Holding On, Speaking Out, Moving Up

Sitting up with Wendell C. Ocasio '90 into the early hours of morning two years ago, Henry C. Hsia '90 recalls, the roommates engaged in one of several intense talks they would share in the Yard that year.

"By the end of freshman year we were staying up late talking about all sorts of stuff," he says. One morning, conversation turned to philosophy: "the Heisenberg randomness principle, how it related to people's fate and religion and other metaphysical stuff," Hsia recollects. To himself, Hsia says, the notion of life's dependence on random chance posed no dilemma. But for the Catholic, intellectually committed Ocasio, the idea his actions might have no effect was unacceptable.

Always 'One the Top'

For Ocasio, who is president of the Puerto Rican student group at Harvard (La Organization) and spokesperson for the Minority Students Alliance (MSA), being in the forefront of movements and at the center of controversy has always been as natural as breathing and speaking.

Friends, family members and even sometime adversaries agree that in presenting arguments, sounding out opponents or seeking compromise, Ocasio is seldom intimidated. And, they add, his integrity seems unimpeachable.

"He strives for what he think is right," says Isabel Ocasio, in Puerto Rico. Wendell's mother, Isabel may not be his sternest judge, but she says that, after 20 years, his willingness to confront tough issues unflinchingly has earned respect from his friends and peers.

Even in high school, whether as student body president or head of every student group he participated in, Ocasio always emerged "on the top," she says.

A New Voice

If any quality led to Ocasio's appearance on the front line of Harvard activism, it was his ability to confidently articulate what roles minorities should be playing on campus.

Characterized by spontaneity, passion and receptivity to his audience, Ocasio's public statements have become a highlight of student demonstrations for hiring reform. Ocasio says that often he goes before crowds with only an outline of an idea rather than a prepared speech, and draws his cues from listeners.

Speechmaking at rallies, Ocasio says, "is kind of an interactive process. If people react to a certain topic I may go a little longer with that part of my speech."

Ocasio's emergence as a fiery spokesperson marks a far cry from the young man who grew up in Puerto Rico learning English as a second language, he says.

"It was hard to adapt to a different culture," Ocasio says, recalling his first year at Harvard. "I had problems communicating in my freshman year and people in my dorm thought I was very quiet."

A series of rallies on minority faculty recruitment gave Ocasio the opportunity to express his opinion openly at the College. Now he says he enjoys speaking to large crowds. Tailoring words to match his audience, exploring issues closed to more formal forums, Ocasio says he thrives on the challenge of public speaking.

"It really has been a positive experience for me because I feel the point of a rally is to go a little beyond what you would do when talking with faculty or administration," Ocasio says. 'Very Tough, Very Smart, Very Sensitive'

Even in those discussions, however, Ocasio rose to meet the more demanding criteria of a new leader for minority concerns.

"I found him very tough, very smart, and very sensitive to the complexity of what was going on," says Pforzheimer UniversityProfessor Sidney Verba '53. Verba, at 57 one ofthe most respected of Harvard's 300-plus seniorfaculty, chaired the blue-ribbon committee thatreviewed faculty hiring after the MSA--made up ofOcasio and leaders of four other undergraduateminority groups--attacked Faculty of Arts andSciences affirmative action policy for "confusion"and "complacency."

In the months of talks between student leadersand the Verba Committee before a report was issuedin March, "We got along quite well," Verbarecollects. The professor, who also directs theUniversity Library, says he respected Ocasio'scompetence as MSA spokesperson in presentingissues and demands to FAS.

Hilda Hernandez-Gravelle also acknowledgesOcasio's intensity, which she saw as Collegeassistant dean for race relations and minorityaffairs.

"One of the things that makes Wendell effectiveis that he believes very strongly in minorityfaculty hiring and he's shown dedication andcommitment on the issue," she says.

Grasp on Issues and Goals

According to friends and fellow MSA members,Ocasio's success is due in large part to anintuitive ability to strike a balance betweenwidely opposing viewpoints.

"He's got a good grasp of the issues," says MSAco-member Manuel Lopez Jr. '89, of RAZA. "He knowsthe problems that the administration has withminority issues," and adjusts strategiesaccordingly.

"He's very direct and very good about keepingthe pressure there [on administrators, so] it'svery hard for the administration to avoid orignore us at times," says Edith Ramirez '89, alsoof MSA.

Ocasio explains using his own experience, "Wehad our problems in high school too, and so whiledealing with the administration there it taught mehow to be strong and yet be reasonable at the sametime."

As a teenager, he says, he learnedinstinctively when to concede and when to standhis ground. The experience paid off for himrecently, he says, while arguing for changes inhiring policy.

"Because the numbers are so low Harvard has toestablish a policy," Ocasio says, giving anelemental example. "But I know that Harvard mightfeel undue pressure because the quotas or numericgoals might sacrifice the quality and I know thatif I take such a hard line that they might nottake me seriously. So I might suggest somethingelse."

'If He's Involved, He's Passionate AboutIt'

Ocasio explains the reason for his activitysimply. "Beyond the fact that I am Puerto Rican,which I am very proud of, Harvard is very muchused as a model. [Hiring reform] will help otherschools in their struggle by saying, 'Look,Harvard has a strong affirmative action program.'"

"To the outside world he is able to present astrong leadership image," says Irene Shih '90.Shih, another MSA member and Ocasio's closefriend, says his speeches are typified by theirpassion, a sense Ocasio brings to all his work.

"If he's involved in something, he's passionateabout it," Shih says. "There'll be times whenhe'll be working on some math problem and he'llstop and say how beautiful it is and how amazed heis by it."

Hsia also has his own image of Ocasio, againstemming from a late-night conversation, he says."We spent a whole night working out thedominance-hierarchy of Bugs Bunny and all hisfriends," Hsia recalls, not without warmth."Wendell loves Bugs Bunny.