Goldman Sachs is the Right Target for Occupy Harvard

Those members of Occupy Harvard who tried to disrupt the Goldman Sachs information session should be commended. Rather than singling Goldman out, Occupy Harvard has simply targeted the bank as one of many offenders from a financial sector that severely damaged the United States economy. This was not an effort to sway students to work for J.P. Morgan. Indeed, this action represents the best strategy for Occupy Harvard, that is, to disrupt the corporate recruiting process as a whole. This is a campaign where they might have a real impact. Frankly, it is a far better strategy than simply occupying the yard with tents, which draws valuable attention to the movement but cannot be an end in itself. There is nothing “unsavory” about encouraging Harvard graduates to avoid Wall Street. Occupy Harvard is a student branch of the broader Occupy movement, and thus should be concerned about the jobs students take upon graduation. Furthermore, the presence of large investment banks and consulting firms at the Office of Career Services has created a strong anti-intellectual current that threatens Harvard’s academic mission. Faculty and students should applaud those Occupiers who, whether knowingly or not, are defending the university project, even as they skip class to join in a protest movement.

David Weinfeld ’05, a former Crimson editorial columnist, is a doctoral candidate in American Jewish history at New York University.