Six seniors inducted into armed forces at Harvard
Standing on the steps of Memorial Church, near walls inscribed with the names of Harvard’s war dead, six graduating seniors swore allegiance to the Constitution on Wednesday and received their first salutes as officers in the armed forces. The tradition-filled Reserve Officers’ Training Corps commissioning ceremony, held before a small group of families and friends at Tercentenary Theatre, honored the new second lieutenants and ensigns at a time when leadership is badly needed, Harvard President Drew Faust said. Polls have shown that confidence in institutions is low, Faust noted, with public trust in government leaders below 30 percent and business leaders below 40 percent. Faith in the military, however, remains high, at more than 75 percent, likely because the military’s mission is a selfless one — to protect and defend others, no matter the personal cost — at a time when many seem to be out for themselves, Faust said. Those gaining their...