I will never be able to reflect on my Harvard experience without noting the tarnished end. I am, of course, speaking of the abomination now known as "The Quad Incident", when an otherwise joyful occasion was interrupted for no good reason.
Before then, it was relatively easy to discuss the stockpile of racial profiling experiences, run-ins with blatant prejudice and other incidents in which Harvard students were made to feel like intruders in their own home due to race, ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, creed etc. Interns would hear about issues, pull together discussions about it and end up talking to the same group of concerned students and faculty every time. Discouraged and disturbed by the seeming lack of concern, all I could do was shrug my shoulders. I didn't understand why I would hear all kinds of horror stories from students and faculty indicating that all was not well in Harvard life; yet, when it came down to discussing the issue and a solution, apparently everyone was too busy or did not seriously think anything would be done to correct the problem. By senior year, I was complacent and found nothing shocking about the formulaic spark, burn out and burial of every major diversity issue.
Enter the Quad Incident: when enough was enough and issues that had been festering for decades finally blew up. Apparently someone saw a group of people, ABHW and BMF members, having a field day on the Quad lawn. Disturbed, this person decided to call the HUPD. The incident fit a classic equation: Minorities + Gathering + Talking = Suspicious Activity. Call the Authorities! HUPD responded to the call, which was originally recorded as "Remove Group" but was mysteriously re-classified post-backlash as the less hostile sounding "Noise Complaint". The police checked IDs and asked whether or not the group was authorized to be there. The groups were, of course, authorized and well within their right as Harvard students to play games on Harvard property. The police left and the fall out ensued.
It took an unwarranted phone call, a run-in with police, a barrage of snide e-mails, a demonstration, loads of finger-pointing and several lousy, sensational Crimson pieces to finally get the greater student body to realize or openly recognize that issues of racism, prejudice and old fashioned ignorance and denial are still of concern at Harvard.
Perhaps something should be done about those problems. One under-funded, under-staffed diversity office cannot solve all the intercultural and race relations problems on Harvard's campus. That would take an army of supportive faculty, administrators and students joining with the Harvard Foundation in an effort to systematically address these issues in an efficient, timely manner. It would take mass self reflection among students and a steadfast effort to make the I AM HARVARD campaign work. It would take an overall movement to reacquaint the administration with what really goes on in Harvard life beyond the board room and to educate them on the real needs of the diverse student body: a supportive learning environment in which unequal treatment is not condoned. It would take Harvard student identification flashcards for HUPD and suspicious students. In other words, it would take a miracle. But, I believe in miracles and the average Harvard students' ability to make amazing things happen.
