Roving Reporter: Larry Summers is Back on Campus

At the end of 2010, former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers will return to the Yard—and he’s coming back with baggage. After heated controversy surrounding his statement that intrinsic differences between men and women might be one reason fewer women enter science and math careers, the current head of the National Economic Council resigned as President in 2006. FM hit up some brainy females and their (more?) science-oriented male friends in their natural habitat and haven, the Science Center. Some physics phenoms got feisty. Other math maidens deemed Larry Summers irrelevant. Like Mentos in Coke—FM’s most advanced science endeavor—the relevance of his past controversy had fizzled out.

Roving Reporter: How do you feel about him coming back, knowing what he said?

Adriann A. Negreros ’14: Women are smarter than men. It’s a fact. It’s pretty simple.

N. Loren Oh ’14: He’s very feministic.

RR: So if Larry Summers were to teach a class you were dying to take…

NLO: I’m going to keep an open mind. For me, to have a professor that believes I’m incapable as it is or less capable is kind of discouraging in a way because you want your professors to believe that you’re going to have the potential to do well.

V. Macarena Arias '14: I think you can’t define what a feminine brain is, what a manly brain is, and only men have this and only women have this…they’re just traits. Maybe some men have more of this, some women more of this. Maybe vice versa.

RR: Who’s the best at science and math among you three?

NLO & VMA: (laugh and point at the boy)

AAN: But, I mean, they always help me—so it’s all relative.

RR: What do you think about Larry Summers coming back?

Ling J. Jung ’14: I’m rather indifferent.

Angela C. Li ’14: I’m fairly apathetic.

LJJ: There’s a wave of indifference right now.

RR: Why is that?

LJJ: Because, I don’t know, even if he says that women are intrinsically worse, it doesn’t mean that they are. He’s not going to stop me from concentrating in math if I want to.

Marc F. Shi ‘14: Doesn’t that sort of mean that the university is implicitly sup—not necessarily supporting, but at least complicit in that statement in some way?

RR: So if Larry had a welcome back party, you would be in attendance?

NLF: I’d probably have homework.

RR: So you don’t agree that you’re better at science than these two ladies?

LJJ: Well…he might actually be better.

MFS: Well, okay. Even if I am—and I don’t think I am—that doesn’t necessarily apply to every single person.

RR: So if Larry Summers walked up to you right now, what would you say to him?

LJJ: Hi, I’m Ling Jin.

FM: Hi, I’m Larry Summers.

LJJ: Nice to meet you.

RR: Larry Summers is coming back to Harvard. How does that make you feel?

Emily K. Cunningham ’13: I think that his comment was taken out of context and has been overblown as a sexist comment, where really it’s just drawn on his opinions and scientific evidence.

Nancy L. Flewelling ’13: I agree. I have no problem with him coming back. I feel like it kind of was overblown, and I feel like it’s harsh to fire a president of Harvard that does so many good things for our community that says something that marginally could be taken the wrong way. So I’m fine with him coming back.

RR: What do you think about Larry Summer’s controversial statement?

Kristiana C. Laugen ’13: You can’t say that about women.  He can’t be a representative of Harvard if he’s going to be sexist because half of the constituents of Harvard are women, and that’s incredibly insulting.

RR: So if he walked in the door right now and introduced himself, what would you say to him?

KCL: I wouldn’t introduce myself. I don’t think I’d say anything. I don’t think there’s anything to say.

RR: Shut him down?

KCL: I would just leave.

RR: Do you think you’re as good as men at science and math?

KCL: I think women are just as good at science and math. I’m in CS 50 now—that’s why I’m here. A lot of girls here probably are in it and we’re definitely just as good as men. It’s people like him telling us we’re not as good that is what’s discouraging women from pursuing math and science.

RR: Amen, sister.