Inside the Ivy: Harvard Is in Trouble, but the Polar Bears Might Be Fine

The continuing saga of Harvard vs. the DOJ

The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered the unsealing of Harvard admissions data—information the university said should be kept private—as part of an amicus brief the Department filed involving the ongoing lawsuit claiming the university discriminates in its admissions process.

The Harvard Crimson reports, “The [D]epartment’s filing also directly tied the admissions lawsuit to its own ongoing probe into Harvard’s admissions processes, arguing the suit—brought by advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions in 2014—‘overlaps’ and could ‘directly bear’ on the separate Justice Department investigation. The filing also asserts the department could later sue Harvard itself or could join the case as a ‘friend of the court,’ depending on how the Students for Fair Admissions suit plays out.”

The Crimson adds the outcome for this lawsuit is likely to have far-reaching implications for affirmative action across the U.S.

When pictures of the starving polar bears make you depressed: A Princeton professor might have solved glacial melting

Ongoing research from Princeton postdoctoral research associate Michael Wolovick suggests that there might be a simple, practical solution to climate change-induced glacial melting.

The Daily Princetonian reports, “Wolovick is currently investigating glacial sills, or walls made of rock and silt, as a way to block glaciers from exposure to warm water and keep them from melting.”

Wolovick explained that bedrock that grounds glaciers is eroded by melting ice, making the glaciers unstable. Wolovick’s solution would block the warm water from reaching the glaciers, stabilizing the ice shelves.

Randoms:

Channing and Jenna may have separated but John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are going strong. Check out Brown’s interview with ’01 alum Krasinski.

Midterms are tough. Get through them with these Columbia podcast recommendations.

Quote of the Week:

There’s a lot of black and brown bodies here. Traditionally, we’re not heard. But tonight we’re gonna be heard.

Diana Cervantes, Columbia freshman at Take Back the Night event

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Author:
Natalia is a recent graduate of George Mason University where she studied Communication (Journalism concentration) and Global Affairs (Environment concentration) in Fairfax, Virginia. She's looking to enter the media field as a writer and combine her passion of journalism and the environment.