Gary Orren Has Paid His Debt

I am writing in response to an article entitled "Professor Tenured Despite Complaints of Verbal Abuse," which appeared in The Crimson April 9, 1996. The article was nothing more than a mean-spirited hit piece, and The Crimson should be ashamed to have run it. Good journalism carefully addresses all sides of an issue and respectfully acknowledges a variety of perspectives.

Writer Valerie J. MacMillan's sophomoric article, on the other hand, was strikingly one-sided--based almost entirely on interviews with disgruntled former assistants to Professor Gary R. Orren. The vindictive tone of the article is a sorry attempt to soil the reputation of a well-respected member of the faculty who has made important contributions to both Harvard and the community at large.

Professor Orren has devoted many hours to working tirelessly for City Year, the Boston-based youth service corps, where he has proved to have an uncanny ability to both get along with and relate to an incredibly diverse group of people. He served as both a team leader and as an administrator at City Year, and Professor Orren continues to play a role in the leadership of the organization.

Given that Professor Orren has acknowledged that past behaviors were unacceptable, there seems to be no point to this article other than to unfairly lambast a very friendly and likable man. The Crimson would be better off reporting on current issues rather than digging up an eight-year old story of little current relevance which shamelessly defames a respected member of the faculty. --Alfonso Felder '96,   City Year '93-'94