Harvard Law
I read with keen interest “The Education of a Harvard Lawyer” (January-February, page 38) by Nancy Boxley Tepper, my classmate. As I recall, she was one of five women in the class and I was one of three blacks. I noted with interest her comments about the phenomenon (“harassment”) of “Ladies Day” and the women’s invitation as 1L’s to Dean Griswold’s home for dinner and tea. She noted that her black male classmates were not singled out for “harassment” on our “day.” She is correct. I note however (ironically) that we three blacks were not invited to Griswold’s for dinner and tea. Was that a plus or a minus? I don’t know even yet!
Meaghan E. Townsend 21 is an English concentrator in Lowell House.
It’s a terrible feeling to be approaching graduating from Harvard with my field worse off than I found it. As a first-year, I was thrilled by the 2018 creation of the secondary in Educational Studies. I walked a newly constructed pathway into education. I took General Education 1076: Equity and Excellence in American K-12 Education (then USW 35), pursued the Ed secondary, and joined the Harvard Teacher Fellows, through which I will teach English next year. Now, as a senior, I’m devastated to see that bridge collapsed behind me.
The College has chosen not to renew Gen Ed 1076 for the 2021-22 school year. This decision stifles the Ed secondary, devalues education as an academic and professional path, and ignores an unprecedented outpouring of support. Harvard must reverse this decision and affirm its commitment to education.