"As a female, I'm glad that he sees that a woman has a right to control her own body," said Renee J. Gasgarin '03. "But, as a person struggling for equality, I don't like that he cast me purely as a mother role, like fathers don't have anything to do with it."
Selin Tuysozoglu '03 agreed, saying, "I don't think it is as black and white as [Watson says]."
Fiery A. Cushman '03 said he was not disappointed with the speech. "Just seeing James Watson is enough," he said.
Watson finished his speech by challenging geneticists to "always keep trying to improve the quality of human life."
As he left the packed auditorium, Rudenstine began a standing ovation for the 71-year-old scientist.
Watson stopped at one point to offer advice to his audience.
"Never be the brightest person in the room," he said. "If you are...no one will help you. Always go places where people are brighter," he proffered before pausing. "That's why people go to Harvard, right?"