john harvard’s journal ries and continents—those are what stu- haps a better title would be “Some Great program, to see free time not as enforced dents take in place of a more clearly delin- Books.” And the goal of a Some Great boredom but irreplaceable opportunity. eated course of study. Books curriculum should be, metaphori- To be fair, I can understand how stu- If we have such courses, though, what is cally if not literally, to teach students what dents, especially in the sciences, would ultimately missing? I brought this up with to do with their January off. love, or may need, to be able to use Har- two friends who’d taken a popular fresh- Classes are marvelous things; profes- vard’s research resources for a month. The man seminar in Hellenic literature, “Foun- sors are terrific people; classmates always general point remains the same, though, dation Texts of the West,” last year. They manage to make one think harder. But the and a great-books program in particular both told me, “It helps to have a profes- goal of coursework is not to teach stu- should give its students only one reason sor say, ‘Look, we don’t have time to read dents how to learn solely in a classroom, why they’d want to come back to Harvard the entire Western canon, so I’m going to any more than it is to teach them how to in January: to use the library. choose these salient examples, and we’ll think solely in a classroom. A good class The initial planning for “J-Term”—with learn these.’” I agree—mostly. It is impor- teaches students how to learn indepen- talk of instituting month-long elective tant to have a good professor who can help dently of “structured programming,” and classes or study trips abroad—is gone for lead you through key works, using them to realize that simply following the rules now. Perhaps, when the College is feeling to teach you how to think and read more and earning accolades does not constitute a bit more secure financially, it will resur- deeply. learning at all. A great-books education in rect those plans. Personally, though, I like But it is equally important to keep those particular—and a liberal-arts education to think that Harvard students by then “salient examples” in perspective. Outside in general—should teach students how to will have become so used to spending Jan- the debate over what should be taught, use their time, liberty, and independence uary on their own terms that no one will the goal of a great-books program should creatively and intelligently. (Isn’t that want to come back. January will become be to urge students to keep reading beyond what “liberal arts” originally meant?) It the time when one can finally tackle Hard the program, and to teach them how to do should emphasize that reading in class is Times or Das Kapital, and the clearest sign so. It should acknowledge its own incom- only training for the reading done outside that a Harvard education is working will pleteness, urging students to take it as class; it should show how to begin to de- be an empty, snowy Yard. merely introductory, rather than as some velop and progress along a personal read- comprehensive experience. “Great Books,” ing list in a mature and meaningful way. Berta Greenwald Ledecky Undergraduate Fellow suggesting a monolithic but coherent un- It should teach students to value a Janu- Spencer Lenfield ’12 expects to spend his January dertaking, is an unfortunate name; per- ary off infinitely more than a January in a finishingWar and Peace.

sports Fraternal Forechecking The brothers Biega planned it this way: all three are skating for the Crimson.

ibling rivalry can inspire, but Alex and Michael successively honored ing—at five feet 11 and 195 pounds, Alex sibling unanimity has some im- as Salisbury’s athlete of the year. All three is small for a defender—“you have to be pressive virtues, too. Consider the hope to play professionally in the National an offense-minded defenseman.” He is the brothers Biega—Alex ’10, Michael Hockey League (NHL). Yet the brethren first defenseman in more than 20 years to ’11,S and Danny ’13—of Harvard’s ice hockey aren’t clones: Alex and Danny are defense- lead Harvard in assists. (Three years ago, team. All hail from Montreal, Canada, and men, and Michael’s a forward. the Buffalo Sabres of the NHL drafted him have been playing sports together most of Danny’s new to Cambridge, but his old- in the fifth round; he’ll join that organiza- their lives: ice hockey, soccer, and rowing, er sibs have done damage on the intercol- tion after college.) for example, at Salisbury School, a small, legiate ice for years now. Alex, this year’s As a freshman, Michael notched a hat all-male private school in Connecticut Harvard captain, was named Harvard’s trick against Yale, and last year, with six with some formidable athletic teams. The most valuable player last year, when he goals and 11 assists for 17 points, was right Biega triumvirate all played on New Eng- made the All-Star Team and behind Alex as the team’s third-leading land championship hockey teams there— the all-Ivy first team. With four goals and scorer. (Forward Doug Rogers ’10, at 8-13- Michael’s goal off a rebound from Alex’s 16 assists, his 20 points were second on 21, led the Crimson.) Michael and Alex shot won the school’s first title—with the squad, no mean feat for a defenseman. joined forces on a power-play unit that was Alex and Danny chosen as captains and “With my stature,” he explains, laugh- best in the Eastern College Athletic Con-

54 January - February 2010 www.gocrimson.com dropped, Alex passed to Mike, Mike passed back to Alex—and he scored! I was in my dorm room with 15 or 16 other kids, who all know Alex and Mike, and the room just erupted.” As it turned out, the game clock had ticked down to 0:00 just before the goal, so it did not count and BU went on to win the (and, later, the national championship). But the moment was elec- tric. The Biegas planned it this way: this year, for the first time, all three have a chance to play for the same squad. Danny Biega accelerated his graduation from Salisbury (where Dan Donato, brother Hard-skating brothers Danny, Alex, and Michael of Harvard coach Ted Do- Biega (left to right) spray ice chips at Bright Hockey Center. nato ’91, coached the two elder Biegas) with summer ference (ECAC) with 19.2 percent effec- with Mike, I think I have the advantage study and a six-course load so that he’d tiveness, scoring 24 times in 125 chances. because I know exactly what he’s going to be able to join his brethren on the Harvard The Biegas have nurtured their skills do,” says Danny. Michael agrees: “When- squad for one season: this one. As he says, since the two eldest were seven and six ever we drill one-on-ones, I hate when I go “It’s just like we’re playing on that pond years of age and their mother jolted them against them—they love to stop me.” again.” vcraig lambert from their video games by announcing This year, the Biegas will apply their that she had signed them up for hockey skills amid some fine company. The Crim- lessons. They’d play all day long on the son’s top seven scorers have returned, lake behind their house: the classic two- along with Kyle Richter, who led all ECAC Soccer Champs on-two game would pit the two middle goaltenders in 2007-2008 with a 1.82 goals- sibs against the oldest and youngest: Mi- against average and .935 save percentage. The men’s soccer squad (14-4-1, 5-1- chael and Danny against Alex and their Eight freshmen have arrived whom Alex 1 Ivy) ended their season as fourth brother, Marc, a forward, now 15. calls “immediate impact players.” He adds champions, ranked tenth in the nation. “That’s how we fell in love with it,” says that the “team chemistry is great. In my They reached the third round of the Michael. “Our friends would stop by to four years here, I’ve never seen the team NCAA tournament after a bye and a play.” “It got pretty competitive, too,” this tight before.” This year’s revised aca- 3-0 win over Monmouth before fall- adds Danny. “The only reason the games demic calendar, which places exam period ing, 2-0, to Maryland, the defending na- would end was because there was a fight. before the Christmas break, should also tional champions. Andre Akpan ’10 was It wasn’t because we were tired or didn’t help Harvard with its January and Febru- named Ivy League Player of the Year want to play any more. Our parents would ary hockey schedule—including the an- and is Harvard’s all-time leading scorer yell at us and break us apart—that’s what nual Beanpot tournament, which tough with 127 points (47 goals, 33 assists); ended the game.” competition and January exams have made those 47 goals tie him with Chris Ohiri Only one other trio of brothers has into an elusive prize. ’64 for a Harvard record. Brian Rogers skated for Harvard: the Moores of Toron- Last year’s Beanpot had a Biega Mo- ’13 was Ivy Rookie of the Year. to—Mark ’00, Steve ’01, and Dominic ’03 ment when Harvard trailed Uni- The women booters (9-7-1, 6-1 Ivy) in 1999-2000 (see “Gimme Some Moore,” versity, 4-3, with only seconds left in the also captured an outright Ivy champi- March-April 2000, page 88). Like the first game. Danny was watching on TV onship after sharing it in 2008. Boston Moores, fraternal bonds pay dividends at Salisbury. “Harvard called a time-out,” College ousted Harvard, 1-0, in the for the Biegas. “We’re all kind of like best he recalls, “and I see Alex and Mike. All first round of the NCAA tournament. friends,” says Michael. “So if we’re having a I can see on the camera is M. BIEGA and Leading scorer (21 points) Katherine rough practice, or something’s wrong, you A. BIEGA—they’re talking to each other. Sheeleigh ’11 was a First Team all-Ivy can easily talk to them.” When playing de- You could tell they were working up some selection. fense in practices, “If I have a one-on-one kind of plan, some kind of play. The puck

Photograph by Jim Harrison 55