32/ Harvard University Gazette June 11-July 22, 2009 Harvard University Overjoyed parents (and siblings, aunts, uncles, etc.) overflow the steps of Widener. June 11-July 22, 20096 Gazettewww.harvard.edu Vol. CIV No. 32 Kris Snibbe/Harvard News Office Green reunions: Groundwork set Class of ’84 reunion By Corydon Ireland/Harvard News Office promises to change the As of June 4, Harvard has celebrated 358 commencements. Add to that the simultaneous celebration of untold thousands of re- hue of things to come unions. But it took until this year for a Harvard Class to host the first re- (Continued from page 20) union that included the environment on its guest list. Chalk it up to clever advertising The chalked sign in front of Mr. Bartley’s Starting last fall, planners for the Class of 1984’s 25th reunion set Gourmet Burgers, a Harvard Square institu- out to reduce the big carbon footprint that comes with big reunions. tion that has been dishing up patties since 1960, With good reason. At Harvard, the 25th is typically the mother drew customers to the sidewalk and gave hun- of all reunions — a four-day blowout that opens Harvard Yard dor- gry parents a laugh: “Harvard Degree: $200K. Picture of Grad- mitories to families, caters large-scale meals, and sponsors trips, uate with Mr. B: Priceless.” symposia, soirees, and services. Fifty years later (See Green, page 28) Standing near a flag in the Old Yard to mark the group of graduates from the Class of 1959, Michael Whiteman of Albany, N.Y., and for- merly of Dunster House, reminisced about his days as a Harvard undergraduate. The diversi- ty of today’s graduating class was a welcome changefor the alumnus who described his own class from half a century ago as largely male and white. “It seems to me,”he added, “the stu- dents look much happier.” One of Whiteman’s enduring Harvard memories was thanks to his roommate. “He was behind in his organic chemistry lab, so he tried to catch up doing some experiments in our room,” he recalled. Unfortunately, his roommate’s attempt to heat toluene, a component of TNT, on a hot plate re- sulted in a small fire. “It singed all the paint off the walls,” Whiteman recalled. Titter The best unanimous titter went to the Chaplain for the Day who, during his opening prayer, wondered if the spirit of truth was “the one who has sustained these proud parents gathered here today in love and relief ...” The second half of his comment sent a ripple of laughter through the thousands of parents gathered in Tercentenary Theatre, and, unsur- prisingly, the thousands of their graduating children also in attendance. ‘Meaningful moments’ As graduates of the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) filed out of Longfellow Hall into a large white tent to re- Katherine C. Cohen/Harvard News Office ceive their diplomas, members of the crowd e c i f fanned themselves with their programs and f O s took refugeunder largewhite and crimson um- w e N brellas,as the sun, an infrequent guestat recent d r Commencements, beamed down on the gath- a v r ering and temperatures rose. a H / “As educators, we know about giving our all e d I to a difficult task,” said HGSE Dean Kathleen n i t s McCartney to the graduating class. “And we u know that the meaningful moments matter. … J Members of the Class of 2009, I am here today Audio slide shows to make an easy prediction: As educators, you Triumphant day will touch the future, and your future will be www.news.harvard.edu/multimedia/flash filled with many, many meaningful moments.” /090604_commencement.swf Class Day 2009 Kris Snibbe/Harvard News Office www.hno.harvard.edu/multimedia/flash/ Delighted decked-out Harvard Law School graduates, some wielding gavels, some 090603_classday.swf Corydon Ireland, Colleen Walsh, Alvin Pow- Distinguished accomplishments Nonjudgmental A day of jubilation! Musical velocity wielding cell phones, congregate under a canopy of lovely green prior to receiving Commencement commences ell, Emily T. Simon, Gervis A. Menzies Jr., Steve Six professors in the FAS have been named Radcliffe Medal winner takes a long and even- Look at — and read about — the faces of Unlikely bedfellows physics and music pre- their diplomas. Bradt, and John Lenger contributed to this story. www.hno.harvard.edu/multimedia/flash/ Walter Channing Cabot Fellows. handed look at women in the legal profession. Harvard’s 358th Commencement. miere together in a Lisa Randall opera. 090602_pbkbacc.swf Page 5 Page 13 Page 15 Page 31 2 / Harvard University Gazette June 11-July 22, 2009 POLICE REPORTS Changes ahead for This month in print, online Gazette Harvard history Following are some of the incidents three individuals involved in a robbery. reported to the Harvard University Police The CPD placed the three individuals Back in February, we asked you to par- June 21, 1776 — The College re- Department (HUPD) for the week ending under arrest. At the Quincy House dining ticipate in a readership survey to gauge assembles in Cambridge after its June 8. The official log is located at hall, an officer was dispatched to take a the Gazette’s place in the Harvard commu- eight-month stay in Concord. 1033 Massachusetts Ave., sixth floor, report of damage done to a window. An nity. We were overwhelmed by the re- and is available online at www.hupd.har- officer assisted the Boston Police De- sponse. June 19, 1858 — At the Boston vard.edu/. partment in serving a restraining order More than 2,500 people took the time City Regatta, crimson finds its first at Longwood Campus Operations. An of- to fill out the form, and 75 percent of you use as a Harvard color when mem- June 4: At Leverett House, an officer ficer was dispatched to a report of an in- said that the Gazette was a valuable asset bers of a Harvard boat club seek to was dispatched to take a report of a dividual inside the Center for Govern- to the campus. Thank you. distinguish themselves among the stolen unattended debit card. At Holyoke ment and International Studies. The offi- Based on what we learned from the many entrants. At a store, Charles Center, officers were dispatched to a re- cer located the individual, conducted a survey, we are laying plans to build upon William Eliot (then a tutor, later Presi- port of two individuals fighting with bot- field interview, and ran the individual for this 103-year-old resource that helps knit dent) and club captain B. W. Crownin- tles. Officers report it was a verbal alter- warrants with negative results. The indi- the campus community together. shield pick six crimson China-silk cation and sent the individuals on their vidual was then placed under arrest and When you return in the fall, expect to handkerchiefs to tie around their way. At the Harvard Institute of Medicine charged with trespassing. see a more robust online version of the heads (University Archives holds sev- (HIM) Building, an officer was dispatched June 6: A bicycle and lock were stolen Gazette, which is already being developed eral of the originals). The team beats to take a report of a stolen bicycle. At at Cabot House. At Kirkland House, an under the direction of our new Digital Com- 6 others from Boston, New York, and the New Research Building, a bicycle and officer was dispatched to take a report munications Director Perry Hewitt, on an St. John in a 3-mile race. On July 5, lock were stolen. At Weeks Bridge, offi- of a stolen wallet that contained ID and updated platform that will enable us to they beat 7 boats in a 6-miler. Crim- cers were dispatched to a report of indi- credit cards. At the New Research Build- present more multimedia content. son becomes Harvard’s rowing color viduals jumping off the bridge. Upon ar- ing, a bicycle and lock were stolen. As we move more content online and and spreads to other teams. The rival, officers located the individuals in June 7: A BlackBerry was stolen from develop new content for stories better told Harvard Corporation officially adopts the water. One individual was hanging on Winthrop House. through new mediums, we will be making it in 1910. the ledge, and officers sent them a flota- June 8: At Phillips Brooks House, an adjustments to ensure that the printed tion device to pull them ashore. Com- officer took a report of a stolen back- and online versions of the newspaper com- June 26, 1901 — Commence- plaints will be sought against the individ- pack containing a MacBook Pro laptop, plement one another. ment Day. The newly completed Har- uals in the incident. iPod, computer hard drive, and $650 in The printed product will become a bi- vard Union (now part of Barker Cen- June 5: At the Blackstone steam cash. At Griswold Hall, an officer took a weekly publication with more in-depth sto- ter for the Humanities) opens for visi- plant, officers assisted the Cambridge report of a stolen wallet. The reporting ries, a new look, and new features focus- tors’ inspection. Several sections of Police Department (CPD) in taking a re- party stated they were informed the wal- ing on scholarship, campus life, and the the Yard fence are also dedicated by port of an assault. At Kirkland House, of- let was found in another location and faculty and staff who make our University the Classes who donated them or in ficers reported that a group of individu- that all items were intact except for unique.