Harvard Men Gather at Women’s Center Event

Last night, there was an unfamiliar sight at the Harvard Women’s Center; a group dominated by men had gathered to attend the event “Defining ‘The Harvard Man’”

The diverse crowd, which included athletes, bookworms and recent alums came together to watch clips from Legally Blond, Love Story and The Great Debater and discuss the nature of the “Harvard Man.”

The event, which is the first that the Harvard Women’s Center has hosted which focuses on men, is part of the Women’s Center’s campaign to extend its discussion of gender issues to form a broader perspective, said Susan Yao ’09, one of the event planners.

“It’s important for us to explicitly be open to all genders,” she added.

The clips and the discussion were intended to portray a selection of stereotypes commonly associated with Harvard men: from smooth talkers to anti-social geniuses to wealthy legacies whose last names appear on buildings across campus.

The discussion centered around the stereotypes and expectations of the Harvard man, and threw up several hotly debated issues, as students discussed what it meant to be a Harvard man and what defined his success.

Some students said they thought that a successful Harvard man was one with membership at one of the eight different Final Clubs, who plays rugby and wears polo shirts with popped collars. Others said they disagreed, responding that success comes from involvement in extracurricular activities, sheer intelligence and well-honed networking skills.

The difference between Harvard men versus Harvard women was also addressed. One student said that she had noticed the difference when a man dropped the “H Bomb” versus when a woman did, saying that the casual drop of the H-bomb is a golden ticket for the Harvard men, while a gross turn-off if mentioned by women. Other students were keen to debate the issue further.

Jarell L. Lee ’10, said he had enjoyed the event and that it had helped him to gain a new perspective on the issue of the masculinity.

“When I was high school, I had to be a man and I think tonight definitely helped me figure out what type of person I want to be,” he said.

When asked if he will be a regular at the Women’s Center, Jarell responded “I’m not the type to hang out at lots of places, but I will definitely try to come here.”