"I wasn't expecting it. I was taken by surprise, but it doesn't matter," Will said afterwards. "They did their sandbox revolution and then they left and the grown-ups stayed."
Strategic Offense
The demonstration and the awards were meant to offer "a fake support of the white supremacist views of [Will and Mansfield]," according to James Clayton '97.
Clayton said he co-founded Strategic Offense last Sunday at Algiers Coffeehouse along with Oppenheimer, Tamara Chin '97 and Ann Seaton, a graduate student in the English department.
"Today's zap was very successful, considering the group was started only a week ago," Clayton said. "At this point we want to make a statement and move on."
The group currently has 20 members, according to Oppenheimer. The group plans to continue using "theatrical manifestations," he said, to protest against what members see as the intolerance propounded by members of Harvard's faculty.
"So long as the University warmly admits bigots into its ranks, into the faculty of arts and sciences, even on a temporary basis, we will be there...to offer them the warmest of welcomes," Oppenheimer said.
The future of the group remains to be seen, however. "Recognition by the University is not that important to us," Clayton said.
Oppenheimer's parents, who had come to watch the demonstration before departing for a family weekend in Martha's Vineyard, said they supported the group's actions.
"We are completely behind our son," Barbara Oppenheimer said.
Many students who witnessed the demonstration were displeased with the group, however.
"I'm upset and appalled at their outburst," said Scott Singer '98. "I support strongly their right to free speech but interrupting the class is definitely the wrong method to state their concerns."
Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, said he didn't "know if that was the most effective way for them to make their point known. Why didn't they go to office hours?"
Garance Franke-Ruta '96-'97 said that the lecturers' style invited such a response.
"I expected political theater from the audience, but found that the speakers were as interested as the protesters were in engaging in a particular level of dialogue," she said. "I think [the protesters] were addressing the speakers at the level they were asking to be addressed."
Mansfield and Sandel said they were unmoved by the outburst.
"I thought it was a bit raw," Mansfield said. "I don't know of any precedents for demonstrating in the classroom."
"I always have been [ready to discuss my views with students,]" Mansfield said. "I wonder why they didn't stay to listen to the class."
"[The demonstrators] made their protest and the audience seemed to get tired of it," said Sandel. "And then they left, and we went on with the class."
Oppenheimer said that the group's work is far from over, however. "I think you can look forward to Harvard and Boston at large being shaken to the core by further strategic disruptions and interruptions," he said.