Sometimes it's easy for us to scoff at the idea that Harvard is a heartless, hypocritical institution. It sounds like the rant of a few dissatisfied students, complaining for complaint's sake. But every so often the callousness jumps in your face, impossible to ignore.

After the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, President Drew Faust sent out an email containing these words: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people, the men and women who are working to help them recover from the earthquake that has devastated their nation, and the members of the Harvard community who are anxious for word from friends and loved ones living on the island." A commendable sentiment from the leader of a globally renowned institution, one whose workforce comprises many people of Haitian origin. Right?