Andleeb Abbas
It is a classic story. It is the good versus evil history. It is a fantasy. It is a script for a feel good movie. We all like the good standing up to the bad. We all love humanity triumph over atrocity. We all love the oppressed teaching a lesson to the oppressor. We dream to see the big guy falling and the small guy rising. That is why movies that show such clashes do well. Trading Places was a comedy movie that appealed to most of our instincts of change of fortunes. The film tells the story of an upper-class commodities broker (Dan Aykroyd) and a poor street hustler (Eddie Murphy) whose lives cross when they are unwittingly made the subject of an elaborate bet to test how each man will perform when their life circ*mstances are swapped. It is a story of rich men who accumulate wealth on insider share trading but are outwitted by the poor man they fired. Thus rich becomes bankrupt and the poor becomes rich on the basis of trading on manipulated share values.
We are now seeing a live drama about the powerful against the powerless and we cannot really believe it. Yes it is the biggest name in the field of academics. Yes, it is the epitome of intellectualism, elitism, capitalism and power. Yes it has produced the most powerful power brokers in the world. Yes, it is the dream of every student to have its name stamped on its degree. No Guessing. It is Harvard University. A name that brings an awe in most minds. A name that brings excellence in many fields. A name that brings the name of “Who is Who” in many sectors. A name that for the first time in its history is turning the awe not to awesome but awful. What has happened in the prestigious, revered graduation ceremony at Harvard is a beautiful reminder of how truth has the ability to eventually break through the layers of brainpower and buck power that cocoon sheer arrogance. When you have extraordinary brains, you should expect extraordinary reactions. The Harvard leaders, managers, donors and shareholders are aghast at the stubbornness of the student body that keeps on denying, decrying “honours” bestowed on them. This is evident by the following:
1. Rules and the unruly— The unthinkable is happening. Students protesting. Teachers being silenced. President asked to resign. Donors aghast. Harvard graduates being rejected. The roots of a holier than thou name and fame being defamed. Harvard’s admissions are down 17% this year compared to last year. Those admitted are exposing the dark side of Harvard by protests unseen before. The college tried its best to pin it to the anti-Semitism wave that they claim is spurring these protests. The President was asked to resign as the group of students was “allowed” to write a letter condemning Israel for the attacks in Gaza. This was supposed to teach the college, the faculty and the unruly students a lesson that would nip the protest in the bud forever. The reverse has happened. The protests have become bigger and more resentful. The demands have become more vigorous. The boycotts have become humiliating. The University that spends millions of dollars on researching on Gen Zee and their psychology has not realized that resistance to a cause is fuel to their fire. Harvard refused awarding degrees to 13 students prominent in pro-Palestine protests. The Harvard Corporation rejectedan effort by the Faculty of Arts and Sciencesto add the 13 denied students back onto the list of degree conferral recommendations. The Harvard College Administrative Board, the College’s main disciplinary body suspended 5 studentsand placed at least 20 others on probation for their involvement in the pro-Palestine encampment in the Yard. The result was disastrous for Harvard’s Super University image. 1000 students walked out of the commencement ceremony in protest of this decision. A spectacle witnessed by 9000 parents/families live and billions on social media.
2. Investors and de-investors— It is called Harvard Corporation. Yes this is not McDonald Corporation or Toyota Corporation; this is a University; a role model on academics and education. The Board of Harvard Corporation is responsible for governance, selecting the President and looking after its judiciary requirements and assets. The members are powerful. They are rich. They are connected. And guess what. Some are Israeli.That is why the bombing by Israel in the Gaza Strip is being covered under the anti-Israel sentiments, anti-war sentiments labelled as anti -Semitism. For more than 30 years, Wexner Foundation,founded byLeslie Wexner, a controversialbillionaire retailer,has partnered with the university to fundfellowshipsfor Israeli government and public service professionals to pursue a master’s degree at Harvard Kennedy School. The organization donated more than $2.4 million to Harvard in the 2021 fiscal year, the Boston Globereported. In the letter addressed to the Harvard Board of Overseers, the foundation wrote that the two “are no longer compatible partners” and they will seek other ways to develop Israel’s leadership.Their anger was directed at the President Claudine Gay’s weak response to a letter written by students protesting against Israeli aggression. Israeli billionaire IdanOfer and his wife resigned from their posts on the executive board of Harvard’s Kennedy School in protest of school president Claudine Gay’s belated, lukewarm response to pro-Palestine letter written by students. This corporate nexus includes direct donors and the mighty job providers. Billionaire hedge fund CEO Bill Ackman and several other business leaders are demanding Harvard University release the names of students whose organizations signed on to a letter blaming solely Israel for the deadly attacks by Hamas.The CEOs want thestudents blacklisted. If the members support the letter, the names of the signatories “should be made public so their views are publicly known,” Ackman said. The CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management said he wanted to ensure his company and others don’t “inadvertently hire” any students belonging to Harvard groups that signed the letter. Multiple other business leaders, including the CEOs of shopping clubFabFitFun, health tech startupEasy HealthandDovehill Capital Managementsupported the call from Ackman to name the students. “I would like to know so I know never to hire these people,” Jonathan Neman, CEO of restaurant chainSweetgreen, said on X. Kenneth Griffin, a billionaire who pledged $300 million to Harvard earlier, urged Harvard to more forcefully defend Israel in a call to a senior Harvard leader, the New York Timesreported. These people are the invisible shareholders of Harvard and the fact that the President of the University had to finally resign shows the power of these stake/shareholders to run the University.
So will the share values win over human values? The President of Harvard had to go. That may be a win for the money spinners. But when a Harvard selected young Indian American graduate Shriuti Kuman, standing in a graduation ceremony stunned the world by pulling the unscripted ace out of her sleeve, it was a deep and profound moral loss to the University. She blasted Harvard by saying,“I am deeply disappointed by the intolerance for freedom of speech and the right to civil disobedience on campus.” She also said: “The students had spoken. The faculty had spoken.” She added, ““Harvard, do you hear us”. Around her walked 1000 students of all colours, nationalities and religions clamouring for justice for Palestine. A heartening picture where humanity stood tall to dwarf the might of money and power.
(The writer is a columnist, consultant, coach, and an analyst and can be reached at [emailprotected])
