Celebrating 50 Years of the Harvard Independent

10.03.19

Celebrating 50 Years of The Harvard Independent

Inside: The Anniversary Issue The Harvard Independent

10.03.2019 The Indy is turning 50! Cover design by Vol. LI, No. 1 Jilly Cronin ‘21 Cover photo by Andrew Haimovici ‘21

CONTENTS STAFF 3 Independence for the Independent President Jilly Cronin ’21 Editor-in-Chief Tushar Dwivedi ’20 4 A Chemist’s Purview on Creative Writing Associate Editor Marissa Garcia ‘21 5 Seeking...Enduring Managing Editor Ana Luiza Nicolae ‘22 7 The Cops Who Care 9 Balancing Acts News Editor Graham Walter ‘21 11 66 Years of Political Integrity Forum Editor Alaya Ayala ’21 12 Indy Refections Arts Editor Jasper Fu ’21 Yang Gang Takes over Cambridge Sports Editor Elizabeth Gummer ’21 16 Podcast Editor Marissa Garcia ‘21 17 Divest Harvard 19 Men Sano en Corpore Sano Visual Arts Editor Natalie Sicher ’21 21 Fashion through the Ages Photography Editor Andrew Haimovici ‘21 22 To Talk Staf Writers Jose Espinel ‘20 Claire Park ‘20 Evelyn Gray ‘21 As Harvard College's weekly undergraduate newsmagazine, Mimi Tarrant ‘21 the Harvard Independent provides in-depth, critical coverage Grace Tworek ‘21 of issues and events of interest to the Harvard College JP Vieira ‘21 community. The Independent has no political afliation, Jaycee Yegher ‘21 instead ofering diverse commentary on news, arts, sports, Amal Abdi ‘20 and student life. Aidan Fitzsimons ‘20 For publication information, email subscriptions, and general inquiries, contact President Jilly Cronin (president@ harvardindependent.com). Letters to the Editor and comments regarding the content of the publication should be addressed to Editor-in-Chief Tushar Dwivedi (editorinchief@ harvardindependent.com). The Harvard Independent is published weekly during the academic year, except during vacations, by The Harvard Independent, Inc., Student Organization Center at Hilles, Box Find us online! 201, 59 Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. @HarvardIndy

2 harvardindependent.com The Harvard Independent 10.03.2019 INDY LETTER Independence for The Independent By WADE ROUSH hy, some people have asked me, am I journalism itself as an extra—an epiphenom- putting so much time into fundraising enon, something that will just happen as long and support for The Harvard Indepen- as students can go online to reserve a random W dent, student-run media to go out of business.” dent, an organization where I spent a few years classroom or lounge in which to gather. When it working as a student reporter and editor more comes to campus real estate, the faculty and the than three decades ago? There are many answers. administration have a monopoly, and students But student journalism is an irreplaceable ele- are getting knocked of the game board. ment of campus life, as well as an on-ramp to pro- For one thing, the Indy started me on the path fessional journalism. It would be a fundamental to a journalism career, writing for Science maga- But the Indy has been complacent too. Over mistake if more universities allowed their student zine, MIT Technology Review, Xconomy, Scientifc the decades, Harvard’s attitude toward the news- newspapers to fold, smothering students’ jour- American, and other publications. For that I feel paper has oscillated from generosity (the news- nalistic instincts before they’re even sharpened. gratitude, mixed with a sense of responsibility to paper’s original ofce space in 1969-70 took up make sure today’s Harvard undergraduates don’t much of the third foor of the Freshman Union) The Indy will not fold—not if its alumni have have to work for the Crimson to get the same op- to benign neglect (our former ofces in the base- anything to do with it. In the 2020s, perhaps more portunities. ments of Canaday A and G were flthy and maze- than ever, it will take fearless reporting, clear like, but they were homes). We were lulled into communication, skepticism toward power, and a The Indy is also the source of some of my hap- thinking we could depend on the university’s commitment to reality and truth to help save the piest memories. Helping to create something cool kindness forever—which meant we had no es- nation and the planet. Elite institutions like Har- and valuable as part of a team; learning how to re- cape plan ready when movers showed up in April vard deserve more time under the microscope, port and write from editors senior to me; passing 2018 to shovel the Indy’s fles and electronics into not less. A free, independently fnanced student those skills on to others later; collaborating in the the third-foor cubicle. press is a crucial part of this formula. Wednesday-night rush to put each issue to bed: it all leaves me with a happy glow. Perhaps it’s Since then, we’ve been correcting that mis- To appropriate King Aragorn’s line: A day may nostalgia, but helping to sustain those traditions take. The goal of the Campaign for Independence, come when the courage of journalists fails, when today keeps the warm feelings going. which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fel- newspaper’s founding, is to fnance the rent on a lowship—it is not this day. That’s why I’ve invited Mostly, though, I’m just stubborn. As a mem- new of-campus ofce where The Independent all of my fellow Indy alumni to take up the banner ber of the Indy’s board of alumni advisors, I can will, truly and fnally, be independent of the uni- of obstinacy, and help The Independent stay just see that the newspaper’s future is in real jeopar- versity. that. dy. In part, it’s sufering from the same economic, cultural, and technological forces bufeting the The Indy is hardly alone in its struggles. Stu- Wade Roush ’89 is a technology journalist and larger media industry, from evaporating business dent-run newspapers around the country are the current chair of the Harvard Independent’s models to competition from a million new digital battling bureaucratic hostility, funding reduc- Graduate Board. channels. tions, and outright interference, as well as a PR- centric mindset that sees an active student press Donate to the Campaign for Independence at But a more immediate threat comes from Har- as a liability. “When colleges became a brand and www.indyalumni.org/donate vard itself. they began to embrace this idea The administration’s grand indiference to that they were a student journalism has cost the Indy one of its brand, then the most vital resources: a physical space in which to bottom fell out in operate. Since the paper’s forced relocation to a support for inde- closet-sized third-foor cubicle at the Student Or- pendent watch- ganization Center at Hilles in the spring of 2018, dog journalism,” the paper has struggled on as a semi-virtual or- Frank LoMonte, ganization. Recruiting new stafers has long been the former direc- a challenge—especially since a previous reloca- tor of the Student tion from the Yard to the Quad in the late 2000s. Press Law Center But without a real space of its own, the Indy could and director of soon wither and die. And I’ll be damned if that the Brechner Cen- happens on my watch. ter for Freedom of Information at Complacency is at the heart of this crisis, as it the University of so often is. Stafers and alumni who have spent Florida, recently endless hours negotiating with the Dean of Stu- told The Atlantic. dents Ofce over the space fasco have learned “The endgame in a sobering truth: Harvard administrators see stu- many institutions dent newspapers as clubs. And they see student is for the indepen-

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 3 INDY ARTS A Chemist’s Purview on Creative Writing An interview with author Weike Wang ‘11, former Indy writer, unveils how she synergized her experiences in both chemistry and fiction By MARISSA GARCIA during her time at the College. While refecting upon her inspiration for the novel, Wang recalled her time working in a lab while at Harvard and its omewhere I read that the average num- accompanying intensity. She saw her peers expe- “Sber of readers for a scientifc paper is 0.6,” riencing similarly taxing work, and Wang began to reads the second page of Chemistry, the novel consider the questions that those in high caliber written by Weike Wang, Harvard Class of 2011 academic programs are grappling with, including and Harvard Independent alumna. Her frst novel, “What constitutes good work, what constitutes Chemistry, however, does not claim the title of innovation, creativity? Who deserves to do this her frst publication—her portfolio also includes, work and who should just try to fnd something “A Dinuclear Palladium Catalyst for alpha-Hydrox- else? What is best? What is genius, insight?” ylation of Carbonyls with O2,” which exceeds the average number of readers for a scientifc paper The narrator’s boyfriend, Eric— without having by approximately 8862.4 (this paper, as of Sep- encountered many obstacles—has established tember 2019, has 8863 views). himself as a respectable chemist, fying to Califor- nia to attend conferences. The narrator’s lab mate Wang has cultivated an identity for herself that has a far neater desk that somehow allows her to has become two-fold: a cursory Internet search of publish, multiple times. In an inevitable stage of “Weike Wang Chemistry” unveils two seemingly comparison, the narrator struggles to fnd solace The same cannot be said for the transition incongruent profles—Wang as both a chem- in the slow, unpromising pace of her research and from science-writing to novel-writing, a metric ist and as an award-winning novelist. The narra- to stay afoat of external expectations, such as in which Wang is clearly exceeding. Many nov- tor of Chemistry, a chemistry graduate student from her parents. els lack scientists as the protagonists, and even at a university in Boston, pulls readers through if they are, they tend to be caricatured, as Wang the dredges of her plague of indecision, sparked The quiet environment of chemistry research refects. It is evident that Chemistry not only is an by her boyfriend’s—an established chemist’s— experienced by the narrator may elucidate upon interdisciplinary venture but also has carved out enervating marriage proposal. The conficting why Wang has come to embrace novel-writing, an important niche for itself in the ecosystem of expectations in the narrator’s life are equally ex- documenting her “writing classes that [she] took literature—weaving together several identities, acting and exhausting—the demands from her at Harvard [to be] a needed contrast to [her] other from woman scientist to Chinese American, for a research laboratory, from her Chinese parents, pre-med and STEM classes.” The Indy served as a story presently underrepresented in fction. and from herself. wonderful sanctuary of like-minded peers who came from a diverse range of concentrations— So, given the novel’s emphasis on identity The struggles of the narrator seem to be de- from STEM to English, uniting for the common and its self-actualization, it remains curious that rived from organic struggles witnessed by Wang cause of writing. Wang fondly recalls the “many the narrator of Chemistry is never given a name. all-nighters the night before publication… a few None of the characters’ dialogue refer to her by times, [she] forgot the ofce key and instead of name, and she never mentions her name. This going back for it, they just crawled in under the tactic by Wang is perhaps the most innovative door (there was a 1-foot gap then).” of her literary devices—by refraining from giving her narrator a name, she is surely accentuating For Wang, novel-writing is best done at home, the nebulous relationship of the narrator to her writing often being “an isolating and messy en- identity, but Wang is also broadening the degree deavor” that cannot be done in public—in fact, to which the reader can identify with the narra- she often does not show her work to others un- tor. With the trance of the frst-person narrative, til she fnishes a frst draft. When she was writing it becomes difcult to disentangle the narrator’s for the Indy, she “was a bit less self-conscious (or conficts with compromise, between her ambi- maybe reckless?) and would just write something tions past and ambitions future, from our own. and send it of.” Though this is a key diference between novel-writing and journalism, she encour- Marissa Garcia ‘21 (marissagarcia@college. ages that the transition from journalism to fction harvard.edu) fnds the story of Weike Wang to be is natural, insisting that “journalism teaches you inspiring, especially as she hopes to cultivate a how to write a hook, to keep the reader engaged, career for herself that combines both science and which is something also important in fction writ- writing. ing.”

4 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 INDY ARTS Seeking... Enduring Indy Arts and Morris B. Abram, Jr. By JILLY CRONIN D’ Ou’ venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Ou’ al- of The Harvard Independent, it is “art of enduring lons-nous? interest,” that addresses these questions. around politics and student activism” during his Where do we come from? What are we? Where are The Harvard Independent strives both to be frst year at Harvard. And so, his love for the arts we going? and to celebrate art of enduring interest. So at took a back seat as he, instead, spent his time le- this, the 50th anniversary of the Indy, Gauguin’s gitimizing the Indy through fundraising and legal he Boston Museum of Fine Arts boasts a questions loom large. Integrity, legacy, and per- work. This work needed to be done. But he never painting asking these questions that we petuity: let us defne them. lost his passion for the arts. Tare afraid and desperate to ask ourselves, for all who view the Tahiti canvas painting by Paul Where do we come from? While the “news and editorial staf maintained Gauguin understand the power both their asking their role, separate and apart from the publish- and their answering can unlock. In searching for Today, Morris B. Abram, Jr. is an attorney- ing side,” Abram worked as the liaison in his ourselves and a vision, we fnd greater meaning turned-arts-dealer who operates his own art role as president. Working as a writer, an editor, in all things. gallery, MB Abram Galleries. In the fall of 1969, and a fundraiser, Abram learned that “it was the Abram arrived at Harvard as a sophomore trans- brilliance and dedication of our business side that To Morris B. Abram, Jr. ’71, founding President fer from Wesleyan College. Harvard as he found gave those writing the stories, including the arts, it was, like much of the coun- sports, and entertainment sections, the space try, “engulfed in protest over and freedom to create.” He described how with- the Vietnam War.” It was out out the hard work of the publishers and business of this turbulent time and the board members, “we could not have continued.” turmoil of brilliant and seeking In managing these tasks, Abram learned a valu- minds that the Indy was born. able lesson: “art and business need one another.” Abram himself gravitated to- It is a symbiosis, not a dichotomy. wards such change-making, and with a family history of What are we? involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, he made his way After passing the baton of Indy presidency to a group of individuals who onto Todd Jennings and working on the Indy would one day be called the more remotely, Abram spent the year following founders of the nation’s old- his Junior year to organize the National Move- est student run weekly, quite ment for the Student Vote, Inc. However, “On re- naturally. turning to Harvard,” Abram recalled being “torn between an interest in politics, this infuenced by At that time, Abram felt his a strong family connection through [his] father, passion for art and his disci- a civil rights attorney and later diplomat, and a pline for spearheading great deepening feeling for the arts.” And so, for his Se- endeavors not completely nior year Abram decided to forgo writing a thesis at ease with one another. and instead pursue both of his passions in the Though he had been interest- form of two one-on-one seminars. ed in art from a young age – Abram even described being Abram’s seminars were with Paul Freund, moved by the “the refnement Professor at the Law School, and John Coolidge, and artistry of [arrowhead] Professor of Art History. Abram described how stone points” he would collect he learned much from his two professors, stat- from the banks of the Chatta- ing, “Coolidge viewed art as a gateway to joy and hoochee River as a boy – the happiness rather than as the struggle with per- “campus seemed to pulse sonal demons felt by many artists. And from Paul June Wayne, Demented Tidal WaveState I Freund, the eminent constitutional scholar of his

The HarvardHarvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 5 INDY ARTS June Wayne, AM Seeking...Enduring, continued.

day… I saw how ability and genius could be accompanied by great modesty and humility.”

These two seminars were just the beginning of Abram’s formal pursuit of the arts and social sci- ences in tandem. After Harvard, he traveled to Oxford and studied art history, but rather than pursue a degree at Oxford he left school for Par- is. He is not the only student of life to fnd Paris “more engaging and personally satisfying than academe.”

In the following years, Abram worked as a mixed- media artist, produced experimental dance mu- sic in California, and even earned a law degree at the age of 38 – after which he worked as a public interest attorney. In describing these years of his life Abram recalled that, “Through it all, I always returned to my interest in the arts, eventually becoming an art dealer.”

Where are we going?

Abram’s career (both during his term as Presi- artists are “seekers.” Specifcally referring to the dent of the Indy and in his post-grad life) illus- work of photographer Walker Evans (another art- D’ Ou’ venons-nous? Que sommes-nous? Ou’ trates how art is not above the minutiae of day- ist for whom Abram has particularly strong feel- allons-nous? to-day operations, but integral to them. When ings), he wrote that, “He thought for himself and asked about which particular artists have had a would never allow himself to be captive of any Where do we come from? What are we? Where signifcant impact on his life, Abram pointed to fxed ideology.” are we going? June Wayne, an artist whose work is displayed in MB Abram Art Gallery. Abram describes Wayne’s In the same way that the arts have been an work as refusing to be bound by a “signature undercurrent in Morris Abram’s life, the arts have Jilly Cronin ‘21 ([email protected]) style,” but “seeking always to explore and experi- always been celebrated in the The Harvard Inde- came from Winthrop, is President of the Indy, and ment rather than duplicate her past successes.” pendent. Art, in the Indy, is a celebration of the is going to love the Indy for another 50 years. many ways people fnd meaning in their lives. Abram’s appreciation for the arts stems from Whether it be in the “Work of the Week,” poetry, or an understanding of the transformative nature a review of the latest performances on campus, of specifc pieces. Abram stated that, “The riches the Indy strives to preserves artists’ integrity and in art are beyond the measure, and often beyond identity. the reach of fnancial reward…. Visual art has no satisfactory verbal explanation and would not ex- To Harvard students with a passion for the ist if it could be just as easily expressed in word arts, Abram gives this sage advice: “[Do not] at- symbols. Art in all its forms is a gateway, and – if tempt to place art or its pursuit in a neat box. We successful – reaches beyond all the logic and are all working towards a more integrated life, manifestation of the mind.” the ultimate art…. The search for the answers to Gauguin’s questions are not contained in a career Very similarly to his own journey through the path, but in our dedication and passion to relent- arts – one in which pursuing arts was not an end lessly discarding the unecessary and seeking the in itself, but rather a passion from which he could truth and essence in all things.” hardly escape – Abram concluded that all great

6 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 INDY NEWS The Cops Who Care By MICHAEL KIELSTRA Andrew Haimovici '21

Since then, HUPD has become an enduring institution on campus in every sense of the word. Until 2016, the Crim- son would publish bimonthly rundowns of the most exciting events in the public HUPD crime log, annotated with sassy comments. In 2017, Satire V, a fake-news student comedy group, published its own take on the crime log, containing events such as “Ofcers dispatched to pizza party, just for a quick snack. Pizza was mediocre. Ofcers displeased.” HUPD ofcers inves- tigate crimes, register technology and bi- cycles, provide protection for visiting ce- lebrities, and generally perform policing functions on campus. Everyone has seen them, even before arriving in Cambridge: a video message starring three ofcers is included in the online pre-Harvard training for frst-year students.

HUPD has also integrated itself within the wider policing community. Cam- bridge Police Superintendent Jack Albert had nothing but good things to say about what he described as “such a close relationship,” founded on in-service coopera- n a country with universities famous for HUPD is to Harvard students, that colleges across tion and forty hours a year of training together. endless debate and controversy, one group the world have equivalents, but in fact campus He told the Independent that it was not uncom- Istands out. They hear students refer to them police are a uniquely North American phenom- mon for HUPD and CPD ofcers to make career every day by a name unliked, and yet they pur- enon. The International Association of Campus moves into each others’ departments; histori- sue politeness and community integration with a Law Enforcement Administrators (IACLEA) counts cally, this had been motivated by the CPD’s bet- passion. The group referred to, unsurprisingly, is members from eleven countries, but their ofce ter pay and benefts, but today the two forces are the Harvard University Police Department. and the universities represented by each of their similar enough in that regard that it’s more usual Presidents are all in the USA or Canada, and their for CPD ofcers to move to HUPD in order to col- It is a fact well-known to tutors and administra- website discusses laws varying “from state to lect a government pension while still earning a tors, but surprisingly unfamiliar to students, that state” rather than “from country to country”. As salary. This encourages strong ties and general HUPD ofcers would prefer that you pronounce it well as being localized, the phenomenon is very collaboration between the departments. “H-U-P-D”, spelling out the acronym. “The HUPD” recent: IACLEA dates the history of private secu- is even better, refecting the fact that they are the rity on campus back to Yale in the late 1800s, but In September of this year, the collaboration Harvard University Police Department and not claims that most states did not recognize private bore fruit during a protest at Amazon’s Kendall simply a Harvard University Police Department. policing, as opposed to simple private security, Square ofce. The Boston Police Department “Hup-dee” is frowned upon. In the grand scheme until the 1980s or later. Massachusetts state laws informed CPD that a protest march was about of battles to pick, however, the HUPD ofcers and regarding the issue only came into their current to enter Cambridge, and CPD, who did not have staf have clearly decided to let this one go. form in 1991, as part of a general reorganization enough manpower nearby to respond quickly, of state and local police. It is easy to assume that, given how familiar asked for help from HUPD and the MIT Police De-

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 7 INDY NEWS The Cops Who Care, continued.

partment. None of these three departments were step behind student change,” although she did rather than immediately going for Tasers and aware at the time that Harvard students were not claim that this was always a bad thing, given handcufs. In doing so, they protect the college, among those demonstrating. CPD made some that the college needed alumni to donate for its which wants to keep minor student misbehavior peaceful choreographed arrests at the request of survival and that students and alumni tended to out of the news, and the students, who are given the protest organizers, and everyone went home. disagree on hot-button issues. opportunities to truly reform themselves and Among the student body, HUPD’s actions were grow. Their focus is on protecting the college as controversial – the Crimson published a staf edi- This might imply a worldview that sees HUPD an institution and as a group of people, not on re- torial entitled “What HUPD Should Stand For”, dis- as a classic instance of a larger institution using ducing crime in this particular area of Cambridge. cussing the “obligation to respect protesters’ free force to keep its junior members in line. Howev- As Superintendent Albert said, commenting on expression” – but to Superintendent Albert they er, the truth appears far more subtle. One of the HUPD and also the various other campus police were simply mutual aid rendered from one force most common responses, when I asked students departments throughout the city, “They see their to another. This builds trust within CPD, making what purpose HUPD served on campus, was community as… diferent from the community in it easier for HUPD to operate independently in some variant of Jake Kurlander ’22’s opinion that Cambridge. They see the students very diferent- what is technically a shared jurisdiction: Superin- “Harvard police will be a lot more forgiving than ly… That becomes their primary responsibility.” tendent Albert said that he and his ofcers “tend Cambridge police for things like teen drinking [or] not to go onto the campus unless we’re requested drug use, and Harvard doesn't want arrests.” In Coming as I do from a country without campus by [HUPD]”, a philosophy that would be unethical this case, the interests of the administration and police of any sort, I was initially surprised by their did CPD not believe in HUPD’s professionalism. those of the students come together very well: by presence on campus and honestly did expect maintaining its own police force, Harvard can be many students to mistrust them in some way. HUPD has not managed to completely dodge more gentle and caring with students while also However, the vast majority of students I surveyed controversy closer to home. In February of this avoiding the news spectacle that would be gen- said that they felt safer around HUPD ofcers and year, the Crimson reported on the debate over erated by a CPD ofcer arresting a party’s worth that they would feel comfortable approaching their enforcement of rules preventing people of Harvard students for underage drinking. an unknown HUPD ofcer for help. One student from staying overnight in the Smith Center. The went to great efort to speak anonymously only newly refurbished building had become some- One other major controversy in which HUPD to claim that “Having talked with many of them what popular with Cambridge’s homeless popula- has recently been involved gives more evidence [HUPD ofcers], they are here to help us, and spe- tion, to the point where ofcers were being called for this theory. In April 2018, CPD arrested a black cifcally keep [us] out of trouble, rather than get almost every day. At the time, Catalano pointed Harvard student, who was naked and, ofcers be- us into it.” In a university where seemingly every out that sleeping in itself was not grounds for re- lieved, under the infuence of drugs, on a street policy brings about some protest or another, moval from the building; the ofcers were there corner just out of HUPD jurisdiction. Normally, where the Crimson can publish multiple op-eds in case, as did sometimes occur, the person in HUPD ofcers would have helped to deal with on hot breakfasts in upperclassman housing, question acted in such a way as to require being the situation, but, due to a disastrous Yardfest the relationship between Harvard’s youth and removed once he or she woke up. (during which, at one point, every single ambu- HUPD’s fnest continue to grow. lance in the city of Cambridge was at Harvard However, when opining on this, the Crimson Yard), they were overstretched and could not at- Michael Kielstra ’22 ([email protected] editorial board did not claim that it was HUPD tend. The ensuing debate, which, due to allega- vard.edu) generally doesn’t like the Police. It’s not who had done wrong, but rather the univer- tions of brutality, lasted until November, led to that he’s a criminal or anything; he just doesn’t sity administration as a whole. This mirrors the various policy changes, but notably did not focus think Sting is that great a songwriter. most common concern about HUPD in general: signifcantly on HUPD itself. Indeed, the Crimson a few of the students whom I spoke with were reported that “In the wake of the incident, some concerned that, if push came to shove, HUPD undergraduates said they wished Harvard police would privilege the interests of the university as had handled the situation from the start.” a whole, and of the university administration over those of the students. One felt that HUPD existed Throughout these three incidents, the way “to give more discreetness to the happenings of HUPD operates is clear to see. They are a profes- the college, especially for external optics.” Lorae sional police force and will not hesitate to make Stojanovic ’22 said she believed that this was not arrests, use force, or participate in cooperative so much an issue with the police force as the col- policing actions, but they understand the im- lege in general, and that “Harvard’s always one portance of showing some amount of leniency

8 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 INDY NEWS Balancing Acts Conversations with Students Who Have On-Campus Jobs By ALAYA AYALA ccording to the Harvard Student Em- frst-year students, being a Quintern in the Ofce ployment Ofce website, 78% of stu- of BGLTQ Student Life, and as an Intern in the Ad- Adents have had a part time job at one vising Programs Ofce. “primarily a fnancial thing; I really want to lessen point during their time at Harvard, on or of cam- the burden on my mom. I don’t want her to have pus. 39% of graduating seniors began working Harvard reports that 55% percent of under- to pay for anything for me, so I want to have my during their frst year on campus, and the average graduate students receive need-based Harvard own money and buy things for myself so that she student spends ~8 hours a week working during Scholarships, and estimates that a student whose doesn’t have to.” Audrey Pettner ‘21 in Winthrop their senior year. In 2017, the National Center for family contributes $11,650 to their education in also cited wanting to alleviate the fnancial bur- Education Statistics reported that 43% of full time a year would be expected to earn at least $2,850 den of college on her family, stating that “I need- undergraduate students in the country had jobs, while working during term-time to contribute to ed the disposable income. I knew that if I wanted which was purportedly lower than the percent- the cost of their education. While these numbers to go into Boston or do specifc fun campus ac- age in 2005, when 50% of the students surveyed aren’t meant to imply that only students who tivities and things like that, I needed to be able had jobs. Statistics like these pose an interesting need fnancial aid have jobs while they are en- to have my own money that I could spend, and I question: why do students choose to have jobs rolled at Harvard, it does provide some context wanted to be able to take care of tuition so that while they’re in school, especially considering the for why so many of Harvard’s students are in need my parents didn’t have to worry about it.” Abi- impact it could have on their social lives and edu- of means to support themselves with a job during gail Gabriel Ory ‘21 also stated that she wanted cation? the school year. “more control over my fnances, I wanted to have fnancial freedom and I wanted to be able to save The Indy was especially concerned with stu- Anna Cambron, of the class of 2022 in Quincy money while I was in college.” dents who have on-campus jobs, as they are House states that her reasons for getting a job are an integral part of the working community that helps to make Harvard a home for its students. We wondered what it was about on campus jobs that made students choose to work where they learn, eat, sleep, and play. We also had questions about how these students are impacted by having to fnd a work-life balance, and how they feel that their various jobs contribute to how they are perceived by other students on campus. To get some insight on these questions, the Indy reached out to four undergraduate students who stated that they were employed on Harvard’s campus.

Alyx Britton, class of 2021 in Leverett, stated, “I decided to get a job when I frst got to campus because I desperately needed the money, and have had jobs since then to supplement income that I get from scholarship refunds because I’m completely fnancially independent from my parents. So if I want something, then I have to make the money to get that thing. And especially because after my frst year at Harvard it got a little harder to get things like grants and things like that.” Alyx has worked several jobs on campus, including Dorm Crew, working for the FYRE program, working in the Leverett House Building Of- fce, serving as a Peer Advising Fellow for Harvard

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 9 INDY NEWS Balancing Acts, continued. jobs is, by defnition, time that I’m not spending looked down on for my tour guiding and class with my friends. It’s not too bad though since I’m assistant jobs, there’s an understanding for why When asked why each of the students chose usually done working by fve and I see my friends I’d want to to those jobs, either for the money or jobs on-campus versus of-campus, the respons- in the evening. The only other thing is that it can prestige, but when I worked with Dorm Crew I es varied. Abigail ‘21 said that “ I decided to get be hard having to squeeze in school work dur- would get responses like ‘why would you want to a job on campus for a number of reasons. I was ing the day in between having to go to work and do that?’” actually working of-campus for a while and the class, work cuts into it so I spend a lot longer do- commute was just too much. It wasn’t even that ing classwork in the evenings.” Alyx stated, “I don’t think there is a negative long of a commute by job standards, but by time- attitude to jobs generally on campus, I think any out-of-my-life-as-a-student standards, it was a Audrey said that “I try to ft in work during issues of stigmatization come with certain types lot of time, and then it costs money to transport times when I know that I’m not going to be pro- of jobs on campus. Those jobs that have less yourself there. I could get a job on campus that ductive academically, it’s really hard for me to professional development opportunities are the pays the same amount except I don’t have to pay work in the afternoon, so I try, when I don’t have ones that I think receive more negative reactions. two dollars for a bus ticket.” Abigail now works class, to schedule work at that time. I have a vari- Jobs that are more competitive to get into and for the Lamont Media Lab and is employed as a ety of jobs, some are more fexible and some have pay well and provide professional development sound tech at the Queen’s Head Pub on campus. more of a fxed schedule, so it works out well, so opportunities are the ones that more people that I can fll in the time when I’m not productive, regard as more of an accomplishment to get, Audrey stated that she “wanted something as it comes up.” you’re kind of looked up to for having those jobs. that was close to classes, and I didn’t want to I would feel weird telling people when I used to have to wander all over Cambridge. I also felt like Alyx responded that “I think the key thing with work for Dorm Crew, I never got overtly negative everything would be a little more streamlined if jobs on campus is fnding something that you responses, at least, not to my face, but with a job I worked on campus, like they might be a little can work well in between your studies and your like that it becomes very apparent how people more understanding of the life of a college stu- extracurriculars. For me, one beneft of getting live diferently than you, and that made me really dent.” Anna cited “fexibility and convenience” as jobs that don’t pay hourly (a lot of my jobs pay me uncomfortable at the time.” reasons for wanting to work on campus as well. with stipends) is that I can work basically what- Alyx responded that “Honestly, on campus ever hours I need to as long as it meets a given Abigail stated that “The biggest thing that I’ve jobs were the ones that were the most readily ac- deadline.” noticed is stigma that other people face, things cessible to me. It seemed like basically wherever I that other people, especially in food service, get went on campus, there were already student em- Harvard is primarily a campus that strives to told when they share that they work on campus. ployees there and I could just ask ‘Hey, how can I support academic endeavors, and applauds ef- I’ve heard people make assumptions like ‘oh, you work here?’ if it was something that I really want- forts toward academic achievement. As such, we must be on fnancial aid, that’s so awful that you ed to do, or even before I’d ask, it would be said to were interested in fnding out more about how have to work at the grill and fry things all the time.’ me like ‘Hey, if you want to work here, here’s what students believe having a job on campus contrib- There are a lot of reasons why someone might you can do.’ They were presented to me before I utes to how they are perceived by other people in want to do a particular job, and it’s not your place even got to consider of-campus jobs.” such a rigorous environment. to judge.”

The Indy was also interested in how having Audrey, who works for Lamont Library, the It is clear that having on-campus jobs is some- jobs had afected the social lives, schedules, and Art History Department, and teaches yoga for thing that students do for many reasons, and that education of each of the students. the Harvard Recreation System, responded that the experience of working in such a prestigious “I think in my friend group, normally it’s a non- environment comes with its own benefts and Anna, who is a course assistant and a tour factor because a lot of them have jobs. Other- challenges. guide, responded that “It makes timing a little bit wise, the response is usually something like ‘Oh weird, for my course assistant job, I’m basically my gosh, how are you working so many hours?’ Alaya Ayala ([email protected]. attending and planning for an additional class, -- I normally work 20 hours a week and take fve edu) was grateful to have conversations with and for my tour guide job I have to take hour- classes, so responses are normally positive cou- fellow student workers about their own experi- and-a-half long chunks of time out of my day and pled with a general concern for my well being. ences. dedicate them to working at random times when The only thing is that sometimes it can be hard to I have space in my schedule. It can be kind of articulate to people that I have a fnite amount of hard transitioning from working to going to class funds, so I can’t do everything that I wish I could.” straight after, especially since my class persona and the persona that I present while being a tour Anna also expressed that the general reac- guide are so diferent. The only thing that really tions she receives concern how she manages her impacts my social life is that any time I’m at these time, and also stated that “I don’t necessarily feel

10 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 INDY NEWS 66 Years of Political Integrity, continued on page 14 An Interview with Professor Harvey Mansfield rofessor Harvey Mansfield has spent been a constant for me. Notwithstanding that By ANA LUIZA NICOLAE Pmuch of his adult life at Harvard. The the student body has changed a whole lot, Independent had the opportunity to share with women coming in for instance. time with the “last conservative Professor on dents. campus” and hear about what it’s like to have Indy: Notwithstanding that change in dy- Last year I had an Iranian student in my been at Harvard for 70 years, with a hiatus of namics from the inclusion of women, do you class, and she came around to office hours four years to live outside Crimson territory. think that the moral values upheld by the stu- and was quite interesting, so my wife and I The Indy and Professor Mansfield discussed dents at the College have changed somewhat had her over for dinner and talked to her. She affirmative action, the role and place of wom- over the years? made a remark to us that in Iran, you have en and feminism within the college, partisan- to watch very carefully what you say in pub- ship among the Professors and political cor- M: I’m sure, yes they are subject to lic, but in private it's relatively free. “Here in rectness, among other topics of interest. change…. Harvard has turned left since my America, and at Harvard,’’ she had said “it’s the time. reverse,’’ don’t say what you want in public. This interview has been amended for When I arrived as a freshman, that was Politically, there’s a lot of free speech, but length and/or clarity and contextual informa- in the year 1949, the student body was still here, and in the Dining Halls for instance, it’s tion has been included in [Brackets]. mostly Republican. That changed during my very restricted. time as an undergraduate. Most of my cohort The Indy: What have you never stopped voted for Adlai Stevenson over Eisenhower, Indy: In this shift, from the point of view loving at Harvard? unlike the rest of America. And since then, of limitations to free speech, has there been they became more generally Democrat. The limiting factor on the rationality displayed by Mansfield: I guess I’ll say that it is the stu- big change remained in the late 60’s, when your students? dents above all. After all, the main reason the the Left came to town. students come here is the other students, in They essentially took over from the Liber- M: At my age, and with my notoriety, they addition to the reputation of Harvard. We also als. sort of know what they’re in for. That’s an- have big shot faculty, and there are fruitful So I’m sort of a conservative, but I got ap- other thing that’s changed over the years: the consequences to graduating from Harvard. pointed by a Liberal department. Back then possibility of choice of courses, of Professors. But truly, it’s the other students. all of [my liberal colleagues] were against the The process has become politicized. I tend to I teach, and think, and write about “the Vietnam war, but not against it like the New have a, not entirely, but mostly conservative Great Books,” so the opportunity to do that Left was. So, there was a showdown between student group in my classes. I tend to dispel with the students I get here is priceless. That’s the two parties and at that moment, the liber- students that are easily offended by things what I really think makes us number one: als had won over the Left, but in the long run, which depart from the new language of de- we’re able to get the best. I’d say that it is the Left that won. cency. That’s not good. I went to Harvard myself, I spent my life [...] Actually, students are the one group that here. So the look of it I like, or at least I’m used Tenured radicals, it’s what they put into have the most diversity politically. There are to it. There’s a lot of variety in the architecture. Harvard. not a lot of conservatives here but there are Among other things I love about Harvard is its And then feminism came on, somewhere some. The student body is in fact more di- location. Being by a river; near, but not in Bos- in the early 70’s, which added to the pressure verse than the faculty. The latter has just a tiny ton. And it being the oldest American univer- from the Left, because the feminists at that number of conservatives. The administration sity, the most prestigious, has an appeal. Well, time were all pretty far left feminists. And in is even worse than that. although I somehow think it still is number its form at the time, it had its origin in Simone Indeed, it gets worse and worse. one, that is perhaps not by the same margin de Beauvoir, a Marxist. It wasn’t long however I guess it’s worse at the more prestigious that it used to have, because there’s a lot of before they made their peace with bourgeois universities. So a student going to college to- competition. careerism.They wanted jobs, careers. They day is better off going to a large place, which I think that it’s also the best place to be for were much more practical than some of the has a big enough faculty so that one can find a Professor. It’s the other Professors too. Marxists. a few Professors who aren’t trying to recruit I’m not a popular teacher, I don’t get a lot of Also, not many people realize that the students to some partisan view. students. The ones I get are good. I’m pretty greatest enemy of feminism was femininity. That’s something I’ve tried hard not to do. good at detracting students who aren’t that Say, women who believe in modesty. That good. So I tend to teach about 30 or 40. was the target of Betty Friedan's “The Femi- Indy: In a sense, does that partisanship al- [The Professor now teaches a course series nine Mystique,’’ “mousy’’ and “submissive.’’ ter the relationship of faculty to students? on the History of Political Philosophy. The Fall That these were false ideas that were instilled semester focuses on the Ancient and Medi- in them by men, who wanted to put them on M: Oh yes! A lot of students would simply eval periods, with the Modern period to be a pedestal. Women shouldn’t stop behaving not take a course from someone like me. Be- explored in the Spring.] like women. cause they wouldn’t want to hear a more neu- So I’m just rambling on about my teach- And now we have this political correctness, tral state of affairs. They are always attentive ing [laughs], and the way I’ve enjoyed it. To which I think is very bad. Informal constraints for some “hot topic’’. For instance, being in get back on track, this supply of students has on freedom of speech, felt even amongst stu- politics, I try to use a lot of political examples,

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 11 Indy Refections An Indy Timeline

The 1970s were a 1969: Harvard Student time of massive --1969 Takeover of University change at Harvard. Hall, The Indy is In 1971 it was established in its wake. announced that Harvard and Radclife would fully integrate, with an equal admissions policy for both sexes being adopted in 1975. President Bok --1979 Above: had been instated in The 1980s were a Covers 1971, and by 1979 he decade for questioning Published had announced the identies at Harvard. in 1978 Harvard Campaign. Questions about This was also the House Diversity, decade when Title IX Representation, and Above: All Published in 1969, was passed, spurring growing interest in Left: Published in 1984, Below: gender-relations University operations debates on campus accompanied Harvard's for decades to come. --1989 350th anniversary.

The 90s were a time of change for Harvard as well. The House Lottery Above: Published in 1984, Below: All Published in 1999 was abolished in 1995. Remodeling, Divestement, and Idenity Politics were all hot topics on campus

--1999

Left and below: Published in The 00's were a time of creative 2008-2009 exploration for the Indy, refective of Harvard's entry into the new Millennium. In the span of 7 years, Harvard had two new presidents in Summers and Faust. In 2004 HFAI was established. This was the decade when issues like LGBTQ --2009 representation on campus, Final Club controversy, and Sexual Assault prevention entered campus discourse.

Next Year, the Indy will be leaving the 2010's behind. This decade brought with it ferce debates about campus diversity and inclusivity, immigration status, free speech, admissions practices, and much more. --2019

12 harvardindependent.com The Harvard Independent • 10.03.19 Indy Refections

The Indy has compiled Harvard College Student Enrollment data from the past fve decades in an efort to view the eforts Harvard has made toward diversifying its student body.

The Harvard Independent • 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 13 for people our age in the past. What do you think? them. INDY NEWS As I wrote a book on manliness some years M: No, it’s more zealousness, more zeal, more ago, I would go to sporting events for research- Political Integrity, partisanship. ing. I wanted to see the way that women played In a way lesser agency, because you simplify. hockey, for example, as compared to men. continued. One of the strange things about the late ‘60s in With men you have to teach players to pass the being at Harvard was to hear students chant or puck, with women you have to teach to shoot… shout slogans. I never thought that Harvard stu- they love to pass. dents would do that. But now they do, and it’s Two or three years ago, in one of my classes which I try to distribute across the left and the quite become a habit. there were the two co-captains of the women’s right. However, wouldn’t like that. Today, every- By way of chanting slogans, you reduce your basketball team. They invited me to become hon- one’s very alert to the “asides’’ that the Professors agency, simplifying your thoughts, seeking the orary coach for one game. On one of these time- are making. They are interested in what the Pro- support of unanimity and group that you’re dem- outs in basketball where everybody comes onto fessors really believe in. onstrating with. the court and sits down for around 30 seconds, The main subject of the lecture, becomes less Youth are also making demands… Reasonable I was able to hear the coach [motivating] them. interesting to some students than these “asides.” people don’t “make a demand.” Presidents order That was a lot of fun for me. There are also Professors who give classes that commands, instead of demands. A demand is a These are both athletic groups that are single are totally asides. Going to a small school is in- command from a person who is in no position to sex groups, something which Harvard somehow feasible nowadays, because it’s too small, tight, demand. inconsistently tolerates. there’s no place to hide, nobody to talk to. Another reason why there is a semblance of I am of course speaking of the move against This leads me to talk to students that have agency comes from the greater respectability the fnal clubs, which I really think is outrageous. nobody to talk to. Students who feel the need to and regard attributed to youth. When I came to I have nothing to do with those clubs, never was fnd a sort of political friendship, which is bad. Harvard and left high school, the last thing I want- in one of them, been in two or three of them once ed was to remain a high schooler. the whole time I’ve been here. But the intolerance Indy: What do you think about the political So, I wore the jacket, which we had to wear, shown for those people and the lack of freedom positions which students hold, and their lack of along with the necktie, every time we would go of association, is a very bad sign. expression or debate among each other, but also to the Dining Hall. That, for me was an honor and the lack of potential for rhetoric skill? not a burden. You could go around with a tweed [As it got dark outside, Professor Mansfeld jacket and you’d have your tie in your pocket, and kindly invited us into his cozy home, modern, M: They don’t want to argue. Being ofended is you’d put it on as you were standing in line. There and populated by beautiful pieces of art. He ex- a kind of defense. were no women to straighten your tie. plained that his wife was still out playing tennis But then, in the ‘60s, students referred to while he was getting us refreshments.] Indy: How is diversity shaping Harvard? themselves as “kids,’’ singing the slogan, “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” Indeed they drew the line Indy: When talking of the change in wom- M: Has the background of incoming students by wanting solidarity with high schoolers and to en’s participation in the College. What has that improved “diversity?” A little bit. It improves mod- distinguish themselves from adults. change brought? eration, racially too I think. But we also must con- They didn’t want to be adults yet. sider our students of color that aren’t American, And they got away with this, and they suc- M: Well, they participate equally right now. because they have a diferent experience, they ceeded. And the voice of youth became the voice They have an advantage most times, because ev- don’t feel as much of a sense of community. of progress, of wisdom even. eryone wants to have a woman doing something You know, two of my four years not at Harvard You have to listen to the young. They were in or in charge of something… There’s a sort of gen- were spent in the army. That was a long time ago. charge and that’s continued quite a bit, lessened der neutral society that we’re creating. In order to At that time, it was a very racially mixed group...I somewhat and surprisingly by how old the dem- make the sexes “equal,” there is a logic of favoring was not an ofcer, I was an enlisted man, which is ocratic candidates are for President in that regard. women right now until it’s decided that there is a great way to really experience what the army is. “gender parity.’’ That’s a phrase I’ve heard. And this Indy: With the uptake of the NBA and the NFL goes together with afrmative action, so you can Indy: Would it be comparable to any student becoming marketable products, how as that see all these appointments of women as deans, doing the ROTC program today? changed the environment for student athletes? what used to be the title of “Master.” M: No! Not in the least. Those kids are just M: Well that’s something Harvard has done [In pointing at the area towards the Quadran- growing up to be damn ofcers! well: the way they manage athletics. gle, Mansfeld reminisced of Radclife in his time.] In being enlisted, you come to experience a I like having sports teams. They attach you to real class diference which is profound and some- the College, give you something to shout for, and It was separate, and most of the classes were thing to live with, especially in a democratic so- they make the alumni into more of a community. mixed, but not all of them. Sometimes they would ciety. It stays with you. You always want Harvard to beat have a Harvard professor who would give his class Yale, whatever age you are. But Harvard is in the twice, once for men and another for women. The Indy: Are we generally less tough today? Ivy League and the Ivy League has much stricter dormitories were totally separate and the institu- regulations, many fewer games, doesn’t go to tions used to be separate, for they had diferent M: Yes. Yeah. bowls, and as a result play a lower level, but is still presidents. Radclife was part of Harvard, and the competitive among itself. The games are interest- faculty was mixed, but originally it had separate Indy: It is said that any young activist that steps ing and they play well. faculty as well. outside of class to protest, to strike, for climate The athletes are smaller and slower than the But I can tell you what was very diferent. change and for a plethora of other issues, actually ones you can see on TV, but I go to a lot of games Just the atmosphere in the dining hall. has the determination of a political actor which so I like that very much. has more agency than there has previously been And I like women’s sports too, I go to some of Indy: Less Rowdy?

14 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Independent Harvard Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 M: Yes. The men aren’t as high-spirited and some of them don’t seem to know that. jokey as they would be if women weren’t present. When you’re closer to the facts of politics, Because a man hates to make a fool of himself in you’re a little less amazed or startled at any given INDY NEWS front of a woman. There’s this great moral power thing. That comes when you fnd people with , that women have. whom you disagree. Political Integrity So in bringing the sexes together, it turns the continued. men into “premature husbands.” Indy: Are we that secluded from the The single sex idea has lost its potency. It’s in- facts of politics? teresting that with the single sex idea losing its power, so has marriage. It is not as strong nor as M: Yes, we’re in a bubble. Harvard’s a bubble, my views, at least has an opportunity to listen to successful as it used to be. absolutely, and it’s a disadvantage which is begin- them. So it isn’t totalitarian... At least not yet. This kind of fattened-out relationship be- ning to show. We don’t realize how low Harvard’s I do get on my hind feet at faculty meetings tween the sexes is a consequence of the total em- liberal core reputation is among half the country. sometimes in trying to express my views, and the phasis on equality in the sexes. It doesn’t let each If you’re a Republican, and Harvard is the number rest of the faculty listen politely. That’s it. of the two sexes develop as a sex, independently. one university, when you want to make fun of the other side, it’s usually when Harvard comes in. Indy: What would be some of these issues for Indy: Do you think this has impacted faculty For instance, we just had a tax law enacted, which you stand up? relations? For faculty to deal with mixed classes, geared at putting a tax on income from the en- but also having an increasing number of women dowment, costing us 143 million dollars. That’s a M: Well, afrmative action above all. And, the on Faculty boards. How has that changed dynam- tidy sum, and you could do something with that abolition of the title “Master’’. These are just sign- ics over time? amount of money. And we’re sending it to the posts, signals, of intolerance. Federal government because we won’t take the No one is aware of what they’re doing. They M: Well, it gives much more power and impe- trouble to appear impartial. You probably haven’t think I’m the political one, the ideologue, simply tus to feminism, I’ll say. And feminism is mostly gone to a commencement yet, but when you do because I want to have political diversity repre- received, welcomed by most of the faculty. you’ll see that it’s a kind of a political festival for sented at the College as well. the Left. They are willing to consider race and sex in ad- Indy: That is, which type of feminism? It is very much against Harvard’s interests and dition to merit, but they won’t consider politics. they wouldn’t have to do much at all to put a bet- So I will bring that up. Saying, if you’re willing to M: It’s hard to know… you’re right. There are ter, more impartial, light on the way that they ap- do those two things, sort of dilute merit with race diferent types of feminism. If you’re a woman aca- pear publicly. and sex, why not bring in a few conservatives? demic, you’re more likely to be a feminist though, It would be so easy for them to do that, and a more invested feminist than the rest. There’s an Indy: How does that play in the face of tradi- there are so many. This goes for faculty as well. interesting statistic that something like, without tion, the tradition and the claims to uphold “Veri- There are all these think tanks in Washington, trying to remember the numbers, twice as many tas’’ and the traditions of the school being a re- flled with political scientists who are conserva- male faculty are married as opposed to women search university? tives. They could be Professors, they write books faculty. So there’s a lot of unmarried women who and talk a lot. That right there is a kind of reserve are faculty and that means generally speaking M: Well, most of the people in charge aren’t army of conservatives, who don’t have academic more feminism too. particularly proud of Harvard’s traditions. It’s in- positions because of [their political afliation]. Because if you have to live with a man, it af- volved in male domination and religious intol- I’m starting to complain too much. fects the way you think about them. erance. They look out for ways in which Harvard I’m happy actually, very cheerful. I don’t think was involved in slavery and slave trade. Though this can last forever, and Harvard will outlast it. It’s Indy: How about the new age of self-identifed actually if you go into Memorial Church and look a bad time we’re going through. And it does af- feminist men? at the names of those who have died in the War fect our quality of scholarship. I wouldn’t want to against slavery, you could be impressed in the be too specifc about that and what it does. M: Yes there are, that is a type. In fact, the pro- other direction. gressive men are all feminist. That is a striking fea- Indy: Is that an impact on rigorousness, in be- ture of our time. Indy: How happy are you, that is a very subjec- ing rigorous and conscientious with terms that And on the opposite, to be severe or to want tive term, I understand, but how happy are you are used? to stress diferences or to imply that women are with the state of the University but also your pres- in any way inferior, or to give that impression, is ence in it today? M: There are a lot of Professors, democratic simply impossible now. You’d be told in no un- professors who give honest courses I would say. certain terms to correct your behavior and your M: I’m used to my place. People are congenial There are Professors that give both sides. You language. enough. They let me talk, but they don’t listen. can fnd that, but it’s hard and you have to search And so, I’ve been called Harvard’s last conserva- out your curriculum if you want to get a good Indy: Has that played a part in Faculty relations tive. That is certainly an exaggeration, but not by education. with regards to the development of the Humani- much. So when I hear that, I wince. That things are Conservatives get a much better education at ties, or of the department of Government? What headed that way. You know… Our department Harvard than the liberals because they don’t swal- has changed with changing politics but also with hasn’t hired anyone you might consider con- low everything that’s told to them. When I say this sort of new informal tendency towards politi- servative for quite a long time. And that’s mainly conservatives, I understand in the wider sense, cal correctness? true in the Faculty hiring in general. non-liberals, and so some of the foreign students So, I love the place but I’m highly critical of the also beneft from not being liberal. M: It’s very much on show within our depart- status as well. ment. It’s not as extreme as I think it is in the Hu- I talk to the president. He knows me, he knows Ana Luiza Nicolae '22 (analuiza_nicolae@college. manities. Political scientists, you would think any- harvard.edu) writes news for the Indy. way, should recognize in politics two parties. But

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 15 INDY NEWS Yang Gang Takes Over Cambridge A Presidential Candidate Speaks Boldly After Debates By JOSE ESPINEL Yang claimed automation is just getting long after the sunset on this one day in Bos- started, “now what happened to those [manu- ton the energy was still all there, all for Yang. n the heart of Warren country, a different facturing] jobs we’re now going to do to the candidate danced onto the stage. Andrew retail jobs, call center jobs, the truck driving Jose Espinel ‘20 ([email protected]. IYang arrived at sunset and addressed a jobs, and on and on throughout the economy.” edu) enjoys examining how politics engage and crowd of several hundred in Cambridge Com- interact with Harvard and the surrounding common. Most were young. A group of high school Claiming many of his friends in Silicon Val- munity . volunteers in the front row arrived an hour early ley are investing “165 billion dollars a year” to to paint posters. T-shirts from MIT and Harvard automate the trucking industry, and that they were common. Above the gathering danced the are “95 percent of the way there,” he estimated bold “Math.” placards that have become, to use some 7 million trucking jobs may soon be elimi- the appropriate millennial parlance, a meme. nated, with roadside diners and service stops also caught in the crosshairs. With AI use cases Yang reminisced his college days at Brown in maturing fast, Yang argues that increasing the his opening remarks. “[Boston] was our Vegas… minimum wage I love New England… I’ve been all over and would only further now I’m back.” The Democratic candidate then incentivize automa- pivoted to politics, asking the assembly “where tion and leave more revolutions start,” to which they replied “Boston!” Americans out of the workforce. Yang’s Standing on the same ground where Washing- alternative solution ton once convened the Continental Army, Yang is the Freedom Divi- called for a new revolution, “a revolution of rea- dend. His campaign son.” He sees himself leading the charge. Armed website defines the with math and an outsider’s perspective, he aims policy as “a univer- to bring Silicon Valley disruption to Capitol Hill. sal basic income of $1,000/month … In Yang’s eyes, policymakers have struggled for every American to keep up with rapid technological progress adult over the age in the early 21st century. Automation killed of 18.” Yang intends jobs faster than retraining replaced them. The to model the Free- unemployed and disaffected casualties of a dom Dividend after shrinking manufacturing sector looked to the Alaska’s Permanent government to help them in their hour of need Fund, taxing the vast -- finding no one would listen, they were forced coffers of Ameri- to look to an outsider to carry their voice. In can technology 2016, they found that outsider in Donald Trump. companies instead of oil revenues. According to Yang, the media misdiagnosed the cause of Trump’s ascent. “Facebook, Mitch In 2020, Yang McConnell, there’s a whole cocktail of rea- hopes voters find sons the press puts out there [for why Trump a new outsider in won]… but they haven’t looked into the num- a Silicon Valley en- bers. I dug into the numbers and the numbers trepreneur fond of tell a very clear and distinct story. The num- PowerPoint, frank bers say that the reason why Donald Trump language, and skip- is our president is that we automated away 4 ping out on ties. It million manufacturing jobs in … swing states.” may not be reflected in the polls, but

16 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 INDY NEWS Divest Harvard The Harvard Undergraduates for Environmental Justice rally for Harvard’s divestment from fossil fuels while President Bacow maintains stance By GRAHAM WALTER he divestment movement has reigned cow, asking to meet with him and the Harvard rampant amongst the various schools Corporation to examine fossil fuel divestment. Tat Harvard, particularly at Harvard Col- The members of HUEJ recognize their organi- 10:30-11:45am – three large groups of students lege. The Harvard Undergraduates for Environ- zation to be a powerful force in enacting envi- came marching over to the stage set up by HUEJ. mental Justice (HUEJ) has pursued its mission ronmental and political change for their future. Over the next hour, students walking through the to mobilize the community – at Harvard and area seemed to stop and stay for a few minutes. beyond – to protect the resources and ecosys- The movement believes that, through the di- Ultimately, HUEJ rallied approximately 1,000 stu- tems of our planet through environmental edu- vestment of capital, Harvard will in equal parts dents, faculty, staff, and community members. cation and activism. They have spearheaded symbolically and financially slow the fossil fuels Professors and students flooded the stage to the Divest Harvard movement, advocating for industry. In the words of HUEJ, it is critical that speak of seas rising, the planet dying. Former the removal of investments (direct ownership, Harvard divests in order to “show the country U.S. Environmental Protection Agency admin- shares, corporate bonds, etc.) from fossil fuel and world that we refuse to be complicit in the istrator Gina McCarthy alongside high school- industries which are significant contributors to industry’s continued war on human and environ- ers attending Rindge and Latin, energized the climate change. Though HUEJ was founded in mental health.” Hosted Friday, September 20th crowd, each generation sharing a uniform mes- 2012, it was revived in 2018 in light of the press- in the Science Center plaza, HUEJ organized a sage. Children alongside grandparents held up ing urgency to divest. One of their inaugural ac- climate strike. The crowd was initially sparse, but homemade signs indicating the different world tions involved penning a letter to President Ba- then at around 11am – in the class time slot of their children would live in. This HUEJ strike in particular aligns the organization with global protests by school children to protest the inade- quate response of governments to fight climate change. The hour-long rally came immediately before the larger Climate Strike in Boston and many protestors joined HUEJ in their procession from the Science Center Plaza to the Harvard T station, embarking to Boston’s City Hall Plaza to continue the fight. Others returned to class.

One first-year who agreed to a brief interview with The Harvard Independent had a few thoughts to share about the rally.

Q: Could you speak briefly to what brought you out here/how you heard about the event?

A: I’m a freshman at the college so…I got lucky: I just looked out my window and there this was and here I am.

Q: Do you think the proximity of the event, so close to the science center, has drawn a lot of Fresh- men here who may not have known of the event?

A: I don’t know how much outreach there was in the houses, but I didn’t see much come by my way in the dorm – just a flyer or two.

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 17 INDY NEWS Divest Harvard, continued. the end of the day though, the event is lit- erally at our doorsteps – so those who care will come out and those who don’t, won’t.

Q: As a freshman, new to the college: what’s your impression on the state of student activism on campus? Quantity and quality wise.

A: Quality wise, I’m fairly impressed. Everyone seems fairly organized and you can easily tell the people running this care a lot and are really invested – even the people walking by who just stop and stare for a bit are drawn by that too. Quanti- ty wise, I’m honestly a bit surprised. I’m from the west coast and I’m used speaking up about what I care about – I figured things might be a bit more “hush hush” in the northeast and especially at Harvard, but I’m excited by what I’ve seen so far!

After speaking with a few more students walking through the area, we observed that there was a siz- able population that did not believe that did not believe that the activism would affect change, but nobody was starkly against standing up for the cause.

Critics of the movement, however, maintain that The Harvard Management Company (HMC), ronmental sustainability, attacking the allocation of the endowment is not those who invest the endowment of Harvard, respecting human and labor rights, conserving the most effective tactic for enacting social change. was founded in the 1970s. HMC has accumulated existing land and resource rights, complying with Ergo, bowing down to the demands of student-pro- its power through the thousands of members it local laws and upholding the highest ethical stan- testors is not something to which President Bacow enlists, strongly outperforming compared to the dards, and reporting on activities and progress to- needs to assent. Following his inauguration, Presi- average portfolio. Consequently, the company ward implementing and promoting the principles. dent Bacow has not avoided participating in the has been able to generate billions of dollars back climate change discussion, choosing to acknowl- tosubstantiate Harvard, leading to growth in edge the movement in several interviews and dur- funding for financial aid, art preservation, cam- HUEJ refuses to concede to only purported ing the First-Year Convocation. In September 2019, pus libraries, scientific research, and even the guidelines. During Opening Days, Divest Harvard the President published an article entitled “Facing environment. Therefore, in consideration of the respectfully protested at the First-Year Convocation up to Climate Change” in the Harvard Gazette. He financial boons investments in the fossil fuel in- where over 30 activist first-years steadfastly grasp- aligns himself with the strategy of Harvard’s pre- dustry affords, many at Harvard have a clear justifi- ing orange “DIVEST” signs, unwavering, where vious presidents, that “engaging with industry to cation for taking an apolitical stance on the matter. President Bacow spoke. HUEJ strives to persuade confront the challenge of climate change is ulti- Harvard to remove their endowment from these mately a sounder and more effective approach for unsustainable companies by April 22nd, 2020-- oth- our university.” While the President verbally empa- No matter the present discourse on divestment erwise known as the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day. thizes with their protests, citing that he “respect[s] from fossil fuels, HMC has ostensibly improved its the views of those who think otherwise,” he main- framework for environmentally sustainable invest- tains institutional loyalty to the Harvard Manage- ments. Their website contains an updated list of Graham Walter '21 (grahamwalter@college. ment Company, of which he is a board member. five guiding principles that the HMC will consider harvard.edu) is News Editor for the Indy. while in the process of investing: protecting envi-

18 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 INDY SPORTS Mens Sana in Corpore Sano A look into Harvard's Sports Traditions By ELIZABETH GUMMER he first recorded instance of athletic can take the top prize in the home race, the competition at Harvard was in 1780 first time for him during his HVL career. Har- Twhen a wrestling match occurred be- vard has come away with its fair share of gold to field and develop a great team, with Harvard tween a group of freshmen and sophomores at in past years, indicative of the longstanding winning 18 of the 25 Harvard-Yale games over the college. While being the first recorded in- morale of the Harvard crew teams. Barry ‘20 re- his time at Harvard. stance of a sporting event at Harvard, the first flected on his experiences meeting with alumni official club began in the Fall of 1844 when the of the team, noting that despite years past and With origins in the late 17th century, the Har- Harvard University Boating Club (HUBC) was turnover of team membership “the sport still vard Women’s Basketball team is one of the few arranged by Horace Cunningham. Following, hasn’t changed and the passion certainly hasn’t” women's teams on campus that predates its male men’s lightweight crew was introduced in the and that “Harvard makes it apparent that its tra- counterpart. The women’s team was established spring of 1921, followed by Radcliffe Crew in the ditions are enduring” even as the sport evolves in the fall of 1898 and was followed in 1900 by fall of 1970. over time. the men’s team. Building on a longstanding tradition of teamwork and sportsmanship, Coach Interestingly, the Harvard-Yale rivalry is com- Known amongst students and affiliates alike Kathy Delany-Smith is entering her 37th year as monly attributed to “The Game,” an annual foot- as “The Game” or simply “Harvard-Yale,” is the an- head coach of the women’s program. Joining the ball game played between the two Ivy League nual football game between the two rivals that team in 1982, Coach Delaney-Smith has seen the schools. However, the reality is that the classic takes place each November. Taking place for the team through wins and losses, but most notably rivalry first began in the Summer of 1852, when first time the year following the formation of the has led the team to victory in the first round of the first official Harvard-Yale regatta took place team in 1874, The Game dates back nearly as far the NCAA tournament, a first for the team and a on Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. In the as the Harvard-Yale Regatta. Harvard managed rarity for the Ivy League as a whole. 154 years the teams have dueled over the 4-mile to shut Yale out on their first meeting at Hamil- course, Harvard has emerged victorious on 95 ton Park, New Haven. Since then, Yale leads the Most notably, the Harvard women were the occasions, Yale with 58, and one race with no of- series 67-60 with 8 ties over the course of the first team in the NCAA tournament history to up- ficial winner due to a sunken boat. The race now past 143 years and 135 games. Historic Harvard set the 1st seeded team as a 16th seed team. The takes place on the Thames River of New London, stadium opened in 1903, the first football sta- 1998 win against Stanford was unprecedented, Connecticut. dium in America and the oldest standing today. and yet to be matched in NCAA women’s bas- The current team still practices and competes in ketball since. Coming an astounding 20 years On other waters, though not the longest the stadium, although The Game was held for later in the 2018 season, the same feat was ac- standing race, the Head of The Charles Race the first time at Fenway Park this past fall. complished on the men’s side with a win from (HOCR) is considered one of the landmarks of the 16th seeded team University of Maryland, Havard Athletics traditions. With guidance from Coach Tim Murphy, the head of Harvard foot- Baltimore Country against top seed University of a sculling instructor at Harvard, Founders of ball, joined the team in December of 1993. Hav- Virginia. the Cambridge Boat Club set in motion the first ing seen the team membership turn over a great meeting on the Charles in 1965. While the event length of time, Murphy remarks that “In [his] Continuing to uphold tradition is this year’s has not seen as many iterations as others, HOCR quarter century plus tenure at Harvard, predict- senior captain, Mackenzie Barta ‘20. Referencing is a beloved event amongst students as it is one ably much has changed but the ideal student- the importance of tradition on the team, Barta of the few annual sporting events that takes athlete has not.” Holding true to the tradition of ‘20 remarked that “Being able to put on that jer- place on campus. It’s just a bonus that you do what Murphy calls “grit” amongst the team, team sey and rep "Harvard" day in and day out is one not have to cross the river to the athletics facili- players both then and today “have tremendous of the greatest honors that I think I will ever have ties to spectate. commitment on both sides of the river” and in [her] life”. She detailed that leading a team “tremendous character, academic prowess and and playing a sport that is “rooted so deeply in For the teams themselves, the historical sig- athletic ability… kids with great resiliency skills”. history in both athletics and academics is truly nificance is not lost despite the race falling out- While “much has changed in the Ivy League and an unexplainable feeling”. side the usual competition calendar. Men’s Var- thus at Harvard” during his time as head coach, sity Lightweight Crew Captain Nicholas Barry ‘20 Murphy notes that there “has been a tremendous Not falling short of the standard held by Har- notes that this is “the one opportunity to engage investment in the sport of Football on many Ivy vard Athletics on every aspect of the student with Harvard students” during racing season, League campuses” over the years “because it is athlete, Barta ‘20 describes her teammates as an opportunity to “do the home course proud”. the primary community building sport and has “being wholeheartedly committed to our team, Barry hopes that this will be the year their boat the most tradition”. Murphy clearly knows how our sisterhood, and our family… when one of

The HarvardHarvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 19 INDY SPORTS Mens Sana in Corpore Sano, continued. a club sport in the year of 1982, but just recently stable. Commitment, sportsmanship, and com- our teammates falls, we're the first to be there became formally recognized in the early fall of munity hold strong. to pick her up. It means so much more than just 2013 as Harvard’s 42nd Varsity team. Regardless the drive to win the Ivy League title; for us, it is of their later beginnings, the team fields a strong all about being devoted to each other.” A clear team in both their fall and spring seasons, con- Elizabeth Gummer ‘21 (elizabethgummer@ leader, Barta sees the ideal Harvard athletes as tinuing the expectation of excellence. college.harvard.edu) is sports editor for the Indy. someone who “represents the University with honor and pride on both sides of the river and As the first college established in the USA, holds themselves to the highest of standards Harvard is held to the standards of years past. in the classroom, on the field/court, and in the Living up to tradition, Harvard continues to ex- community,” qualities apparent on the Women’s cel in both athletics and academics. Both coach- basketball team. es and athletes alike recognize and respect the value of the experiences and expectations left Historical roots are a key component of Har- for them by those who came before, and contin- vard Athletics, but this does not hinder new pro- ue to thrive as an NCAA Division 1 School. While grams from forming and flourishing in recent school culture and classes change, the heart of years. The Women’s Rugby team was formed as Harvard Athletics and its athletes has remained

Andrew Haimovici '21

20 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19• 04.25.19 INDY FORUM Fashion through the Ages By GRACE TWOREK and any fashion magazines emblazon "latest to what fashion meant to him and his peers MARISSA GARCIA Mtrends" atop collages featuring vibrant during the 90s. Monoyudis describes Harvard and bold new styles – this phrase, however, is as, “not particularly known as a fashionable misleading. Instead of fresh and innovative, campus, but from time to time there would these styles are often recycled adaptations of be interesting fashion shows or art projects." style was increasingly encouraged, students trends reminiscent of the 80s and 90s. To any- Eleganza, a premier fashion show at Harvard began to be liberated in their style, fostering one in tune with current fashion fads, it be- in April, was founded in 1996, stemming from self-expression and diversity. And we see this comes a question of whether fashion is truly the cultural production organization, Black continuing on until today – whether it be neon, ever revitalized, fresh from the posh palettes of C.A.S.T. – halfway through Monoyudis’ under- track suits, or tye-dye, many of these 90s trends decades past. At an Ivy League college such as graduate studies. In a departure from the sti- are making a reappearance today, in both ap- Harvard, where fashion has been reduced to a fling suite of tartan Oxfords and gingham ties, parel and spirit. preconceived postcard preppiness, these ques- Eleganza instead celebrates the diversity of the tions are even more resonant. At the bench- many identifies that comprise Harvard’s fabric Tynan Gabriel Charles Jackson ‘20, a current mark of the 50th Anniversary of the Harvard – both in fashion and demographics. Monyu- student at the College, is an encapsulation of Independent, Harvard alumni offer their reflec- dis always took a liking toward fashion, and so this phenomenon. Fashion paves the way to tions on the evolution of fashion at Harvard. after graduating from Harvard, he went on to some of his favorite moments-- he “love[s] to study at Parsons School of Design. He has since step into the classroom and disrupt the normal- The word “Harvard” itself conjures up ste- worked for brands such as Calvin Klein, John ity of mainly reserved, grunge fashion and be reotypes of historical buildings, ivy-covered Varvartos, and Tommy Hilfiger, helping these rebellious” while wearing “tight clothes, shiny brick, and the preppy lifestyle of “the average companies launch new divisions as they pivot jewelery… very street pieces.” Harvard fosters Harvard student,” eliciting snapshots of pastel their way into the fields of fashion tech start- an environment that gives high regard and sta- polos, khaki shirts, boat shoes, and the classic ups. Although his career post-college was one tus to corporations and professionalism, and Hillflint “H” sweater. Though this image is repre- imbued with style and fashion, especially as he Jackson views streetwear as a tool to “disrupt sentative of certain points of time, it constrains lived in one of the fashion capitals of the world, [this] in a way that yields me space to thrive… a student body that is wildly diverse to pre- New York City. even to some professional events I’ll wear the conceived fallacies of how a Harvard student most casual professional/business outfit.” should dress themselves. Pondering about what it meant to be fashionable at Harvard during his time there, Monoyu- His favorite look is his bright green Adidas In order to better understand the evolution dis remembered, “Being fashionable really had tracksuit – a statement color, an athletic touch, of Harvard’s clothing style, the Indy reached more to do with defining and expressing your a neckline that emphasizes whatever jewelry out to Robert Gould ‘67 and asked his impres- personal sense of style rather than following he wants. It’s modern-day Harvard fashion. sion of Harvard’s fashion when he was an un- the latest trends. I was always impressed by dergraduate. Since his graduation from the classmates who could find the diamond in the Grace Tworek '21 ([email protected]. College, Gould has worked on Wall Street and, rough at the thrift store, pair it with some in- edu) and Marissa Garcia (marissagarcia@col- more recently, explored a career in the apparel credible vintage accessories, and create a truly lege.harvard.edu) write fashion for the Indy. industry. Gould is the CEO and founder of QI- original look.” In the 90s, a time where fashion VUIT & CO., a luxury outerwear brand that uses a risks were becoming popular and personal unique fiber softer than cashmere and warmer than wool. Reflecting upon on-campus fashion when he was a student in the 60s, Gould recalls, “It was generally very preppy and more formal than today. Coats and ties to classes were common.” This description harmoniously coincides with the old-school impressions generally asso- ciated with the classic Harvard student. Expec- tations of contemporary collegiate style at Har- vard are more accurately aligned with student’s fashion fifty years ago than today-- perhaps the stereotype was conceived then but outlived its wearability. This timelessness of the prep, im- mortalized in the catalogs of J Press and Brooks Brothers, even saw about the 2018 closure of its Harvard Square lifeblood: the Andover Shop.

The 90s are when this change in fashion pre- cipitates. Starting his studies at Harvard in the fall of 1994, Louis Monoyudis ‘98 offered insight

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 21 INDY FORUM To Talk An opportunity at the Island in the Square By TUSHAR DWIVEDI

t some brief, likely indiscernible mo- wishes there was more than Thursday night part of the Harvard experience. Newspaper ment, it was clear to me at least, alcohol to bring us together. editors and lampoon creatives were littered Athat the interview had changed in across the House (including those on the In- nature. Deep within the stacks, Robert Kiely, To this, I asked on whom the onus of creat- dependent!) as the House cultivated an iden- Professor of English, Emeritus, spoke of a ing a sense of common culture was – the Fac- tity driven by its students – one of discord, time before time for myself: stories of Adams ulty Deans? The UC reps? The students? The ideation, and differences of opinion. House’s unrivaled cultural aura, the frustra- most resounding answer by far was “current tions of wanton gender discrimination, and students.” The Faculty Deans and UC have As has been discussed at length, the Har- of bold departures from corporate America. provided all the resources and knowledge vard of Kiely’s time was by no means per- Deep outside the belly of Widener, hammers necessary, but without clear interest from fect. Gender discrimination was a given for pounded on steel as the new Adams House students in genuinely getting to know oth- a seemingly absurd length of time, and the rose, brick by brick in the early September ers and their ideas outside of the traditional old House system definitely reflected socio- wind. blocking group structure, there is little that economic segregation at some level. How- can be done from the top. ever, as highlighted by my conversation with Adams House, closest to all things mod- Professor Kiely, it is clear that there were still ern-day Harvard (the Yard, the T-stop, El Professor Kiely’s phone rang around 4pm, magical elements in the house. In the present Jefe’s), serves a unique role on campus. Gov- bringing me back to the real world briefly; time, the groundwork has been set wonder- erning nearly three blocks of Harvard’s river the conversation had begun initially as a fas- fully by the current Faculty Deans, and initia- campus, Adams House proudly presents its cinating discussion of his experience at Har- tives such as community table and the next- preeminence and age upon entry: the Gold vard through the last fifty years. Tales of exits steps table provide students a platform to Room, Dining Hall, and even the “modern- from Mad Men-esque advertising firms, chal- voice opinions, learn, and mentor. Externally, ized” Computer Room (filled with typewrit- lenging graduate programs ripe with gender the country is at a significant divide, only fur- ers) are illustrious, frozen, and unchanging. discrimination, and books soon to be pub- ther necessitating and providing an opportu- As one resident from the class of ’20 says, lished captivated me, and amongst stories of nity for discourse. there are only two places to discover what his time as Master of Adams House, I found a has really happened here in the last 20 to 30 glimmer of what we as students can do: voice The physical construction of the new Ad- years – the tunnels below Apthorp House.” opinions, show-off talents, engage outside of ams House is an opportunity: a physical reset our blocking groups, disagree, and most im- that may perhaps trigger a cultural one as When surveying several current Adams portantly – simply talk to each other. well. Spending just a few minutes in the din- House residents, I simply asked what Adams ing hall reveals how diverse the community House was to them and what principal words The Adams House of Kiely’s time was still within the House is; as one of the previously would remain locked in memory 50 years built on student self-selection; Adams House surveyed students mentioned, “We get put later. From responses, it became clear that in particular tended to attract those passion- in these super diverse, cool, and interesting Adams House’s primary function is simply to ate about the literary, theatrical, and artistic communities in Houses – but we just end be a place of residence – as a resident put it, sides of Harvard. As Kiely described, discus- up sticking with our... pretty homogenous “the part of Harvard where our beds and food sion, discourse, and the exchange of ideas blocking groups.” are, rather than class.” The houses have been were crucial to Adams House’s nature: at nearly seamlessly integrated into the larger times, dinner would be composed of dozens This discussion is one the Independent has Harvard experience and as one student put it, of professors and a handful of students across been following for some time now: under- “are pretty much utilitarian in their purpose.” disciplines and interests. The conversation standing how public discourse has changed Another mentioned that “he feels immense I so highly cherished with Professor Kiely in the past few decades. Being a truly alter- pride in the brief moments when the house was one that students back then had often native newspaper requires rigorously under- unites in the face of tragedy or disgrace,” but experienced in the houses – it was a central standing both sides of an argument, even in

22 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Independent Harvard Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19 INDY FORUM To Talk, continued. situations in which one path seems obvious. he built with Adams are similar to the ones Tushar Dwivedi ‘20 (Tushar_Dwivedi@col- The discourse for which some students yearn I and past editors have had with the Indy. lege.harvard.edu) is Editor-in-Chief of the in their college experience is one that many House Masters / Faculty Deans and Editors may Harvard Independent and a Senior in Adams around the country seek in media, political, change, but the essence of the institution must House. educational, and scientific forums. What is ap- stay the same and be one that incites a sense propriate for discussion is not the same in a of wonder and excitement for each incoming classroom versus a newspaper or House, but at class. The next iteration of Harvard grows with the same basic level, it seems critical to build- each House renovation just as the Indy evolves ing true community. with each passing issue and semester; we hope, on all fronts, the pursuit of true, hearty, and I asked Kiely whether he felt nostalgic about healthy discourse remains strong. the renovations to the house. The memories

Andrew Haimovici '21

The Harvard Harvard Independent Independent • 04.25.19 10.03.19 harvardindependent.com 23 captured and shot

Reflections By ANDREW HAIMOVICI

24 harvardindependent.com The HarvardThe Harvard Independent Independent 10.03.19 • 04.25.19