Onlookers Find a Surprise in the Yard

Aspiring Harvard undergrad Stephanie Bianchi had no idea when she left the calm shores of Put-in-Bay, Ohio—population 128—to visit Harvard that she would land in the middle of University President Lawrence H. Summers’ historic resignation.

“I’m speechless, I guess,” Bianchi said yesterday, flanked by her younger brother and bundled-up parents.

“This seems to be a historic day,” Bianchi’s father added.

Although the tension between Summers and the University’s faculty has made national news for much of his tenure, many visitors—and even the occasional Cantabrigian—were caught off-guard by news of the president’s resignation yesterday afternoon.

Summers emerged from Mass. Hall around 4 p.m. yesterday to address a crowd of almost 150 spectators—including members of the national media and groups of cheering students—only a few hours after officially announcing his resignation.

Jumping over a hedge and accidently knocking over at least one photographer, Summers was engulfed by a sea of friendly students who offered handshakes and words of encouragement.

Police and security guards watched from a distance as students greeted Summers with chants of “Stay, Larry, stay,” “We love you, Larry,” and “Five more years.” Summers appeared to enjoy the support.

The initially raucous crowd quickly quieted as Summers started to speak.

“This has not been a simple day in my life,” Summers began.

“I look back on the last five years with a great sense of satisfaction and pride,” he continued, and closed by saying that “Harvard’s greatest days are in the future.”

Although the speech lasted only five minutes, certain students went to lengths to witness it.

“I’m missing my speed-reading class for this,” said Matthew L. Sundquist ’09.

Major media outlets also turned out in droves. A photographer for The Boston Globe, David Kamerman, said that he had showed up just 15 minutes before Summers’ speech.

“It’s pretty typical,” he said of the scene. “It happens all the time.”

Students took a less world-weary approach.

Garrett G. D. Nelson ’09 was “live-blogging” the event for the Harvard College Democrats, and several students took digital pictures of Summers while he spoke. Long-time Summers fan Brian S. Gillis ’07-’08 distributed 40 signs with the popular slogan, “Stay, Summers, stay.”

Yet students weren’t the only ones to flock to the scene.

Admissions office tour guide Lauren L. Jackson ’07 said that news of the resignation disrupted her tour of about 20 visitors.

“I was leaving Memorial Hall and some student comes by and yells ‘Larry Summers is resigning in two minutes!’ to my entire group,” she said. “Technically, we’re not allowed to say anything [about University politics], but this is something you can’t avoid when there’s a mob outside of Mass. Hall.”

OUTSIDE THE YARD

Across Mass Ave., Ben O’Leary, an employee of 15 years at Revolution Books, handed out fliers for an upcoming talk on socialism.

“This is kind of interesting news,” he said of the resignation, adding that he was not a fan of the way in which Summers had commercialized the University.

When told that former University president Derek C. Bok would serve as interim president, O’Leary said only, “That’ll be weird.”

Among the shelves of imported beer and cheese at Cardullo’s Gourmet Shoppe, employee Dan McGraff said he was unaffected by the news.

“Is he mayor or something?” McGraff asked about Summers.

Outside the Harvard Square T stop, Johanna Greenbaum ’03, in Cambridge for the long weekend, said she remembered the president for his pizza parties and willingness to sign dollar bills.

“Maybe he’ll come back as a wildly popular professor,” she speculated.

Also found near the Pit, IBM Professor of Business and Government Roger B. Porter, who teaches a popular course on “The American Presidency,” looked surprised upon hearing the news of Summers’ resignation but declined to comment.

In the Adams House dining hall, Edwards B. Childs, a chef and representative for the Harvard University Dining Services union, was already looking to the future of the University’s leadership.

“The next nomination for president should be Cornel West,” he said.

—Staff writer Liz C. Goodwin can be reached at goodwin@fas.harvard.edu.
—Staff writer Samuel P. Jacobs can be reached at jacobs@fas.harvard.edu.