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PROTEST FROM PAGE 1 Divest Harvard Activists Occupy University Hall
Bacow said.
Over the past year, the group has become increasingly vocal in demanding that the Harvard Corporation — Harvard’s highest governing body — divest the University’s endowment from fossil fuels; student activists have organized numerous public demonstrations, even interrupting an event at the Kennedy School of Government that featured Bacow himself.
Last week, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences endorsed fossil fuel divestment in a 179-20 vote, with many professors citing a belief that climate change is among the most pressing issues Harvard must face.
Divest Harvard made national news in November when demonstrators occupied the field during halftime at The Game, calling on Harvard and Yale to divest from the fossil fuel industry and from Puerto Rican debt.
Harvard, step off it, put people over profit.
Divest Harvard Protestors
Divest Harvard did not respond to a request for comment. Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana, whose office occupies part of the building’s ground floor, observed the protest from the steps of the building.
Protesters held signs with slogans in support of fossil fuel divestment, including a poster that read “It’s time to break up Larry and Fossil Fuels.” Several alumni joined the demonstration. Former divestment organizer Canyon Woodward ’15 said that it was his birthday and that this protest marked the five-year anniversary of a 24-hour occupation of Mass. Hall. The protesters, joined by Khurana, proceeded to sing him happy birthday.
As the protesters walked out into the Yard, Khurana shook hands with one demonstrator. He said in an interview with The Crimson that he came to the protest to “listen.”
“I’m here to listen,” Khurana said. “And I think listening respectfully and toward understanding is a really important part of what we do at the College.”
ellen.burstein@thecrimson.com
Student Life Group Discusses Allston, Kirkland Shield
By SYDNEY M. COBB and DECLAN J. KNIERIEM CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS
The Committee on Student Life convened Thursday to discuss potential changes to the Kirkland House shield, plans for the new School of Engineering and Applied Sciences campus in Allston, and updates to Undergraduate Council caucus systems.
The CSL — an advisory panel whose members include administrators, faculty deans, House Committee chairs, and UC representatives — meets monthly to discuss policies affecting undergraduates. CSL meetings in the fall term saw debate over approving student groups as well as proposals for comp audits for existing organizations.
The early-morning meeting began with a presentation from Kirkland House Faculty Dean Verena A. Conley and House Committee Co-Chair Andrea J. Zhang ’22 about changing their House’s shield.
Conley said perception of the current shield has changed over the years. She added that student feedback to the proposed design has been positive.
To bring about a change in the shield, Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana must approve a petition. According to College spokesperson Rachael Dane, Khurana has yet to make this determination.
Meanwhile — with mere months until many SEAS labs, classrooms, and offices move across the Charles — the com
Alexa C. Jordan ’22 Student and CSL Member
mittee also discussed issues related to Harvard’s new Allston campus, including transportation and dining options. Harvard Vice President for Campus Services Meredith Weenick outlined how Harvard will accommodate undergraduate travel by creating a direct link between Allston and the Quad, improving bike lanes, and increasing shuttle frequency.
The new facilities will include a second location for FlyBy — a Harvard University Dining Services option for to-go meals — as well as a BoardPlus cafe, according to Weenick. The site will also host tours during shopping week in the fall to enThe Committee on Student Life discussed the SEAS move to Allston and changes to the Kirkland House seal at its monthly meeting on Thursday in the Lamont Forum Room. SARA KOMATSU—CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER
courage students to shop classes at the Allston campus.
Weenick added that the move will likely present unforeseen difficulties.
“We’ll be working the kinks out as we go along,” she said. “You don’t know how a building is going to function until people start to occupy it.”
UC representative and CSL member Alexa C. Jordan ’22 said she hopes the Allston campus draws students outside of SEAS across the river.
“I think I’m drawn to such beautiful architecture,” she said. “It would be so lovely to have a class and be able to spend an hour or two there studying.” UC President James Mathew ’21 presented an adjustment to the UC caucus system that would allow student leaders from cultural organizations to join the caucuses. The existing caucus system only extends membership to elected UC representatives.
Mathew said he believes this change can help address issues of representation on the UC.
Jordan said she agrees with Mathew and believes that a “revamping” of the caucuses is necessary due to “poor representation” of minorities within the current system.
“I think that this is a way in which to get the voices of students more directly reflected in UC policies and practices,” she said. “Do I think it’s going to be a radical change? No. But do I still think that it’s important that we’re doing this? Yes.”
sydnie.cobb@thecrimson.com declan.knieriem@thecrimson.com
Transformative coverage.
The Crimson thecrimson.com
ARANDI FROM PAGE 1
Petition Calls for Divinity Student Arandi’s Re-Entry
she believed she was “targeted and was subjected to discrimination” on the basis of her nationality.
“We hope that DHS will conduct a thorough investigation of the mistreatment of students and the misuse of expedited removal orders at Logan airport,” she wrote.
“At Logan they didn’t tell anything about this allegation or other reasons for their decision,” she added.
The petition calls CBP’s conduct “not only wrong and baseless, but arbitrary and reprehensible.”
The petition also alleges that Arandi’s deportation is part of a “coordinated campaign” to limit the entry of Iranians to the United States.
“We’re starting to see a pattern of these expedited removals at Logan Airport,” Corral said in an interview two weeks ago.
A DHS spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
luke.williams@thecrimson.com matteo.wong@thecrimson.com
MARKEY FROM PAGE 1
City Councilors Endorse Markey
“There are so few people who voted against it,” she said. “It is very hard to state with 100 percent certainty that had Representative Kennedy been in office at that time, he would have chosen a different path.”
Newly-elected Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui did not join her fellow councilors in endorsing Markey.
Seven of the eight members of Cambridge’s state legislative delegation have also thrown their support behind Markey.
Sobrinho-Wheeler said he hopes for a high voter turnout in this year’s elections.
“There’s going to be a lot of turnout this year,” Sobrinho-Wheeler said. “My hope is that that will bring a lot of progressives — a lot of people who may not always vote in primaries — out to this one and give Markey the edge.”
Kennedy and Markey will participate in their first debate next Tuesday at 7 p.m. on WGBH.
