The Harvard Crimson - Volume CL, No. 24

THE HARVARD CRIMSON THE UNIVERSITY DAILY, EST. 1873

| VOLUME CL, NO. 24

VIGIL

GATHERING

Silent Vigil in Yard Mourns Civilians in Gaza, Israel

Students Grieve, Show Support at Hillel Gathering

| CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2023

War in Israel and Gaza Reverberates Across Campus Palestine Solidarity Committee Statement Sparks Backlash BY J. SELLERS HILL AND NIA L. ORAKWUE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Harvard student groups drew intense campus and national backlash this week for signing onto a statement that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” in the wake of a deadly invasion of Israel by the Islamist militant group Hamas. Authored by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and originally cosigned by 33 other Harvard student organizations Saturday, the statement came under fire from federal lawmakers, University professors, and other students. The statement was initially released on the PSC’s Instagram page, which was later temporarily suspended by Meta, according to the group. The account was back online as of Monday evening. “Today’s events did not occur in a vacuum,” the statement reads. “For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison. Israeli officials promise to ‘open the gates of hell,’ and the massacres in Gaza have

already commenced.” “In the coming days, Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel’s violence. The apartheid regime is the only one to blame,” it continues. The PSC’s statement quickly received widespread condemnation, including from professors and politicians who took to social media to rebuke what they said was an attempt to justify Hamas’ attack. Harvard Computer Science professor Boaz Barak called on the University to remove the organizations’ school affiliations. “I have a lot of criticisms of Israeli policies, but everyone who signed this statement is condoning terrorism, rape, and murder,” Barak wrote on the social media platform X. Former University President Lawrence H. Summers called the joint statement “morally unconscionable” in a post on X. “In nearly 50 years of @Harvard affiliation, I have never been as disillusioned and alienated as I am today,” he wrote. The statement was also denounced by federal lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including by U.S. Rep. Ritchie J. Torres (D-N.Y.) and U.S. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06 (R-N.Y.), the

fourth-ranking House Republican. All student organizations that co-signed the PSC’s statement declined to comment, did not respond to requests for comment, or could not be reached for comment. On Oct. 7, at around 6:30 a.m. local time, Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip invaded southern Israel — assailing neighborhoods, civilian gatherings, and military fortifications. As of Thursday afternoon, more than 1,300 Israelis were killed and at least 150 people were taken hostage, according to the Israeli government. The attack took place on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, 50 years and one day after the beginning of the Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria invaded Israel on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. In the days since, Israeli forces retaliated with aggressive strikes on targets in Gazan cities, razing numerous buildings and killing more than 1,500 Palestinians as of Thursday, according to Gazan health officials. As of Thursday night, a joint statement by Harvard affiliates

SEE ‘STATEMENT’ PAGE 6

Thousands of Harvard Affiliates Call to Condemn Hamas BY RAHEM D. HAMID AND ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Thousands of Harvard affiliates signed a joint statement published Tuesday condemning the deadly attack on Israel by militant group Hamas and calling for the retraction of student group signatures on a statement that held Israel “entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” The Islamist militant group Hamas invaded Israel on Oct. 7, kidnapping at least 150 Israeli civilians and killed more than 1,300 Israelis according to the Israeli government. After the attacks, Israel declared war, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the launch of a fullscale counteroffensive into Gaza — a Palestinian exclave presently controlled by Hamas. The Israeli counteroffensive has killed more than 1,500 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gazan Health Ministry. The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and more than 30 other student groups faced fierce backlash from students, prominent faculty, and national politicians for signing a statement the day of

the invasion saying that Israel’s “apartheid regime is the only one to blame” for the violence. Following the PSC statement, 17 Harvard student organizations including Harvard Hillel and Harvard Chabad joined around 500 faculty and staff members and more than 3,000 other affiliates in signing a statement in response calling the PSC’s statement “completely wrong and deeply offensive.” The response — which was primarily coordinated by Jacob M. Miller ’25, the president of Harvard Hillel and a Crimson Editorial editor — was first circulated Monday and published on Tuesday afternoon. “There are no justifications for acts of terror we have seen in the past days. We call on all the student groups who co-signed the statement to retract their signatures from the offensive letter,” read the response. In another letter published Tuesday afternoon, nearly 160 Harvard faculty members as of Tuesday night from across the University criticized Harvard’s initial response to the war and condemned the PSC statement, writing that it “can be seen as nothing less than condoning the mass murder of civilians based

only on their nationality.” After several of the student groups retracted their signature from the PSC statement, including the Harvard Islamic Society, Harvard Act on a Dream, and Amnesty International at Harvard, the statement was updated to remove the list of student organizations citing concern for student safety. A PSC representative did not respond to a request for comment for this article. In a Monday afternoon comment on behalf of the PSC, Sanaa M. Kahloon ’25 wrote that the group’s members “reject the accusation that our previous statement could be read as supportive of civilian deaths.” “To restate what should be obvious: the PSC staunchly opposes violence against civilians — Palestinian, Israeli, or other,” Kahloon wrote. While the faculty letter acknowledged varied perspectives on “Israel’s past actions,” it argued that the tactics of Hamas’ invasion — which they say constitute war crimes — leave no room for nuance. “The events of this week are not complicated,” the faculty wrote. “Sometimes there is such

SEE ‘RESPONSE’ PAGE 6

DOXXING

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

WITHDRAWALS

‘Doxxing Truck’ Shows Students’ Names, Faces

In Video Message, Gay Defends Free Expression

Amid Backlash, 9 Groups Withdraw Signatures

PAGE 6. A billboard truck drove through the streets around Harvard’s campus displaying names and faces of students claimed to be affiliated with groups that signed the Palestine Solidarity Committee statement.

PAGE 7. Harvard President Claudine Gay forcefully condemned “barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas” and rejected calls to punish and name students who signed onto the PSC’s statement.

PAGE 7. Amid continued national backlash, at least 9 Harvard student groups withdrew their signatures from the controversial statement calling Israel “entirely responsible” for the ongoing violence.

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON

LAST WEEK

OCTOBER 13, 2023

TECHNOLOGY

IOP

EXTENSION SCHOOL

HBS Partners with BCG on AI Study

Chao Condemns Anti-Asian Hate

HES Students Rally for Degree Change

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. A recent Harvard Business School study found that artificial intelligence tools increase worker productivity on certain tasks but have a countervailing effect on other similarly-difficult tasks outside a certain “technological frontier.” In a working paper called “Navigating the Jagged Technological Frontier: Field Experimental Evidence of the Effects of AI on Knowledge Worker Productivity and Quality,” HBS and Boston Consulting Group conducted a joint study to investigate the practicality of AI tools in consulting.

ASIAN AMERICAN MUSEUM. Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao called for a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture during a Harvard Institute of Politics forum Tuesday, arguing that such a museum would help combat the rise in anti-Asian hate. During the forum Tuesday — moderated by Harvard Business School senior lecturer John D. Macomber — Chao called for the museum to be built along Washington’s National Mall, where many of the country’s Smithsonian Museums are located.

BY CAMILLA J. MARTINEZ AND TIFFANI A. MEZITIS — CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

BY THOMAS J. METE — CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

DEGREE NAME DISCOURSE. More than 20 Harvard Extension School students gathered in Harvard Yard Saturday to protest the language that appears on their degrees, holding signs reading “We don’t study extensions” and “I still don’t study extensions.” The Extension School offers open enrollment coursework, including more than 40 certificates in professional fields, as well as Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Master of Liberal Arts degrees. Regardless of their fields of study, graduates of HES receive degrees “in extension studies.” BY AZUSA M. LIPPIT AND TILLY R. ROBINSON — CRIMSON STAFF WRITERs

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The Week in Photos

AROUND THE IVIES IN REVERSAL, BEILOCK CALLS HAMAS’S ACTIONS ‘HORRIFIC TERRORIST ATTACKS,’ DOES NOT EXPLICITLY CONDEMN THEM

‘DOXXING TRUCK’ A billboard truck drove around campus Wednesday and Thursday, displaying the names and faces of students allegedly affiliated with groups that signed onto a statement on Hamas’ attack on Israel. Parts of this photo were blurred to avoid identifying students due to retaliation concerns.

Dartmouth College President Sian Leah Beilock issued a second statement calling Hamas’ actions “horrific terrorist attacks” on Wednesday, though without explicitly denouncing the group, The Dartmouth reported Wednesday. Like Harvard President Claudine Gay, Beilock, who is in her first semester as the school’s president, had previously issued a statement the day before that did not condemn Hamas.

JULIAN J. GIORDANO ­— CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THC

THE DARTHMOUTH

Read more at THECRIMSON.COM

PRINCETON SUES GRADUATES FOR FAILURE TO REPAY LOANS Princeton University launched two lawsuits in New York over defaulted loans from two recent graduates totaling $7,080.43 and $23,644.64 last spring, the Daily Princetonian reported Wednesday. Princeton has filed similar lawsuits against graduates in New Jersey, California, and Washington, according to the Prince. Neither graduate has responded to their summons. THE DAILY PRINCETONIAN

SEVEN PLAINTIFFS SUE YALE OVER ALLEGED DRUG DIVERSION AND PATIENT NEGLECT Seven people joined 68 other plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Yale University alleging the school failed to safeguard the Yale fertility clinic’s supply of fentanyl, the Yale Daily News reported Wednesday. A 2020 Drug Enforcement Agency inspection found nurse Donna Monticone had been stealing fentanyl and replacing it with saline solution for a period in 2020. Monticone’s theft gained national notoriety this year after being the subject of a popular New York Times podcast called “The Retrievals.”

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. Twenty-four candidates are vying for nine spots on the Cambridge City Council in November’s municipal elections, in a campaign cycle defined by controversial amendments to Cambridge’s zoning code and allegations of transphobia and racism against two candidates. SAMI E. TURNER — CRIMSON PHOTOGRA-

OKTOBERFEST. Dancers, musicians, and revelers poured into Harvard Square this weekend for the 44th annual Oktoberfest celebration and 18th annual Honk! Parade. The Honk! festival featured a parade of local activist groups and free live performances from street bands. Honk! is a street band movement that is “outrageous and inclusive, brass and brash, percussive and persuasive” according to its website. SAMI E.

PHER

TURNER — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE YALE DAILY NEWS

PENN’S CHAIR OF WHARTON BOARD OF ADVISORS CALLS FOR MAGILL, BOK TO RESIGN OVER ‘ANTISEMITISM’ Marc Rowan, the chair of the Wharton School’s Board of Advisors and a former trustee of the University of Pennsylvania, called on Penn President Liz Magill and Board of Trustees Chair Scott Bok to resign for being too weak on campus antisemitism, recommending donors withhold donations until they step down, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported Wednesday. In a statement, Julie Platt, the vice chair of the board of trustees, said she had “full confidence” in the duo’s leadership. THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. Founded in 2001, Undergraduate Mariachi Véritas de Harvard — the College’s only mariachi band — performs on the steps of Widener Library on Wednesday as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. In the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month, which aims to recognize the histories, cultures, and achievements of Latinx Americans, spans from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

CLOSED GATES. In an email to undergraduates on Wednesday, the College’s Dean of Students Office wrote that Harvard Yard would close its gates to non-ID holders from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. from Thursday until Monday “out of an abundance of caution” following threats to student safety due to a controversial student group statement on violence in Israel. FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

NEXT WEEK

THE HARVARD CRIMSON OCTOBER 13, 2023

What’s Next

IN THE REAL WORLD SCALISE DROPS OUT OF SPEAKER’S RACE Louisiana representative Steve Scalise announced he was dropping out of the speaker’s race Thursday after Republicans were unable to unite behind him after McCarthy’s outster. CNN reported that Scalise withdrew his name as a candidate a day after Republicans only narrowly approved him in a 113 to 99 vote, beating out competitor Representative Jim Jordan, who was the choice of the hard right. The withdrawal puts the GOP further into a crisis of leadership, with no clear candidate having emerged.

ISRAELI DEFENSE MINISTER ANNOUNCES SIEGE OF GAZA Gallant said there would be “no electricity, no food, no fuel” in Gaza as the Israeli military continues to try to secure Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip. The Washington Post reported that at least 900 people in Israel and 687 people in Gaza have died in the fighting as Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel hitting Jerusalem and triggering air raid sirens in Tel Aviv.

ISRAEL REACHES AGREEMENT FOR GOVERNMENT WITH OPPOSITION

Start every week with a preview of what’s on the agenda around Harvard University

Friday 10/13

Monday 10/16

Wednesday 10/18

FUTURE OF CITIES: EXTREME HEAT

CITIES FACING RISING WATERS

CONVERSATION WITH SHERRILYN IFILL

Askwith Hall, 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. As the keynote event of Harvard Worldwide Week 2023, “Future of Cities: Extreme Heat” features a panel of experts in urban planning and design, environmental science, and public health, that will share their ideas on next steps for dealing with extreme weather patterns. It is cosponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost, the Salata Institute, and Bloomberg Center for Cities.

Saturday 10/14 “THE KEGELSTAT TRIO”: A SCREENING ON MUSIC AND ROMANCE 24 Quincy St., 7 p.m.-9:10 p.m. Watch the enchanting screening of “The Kegelstat Trio”, an adaptation feature of the iconic work of filmmaker Éric Rohmer.

Taubman Third Floor, Harvard Kennedy School, 12 p.m.-1 p.m. Harvard Law School professor Susan Crawford and Harvard Graduate School of Design professor Shannon Slade will discuss how cities can respond to rising sea levels threatening their most vulnerable residents.

Knafel Center, 4 p.m.-5 p.m. Civil rights lawyer and scholar Sherrilyn Ifill and Harvard Radcliffe Institute Dean Tomiko BrownNagin will discuss the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on affirmative action and access to higher education.

Tuesday 10/17

Thursday 10/19

TEST YOUR CAREER PATH: USING ASSESSMENTS TO GUIDE CAREER CHOICES

DAY OF THE DEAD CELEBRATION

Harvard Ed Portal, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. Through this workshop, students can take three of the most popular career assessments: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory, and SkillScan, and learn how to match these results to popular careers and better focus their job search to careers fit for them.

Peabody Museum, 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Celebrate the Day of the Dead, a national Mexican holiday, with various activities and refreshments like craft activities, sugar skulls, live folk dance and mariachi performance, pan de muerto, and more. Contribute your message of love to honor the lives of the departed.

Sunday 10/15

Monday 10/16

CULTURAL DEFERENCES

THE HIDDEN LINK BETWEEN INFLAMMATION AND DISEASE

Kresge Auditorium (MIT), 6 p.m.-8 p.m. “Cultural Deferences” is a multisensory event celebrating Muslim creative voice, bringing together both thinkers and creators through performances of speech, music, and dramatic performance. The performance brings together several student groups from both Harvard and MIT.

The Studio at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 1 p.m.-1:50 p.m. A panel with a HMS and HSPH professor, a UC SF professor, and a Columbia University Medical Center professor will discuss the links between chronic inflammation and autoimmune and chronic illnesses.

Hamas’s attack Saturday spurred leaders of different parliamentary groups, previously divided over judicial overhaul, to form the new government. Netanyahu met with National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz on Wednesday and agreed to form a war management cabinet with observers Gadi Eizenkot of the National Unity Party and Strategic Affair Minister Ron Dermer.

SCOTUS SEEMS READY TO REINSTATE VOTING MAP The voting map had previously been unanimously struck down by a Federal District Panel in South Carolina for using race as a predominant factor. Justice John Roberts weighed in on the issue, writing that it was difficult to separate race and politics since Black people vote more in favor of Democrats. This distinction is important since only racial discrimination would be grounds for a constitutional challenge of the voting map.

FALLING FOLIAGE

JURY DELIVERS SPLIT DECISION IN MCCLAIN DEATH The jury delivered a split decision on the two officers tried together and charged with the 2019 death of McClain, an unarmed Black man who died in a confrontation with the two officers. The jury heard a three-week trial against the two officers, and deliberated for two days before finding only Mr. Roedema, the more experienced of the two officers, guilty of criminally negligent homicide and assault. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

THE HARVARD CRIMSON Cara J. Chang ’24 President

STAFF FOR THIS ISSUE Brandon L. Kingdollar ’24

Cynthia V. Lu ’24

Managing Editor

Business Manager

Magazine Chairs Io Y. Gilman ’25 Amber H. Levis ’25

Design Chairs Sophia Salamanca ’25 Sami E. Turner ’25

Eleanor V. Wikstrom ’24 Christina M. Xiao ’24

Blog Chairs Tina Chen ’24 Hana Rehman ’25

Multimedia Chairs Joey Huang ’24 Julian J. Giordano ’25

Arts Chairs Anya L. Henry ’24 Alisa S. Regassa ’24

Sports Chairs Mairead B. Baker ’24 Aaron B. Schuchman ’25

Technology Chairs Kevin Luo ’24 Justin Y. Ye ’24

Associate Managing Editors Leah J. Teichholtz ’24 Meimei Xu ’24 Editorial Chairs

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Night Editors James R. Jolin ’24 Ariel H. Kim ’24 Andy Z. Wang ’23-’24 Eric Yan ’24 Assistant Night Editors John N. Peña ’25 Charlotte P. Ritz-Jack ’25 Elias J. Schisgall ’25 Michelle N. Amponsah ’26 Sabrina R. Hu ’26 Jo B. Lemann ’26 Nathanael Tjandra ’26

Story Editors Cara J. Chang ’24 Ariel H. Kim ’24 Vivi E. Lu ’24 Brandon L. Kingdollar ’24 Leah J. Teichholtz ’24 Meimei Xu ’24 Eric Yan ’24 Design Editors Toby R. Ma ’24 Sami E. Turner ’25 Laurinne P. Eugenio ’26

Editorial Editors Cara J. Chang ’24 Sidnee N. Klein ’25 Arts Editor Zachary J. Lech ’24 Sports Editors Katharine Forst ’25

Associate Business Manager Derek S. Chang ’24 Copyright 2023, The Harvard Crimson (USPS 236-560). No articles, editorials, cartoons or any part thereof appearing in The Crimson may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the President. The Associated Press holds the right to reprint any materials published in The Crimson. The Crimson is a non-profit, independent corporation, founded in 1873 and incorporated in 1967. Second-class postage paid in Boston, Massachusetts. Published Monday through Friday except holidays and during vacations, three times weekly during reading and exam periods by The Harvard Crimson Inc., 14 Plympton St., Cambridge, Mass. 02138

Photo Editors Joey Huang ’24 Julian J. Giordano ’25 Christopher L. Li ’25 Addison Y. Liu ’25 Nathanael Tjandra ’26

CORRECTIONS The Harvard Crimson is committed to accuracy in its reporting. Factual errors are corrected promptly on this page. Readers with information about errors are asked to e-mail the managing editor at managingeditor@thecrimson.com.

INFERNO

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON

NEWS

OCTOBER 13, 2023

FAS

Hoekstra Condemns Hamas

CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

BY RAHEM D. HAMID AND ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

F

Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra condemned Hamas’ attacks during a Thursday interview with The Crimson. JULIAN G. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

press their opinions,” she added. “As President Gay really clearly articulated that no student statements represent Harvard.” She did not say whether she felt the statement had dangerous implications or whether the students who signed it should face consequences. Over the past week, several students associated with groups who signed the PSC statement experienced multiple instances of doxxing, including a billboard truck that drove around Harvard Square Wednesday and Thursday displaying the names of students allegedly affiliated with organizations that signed the statement. Hoekstra did not directly address the doxxing attacks, but she said, “We really care about students — all our students.” Both the College and the Gradu-

ate School of Arts and Sciences are reaching out to students impacted by the conflict, Hoekstra added. “I’ll point you to Dean Khurana and Dean Dench at the graduate school outlining the details of this, but I think the main point that I want to say is that we are really focused on making sure that all of our students feel supported,” she said, referring to Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana and GSAS Dean Emma Dench. Both Harvard’s initial response and the statement by the PSC attracted international scrutiny, including from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Congressman Jake D. Auchincloss ’10 (D-Mass.) told Politico that he had communicated with University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76, but Hoekstra said she has not been in touch with any lawmakers.

Harvard Prof. Claudia Goldin Wins Nobel Prize in Economics BY RAHEM D. HAMID CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Harvard Economics professor Claudia D. Goldin won the 2023 Nobel Prize in economics, the Swedish Academy announced Monday morning. Goldin, who is the first Harvard professor to win a Nobel Prize since 2019, won the Prize “for having advanced our understanding of women’s labour market outcomes.” The first woman to receive tenure in the Economics Department, Goldin has worked on nine books, with a 10th set to release later this year. She is the 12th Harvard professor to win a Nobel Prize in economics, and the first woman. Goldin is also the third woman to ever win a Nobel Prize in economics, and the first woman to not share the award with another person. “It means a tremendous amount,” Goldin said in an interview with The Crimson Monday morning. “Big ideas and long-term change matters, and I am delighted.” Goldin’s research focuses on women in the labor market, where she has “trawled the archives and collected over 200 years of data from the U.S., allowing her to demonstrate how and why gender differences in earnings and employment rates have changed over time.” Goldin found that the participation of women in the labor market during the 19th and 20th centuries followed a U-shaped curve, largely as a result of the onset of the Industrial Revolution and changing social norms for women. Her work also showed that access to contraception in the 20th

BY KRISHI KISHORE AND ROHAN RAJEEV

FAS DEAN. Standing by University President Claudine Gay’s Statement, FAS Dean Hoekstra condemned Hamas’ attacks.

aculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra expressed her support for Harvard President Claudine Gay’s statement condemning Hamas’ attacks in her first interview with The Crimson as dean of the FAS. Hoekstra endorsed Gay’s response to a controversial statement issued Saturday by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and originally co-signed by 33 other student groups that said Israel was “entirely responsible” for the violence. At least nine student groups have since withdrawn their signatures, even as the PSC later wrote that it “staunchly opposes” violence against all civilians. Gay and other top administrators, including Hoekstra, sent a message to Harvard affiliates Monday evening calling for unity. The statement received widespread criticism, including from former University President Lawrence H. Summers, for not directly condemning Hamas or the student groups’ statement. Gay sent another message the following morning directly condemning Hamas and saying that “no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.” Thursday evening, following The Crimson’s interview with Hoekstra, Gay declared in a released video statement that the University would not punish students affiliated with the signatories of the PSC’s statement. In Thursday’s interview, Hoekstra defended — and largely deferred to — the administration’s response. “I stand by President Gay and her statement, which I think is very strong and powerful, condemning the terrorist atrocities perpetuated by Hamas,” she said. “I think that students can ex-

Endowment Could Deliver Poor Returns

century allowed more women the opportunity to pursue an education and a career. “It’s taken a long time for me to do this type of work,” Goldin said. “Most importantly is that I’m a teacher, and that I learned from my students and that I could not possibly do research without also doing teaching.” “Teaching is the handmaiden of research,” she added. “People should realize that I not only produce knowledge, but I disseminate knowledge, and by doing that I learned from undergraduates and graduate students who might teach, so I thank them very much.” In a Monday interview, Edward L. Glaeser, the chair of Harvard’s Economics Department, hailed the announcement, noting that he was among those who nominated her for the award. “I would be thrilled if it were any of my faculty colleagues getting a Nobel Prize, but I’m particularly thrilled that Claudia Goldin is winning a prize,” he said. “I cannot think of a worthier recipient right now than Claudia.” “Just read Claudia Goldin’s work,” he added. “Your life will be better because you’ve done so.” After receiving her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, Goldin taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Princeton University, and the University of Pennsylvania before arriving at Harvard in 1990. “Understanding women’s role in the labour is important for society,” said Jakob Svensson, chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences, in Monday’s press release. “Thanks to Claudia Goldin’s groundbreaking research we now know much more about the underlying factors and which bar-

riers may need to be addressed in the future.” At a Monday afternoon press conference at One Brattle Square, Goldin was introduced by Glaeser, who said that it was “a great day for the Harvard Economics Department.” Goldin, who began by thanking her mentors, students, and husband, Harvard Economics professor Lawrence F. Katz, also acknowledged major women in economics that she’s worked with in the past. “The increase of women in economics is important for a host of reasons,” Goldin said. “For me personally it’s been important because I have had the most wonderful co-authors, people with whom I am best friends, to work with.” Goldin said she has worked “very hard to change the representation of women in economics” during her time at Harvard and her tenure as president of the American Economic Association. She said more men than women express interest in economics when starting college, adding that people often have the misconception that the field of economics is solely about finance. “We say, ‘You know what? Economics is about people. It’s about inequality. It’s about the female labor force. It’s about health, it’s about economic development, it’s about well-being,’” she said. “And they say, ‘Really? I didn’t know that.’” As for what’s next, Goldin said she would continue work based on her research paper titled “Why Women Won” on the history of women’s rights that coincidentally released this morning. “I will build on that,” she said, “and maybe write another book.” rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com

According to Hoekstra, Dench has been “thinking a lot about” Harvard affiliates who may be drafted into the Israeli military as a result of this conflict. The Israeli government has called up at least 360,000 reservists in the Israeli Defense Forces, according to multiple news outlets. Hoekstra said she believed one non-tenure-track faculty member had been called back to Israel to serve but said she did not know of any others. She said Dench was working to “pull together individuals that are potentially or have been called back, really bringing them together as a community across the school and at Harvard to support each other.” rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com

One year after Harvard’s endowment reported a $2.3 billion drop in value — its first year of negative returns since 2016 — financial experts say the school could be headed towards a second straight year of poor investment results. Harvard Management Company, which stewards the school’s $50.9 billion endowment, is heavily exposed to alternative investments such as private equity funds — a practice that is consistent with many of its peer institutions. Experts say continued interest rate hikes over the past year have likely caused significant losses in this part of HMC’s portfolio. “The deal flow in private equity has slowed to a trickle, and the major university endowments should be writing down the value of a lot of these alternative investments,” New York University finance professor David L. Yermack ’85 wrote in an email. “If Harvard has continued to have a high allocation to alternative investments, I would expect the endowment return to be pretty poor.” Yermack added that rising interest rates have had a costly impact on private equity due to the industry’s reliance on cheap debt. Other portions of the endowment could also face challenges due to rising interest rates. Charles A. Skorina, the head of a finance executive search firm, said bond investments have suffered over the past year. “If interest rates go up, bond prices go down,” said Skorina. “For anyone holding bonds, that hurt like crazy.” Due to likely poor showings from certain portions of HMC’s portfolio, experts say the performance of Harvard’s endowment during the past fiscal year will depend heavily on how HMC allocated the endowment’s assets. “If Harvard has a 60-40 mix of stocks and bonds, which is the standard benchmarked for a passive investor, you would expect something like a 10.2 percent return,” Yermack wrote. “I bet it’s going to be a lot less than that.” In fiscal year 2021, the last time Harvard reported its endowment

asset allocation, HMC invested 34 percent of the endowment in private equity, 33 percent in hedge funds, and 14 percent in public equities. Some portions of Harvard’s endowment may still deliver strong performances. According to Rutgers Business School professor John M. Longo, HMC’s stock portfolio — which is heavily invested in technology companies — could boost its fiscal year 2023 returns. “US stock market performance has largely been driven by a small group of large cap Technology oriented securities,” Longo wrote. “Harvard Management Company held three of these stocks (Meta, Alphabet, and NVIDIA) among its top 10 equity positions, so the equity segment of the HMC portfolio likely performed well this calendar year.” Harvard is expected to release its fiscal year 2023 financial results in the coming weeks. With alternative investments

Deal flow in private equity has slowed to a trickle, and the major university endowments should be writing down the value of a lot of these alternative investments David L. Yermack ’85 New York University Finance Professor

such as private equity holdings occupying an increasingly large portion of Harvard’s investments, experts say HMC and its CEO, N.P. “Narv” Narvekar, face the added challenge of providing an accurate valuation of the school’s endowment due to decreased transparency in these asset classes. “From what I know of Mr. Narvekar and the way he treats his portfolio, he will be realistic and careful to be as accurate as possible with his reporting, but a lot of those valuations will depend on third-party managers in private markets, so he can only report what they tell him their portfolios are worth,” Skorina said. krishi.kishore@thecrimson.com rohan.rajeev@thecrimson.com

PSC Holds Silent Vigil for Civilian Victims in Gaza and Israel BY MADELEINE A. HUNG AND JOYCE E. KIM CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Hundreds of Harvard students and affiliates gathered in the Sever Quadrangle Thursday evening for a silent vigil to mourn civilian deaths in Gaza and Israel and stand in solidarity with Palestine. The vigil — organized by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and Harvard Graduate Students 4 Palestine — was postponed to Thursday from Tuesday “due to credible safety concerns and threats against student security,” according to a post on the PSC’s Instagram. Organizers required attendees to wear masks due to safety concerns at Thursday’s vigil. The announcement to postpone came one day after student organizations received national backlash for signing onto a statement penned by the PSC that called Israel “entirely responsible” for the attacks on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas. In a subsequent statement on its Instagram Wednesday, the PSC clarified that it “staunchly opposes all violence against all innocent life.” Students affiliated with co-signing organizations have faced ongoing doxxing attacks in recent days, including a “doxxing truck” with students’ faces that drove through the streets surrounding Harvard’s campus on Wednesday and Thursday. University President Claudine Gay, Harvard Hillel, and the PSC have criticized the doxxing and threats to student

safety. PSC organizers wrote in a Thursday email publicizing the vigil that the gathering aimed “to offer a silent space of grief, as safely as possible” amid “an urgent time of deep unrest.” The vigil featured anonymous recordings of student speakers, who did not appear in person due to safety concerns. Two in-person attendees also read the names of some of the Gazan civilians who have died. Attendees of Thursday’s vigil wore masks out of safety concerns. The vigil had been delayed from its originally scheduled date of Tuesday. Early Saturday morning, the militant group Hamas invaded and assailed southern Israeli cit-

We are scared to be Palestinian at this university. Unnamed Palestinian Student Speaker at Vigil

ies near the Gaza Strip. The invasion left more than 1,300 Israelis dead, thousands more injured, and at least 150 hostages taken as of Thursday night, according to the Israeli government. Israeli forces officially declared war and have been retaliating with strikes on targets in Gazan cities, killing more than 1,500 people and injuring more than 6,600 people, according to Gazan health officials. Gaza faces a spiraling humanitarian crisis as Israeli forces continue airstrikes and residents are cut off from food and fuel supplies. More than

330,000 people in Gaza have been displaced as of Thursday. “We are here to mourn the loss of innocent human life. The fact that our mourning had to be postponed because this campus did not afford us the safety nor the space to grieve together reflects the larger sentiment of the administration distancing itself from us,” said an unnamed Palestinian speaker in a recording played at the vigil. “We are scared to be Palestinian at this university,” the speaker added. Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on the vigil and referred to previous statements by Harvard administrators, including a Wednesday statement from University Executive Vice President Meredith L. Weenick ’90 that discussed increased safety measures and support for students facing threats. Swain also pointed to Thursday video messages by Gay, who said Harvard would not sanction students involved with the statement and condemned threats against them, and Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana, who offered support and assistance to students. Another Palestinian speaker urged attendees at the vigil to stand in solidarity with Gaza. “Let us turn our collective grief into productive collective action for Gaza,” the speaker said. “The people of Gaza deserve resilient solidarity and unwavering support that does not shake in the face of accusations, threats, and fear-mongering.” madeleine.hung@thecrimson.com joyce.kim@thecrimson.com

NEWS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON OCTOBER 13, 2023

5

HILLEL

Harvard Affiliates Mourn Israeli Victims

Harvard affiliates lit candles on the steps of Widener Library at a Sunday evening vigil for victims of the invasion by Hamas. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

CANDLELIT VIGIL. On Sunday, more than 200 Harvard affiliates mourned the victims of the invasion of Israel. BY JOYCE E. KIM CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

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ore than 200 Harvard affiliates gathered in front of Widener Library Sunday evening for a candlelit vigil to mourn the victims of the invasion of Israel by Islamist militant group Hamas. The vigil followed a Saturday gathering of affiliates at Harvard Hillel, the University’s Jewish center, to support Israeli students and grieve the victims of Hamas’

attack on Israel earlier that morning. Hillel also hosted a dinner on Sunday before the vigil, with Harvard President Claudine Gay and Dean of the College Rakesh Khurana among those in attendance. At around 6:30 a.m. local time Saturday, Hamas invaded southern Israeli towns and military bases outside the Gaza Strip, kidnapping residents and firing thousands of rockets. As of Monday, Israel’s Army Radio and officials estimate that at least 900 people are dead, with thousands more injured and dozens taken hostage. Israeli forces have officially declared war on Hamas and retaliated with strikes on Gazan targets, leaving more than 600 Palestinians dead and thousands

injured. The vigil began with a moment of prayer for the Israeli lives lost, followed by speeches from religious leaders from Hillel and Harvard Chabad as well as students whose friends and families were affected by the attacks. “Tonight our community is coming together to remember the 700 innocent Israelis who were murdered and pray for dozens of people who are held hostage in Gaza right now,” Nim Ravid ’25, a member of Hillel, said during the vigil. “Seeing students from across the University — both Jews and non-Jews, Chabad and Hillel, brothers and sisters — all together, hugging each other, is incredibly empowering,” Ravid added.

Vigil attendees stood on the steps of Widener Library and sang traditional Jewish songs at the end of the vigil. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

“Seeing the University’s leadership — including our president, provost, and Dean Khurana — being here tonight with us on this special night and the events we organize is incredibly powerful.” Maya Shiloni ’26, one of the organizers of the vigil, said in an interview Monday that members of Hillel were “scrambling” to organize something after learning about the attacks on Israel Saturday morning. “It happened a couple of hours after we woke up to this crazy reality,” she said. “We tried to make something to support ourselves, the community — we tried to do something to help.” Shiloni said the vigil was intended to provide a space for people “to unite as a community and

grieve together.” “It was more for us to grieve, to actually do that in the right way and the way we would do it back home, for us to feel connected to what’s happening,” Shiloni said. Hillel Holiday Chair Zebulon Erdos ’25, who helped organize the vigil, said in an interview that he was inspired by the number of affiliates who attended the vigil. “I think it was a way of being together in pain and helping to alleviate a tiny, tiny fraction of that pain by the knowledge that we’re out there for each other,” Erdos said. Harvard Chabad President Ben A. Landau ’24, who attended the vigil, described it as “incredibly moving.” “It’s important to show the rest of the community at Har-

vard, who might not feel a personal stake in everything that’s going on, how important it is to come together and to also show their support for people who might be more affected than they are,” he said. Jess L. Jenkins ’26, a Crimson Design editor, said she attended the vigil to “stand in solidarity” with her friends who know victims of the attacks. The vigil concluded with members of the audience singing songs together, including traditional Jewish songs and the Israeli national anthem. “It was a really beautiful moment of solidarity in pain and unity in division,” Jenkins said. joyce.kim@thecrimson.com

Five Harvard Affiliates Weigh in Affiliates Gather at Harvard on War Between Israel and Gaza Hillel to Show Support, Grieve BY RAHEM D. HAMID AND ELIAS J. SCHISGALL CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

­ As the war in Israel and Gaza continues, five Harvard faculty and affiliates with expertise in the region spoke with The Crimson about their views on the future of the conflict. Early Saturday morning, members of the militant group Hamas — which the United States has designated a terrorist organization — attacked Israel, killing and kidnapping civilians en masse. In response, the Israeli government declared war. By Monday, Israeli missiles had hit more than 1,000 targets in Gaza while Hamas fired back toward Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. As of Thursday afternoon, 1,300 Israelis and 1,500 Palestinians had been killed in the conflict, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. The U.S. State Department verified 22 Americans had also been killed. The Crimson spoke to five scholars who offered their analyses of the past week’s events: Stephen M. Walt, a Harvard Kennedy School professor of international affairs; Edward P. Djerejian, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and an HKS fellow; Kenneth Roth, an HKS fellow and the former executive director of Human Rights Watch; Harvard Law School professor Noah R. Feldman ’92; and History professor Derek J. Penslar. They said several factors contributed to what has been widely described as an intelligence failure to anticipate Hamas’ attack: internal political strife in Israel, a focus on establishing settlements in the West Bank, and a lack of personnel on the Gaza-Israel border. “In a sense, Israel’s attention was elsewhere, away from the Gaza front,” Walt said. “In fact, military units had been moved away from Gaza.” Hamas had, Walt noted, “given no indications” that an attack was on the horizon. Djerejian, who was the founding director of the Baker Institute for Public Policy, said it was a failure not just of Israeli intelligence, but American intelligence as well. The attack was “not an operation that was put together in a matter of 48 hours,” Djerejian said. “This has been long in the making, with a considerable buildup of Hamas’ internal military capabilities.” There has been widespread condemnation of Hamas’ attack

as constituting war crimes. Walt said Israel may also be violating international law in its assault on Gaza. “I think what Hamas did is clearly a war crime, and an atrocity, and deserves universal condemnation,” Walt said. “At the same time, what Israel is now doing appears to be a form of collective punishment, which is also illegal in international law.” Walt added that Israel is likely attacking “targets that cannot be plausibly defended as places where they knew Hamas might be hiding,” which would constitute “a violation of the laws of war.” Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, said there were “early indications” that Israel was looking for “vengeance.” “The Israeli government has also imposed a siege, which itself is a violation of international humanitarian law because warring parties are not allowed to block the delivery of humanitarian aid,” Roth said, adding that Gaza “already was suffering under a lengthy, lengthy blockade.” Israel, Roth added, “is not taking appropriate care to avoid civilian harm,” adding that “the point seems to be just to inflict harm.” On Thursday, Netanyahu and his chief political opponent, Benny Gantz, formed an emergency unity government to steer the war effort. The next question, experts said, would be the scale and nature of the offensive against Gaza. “Are they going to focus on destroying the military wing of Hamas, the Al Qassam brigades?” Djerejian said. “Or are they going to go into a more major invasion of Gaza?” In 2005, Israel withdrew military forces and dismantled settlements within Gaza. Walt and Djerejian both said Israel was probably reluctant to fully occupy Gaza again — but Walt added that it may be the only way for Israel to fully “eliminate Hamas.” Penslar, the History professor, wrote in an email that he believes the Israeli government is preparing for a ground invasion, a move that would result in the deaths of “far more Palestinian civilians, as well as many Israeli soldiers.” Still, Penslar wrote that the aim of a potential ground invasion is “murky,” writing that while Israel has pledged to destroy Hamas, “it’s not clear how they can do that without re-establishing full control over Gaza and carrying on a long-term war against a highly motivated insurgency.”

The attack comes at a time when the U.S. had been pushing a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, the region’s biggest economy, similar to prior deals the U.S. had facilitated between Israel and other Arab countries like the United Arab Emirates. But the experts said that the Saudi deal is likely paused now. “In the short term, it’s certainly derailed,” said Feldman, the law professor. “In the very long term, it’s not precluded. The hard question is the medium term.” “A protracted Israeli engagement in Gaza, with many, many casualties on the Palestinian side, could have the effect of making it more difficult for Saudi Arabia to make a deal with Israel,” Feldman said, noting that the Saudis have long called for “buy-in” from the Palestinian Authority. “That buyin will be much more difficult to obtain in the aftermath, and the immediate aftermath of a very protracted and violent war within the Gaza Strip,” he said. Regardless of the specifics of Israel’s response, the escalation represents an immense step away from any resolution to the conflict. The effort needed to reach any sort of “genuine peace” will be “enormous,” Walt said, adding that Hamas’ attack “has probably set back the Palestinian cause, not advanced it.” Penslar wrote that peace would be impossible without both Israelis and Palestinians making “essential compromises.” From the Israelis, he wrote, that would mean ending the Gaza blockade, withdrawing from the West Bank, and establishing a Palestinian or “binational or confederated Jewish-Palestinian state.” “At this moment neither of those scenarios appears remotely possible,” Penslar wrote. And from the Palestinians, a compromise would entail recognizing Israel as a “permanent” part of the Middle East, which he said was also unlikely. Djerejian recalled an exchange he had as ambassador with former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1994 — a year prior to Rabin’s assassination — where Rabin “made it clear” that “there is no military solution to our conflict with the Palestinians. There is only a political solution. And we must strive for that.” “He paid for that with his life,” Djerejian added. elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com

ERAN CEO David Koren addresses Harvard affiliates at Hillel. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER BY JOYCE E. KIM CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

More than 100 University affiliates attended a Harvard Hillel gathering Saturday afternoon to mourn the lives lost to a deadly invasion of Israel by the Islamist militant group Hamas and to offer support to those affected by the attacks. Students and affiliates gathered in person at Hillel, the University’s Jewish center, as well as on Zoom in a show of unity, with leaders of Harvard Chabad also taking part in the event. The gathering took place just hours after news of the invasion, which began early Saturday morning. “This morning we woke up to horrifying news, a ruthless series of terror attacks, against Israeli civilians that has the entire country shocked and grieving,” read an email signed by the Israeli students of Harvard Hillel, inviting affiliates to attend the gathering, as well as to donate to help affected families. Around 6:30 a.m. local time, Palestinian militants from the Gaza Strip invaded southern Israel — assaulting Israeli towns and military bases and firing thousands of rockets — resulting in more than 300 Israelis dead, more than 1,500 injured, and dozens of hostages taken by Hamas as of Saturday evening. Israeli forces retaliated with strikes on targets in the Gazan cities, leaving more than 230 Palestinians dead and more than 1,600 injured. The surprise assault is the broadest attack on Israel in 50 years and comes just one day after the anniversary of the beginning of the Yom Kippur War, when Egypt and Syria invaded Is-

rael on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. The attack on Saturday took place on the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah. Organizer Shai-li Ron ’24 said Israeli students began to organize Saturday morning to provide support and allow space to grieve. “I think this is one of the times in my life that I’ve felt the deepest pain — for my friends and family and people — and the biggest fear I’ve ever felt for them,” Ron said. “I couldn’t go about my day without thinking about and trying to help my people in Israel,” Ron added. “So I thought that it would be amazing if we could, as a community, gather — we could speak about what we’re going through, and we could also have a practical way to try and help.” The gathering began with a religious service led by rabbis from Hillel and Chabad, followed by remarks by students who shared stories of family members and friends in Israel affected by the attacks. Uri A. Rolls ’26, who helped organize the event, said he was “terrified” to hear the news and hoped the gathering helped bring students together and raise awareness. “I was shocked. I was mainly really afraid,” Rolls said. “I spent all my morning calling everyone I know. Many people didn’t pick up.” “I think it’s extremely important for everyone in the Jewish and the Israeli community, outside of it, to remember the reality we come from,” Rolls added. The gathering transitioned to Zoom, where David Koren, the CEO of ERAN – an emotional support hotline based in Israel — spoke of the surge of calls the group had received from Israe-

li residents in Gaza throughout the day. Ron said organizers invited ERAN to speak at the gathering to share what they heard Saturday and ways people can help. Attendee Hiro Kondo ’25 said he decided to come to the gathering to support his Israeli friend. “I think it’s very different when you know someone who’s been affected,” Kondo said. Kondo said attending the event and seeing those who were directly affected made the news of the attacks feel “so much more real.” “I saw the photos, I saw the videos, and I think a lot of people would say that they’re horrific,” Kondo said. “But in so many ways, just being in the room and watching people hold back tears felt so real and so much more real than photos and videos.” Hillel Holiday Chair Zebulon Erdos ’25 said the attacks were a “huge shock and blow to our community,” but added he was grateful so many people were able to come together. “I think that it was also important that we saw such an amazing cross-section of both the Jewish community, as well as our friends from outside of the Jewish community,” Erdos said. “We had members here from all levels of observance in Judaism, even people who are not at all observant — all levels of affiliation.” “That was a very beautiful dimension to this event,” Erdos added. Rolls said the gathering “was a huge show of love and support.” “I would not be able to get through it alone, and I think today was a good sign that I won’t have to,” Rolls said. joyce.kim@thecrimson.com

6

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

NEWS

OCTOBER 13, 2023

DOXXING

RESPONSE FROM PAGE 1

‘Doxxing Truck’ Circles Campus

Affiliates Criticize University

FACES ON DISPLAY. A digital display truck circled Harvard Yard showing the faces of students claimed to be affiliated with groups that signed the PSC statement. BY J. SELLERS HILL AND NIA L. ORAKWUE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

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billboard truck drove through the streets surrounding Harvard’s campus Wednesday and Thursday, digitally displaying the names and faces of students claimed to be affiliated with student groups that signed onto a controversial statement on Hamas’ attack on Israel. By Tuesday evening, at least four online sites had listed the personal information of students linked to the 34 clubs that had originally signed the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee’s statement, including full names, class years, past employment, social media profiles, photos, and hometowns. As of Thursday afternoon, at least two of those sites had been taken down for violating Google’s terms of service. Harvard Executive Vice President Meredith L. Weenick ’90 criticized online intimidation and harassment in a Wednesday evening email to University affiliates following the initial publication of this article online. The response followed the appearance of the billboard truck, which labeled the displayed Harvard students as “antisemites.” The display also referenced a website that listed multiple full names of students associated with organizations that had signed onto the PSC’s statement. The truck returned to the streets surrounding campus on Thursday morning, drawing jeers from some passers-by. The stunt was sponsored by Accuracy in Media, a conservative media advocacy group. The group sparked backlash in 2022 when it sponsored a digital billboard truck on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. The ad featured an image of Adolf Hitler raising his right arm, which they claimed was a statement about the rise of antisemitism on college campuses. In an interview with The Crimson Thursday, Adam Guillette, the president of AIM, declined to say when the truck would leave, but he said it would “be here for some time.” Guillette also claimed the truck was no longer displaying the

Passers-by observe the billboard truck displaying students’ faces and names Thursday. The Crimson blurred parts of this photograph to avoid identifying students due to retaliation concerns.. JULIAN J. GIORDANO — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

names and faces of students whose groups had withdrawn their signatures from the statement. Weenick wrote in a University-wide email Wednesday evening that Harvard “takes seriously the safety and wellbeing of every member of our community” and “does not condone or ignore intimidation.” “We do not condone or ignore threats or acts of harassment or violence,” Weenick wrote. “Officials within our Schools have been in contact with students to ensure they are aware of resources available to them if they are concerned about their physical safety or experience an immediate threat.” She added that the Harvard University Police Department had “stepped up” its presence on campus and was “coordinating closely with local, state, and federal authorities.” In an email to undergraduates later on Wednesday, the College’s Dean of Students Office wrote that Harvard Yard would close its gates to non-ID holders from 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. through Monday “out of an abundance of caution.” “Currently HUPD reports that

there is no credible threat to anyone in the campus community, but those with immediate safety concerns should contact HUPD,” the email reads. The email also linked to information on adjusting online directory privacy settings and Harvard’s 24/7 mental health support hotline. Harvard Hillel, the University’s Jewish center, released a statement Wednesday afternoon saying that it “strongly condemns any attempts to threaten and intimidate” members of co-signatory organizations. “We will continue to reject the PSC’s statement in the strongest terms — and demand accountability for those who signed it,” the statement reads. “But under no circumstances should that accountability extend to public intimidation of individuals.” “Such intimidation is counterproductive to the education that needs to take place on our campus at this difficult time,” it continues. In a statement to The Crimson on Wednesday, the PSC called on University leadership to “immediately and unequivocally condemn

STATEMENT FROM PAGE 1

Student Groups Face Backlash condemning the attacks and PSC’s statement had amassed more than 3,000 signatures. It called the PSC’s statement “completely wrong and deeply offensive” and demanded that the involved student groups retract their endorsements. Harvard Hillel, the University’s Jewish center, released a response to the PSC and the groups that signed onto its letter, saying the statement represented “further hatred and anti-Semitism.” “In the strongest terms, we oppose this outrageous statement that blames Israel for the violence carried out by Hamas terrorists - a group that has opposed peace and called for Israel’s destruction since it was founded,” Hillel’s response reads. “We expect the Harvard community to do better.” Sanaa M. Kahloon ’25 wrote in a statement on behalf of the PSC Monday afternoon that the organization’s members “reject the accusation that our previous statement could be read as sup-

portive of civilian deaths.” “To restate what should be obvious: the PSC staunchly opposes violence against civilians — Palestinian, Israeli, or other,” the response reads. “The statement aims to contextualize the apartheid and colonial system while explicitly lamenting ‘the devastating and rising civilian toll’ in its caption,” the statement reads. “It is unacceptable that Palestinians and groups supporting them are always expected to preempt their statements with condemnation of violence.” Harvard Hillel President Jacob M. Miller ’25 said he believes blaming Israel for the attacks is “outright wrong.” “These are the most deadly attacks on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and it doesn’t make rational sense to blame Israel for the attacks inflicted upon its own citizens,” said Miller, a Crimson Editorial editor. “It’s also offensive to blame the victims for the violence that’s ongo-

the harassment and intimidation of its students.” “The truck actively threatens students safety on campus at a time when credible death threats have already forced us to postpone a solidarity vigil acknowledging all civilian victims,” the statement reads. “It is quite literally physical threat, a heinous intimidation technique, a warning sign meant to scare ideological allies into repudiating our mission — and for the Jewish members of associations linked to our own, an unjustifiable and insulting slap in the face,” it continues. “The doxxing truck is the ugliest culmination of a campaign to silence pro-Palestinian activism that the PSC has experienced for years.” On Wednesday, a Harvard spokesperson wrote that the College has reached out directly to impacted students and student organizations to provide support and resources. In a Tuesday statement, College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo confirmed that authorities had been alerted of doxxing on public websites.

In a post on X, former University President Lawrence H. Summers reaffirmed his disdain for the joint statement, but he called for the doxxing to stop. “I yield to no one in my revulsion at the statement apparently made on behalf of 30 plus @Harvard student groups. But please everybody take a deep breath,” Summers wrote. “It is a time for absolute clarity that words or deeds that threaten the safety of others in our community will not be tolerated.” Harvard Economics professor Jason Furman ’92 shared a similar statement on X, writing that he had been contacted by a student who had been doxxed despite no longer attending Harvard or affiliating with the co-signing group. “I am reassured by the widespread condemnation of the statement by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Group. But I am appalled by people threatening individual students. I’m even more appalled since many of them had nothing to do with the letter,” Furman wrote. sellers.hill@thecrimson.com nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com

a thing as evil, and it is incumbent upon educators and leaders to call it out, as they have with school shootings and terrorist attacks.” “The Israeli security forces were engaging in self-defense against this attack while dealing with numerous hostage situations and a barrage of thousands of rockets hidden deliberately in dense urban settings,” they added. The list of signatories to the letter includes notable professors like former Dean of Harvard College Harry R. Lewis ’68, former Harvard Medical School Dean Jeffrey S. Flier, Psychology professor Steven A. Pinker, and former Harvard President and U.S. Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers. Pinker and Flier also signed the student and affiliate response, alongside Rep. Ritchie J. Torres (D-N.Y.) and former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, who was a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School last fall. The response called on Harvard to condemn Hamas’ attacks, as politicians and affiliates slammed the University’s initial response Monday evening as too weak on both the attack and the PSC’s statement. University President Claudine Gay issued a follow-up statement Tuesday morning, condemning the attacks and writing that “no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.”

“

As the events of recent days continue to reverberate, let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas. Claudine Gay University President

“As the events of recent days continue to reverberate, let there be no doubt that I condemn the terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Hamas,” Gay wrote. “Such inhumanity is abhorrent, whatever one’s individual views of the origins of longstanding conflicts in the region.” Both the faculty letter and larger response were circulated prior to Gay’s follow-up message Tuesday morning. The response was updated Tuesday afternoon to include a link to her second message. rahem.hamid@thecrimson.com elias.schisgall@thecrimson.com

JOINT STATEMENT BY HARVARD PALESTINE SOLIDARITY GROUPS ON THE SITUATION IN PALESTINE

ing.” “It’s deeply tragic because the entire Jewish community and the Israeli community are reeling from this trauma, and blaming us for these attacks is really hurtful,” he added. Though the original statement by PSC was co-signed by 34 student groups, as of Monday evening, Amnesty International at Harvard was no longer listed as a signatory. The Harvard Graduate School of Education Islamic Society had been added as a signatory on Monday evening, though it did not appear in the list originally posted to Instagram. As of Thursday, organizers had removed the list of student groups from the open letter, citing safety concerns. At least nine groups withdrew signatures. Amnesty International and Amnesty International at Harvard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. sellers.hill@thecrimson.com nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

The Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and 33 other student groups sign onto a statement that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence” in the wake of a deadly invasion of Israel by the Islamist militant group Hamas.

The statement is condemned by some Harvard affiliates.

Harvard Hillel, the University’s center for Jewish students, condemns the statement.

Tuesday Former President Summers calls the statement “morally unconscionable.”

A PSC spokesperson clarifies that the organization “staunchly opposes violence against civilians — Palestinian, Israeli, or other.”

A joint statement by affiliates condemning the attacks and the PSC’s statement amasses 2,000+ signatures.

President Gay releases a statement distancing Harvard from the groups’ statement

Multiple online sites list the information of students linked to clubs that had signed the statement, including full names, class years, past employment, social media profiles, photos, and hometowns.

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

NEWS

OCTOBER 13, 2023

7

WITHDRAWALS

Backlash Leads to Doxxing, Retractions BACKLASH against student groups continued, with nine groups retracting their statements as of Thursday night. BY J. SELLERS HILL AND NIA L. ORAKWUE CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

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mid continued national backlash, multiple Harvard student groups have withdrawn their signatures from a controversial statement calling Israel “entirely responsible” for the ongoing violence, and group members have faced doxxing attacks. As of Thursday night, at least nine of the original 34 signatories — including Amnesty International at Harvard, Harvard College Act on a Dream, the Harvard Undergraduate Nepali Student Association, the Harvard Islamic Society, and Harvard Undergraduate Ghungroo — had withdrawn their endorsements, though the full list of endorsing groups was taken off the public statement earlier Tuesday. The reversals followed severe condemnation and calls by thousands of Harvard affiliates to disavow the statement, which was originally penned by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee. It did not explicitly condemn violence against Israeli civilians, though a spokesperson for the group later wrote in a statement that “the PSC staunchly opposes violence against civilians — Palestinian, Israeli, or other.” In a statement to The Crimson

Tuesday night, Act on a Dream said the group signed the statement as “a result of miscommunication and a lack of due diligence in sharing the statement with the entirety of the board.” “Our board members were not made aware that AOD as an organization had signed on to the PSC statement, so the endorsement of their statement in no way reflects their individual opinions about the ensuing violence in Palestine and Israel,” the statement reads. “As an organization, we want to express our empathy and solidarity for all the victims who have been affected by the violence in the region.” “As an immigrants’ rights organization, we are also sensitive to our community’s need for privacy and safety,” the statement continues. In a post on its Instagram page Tuesday, HUNSA explained its decision to recant the endorsement. “We regret that our decision to co-sign the latest PSC statement to call attention to historical injustices against Palestinians, with an earnest desire for peace, has been interpreted as a tacit support for the recent violent attacks in Israel,” the statement reads. “To ensure that our stance on the condemnation of violence by Hamas and support for a just peace remains clear, we retract our signature from the statement,” it continues. Ghungroo posted a statement to its Instagram account late Tuesday night to “formally apologize” and retract its signature. “We would like to clarify that we stand in solidarity with both Is-

raeli and Palestinian victims and families. Undergraduate Ghungroo strictly denounces and condemns the massacre propagated by the terrorist organization Hamas,” the statement reads. “We truly apologize for the insensitivity of the statement that was released recently.” The Harvard Islamic Society, Amnesty International at Harvard, and Amnesty International did not respond to requests for comment. Harvard Law School student Danielle Mikaelian, a board member of a co-signing group, wrote in a Tuesday afternoon post on X that she found the statement “egregious” and resigned from her role. “I am sorry for the pain this caused. My organization did not have a formal process and I didn’t even see the statement until we had signed on,” Mikaelian wrote. But even as some groups have moved to walk back or clarify their original endorsements, concerns over doxxing and student safety have emerged. As of Tuesday evening, at least four online sites had listed the personal information of students linked to clubs that had signed onto the statement, including full names, class years, past employment, social media profiles, photos, and hometowns. Two sites were later taken down by Google. At around 3 p.m. Tuesday, the original statement was updated to remove the names of the signatory organizations. “For student safety, the names of all original signing organizations have been concealed at this time,” a footnote on the current

Student groups have withdrawn support from a controversial statement that received national backlash. SARAH G. ERICKSON — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

statement reads. On its Instagram page, the PSC also announced that a vigil planned for Tuesday evening to mourn “all civilian lives lost” had been postponed “due to credible safety concerns and threats against student security.” Harvard spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo wrote in a Tuesday statement that the College was aware of the safety concerns. “We have been in contact with students and have alerted authorities,” Palumbo wrote. Some also called for students involved with the statement to be publicly named and face professional consequences. “I have been asked by a number of CEOs if @harvard would release a list of the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so as to insure

that none of us inadvertently hire any of their members,” billionaire hedge fund manager Bill A. Ackman ’88 wrote in a post on X that has garnered over 10,000 reposts. “If, in fact, their members support the letter they have released, the names of the signatories should be made public so their views are publicly known,” he added. The PSC’s statement first drew backlash over the weekend, following a deadly attack on southern Israel by Islamist militants from the Gaza Strip, for stating that Israel is “entirely responsible for all unfolding violence.” “Today’s events did not occur in a vacuum,” the statement reads. “For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison. Israeli officials promise to ‘open the gates of hell,’ and the massacres in Gaza have already commenced.”

In a statement on behalf of the PSC Monday afternoon, Sanaa M. Kahloon ’25 wrote that the organization’s members “reject the accusation that our previous statement could be read as supportive of civilian deaths.” “The statement aims to contextualize the apartheid and colonial system while explicitly lamenting ‘the devastating and rising civilian toll’ in its caption,” the statement reads. “It is unacceptable that Palestinians and groups supporting them are always expected to preempt their statements with condemnation of violence.” Harvard students, professors, and alumni also rebuked the statement, including former University President Lawrence H. Summers and federal politicians across both parties and chambers of Congress. A joint statement by Harvard affiliates condemning the attacks and PSC’s statement circulated in the days following the statement. As of Thursday evening, it had amassed more than 3,000 signatures. It called the PSC’s statement “completely wrong and deeply offensive” and demanded that the involved student groups retract their endorsements. In a follow-up statement Tuesday, University President Claudine Gay distanced Harvard from the PSC’s statement, writing that “while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.” sellers.hill@thecrimson.com nia.orakwue@thecrimson.com

Gay Makes Stronger Statement First University Statement Slammed as Late, ‘Word Salad’ BY MILES J. HERSZENHORN AND CLAIRE YUAN

CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Harvard President Claudine Gay forcefully condemned “barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas” and rejected calls to punish and name students who signed onto a statement that said they hold Israel “entirely responsible” for the ongoing violence. Gay said in a video address Thursday evening — her third statement this week — that the

“

We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views, but that is a far cry from endorsing them. Claudine Gay University President

University “embraces a commitment to free expression” and will not seek to sanction those who have criticized Israel, even as she sought to distance the University from the student group statement. In the address, titled “Our Choices,” Gay reiterated the University’s rejection of terrorism, hate, and harassment. “We can fan the flames of division and hatred that are roiling the world,” Gay said. “Or we can try to be a force for something different and better.” In the speech, Gay reiterated the University’s commitment to free expression, though she did not specifically refer to the student groups that co-signed the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee’s controversial statement on Israel. “That commitment extends even to views that many of us find objectionable, even outrageous,” she said. “We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views, but that is a far cry from endorsing them.” The Palestine Solidarity Com-

mittee released a statement originally co-signed by more than other student organizations on Saturday that said “the apartheid regime is the only one to blame.” “Today’s events did not occur in a vacuum,” the statement reads. “For the last two decades, millions of Palestinians in Gaza have been forced to live in an open-air prison.” The statement faced swift campus and national backlash, including from members of Congress and former University President Lawrence H. Summers, who also took aim at Harvard’s administration for remaining silent on the war in Israel and not condemning the PSC’s statement. In a follow-up statement Wednesday, the PSC wrote that it “staunchly opposes all violence against all innocent life.” Gay — alongside 17 University leaders — wrote a statement to Harvard affiliates Monday evening, but critics immediately denounced the email for not forcefully condemning Hamas and anti-semitism. The next day, Gay released a second solo statement condemning Hamas and distancing Harvard from the PSC statement. Executive Vice President Meredith L. Weenick ’90 sent a Wednesday night email to students with resources for students facing online threats and harassment. In her Thursday evening address — the University’s fourth public statement in as many days — Gay pushed back against criticisms that “inflame an already volatile situation on our campus.” “We can issue public pronouncements declaring the rightness of our own points of view and vilify those who disagree, or we can choose to talk and to listen with care and humility, to seek deeper understanding, and to meet one another with compassion,” Gay said. The video follows calls from the PSC for University leadership to “immediately and unequivocally condemn the harassment and intimidation of its students.” Bill A. Ackman ’88, a hedge fund manager and prominent

Harvard donor, issued some of the most forceful demands for the University to name and shame the students affiliated with the statement. “I have been asked by a number of CEOs if @harvard would release a list of the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so as to insure that none of us inadvertently hire any of their members,” Ackman wrote in a Tuesday post on X. Students affiliated with the organizations that originally signed onto the Palestine Solidarity Committee’s statement faced numerous doxxing attacks throughout the week while several organizations removed their signatures from the statement. As of Tuesday, at least four online sites published the personal information of students linked to the clubs. On Wednesday and Thursday, a truck with a digital billboard drove through the streets of Cambridge surrounding Harvard’s campus displaying the names and faces of students allegedly affiliated with the students groups who had signed onto the PSC statement. Gay concluded her message by urging Harvard affiliates to meet this moment “with grace.” “It’s in the exercise of our freedom to speak that we reveal our characters and we reveal the character of our institution,” Gay said. “How we go forward as a community is up to each of us.”

miles.herszenhorn@thecrimson.com claire.yuan@thecrimson.com

THC Read more at THECRIMSON.COM

BY MILES J. HERSZENHORN AND CLAIRE YUAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Harvard leadership faced intense criticism over the weekend due to the University’s slow response to the deadly Hamas attack against Israel. But after the school released a statement Monday evening, leadership faced further backlash — this time, for failing to forcefully condemn the attacks and antisemitism. In a statement signed by University President Claudine Gay and 17 other senior Harvard officials, administrators said they were “heartbroken by the death and destruction” caused by the surprise Hamas attack on Saturday and Israel’s retaliation against Gaza. Students and faculty members — including former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers — called on University leaders to address the war that had already killed more than 900 people in Israel and at least 687 Palestinians as of Tuesday. Before the University-wide email, Summers wrote in a Monday afternoon post on X that he was “sickened” by Harvard’s lack of public statement. “The silence from Harvard’s leadership, so far, coupled with a vocal and widely reported student groups’ statement blaming Israel solely, has allowed Harvard to appear at best neutral towards acts of terror against the Jewish state of Israel,” he wrote. Summers’ post referred to a statement by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee in which the group called the government of Israel “entirely responsible” for the ongoing violence in the region. “Instead, Harvard is being defined by the morally unconscionable statement apparently coming from two dozen student groups blaming all the violence on Israel,” Summers wrote. “I cannot fathom the Administration’s failure to disassociate the University and con-

Wednesday The original statement document is updated to remove the names of the co-signing organizations, citing safety concerns.

The PSC announces that a planned vigil has been postponed “due to credible safety concerns and threats against student security.”

At least five of the original 34 signatories have withdrawn their signatures from the statement.

A “doxxing truck” drives through Harvard Square, digitally displaying names and faces of students and calling them “antisemites.”

demn this statement.” Harvard spokesperson Jonathan L. Swain declined to comment on Summers’ criticism of the University’s administration. Politicians also blasted Harvard’s leadership for remaining silent for too long. Rep. Elise M. Stefanik ’06 (R-N.Y.) called on “the leadership of @Harvard to immediately publicly condemn these vile anti-Semitic statements” from PSC in an X post Sunday evening. “It is abhorrent and heinous that Harvard student groups are blaming Israel for Hamas’ barbaric terrorist attacks that have killed over 700 Israelis,” she wrote. “Any voice that excuses the slaughter of innocent women and children has chosen the side of evil and terrorism.” Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) — who graduated from Harvard Law School — also condemned the PSC statement Monday morning for its “blazing hatred & antisemitism.” “What the hell is wrong with Harvard?” he wrote in a post on X. In a statement to The Crimson on behalf of the PSC, Sanaa M. Kahloon ’25 wrote the organization rejects “the accusation that our previous statement could be read as supportive of civilian deaths.” “The statement aims to contextualize the apartheid and colonial system while explicitly lamenting ‘the devastating and rising civilian toll’ in its caption,” Kahloon wrote. On Monday evening, the University released its statement encouraging affiliates to “embody the care and compassion the world needs now.” “We have no illusion that Harvard alone can readily bridge the widely different views of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but we are hopeful that, as a community devoted to learning, we can take steps that will draw on our common humanity and shared values in order to modulate rather than amplify the deep-seated divisions and animosities so distressingly evident in the wider world,” the statement

said. Before the Monday evening statement was released, University leaders were silent but not absent as Harvard affiliates held events on campus over the weekend to mourn the victims of the war. Gay and Harvard Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 both attended a solidarity dinner held at Harvard Hillel, the University’s Jewish center, on Sunday evening. Dean of the Faculty Hopi E. Hoekstra and Harvard College Dean Rakesh Khurana also attended a student vigil Sunday night. Swain wrote in a statement Monday afternoon that “President Gay, Provost Garber and other leaders have been immediately focused on supporting community members who have been affected by the attacks on Israel and their repercussions.” Still, affiliates remain unhappy with the University’s response and say the statement does not go far enough. In response to the University-wide email, Jacob M. Miller ’25 — the president of Harvard Hillel — called on the University to “unequivocally condemn these terror attacks, a step they have been unwilling to take thus far.” “The University ought to denounce these brutal atrocities — the most deadly attack on Jews since the Holocaust — and should not hesitate to condemn the militants behind them,” Miller, a Crimson Editorial editor, wrote in a statement to The Crimson. Rep. Jake D. Auchincloss ’10 (D-Mass.) also took issue with Harvard’s statement, writing in a Monday night post on X that “Harvard’s leadership has failed.” “The president and deans refuse to denounce the antisemitism of Harvard student groups,” he wrote. “Instead of moral clarity and courage, they offer word salad approved by committee,” he added. “I am ashamed of my alma mater.” miles.herszenhorn@thecrimson.com claire.yuan@thecrimson.com

Thursday Some of the letter’s harshest critics, including Summers and Hillel, denounce acts of violence or intimidation against students.

The PSC releases a statement calling the truck a “heinous intimidation technique.”

The truck returns, with the company president saying the truck will “be here for some time.”

Hundreds attend the PSC’s rescheduled silent vigil in Sever Yard.

As of Thursday night, at least nine of the original 34 signatories have withdrawn their signatures from the statement.

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON

NEWS

OCTOBER 13, 2023

Harvard Med, Oxford Predict Virus Evolution with AI

STUDENT LIFE

Meet Thomas Dunne, New Dean of Students NEW BEGINNINGS. After two decades at Princeton, Thomas Dunne will enter a new role at Harvard as the Dean of Students. BY ELLA L. JONES AND JOHN N. PEÑA CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

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hen Thomas Dunne first stepped onto Harvard’s campus, he was unsure if he was even allowed to walk through Harvard Yard. Then a graduate student at Boston College, Dunne had taken the T to Harvard Square to explore the College, but he was unsure if he could enter the Yard due to its imposing gates. “There was a guy in the security booth that’s right inside the gate there,” Dunne said in a Tuesday interview, his first with The Crimson. “And so I went up and asked him, I said, ‘Is it okay if I walk around?’” In June, Dunne took over as Harvard College’s dean of students after working in the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students at Princeton University since 1999. At Harvard, the dean of students oversees student social life, extracurricular activities, and the College’s Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Before interviewing for the position, Dunne said that he thought he would spend the rest of his career at Princeton, having felt “very deeply entrenched” there. He initially approached the interview process “through a lens of Princeton,” mostly interested less in landing the job and more in learning about “how Harvard organizes itself.” “When the opportunity presented itself, it was sort of a state of shock. It was like, ‘I can’t believe this is actually happening,’ and ‘Would we actually do this?’” he said. The College announced that Dunne would serve as the next dean of students in January. Dunne’s final semester at Princeton, he said, was “a very long and

very celebratory, beautiful farewell to a place that I love.” Dunne has told students that since arriving at Harvard in June, he is aiming to try 100 things this year to familiarize himself with the school. “At Princeton, I think I was probably in every building and knew a ton of people, so everything felt very familiar. And I remember the first day I moved here, I saw a turkey and I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is a real thing,’” he said. “I just thought to myself, ‘It’s helpful to have a goal to push yourself to do new things.’” As dean of students, Dunne’s responsibilities include close interactions with the Harvard Undergraduate Association and student organizations. In recent months, the DSO has taken a series of steps that have increased the regulation of clubs, including a pause on recognition of new student organizations to enable a “thorough assessment of the independent student engagement environment,” per a statement by the DSO and Office of Student Engagement. Dunne said he agrees with the decision to freeze club creation because it will allow the DSO to examine the development of newer clubs formed in recent years. “I think it’s something that’s really smart,” he said. “There’s groups that have been established in the last three years — a lot of them aren’t successful and they’re not enduring.” The pause has faced criticism from leaders of new student organizations and HUA Co-Presidents John S. Cooke ’25 and Shikoh Misu Hirabayashi ’24, who stand staunchly opposed to the decision. Dunne said he understands student frustrations, but he reiterated that he believes the freeze is a good decision in the long term. “People do understand the importance of seeing a need and identifying it, and being a founder of your own organization. I get the drive for that,” he said. “I think the short term pauses say there

BY AMMY M. YUAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Thomas Dunne, Harvard College’s new dean of students, said he wants to try 100 things at Harvard this year. FRANK S. ZHOU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

are elements in this system that indicate that there are things that are not working.” In reflecting on his time at Princeton, Dunne said one of the things he was most proud of was his work in supporting first-generation students on campus. “Some of the most meaningful work I did at Princeton was around the first-gen community — to see the growth of that,” Dunne said. As he prepared to step down from his position at Princeton in June, Dunne said among his last duties was addressing attendees of the first-generation graduation ceremony. “That was really meaningful for me to see, just in very tangible ways,” Dunne said, as it was something he’d been involved with since its inception. Dunne said it is exciting when students — on Princeton’s campus and on college campuses generally — take ownership in creating space for their identities. “It’s one of these great moments where students, I think, were able to identify and articulate a need and purpose themselves, that then institutions responded to,” he said. “I think it’s

a good model for students to say, ‘We do have an active role in shaping this community.’”

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At Princeton, I think I was probably in every building and knew a ton of people, so everything felt very familiar. And I remember the first day I moved here, I saw a turkey and I was like, “Oh my god, this is a real thing.” In his transition to Harvard, Dunne said he intends to become involved with supporting the College’s first-generation students. “That’s a community that I’m really interested in working with and trying to find, both being mindful — for me personally — that there’s a bunch of people at Harvard who, like Princeton, have been doing this work and for me to find out what’s being done and how does it work here,” he said. “Then to say, ‘Are there ways that I personally can be involved

because something is important to me?’” Overall, Dunne said his family’s transition to Cambridge has been an exciting — but unexpected — experience. Dunne spoke about his new routine of walking his daughter from Harvard Square, past the Radcliffe Quadrangle, to school every morning as unique from his experience at Princeton. While they walk, he listens to her “stream of consciousness” narrative about the journey they’re making. “That’s not something I got to do at Princeton, and so we’re really excited to be part of this new community,” Dunne said. While Dunne and his family imagined they would take the opportunity of living in the Square to explore the Greater Boston area, he said they have found themselves especially tied to Cambridge. “I’ve ended up spending a lot more time in Cambridge and Harvard Square than I thought I would,” he said. “There’s a gravitational pull to being here.” ella.jones@thecrimson.com john.pena@thecrimson.com

Andrea Baccarelli to Lead School of Public Health BY MILES J. HERSZENHORN AND CLAIRE YUAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

Andrea A. Baccarelli, an environmental health sciences professor at Columbia University’s School of Public Health, will serve as the next dean of the Harvard School of Public Health, University President Claudine Gay announced Wednesday afternoon. Baccarelli’s selection concluded an 11-month search for the school’s successor to Dean Michelle A. Williams, who stepped down from the role at the end of June. In May, Gay appointed Jane J. Kim, a professor of health economics, to serve as dean in an interim capacity as the search for the school’s next permanent leader continued. Gay has now filled all four of the dean vacancies she inherited after she was selected in December 2022 to serve as the University’s 30th president. The announcement also came exactly one week after Gay said in an interview with The Crimson that the HSPH dean search was “nearing the end.” Gay, however, is still leading searches for two positions on the Harvard Corporation — the University’s highest governing body — and for a new dean at the Harvard Kennedy School. Baccarelli said in an article in the Harvard Gazette — a Univer-

Andrea Baccarelli will serve as the next dean of Harvard’s School of Public Health, located in the Longwood neighborhood of Boston. RYAN N. GAJARAWALA — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

sity-run publication — that being named the next dean of HSPH is “a profound honor.” “We stand at a pivotal moment in public health history, facing challenges and opportunities that demand collective action and innovative thinking,” he said. “Whether it’s the threats of pandemics, the complexities of mental health, the multifaceted challenges of environmental and social determinants of health, or new opportunities offered by artificial intelligence, data science, and the latest discoveries in hu-

man biology, together, we can craft solutions and drive change.” “I am eager to lead and learn alongside the dedicated students, trainees, staff, and faculty at the Chan School,” he added. Baccarelli, who was born and raised in Italy, will not be a stranger at Harvard or in Longwood when he makes the move from Manhattan to start his tenure on Jan. 1. Prior to joining the Columbia faculty, Baccarelli served as an associate professor of Environmental Health at HSPH from 2010 to 2016 and also spent six years as

an assistant professor in environmental and occupational health at the University of Milan. Gay told the Gazette that she was “thrilled to welcome Andrea Baccarelli back to Harvard.” “He brings a clear understanding of current challenges and emerging opportunities at the Chan School, a deep appreciation of its culture and strengths, and a fresh perspective on how it can contribute to local, national, and international conversations around improving public health and equity,” Gay said.

In 2020, ​​Baccarelli was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, and he currently serves as president of the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology. ​​ Baccarelli’s research has also informed the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to enact stricter guidelines for human exposure to air pollution, and he has been featured in the annual Web of Science list of the most influential and highly cited scientists of the past decade. University Provost Alan M. Garber ’76 — who co-led the search with Gay — also praised Baccarelli for being an “outstanding scientist, educator, and leader.” “He is known both for his multidisciplinary approach to research and for his collaborative leadership style,” Garber said in the Gazette. “I am confident that he will serve the School, the University, and the field of public health with great distinction.” In her interview with the Gazette, Gay also praised Kim, who will continue serving as the school’s interim dean until Baccarelli takes over in January. “Jane continues her long record of exceptional service to this community,” Gay said, “and we are so thankful for her leadership as interim dean.” miles.herszenhorn@thecrimson.com claire.yuan@thecrimson.com

­ esearchers at Harvard Medical R School and the University of Oxford have developed an artificial intelligence tool called EVEscape that can predict how a virus will evolve to become a new variant, according to an HMS press release Wednesday. In a Nature study published on Oct. 11, researchers demonstrated that EVEscape could have accurately foretold the ways Covid-19 would mutate, identifying variants before they evolved, and also determining which antibody-based therapies would become ineffective as the virus mutated. This capability could also accurately predict mutation trajectories of other viruses such as HIV and influenza. “We want to know if we can anticipate the variation in viruses and forecast new variants — because if we can, that’s going to be extremely important for designing vaccines and therapies,” said study senior author Debora Marks in the release. The researchers originally created a tool called “EVE,” which stands for “evolutionary model of variant effect.” EVE used extensive evolutionary data across species to envision the effects of disease-causing genetic mutations to protein function in humans. This tool afforded researchers the ability to determine if gene mutations were benign or malignant in several conditions, like cancers and heart rhythm disorders. As the Covid-19 pandemic unfolded and the virus evolved, Marks and her team saw the opportunity to repurpose EVE and create a new tool — EVEscape — that would make predictions about the most likely ways that a virus could mutate. “We underestimate the ability of things to mutate when they’re under pressure and have a large population in which to do so,” Marks said in the release. “Viruses are flexible — it’s almost like they’ve evolved to evolve.” There are two components to EVEscape. One part is a generative model of evolutionary sequences that lends insight into viral mutations that may occur — the same model used in EVE. Researchers then added detailed biological and structural information about the virus.

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We’re taking biological information about how the immune system works and layering it on our learnings from the broader evolutionary history of the virus. Nicole Thadani Co-lead author

In combination, the two components can predict viral variants before they occur. “We’re taking biological information about how the immune system works and layering it on our learnings from the broader evolutionary history of the virus,” said co-lead author Nicole Thadani in the press release. Marks added that this meant EVEscape had a “flexible framework” that could be generalized to predict variants of other viruses. The researchers are now using EVEscape to examine the Covid-19 virus in real time and identify future concerning variants, publishing a list of most likely new variants on their website every two weeks. The team is also working to widen EVEscape’s capabilities to include more viruses, such as Lassa and Nipah — two relatively unstudied pathogens that could potentially cause a pandemic, according to the release. EVEscape could also test vaccines and therapies, seeing how effective they are against current and future viral mutants. This can help scientists design treatments that will remain effective as viruses evolve. ammy.yuan@thecrimson.com

EDITORIAL

THE HARVARD CRIMSON OCTOBER 13, 2023

9

STAFF EDITORIAL

DISSENT

Keep Our Small Departments

Departmental Restructuring Won’t Save — or Kill — the Humanities

PROTECT THE HUMANITIES. Merging multiple humanities concentrations overlooks small departments rather than supporting them — a dangerous first step.

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vard supports these departments and their unique cultures. Faculty who specialize in areas that intersect with multiple departments can be cross-listed — a practice that maintains distinctions between fields while encouraging interdisciplinary studies. While there is an obvious disparity between the number of concentrations focused on Western and non-Western languages and cultures, the solution is not to reduce the number of ways students can study Western culture; it is to increase the number of ways in which they can study non-Western studies. The proposal of an Ethnicity Indigeneity and Migration concentration is a welcome step. Additionally, departments like Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and East Asian Studies — overly broad divisions that encompass varied languages and cultures — deserve to be broken down into smaller departments. While some administrators may feel inclined to merge small departments based on their size — a line of reasoning that assumes Harvard should support scholars from popular areas of study — we urge the school not to play this “numbers game” and instead make decisions about what fields deserve departments based on the merits. Given the distinct literary and cultural traditions that emerged in Europe — distinctions that differentiate Slavic studies from Germanic works and Romance languages from Celtic studies — we support keeping these departments separate, and the concentrations they confer separate as well. Harvard is the de facto defender of higher education, a point that was made clear during President Claudine Gay’s inauguration when she mentioned Americans’ diminishing confidence in college. Part of restoring that confidence means defending the value of the scholarship our universities produce. Giving up on the humanities is certainly not the solution; instead we should be at the forefront of defending them, making sure their funding doesn’t diminish and explaining why their study is valuable.

BY THE CRIMSON EDITORIAL BOARD

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few months ago, a select group of students, faculty, and administrators from the Faculty of Arts and Sciences convened in the Science and Engineering Complex to discuss a proposal that could radically transform the humanities at Harvard. The proposal includes ideas for several substantial changes, among them the establishment of two new concentrations: Ethnicity, Indigeneity and Migration Languages, Literatures, and Cultures. The proposed LLC concentration would consolidate concentrations in Germanic Languages and Literatures, Romance Languages and Literatures, and Slavic Languages and Literatures as well as the secondary in Celtic Languages and Literatures. Arts and Humanities Dean Robin E. Kelsey argues that this proposal comes from the way the four fields are “united by the commonality of their declared aspiration: the study of language and literature” and ultimately hopes that it will create more interdisciplinary pathways within the humanities. We disagree. This proposal poses a serious threat to the study of humanities at Harvard. By merging multiple humanities concentrations, the committee’s proposal overlooks small humanities departments rather than supporting them. It is also a dangerous first step that could lead to further mergers and abolition of academic departments altogether. Having separate departments for different fields is crucial to provide faculty with targeted support. Furthermore, the existence of specialized degrees for different languages allows students to be experts in their areas of study and have a tight-knit community. It also allows the emergence of meaningfully unique cultures in these concentrations, which could come to an end with the proposed merger. Keeping these concentrations separate is also a symbolic gesture towards showing that these fields are worthy areas of study. The recognition and resources that come with smaller focus areas will clarify that Har-

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

BY SAUL I.M. ARNOW AND TOMMY BARONE

top us if you’ve heard this before: In America’s colleges, the humanities are under threat. The reasons for this are unclear. Maybe it’s job-market pressures, real or imagined. Maybe it’s the unique character of the new crises today’s students confront. Maybe it’s a failure self-inflicted, an unwillingness to sweep off the cobwebs of an ornery old set of disciplines and step into the light of a new day. Only one thing appears to us as sure: The fate of arts and letters does not turn on whether they be strewn across fifteen micro-departments or consolidated into five larger ones. In focusing on administrative structure to evaluate Harvard’s plan for the humanities, the Board today largely ignores the question, far more essential, of how we might expand and adapt the humanities to engage a growing, changing world. Because we believe our peers’ opinion misses the forest for the trees — or more aptly, the library for the book — we dissent. The majority’s focus on administrative structure diverts attention from the biggest threat to the humanities: low and declining interest, a problem which does not stop at Harvard’s gates. Most colleges, in America and beyond, have experienced similar declines in humanities enrollments. It strains reason that departmental structure, which we expect varies substantially from school to school, could meaningfully explain such a unanimous trend. Whatever your particular causal story about the “end of the English major” — job pressures, changing interests, fresh exigencies — our peers’ chosen solution feels inadequate. For sake of argument, we’re happy to grant that combining departments — as Arts and Humanities Dean Robin E. Kelsey proposed to do with several that study European language and literature — could reduce the ability of the consolidated departments’ constituent parts to secure funding, personnel, and influence. But if the Board’s concern with mergers is administrative clout, the correct unit of analysis is not the individual department — it’s the humanities taken as a whole. The consolidation of individual humanities departments will not determine whether the capital-H Humanities experience reductions in institutional support — Harvard’s commitment will. So long as that support, denominated in faculty and funding, stays the same, we’re substantially indifferent to what mergers may come.

Of course, there are other reasons to defend small departments — for example, to support the important scholarship conducted by academics in whose courses few undergraduates enroll. Nevertheless, it strikes us that low and falling interest in the humanities surely represents the greatest existential threat to Harvard’s support for these scholars. The more we bolster interest in the humanities, the more we stave off deeper cuts to its funding and personnel. And, truthfully, changes to the kinds of humanities research Harvard does resulting from such mergers might not hurt. If anything can be said to characterize academia, it’s inertia. Love it or hate it, the tenure system entrenches seniority, biasing the research portfolio of an institution toward the interests of academics trained decades ago rather than those who came up in our milieu. Where fields once new and exciting have fallen behind the times, we find it fitting that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences should have the structural flexibility to usher in the fresh ideas of a new generation. Emerging fields like the digital humanities, often interdisciplinary, can refresh the humanities, equipping it to engage students with profoundly different dreams, interests, and anxieties than their peers a half-century prior. (Not to mention the new fields of yesteryear, like ethnic studies, regarding which Harvard remains behind the times.) While fighting to retain their field’s best scholarship even when that isn’t its flashiest, the humanities faculty should have the courage to reject territoriality and consider honestly which new methods and modes of inquiry represent the path forward for the humanities. Convinced that the longevity of Harvard humanities must take precedence over the longevity of its present departmental form, we hope the FAS does not allow questions of structure to elide more fundamental questions of substance. We cannot step into the same stream twice. The future of the humanities won’t be found in its past.

– Saul I.M. Arnow ’26, an Associate Editorial Editor, lives in Adams House. Tommy Barone ’25, a Crimson Editorial Comp Director, is a Social Studies concentrator in Currier House. Dissenting Opinions: Occasionally, The Crimson Editorial Board is divided about the opinion we express in a staff editorial. In these cases, dissenting board members have the opportunity to express their opposition to staff opinion.

Submit an Op-Ed Today!

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OP-ED

There Is No Justification BY ALEXANDER L.S. BERNAT, CHARLES M. COVIT, AND JOSHUA A. KAPLAN

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s we write this op-ed, more than 150 Israelis — including men, women, and children — are reportedly being held hostage in tunnels deep beneath the Gaza Strip, and at least another 1,200 are reported dead. On Saturday morning, during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, we woke up to a nightmare in Israel. In addition to firing thousands of missiles reaching as far as Tel Aviv, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad had launched a grisly surprise attack on Israeli civilian communities near Gaza. For many Jews like us who observe the Sabbath and could not use electronics, the sparse bits of news that reached us shook us to our core. We finally opened our phones after the holiday to scenes of a murderous rampage. At least 260 revelers had been shot dead at a music festival. A bomb was dropped from a Hamas drone onto an Israeli ambulance. First responders and Israel Defense Forces soldiers found children and babies who were burned beyond recognition. Parents witnessed their children being grabbed from their homes and carted into Gaza. One child was filmed being beaten with sticks

and called a “filthy Jew” as he cried for his mother. Hamas fighters brutally murdered an Israeli grandmother and then used her private Facebook account to post the gruesome footage on her feed. A Holocaust survivor in a wheelchair was kidnapped. Young Israeli women were raped and paraded naked through Gaza City. All of this happened in the country founded as the safe haven for the Jewish people. Harvard’s Jewish community and the entire Jewish world are in shock. For us, this issue isn’t just political — it’s personal. During services at Harvard Chabad on Saturday morning, an Israeli student left the room, only to reappear later holding a suitcase. He had been called back to Israel for emergency reserve service. Other members of our Jewish communities have family and friends who were killed or are missing. For many Jews, things are scary back home, too. At an anti-Israel rally on Sunday in New York, a swastika was spotted as demonstrators chanted “700,” a gruesome reference to the reported Israeli death toll (which has since risen). Protesters outside the Sydney Opera House reportedly shouted “gas the Jews.” Security is being stepped up at synagogues and Jewish institutions around the world, including on our own campus. So, when dozens of Harvard student organizations signed a statement released by the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee say-

ing they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,” we found ourselves at a loss for words. This invasion is the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, but our peers seem to be justifying these heinous murders by arguing that the Israeli government is “the only one to blame.” Now, more than ever, is the time to stand by the Jewish community. We recognize the incredible suffering that this war will inflict upon all Middle Easterners, including both Israelis and Palestinians. The indescribable pain of losing a family member does not discriminate based on nationality. But mourning the loss of Palestinian life must not preclude naming Israel as the target of this attack and calling Hamas what it is: a terror organization whose leadership has explicitly called for Palestinians to “cut off the heads of the Jews with knives.” These attacks have also come at a great cost to Palestinians and Arabs across Gaza and Israel. For example, one of our Arabic teachers has a cousin whose home in Israel was hit by a rocket. European countries are reviewing or suspending aid to the Palestinians. Dozens of Bedouins have been wounded, killed, or kidnapped. Finally, let us be clear: Hamas and the State of Israel must not be judged as morally equivalent. Israel is a country with respect for democracy and the

rule of law. It regularly warns Palestinian civilians to evacuate before launching airstrikes. It prosecutes its citizens and soldiers when they commit crimes against Palestinians. Hamas, on the other hand, is designated by most of the West as a terrorist organization. It murders Israelis and Jews not as a response to any specific Israeli policies, but because it believes Israel has no right to exist — that there are no Israeli “civilians.” We thank University President Claudine Gay for her condemnation of Hamas’ attack. We call on the entire Harvard community to condemn the PSC’s statement for what it is: a justification of horrific terror attacks on the Jewish people and Israel. Please join us as we pray for an end to terrorism, the safe return of hostages to their families, and peace in Israel and the entire Middle East. In the meantime, check on your Jewish and Israeli friends. It’s not political to ask someone if their family is safe.

–Alexander L.S. Bernat ’25, a Crimson Editorial comper, is a joint concentrator in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering in Lowell House. Charles M. Covit ’27, a Crimson Editorial comper, lives in Holworthy Hall. Joshua A. Kaplan ’26, a Crimson Editorial comper, is a Computer Science concentrator in Currier House.

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

EDITORIAL

10

OCTOBER 13, 2023

COLUMN

HARVARD’S PROFESSIONAL PIPELINES

Teach for Prestige WHERE HAVE ALL THE TEACHERS GONE? As an enduring bastion of education, Harvard has a vested interest in encouraging its graduates to become teachers and nurture the next generation of students. Clearly, that’s not happening. Thus, the million dollar question: How can we incentivize more college students — especially ones graduating from Harvard and other elite institutions — to become teachers? BY JULIEN BERMAN

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e need more teachers. Across the country, primary and secondary schools struggle to fill vacancies, especially in high-poverty

areas. The few who are hired can be woefully underqualified, lacking proper training and certification. This will likely have long-term, harmful effects on student learning, as increasingly unskilled teachers will be forced to teach increasingly larger classes. Thus, the million dollar question: How can we incentivize more college students — especially ones graduating from Harvard and other elite institutions — to become teachers? Perception and Prestige Above all, the teaching crisis is a cultural issue. Many high-achieving students just don’t see teaching as prestigious, and so discard the option early on in their time at college. “There’s a sense that teaching isn’t prestigious enough. I’ve actually had Harvard undergraduates tell me that to my face, knowing that I study teachers,” professor Heather C. Hill, who studies teaching quality at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said. Research shows that some students at elite institutions felt routed away from education studies programs, believing these programs to be perceived as insufficiently rigorous. Pressure amplifies these negative perceptions. “It is social pressure from peers. It’s social pressure from parents, from other people in their lives who feel like this profession isn’t ‘worthy’ of a Harvard degree or an Ivy degree more generally,” Hill said. According to some students, the culture at Harvard funnels students away from teaching. William M. Sutton ’23, a current teacher at Brooke Charter School in Boston, said that he, to some extent, felt “pushed by the culture and structures at Harvard” to explore other options such as consulting or finance. Part of the problem is that students perceive a career in teaching to be financially unsustainable. It is certainly true that the wage gap between public school teachers and their non-teacher peers has ballooned in the past 50 years. However, teacher salaries aren’t necessarily as low as people think, especially in certain areas. For example, in Boston, the average teacher salary is over $100,000. Nevertheless, when compared to increasingly profitable potential alternatives such as consulting and finance, students naturally end up writing off many middle class careers like teaching. Institutional Inattention In part because demand is so low, Harvard lacks infrastructure to support aspiring teachers. We have a graduate school for education, but no undergraduate education concentration or Faculty of Arts and Sciences department. Opportunities for undergraduates to engage with teaching are disappearing. Beginning in 2022, the Graduate School of Education fully subsumed the teacher training initiative Harvard Teacher Fellows, shifting it from an undergraduate to a masters pro-

gram. Last year, Harvard ended the Harvard Undergraduate Teacher Education Program, which helped students receive teaching credentials prior to graduation. At the time it was discontinued, the program was serving fewer than 10 students per year, according to Hill, the GSE professor. And, while the Mignone Center for Career Success advises students on the complex process to land a job in finance and consulting, it knows comparatively little about the pathway to becoming a Massachusetts teacher, according to William M. Sutton ’23. “It just didn’t feel like I ever was doing a path that felt super supported by the school or by my peers, even though many people love and support me at Harvard,” Sutton said. “We don’t have clear pathways and structures that enable people to feel like they’re making legitimate choices for their career to become a teacher as they are going through elite institutions,” Zid N. Mancenido, a lecturer at the Graduate School of Education, said. The result is a vicious feedback loop. High-achieving students perceive a career in teaching to be neither prestigious nor lucrative enough, so they choose

It just didn’t feel like I ever was doing a path that felt super supported by the school or by my peers, even though many people love and support me at Harvard. William M. Sutton ’23 Brooke Charter School teacher

other career paths — reducing demand for teacher training programs and thereby reinforcing the notion that teaching does not befit a Harvard degree. Teach for Two Years Teach for America is a nonprofit that trains college graduates to teach for a two year commitment in struggling schools — and a great case study of an institution that managed to get ambitious students interested in teaching. TFA originally sought to make teaching more prestigious, and it seems to have succeeded. For the most part, this prestige comes from TFA’s selectivity. Understanding the allure of finance and consulting, TFA employs an aggressive recruitment strategy in order to compete for top talent at places like Harvard; as of 2019, TFA was able to produce acceptance rates averaging between 11 and 15 percent. Astoundingly, TFA’s efforts to construct prestige were successful. In its heyday back in 2009, approximately 19 percent of Harvard seniors applied to TFA. But in recent years, the organization has struggled. In 2023, that number fell to under 2 percent, calculated according to information from Whitney F. Petersmeyer ’05, TFA’s vice president for growth, and approximate Class of 2023 numbers. In addition, the overall 2022 TFA corps was under 2,000 teachers nationally, down from its peak of around 6,000 in 2013.

Formerly the darling of the education reform movement, TFA has now faded to the background. “Once you’re in the education world, Teach for America is something that you have to constantly be justifying. It’s kind of like a blot on the resume,” Jessie L. Bates ’24, who is currently aspiring to be a teacher, said. In part, TFA’s retreat reflects the broader decline in the teaching pipeline. But the organization has also drawn intense criticism from many of those in the education space. One main drawback to TFA is the limited two-year commitment. Over half of TFA members leave their initial placements in low-income schools after their contracts are up, a turnover rate much higher than non-TFA teachers in comparable schools. “I’ve come to think of Teach for America as a species of fraud,” Joseph L. Featherstone ’62, former head of Michigan State University’s teacher education program and a former Crimson Editorial Chair, said. “They train people for a brief amount of time and then send them into the field,” he added. “They really don’t learn how to teach.” Perhaps the TFA model might not even be designed to address the nation’s teacher shortage. “It’s not clear to me that the mission, or how the mission ultimately evolved, was necessarily to solve the teacher crisis” or increase the supply of teachers, Janet K. Levit, former chair of a TFA regional board, said. Rather, TFA sought to create a cohort of leaders in a variety of sectors who would go on to help improve the quality of public education later on in their careers, she added. Despite its flaws, TFA has successfully trained almost 70,000 teachers since its inception, according to TFA vice president Whitney F. Petersmeyer ’05. Corps members produce student outcomes equal to or better than their non-TFA counterparts in the same schools. Furthermore, while corps members may not stay long-term at their original assignments, about 60 percent of TFA alumni work in education or education-adjacent fields, Petersmeyer said. TFA’s moment in the zeitgeist, however fleeting, indicates that the social prestige associated with teaching is malleable. According to Petersmeyer, the president of Arizona State University sends an annual letter to hundreds of students recommending that they consider TFA, which has measurably increased TFA’s recruitment at ASU. Turns out: encouragement and validation can, in fact, convince students to enter the profession. How to Teach Teachers As an enduring bastion of education, Harvard has a vested interest in encouraging its graduates to become teachers and nurture the next generation of students. Clearly, that’s not happening. In the short term, Harvard, as well as other elite institutions, can take several steps to ensure that all students interested in teaching have opportunities to explore that path. The University could create an undergraduate teaching degree. Research has shown that high-achievers who attend elite colleges that have a teaching degree are more likely to become teachers.

Harvard can also improve career advising for aspiring teachers and expand its fellowship package for eligible students in the Teaching and Teacher Leadership program at the Graduate School of Education. But resolving the deeper cultural problem takes more work. Financial support — scholarships, loan forgiveness, and alternative certification pathways

They train people for a brief amount of time and then send them into the field. They really don’t learn how to teach. Joseph L. Featherstone ’62 Fmr. Head of Michigan State University’s Teacher Education Program

— often comes too late in the career process, once students are already socialized against the teaching profession as financially irresponsible and lacking prestige. Yet the perception of teaching as an irredeemable financial cost is partly divorced from material conditions. Teaching is a respectable middle-class career, not an automatic road to destitution. Students hear about teachers’ poor compensation in their social interactions, not from combing through employment contracts. Moreover, Harvard should discourage students from benchmarking their salary expectations against ludicrously lucrative consulting and finance salaries. Thankfully, it’s not impossible to change students’ perceptions of teaching; TFA tells us that much. Still, educational institutions can do more to validate teaching as a legitimate career choice. “I think that institutions can actively promote and set that narrative in how they are talking about their graduates and what they’re doing. We’re just not making that choice,” Mancenido, the GSE lecturer, said. Schools could identify and honor alumni who work as teachers. They could collaborate with local school systems to create initiatives for high achievers at elite colleges to spend time in schools. They could also encourage professors to develop courses that focus on education issues and explicitly endorse careers in teaching. More broadly, though, institutions like Harvard should take steps to deprioritize prestige when students are making any career decisions. Of course, administrations can engender this culture change by crafting new narratives of success. But we students must also remember that we are the ones who shape Harvard’s culture. So, for those of you who feel inspired: Teach! And for the rest of us: Let’s celebrate careers in teaching and take a moment to reflect on why we care so much about prestige in the first place.

–Julien Berman ’26, a Crimson Editorial Editor, lives in Adams House. His column, “Harvard’s Professional Pipelines,” runs tri-weekly on Fridays.

COLUMN

QUEER QUERIES

The Fight for Ethnic Studies Is a Fight for All Identities, Everywhere BEYOND A SINGLE CONCENTRATION. Ethnic studies pedagogy is rooted in building agency, in confronting racism and misrepresentation. Ethnic studies scholarship thus actively centers those who are targeted by anti-equity forces. The movement for ethnic studies is about leveraging the influence of our institution to defy the unchecked censorship and hate that seeks to erase identity from our earliest educational systems. BY AARYAN K. RAWAL

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ithin our campus, we profess a commitment to academic freedom. But outside this ivory tower, the K-12 education system is unwell. In late 2020, former U.S. President Donald Trump — seemingly spurred by a Fox News interview that called critical race theory an “existential threat” that “has pervaded every institution of the federal government” — signed an executive order to ban “divisive” concepts about race and sex in the federal workforce. Though the order would eventually be rescinded, it had remarkable staying power. In the aftermath of Trump’s departure from office, a new network of think tanks, donor networks, and activist groups, dedicated to promoting his policy legacy, unleashed mass opposition to CRT: They produced sample legislative text, crafted political strategy, and invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into individual school board races. Anti-CRT rhetoric quickly spread to schools. Conservative operatives, by their own admission, morphed the previously obscure graduate school discipline into a catch-all term for identity-conscious policies in schools, moving to censor discussions on race, sexuality, and gender identity.

This activism is not entirely novel; conservative forces have historically mobilized at school boards against everything from desegregation busing to LGBTQ+ teachers. But the level of organization behind this new wave of activism is unprecedented. This movement isn’t simply a gaggle of rowdy parents in previously sleepy public comment meetings; it’s deeply coordinated, embraced by the highest levels of the Republican Party and a dominant subject on mainstream conservative media. It would be a mistake to dismiss this activism as something that will inevitably blow over. In 2021, more than 250 anti-CRT measures were adopted by localities and states; in 2022, that number rose to 275. Likewise, in 2022, there were 315 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced and 29 laws enacted, many of which focus on education; this year, there are more than 500 bills. As academic inquiries of identity confront a hostile political reality, we may implicitly position Harvard as an island untouched by these anti-equity forces. But Harvard itself does not adequately support scholarship surrounding identity — and its failure further reinforces the censorship efforts sweeping K-12 education. Consider the most obvious example: ethnic studies.

We may be on the brink of an Ethnicity, Indigeneity, Migration concentration, according to a new FAS proposal. But over the past 51 years of ethnic studies organizing on campus, it appears that change, like the hiring of three Ethnic Studies professors in 2022, only occurs with massive student organizing. We may think that these positive signs suggest a future robust ethnic studies department at Harvard, but we cannot stop mobilizing. The fact is: Harvard does not yet have an Ethnic Studies concentration. When the self-proclaimed “most venerable institution of higher learning” refuses to treat ethnic studies as an academic field worthy of a concentration, it legitimizes the national narrative that disciplines studying identity are dispensable. Anti-CRT leaders often claim that ethnic studies is an unproductive academic discipline. Virginia Governor Glenn A. Youngkin frequently blamed diverse curricula efforts for declines in test scores in math and reading. Florida’s Department of Education rejected AP African American Studies, saying the course “significantly lacks educational value.” The creation of an Ethnic Studies department at Harvard could counteract this national trend. The national media coverage generated would surely add momentum to the faltering education equity

movement. More importantly, Harvard’s name ensures visibility for scholarship from its Ethnic Studies department — centering the populations disempowered by the censorship of identity. Ethnic studies pedagogy is rooted in building agency; the 1969 strike that led to the creation of the first Ethnic Studies department in the country was driven by students’ desire for a school “developed, implemented, and controlled by Third World People” to confront racism and misrepresentation. Ethnic studies scholarship thus actively centers those who are targeted by anti-equity forces. Work that explores the queerphobic legacy of British colonization, for example, can be especially empowering for LGBTQ+ students of color today, given that resonant books that they could otherwise turn to are threatened by bans. The movement for ethnic studies is larger than a single concentration. It is about leveraging the influence of our institution to defy the unchecked censorship and hate that seeks to erase identity — and its associated potential to unleash transformative change — from our earliest educational systems.

–Aaryan K. Rawal ’26 is a Government concentrator in Eliot House. Their column, “Queer Queries,” runs bi-weekly on Tuesdays.

METRO

THE HARVARD CRIMSON OCTOBER 13, 2023

11

POLICE

Officer Who Shot Faisal Will Not Be Prosecuted NO PROSECUTION. The Cambridge Police Department officer who fatally shot and killed Sayed Faisal will not be prosecuted. BY RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN AND YUSUF S. MIAN CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

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he Cambridge Police Department officer who shot and killed 20-year-old Sayed Faisal in January will not be prosecuted after a Massachusetts judge found his actions to be “objectively reasonable.” The finding by Massachusetts District Court Judge John F. Coffey comes at the close of a monthslong investigation by the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office into the police killing of Faisal. On Thursday, District Attorney Marian T. Ryan released the full findings of the investigation, which for the first time named CPD officer Liam McMahon as the officer who shot and killed Faisal. McMahon, a fourth-generation Cambridge Police officer, has been with the department for eight years. He has never received a complaint, according to a January statement from CPD spokesperson Jeremy C. Warnick. Ryan confirmed that she would not file charges against McMahon in a Friday press release and expressed condolences to Faisal’s family. “My condolences have been and remain with the family of

Sayed Arif Faisal and those who continue to feel the profound pain of his passing,” she wrote. The inquest corroborated CPD’s summary of the events leading up to Faisal’s death. A Jan. 4 press release by Cambridge Police stated that officers responded to a 911 call after Faisal was seen harming himself with a knife and glass from a broken window. Faisal did not respond to officers’ commands to drop the knife and fled the scene — leading to a foot chase through Cambridgeport that ended in Faisal being fatally shot by police. According to the inquest report, an eyewitness “described Faisal as wild-eyed and frantic” and observed CPD officers chasing Faisal while “calmly” attempting to engage with him. Eventually, several officers cornered Faisal in a residential backyard and deployed “a single hard sponge-like projectile intended to temporarily subdue an individual” after Faisal moved towards officers, the inquest report states. Faisal then pointed his knife at McMahon and walked towards him “briskly.” McMahon began to back up from Faisal and said, “Drop the knife, don’t make me do this.” After Faisal got “within five to ten feet of him,” McMahon fired six shots, with the last knocking Faisal to the ground. Officers administered emergency aid and Faisal was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, where he later died from blood loss, according to the report. “No officer ever wants to be

put in the position where they have to use fatal force, and if it happens it stays with each of us forever,” Elow said in a Thursday statement on the inquest. Marsha V. Kazarosian, an attorney for Faisal’s family, wrote in a statement Tuesday that the family would continue to pursue other avenues for justice. “We disagree with the Court’s conclusions and findings. The reports and photographs submitted by the District Attorney’s office only after testimony concluded, directly contradict the police account of the shooting,” Kazarosian wrote. “Sayed’s family is considering other legal remedies to ensure there is justice for Sayed and accountability of the officers and the City.” In a Friday statement following the release of the inquest, City Manager Yi-An Huang ’05 wrote that the inquest highlighted the challenges in responding to mental health crises. “The report highlights the complex, difficult, and dangerous situations our police officers face, and the challenge for us as a community to understand split-second decisions that can have tragic outcomes,” Huang wrote. Faisal’s killing has spurred more than a dozen protests, including interruptions of Cambridge City Council meetings and a weeklong picket outside City Hall. Protesters have repeatedly called for the officer who shot Faisal to be fired and prosecuted. In an interview, Suhail P. Purkar — an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation,

Protesters rally on the steps of the City Hall Annex earlier this year, waving signs and calling for justice following the police killing of Sayed Faisal. RYAN H. DOAN-NGUYEN — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

which has organized many of the protests and supports police abolition — said that he is “very disappointed, but not surprised.” “They would consider this, you know, a justifiable action,” Purkar said. “What does it say about the law that a police officer can kill a student in broad daylight, and that’s something that is considered universally all right?” Purkar referred to Huang and CPD Commissioner Christine A. Elow as “spineless bureaucrats” who “want to absolve any sense of responsibility from their hands” and repeated calls for McMahon to be fired. “That’s something that the City of Cambridge still has the power to do,” Purkar said. Kenneth H. Anderson, an attorney for McMahon, wrote in an email Tuesday that they “stand by the findings” of the inquest. “Nobody wanted the outcome that occurred, but given all of the evidence produced during the inquest, no one can seriously question the actions of Officer McMahon,” Anderson wrote. Warnick referred to the re-

port’s conclusion that McMahon’s actions were “justified” when asked for comment on the calls for McMahon to be fired. In his statement Friday, Huang also highlighted reforms that the city has implemented in the wake of Faisal’s killing, including working towards body cameras, the creation of a procedural justice dashboard, and hiring more workers for the Community Safety Department — a city-sponsored police response alternative. Huang noted that the City will continue to work with the Police Executive Research Forum, a national police think tank that, earlier this year, released a report stating that Cambridge officials had the authority to release the names of the involved officers in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. “As a community member, I still feel betrayed by this, but it didn’t come as a surprise, said Party for Socialism and Liberation member Tamid Rahman, referring to the findings of the inquest. Rahman added the turn-

outs at recent protests, however, give him optimism. In response to the inquest’s findings, Councilor Quinton Y. Zondervan wrote in a post on X that there is “nothing reasonable about this difficult moment.” “As long as the police are armed and legally protected, they will continue to shoot to kill. The response to a distraught person with a knife cannot be a cop with a gun,” he wrote. On Wednesday evening, the Party for Socialism and Liberation — alongside the Bangladesh Association of New England and the Boston South Asian Coalition — will host a rally and speakout at City Hall. Among their demands is the firing of McMahon. “It’s still in people’s attention. And it’s still in people’s minds. We’ll see what happens on Wednesday,” Rahman said. “We’re not going to just forget and move on. Instead, we’re going to keep fighting until we can make sure this doesn’t happen again.” ryan.doannguyen@thecrimson.com yusuf.mian@thecrimson.com

Donut Miss Out: Union Square Donuts Rolls into Harvard Square BY SIDNEY K. LEE CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Dancers and musicians crowded into Harvard Square streets on Sunday for Oktoberfest and the Honk! Parade. SAMI E. TURNER — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Harvard Square Celebrates Oktoberfest and Honk! Parade BY SAMI E. TURNER CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Harvard Square filled with live music, food trucks, and people on Sunday to celebrate the 44th annual Harvard Square Oktoberfest and 18th annual Honk! Parade. The Honk! festival featured a parade of local activist groups and free live performances from street bands. The festival lasted from Oct. 6 to Oct. 8, traveling to various neighborhoods in the Boston area. Honk! is a street band movement that is “outrageous and inclusive, brass and brash, percussive and persuasive” and draws inspiration from a diverse range of music styles from around the world, according to its website. David Brancazio, a pianist who has been participating in Honk! since 2015, said he originally saw the Honk! parade go down Massachusetts Avenue and knew he had to join, but he knew he couldn’t push a piano down the street and learned the melodica instead. He said that the festival has now “become a pretty big part” of his life. Honk! is built as an activist fes-

tival, Brancazio said. “People are used to going out and chanting the same things over and over, but when they have a street band with them, it becomes more fun for everybody and becomes more powerful,” Brancazio said. Like Brancazio, who started the Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, Chantal Sanchez also attended Honk! to support local activism. Sanchez, a recent graduate of the Harvard Divinity School, is a member of the Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign, which combats inequality at the intersection of systemic racism, poverty, environmental destruction, militarism, and religious nationalism. Sanchez said the Poor People’s Campaign and Honk! use music and art as a way to “connect with people and get the word out.” Declan J. Devine, who is from Roslindale, Massachusetts, joined the Jamaica Plains Honk! band about a year and a half ago. He said his favorite part of the band is “seeing so many people who are comfortable being themselves in the bands, who are just expressing themselves and not

worrying about judgment.” Abby A. Fechtman, a Cambridge resident, attended with her spouse and two daughters. She said she and her family are “Huge Honk! fans” and have been following Honk! for about 15 years. “We love the atmosphere in Harvard Square and how lively it is, and we missed it during Covid,” Fechtman said. Their daughters, Isabel H. Macedo and Luisa E. Macedo, grew up going to the festival. Isabel Macedo — who is now a sophomore at Cornell — said she remembers getting her palm read in middle school by a palm reader who predicted that she would have three kids one day. Having lived in Cambridge for 21 years, Marcille C. Macedo — Fechtman’s spouse — considers Honk! his favorite event of the year. “I love the spirit of Honk!” he said. As Honk! concluded its threeday festival Sunday evening, Brancazio said he looks forward to seeing Honk! continue “to be a force for helping people fighting for social justice, economic justice, racial justice.” sami.turner@thecrimson.com

Boston-based donut chain Union Square Donuts made its debut in Harvard Square on Saturday. Situated at 15 JFK St., the new location is the latest addition to Union Square Donuts’ existing roster of stores in Boston, Brookline, and Somerville. The award-winning shop opened their first location 10 years ago in Somerville before moving to 20 Bow St. in Concord, Massachusetts. According to co-founder Josh Danoff, Union Square Donuts has been “actively looking” for a location in Harvard Square throughout the chain’s “slow and steady” growth. “We’ve always had our eye on Harvard Square. It really was always a location that we wanted to have,” Danoff said. According to Danoff, Union Square Donuts has been involved in Harvard spaces for a number of years, including bringing donuts to the Tuesday farmers’ markets in Harvard’s Science Center

Plaza. “This just feels really great, having gone from having our donuts in the case on a rack at the Harvard farmers’ market to having a brick and mortar,” Danoff said. “It’s a small shop, but I walked in and I had a smile on my face,” he added. “Our team did such an amazing job of taking a very small space — and with all the requirements that go into a space — and just getting everything in there that we needed.” The shop’s interior features a glass display of their donut offerings. Aside from the classic flavors of donuts, Union Square Donuts offers specialized flavors such as “Pumpkin Cheesecake Bar” and “Salted Brown Butter Cruller,” and the store is “constantly coming up with seasonal flavors.” “This is donut weather, so we have a lot of apple and pumpkin and just those fall flavors that, when you live in New England, you just gravitate towards,” Danoff said. Christine Li, a visitor to Cam-

bridge, said she wanted to see what food Cambridge had to offer and decided to try out Union Square Donuts, which she described as a “great store experience.” “It leaned on the sweet side, but I think there was a depth of flavor that balanced out the sweetness,” Li said. Lauren Crum, a customer, described her donut as “delicious” and was impressed by the “huge sample sizes.” The store’s free sample tastings are a “plus,” according to customer Emily Song, because customers can try the flavor before ordering. “I don’t see that at any other shops,” Song said. Union Square Donuts is currently open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with plans to extend hours as they finalize logistics. “We took the opportunity and are incredibly, incredibly excited to be able to call Harvard Square home for Union Square Donuts,” Danoff said. sidney.lee@thecrimson.com

Union Square Donuts opened at 15 JFK St. on Saturday. MCKENNA E. MCKRELL — CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

12

THE HARVARD CRIMSON

NEWS

OCTOBER 13, 2023

MEMORIAL CHURCH

Potts Reflects on Meeting Undergrads ‘THE BIGGEST DELIGHT’ Two years into his tenure as Pusey Minister, Potts says ‘the biggest delight’ has been connecting with undergrads. BY FRANCESCO EFREM BONETTI AND MEGAN S. DEGENHARDT CRIMSON STAFF WRITERS

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rior to being appointed Pusey Minister in Memorial Church, Matthew Ichihashi Potts served as an associate professor at Harvard Divinity School, where he mostly interacted with graduate students and other faculty. Two years into his role, Potts said in an interview with The Crimson last month that “the biggest surprise” of the job has been building deep relationships with undergraduates. “I didn’t really develop deep relationships with students at the College until I became a minister here,” Potts said. “That was the biggest, has been the biggest, and continues to be the biggest delight.” Potts, who is also a professor of Christian morals at the Divinity School, reflected upon starting his role amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw a range of stringent policies at the College and across campus. As such, Potts and his family looked for ways to engage with students socially. He credits his wife, Colette, with devising an idea to host weekly snacks in their home as a way to build relationships within the Harvard campus. “We just really wanted to create some sense of home, a place where people would feel like they were cared for simply by virtue of the fact of showing up,” Potts said. Potts and his family have

kept up the initiative even in the post-pandemic era. “I live with my family across from Annenberg at Sparks House, and we open it up to students once a week,” Potts said. “My daughter and I make free lattes for whoever wants one — we give food like sandwiches and cookies.” Beyond the weekly snacks initiative, Potts said he is comforted by his family’s ability to make “genuine friendships” with College students over the past two years. “If you’re raising kids, it’s a pretty unique gift to have a bunch of kind and hardworking and talented people come over to the house, to have all these very interesting role models show up,” he said. “These are the people who want to come over and play catch with my son, or do origami with my middle child, or chat with my wife or my daughter about whatever’s going on,” he added. For Potts, creating a “space of belonging” in Memorial Church has remained a priority during his time as minister. “We have a bunch of students, especially coming out of the pandemic, who may be missing home, might be missing their family, might be missing their dog, and are maybe feeling a lot of pressure because they’re here from home or feeling the sense of not belonging,” he said. Potts also discussed the following topics: New Leadership at Harvard Potts, who served on a faculty advisory panel to the Presidential Search Committee that appointed University President Claudine Gay, said he was “really pleased” with the selection. Potts said Gay’s selection un-

derscores the necessity of inclusivity and diversity at Harvard, especially given a contentious political climate across the nation and in higher education. “I’m really concerned about equity and access at elite institutions like Harvard. And now the president is really concerned about those things,” he said. “I anticipate that she will do — and her administration will do — what she can to continue promoting those things.” Potts was also optimistic about the appointment of Marla F. Frederick as the next dean of the Harvard Divinity School, succeeding David Hempton. Frederick, who will begin her tenure on Jan. 1, 2024, will be the first woman to lead the school in its 207year history. “I think there was a ton of real change under Dean Hempton, and that’s going to continue in additionally positive ways in the years to come,” he said. Religious Administration on Campus “Unlike a lot of other universities of this size and importance and reputation, we don’t have an office of religious life here,” Potts said of the University. Potts said that there are currently only two religious leaders employed by the University — he and Muslim Chaplain Khalil Abdur-Rashid. Still, there is a large group of chaplains who lead religious life at Harvard, though they are not officially employees and are “given permission” to serve students by the University. “There are all kinds of power imbalances, all kinds of access differences, and it makes things tricky,” Potts said of the various roles at Harvard. Potts also said there is a disparity of resources between his ministry and other religious traditions. Even among the chap-

lains, there are many more ministers sent by different Christian denominations than by other non-Christian traditions. “We do have this fundamental imbalance where we have a big Christian church that comes out of the white Christian tradition with most of the resources for religious life at Harvard in the middle of campus,” he said. “And meanwhile, we have students from other traditions who worship in the Canaday basement.” Reckoning with the Past Potts said the emphasis on diversity is tied to the greater initiative by Memorial Church to acknowl-

edge the role of violence and exclusion in the history of Western Christian churches. “Part of the responsibility — of the loving responsibility — of the Western Christian Church, of a church like this, which comes out of that tradition, even though it aspires to be more diverse now, is to really take ownership of that history, acknowledge it, and start to reckon with that history in a deliberate way,” Potts said. For Potts, the focus should be on the messages and activities of Memorial Church that spread kindness and create d e e p e r roots with Harvard and the surround-

ing Cambridge area. One of these activities is the Grants Committee, through which Memorial Church supports small-scale projects by local organizations doing community service work in Boston and Cambridge. “I’m hoping that we can broaden the reach of the church and think in more robust ways about what it means to be a community that takes responsibility for its history and wants to live with love and responsibility in the future,” he said. efrem.bonetti@thecrimson.com megan.degenhardt@thecrimson.com

Pusey Minister Matthew Ichihashi Potts speaks at the inauguration of Harvard President Claudine Gay. ADDISON Y. LIU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

Harvard Celebrates Indigenous Peoples Day with Dance and Arepas BY ASHER J. MONTGOMERY CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Harvard affiliates and attendees celebrated Indigenous Peoples Day in front of Matthews Hall, decorated with dozens of colorful, hand-crafted signs calling for Indigenous pride and an end to injustice towards Indigenous populations. The Monday afternoon event, organized by Native Americans at Harvard College and the Harvard University Native American Program, consisted of serving Native foods, reciting poems, dancing traditional Hula dance, and rapping. Indigenous Peoples Day, formerly known as Columbus Day, was first recognized on Harvard’s calendar in 2017. But the annual celebration in Harvard Yard has happened since the early 2000s, according to NAHC Co-Presidents Lena M. Tinker ’25 and Kira G. Fagerstrom ’24 “Having a space where we’re not just doing education and talking about Columbus and that particular history — where we actually get to bring our Indigenous presence and celebrate our community and celebrate all of our stories in our very diverse community and ways of walking in this world as an Indigenous person — is really special,” Tinker said after the event.

This year’s event featured keynote speaker Amira Madison, who acts as a liaison between Indigenous people and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’07 in her roles as Supporting Indigenous Communities fellow and Councilwoman for her tribe, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah). During the event, Madison spoke about her experience growing up as an Indigenous person in Massachusetts. Throughout the entire threehour event, organizers sold home-cooked Indigenous food in exchange for a donation of

Colonialism took a lot from us, but it didn’t take away our food , thankfully. Karen S. Medina-Perez Harvard Exentsion School Student

choice. This included arepas, a corn dish traditionally from Native communities in Venezuela stuffed with plantains, beans, and cheese. Frybread, berries with cream, and a three sisters stew made with corn, beans, and squash were also served. “Colonialism took a lot from us, but it didn’t take away our food, thankfully,” Harvard Exten-

sion School student Karen S. Medina-Perez said. Members of NAHC worked together to make the food, which served as a bonding experience for Indigenous students on campus. “With selling our food, it’s also introducing non-Natives to our culture and allowing them a chance to experience it, and also creating community bonding within our community because all this food is made by NAHC members,” NAHC member Maile J. Din ’27 said. After the keynote speaker, the open mic began, featuring various speakers sharing art related to their Native heritage. Ava E. Silva ’27, a member of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe, performed a poem she wrote in high school about not fitting in with a typical Indigenous appearance. “Society has this idea of what you have to look like to be Indigenous — you have to have a certain skin color, you have to have a certain look about you, and that’s always been really hard for me because I don’t look like that traditional model type,” Silvia said. Later in the set, Kiani K. Akina ’25 led a performance of a traditional “Kaulana Nā Pua” Hula dance with four other Hawaiian native students. They danced to a song about the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom in the late

Natives at Harvard College and Harvard University Native American Program co-hosted an Indigenous Peoples Day celebration Monday in front of Matthews Hall. JOEY HUANG — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

1800s. “If you don’t know anything about Hawaii, or this is the first time you’ve ever heard that Hawaii was illegally overthrown — it still is — what a great day to learn more,” Akina said to the audience before the dance. Rap was a performance style unique to this year’s event. Amy

E. Chalan ’23-’24 decided to perform a Quechuan rap song by Inmortal Kultura called “Mas Runas Que Nunca,” which she learned while doing research for her thesis. “Sharing rap was a bit of a different side of me that I hadn’t shared last year,” Chalan said. “I think I was still coming into my

own and I think now I’m more comfortable with expressing my indigeneity in different ways without being so cognizant or aware of the impositions that are put on what our identity is supposed to look like and sound like.” asher.montgomery@thecrimson.com

Hungry as Hell: Eliot House ‘Inferno’ Grille Set to Reopen After Hiatus BY JOHN N. PEÑA CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

Eliot House Grille is just over a week from a much-anticipated reopening following a three-year closure triggered by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. The grille, nicknamed “The Inferno” after it was the source of an Eliot House fire more than two decades ago, is slated to open on Oct. 20 and will join the grilles in Dunster, Pforzheimer, Quincy, and Winthrop houses as spac-

es offering students a wide range of late-night food choices to pair with their studies. Henry Xuan ’25, who is spearheading the grille’s revitalization alongside fellow Eliot resident Kevin Wang ’25, said the pair took the lead on opening the space this year after an effort to reopen last year was stymied by staffing issues. Wang said wanting to “contribute to the culture” in Eliot was his motivation for reopening the grille. “I think Harvard lost a lot of traditions during Covid. So bringing back one of what we hope was

one of the most popular, or at least enjoyable, for both Eliot and other river houses, is the main goal,” he said. Staffing issues will not be a problem for The Inferno’s opening this year according to Xuan, who said he and Wang have received more than 35 applications to work in the grille. Xuan said he hopes Eliot Grille will be a place where students can socialize and meet other members of the house. “It’s a pretty special space for students to come gather and con-

nect, which embodies the spirit of Harvard in my opinion,” he said. Kate O. Gilliam ’26 said she is eager to participate in the social space provided by the grille. “I definitely will be looking forward to getting to know more people in Eliot. I think as a sophomore, it’s really cool to get to know upperclassmen who live in the house,” she said. Xuan and Wang hope to officially reopen The Inferno for the weekends, with plans to eventually expand weekly service from Thursday through Sunday

nights. Saya H. Mitchell ’25 said she is “super excited” for the grille to open. “I am a junior, and I’ve never known an Eliot that had one. For me, it feels like it’s the beginning of a whole new era,” she said. In addition to offering a menu featuring the “Domus Domus” double patty burger and a broad selection of milkshakes, the grille also features menu items named for House figures. For example, the “Sue Meltman” grilled cheese is an allusion to longtime Eliot

House Administrator Sue Weltman, while the “Doug Meltin’” grilled cheese is a nod to former Eliot House Faculty Dean Douglas A. Melton. Xuan said he hopes to bring live entertainment to the grille. “We have ideas on getting DJs, acapella groups, even dance performances there, which is all things they did at The Inferno before it closed down,” he said. “I’m hoping it’s poppin’,” Wang added. john.pena@thecrimson.com

ARTS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON OCTOBER 13, 2023

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MUSIC

HOZIER SHINES ETHEREAL LIGHT FROM STAGE HOZIER lived up to the expectations and delivered a glorious overall performance. BY STELLA A. GILBERT CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

ozier’s Sound on Sound performance was nothing short of transcendent. With excellent sound quality, high-contrast lighting, well-produced background visuals, and a stunning accompanying band, Andrew Hozier-Byrne — better known as Hozier — lived up to the high anticipatory energy that greeted him from the festival crowd. The setlist was a masterclass in controlling audience energy as sections varied in intensity throughout the performance. The first portion of the set was loud and powerful, with a blue hue over the stage and fog obscuring the faces of the band, providing a mysticism that suited Hozier’s musical style especially well. He began with “De Selby” off his latest album, which featured booming drums with vibrations loud enough to feel in your bones. This energetic strength continued as the artist played “Jackie and Wilson,” “To Be Alone,” and a few other pieces that fell with-

in the generally intense domain. During this portion of the show, Hozier moved around on stage but did not seem to have any fixed choreography, instead concentrating his focus on his awe-inspiring vocal technique. The energy took a softer turn as the stage lights faded to near-black, speckled with stars and a reddish hue, while Hozier, now alone onstage, began to play “Cherry Wine.” As couples swayed and fans sang along, everyone seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief during this section, as Hozier’s gentler pieces provided a break from the intensity earlier in the set. His live rendition of the ethereal hit felt surprisingly intimate, as if he was singing to each one of the hundreds of audience members individually. “Work Song” was an equally powerful ballad, reintroducing the soulful accompanying

voices of his talented band alongside a beautiful background of pink and blue lights. After the softer respite, Hozier played some of his more upbeat pieces, including the relatively new “Eat Your Young,” and old favorite “Would That I.” Through subtle rhythmic changes and unique emphasis on certain lyrics, Hozier’s performance of each song felt novel, as if he was making this music from scratch in front of the Sound on Sound crowd. His accompanying band felt cohesive as well, evidenced by their impressively synchronized clapping and snapping during “Almost (Sweet Music)” that left the audience bouncing along. Regretfully, there was one hiccup in Hozier’s performance, and it took place before the singer even took the stage. In the 10 minute interval between Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals’ set and Hozier’s, staff members rolled out

filming stands with tall scaffolding that completely blocked the view of the majority of the stage from the first several rows of the audience. Despite the protests of fans who had stood the entire day waiting for front row spots to see Hozier’s performance, the stands remained in place for the full du-

“

Unmatched energy from the crowd, an intensely focused band, and Hozier’s own raw power. ration of Hozier’s set, with a camera operator and tripod set up on each, recording the band. Many in the crowd were audibly disgruntled throughout the performance, justifiably so given their dedication to stand for up to seven hours to reserve their spots. Hozier appeared sympathetic, moving around on stage a bit throughout his set to be more visible, but the frustration of many audience members was palpable.

STELLA A. GILBERT — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

All seemed to be forgiven, however, by the time Hozier performed his final song, “Take Me to Church,” the masterpiece that first skyrocketed the artist to fame a decade ago. Although Hozier never explicitly discussed the meaning behind the song on the Sound on Sound stage, the audience clearly understood his message, with one fan in the front row waving a large pride flag throughout the song, an act which Hozier recognized with a smile. The large screen behind the artist played chilling compilations of protests as he sang, breathing new life into the once-overplayed chart-topper. With unmatched energy from the crowd, an intensely focused band, and Hozier’s own raw power, the song left many audience members with hoarse throats and tear-stained eyes, a triumphant finale to a glorious overall performance. stella.gilbert@thecrimson.com

Major’s Impassioned Roadrunner Concert Performance BY MAKAYLA I. GATHERS CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

After a six year touring hiatus, Bruno Major is back to present an all encompassing performance that is defined by meaningful ambiance and jazzy soul searching. With the release of his newest album “Columbo” on July 21, Major’s setlist was mostly dedicated to the live unveiling of songs from this album. However, after Covid-19 prevented him from touring the 2020 album “To Let a Good Thing Die,” the concert became a two-in-one, celebrating this new journey of “Columbo” while paying homage to the sound and persona Major created three years ago. To open the show, singer and songwriter Lindsey Lomis dazzled the crowd singing a few songs from her discography, in-

cluding several tracks from her EP “Universe,” released earlier this year. Her vibrant and enthusiastic presence made for a warm welcome, and songs like “Universe” and “Bad News/ Good News” were full of pure fun. Watching her perform is refreshing, and her music feels like the acoustic embodiment of girlhood; she discussed how one of the songs she performed was inspired by a short-lived airport romance. When it was time for Major’s set, two spherical symbols were cast onto the stage like a bat symbol. The images were the covers of his last two albums, abstract spherical designs representing the solar system and a crashed car. The stark contrast of the projected art was reflected in the differing sound from each album, yet these differences complemented each other, as they both contained the emotional core

that is the foundation of Major’s music. Major’s silky-smooth voice deserves attention. Hearing him live is an entirely different experience than listening to his recordings. As he stood in front of the microphone, guitar in hand, the atmosphere was vulnerable, emotional, and intimate. He played with every syllable as he sang, skillfully utilizing crescendos and whispers. His lyrics were clear and crisp, which is important since so much of his artistry can be found in the poetry he writes in his verses. In addition to his words, he let the music speak for itself, stepping away from the microphone to play guitar through intense breaks in the music while bathing the audience in warm colored lighting. He also made sure the audience could hear every part of his score, highlighting his pianist, drummer, background

vocalists, and bass player with spotlights and letting them come alive with their own solos. As a piano solo, Major performed one of his standout songs. The piece, he explained, was an imagined version of something a drunk Chopin would write. This song, “A Strange Kind of Beautiful,” was mysterious and heavenly, as his vocals collapsed into the legato of the piano. Hovered over the piano, concentrating on the rapid striking of the keys, he evoked a classical sound, and he appeared lost in his own mesmerizing composition. He also sang many fan favorites, including songs like “Tell Her,” “Regent’s Park,” and “Nothing.” His performances of these songs were sincere and candid, as he confronted deep and romantic subject material. His live rendition of “Wouldn’t Mean a Thing,” single handedly revived chivalry, as he sung lyrics like

“I could find the buried treasure of ancient kings, but it wouldn’t mean a thing without you,” with a dreamy look in his eye. Major took the opportunity to restart songs a couple of times, ensuring he delivered them exactly as he intended and showing the intentionality behind creating this experience. Major has perfected the bittersweet tone. The title song of his new album “Columbo,” which he joked was inspired by a car he crashed, is used to create a metaphor about losing things, yet being left with the memory of them. Another song from the album, “We Were Never Really Friends,” followed this theme as it bounced between an anticipated build up that eventually sunk with the bluntness of the repeated lyric “‘cause we were never really friends.” After the audience demanded an encore from Major, he per-

formed a popular song from his first album “A Song for Every Moon” entitled“Easily.” The softness and grooviness of the song seemed to wrap the concert up nicely, but Major had another surprise up his sleeve. Finally, he transitioned into a powerful performance of the instrumental track “The End,” from “Columbo.” Passionately playing this bright, harsh, electric, sound on his guitar while vocalizing, he stood gloriously as confetti cannons went off. The energy from his concert was unbelievable and his raw presentation of his albums illustrate the out-of-world experience that occurs when confronted with an artist’s music face-to-face. Major met and surpassed every expectation, leaving only one question: When is he dropping the live album? makayla.gathers@thecrimson.com

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON

ARTS

SARGENT’S works are coming to the HAA in this new exhibition. BY HANNAH E. GADWAY CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

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his fall, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston has embraced its Bostonian roots to focus on one of the city’s most beloved painters: John Singer Sargent. Yet, the Museum has not used its newest exhibition to focus solely on Sargent’s paintings. “Fashioned by Sargent,” curated by Erica Hirshler and co-organized by Tate Britain, pairs authentic pieces of historic clothing with Sargent’s artwork to show the power that fashion affords viewers. By assembling together Sargent’s most renowned paintings and contextualizing them through fashion, the exhibition brings the artist’s portraits to life. A visitor entering the exhibition is greeted by a dramatic black curtain raised over a pink wall declaring “Fashioned by Sargent.” This entrance was inspired by the fabric and drapery of the late 19th century, which was when the artist began painting. Beside the wall lies a sprawling timeline which details his biography and some changes in fashion that occurred during his lifetime. The first wall of text that visitors are greeted by quotes Auguste Rodin, who called Sargent “The van Dyck of our time.” It also introduces the exhibit’s preoccupation with fashion, and how it reveals “[Sargent’s] power over his sitters.” The exhibition’s entrance prepares visitors to dive into Sargent’s unique world, over which he exerted great precision and power. The next gallery is fashioned with a faux window and airy gray walls. The bright space is meant to evoke an artist’s studio, and a

OCTOBER 13, 2023

CAMPUS ARTS

Review: Harvard Art Museums’ ‘Fashioned by Sargent’ Exhibition

COURTESY NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART, WASHINGTON AND COURTESY MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

picture of Sargent’s own studio on Tite Street displayed on the wall makes the design of the gallery feel grounded. In this studio environment, a number of Sargent’s formal Paris and London portraits are on display. The paintings’ labels highlight Sargent’s keen eye for detail and drapery, as well as his eccentricities; the description of his Eleanora O’Donnell Iselin portrait explains that Sargent refused to paint the sitter in her finery, but instead said that “he would paint her in what she happened to be wearing.” The layering of many Sargent portraits beside one another shows that small details can

tell a story about each sitter, and that Sargent’s control over his studio environment, in turn, lent him power over his clients. After introducing Sargent’s control over the domain of portraiture, the next gallery focuses on the decisions that female sitters made about their own appearances. The lighting turns a bit more gloomy, so that visitors focus solely on the shining portraits lining the walls. Two elegant dresses from the 1890s also grace the space, which allows visitors to compare and contrast the reality of the clothing with Sargent’s interpretation.

The third gallery focuses on the interplay between gender, culture, and fashion. Here, the parallels between the real garments and Sargent’s interpretations are highlighted to the fullest. Most striking is a stunning beetle-encrusted gown which is on display next to Sargent’s larger-than-life “Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth” (1889). The dress is the exact garment featured in the portrait, and its glittering allure still beckons despite being over a century old. The room also features alternative perspectives on how Sargent sometimes used sitters clad in culturally-appro-

priated clothing. Showing the dresses alongside the paintings showcases how and why Sargent and his audiences were drawn to clothing that was labeled as flashy or performative. As visitors turn the corner into the next gallery, they are greeted with perhaps Sargent’s most famous work, “Madame X” (1883-84). The room, entitled “Fashioning Power,” contains Sargent’s portraits of “people of influence,” according to its wall text. Dramatic lighting and dark walls bring the array of sitters into sharp focus, and the visitor is asked to see how elegant gowns,

military uniforms, and simple suits can tell us something about the artist’s clients. The final gallery of the exhibition focuses on Sargent’s preoccupation with color and fabric, instead of changing fashion. This gallery, with clean white walls, feels calm and intimate. His intimidating formal portraits are replaced by smaller pieces, often depicting his younger sister Violet. Instead of focusing on power and prestige, this room showcases how clothing brought out Sargent’s artistry and Impressionist leanings. Perhaps the most impressive part of the show — and the key to its success — is its wide selection of loaned art. “Fashioned by Sargent” was co-organized with Tate Britain and contains pieces from The National Portrait Gallery, London, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d’Orsay, and various other museums and private collections. Bringing together Sargent’s most famous pieces from across the world lends the exhibition the feeling of being an encyclopedic survey of Sargent’s career. The MFA’s focus on bringing together the artist’s greatest hits not only showcases his diverse skill set, but also covers the unique ways in which fashion defined the different eras of his career. Overall, “Fashioned By Sargent” has a certain magic to it. Walking through the galleries lined with gowns, it feels as if the sitters have jumped out of the portraits to greet the visitors. The exhibition’s success lies in its ability to contextualize Sargent’s stunning works and provide visitors with the tools to consider portraits not just as stuffy images, but instead as stories that can tell us about the people of the past. “Fashioned by Sargent” will stay on view until Jan. 15, 2024, in the MFA’s Ann and Graham Gund Gallery. hannah.gadway@thecrimson.com

‘Foe’ Review: Stunning Visuals, Emotional Angst, Lackluster Execution BY MAKENNA WALKO CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

What does it mean to outgrow a place, or a person, you once called home? Are there parts of your being that are completely irreplicable? And what is it, exactly, that defines you? These are the questions at the heart of Garth Davis’ latest release, a gripping adaptation of Ian Reid’s novel “Foe” that contains echoes of sci-fi films like “Interstellar” and psychological thrillers like “Don’t Worry Darling.” Although “Foe” may not succeed in offering answers, it certainly explores these existential questions, leaning into its emotional complexity with dexterity and thoughtfulness. “Foe” opens in a world that has been ravaged by climate change. As the planet becomes increasingly uninhabitable, humanity has been forced to look to the stars in search of hope for the future. Those selected by the government to pioneer these extraterrestrial missions have no choice but to comply — but the loved ones they

leave behind will not be on their own. In the year 2065, Henrietta “Hen” (Saorise Ronan) chafes against the solitude and monotony of life in the isolated Midwest. Oblivious to her restlessness, her husband, Junior (Paul Mescal), can’t imagine a life beyond the walls of their ancestral family farmhouse. But when a government agent appears unexpectedly to inform Junior that he’s been drafted into the space exploration program, both he and his wife have to confront the startling reality that the quiet life they’ve known is over. As they grapple with Junior’s impending departure, the stress on their marriage mounts, coming to a head when the couple are informed that while Junior is gone, a biological replica of him will take his place to keep Hen company. For Saorise Ronan, the film is unquestionably a triumph. Her poignant portrayal of a woman struggling to steady herself in the midst of a devolving marriage is nothing short of haunting, the fire that brings “Foe” to life. Although

the film’s dialogue feels somewhat lackluster, Ronan’s delivery is powerful enough to convince viewers to overlook the script’s shortcomings. When she is told her husband will be replaced by his clone, for example, Ronan’s hysteric incredulity mixed with shimmering rage is practically tangible. Paul Mescal also shines opposite Ronan, their chemistry undeniable. Mescal recaptures some of the magic of his emotionally-fraught performance in “Normal People,” effortlessly stepping into the role of a complicated character grappling with a major life change. Hen and Junior’s unraveling relationship is the driving force of the film, mirrored by the destruction of nature around them. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, director Garth Davis made this sentiment explicit. “What we were really interested in was how the relationship echoed the state of the planet and exploring our interconnectedness,” he said. The marriage is the source of an intimate exploration of love, agency, and identity, but it some-

times overshadows the plot’s more concrete building blocks. The actual framing of the story — the need to escape Earth and explore space — feels like a narrative tool that is used early to explain Junior’s mission and quickly discarded. From there, any semblance of a driving storyline dwindles until the film’s closing scenes. This speaks to a larger issue with pacing: For long stretches, the film drags, while at other times the plot unfurls so quickly it seems to trip over itself in a hurried build and release of tension. Even these climactic moments fall a bit flat. The film reaches an emotional fever pitch, but this doesn’t change the fact that its most ambitious plot twists are ultimately predictable. However, the film distracts viewers from these narrative flaws with stunning cinematography that steals one’s breath away. Warm, muted hues fill the scenes, reflecting the aridity and emptiness of the parched landscape. The bareness of the scenery effectively heightens the emotional tension and echoes the starkness at

the heart of the film. Thematically and visually, “Foe” manages to turn desolation into beauty, death into poignance. The film also uses sensory details to evoke a bygone era, playing with key themes of change and the passage of time. Between the crooning tones of Skeeter Davis’ 1962 hit “The End of the World”and the retro trappings of the classic diner where Hen works, viewers could be forgiven for forgetting the film actually takes place 42 years in the future. Old-fashioned setting, music, and costume choices throughout the film immerse viewers in a world that feels trapped in the past, much like Junior himself. Although “Foe” is undoubtedly successful in developing the visual and psychological impact of the few settings at its center, this masks a broader failure in worldbuilding. Hen and Junior occupy a homestead so isolated as to be almost repressive, and nearly every scene in the film unfolds either there or in the sprawling natural landscape surrounding it. As a result, viewers are able to ex-

plore the intricacies of a world that feels intentionally small, but receive almost no insight into the world beyond. This likely reflects a purposeful narrative choice, echoing Hen’s sense of limitation, but unfortunately also leaves viewers with questions about the way Hen and Junior’s story fits into the broader context of society. The film’s life raft is its breath-taking visuals and talented cast, who are able to evoke a strong emotional connection to the characters even amid a failing plot. And although the conclusion is likely to leave viewers with more questions than answers, the film’s strength lies in the underlying moral dilemmas it probes, which will likely stay with viewers long after the mediocre dialogue and unimaginative twists have faded from memory.

3 STARS makenna.walko@thecrimson.com

‘The Wren, The Wren’ Review: Love and Generational Trauma BY SEAN WANG ZI-MING CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

At first glance, it seems impossible to capture generational trauma in a single novel. “The Wren, The Wren” by Booker Prize-winning author Anne Enright is a tour-de-force that proves otherwise, deftly weaving the lives of Nell McDaragh, her mother Carmel, and her grandfather Phil into an intergenerational story of yearning and healing. Enright creates captivatingly empathetic characters that enrich her lush portrait of Ireland across the years. While the novel loses sight of these standout features at times, it remains an ambitious and compelling work on the whole. The novel unpacks the hidden lineage of intergenerational trauma by alternating perspectives by chapter. Enright utilizes different points of view to create an intricate web of connections

that prevents readers from easily identifying cause and effect or villain and victim. The novel begins with intimate first-person narration from Nell’s perspective, replete with an entertainingly self-critical tone. The novel then quickly moves to depict the childhood of Nell’s mother Carmel through a more distant yet more expansive third-person narration. The complexities of childhood trauma become even more enigmatic as readers are denied the same intimate view they experienced through Nell’s perspective. In just one brief chapter near the end of the novel, there is a glimpse of Phil’s perspective through first-person narration yet again. This choice creates a more nuanced portrayal of the man whose decision to leave triggers generational repercussions. Thus, Enright’s narrative choices to switch perspectives throughout the novel are intentional and effective. The novel’s technical prowess

extends to its ambitious incorporation of poetry. Poetry, central to the identity of the famous poet Phil and the aspiring poet Nell, creates divisions – and at the same time, subtle intersections between chapters. By including Phil’s poems in the novel, Enright creates an immersive reading experience that complicates the reader’s position — the reader experiences Phil’s conflicting positions as the absent “Daddo” and the celebrated poet at the same time. This poetic sensibility extends to Nell, whose thoughts lapse into lines of poetry like “a thread of blood dropping / from a fat sky,” reflecting her own ambitions as an aspiring poet and her connection to her grandfather. This intricate layering of poems and poetic thought enrich the novel’s themes. A standout feature of this novel is its subtle yet powerful depiction of Ireland as readers move through the generations. In the present, sexually liberated Nell

stands in contrast to the cold, conservative environment of the past and the unspoken rules around adultery and divorce that Carmel had to navigate in the wake of Phil’s absence. Enright also underlines other aspects of Irish culture by incorporating the mythical “Foídin Mara” and translations of early Irish poetry. The specificity of the various places, honored through poems and the places that give birth to them, shows Enright’s intimate knowledge and appreciation of Ireland, from antiquity to modernity. However, the novel falters when it loses sight of this specific cultural context and its power to draw readers in. Towards the end of the novel, Nell moves through different countries from Europe to Asia, creating a panoply of landscapes that seem impressive but lack the intimacy of the other chapters. The trope of the Western woman who discovers herself through travel seems cliché and discounts the deep connec-

tions between land, society, people, and family that seemed to be at the center of the novel beforehand. While one may argue that Enright’s inclusion of this travel sequence is ironic, it takes up a significant role in the novel’s resolution and distracts the reader, albeit momentarily. Despite this, there are many other aspects of the novel that deserve praise. Enright’s delicate portrayal of women and their shifting roles is perfectly captured in her own author’s note: “It seems to me that women switch from Marthas to Marys from generation to generation: some get to tend and others to believe.” Through the novel’s representation of different generations, Enright offers up multiple perspectives on marriage, sex, ambition, and motherhood. It is impressive that she presents multiple ideas of womanhood and maintains a degree of human dynamism in these perspectives. As the women in the novel age and develop,

their perspectives mature as well — at times converging and at other times remaining separate but amicable. As a result, the novel contains an ideological depth that encourages careful contemplation. Enright’s novel is a prime example of ambitious writing, spanning generations and genres to create a moving portrayal of Irish women. The novel elucidates but never over-expresses the unseen and intimate connections that exist in families, especially broken ones. There is pain, but its source is not always clear. There is healing, but it does not come easily. Enright’s portrayal of generations of women draws its strength from its complexities.

4.5 STARS sean.wangzi-ming@thecrimson.com

FIFTEEN QUESTIONS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON OCTOBER 13, 2023

R

ochelle P. Walensky served as the director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2021 to 2023. She is currently a fellow at Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School. Walensky, a Harvard School of Public Health graduate, was a faculty member at Harvard Medical School from 2001 to 2021.

FM: What was it like transitioning to a role that especially during the Covid-19 pandemic entered a very public, often politicized role? RPW: That was hard. There’s no way around that. There were so many things around the time that were hard. It was hard because 3,000 people were dying a day. It was hard because, essentially, aside from the essential workers at CDC, people were asked to stay home. The agency had been, I’ll say, thrown under the bus for numerous things, some of which they didn’t handle as well as they might have or didn’t have the resources to handle as well as they might have, and some were really politicized. When you walk into that, what you really need to do is right the ship and importantly, also recognize that there was extraordinarily selfless, tireless work being done by people within the agency and you have to reward and respect that as well. I said in my nomination speech we were going to lead with science. I did my absolute best to make that happen and I always stood by the fact that if that wasn’t going to happen, I was not going to be there anymore, and we were able to get through some really particularly hard times.

Q&A:

ROCHELLE WALENSKY ON PANDEMICS, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND READING FOR FUN FORMER CDC DIRECTOR Rochelle Walensky sat down with FM to discuss her experience as one of the nation’s public health leaders during an unprecedented global pandemic. “I don’t know that America appreciates how the people of CDC, the 12,000 people of CDC, work tirelessly, quietly,” she says. “You never know their name.” BY NEIL H. SHAH CRIMSON MAGAZINE WRITER

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Chemistry.” So, I’ve been doing a lot of reading. FM: You’re serving in fellow positions at Harvard Law School, the Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School. What does that day-to-day look like? RPW: What I really wanted to do is foster networks. I thought — as I’m thinking about what I want to do next — that what I should do is really explore and talk to a lot of different people who have touched pieces of the healthcare world in places that are different than the ones I’ve touched. FM: During the pandemic, the CDC took on a more prominent role in the lives of most Americans, especially from a communications standpoint. How did you approach that task? RPW: First of all, most of America didn’t know what CDC was before the pandemic. It’s the case that when public health is working really well and working for you, it’s working in the background, right? You don’t necessarily know all of those things that public health averted. I did podcasts with new moms, I did farm television, I did Black and African American newspapers. Intentionally reaching people so that they knew I was talking to them. I took over Jennifer Garner’s Instagram account. So, we did those sorts of things so that we could reach all demographics.

What you really need to do is right the ship and importantly, also recognize that there was extraordinarily selfless, tireless work being done by people within the agency and you have to reward and respect that as well.

FM: And what was the decision like to step down? RPW: It was time. I came in to right a ship. I left the place so much better, I think, than I found it, I left the country better than I found it. The public health emergency was ending, I had set forward a path on the things that CDC really needed to do to reform. It was very clear to me that those things were going to take years and that we needed to set forth that map but that I alone was never going to be the one to see it all through. It had been an exhausting, particularly brutal several years, and so I always wanted to leave the agency better than I found it, and that was the appropriate time to do so.

We spent a lot of time and energy thinking about how we could anticipate what the next piece of mis- or disinformation would be and how we would combat it. What’s the information that we need to put out there today, and can we anticipate some of those? We call that prebunking. Can we anticipate some of those and get that information out there earlier, sooner, and in a digestible manner to work against that anti-vax movement?

FM: In June, you told CNN that after leaving the CDC, one of the ways you hoped to spend time was reading a good book. What have you been reading lately?

FM: What was it like dealing with things like vaccine skepticism and misinformation? RPW: I had a very wise social worker who taught me how to deliver an HIV diagnosis. She would say, “After you give an HIV diagnosis, you then wait and you don’t say anything next.” That is because the thing that comes out of your patient’s mind is going to be the most important thing to them and you’re not going to be able to guess whether it’s “Can I afford my medicines?” or “Is my baby infected?” or “Will I lose my job?” I credit Susan Larrabee for teaching me that. You have to spend time listening rather than talking. I’m a data-driven person. If you said to me “I don’t want to be vaccinated,” the first thing I would say is “Well, let me show you all the data.” Everybody doesn’t respond to that.

RPW: I have read several books. “Women in White Coats” — that was the beginning of women in the field of medicine. I read a book called “Shock,” which is the history of [electroconvulsive therapy] through both the eyes of somebody who looked at the history, Larry Tye, and Kitty Dukakis, who actually experienced ECT. I’ve read a few fun novels. I read “Lessons in

neil.shah@thecrimson.com

FM Read the full interview with Fifteen Minutes Magazine and other longform pieces, visit THECRIMSON.COM/ MAGAZINE

MARINA QU — CRIMSON PHOTOGRAPHER

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THE HARVARD CRIMSON

SPORTS

OCTOBER 13, 2023

CROSS COUNTRY

Cross Country Sprints Into the 2023 Season HARVARD MEN’S AND WOMEN’S Cross Country won both team titles, triumphing over 14 teams in the Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown. BY NATALIE T. WEINER CRIMSON STAFF WRITER

T

he Harvard men’s and women’s cross country teams have had a strong start to the fall season.

On Friday, Sept. 29, the Crimson teams competed in the Coastto-Coast Battle in Beantown, in Boston’s Franklin Park. The Crimson won both team titles, triumphing over 14 other teams, and had the individual champion in both races as well. Senior Captain Maia Ramsden’s first-place finish led the women’s team to a 61-point victory. Junior Captain Graham Blanks’ first-place finish led the men’s team to a 47-point victory. Following Ramsden’s win in the 5K in 17:00.1, junior Ella Gilson finished in eighth place in 17:15.8, followed by sophomore Penelope Salomon in ninth in 17:16.3. Harvard’s 61-point finish

was a whopping 42 points ahead of Penn’s second-place finish. Following Blanks’ win in the 8K in 23:26, Junior Ben Rosa took seventh in 24:10.3, followed by sophomore Shane Brosnan in tenth in 24:19.2. The Crimson’s 47-point finish was a staggering 51 points ahead of the second-place team, local rival Northeastern. Captains Ramsden and Blanks have been important assets to the teams. Ramsden — the 2023 NCAA DI Track and Field Outdoor Champion in the 1500 m — just recently signed a NIL deal with On Running. Blanks won the

looks to build on his successful season last year — his goal to win every race he can. “Last year, I would have said that I had the same goal to win every race, but I did not have the same confidence as I do now,” Blanks said. In addition to the experienced and accomplished cohort of sophomores, juniors, and seniors, the Crimson have added nine recruits from the class of 2027. “We have this really good young freshman class that has been contributing really ear-

Last year, I would have said that I had the same goal to win every race, but I did not have the same confidence as I do now. Graham Blank ’25 Harvard Men’s Cross Country Captain

NCAA Northeast Regional Championship and finished 6th in the nation at the 2022 NCAA Championships, earning him First-Team All-American honors. Blanks

ly on,” Blanks highlighted. “Our team is a lot deeper than it’s been, not even compared to last year, but in the past six years since our coach has been

here. We have a big group of guys that are all at similar abilities which we haven’t had in the past — so now we can work together in a race. We’re definitely optimistic with our team right now.” According to the USTFCCCA Rankings for the Week of Oct. 12, the men’s team is ranked second in the Northeast region behind Syracuse University — also ranked 16th in the nation — while the women’s team is ranked third in the Northeast behind Providence College and Syracuse University, respectively. Last year, only the men’s team qualified for the NCAA Championships. This season, the women’s team is determined to also have its ticket punched for the national championship. Gilson emphasized that the women’s team goal for the season is “to make it to NCAAs —happy and healthy. The positive energy on the team has been so present, and we are even hungrier to make it to nationals this year.” Before the Crimson compete in the NCAA Northeast Regional on Nov.10, Harvard cross country will split up this Friday, with some runners traveling to Wisconsin for the Nuttycombe Invite and others heading to New York City, N.Y. for the IC4A/ECAC

Championship meet. Both meets will take place this Friday, Oct. 13. In preparation for the upcoming meets this weekend, the team has exchanged strenuous long runs for shorter, quicker-paced workouts. “We’ve been doing shorter hill sprints and running faster short segments to get some pop back in the legs for this weekend,” Blanks commented. “The Nuttycombe Invitational is a really smooth course, so it’s really fast, and the competition is going to be about as stiff as it gets.” After the meets this Friday, the Crimson will then return to Franklin Park to host the Ivy League Cross Country Championship meet on Saturday, Oct. 28. natalie.weiner@thecrimson.com

THC Read more at THECRIMSON.COM

WEEKLY RECAP SCORES WOMEN’S VOLLEY BALL VS. UPENN

W, 3-0

SOCCER VS. CORNELL

W, 3-1

FIELD HOCKEY VS. NO.14 ST. JOE’S

W, 1-0

MEN’S WATER POLO VS. MIT

W, 20-4

SOCCER VS. BROWN

T, 0-0

FOOTBALL VS. CORNELL

W, 41-23

SPORTS

THE HARVARD CRIMSON OCTOBER 13, 2023

SAILING

Marbella Marlo Charts a Course of Triumph SENIOR SAILOR Marbella Marlo and her team became the first undergraduates to win the 2023 Aerovanti U.S. Team Racing Championship BY MAISA A. ALI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

I

n early September, senior sailor Marbella Marlo and her team Los Huevos stunned the sailing world by becoming the first undergraduates to clinch the 2023 Aerovanti U.S. Team Racing Championship, besting graduates from Yale, Stanford, and Dartmouth. However, this was not their first taste of victory. Just last spring, the team had already showcased its prowess by securing the 2023 ISCA Team Racing Championship. Competing against 20 other teams, Marlo and the Los Huevos —composed of six sailors, three coming from the Harvard Sailing Team —dominated the waters of Mission Bay, Calif. They advanced through the quarterfinals, winning three matches, and ultimately claimed the prestigious George R. Hinman Trophy — a symbol of excellence in team racing and one of the most coveted prizes for regattas. “It’s the biggest team race regatta in the country, so it was obviously super fun to win. I loved every one of my teammates — I couldn’t have asked for a better team,” Marlo said. “It was just really special because I was able to be on my home turf with some of my closest friends and my team. I am from Southern California, so I have not been back in almost a year; it was nice to go back and see family. It was one of the best regattas I have ever sailed.” The senior sailor credits the chemistry of her team and their past win experiences together for this Championship win. The California native was in-

troduced to various sports growing up but eventually found her true calling in sailing. Her journey in the sport was both challenging and rewarding. As a female sailor navigating this male-dominated sport, she found solace in the intricacies of sailing. Feeling the waves for hours, contemplating wind patterns, and the process of setting up a boat deep-rooted her passion for sailing. While college sailing boasts a substantial female presence — especially at Harvard — the broader world of sailing leans heavily male-dominated. But Marlo remains optimistic and enjoys the unique competitive edge that mixed teams offer. “What makes sailing unique is that you can compete against both male and female sailors. It’s very fun,” she said. The essence of sailing, especially in team races, is synergy. “Communication is super important,” Marlo emphasized. A crew needs to be in sync, not only in terms of boat handling and race strategy but also in understanding the wind and competition. Their recent win at the Hinman showcased their tightknit team dynamics. Marlo fondly recalls, “It was the perfect form of communication, composure, and camaraderie.” “It’s not like running track where you just have to run very fast in a race, there are a lot of things you have to consider while sailing,” Marlo stated. “Sailing is a mental sport. It is a lot about your confidence and that confidence really only manifests when you’re prepared.” During her high school years, Marlo was ranked in the top five in the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association on the West Coast, both as a skipper and crew. She served as the team captain for her sailing team in 20192020. With 20 regatta appearances under her belt and a key role in leading the Crimson to a firstplace finish at the Women’s Atlan-

tic Coast Championship Qualifier, Marlo has solidified her status as a sailing phenomenon. For regattas like this one, she plays a pivotal role as a tactician, aiding the team towards victory. Her keen observational skills allow her to feed the skipper vital insights on wind shifts, competitor positions, and optimal racecourse paths “As a crew, I am mostly talking about where the wind is and what the other boats are doing, but yeah there’s certain plays that we call out,” Marlo remarked. “And that only comes with having sailed together for a really long time, and that sort of helped make us into a strong team.” To an outsider, sailing might seem straightforward. But as Marlo explains, it’s intricate and deeply strategic. “There are so many different types of sailing. The type of sailing that Hinman was, was dinghy sailing,” said Marlo regarding the Hinman regatta. Dinghy sailing has its unique dynamics with combinations determining victory. Key moments like the start of the race or rounding the mark can make or break a team’s strategy. With accolades aplenty and an evident passion for the sport, Marlo stands as a testament to what dedication, teamwork, and innate talent can achieve. From the sunlit waters of Southern California to the competitive collegiate circuits, her journey in sailing has been nothing short of inspirational. As Marlo and the Crimson look towards the horizon this Saturday for the first round of the Open Atlantic Coast Championship, the sailing community will undoubtedly watch keenly, anticipating more record-breaking moments from this dynamic team. And as for Marlo, her sails are set, and the wind is in her favor. The future looks promising, and the seas, ever inviting.

Marlo casually looks across the water, winning division A at the Danmark Trophy hosted by Coast Guard Academy. COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETICS

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