Students Clash Over Summers’ Remarks

Professors aren’t the only members of the Harvard Community divided on their views about University President Lawrence H. Summers’ controversial remarks on women and science.

Yesterday, students had a chance to weigh in, as over 70 undergraduates jammed into the Institute of Politics for a debate sponsored by the Harvard Political Union (HPU).

The forum engendered a lively discussion of the fallout from the president’s gaffe, including the withering response from national media and some members of the Harvard Faculty.

Summers found himself in hot water last month after suggesting at an academic conference that innate gender differences may help account for the dearth of women employed in the natural sciences. The comment touched off a barrage of criticism.

Students clashed over their conceptions of the role of a university president in promoting discussion and academic discourse. Eric R. Nielsen ’07 said he thought it was a “strange notion that a leader is not allowed to engage in the kind of discourse that other faculty are.”

Other students expressed concern that as a president of a major university, Summers was responsible for the impact of his statements. Amadi P. Anene ’08 said it was “irresponsible to say something that would alienate half the student body.”

Many students voiced concern that a politically correct atmosphere was stifling open discussion.

“If other Universities are turning into Madrases, that does not mean Harvard should,” said Paul S. Davis ’07, referring to Muslim institutions in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The most heated moments of the debate came over the question of “innate differences” between the sexes. Freshman Arvind H. Vaz ’08 said that certain feminist critics are “anti-child” and refuse to accept certain family roles.

“The real reason why there’s less female math and science professors is because of the long hours involved,” Vaz said to scattered laughter.

“Someone has to make the compromises in most families, someone has to stay home with the kids, and usually it’s the woman, it’s the female, it’s the wife.”

HPU Director of Outreach Kathryn C. Gluckman ’07 countered his claim, saying, “The idea that women choose to be in the home, I think that’s a social construction.”

After the debate, Gluckman noted that “What I thought was interesting was that this discussion was on feminism and the importance of women yet mostly men were speaking.”

According to HPU Chair Vivek G. Ramaswamy ’07, the debate drew many newcomers to HPU.

“The number of people who were defending Larry Summers’ comments as well as the number of people who were criticizing them were characterized by how impassioned they were,” he said.

—Staff writer Jessica E. Schumer can be reached at schumer@fas.harvard.edu.