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Harvard students launch a hunger-fighting campaign even a Business School professor could afford to give to
By adamg on Wed, 12/10/2014 - 11:36am
Jon Staff, a student at Harvard Business School, has set up Harvard Gives: $4 to Fight Hunger:
Negative stereotypes of Harvard and HBS were reinfoced by an article in Boston.com about a $4 dispute between an HBS professor and a small business owner.
In accordance with our community values, we are calling on all Harvard students to flip the script by donating $4 to provide food for those in need.
All donations will be given to The Greater Boston Food Bank, which will match all donations received before December 31.
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Comments
Awesome! This is wonderful!
Maybe Dr. Edelman will offer to triple his donation?!
Edeleman, Ebenezer both start with "E". Coincidence?
Maybe he should follow the precedent set in Ghosts vs E.Scrooge, 1843 and turn over a new leaf this holiday season.
Call me cynical, but
What a load of opportunist hogwash
dude was in such a rush to capitalize on the moment he could not even proofread:
" In accordance with our community values, we are calling on all Harvard students to flip the scipt by donating $4 to provide food for those in need. " (copied and pasted from website, emphasis mine)
I am also getting the image of the wealthy man in overcoat magnanimously flicking some bills at the vagrant in the street
Or perhaps I am not thinking through my own bias enough. But this is my gut reaction.
Okay, you're cynical.
Okay, you're cynical.
Gut reaction, eh?
Here - drink this kombucha and eat some yogurt to help with your microbiome.
"Opportunistic" how?
Doesn't "opportunistic" imply some sort of benefit to one's self? What benefit do you see here?
A less loaded term like "timely" might be a better fit.
my idealism's showing
Because he is using the moment to join the spectacle of it all. He will discuss it in job interviews as the time he founded the "HBS Image Response Project" which "benefited the hungry" and was "successful in raising $yadda yadda...
And because it is using a sympathetic idea like the hungry "Other" to position himself as doing a good deed. Good deeds can be done privately and without fanfare. Those are the best good deeds.
And I repeat the word "cynical"...
Ok, yes, I agree with good deeds being done in private and without fanfare. However, the donation campaign was in response to Dr. Edelman's public bruhaha and over the top performance as of late, no?
And, again, hunger is a very, very real issue in many parts of the state (as well as in many parts of the country). I have no issue with raising money for a great organization such as the Greater Boston Food Bank.
Exactly
I have no issue at all with helpful campaigns that take full advantage of "while we have your attention!!!".
I'm sure the food bank doesn't care, nor do their clients.
But fundraising campaigns are hard to do in private
I have no problem with someone using a public story as a way to feature and raise money for a worthy organization, even if it ends up on the person's resume.
I prefer his type of idealism
his idealism is feeding the hungry. A little bit more productive than snarky web comments. It's your bias that has him bragging in an interview. If I were affiliated with Harvard, I would be grateful to have somewhere to direct my frustration at being made to look bad again by another douchebag. I think he's successfully turned a negative into a positive and setting the donation level at $4 is a great way to chide Dr E.
to reinforce
also: “Negative stereotypes of Harvard and HBS were reinfoced....”
Too late for Edelman.
I could not believe the number of news sources that featured this story this morning. For an allegedly web savvy guy, he seems to have forgotten the way social media works. In his (possible) defense, there's something about him that makes me think he may be a bit Aspergersy and maybe not quite clued in to normal social cues. Or he could just be a jerk.
Good point, Sally.
I checked out his profile on Linkedin; the guy basically has been in school all his life, pursuing degree after degree (AB, MA, JD, PhD), and has only held one major position (according to his profile) - owning his own consulting company (which he started as a master student at Harvard, I believe), until he bagged the teaching job at Harvard Law. Impressive.
Makes me think he might not have a lot of experience dealing with different folks from different walks (i.e. classes, life situations, different backgrounds) of life? Or in another words, not having the "tool kit" to successfully negotiate (even though it is his profession) around issues such as being overcharged and/or someone making a honest mistake? When you are a genius in your own mind, it might be difficult to discourse with the hoi polloi. And who knows how he was raised and what is his life story. Or he could just be a jerk (or a sociopath).
Hopefully, this incident might make him aware of his actions, if he is not, and seek out some additional guidance from his mentors and/or to seek professional help.
those who can do
those who can't teach
You mean those who can't post
You mean those who can't post comments online. Perhaps you've never taught but it's a highly skilled, underpaid job with long hours.
Well, again..
aside from his apparent jerk-a-tude towards the restaurant owner, we do not know how he is as a teacher. He might be an awesome, inspiring and highly rated assoc. prof at Harvard Business School.
I have to agree
The original article posted last night really hit me hard and my heart went out to the owner of the restaurant. I've worked for two decades for a large global consulting firm that employs a great many super smart people with PhDs and I have to say that generally speaking most of them are very, very difficult to work with in my experience. They do not like to be questioned (especially by a manager who doesn't have a doctorate) and will attack your intellect and your abilities at the drop of a dime and dismiss you roundly and publicly if you dare cross them (for whatever reason, they seem to love public humiliation). I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I've had after being victimized by their verbal tirades just for doing my job. It's true that I don't possess their genius IQs nor can I cite random studies off the top of my head but I'm a human being trying to make a living and deserve more respect than most of these brainiacs are willing to give. It's brutal intellectual bullying but they get away with it because we as a society make excuses for them and write off their anti-social behavior as the eccentricities of genius.
You know what, Mr.Smarty Pants??? Go fuck yourself, douche. How's that for a well researched response?
I agree, Chuck.
You have also hit the nail on the head. The behavior you describe (difficult behavior) is something I am quite familiar with (working for a leading educational institution in the Boston/Cambridge area as well as working, in my past, for attorneys). And there is absolutely no reason that anyone should be bullied and/or attacked, in private or in public. Especially if your behavior is brought to light by another party or parties.
As a direct recipient of workplace bullying (one on one and mobbing) in three of my jobs, and being a witness as others were mercilessly bullied, it is definitely a problem that is occurring on a regular basis in many companies.
Dr. Edelman probably thinks he is on a "mission from God" to right the wrongs of the world, in regards to menu pricing errors for one, but the way he is doing so is by being a bully and abusing the power of his impressive education to put those who are not as educated as he, in their places. And that is wrong, whether he is Aspy or not. If he is not aware, than someone should make him aware.
Jonathan Gruber...
...comes to mind.
"My way is great, but I have to lie to you because you're too stupid to understand it."
This guy is 'gonna show you a thing or two.'
Same condescending attitude.
Or Joe Biden
Probably one of the most condescending people out there. Never misses a chance to tell people how smart he is - which makes you wonder how smart he really is.
"I think I probably have a much higher IQ than you do" - Joe Biden
Example from 2008?
...and the best you can come up with is a six-year-old quote? Clean out your fridge, merlin, them grapes went sour a long time ago.
Not from 2008...
.... this was back in 1987. See:
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/08/23/flashback-the-obligatory-i-think-i...
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/08/21/obamabiden-for-the-arrogance-ticket/
It's not *that* long ago
Really? It isn't exactly as if I dragged something up from his misspent youth. This is a guy talking when he was running on the presidential ticket just a few years ago.
And he hasn't changed a bit. He's still an incredibly pompous asshole with all the character traits we see in this Edelman guy.
Well for old folks....
like me, 1987 doesn't seem THAT long ago -- but most people would consider 28 years ago not very current.
And most normal people,
And most normal people, regardless of age, would not consider a discussion of Joe Biden's ego even remotely relevant to this piece of news, but then again, normal people do not have the incredibly visionary ability of modern conservatives to see how everything is connected.
You're the one who said
You're the one who said "never misses a chance", merlin. If that were true, you would be able to come up with an example from today's newspaper, rather than needing to troll back six years for it. You're reaching and coming up empty.
Indeed, these super
Indeed, these super-intelligentsias should learn that the real three dimensional world doesn't rotate in synch with their orderly one dimensional theorem and equation and such , it needs tempering with the human element. Try this one on , it's from a book ,
" but what I am now, I am through the grace of God, and the grace which was given to me has not been wasted. Indeed, I have worked harder than all the others -- not I, but the grace of God which is with me. "
A more modern version , for those not Deus orientated ,
http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=mGPlK2xHJyI
He was at Harvard and never
He was at Harvard and never went into the Hong Kong ?
Methinks he
did not get out much.
Methinks he...
...Has few friends.
It's a First Team All
It's a First Team All-Internet story even without the corgis
Corgi Meme
But for what? Overly cuteness? Bridezillas? Little toy cars?
Aspergian types
are more likely to become engineers and programmers than business school/lawyer types.
Douchebags, OTOH ...
Possibly...but
not exclusively.
Racism
I think it's quite likely he thought an Asian business owner would not know any better and just do whatever he said. And wouldn't possibly take this to social media. Good for them for exposing this asshole.
I'm not buying the racism angle
If you spend a few minutes with Google, you'll see he's like this with everybody. It's just that up until this point, he's been punching up (Google) rather than down (a Chinese restaurant). I bet you he would've done the same exact thing if it had happened to him at a local coffee shop or bagel place.
Never mind, I retract what I said
Sometimes, when you're digging yourself into a hole, the answer is to stop digging.
Boy Who Cried...
Making flippant accusations of (potential, hypothetical) racism when it may not or is not founded can prevent people from taking the role of race seriously when that accusation IS founded. Bigotry is a big accusation to make of someone - much more impactful than saying "wow this guy is an overreacting douche". Just something to keep in mind.
Call me cynical, but
What a load of opportunist hogwash
this man was in such a rush to capitalize on the moment he neglected to proofread:
" In accordance with our community values, we are calling on all Harvard students to flip the scipt by donating $4 to provide food for those in need. " (copied and pasted from website, emphasis mine)
It's less the grammar and more the rushing that is offensive.
I am also getting the image of the wealthy man in overcoat magnanimously flicking some bills at the vagrant in the street
Or perhaps I am not thinking through my own bias enough. But this is my gut reaction.
"Cynical"
Donating money to provide food for those that are hungry is never cynical.
Because
Because it can be done privately, without fanfare
This to me reads more as a PR-move which he will be noting on his resume and discussing in interviews
Is charity in front of an audience really charity?
I can't even remember the person's name
Someone used a public story to bring money into an organization. And all you see is a PR stunt or a way to pad a resume?
Most fundraisers have a name attached to them. How is this different than any of the others we've seen here?
You said already.
You said already.
OH! MY! GOD! HE NEGLECTED TO PROOFREED!!!
If I were homeless, I wouldn't even eat his stupid food.
How is this opportunistic?
As of now, they've raised $900 for the Greater Boston Food Bank, a VERY worthy cause! So they rushed - they wanted to get this posted as soon as possible, to HELP people. This is a very hard time of year for many people, and this is a way of leveraging attention to feed people who'd otherwise go hungry.
I'm no fan of Hahvahd, but I applaud this person for wanting to counteract bad publicity by doing something good.
A typo is your proof of opportunism?
Man, if only I'd known - I'd be rich by now!
Its not about grammar
Its not about grammar/spelling nazism (though I see -and wasn't able to avoid- how it comes off that way) - the typo is indicative (to me) of maybe rushing to "be first" to get this idea out in order to "have credit". I have no problem with $ being donated for a 'good cause'. But I do feel that people who are very public founders of campaigns like this and people who donate 'from afar' are also some of the same people who might feel uncomfortable sharing a park bench or seat on the T with 'the less fortunate' - e.g. the particular, embodied, and living instance of what is easier to think of as an abstracted "Other" who can be "helped". It is not always about throwing money at something -- money most certainly always helps -- but the most important thing is to be kind, patient, charitable, not seeking to dominate, etc. in the little micromoments of the everyday.
These two types of behaviors (donating or organizing donations to charities, and being humble in everyday life) are not mutually exclusive in theory, but in practice I think it does happen. Maybe if the guy had not given his name/identity prominence I would have been less likely to read it as someone positioning themselves as "hero" to Edelman's "villain". I am not a snarky person......but I have had the opportunity to observe people for a long time, and these are my private thoughts/concerns on the matter.
The whole Edelman affair honestly makes me feel ill at ease, especially in the context of Michael Brown/Eric Garner state of affairs. We are always organizing around heroes and villains but lived social life is so much more complicated, and really requires everyone to tone it down a notch, be a little more patient... yes me included
Anyone can set up a fundraising website
It's really not resume-worthy. And maybe the site requires a name be attached to it.
I don't see this guy making a big deal out of it anywhere.
What it's really about
Trolling someone for bad grammar - holding them to a higher expectation because they go to Harvard - saying what you imagine this person looks like or saying you wouldn't eat donated food is exactly what this campaign is about. The villain is not Edelman. When this story broke people said "of course...HARVARD" and "typical Harvard elitist asshole." The point of the campaign was to show that the community is diverse. Yes there are pretentious douche bags BUT the greater community is full of caring thoughtful individuals. No company is going to hire anyone because yeah started an online campaign - anyone with internet access can do that. People need to quit talking about Edelman and typos and see the true intent, which is to take a bad situation and turn it into something good. Over 20,000 meals will be provided to people who otherwise could my afford them because someone had the guts to DO SOMETHING. Stop trolling, stop assuming because those who do - who hide behind internet pseudonyms to bully people who want to make a difference are on par with Edelman!
I'll say
I'll say.
Look, maybe you should just stop beating the "opportunistic" horse. We get your point; it's just that some of us don't agree with it. You're in love with the word, so I won't argue semantics with you, but I will point out that "opportunistic" does not always have the pejorative connotation you're trying to nail on it. Business decisions are "opportunistic" and that's a good thing; it just means that you leverage an opportunity. That's what happened here. The message: "Hey, a member of our university just showed his ass in public over $4. While you're saying to yourself, 'Wow, I'd never act like a jerk over such a petty sum!', now would be a good time to cough up that 'petty sum' to help others, and help diminish the stain that this clown has put on our university's reputation." It is "opportunistic" only in the sense that it used the OPPORTUNITY created by a public spectacle to get people to donate to a worthy cause. You keep arguing that he should have kept it quiet (whoever "he" is, writing this I can't even remember his name...so much for your theory) and done his good in private, and if it were simply a matter of him donating, you'd maybe have a point. But that's not what's happened. Instead, he got a bunch of other people to donate as well. You tell me how you do that "privately".
Wanna help? Give DIRECTLY to food bank
Here's the link to donate to the Greater Boston Food Bank without any fees being subtracted:
https://my.gbfb.org/donate
Details on the fees charged by the FundRazr site:
The Service fee ranges from 5% to 7% depending on the version of the Service offered by the Business Partner...
Recipients pay the Service fee plus a Payment Provider fee of 2.9% + 30¢* per transaction.
On a $4 donation, 61.6¢ or about 15.4%, would go to fees.
I suspect there will still be fees, but hopefully lower.
{begin pedantry}
Unless GBFB's bank gives them free credit card processing, they will probably still be paying a fee, just like pretty much every business owner who accepts credit cards. That fee should be lower than fundrazr's though, as it doesn't include the "Service" fee.
{end pedantry}
501c3
Assuming it's a registered 501c3, the interchange fees deducted will be lower than a brick and mortar store swiping cards.
Great
He will probably ask for a cut.
The Harvard prof is not the jerk here. Read the emails.
Based on the emailed correspondence between Ben Edelmen and the restaurant manager, Ran Duan, it looks to me that Ran Duan is a liar. This is the guy who should make the gigantic donation to food pantries.
Ran Duan admits that their website was incorrect but tries to squirm out of accepting responsibility for maintaining the prices on the site. Ran Duan claims a disclaimer allowing the restaurant to charge different prices from those advertised. Advertising lower prices and then charging higher prices? Bait and switch, fraud and deception. Later on Ran Duan claims the site was for another restaurant not related to his restaurant, or "ownership structure" even though the site listed both restaurants and ordering from the site of one restaurant somehow resulted in food coming from the other restaurant.
Asking for treble damages is hardly unreasonable. It's only $12. But it does let Ram Duan know that he or she is breaking the law by cheating. Perhaps if the teacher had not sounded so lawyerly he might not be seen as the bad guy. But he didn't lie. Ran Duan and the restaurant "ownership structure" lied. They should be donating food to homeless shelters in their area. For that matter if they wanted to show that they are not jerks then they should select a local shelter and provide the Xmas dinner for everyone at the shelter on that Xmas day - and then start making donations on a regular basis.
I have no love for Harvard teachers. I met one who thinks he can walk up to Harvard's counter for IT help several years ago and just announce he wants his computer. When the counter rep (me) looked at him perplexed, and wondering what fool would just say "Give me my computer," he and his coterie of students tittered over his little joke that the dumb counter person didn't know who he was. The sight of a Harvard teacher tittering is a funny itself. Some of them are truly so full of themselves that they have no idea of what kind of fool they look like to the hoi poloi.
But arrogance is one thing, lying is another. The restaurant spokesperson, manager, owner, whatever the person is, lied.
Hogwash
Prof Edelman has apologized (at least sort of) -- maybe this should give you a clue...
Professor Edelman?
Is that you?
Ben? Is that you!?!
Ben? Is that you!?!
I see nothing in the email exchange
to suggest that Mr. Duan was lying. A mistake was made, acknowledged and an offer of apology given, along with an offer of monetary award. It is not the fault of Mr. Duan if Dr. Edelman did not want to acknowledge the aforesaid.
But you, anon, never make a mistake, amirite?
And neither you nor I know if Mr. Duan does not support homeless shelters and/or food pantries. He might very well do so.
Edelman Apologizes
The Apology
Now we can all ponder whether he did this of his own volition or if he was "asked" to do so by someone else in a position of authority at Harvard.
BTW, he may be a douchebag, but I still want to know who released the e-mail exchange to the reporter. If it was him, remove the "may" and replace with "is". If it was someone else, we might have double douchebags.
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
No Boston Dot Com
Thanks for the update but I refuse to even go near Boston Dot Com
in its current state and what seems to be its future state.
"We at HBS, take these issues VERY seriously, and we are overseeing
increased sensitivity training for those who are forced to deal with
the hoi-polloi."
Edelman
He would need at least 3 promotions to get to be a Jerk.