to have the best intentions for me.

But, through my first year, I learned that this advice should not make my decisions.

Only I can ultimately decide yes or no, and I must do this while realizing that my circumstances are unique, just like everyone’s are.

Harvard is simultaneously everything and nothing like I expected. I would have never dreamed of my first year unfolding the way that it did. However much I asked for advice or sought to learn about prior experiences, no amount of knowledge could prepare me for the curveballs of my first year.

This too, is an important lesson that I am grateful to have learned.

So now, with my three years left, I could continue relying heavily on the actions of those close to me or I could rely on myself to find my own “way” through classes, extracurriculars, and college life.

I choose to trust myself, heeding to advice while knowing that I have the option to ignore it.

Only then will Harvard be a truly special experience. And so — for incoming first-years — you can start being cautious about what advice you take by heeding mine.

—Christopher Kwon ’22, an inactive Crimson Editorial editor, lives in Massachusetts Hall.

PAGE 5

THE HARVARD CRIMSON | APRIL 3, 2019

Ec. Dept. Launches Finance Workshops

By SOPHIA S. ARMENAKAS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Students concentrating in a variety of fields gathered in Harvard Hall for the Economics Department’s first session of its four-part inaugural Personal Finance Workshop series on Monday evening.

Open to all undergraduate students, the free workshop comprises four weekly sessions throughout April, each covering practical financial topics — from understanding credit to investing to behavioral economics.

Economics professors John Y. Campbell and Karen Dynan taught Monday’s session, and professors David I. Laibson and Jeffrey A. Miron will help lead subsequent classes.

Monday’s session on personal finance and the basics of credit drew roughly 25 attendees, which included both Economics concentrators and students concentrating in other fields. Dynan and Campbell both said they were especially pleased with the turnout and the enthusiasm demonstrated

by students.

“We were delighted with the turnout last night and with the interest students were sharing.

People were asking lots of questions, which was great,” Campbell said.

The Personal Finance Workshops aim to bring awareness to common financial issues in an effort to promote financial literacy among “a broader audience,” according to Campbell.

“This is a time when everyone in society is faced with ever more complex financial decisions,” he said. “Higher education gets more and more expensive. Many people acquire debt…and we feel that everybody can use some basic education in this material, so we hope to be useful in this.”

Miron said he wants to make it clear that the sessions are meant to be accessible to all students regardless of background.

“All undergraduates are welcome,” he said. “You absolutely do not need a background in economics… Almost everything we’re trying to get across is based on simple reasoning, simple logic to organize how you

think about your own finances.”

The hope is that by teaching students about such topics, they will then apply this knowledge to their own financial lives, ac-

Our view has been that if people understand the underlying reasons for these rule — as well as some of the relevant evidence — they can do a better job with their own finances.

Karen Dynan Economics Professor

cording to Dynan.

“Our view has been that if people understand the underlying reasons for these rules — as well as some of the relevant evidence — they can do a better job with their own finances,” Dy-

nan wrote in an email.

Mark H. Kong ’21, who attended Monday’s session, said he found it informative and will likely attend future workshops as well.

“There’s enough content that something will end up being helpful that I may not have known about. For example, I had an incorrect assumption about mortgages so I learned about that,” he said. “I think there’s stuff here that’s definitely applicable.”

Organizers said the future of the workshop will depend on how the “trial-run” goes this month. The workshop’s evolution will rely upon student feedback.

“Depending on how that goes, how much attendance we have, how much interest we’ve heard about from other sources, we might do something similar next year, or we might want to repeat it at other times, or we might want to adjust the target audience or the material,” Miron said. “But we’re just kind of experimenting right now.” sophia.armenakas@thecrimson.com

GENDER FROM PAGE 1

Gender Equity Summit Brings Speakers sexual harassment on campus when she was a college student, as well as the work she did with larger companies to help make more inclusive culture shifts.

“We have got to focus on being leaders instead of just being liked,” Weiner said. “We have to leverage our privilege to amplify those voices that are not heard, and to know when to shut up and listen to people who need to be heard.”

We have to leverage our privilege to amplify those voices that are not heard, and to know when to shut up and listen to people who need to be heard.

Jess Weiner C.E.O. of Talk to Jess

Some summit events also focused on the Student Survey on Sexual Assault & Misconduct, which was released Tuesday.

The survey, administered to all students across the Universi-

ty, comes four years after Harvard’s first offered a survey on sexual misconduct climate.

During a panel entitled “How Data and Student Voices Drive Change,” University Title IX Officer Nicole M. Merhill discussed how Harvard has adapted this year’s iteration to better include graduate students.

Student performers including spoken word poet Najya A. Williams ’20 and the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College also participated in the day’s activities.

“We spend a lot of time thinking about how we should incentivize people to do this work,” Williams said. “There should never be a reason why we need to incentivize anyone to do this work. Because guess what? It’s work that involves all of us.”

Kacey E. Gill ’20, president of the Association of Black Harvard Women, spoke on a panel about the voices that often go unheard during conversations about gender equity.

“People who are going to come to this conference and the summit are certain types of people,” she said. “There’s also a lot of people who are not here,

and there needs to be conversations that include those people who chose not to be here for whatever reason.”

Capping off the day’s backto-back programming was a celebrity panel later in the evening focused on dynamics of gender, power, and inclusion.

Cox, who is the first transgender woman of color to land a starring role on a mainstream scripted television series, reflected on advice she’d accumulated throughout her career.

She said she has learned that the phrase “what gets in the way becomes the way” rings true.

“For so many years, I thought the trans thing was keeping me from a career. And that was part of it, let’s be real. But in retrospect, I wasn’t ready for any of this a moment before it happened,” she said.

Siriano, who won Project Runway and is known for advocating for size inclusivity and diversity in fashion, said he believes there is more to fashion than just producing beautiful clothing.

“I’d more want to be recognized as doing something great.

Not like, ‘Oh, he made great clothes,’ but that I made people feel good. I think that’s more in-

teresting,” Siriano said of what motivates his work.

For so many years, I thought the trans thing was keeping me from a career.

And that was part of it, let’s be real.

But in retrospect, I wasn’t ready for this a moment before it happened.

Laverne Cox Actress

Mason noted learning about one’s biases takes self-awareness, and that working to create an environment where people feel comfortable enough to reflect on and learn more about those biases is important.

“Nobody likes to think of themselves as getting these things wrong, but we all do,” she said. iris.lewis@thecrimson.com simone.chu@thecrimson.com

MEETING FROM PAGE 1

Faculty Talk Shopping Week he said. “As an institution, we should be training the leaders of these biotech companies.”

Though Fishman said the program would incorporate an ethical component, Medical Anthropology Professor Arthur Kleinman asked for further assurances that the “unintended consequences” of medicine would be highlighted in the curriculum.

“I want to be sure that in an undertaking like this, we give students the broadest possible understanding of their work for society in general,” he said.

The Faculty also debated legislation that would establish a new committee to explore methods to better predict course enrollment and coordinate class lotteries. The committee would have until spring 2022 to decide whether eliminating shopping week — the week-long period at the beginning of each semester during which students can explore courses before enrolling — is the only way to fix problems that plague the current system.

Some faculty members at Tuesday’s meeting said the hesitancy to eliminate shopping week sidestepped what they saw as its serious flaws, including a lack of instruction during

the first week, uncertainty for graduate students, and some students’ tendency to use the time to seek out light-workload classes.

“Shopping week is shaped not only by students’ curiosity but… also other factors that we would do well to curtail,” Professor of German Art and Culture Jeffrey F. Hamburger said.

“There are students who use it cynically to find the path of least resistance.”

Before the Faculty discussed the three pieces of legislation, University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 updated the Faculty on Harvard’s negotiations with its student union.

He said the committee has spent more than 60 hours at the bargaining table with Harvard Graduate Students Union — United Automobile Workers, but he noted the two sides “are not near to an end just yet,” urging patience during the monthslong negotiation process.

Faculty will vote on the biotechnology degree, Quantitative Reasoning with Data requirement, and course registration proposals at its next meeting in May. molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com jonah.berger@thecrimson.com

DIVEST FROM PAGE 1

Faculty Ask for Divestment Forum eventually divested from some of the firms.

Bacow has repeatedly spoken out against divestment, citing a variety of explanations for why he believes divestment would be misguided, including “practical issues” associated with divestment and the importance of research and scholarship when addressing ethical concerns.

Hall said he and the other faculty decided to ask for such a meeting in part because of disagreement with Bacow’s stance across the University.

“Maybe those reasons are right, maybe not,” Hall said.

“That does not matter to the question we are posing.”

A report released by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2018 warned that without significant action, the world will

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

That’s artsy.

The Crimson

thecrimson.com/arts

face the calamitous effects of climate change by 2040, including food shortages.

University leaders have set a goal of becoming fossil-fuel neutral by 2026 and completely fossil-fuel free by 2050, building on Harvard’s previous emissions reduction of 30 percent between 2006 and 2016.

In May 2018, a member of one of Harvard’s governing bodies took a stance against fossil fuel investment for the first time.

Kathryn “Kat” A. Taylor ’80, a former member of the University’s Board of Overseers, resigned over what she called the University’s failure to “adopt ethical commitments” in its investments, citing fossil fuels specifically. molly.mccafferty@thecrimson.com jonah.berger@thecrimson.com

SPORTS

WEEKLY RECAP

SCORES

BASEBALL VS. NORTHEASTERN W, 4-3 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S WATER POLO VS. NO. 24 BUCKNELL W, 15-13 ___________________________________________________________

SOFTBALL AT HOLY CROSS L, 6-4 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S TENNIS VS. BOSTON COLLEGE W, 6-1 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S WATER POLO AT GW W, 18-4 ___________________________________________________________

MEN’S VOLLEYBALL VS. SAINT FRANCIS L, 3-2 ___________________________________________________________

WOMEN’S RUGBY VS. DARTMOUTH L, 12-10 ___________________________________________________________

BASEBALL

Stone, Shaw Pitch Harvard a Beanpot Semifinal Win

By AMIR MAMDANI CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

It was only fitting, on a night when Harvard men’s baseball and Northeastern would combine to score seven runs on just three total hits, that Kevin Stone and Kieran Shaw would pitch the Crimson into the Championship game of the 2019 Beanpot.

Despite a sloppy affair that saw more combined errors between the two teams than hits, a four-run fifth-inning outburst from Harvard (13-6, 4-2 Ivy) proved to be the difference. Coupled with nine solid innings from the Crimson pitching staff, three unearned runs helped the men from Cambridge hold on for a 4-3 victory, giving the team the opportunity to win the tournament for a second straight season.

“The Beanpot’s a pretty fun thing we get to do,” Stone said.

“It’s super exciting and very meaningful to make it to the final in my senior season.”

Harvard’s defense of its 2018 title kicked off Tuesday night at Boston College, against crosstown rival Northeastern. The Huskies were a familiar foe for the Crimson, as the semifinal was a rematch of last year’s Beanpot title game, a contest that saw Harvard surrender six first-inning runs, but storm back for a dramatic 8-6 victory.

Like in the 2018 Championship game, Stone toed the rubber to start for the Crimson. The fourth-year starter put Harvard in position to secure the victory, tossing five hitless innings, but conceded five walks that accounted for two Northeastern runs. Despite falling behind like it did in the 2018 final, Harvard battled back, riding Stone’s strong performance and rewarding the senior with the semifinal win, allowing him to improve to 2-1 on the season.

“Gotta come out in attack mode, and I didn’t quite do that,” Stone said of his early struggles.

“Just being able to make the adjustment and refocus after that first inning was huge for me.” ­

PLAYING FOR THE ‘POT A second straight Beanpot title is now within reach for the Crimson, and this time, the team has the chance to capture the cup at Fenway. QUINN G. PERINI—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

The senior, the elder statesman of the staff, has adapted to a different role than he has been accustomed to over the first three years of his career. Previously a stalwart in the weekend starting rotation, the Stamford, Conn., native has taken his transition to spot starts with grace, a testament to the teamfirst mentality that his teammates admire about him.

“This year we had some other guys step up, and Kev was given a new role,” said Stone’s battery-mate, senior catcher Jake Allen. “Kev has done an absolutely great job of taking that role and running with it.”

The Crimson carried positive momentum from its Spring Break training trip and the early Ivy League season into Tuesday night, a welcome sight for a team looking to establish self

as the cream of the Ancient Eight, as well as the Massachusetts schools. Harvard had taken 2-of-3 games at Penn and at home against Princeton last weekend, setting the team up well for a six-game homestand against Yale and Cornell.

First baseman Patrick McColl entered the semifinal with a torrid start to the season, which saw him reach No. 1 in the country in batting average last week. But the senior was held down by the Huskies’ pitching, as was standout right fielder Jake Suddleson, who has shown exceptional power throughout the year thus far.

McColl and Suddleson were limited to a combined 0-of-6, with both reaching and scoring through bases on balls. Their runs, along with a Chad Minato single and a Northeastern field-

ing error, were enough offense for the entire evening for the defending champions.

In the sixth inning senior John MacLean, relieving Stone, came up with a huge strikeout with bases loaded to get out of the inning with the lead. MacLean, despite giving up a run in the frame, was a key bridge to the latter innings, tossing two innings of one-run ball, logging four strikeouts in the process.

Freshman Harrison Stovern locked down the eighth inning without allowing a baserunner, setting the stage for junior closer Kieran Shaw to continue what has already been a historic season.

“I saw the staff do what they do best,” Allen said. “Fill up the zone, and every once in a while battle through the adversity.”

Shaw, who has already set

the single-season record in saves for Harvard, locked down yet another flawless finish to a victory, despite lacking a single insurance run to work with.

The Los Gatos, Calif., native entered the ninth inning, and secured the win with a flourish, mowing down the top of the Huskies’ lineup in 1-2-3 fashion for his ninth save this campaign.

“Kieran’s another guy who, first year or two, has been trying to figure out exactly his role on the team,” Allen said. “It’s been pretty cool to see him on the mound, I mean, I’m intimidated and I’m catching him.”

In the other semifinal, the University of Massachusetts defeated Boston College on the Eagles’ home diamond, winning by a 6-2 margin. Despite an abysmal 5-15 start to the sea-

son, the Minutemen advanced to the championship game, looking to secure the school’s first Beanpot Championship since the 2012 season.

The final will take place two weeks from tomorrow, on the afternoon of Wednesday April 17th. Harvard will have the opportunity to take the Fenway Park field that afternoon and secure a Beanpot championship, a dream come true for many Boston-area players donning the Crimson colors.

“It’s super exciting being a Red Sox fan, playing at Fenway, you feel like a little kid,” said Stone of the prospect of locking down a Beanpot title at Fenway Park. “It’s gonna be a moment I never forget for the rest of my life.” amir.mamdani@thecrimson.com

TRACK AND FIELD

Harvard Splits For Personal Bests at Relays, Invitational

By MAHTAB SHIHAB CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

A fter a spring break that consisted of training and competing in Houston, Harvard outdoor track and field continued to leave a dent in the school record books this past weekend, splitting up to compete against some of the best athletes in the country at the Texas Relays, Raleigh Relays, and UMass Lowell Invitational.

There were a slew of personal and season bests from the Crimson athletes, boding well for their development in upcoming meets on the way to Ivy Heps. ­

TEXAS RELAYS

Coming down to Texas for a second consecutive weekends, both the Harvard men’s and women’s relay teams had stellar performances, exceeding expectations for the Crimson.

The men’s team consisted of the same group that brought home the Ivy Heps title in the 4x400 during the indoor season. The relay consisting of sophomore sprinters Rodney Agyare-May, Jovahn Williamson, and Kahlil Wassell along with senior middle distance runner Myles Marshall qualified for the finals and ran the second-fastest time in Harvard history with its mark of 3:10.05.

On the women’s side, the 4x400 team showed their versatility as athletes by compromising a group that consisted of both sprinters and hurdlers.

Sophomore sprinter Olivia Okoli ran with freshman hurdler Sharelle Samuel and junior hurdlers Karina Joiner and Maya Miklos to qualify for the finals with a time of 3:43.31.

Miklos ran one of the fastest splits with a 53.64 400.

Freshman thrower Sam Welsh also had a great performance in Austin competing against some of the best in the nation at the discus. The Lunenburg, Mass. native just came off a great performance at the Victor Lopez

Invitational the previous week where he won the discus with a mark of 56.57m.

“It was amazing to throw against the best in the country as a freshman,” Welsh said.

“The competition gave me experience throwing at a national caliber meet, which will help me for the rest of the season. I look forward to facing them again in future competitions and next time, I’ll be ready to give them a good fight.”

Facing such stellar competition puts Harvard in a position where it can feel confident against the rest of its Ancient Eight competitors. This experience helps to prepare the team

for both Ivy Heps and NCAAs later on.

“The competition at the Texas relays was on par with NCAAs, which will take place in June at the same venue,” Welsh said. “Being able to compete at a big meet like the Texas relays early in the season is great because it helps us to gain experience competing against athletes we will face again at nationals and Ivy Heps.”

RALEIGH RELAYS

The distance team headed to North Carolina where the reigning Indoor Ivy heps 3000m and 5000m champion junior distance runner Kieran Tuntivate continued to excel. Tuntivate placed sixth in the 10000m with a mark of 28:45.61, a time that broke the program record and surpassed the 28:55.64 mark of Paul Gomper ’87.

Personal and season records were also set on the women’s distance team in the Raleigh Relays. Senior distance runner Kathryn Gillespie placed 15th in the 1500m with a time of 4:23.24, while sophomore distance runner Anna Juul placed 19th in the same event, earning a new personal best of 4:24.27.

UMASS LOWELL INVITATIONAL

GOOD, BETTER, PERSONAL BEST The Crimson’s strong showing at this past weekend’s meet bodes well for the rest of its season. QUINN G. PERINI—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

The team’s jumpers and underclassmen sprinters were able to showcase their abilities in Lowell, Mass. In both the 100m and 200m, freshmen sprinters Tina Martin and Katina Martin were able to place first and second in their events. Sophomore jumper Iza Sabharwal had a second place finish in the long jump

(5.29m) and a first place finish in the triple jump (10.71m).

On the men’s side, senior pole vaulter Ian West built off his fourth place finish at Indoor Ivy Heps and placed second with a mark of 4.60m. Freshmen sprinter Max Serrano-Wu finished third in the 400m with a time of 51.23, an impressive mark he hopes to build upon.

“My coach and I had talked about my race plan during the week,” Serrano-Wu said. “For the 400m, I would go out hard for the first 150m, stay relaxed and smooth for the next 100m, then give it my all for the last 150m. While I’m definitely happy about my 3rd place finish, I am disappointed with my overall time in the 400m, as I was hoping to closer to 50 seconds flat.... For the first meet of the season I’m happy to have competed and get some races under my belt going into our next meet in a couple of weeks.”

Competing all across the country, the Crimson used its performances this past weekend to gain the edge it needs going into the rest of its season.

“We’re using all these different meets as opportunities to prepare for the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships in Princeton in May, where we hope to improve on our 2nd place finish [the women] and 3rd place finish [the men] from the indoor championships,” Serrano-Wu said.

“There were many PR’s set this weekend, so we’ll reflect on our performance and use it as a boost for the next coming mee ts.” mahtab.shihab@thecrimson.com