Yeah, I know that Fight Fiercely Harvard isn’t Harvard’s real fight song. But I don’t think 10,000 Men of Harvard sets exactly the right tone.
It’s sexist for one thing and since Harvard is fighting for independence for all of its students, not just the men, I thought Fight Fiercely Harvard was a better fit.
Fight Fiercely Harvard is a satirical song written by an alum, Tom Lehrer. Another song of his that you may be familiar with is The Elements. It is a lilting song with the elements from the periodic table. It is only clocked at 1 minute 26 seconds.
This week Harvard said no, thank you to pressure from the president of the United States. He would not bend the knee and bow to extreme pressure.
Of course, the president whined and threatened (typical). He even went so far as to threaten Harvard’s tax exempt status. This is a “punishment” meant to be punitive for violating tax law. There is no evidence that Harvard has violated tax law.
Side question, if it can be done so quickly, why can’t we do the same to churches and political organizations? I digress.
Apparently there are now pacts between schools where there were rivalries both in the classroom and on the playing field.
According to the Guardian newspaper at least 18 universities have united to defend academic freedom in the fact of these attacks and threats. The universities include 8 universities that comprise part of the Big 10 academic alliance include the University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, University of Oregon, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, University of California Los Angeles, University of Southern California, University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Some of these schools are in red states and some are in blue. To me this is indicative that academic freedoms are cherished, no matter the political leaning.
It also indicates that academic freedoms are to be protected.
Good for them. I hope other universities join and I hope they keep their courage.
I hope that this message is heard loud and clear.
Now I have to learn all of their fight songs too.
But, but, Kate, what about their billion dollar endowments? Why do they need support?
Those endowments are the emergency fund and the funding for programs that allow the universities to continue to admit students from the lower-economic echelons. And to create scholarships to fund these students. And to create labs that make the discoveries that are why these universities have earned the world class reputation that they have.
Maybe, just maybe, they don’t like being told what to do, or who to listen to, or what to teach, or what to read.
It all goes back to book banning, doesn’t it?
Fight Fiercely Harvard! You are not alone.
Dispatches from the Evening Shift 