Introduction to the Challenges Faced by Harvard
The president is venting his fury — a sentence I could embroider on a pillow and use to begin every column from now until 2029, since off-gassing his bottomless magisterial displeasure is the spoon stirring our national existence, now and for the foreseeable future.
The Vendetta Against Harvard
His vendetta against Harvard University, our nation’s preeminent institution of higher learning, has raged for weeks: barring it from accepting foreign students, yanking back its tax exempt status, along with hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support. I’m expecting the Army Corps of Engineers to fill Harvard Yard with coils of concertina wire next.
Impact on International Students
My first thought was sympathy for Harvard’s international students. Thousands of young people, a full quarter of the student body. Sure, many are no doubt scions of wealth, pampered and privileged and shipped off to lay the foundations for a life of same. Somebody has to pay full tuition.
The Real Challenge for Harvard
But some must have scrabbled their way there. Imagine studying in a wretched Third World slum. Hard work and smiling fate contrive to get you into Harvard, and then, while you’re proudly wearing your new maroon sweatshirt around your shantytown, the president blocks your way because … because … remind me, what does Trump have against Harvard?
Historical Context
Oh right, they didn’t bend their knee fast enough, didn’t provide enough dirt on foreign-born students so he could choreograph their removal to Salvadoran prisons.
Destruction of National Heritage
Not that I have a particular fondness for Harvard — though the boys at the Lampoon were indulgent to me when I was writing my college pranks book, allowing me the run of their library and archives. We shouldn’t focus too long on one harm, because there are so many.
The War on History
The president is a whirling dervish of destruction, undermining our National Park Service here, our public health system there. It’s hard to keep up.
Misconceptions About Harvard’s History
On Friday, he fired the director of the National Portrait Gallery for the crime of hanging pictures of Black folk. That hurt, because under her tenure, the gallery became perhaps the most vibrant wing of the Smithsonian. I love visiting it.
British Occupation: A Misconception
For instance, discussing the current assault, I told my wife: “Harvard was occupied by the British.”
Clarifying the Historical Record
What I meant was the place is very old, has been through a lot and will get through this, too.
The Actual History
The very old part is true — founded in 1636, our nation’s first university.
Correcting the Misconception
But as often happens when you fire history from the hip, I missed. Plug “Did the British occupy Harvard?” into Google, and its AI chatbot pipes up with, “Yes, Harvard buildings were occupied by British soldiers during the American Revolutionary War. In 1775, the Provincial Congress commandeered Harvard’s buildings, and they were used to house 1,600 British soldiers, according to the Harvard Gazette.”
The Real Occupiers
Being a trained professional, I then read the Harvard Gazette article Google AI linked to. Which did not say that. Sixteen hundred British troops weren’t housed at Harvard; it was 1,600 American troops. An important distinction.
The Complexity of History
How can everyone keep going on about how AI will eat our lunch, take our jobs and become our overlords? It can’t even read a lucid article and differentiate between the British, who occupied nearby Boston, and the colonials, who settled in Cambridge, waiting for George Washington to assemble his Continental Army.
Harvard’s Actual Experience
This history stuff is complex. That’s what makes it interesting. I can’t imagine wanting to water it down because certain difficult details make you sad. For instance, Harvard indeed suffered under military occupation. But it wasn’t the British.
The Damage to Harvard
“The British surrendered Boston in March, 1776, but the American troops who had bivouacked around Harvard Yard inevitably left a trail of damages,” the article that confounded Google AI explains.
The Aftermath
“The soldiers whom Harvard President Samuel Langdon called a ‘glorious army of freemen,’ tore off the roof of Harvard Hall — 1,000 pounds of metal — to melt into bullets. They stripped brass doorknobs and box locks out of the buildings, along with interior woodwork. In 1778, Harvard petitioned the Massachusetts House of Representatives, listing losses down to the shilling and pence. The College was awarded the sum of 417 pounds.”
Conclusion
Then again, seeing how widespread indifference to history is among the supposedly human, who strode into power and immediately began blindly tearing our country apart, maybe AI is going to rise to the top after all.
FAQs
Q: What is the current challenge faced by Harvard University?
A: The current challenge faced by Harvard University is the president’s vendetta against it, which includes barring it from accepting foreign students, yanking back its tax exempt status, and cutting hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support.
Q: Was Harvard occupied by the British during the American Revolutionary War?
A: No, Harvard was not occupied by the British. The British occupied nearby Boston, while American troops occupied Harvard Yard, causing significant damage to the university’s buildings.
Q: What is the significance of Harvard’s history in the context of the current challenges?
A: Harvard’s history is significant because it shows that the university has faced and overcome significant challenges in the past, including military occupation and financial difficulties. This history provides context and perspective on the current challenges faced by the university.
Q: How does the article’s discussion of AI relate to the main topic?
A: The article’s discussion of AI relates to the main topic because it highlights the importance of accurate information and historical context in understanding the challenges faced by Harvard University. The article critiques the limitations of AI in providing accurate information and emphasizes the need for human judgment and critical thinking in understanding complex historical and political issues.
