Harvard Today: September 17, 2014

Happy Wednesday, Harvard! Although hump day can be a rough one to get through, there's one thing guaranteed to make it better—free food! From Zinnekin’s waffle giveaway on Monday to yesterday’s free Starbucks in the plaza, this week has been a college student’s dream come true. But it's not over, and today may be best of all: free Boloco burritos. While you may prefer Felipe’s or Border, nothing beats free. Mini and small burritos won’t cost you anything at all, while original size burritos will be a steal at $1 each. Stop by their shop on Mt. Auburn street to get your share! Wednesday never tasted so good.

By Matt O. Ricotta

IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Today’s weather is similar to yesterday’s, a high of 72 and a low of 51. It should be sunny all day, with a 0% chance of rain. This weather is as close to perfect as Cambridge gets. Sure, we could use a little more heat, but we’ll definitely take this while it lasts! Take a few moments on this fine Wednesday to soak it up; you’ll need to bolster those Vitamin D reserves for later!

IN THE D-HALLS
Lunch
American Style Beef Stroganoff
Smoked Turkey Panini on Wheat Flatbread
Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu

Dinner
Herb Roasted Chicken with Cacciatore Sauce
Roast Pork with Orange Chipotle
Thai Green Curry with Vegetables

ON FLYBY
1) Illegal Pets: Piñata the Beta Fish: The latest edition in the series that brought you a mouse that traveled the Yard in a Starbucks cup, a baby-eating hedgehog, and a hamster named Paper.

2) If Course Descriptions Told the Truth: The truth about your classes is now coming out: Study cards have been signed and the glitz and glam used to hook students in is gone, revealing what the semester will actually be like. Here's what the course descriptions should say.

IN THE NEWS
1) Faust Talks Campaign, Harassment, Admissions in Kristof Conversation: Nicholas D. Kristof ’81, a columnist for the New York Times and a Harvard overseer, interviewed University President Drew G. Faust in front of a three-quarters full Sanders Theatre. Kristof was not shy with his questions, asking Faust to defend Harvard’s ongoing capital campaign in light of the school’s massive endowment—at last report, it was worth nearly $33 billion—as well as legacy admissions and the University’s handling of sexual assault.

2) Youth Homeless Shelter Initiative Secures Funding: The Harvard Square Homeless Shelter Youth Initiative, the first overnight shelter to cater to the youth population of Cambridge, has received a rare government grant that will help fund its operating costs for the next 15 years.

EVENTS

There’s a Green Transportation Celebration at the science center plaza from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. today! There will be free coffee from Black Magic Coffee in the morning and b. good and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and milkshakes in the afternoon. Celebrating green transportation and free food? Doesn’t get better than that.

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies is holding an information session about their work at the Harvard Kennedy School, in Littauer 324 (79 JFK St, not the Littauer building near the science center!). Stop by between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.  for free pizza and a chance to chat with organization’s staff about the work they do!

The JFK Jr. Forum is hosting a panel discussion titled “Reflections on Ferguson” tonight at 6:30 p.m. Panelists include Lee P. Brown, former police chief and former mayor of Houston, Texas, Reverend Ray Hammond, co-founder of the Ten Point Coalition, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, mayor of Baltimore, and Alex Jones, director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. Charles J. Ogletree Jr., director of the Charles Hamilton Institute for Race & Justice, will be moderating.

Stop by the First Parish in Cambridge (1446 Mass Ave.) at 7 p.m. for a talk by famous Harvard Law School professor Laurence Tribe. titled Tribe, a leading liberal legal has argued before the Supreme Court over 30 times. His talk, titled  “Uncertain Justice: The Supreme Court and the Constitution”, will focus on the current Supreme Court and what we can interpret from the decisions it has made over the past several years.

PHOTO OF THE DAY

The JFK Jr. forum hosted a panel discussion on Iranian policy with Israeli National Security Advisor (2011-2013) Yaakov Amidror, US National Security Advisor Thomas Donilon (2010-2013), and moderator Graham T. Allison on Tuesday afternoon.