Last night Dean of ht Faculty of the Arts and Sciences Michael Smith and Dean of the College Evelyn Hammonds hosted a townhall students for questions about the budget. SLAM members showed up en force, handed out flyers, and managed to ask six out of the nine total questions. While we applaud Deans Smith and Hammonds for holding this townhall for students, they did not present a clear picture of what budget cuts would come. The Crimson article about the event is here.

On the bright side, I was able to give a few introductory remarks before the whole thing began. Here's the mini-speech:

We are all in this room today because Harvard is facing an economic crisis. We’re here because we all realize that $8 billion is a lot of money even for Harvard, and we realize that the decisions Harvard makes today will have a fundamental impact on Harvard for the foreseeable future, as well as set a model that other universities nationwide will likely follow. How Harvard carries itself right now, therefore, is a national issue. In dealing with our economic shortfalls, we can choose a path that brings the Harvard community together, or pulls our community apart. The path that brings us together is the path of collective sacrifice, it is the path of increased transparency, of meaningful feedback that is then implemented, and above all it is courageous and creative leadership.

Throughout this discussion it is important to reiterate that Harvard is indeed different. What works for Harvard is not the same exact solution that will work at Yale, or Stanford, or anywhere else. Yes, our economic situation is unique, but more importantly, but Harvard is different because Harvard is and should be the nation’s leading university. More is expected from Harvard, and anything less than optimal solutions at this time endangers Harvard reputation’s for years if not generations to come. Harvard needs to set not just a good example, but the best example, and this is done by having the greatest feeling of collective sacrifice, the deepest level of decision-making transparency, and the most productive processes of community feedback. (And then here's the point where I actually introduce Dean Hammonds and Dean Smith).