BIG DECISION
Potential vote of no confidence in President Liebowitz
■ Over the summer, the Faculty Senate met multiple times to discuss the possibility of holding a vote of no confidence in the President.
By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
Following the 2023-2024 academic year, the Faculty Senate met to discuss concerns with the recent leadership and actions of President Ronald Liebowitz. This May 30 meeting was a special faculty meeting, meaning that it was not scheduled at the beginning of the year through the Office of the Provost. According to the meeting transcript, Provost Carol Fierke responded to questions regarding administration attendance by stating that “[no] one in the administration was consulted about the timing of the meeting nor explicitly invited to this meeting” and that “President Liebowitz was not available at [that] time.”
At the meeting, a motion titled “The motion for vote of no confidence” was proposed. The motion reads as follows:
“The Faculty note with grave concern a consistent pattern of damaging errors of judgment and poor leadership by President Liebowitz. The results this year include badly handled budget shortfalls, failures of fundraising, excessive responses to student protests, indifference to faculty motions, and the recent damaging staff layoffs. The faculty have no confidence in the President’s leadership and we call upon the Board of Trustees to act.”
If the Faculty Senate passes the motion with the majority vote, the motion will be brought to the Board of Trustees for their review. As stated on the Brandeis University website, the board “is responsible for and is the final authority on all aspects of the university’s operations,” including the selection of the University president.
The Board of Trustees is composed of 50 elected members, many of whom are Brandeis University alumni. As of press time, the Board of Trustees member contacted by The Justice declined the request to comment on this matter. In terms of student representation in the face of the board, two undergraduate students and one graduate student have been elected to attend Board of Trustees meetings. The Justice was able to sit down with Quentin Cox, the graduate student representative, to get his take on the matter.
One of the points touched on in the interview was that while the students are elected as representatives to the board, they don’t have to be given time to express their opinions, nor does the board have to take their statements
into account during the decision making process. According to Cox, “Most likely if this goes to the board, it will be handled in a closed door executive session,” highlighting the lack of transparency. “Student representatives are not always provided an opportunity in [meetings] to share their concerns or topics of interest.”
This idea was echoed in an email exchange between The Justice and Student Union President Rani Balakrishna ’25, who stated that “two years ago the Board of Trustees did not cooperate with our representatives, but to the best of my knowledge they are now working closely with our undergraduate student representatives.”
The Justice then asked Cox if it was possible to predict an outcome if the faculty did take this vote of no confidence to the board. He explained that it is hard to know, as “in the past there has been tension between the board and the president.… His contract was in jeopardy a couple of years ago. I also know that last year the board took out a full page ad in the Boston Globe to express their support of President Liebowitz and his handling of matters on the campus after Oct. 7.”
The special faculty meeting on May 30 concluded without a resolution, and a second special faculty meeting was scheduled to take place over Zoom at 4 p.m. on June 5. Prior to this meeting, faculty members were given the opportunity to add further information that they had regarding the motion to a shared Google Drive. One of the documents shared was a petition to postpone the discussion of the vote of no confidence signed by over 80 current and emeritus professors as of Sept. 9.
The primary demographic of the names on the petition is Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics based departments, with some additional members from the International Business School and Hebrew program through the Department of Near Eastern and Judaic Studies. There is a clear lack of humanities and social science based signatures.
The petition calls for postponement of the discussion “until there is sufficient time to review and research the data underlying the arguments presented by the proponents of the motion, and for the administration to respond to these arguments thoroughly.”
They asked that the vote would not take place until August 2024 at the earliest. The signing faculty acknowledged that no matter the outcome of the vote and the potential outcome of the discussion with the Board of Trustees, “Any one of these outcomes may shake the confidence of many of our current students, faculty and staff in the viability and future of our institution, may cause many pro-
See DECISION, 7 ☛
FINANCIAL CONCERNS
Brandeis employees rally for fair wages
■ Over the summer, Brandeis employees and members of local Service Employees International Union branches came together to voice their need for higher paying contracts.
By ELIZA BIER AND ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR AND JUSTICE EDITOR
On Tuesday June 11, a protest with the purpose of negotiating better contacts took place in front of the Berstein-Marcus administrative buildings. Shouts including “Brandeis works, because we do” and “What do we want? Contracts. When do we want them? Now.” could be heard emanating from the area.
Beginning the protest, one participant started “admin would like us to believe that there is no money in the budget for us or to give better wages.” This was a sentiment that was held across the gathering. Others questioned the size of President Ronald Liebowitz’s salary in comparison to the salary of Brandeis faculty and staff, especially amidst ongoing layoffs.
Joanna Fuchs, a member of the Brandeis library staff and the Local 888, spoke at the rally expressing that President Liebowitz and the Brandeis faculty have each other's backs.“If they valued us they would be out here to listen to us,” Fuchs said. She also spoke on the fact that layoffs were occurring and the Science 2A plan was put on pause, all while plans to build a new dorn were being set in motion.
The university’s financial state has impacted many if not all unions on campus, including the graduate student union, who have been trying to negotiate better contracts as they are facing housing and food insecurity.
There was another rally on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 1:30 p.m. The event included members of SEIU Local 509, SEIU Local 888, 32BJ SEIU, graduate students and other supporters from the Brandeis and Waltham communities. The protestors gathered on a stretch of grass in front of the University’s main gates, allowing visibility from passing cars.
Shortly after 1:30 p.m., the rally kicked off. Participants marched in a circle, brandishing posters reading “Grad needs dental,” “Brandeis runs on SEIU
labor,” “Respect us - pay us what we’re worth” and more. Additionally, they chanted in support of their cause, “No contract? No peace! No justice? No peace! No respect? No peace!” and “Who’s got the power? We’ve got the power! What kind of power? Union Power!”
Shortly afterwards, the protestors gathered to hear the first spokesperson, Lennie Dohonoe, a 32BJ member and plumber at Brandeis, give opening remarks.
During an interview after the rally with The Justice, Donohoe said Brandeis employees are “not settling this time.” Donohoe explained, Brandeis is “20-30%” further behind than other universities in terms of paying their service employees. As a result, many employees are unable to support the costs of living in Massachusetts and have been forced to move to neighboring states such as Rhode Island or New Hampshire. The second speaker was Maritza Ayala, a Brandeis service employee. Ayala, in Spanish and then English, spoke on her personal experience as a Brandeis employee. She capitalized on her struggle to meet her family’s needs on her salary, saying that she makes “933 dollars a week but brings 500 home after deductions,” pointing out that her rent is $3300. “Think about that,” she prompted. “Think about us. We have a family, we need a chance.” Currently, Ayala must work overtime to meet her needs and put her son through college.
Following Ayala was Representative Thomas M. Stanley, a Waltham resident and Massachusetts representative for the 9th Middlesex District. In his address, Stanley voiced his concerns regarding Brandeis’ impact on the Waltham community. He articulated that while Waltham is proud of Brandeis, “these workers deserve a fair wage.” He also pointed to the large number of community members who have needed to leave Waltham due to insufficient wages, demonstrating the effects of how Brandeis pays its workers.
Roxana Rivera, he head of 32BJ SEIU,put the rally in the context of labor day, pointing out that the intended purpose of labor day is to support workers and elevate the value and dignity of work. “It’s not enough to do a cookout,” Rivera said. “We have to fight to ensure that we can fight for our families, and ensure
GRACE DOH
Documentary Discourse
The Justice interviews Brandeis alumnus Alissa Fagin '20 about her current documentry project on synethesia.
NEMMA KALRA
Theater owners clash
By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON
By JACK GRANAHAN AND STEPHEN GAUGHAN
Waltham, Mass.
ELIZA BIER/The Justice
See RALLY, 7 ☛
Waltham, Mass.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
WAGES : Over the summer university workers gathered to advocate for increased wages as union contracts expire
Photo courtesy of SALLY WARNER
Summer abroad
POLICE LOG
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
May 17—Medical call for an intoxicated student. Patient was transported to receive treatment.
May 18—Reporting party stated that their mother had cut her thumb and was bleeding. Reporting party requested BEMCo. Patient refused medical treatment. May 31—Party felt dizzy and lightheaded. Patient refused medical treatment.
Jun. 10—Patient was transported to hospital by Armstrong P8l.
Jun. 11—S2/D3 request Armstrong Ambulance for a volunteer psych evaluation.
Jun. 24—Medical emergency for eye injury. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Jul. 14—Party was burned from steam. The situation was cleared.
Jul. 14—Medical emergency for a leg laceration. Armstrong ambulance was notified.
Jul. 20—Party had fallen and then passed out after stepping into a large hole behind the baseball field. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Jul. 22—Four students were injured driving a golf cart. Waltham Auto Tow was called to tow the golf cart to East Quad lot.
Jul. 30—Brandeis Counseling Center requests an ambulance for voluntary Psych evaluation. Patient transported.
Aug. 21—Caller reported patient with rolled ankle. Patient refused medical treatment.
Aug. 24—Party was stung by a bee, refused medical treatment.
Aug. 25—Party had a nose bleed in the front lobby.
Aug. 25—Party accidentally cut their forearm. Patient was treated.
Aug. 25—Party complained of seasonal allergies. Patient refused medical treatment.
Aug. 25—Party reported bleeding from removed fingernail. Patient was treated by BEMCo and refused further treatment.
Aug. 26—Medical emergency for a diabetic reaction. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Aug. 26—Party hit their head on a door. Patient refused medical treatment.
Aug. 29—Report of a student who passed out and would like to be evaluated. Patient refused medical treatment
Aug. 29—Caller reported intense stomach pain. BEMCo and units responded. Patient refused medical treatment.
Aug. 29—Report of a party who took a frisbee to the face. The party was relocated and refused further medical treatment.
Aug. 30—Party was throwing up. Patient was treated by BEMCo and refused further treatment.
Aug. 30—Medical emergency for a par-
ty who slipped and fell. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Aug. 30—Call from the Brandeis Health Center concerning a party with a high fever and sore throat. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Aug. 31—Medical call for party with wrist injury. Party was treated by BEMCo and transported to hospital for further care.
Sept. 01—Reporting party states that patient might have alcohol poisoning. Patient was treated by BEMCo and transported to nearby hospital.
Sept. 01—Caller stated their friend was extremely intoxicated and needed medical attention. Situation was cleared
Sept. 01—Reporting party requests assistance with student throwing up. Patient was seen by BEMCo and refused further treatment.
Sept. 01—Party was vomiting and requested BEMCo. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 02—Reporting party states their friend is unwell and continuously vomiting. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 02—Party was feeling faint. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 02—Reporting party stated her daughter needed medical attention. All appeared in order.
Sept. 02—Medical emergency for an allergic reaction. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 02—Caller reports patient having chest pains. BEMCo and officers responded, and the patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 02—Reported hip injury. Patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 04—Medical emergency for a community member having a seizure. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 05—Medical emergency for dislocated shoulder. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Sept. 05—Party reported abdominal pain. Patient refused medical treatment.
Sept. 05—Medical transport from Brandeis Counseling Center.
RESIDENTIAL
May 18—Student reported a conflict between their roomate and parents. The Area Coordinator on Call was notified.
May 20— Department of Community Living conducting room checks found some 94c paraphernalia. Situation was cleared.
Jun. 24—A Waltham resident reported loud noises in the area. Situation cleared.
Jun. 27—Party reported a panic attack. Officers were dispatched to the location.
Jul. 09—Caller pressed the emergency call box at Epstein. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital.
Aug. 27—Waltham resident near the
CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
■ A news article incorrectly quoted “various” from a speech. It was corrected to “varied” (May 20, p. 1)
■ A news article incorrectly quoted “sphere” from a speech. It was corrected to “spirit” (May 20, p. 1)
■ A news article incorrectly quoted “Ocean” from a speech. It was corrected to “Earth” (May 20, p. 1)
■ A news article incorrectly quoted “Reinstating” from a speech. It was corrected to “re-enslaved” (May 20, p. 1)
■ A news article incorrectly omitted a part of a speech. “at times withering” was added. (May 20, p. 1)
■ An end quotation in a news article was moved to after the word “disurbing” after it was placed incorrectly (May 20, p. 1).
The Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice. org.
The Justice is the independent student newspaper of Brandeis University. The Justice is published every Tuesday of the academic year with the exception of examination and vacation periods.
Foster Mods reported parties talking too loudly and was unable to get any sleep. The Area Coordinator on Call was notified.
Aug. 30—Reporting party complained about loud noises coming from another apartment. The Area Coordinator on call was notified.
Sept. 01—Noise complaint in the Foster Mods area. Community Living notified.
Sept. 01—Caller reported multiple males screaming at each other for around 10 minutes.
PROPERTY AND VANDALISM
May 17—Graffiti was found on a light base near the Rose Art Museum. Staff were able to remove the drawing which was approximately 1” in size. No police action taken.
May 17—Vandalism reported on the Brandeis University sign. Investigation to follow.
Jun. 03—Party reported their basketball was stolen. Investigation to follow.
Jul. 10—Ridgewood B’s fire alarm went off with unknown cause. Officers responded. All appears in order.
Aug. 08—Construction items reported stolen. Investigation to follow.
Aug. 23—Report of unauthorized stickers placed around campus. Investigation to follow.
VEHICLES
May 17—BEMCo reports striking the gate. Situation was cleared.
Jun. 11—Party reported their vehicle was struck while parked in the Athletics Staff parking lot. A note had been left behind by the second operator.
Jun. 13—Hit and run property damage. Investigation to follow.
Jun. 13—Motor vehicle accident involving cement truck and a fuel spill. Emergency Manager on scene and Facilities were notified. Situation was cleared.
Jun. 14—Minor motor vehicle accident. Investigation to follow.
Jun.18—Motor vehicle observed parked within the courtyard with its rear passenger side door open for approximately 2 hours. All appears in order.
Jul. 19—A hit and run was reported.
Jul. 26—Party reported their motor vehicle was broken into overnight. Investigation to follow.
Jul. 26—Party calls and reports a suspect in car break-ins in the Charles River lot. Investigation to follow.
Aug. 08—Neighbor reported that a truck is parked and idling, and is noisy and disturbing the peace. Officers responded and a citation was issued.
Aug. 13—Party reports finding subject of previous report sleeping in their car. Party was requested to move to the area by the International Buisniess School driveway. Party originally agreed, but ins-
tead left campus. Aug. 19—Community member found sleeping inside their car. All appears in order.
OTHER Jun. 26—Attempted fraud reported. Investigation to follow.
Jun. 27—There was a report of harassment. Situation cleared.
Jul. 18—A call was forwarded from Facilities regarding chemical exposure. Situation clear.
Jul. 26—Waltham Police Department assisted in locating a person under Section 12 care who had walked away from treatment.
Jul. 29—Online harassment. Investigation to follow.
Aug. 04—Report of tree debris in Theater lot near path to Goldman-Schwartz. DFM maintenance to respond.
Aug. 09—Reporting party found someone sleeping in a classroom. Investigation to follow.
Aug. 10—A suspicious person was reported on campus.
Aug. 19—Harassing emails were received by a community member. Investigation to follow.
Aug. 21—Party reported receiving threatening messages. Investigation to follow.
Aug. 24—Party reported strong smell of natural gas. Waltham Fire was notified. Building was evacuated and ventilated. Investigation revealed a problem with the stove, and the situation was cleared. Aug. 28—There was a report of past harassment. Investigation to follow.
Aug. 29—Facilities were notified of broken glass in the tennis court area. DFM maintenance to respond.
Aug. 30—Estranged mother attempted to reconnect with a student. Area Coordinator on Call connected with the student, who stated they did not want any contact with her.
Aug. 30—Party reported harassment. Situation was cleared.
Aug. 30—There was a report of past harassment. Investigation to follow.
Sept. 3—Reporting party states there is an unattended bag. The bag was reunited with its owner.
Sept. 03—Reporting party reported harassing phone calls from another party. Situation was cleared
Sept. 03—A caller stated that an unknown white male reeking of marijuana was standing by a car on Loop Road. The male has left.
Sept. 03—Reporting party reports receiving harassing phone calls from another party.
Sept. 04—Report of suspicious behavior witnessed during a class.
Left : White and yellow daisies grow abundantly out of the ground. Right: A large tree shines a vibrant
BRIEF
The University introduces a new artificial intelligence task force
On Aug. 1, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Carol Fierke and Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Stewart Uretsky sent an email to the Brandeis community regarding the creation of a new University-wide artificial intelligence task force. This task force is the University’s second step in managing Artificial Intelligence use; the first being the formation of its Generative AI in Teaching and Learning group, which developed an interim set of Artificial Intelligence recommendations in May 2024 at Provost Fierke’s request.
The task force’s purpose is to “develop a coordinated approach, set best practices, develop clear workflows and ensure the safe and responsible use of generative AI for [the Brandeis] community.” This new technology can be a helpful tool for learning as long as its usage is in accordance with the University’s values.
More specifically, Fierke and Uretsky highlighted that AI presents challenges to academic integrity, intellectual property and data security. Thus, the task force’s objective is to work alongside the Information Technology Service’s Security and Brandeis Data Trustees and Stewards to create a set of “recommended best practices, procedures and
BRIEF
workflows” for community members’ use of AI platforms and ensure the security of University data. The task force will also be exploring ways for generative AI to embellish teaching, faculty and student research and administrative projects.
The new task force’s co-chairs will be University Librarian Matthew Sheehy and Director of Strategic Outreach and Engagement Steven Knowles. The current task force members include the Director of the Russian Language Program, Prof. Irene Dubinina (RUS); the Deputy University Librarian, Laura Hibbler; the Director of Data and Systems Integration, Ian Rifkin; the Chief Information Security Officer, David Albrecht; the Associate Director for the English Language Programs, Scott Moore; the Program Director and Research Associate for Racial Justice x Technology Policy at the Heller School, Ezra Tefera; Prof. Nianwen Xue (COSI/ LING) and the Director of Licensing and Strategic Alliances, Rajnish Kaushik. However, Fierke and Uretsky noted that AI is an “evolving issue” and accordingly, the task force’s membership is subject to change.
New consolidated Campus Use of Space Policy
On Aug 19, Provost Carol Fierke and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Stew Uretsky sent an email to the Brandeis community addressing a consolidated campus use policy open for viewing.
Fierke and Uretsky began by addressing that “events in the United States and around the world” have affected members of the Brandeis community. They pointed out Brandeis’ devotion to the “pursuit of truth,” as well as its “rich history of fostering respectful and spirited debates” — values which the University strives to embody while maintaining an environment free of “harassment, intimidation or threatening behavior.”
The email explained the Campus Use of Space Policy, which is a compilation of existing policies that describe appropriate use of grounds and facilities. It is meant to cover all community members as well as all types of activities on campus, “including protests and demonstrations.”
Fierke and Uretsky also reminded community members about the Rights and Responsibilities which apply to
students, a document which is updated each summer. They encourage faculty and staff to review policies related to student activities, as well as reviewing the Faculty Handbook and Brandeis’ Business Conduct Policy.
To clarify, Fierke and Uretsky highlighted what the policy does not do. According to the email, the consolidated Campus Use of Space Policy does not “change our existing commitment to academic freedom, nor does it address what individuals may say or do on campus.” They also mentioned that the updated policy does not alter Brandeis’ Principles of Free Expression.
The email closed by mentioning President Liebowitz’s new Task Force on Free Expression, expected to make “recommendations by the end of the calendar year,” and maintaining that all Brandeis policies are meant to contribute to a well-positive learning environment with well-defined policies.
— Zoe Zachary
BRIEF
President Liebowitz fails to address layoffs in August address
In an Aug. 14 email to the Brandeis community, President Ronald Liebowitz welcomed students back to campus, sharing summer updates and upcoming changes to the 2024-25 academic year. Liebowitz began by focusing primarily on events that concerned the faculty, expressing a desire to communicate with his staff to hear their ideas for improving the University.
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Over the summer, six employee appreciation events were held by the Brandeis University Staff Advisory Committee and Human Resources. Multiple meetings and conversations took place over the summer. Provost Carol Fierke and Liebowitz met with the Faculty Senate Council, members of senior administration and small faculty groups. All of these meetings discussed a vision for Brandeis’ future.
What Liebowitz failed to mention in his email was that these conversations were happening amongst campus-wide community member layoffs in which approximately 60 faculty members lost their jobs. On March 14 of last semester, Liebowitz sent an email to the community that explained due to financial uncertainties, unanticipated budget cuts would need to be made. This included re-considering the necessity of staff and faculty positions that are not externally funded. Despite taking the opportunity to thank and express gratitude towards those who “make Brandeis run” Liebowitz did neglect to mention these layoffs. Liebowitz did share that fundraising goals have been exceeded by 16%, making this the second-best single year of fundraising since 2009 and donors have endowed four faculty positions. He also selected some summer academic activities to highlight, including SciFest
XIII which was held on Aug. 8. The 37 students who received World of Work funded fellowships. Prof. Sara Shostak (SOC) with three alumni from the class of 2024 produced a manuscript based on research performed by her capstone class on Waltham Field Community Farm’s Produce Prescription Program. The launching of the Summer Institute on Countering Antisemitism in Higher Education. The Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Charles Golden, led a research project in Chiapas, Mexico involving undergraduate and graduate students from Brandeis. Lastly, Liebowitz states that discussions have begun on an “enriched residential life system” that focuses on first and second-year students, though Liebowitz failed to clarify what exactly this means.
In Liebowitz’s closing remarks, he noted some physical changes to campus. Some of these changes include: continued renovations in the Shapiro Campus Center, the moving of the Game Room from Usdan Student Center to the SCC, new televisions in common areas, a refurbished dance studio in Village, and new equipment in the Rosenthal dorm gym. They have also begun plans for a 650-bed residence hall which is expected to “break ground” by next summer. President Liebowitz concluded his email by expressing his interest in engaging with faculty and improving campus facilities.
—Niámh Mullen
Architecture: A bright turquoise building adorns a lively street corner in Boston’s North End. Graphics: courtesy of WANT LIST RECORDS
Brandeis dining hall workers call on Harvest Table for better contract
■ Employees gathered in front of Usdan Kitchen on Monday afternoon to protest unfair wages.
By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
At 2:40 p.m. on Sept. 9, the usual post-lunch stillness in Lower Usdan began to dissipate as Harvest Table employees started to fill the booths outside Dunkin. The energy began to build and at 2:45 p.m. People started to clap and chant, making their way past Louis’ Deli and the Hive before settling in front of Usdan Kitchen.
“What do we want?” asked one of the employees.
“Contracts!” responded the crowd.
Contract negotiations between employees and Harvest Table — Brandeis’ contracted culinary group — were supposed
to be finalized over the summer. However, the food service company failed to meet their employees’ desired terms necessitating higher wages. Today, employees demanded Harvest Table management to listen. “We want to fight!” shouted one employee.
According to the online employment database Indeed, Harvest Table employees report hourly wages ranging from $17.36 for a line cook to $19.16 for a sous chef. Employees on Indeed report a 30% “salary satisfaction.” According to Glassdoor, in terms of a yearly salary a Hospitality Services employee for Harvest Table can be expected to make $35,000 to $55,000 a year, and a Diner Cook Lead can be expected to make $36,000 to $49,000 reportedly. Meanwhile, the city of Boston’s minimum cost of living is $56,360 a year, which is 47% higher than the national average.
There were a handful of student participants in the crowd, including one, who spoke on behalf of other community members in support of the workers in the Brandeis L26 union. “Stu-
dents know who their allies are,” they said, “[and] Brandeis employees deserve to be well fed and live in Boston on a fair wage.”
After the rally ended, another student, who did not identify themself, added that from their perspective, Brandeis students should stand with the employees that feed them. The student shared their mother works in a similar employment position, so the issue of not paying hourly workers a living wage is personal.
The issue of accountability surrounding the alleged unfair treatment of employees working in the University’s dining halls is ongoing. A speaker explained more simply that “workers blame Harvest Table,” and “Harvest Table blames the Brandeis administration.” The administration has already faced complaints this year from the Service Employees International Union Local 509, SEIU Local 888, and 32BJ SEIU as graduate students and Brandeis faculty have also raised concerns about unfair wages.
Embassy Theater owners clash on Facebook after months of unrest
■ Disputes rise over The Embassy Performing Arts Center, which has housed both Tim Nasson’s movie screening and Smaranda Maria Albeck’s dance studio since March 2024
By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON JUSTICE EDITOR
The enticing scent of liquid yellow butter combined with the crackle of popcorn can be a unique sensory experience that encourages movie theater goers to enter the halls of brightly lit poster displays, life-sized cardboard cutouts, and bond over arts, entertainment and occasionally the overpriced tickets and pretending that $10 for a tub of popcorn is a reasonable price, all in the name of escaping reality for a couple of hours. Arts and entertainment can not only hold the potential to transport viewers to alternate universes, but to unify movie goers of all backgrounds. Yet, in recents days, the Embassy Theater on Pine Street in Waltham has become entangled in controversy.
This past February, the Embassy Theater in Waltham was given another chance after it closed its doors in 2022 due to a decrease in ticket sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Smaranda Maria Albeck, founder of Boston Rhythmic, bought the property in March of 2023 with the goal of expanding her dance school, which has locations in Hyde Park and Westborough. Albeck says she received a special permit in 2022 from the city that allowed her to renovate four of the six screening rooms into dance studios, while the remaining two stayed untouched.
Since its reopening in February, the property — now known as the Embassy Performing Arts Center — has been hosting weekly classes and summer camps for students and their families, alongside screenings of popular first-run movies such as “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” “Inside Out 2,” and “The Holdovers.”
However, Tim Nasson, the now former executive director of the theater, and Albeck are actively disputing over the operations of the theater.
Nasson, who has been in the movie business for over 30 years, claims that he and Albeck have a contract requiring the theater to gross $750,000 from box office sales, concessions, gift cards and rentals in 2024. Nasson declined to provide The Justice with a copy of the contract, but asserts that it mandates daily operations with a full schedule during school vacations, holidays, weekends, and summer break. He says that Albeck
had breached the contract by halting movie showings until after 4 p.m. on weekdays from June through August so that she could use the lobby for gymnastics camp.
Nasson argues that Albeck failed to recognize that limiting showtimes during the profitable summer season was detrimental, writing in a Sept. 6 email to The Justice that “[Albeck] said in writing ‘kids are at camps and at the beach in the summer. No one goes to the movies.’” He goes on to state, “That is how incompetent she is when it comes to knowing anything about how a movie theater runs.”
Albeck’s view differs. “There is no breach of contract,” she wrote in a Sept. 8 email to The Justice. “The building and businesses within the building are in full compliance with all state, city and local requirements.” She adds that neither she nor her attorney have received any copy of a contract between her and Nasson.
Additionally, Nasson points to a supposed abatement from the the City of Waltham to Albeck, on the condition that she keeps two of the auditoriums in operation as movie theaters. He claims that the two screening rooms are supposed to operate daily and show first-run films.
According to Albeck there is no such ‘contract’ with the city. She clarifies that while she was issued a special permit by the city for the Embassy Performing Arts Center, and that “there is no mention in any city documents about what kind of programming there should be scheduled at the Embassy.”
The Justice obtained a copy of the order from the city that grants Albeck the “the right to amend a Special Permit, Order No. 28404, dated June 23, 1997 [….] to allow a Minor Modification to said Order to permit the use of a Performance Arts Center to coincide with the movie theatre use as permitted by Order No. 28404.”
During a property tour with The Justice on Sept. 8, Albeck explained that the operational model under Nasson was financially unsustainable as it relied too heavily on walk-in moviegoers. She also mentioned the challenges of managing students and navigating through moviegoers with multiple screenings occurring daily, especially during summer camps. Instead, she envisions hosting scheduled special events such as film director talks, stand-up comedy, themed film screenings, and live music. For her, the goal is to enhance community engagement and better predict attendance and financial outcomes —, not showing blockbuster movies.
The dispute between the two parties has now extended beyond in-person arguments and spilled over into Facebook.
“Appropriate parties have been informed about Smaranda’s multitude of lies, gaslighting and manipulation,” Nasson wrote in the comment section of a recent story from The Waltham Channel on Facebook. “She owns no business with
the name EMBASSY THEATER, no IPs with the business name ‘EMBASSY THEATER.’ I OWN ALL OF THEM.”
Albeck confirms that Nasson has revoked her access to any Embassy Theater Waltham accounts and says he has falsely claimed online that the theater is permanently closed. She says the theater is open, but it appears to be on a smaller scale. During the Sept. 8 visit, Albeck was showing CatVideoFest 2024, a compilation of cat videos, with about 10 people in attendance. She had other showings of the same movie on Sept. 7, and Aug. 30 and 31, but attributes the limited types and frequency of showing to Nasson, who she says “has erased much of our software, including the ticketing system.” According to her, Albeck is in the process of recovering the digital assets. Once resolved, “we will resume and expand our movie programming,” she said.
Most of the online exchanges are happening on The Waltham Channels’s Facebook account.
In defense of Albeck, Facebook user Tom Arena, commented, “Tim Nasson something wrong w you. Business disputes arent handled by public attacks, hijacking resources and [attempts] to damage business. Malicious vandalism. Lying to [the] public, defamation, take it to court, not internet. I had very nice popcorn friday, and didnt appreciate the “we’re closed” email from hijacked domain.”
Others have expressed their disappointment in Albeck’s management of the theater.
Another user, Steve Sur, wrote “Very sad.. people all over the area looked to the Embassy for 1st run movies.. and were so glad they were back this past year. Bad move to let that go. Very disappointing.”
Albeck and Nasson are also making their presence known. Albeck brainstorms with commenters on the future of the theater and Nasson accuses her of having “engaged in abusive, toxic, harassing and gaslighting communications … committing over 100 ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] violations … [and saying] the concession stand has been shut down by the city for expired Serve Safe licenses.”
The Embassy Theater Waltham account, which Nasson controls, says that his “lawyer will be filing an injunction against Smaranda, the owner of the property at 16 Pine Street, if she does not honor our contract.” Noticeably, the comment section of the theater’s account has been disabled, while Albeck’s personal account and the Waltham Performing Arts Center account continue to allow comments.
It is unclear the future of the theater and what will come of the dispute. However, Albeck did write to The Justice that she and her lawyer are “considering legal action” for “all the false rumors he is spreading on the internet about our business, me personally and his efforts to sabotage our business.”
Photo Courtesy of CREAIVE COMMONS
Theater: The Embassy Performing Arts Center at night.
GraphicsELIZABETH LIU/The Justice
“We’re not asking for caviar or a Rolls Royce. We just want the dignity”
■ Graduate students gather together at an administration hosted office hours, to express their concerns regarding finances.
By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON AND ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR AND JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
The day after the beginning of the fall semester, all graduate and undergraduate students at Brandeis received an email from Vice President of Student Affairs Andrea Dine, advertising open office hours with the Brandeis Administration. These office hours were described as an “opportunity for you to get to know various members of the senior administration.” It was also an opportunity for senior staff to hear about students’ experiences at Brandeis.
The first of the seven total office hours scheduled for the week of Sept. 9 took place on Monday from 10 to 11 a.m. in Hassenfeld Conference Center with Executive Vice President of Finance & Administration Stewart Uretsky and Associate VP for Student Affairs Shelby Harris. Members of the Graduate Student Union took the opportunity to speak with senior staff and share their desire for financial security through a new fair contract agreement.
At approximately 9:50 a.m. union members gathered in the Shapiro Campus Center. As a collective, approximately 12 members walked over to the conference center. Before entering the conference room they gathered for pictures and chanted “Brandeis works because we do.”
Graduate student unions have been in bargaining negotiations since last spring, as their old contracts were set to expire on June 30. There have been at least 10 bargaining meetings since, but no agreement has been reached.
During the almost hour long display of dissatisfaction with the University, many graduate students and graduate student employees shared similar struggles of paying rent, health expenses and facing food insecurity.
“I’ve been a graduate student for five years now. In that time I have had to compromise on my health by buying food that is too cheap. By not going to the dentist. By living in poor housing conditions,” said Sarah, a graduate student in the math department. She explained that these circumstances often lead to her not completing her best work as a student and an employee, as she is unable to take care of herself in the necessary way.
Ian, PhD student at The Heller School for Social Policy and Management, expressed how the pay does not reflect the work of graduate student employees.
“In the time I’ve been at Brandeis, I’ve brought in five grants to the University, three individually and two as part
BRIEF
Brandeis switches to new version of Moodle
On Sept. 3, University Librarian Matthew Sheehy and Director of Data and Systems Integration Ian Rifkin sent an email to University students announcing that the University will be changing its Learning Management System from Moodle 3 software to Moodle 4. The University has referred to the Moodle 3 platform as LATTE — Learning and Teaching Technology Environment — for its 17 years of use.
Moodle 3 “[required] a significant upgrade on the same scale as a new product implementation,” according to the University. After surveying the needs of faculty, staff and students through interviews, surveys and listening sessions, the Academic Technology Advisory Committee recommended that the University implement the updated platform. The Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Carol Fierke, and the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, Stewart Uretsky, informed University faculty and staff of the change in an announcement on July 21, 2023 and provided several updates in spring 2024.
The University highlighted Moodle 4’s “mobile-friendly responsive design, simplified navigation that is contextual -
of a research team,” says Ian. “Despite all of that money I brought in for research, I currently work three jobs and the biggest challenge I’ve faced in making progress on my dissertation is the amount I have to work outside of my research to afford the cost of living.”
Brandeis is classified as an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, meaning that it has shown dedication to research, financial invest -
ments in science and engineering, a sizable research faculty and can show that there are a significant number of doctoral degrees granted in diverse disciplines.
Many of the union members believe that graduate students are an investment for the University and attribute Brandeis’ classification as R1 to its graduate employees.
“I think part of what makes Brandeis such a good institution is that it’s R1,” Sarah points out. “I think we really want to keep that R1 status and we know what goes into that. It’s students graduating in five years, and students graduating on time.” She elaborates by explaining that if a graduate employee needs to work multiple jobs and teach extra classes during the school year and over summer breaks, they are unable to conduct research and graduate on time.
Many of the attendees also expressed their concerns for the undergraduate students, who take classes taught by graduate
the Justice!
ly relevant, ongoing focus on accessibility, robust teaching and learning capabilities, innovative communication and chat features and improved security and Learning Tools Interoperability capabilities.” The new platform has a modernized design, tabbed navigation and is compatible with most mobile devices. Since these changes make Moodle 4 an entirely different interface from Moodle 3, Moodle 4 will not continue to be referred to as LATTE.
In order to make this transition as smooth as it can be, the University created Moodle Guides for faculty and students to use to gain a better understanding of the platform. The library will also be offering workshops and open office hours with instructional technologists throughout September.
BRIEF
students. Graduate students question how they can possibly do their best at producing quality teaching if they are underpaid and concerned with making ends meet.
After union members had the opportunity to express their feelings, Uretsky shared his appreciation for their advocacy and the time that was taken to show up to the office hour. He acknowledges that their concerns are “real issues” but notes that “there’s a lot of competing priorities.”
Some competing priorities include “deferred maintenance,” that according to Uretsky “the university historically has not had sufficient funds to do everything that it wants to do and should be doing.” Other areas include tuition affordability, providing as much financial aid as possible and ensuring that the university can adequately allocate about 55% of its total budget to wages.
Feeling as though they are not treated as investments, some graduate employees pledge to not invest back to the university as future alumni
“I went here for undergrad, when I graduated in undergrad, I planned on being a regular donor. I would try to give $20 a year,” says Kat Roch, a third year PhD candidate in the history department, who also graduated from Brandeis as an undergraduate student in 2016. “Since I started my PhD program here, I have stopped donating money. Not because I can’t afford the $20 a year, although saving it does help, but because I no longer feel like Brandeis cares about me as a student and as a student worker.”
During the office hour, Harris expressed her empathy. “I’m sad that you have to keep doing this,” said Harris, who expressed a similar experience of having to pay off student loans while living in the Boston area. “I hope that this comes to a resolution that works for you all and works for the University as quickly as possible.”
When asked about his vision and five-year plan, Uretsky shared his desire to ensure that the “incredibly rich history” of Brandeis continues to have a future, through investments in faculty, staff, facilities, and “all of the things that make for a rich experience here.”
However, graduate student union members are skeptical.
“I appreciate that mission on paper so much,” Sophia said in response. “‘We’re all just here trying to warn you that we don’t think this path is leading towards that vision. When I came to Brandeis, hallmarks of Brandeis that excited me, that I was proud to tell peers about, are being threatened every day.”
The gathering ended just before 11:00 a.m., with a silent exit from the conference room. Graduate students are expected to return to the bargaining table this Thursday in hopes of agreeing on a contract with the University. The old contract that was scheduled to expire at the end of June was extended, but the extension is set to expire once again on Sept. 20.
New Game Room opens in the Shapiro Campus Center
On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the Brandeis Department of Student Engagement celebrated the opening of the Shapiro Campus Center’s new Game Room.
Located on the second floor of the SCC, the Game Room is home to a variety of games and activities for Brandeis students to enjoy. The new Game Room has continued to offer popular amenities, including three pool tables and two ping pong tables. What’s new are the two designated video game rooms that offer large televisions and spaces to play the Nintendo Switch, the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5. Students can reserve equipment for the Game Room by presenting their Student identification cards at the service desk on the first floor of the SCC. Traditional board games and lawn games such as cornhole, giant scrabble and bocce are also available to reserve.
The Game Room is just one part of the Shapiro Campus Center Enhancement Project, which was announced by the Brandeis Division of Student Affairs in April 2023. The project began with the reallocation of SCC meeting spaces among student clubs and organizations in May 2023. Shortly after, the Brandeis Food Pantry was moved from the Usdan Student Center
to SCC room 316. This summer, the SCC received a fresh coat of paint, bright canvas prints featu
ring Brandeis students and a new line of study desks on the second floor, in addition to the new Game Room. According to the executive summary of the Shapiro Campus Center Enhancement Project, next steps will include a reevaluation of food service offerings in the SCC as well as the continued maintenance of meeting and lounge spaces. Before it was relocated, the Game Room previously resided in the Usdan Student Center alongside the Brandeis Food Pantry. Now that both the Game Room and the Brandeis Food Pantry have been moved to the SCC, it is unclear what the empty space in Lower Usdan will be used for. Currently, the room seems to be a mixed study and gathering space where students can relax on couches, sit around large tables or work at desks. The room may also serve as an overflow space for both Upper and Lower Usdan, offering additional seating during peak dining hours.
— Sophia De Lisi
ELIZA BIER/the Justice
— Madison Sirois
DECISION : Special May faculty meeting occured as school ended
spective students to choose other options for their education, and may cause the majority of alumni and donors to turn their backs on us, rather than supporting us in our time of need.”
Those that signed the petition supported the statement that “this motion will distract from our actual urgent task, which is to ensure that faculty understand the budget, organizational and layoff issues and have a more informed voice in decisions being made about the FY25 budget,” and proposed their own motion to postpone the vote. The postponement motion highlighted the need of other topics important to be discussed and reiterated the need to wait until at least August 2024.
In contradiction to the petition, a document was created on June 3 by Prof. John Plotz (ENG), Prof. Sarah Mayorga (SOC) and Prof. Elizabeth Ferry (ANTH). This document was written to be shared with faculty in order to provide clarification regarding points brought up in the May 30 meeting. In the introduction, the professors explain why this document was necessary, stating that “faculty have sought further clarification on many of the issues below from the administration; the administration has consistently failed to open channels of communication, to provide additional information to faculty concerns, and even to answer the most basic questions about everything from the budget to the handling of student protests on campus.” The introduction also expressed concern for the future of the University, stating, “The information available regarding enrollments, undergraduate matriculation, PhD slots, and the recent mass layoffs of staff seemingly indicate that our situation at Brandeis is becoming increasingly dire and requires swift and decisive action from faculty.”
The first section of the document was titled “Badly Handled Budget Shortfalls,” reviewing Brandeis’ financial state and explaining that while comparable institutions are also facing financial challenges, Brandeis is further at risk due to lack of strategic and advanced planning. They explained that “Brandeis is facing lower enrollments, heavy debt to finance failing infrastructure, and an increased draw from the endowment (7%) for FY ‘25. There is a pattern of limited fiscal transparency as well as a lack of consistent and clear strategic planning.”
The second document section was titled “Failures of Fundraising” and discussed the absence of a capital campaign, which is believed to be vital. “We are in a particularly challenging position with a new residence hall to build, a new science building announced (and paused), and now a significant shortfall on enrollments for the fall,” the document stated. “While all of these issues are not solely the responsibility of President Liebowitz, fundraising is perhaps his most important job.” They called for further transparency regarding fundraising efforts and called out fundraising deficits, saying “Fundraising totals were in fact down last year (FY’23, $75.5 million) in comparison to FY’22 ($94 million).”
This section also detailed the potential detrimental effects that this continued decrease in funding could result in, explaining that in order for Brandeis to remain an R1 ranked institution, 70 PhDs need to be received per year — and if Brandeis loses its R1 ranking, our funding will decrease even further. The document went on to address the consequences of decreasing PhD slots, stating that this would impact “faculty ability to conduct research in labs, support the teaching of large classes, and mentor/supervise under -
graduate researchers.” When speaking to Cox about the stability of graduate programs and funding at the University, he stated, “I think overall this administration has failed to take into consideration the well-being of students as these decisions are being made. There has been a lack of transparency and a lack of communication and students have been left in the dark.”
“Excessive Responses to Student Protests” was the title of the third section of the document, detailing what resulted in the Nov. 10 rally and how it was handled. The section starts by explaining how “in 2020 the University hired consultants to undertake a comprehensive review of campus policing and safety. The final report, issued in April 2021, identified an ‘overreliance’ on campus police, which constituted a drain of resources, particularly troubling at a moment in which Brandeis faces budgetary strain.” It went on to detail how recommendations were given to University administration regarding potential courses of action and how these recommendations were not followed. The section then described the recommendations given by the faculty following the Nov. 10 rally and how those were also ignored.
The same idea was again brought up in the fourth section of the document, titled “Indifference to Faculty Motions,” which discussed how the faculty senate overwhelmingly voted in support of many motions, including pieces of advice regarding how to better both the lives of students and the University itself, that were also ignored.
The final section of the document was titled “Staff Layoffs and Turnover,” detailing how the administration “has moved to eliminate 60 staff positions amidst widespread complaints of overwork from staff across units.” According to the writers, “Staff are absolutely essential to the mission and daily functioning of the university and are not dispensable. These layoffs will create unmanageable workloads for remaining staff, which will likely lead to increased turnover and department dysfunction.” The document goes on to call out the lack of transparency from administration through this process, stating that secrets have been kept.
The document concluded by acknowledging that while many are afraid that this vote could send Brandeis into a state of crisis, the writers believe that the University is already in one. They review Liebowitz’s presidency at Middlebury College, detailing his unpopular ventures and stating that they “eventually requir[ed] messy and costly legal action by the subsequent President to undo. Nine years after his departure, Middlebury is still dealing with the fallout of some of President Liebowitz’s financial decisions.”
The Justice spoke with Prof. Carol Osler (IBS) over email on Aug. 30 regarding the potential concerns that could arise as a result of this vote. Osler shared a document with The Justice detailing these concerns, the first being that the previously mentioned necessary capital campaign would become even more delayed. Osler’s document also noted that this potential vote would take away the trust that donors have in the University due to their personal relationships with Liebowitz, leading to less secured fundraising.
Osler also shared that many of the financial deficits that began prior to Liebowitz’s presidency, and doesn’t believe that switching presidents will solve the changes needing to be made to repair the structural deficit.
One more document that was provided prior to the June 5 meeting aimed to correct claims made during the May 30 meeting. This document was put together by Prof. Sacha Nelson (BIOL) and Prof. Michael
Rosbash (BIOL). It clarified that while many faculty have been concerned with the lack of a capital campaign, the campaign is just in its “quiet phase” and is on track according to letters from Liebowitz that were received by students, faculty and staff in 2022 and 2024.
The document also addressed claims of poor fundraising, stating, “Although it is correct that there was a drop in new gifts and pledges as measured by the first two-year sum during the beginning of Ron's term, this is expected during presidential transitions. The last completed two-year sum (2022-2023) was $169M, double the first two-year sum of Ron's term and the highest since 2007-08.”
The final point argued by Nelson and Rosbash was that the Shapiro Science 2A project has not negatively impacted the current financial crisis of the University. Instead, they explained that “[there] was no bond issued and a major reason listed for postponing the project was to avoid the debt service at this time. This was shared in a letter from Carol, Ron and Stew Uretsky to the Science 2A Stakeholder Representative Group on March 1, 2024. This plan was shared with and approved by the Board.” The conclusion of the document was that more time should have been spent when crafting the motion for the vote of no confidence to ensure that all facts were correct, and they encouraged everyone to attend the June 5 meeting.
Faculty gathered on Zoom for the second special faculty meeting on June 5, resuming the previous conversation regarding the proposed motion. At this meeting, the chat function was heavily utilized in addition to speaking aloud as members of faculty debated different sides of the argument.
It was pointed out by Prof. Plotz that Liebowitz was not present at this meeting either. Faculty discussed the difficulty that they have been having regarding receiving information requested from administration, with Prof. Amy Singer (HIST/NEJS/ IMES) stating: “Ron’s latest distribution of material gives us no new data, despite the claims. Our experience has been that every request for additional and more granular information has yielded pretty much the same result.” This statement was also echoed by Madeline Leonardos, who is a data analyst for the Institute for Child, Youth, and Family Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Leonardos stated, “If this university was functioning properly, it would not be so difficult to find the evidence needed to make an informed decision here.”
The sentiment of lack of transparent information was mirrored by Prof. Mayorga, as she expressed, “In this moment, when Pres. Liebowitz’s approach to campus decisionmaking is in question (e.g. lack of a strategic plan, transparency, and accountability) we have gotten more of the same “Background” document. That to me signals that we have not misunderstood Pres. Liebowitz’s leadership, but characterized it accurately. This is why we must act now and call the question.”
During this meeting, faculty also expressed unhappiness with the recent layoffs, and explained how they have harmed the community in multiple ways. Prof. ChaeRan Freeze (NEJS/WGS) explained that “the loss of our precious staff means the loss of institutional knowledge. The departure of people like Kate Stutz who was the director of pre health advising has left many pre-med students in the lurch. I have heard from so many students about the challenges they are facing because of this one departure. Imagine what it will be like with the loss of so many staff members.”
The recent layoffs were also cited as a reason for the vote of no confidence to continue moving forward, as Heller School Senior Re -
search Associate Robert Ressler stated, “this faculty body has already moved too slow to save our lost staff colleagues.”
After much discussion, the meeting concluded with a vote regarding potentially postponing this motion until the fall. The votes came in as 52% yes, 45% no and 3% abstain. The next faculty meeting is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall, and this conversation is set to resume then.
In an email exchange with The Justice on Sept. 5, Prof. Mayorga continued to share her support for the motion. Mayorga stated that “in comparison to the growth that Brandeis’s peers have experienced across multiple areas during his presidency, Brandeis has fallen behind.” She also shared her plans to discuss the data that she has collected at this upcoming faculty meeting. Mayorga expressed her understanding regarding the caution many think is necessary when it comes to the vote, but explained that she now feels that doing nothing is reckless and “for [herself] and those in favor of this vote of no confidence, [their] support comes from a place of care for students and faculty and staff colleagues, as well as a commitment to Brandeis’s longterm success.” She expressed hope in the vote after further discussion regarding state of affairs and future conversations regarding what kind of leadership is truly needed.
When requested from Brandeis communications, Prof. Gannit Ankori (FA/WGS) received the statement “Ron is taking a 10 percent pay cut, and members of the President's Management Council will not get raises this year.” Professors across campus are all prepping their arguments ahead of this Friday’s faculty meeting, where the motion for the vote of no confidence will be brought up once again.
This sentiment regarding conversations surrounding a good leader was echoed by graduate student representative Cox as he detailed some qualities that a new president would benefit from. When asked to speak on this topic, Cox stated, “I think one would be someone that has a track record of raising funds, two I think someone that’s collaborative, who is proactive in coming forward and creating conversations, and including everyone in the community in the critical conversations about the future of this university.” Cox also stressed the importance of having a leader “who is empathetic and is concerned about the wellbeing of everyone in the environment,” which to him includes all staff, faculty vendors and contractors that work on campus. Lastly, Cox said that “with the nature of all that’s happening in the world today, we need a leader who is able to bring people together, who is able to facilitate an environment where different viewpoints and concerns, issues and perspectives can exist together in harmony.”
Over an email exchange on Sept. 6, Assistant Vice President of Communications Julie Jette shared with The Justice that “it will be up to the faculty to determine the future of the motion that was put forward last spring. Over the summer, the administration has provided a great deal of information at the request of the faculty. We also provided opportunities for faculty and staff to meet with University leaders in order to share information and answer questions. Our faculty and staff hold a wide range of viewpoints and positions regarding Brandeis, and President Liebowitz will continue to engage in dialogue with our entire community over the many issues that are currently facing us and higher education overall.”
RALLY: Two union rallies held before the school year began
that our children are able to do what we were not able to do.” Echoing Ayala’s sentiments, Rivera emphasized the importance of a salary upon which employees are able to support their families.
Sarah Dennis, a graduate student worker in the mathematics department, spoke next. She started her speech by pointing out that the nine month graduate stipend doesn’t cover the cost of food and rent, and continued by elaborating on the emotional load involved in her work. Dennis, as a math PhD student, is required to spend at least two years teaching calculus. In a post rally interview with The Justice, she explained “Calc is mostly freshman, they ask questions about everything - I had a fight with my roommate, what do I do?” illustrating the emotional load of her work. In addition to financial stress and food insecurity, Dennis feels that her stipend does not reflect the emotional undertaking which is involved in her work.
Following Dennis were two more Brandeis students: Zach, a graduate worker in the physics department, and a representative from the Brandeis Revolutionary Students Organization.
Each gave brief statements in support of the worker’s union.
After the RSO representative spoke, an unknown male passing by in a car shouted “Communist scumbags!” at the rally, which was met with a cheer from the rally participants.
The next speaker was Jonathon Feinberg, a representative from the New England Jewish Labor Committee. Feinberg pointed out the inconsistencies between Brandeis’ treatment of staff and Jewish teachings, stating to the protestors “thousands of years of Jewish tradition are on your side.” According to Feinberg, the Jewish sages agreed unanimously on the right to take action when things were not right, aligning with the rally’s purpose of arguing for more just wages.
After Feinberg’s speech, the protestors continued chanting and walking. As they did so, Rivera gave closing remarks, capitalizing on the power in the worker’s union. Rivera specifically pointed out an upcoming union meeting on Sept. 10, calling on her community members to show up and advocate for their cause.
| Ralph Waldo Emerson
Nature always wears the colors of the spirit
Television series “The X-Files” premiered on FOX in 1998.
Off the page and into the thick of it: First run of Puerto Rico study abroad program took students to see environmental effects of climate change
Three students in the Environmental Studies program reflect on their experiences while abroad in San Juan, Puerto Rico this summer.
This past summer, 12 students took their environmental studies to a new level as they explored the local landscapes of Puerto Rico. Associate Professor Sally Warner (ENVS) led the first study abroad program in San Juan, Puerto Rico where students stayed at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón and studied with local faculty. The five week program hinged upon immersive learning and gave students interested in climate science an educational experience built into the Caribbean landscape.
The program, set to be offered in June of every even year, was created with consideration of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival students, providing an opportunity to go abroad without a passport and fulfill the Applied Learning Experience requirement for the Environmental Studies major.
While in Puerto Rico, Warner taught an oceanography course similar to ENVS 21b, the oceanography course she teaches at Brandeis. “The difference was that instead of talking about coral reefs, we went and snorkeled on a very degraded coral reef,” Warner shared in an Aug. 29 interview with The Justice. Seeing a coral reef in such destructed condition proved eye opening for Warner, whose classes cover the effects of climate change on coral reefs from ocean acidification to coral bleaching. By integrating academic and cultural field trips into the coursework each week, the program gave students an experiential learning opportunity which is unique to the land.
In addition to enabling these handson experiences with the Puerto Rican ecosystems, one of Warner’s main goals for the students was to understand the environmental challenges of the region and contrast that from what they’ve learned in their classes while living in an ecologically different place like Massachusetts.
Climate change has had devastating consequences for the Caribbean island, from stronger and increasingly frequent hurricanes to eroding beaches that contribute to its rising sea level. These rising sea levels submerge marshes, dry
By GRACE DOH JUSTICE EDITOR
land and mangroves. In light of these environmental plights that face the region, Warner noted the imperative for sustainable development — especially in its vulnerable state of recovery from Hurricane Maria, COVID-19 and the following financial crisis.
In conjunction with the oceanography course, students were able to learn about Puerto Rican perspectives in ENVS 25a, “Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Development in Puerto Rico,” taught by Universidad del Sagrado Corazón Prof. Carlos Muniz Osorio.
In Osorio’s sustainable development course, students learned firsthand the importance of the mangrove ecosystem among other topics related to resource depletion and pollution.
One of the biweekly field trips the class took into nearby communities was to the Las Mareas neighborhood, which flourishes both ecologically and economically on the local mangrove forests. This was a fascinating experience for Kira Rodriguez ’27, whose final report for Osorio’s course explored the interconnectedness of the Las Mareas community and its mangrove forests.
“They were just cut at half height,” she said in a Sept. 1 interview with The Justice, recounting her experience seeing the damaged mangroves.
Something about the image of these trees stuck in a slow recovery resonated with Rodriguez. “It was like a bunch of little sticks, the size of your finger [...] there was like flourishing greenery, but there’s just one section that’s half the height,” she continued.
Each member of the abroad program has their own preferences about which path in the environmental sciences they intend to go down, whether that’s something they’ve always known or are still navigating. Rodriguez is interested in human to environment interaction: “I was extremely excited about ‘Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Development,’ because for me, environmental dimensions, sustainable development means the people to environmental interaction, which is what I want to focus on with
Design: GRACE DOH/The Justice.
BIODIVERSITY: Students in ENVS25a took weekly field trips to local forests.
Photo courtesy of LYRA GOLD
COASTAL VIEWS: Students studied organisms and ecosystems on the Caribbean coast.
Photo courtesy of LYRA GOLD
my environmental degree.”
Being half Puerto Rican and having family that lives on the island, this was not Rodriguez’ first visit to Puerto Rico. While Rodriguez was already a Spanish speaker, she realized while taking the Spanish language and Puerto Rican culture course held during the first week that she spoke a different dialect of the language. She ended up learning a lot and enjoying the immersion experience.
“The very last day of the course, our teacher gave us her contact information so if we’re ever back on the island, she would want to hang out,” Rodriguez recalled. She continued, “That’s Puerto Rican culture. Once you meet someone — it doesn’t matter if you’re family or not — if you meet them and you’re a good vibe, they will want to hang out with you again.”
Rodriguez was sure about her main goal going into the abroad program: getting to meet the locals on the island. She reminisced fondly on her time spent with the tour guides in Salinas — who were all around her age — and on the last night of the cultural immersion course, where the class did Spanish karaoke with the instructor. Rodriguez also made sure to make time to spend with her cousins, taking road trips and visiting beaches.
Islay Morrison ’26 knew she wanted to go into environmental studies since the eighth grade when she discovered an interest in marine biology. While she hasn’t had many opportunities to be able to study in-depth about marine sciences at Brandeis, the Puerto Rico program provided an opportunity to learn more about the things that pique her interest.
“I learned best by actually being out in the field and making real world connections with what I’m maybe reading about in a textbook. And I knew that in Puerto Rico, I was going to be able to actually do that,” Morrison explained in an Aug. 30 interview with The Justice.
Like Rodriguez, Morrison recognized the trip to Las Mareas as one of the group’s most memorable excursions. Her other favorite trip was to a small
nearby island which is home to a graduate school for marine biology and marine sciences. The visit was the basis of her final project for Warner’s oceanography course, which explored a disease that is currently being found in the long spined urchin populations in the Caribbean.
On this trip to the graduate school, students visited a lab where the long spined urchin species was being reared to be returned to the reefs in an effort to rehabilitate the population.
The next day, Morrison saw the same affected urchins in the reefs while snorkeling with the group. She noted, “That is probably the most memorable experience of reading about the scientific studies and then actually seeing it in the field.”
It was Morrison’s final project about the urchins that affirmed her confidence in pursuing work in the field. Prior to the trip, she had been torn between taking a natural science or humanityfocused route in environmental studies.
“The Puerto Rico program not only proved to me my passion in the natural sciences but it also proved to me that I have the capabilities to be able to enter this field,” she said, reflecting on her change in direction as she considers graduate school and her career after Brandeis.
Lyra Gold ’27 is interested in the marine science side of environmental studies and knew that she wanted to study the ocean close to the water.
Having received Warner’s early insights about plans for the program, Gold knew going to Puerto Rico was something she wanted to do. Coming away from the trip, she feels that what it really did was solidify her inclination towards her interests in the field.
Her final project for Warner’s oceanography class concerned the overfishing of the queen conch in the Caribbean and the ecological and cultural importance of preserving them. She was inspired by the class visits to Las Marenas and La Parguera where she was able to see the islands that served as burial grounds for discarded shells in pre and early Columbian Puerto Rico.
Being able to see the lasting impact of Hurricane Maria was another point of interest for Gold, who noted that the effects on the island are still extremely tangible: “Looking at infrastructure and how that has changed on the island since 2017 when the hurricane hit made that a lot more of a physical reality than just seeing it in the news or reading about it.”
While hearing about the damage from Hurricane Maria is one thing, seeing it up front was entirely different for Gold. She spoke on how it helped her confront the future of climate science in understanding the need for both preemptive and recovery measures for hurricane control. “We have to both learn to look at solutions that are going to be preventative, but also we have to be patching up things that are already very broken,” Gold said.
Gold was impressed by the great amounts of biodiversity she was able to witness as the sustainable development class walked around different coastal forest ecosystems. “It was almost shocking,” she said about the experience of seeing how the plants, animals and climate would differ from place to place. She continued, “There was so much change in such a small area. You could tell everything was perfectly adapted to how it had to live.”
At their closing brunch when
everyone went around and talked about their favorite moments, there was one that stood out for students and professors alike. One night in La Parguera, the full moon was shrouded by layers of clouds, allowing the Parguera bay to shine brighter than ever. “Our guide said it was the brightest bioluminescence he had ever seen in that location,” Warner remembered. Rodriguez explained that because it had rained just before they arrived, the salt from the nearby salt mine flowed into the bay, feeding the lichen with its nutrients. With the moon obscured and the salt intensifying the bright blue bioluminescence, all 12 students swam in the surreal beams of neon light.
MARINE LIFE: Students in the oceanography course went snorkeling on a coral reef.
Photo courtesy of SALLY WARNER
DEGRADED CORAL: Climate change causes ocean acidification and coral bleaching.
Photo courtesy of SALLY WARNER
GROUNDS: The group visited an indigenous burial site.
Photo courtesy of SALLY WARNER
OCEANOGRAPHY: Lyra Gold ’27 (left) and Islay Morrison ’26 (right) inspect wildlife.
Photo courtesy of SALLY WARNER
GREENERY: Puerto Rico study abroad group stand at a hillside viewpoint. From left to right: Josh Campbell, Rebecca Leon, Audrey de Garmo, Samantha Kipperman, Caleigh Abbe, Kira Rodriguez, Islay Morrison, Shani Dar, Kate Wisnudel, Elena Guarente, Lyra Gold, Gillian Mulder and Prof. Sally Warner (ENVS).
Photo courtesy of SALLY WARNER
Anna Martin, Editor in Chief Eliza Bier, Managing Editor
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EDITORIALS
Welcome and welcome back
Welcome back, and to all the firstyear students who have just joined us, welcome. Though these first few weeks can be trying, we hope you settle in and find a home in our community. A word of advice from us veterans: spend time outside. It makes such a difference — and it will really help you to fight off the seasonal gloom when it arrives in the winter months.
But as much as you are throwing yourself into all this campus has to offer, it’s just as crucial to pace yourself and enjoy the process. At this university, students have a strong appetite to achieve anything they set their mind to: completing three majors, two minors, joining executive boards for clubs on campus and more. While that is impressive and commendable, it often puts pressure on students to have their life plans figured out.
As first-year students, there is no rush. This campus has a lot to explore when it comes to classes and future careers. Don’t be afraid to try new clubs, drop a course when it doesn’t align with your interests or get acquainted with different departments on campus. You’ll
find exactly what path is meant for you with some trial and error.
During this exciting time as you begin to navigate the next four years at Brandeis, it’s imperative to remember that while achieving your academic and extracurricular goals is important, having a work-life balance is paramount. Moving further into the semester you’ll have midterms that feel like they last a lifetime and finals that follow shortly after; it can be a very stressful period. However, if you build in moments to rest, hang out with friends or even go on a mindfulness walk for just 30 minutes it’ll make a big difference.
We also wanted to extend our thanks to all those who have been working behind the scenes to ready campus for our arrival. To all the facility and administrative staff members – thank you for being the backbone of student life, helping us all transition back to academic, student employment and club settings. Amid mass layoffs, your work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Here’s to a new year of connection, learning and hiking up the Rabb steps for all.
A rocky start to the semester
Every fall semester is a time for possibility and growth. Each year, we watch a new group of first-years eagerly explore the campus they now call home, excited to meet new people and embrace the change that comes with starting one’s college career.
Usually, upperclassmen sit back and watch with nostalgia as first-year students attempt to navigate their first weeks at Brandeis — but this year, things look different to us too. As we walk the familiar paths of campus, we can’t help but notice what’s missing: the approximately 60 Brandeis community members whose positions were eliminated in a series of layoffs this summer.
When President Ronald Liebowitz sent out an email to the Brandeis community about the University’s financial situation last semester, we knew that there would be budget cuts. However, polition eliminations were not mentioned in President Liebowitz’s March 14 email — so it came as a surprise to many students when The Boston Globe and other news sources began reporting about layoffs at Brandeis in late May.
This editorial board has raised concerns about the lack of communication and transparency from administration in past editorials. Often, groups of Brandeis community members are excluded from communications about important campus issues — and this time was no different.
Instead of hearing about the layoffs from University administration, students were forced to learn from outside sources. Some of us heard about the layoffs from news sources or word of
Dear Editor,
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Judge Rotenberg Center in Canton, MA provides behavioral treatment to Autistic and Disabled residents using the methodologies of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). JRC’s behavior modification program relies heavily on aversion therapy.
Aversives that are used to modify behavior include: food deprivation, restraint, solitary confinement, GED skin shocks, etc. While the JRC contends that they only use the shock device for dangerous behaviors their own literature [effectivetreatment.org] states they can predict a dangerous behavior and will use aversives for things as simple as raising a hand, standing up, making noises or stimming, a self soothing behavior used by people on the spectrum such as flapping their hands. These claims have been refuted by Government Investigations.
#StopTheShock: A Campaign Exposing the Dangers of Aversive Shock Conditioning at the Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) in Canton, Massachusetts and Supporting Legislative Action!
The Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC) is the only facility in the United States that continues to use Electric Skin Shock Devices on Autistic and Disabled Individuals as a form of Behavior Modification. The Graduated Electronic Decelerator [en.wikipedia.org] (GED) is a device that delivers a powerful and painful shock to Autistic & Disabled individuals who behave in ways that are deemed inappropriate by staff at the center.
The GED has been known to burn skin and is traumatic for individuals exposed to the device. Shock therapy lacks an effective method for withdrawal, and its residents have claimed they are unable to connect their behavior to the shocks, leading to unwanted side effects. The GED is designed to be six times stronger than a police taser and is worn 24/7 including sleeping and showering. The use of aversive conditioning through electric shocks is not only ineffective but also a violation of basic human rights.
Six people have died under suspicious circumstances while under the care of JRC but no criminal liability was attached to the school until 2011, when Matthew Israel was indicted on charges of obstructing justice for destroying evidence of Andre McCollins, a New York City autistic teenager, being strapped to a board and shocked 31 times over 7 hours for not removing his coat. The first shock was given after he did not take off his coat when asked and the subsequent thirty shocks were given as punishments for screaming and tensing up while be-
ing shocked. In the video, McCollins can be heard shouting “Someone, help me, please!” The JRC staff listed not taking off his coat as a “major disruptive behavior”, for which he was administered a GED shock.
Cost & Funding: JRC is a non-profit organization paying no taxes to our state. It costs [projects.propublica.org] $291,414 per year to keep ONE resident at the JRC, paid for in tax dollars. For the fiscal year 2021 the center got $89 million or 98% of its total public support and revenue from state government agencies.
In September of 2021 DCFS began sending kids taken from abusive conditions to this abusive facility and by the fiscal year end, they spent $2.8 million. Government grants totaled $4,651,447. Massachusetts must do better!
Currently the JRC operates under the protection of a thirty-six year old consent decree. That decree was entered, and has remained in place, after State agencies resorted to pretextual and bad faith regulatory practices to disrupt JRC’s operations in the 1980s and 1990s. The State agencies that remain bound [cases.justia.com] by the decree have since moved for its termination without success.
In 2013 the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture [spcommreports.ohchr. org] concluded that the GED violates the UN Convention Against Torture. The Association For Behavior Analyst International [abainternational.org] (ABAI) stated “we strongly oppose the use of contingent electric skin shock (CESS) under any condition”. Regardless of these statements, over the past few years, many attempts have been hit with roadblocks by our state courts and politicians.
The MA Stop The Shock Coalition is organizing a Huge Protest @ Judge Rotenberg Center (JRC)‼️
Date: October 5, 2024
Time: 1-4 PM
Place: Judge Rotenberg Educational Center 250 Turnpike St Canton, MA 02021
Free Shirts, Snacks & Waters will be available!
For more info go to https://stoptheshock.info [stoptheshock.info]
Sincerely, Elisa Hunt
Lead Organizer
MA Stop The Shock Coalition
mouth, while others had the misfortune of seeing a favorite staff member post on LinkedIn that they were now “Open to Work.” This indirect way of discovering a major change to our campus community has left many students, faculty and staff feeling betrayed by the University.
In light of the layoffs, a number of staff members have chosen to leave Brandeis for roles with better stability.
As per an Aug. 21 email from Dean of Arts and Sciences Jeffrey Shoulson, there has been a restructuring of the administrative staff in the Divisions of Creative Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. In conjunction with the layoffs, these two developments have placed a burden on remaining University staff members, forcing them to take on additional work and responsibilities.
Although we want to be optimistic about the upcoming school year, it is difficult to hold onto hope when the changes happening around us are overwhelmingly negative. As the semester progresses, this editorial board once again calls upon University administration to be more open in its communication with students, faculty and staff. All of us deserve to be kept informed about major University decisions, especially when those decisions impact our campus community so profoundly.
As an editorial board, we also wish to extend our support to all of the University staff members whose positions were eliminated during this summer’s layoffs. We are endlessly grateful for all of the time and work that you have dedicated to the Brandeis community. Your loss is deeply felt, and
The Devil’s Advocate: Bucking Trump, backing Harris
By JACK GRANAHAN and STEPHEN GAUGHAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITERS
Introduction: This was not the column we wanted to write earlier this year, nor does it reflect what we might have written in 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000 or before. The principal purpose of this column in The Justice has been to present competing arguments on important issues, to promote critical thought and dialogue. In this piece, however, we write with a different intention. Whether or not you agree with the positions we take below, we hope you will consider them, though we respect those regular readers who choose to skip this edition.
For Democracy, Against Trump (Gaughan):
At the Democratic National Convention this past August, a small series of Republican former officials, including former Republican Adam Kinzinger of Illinois and former Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan of Georgia, diverged from their party to back Vice President Harris in the upcoming election. They spoke primarily, on the circumstances of the previous presidential election, in which former President Trump was resoundingly defeated, yet refused to concede. Instead, he wove a web of conspiracy theories surrounding false allegations of voting irregularities, triggering a wave of violence and threats thereof against those responsible for presiding over the electoral process. This, they recognized, as did a bipartisan House Select Committee of which Kinzinger was a member, resulted in the deadly Jan. 6th, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, perpetrated by believers in the former President’s lies. Meanwhile, for three hours, the President refused to speak against violent supporters as they stormed the heart of American democracy.
Then-House Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming acknowledged frankly ahead of her vote to impeach then-President Trump that he “summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack.” As a result of his actions that day, and in the leadup thereto, Trump faces a litany of federal and state criminal charges, to complement the 34 counts of felony falsification of business records of which he has been convicted in New York.
I am a moderate. I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans alike, and when over the course of his presidency Trump encouraged Americans to read the documents on which his political opponents attacked him — from the Mueller Report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and arising matters, to his indictments — I have generally obliged. While occasionally the contents of these materials have been misconstrued against him, they have never realistically been used in his favor. The fact of the matter is that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report depicted a man surrounded by incompetence, who himself likely participated in ritualistic obstruction of justice in his first years in office. He was impeached — the first time — over a quid pro quo in which his administration withheld $391 million in aid and from a warring partner state,
Ukraine, and waved the carrot of an Oval Office meeting before its president, all in demand of a potential investigation of his political opponent’s son. In this, he created the misconception of U.S. disinterest in the sovereignty of our democratic allies that awoke Vladimir Putin’s aggressive adventurism. He taunted vital allies and mocked their leaders, drawing their own petty insults, and weakening the U.S.’ global standing.
In the last year of his presidency, he promoted quack cures and nonsense political approaches to the raging COVID-19 pandemic, while hundreds of thousands of Americans died. In short, his presidency was a catastrophe.
To oppose a Trump return is not to embrace the left-wing of American political culture, but to ensure a reasonable debate between the left and the right another day, rather than one dictated by a man who has already proved himself definitively and dangeously unfit to lead. In the aftermath of a horrific attempt to assassinate the former president, he pledged moderation. He lied. Immediately thereafter, former President Trump selected Senator James David Vance (R-OH) to be his running mate. Vance, once a thoughtful intellectual who reflected on America’s working class in the Rust Belt, and a voice of calm, collected, conservative opposition to Trump’s renegade hostility against all who wrong him, has reinvented himself as a vindictive isolationist. This ticket, together, is not “anti-woke,” but antidecency, positioning itself against all that has defined American democracy, lawfulness and global aspiration.
This column is not an endorsement of President Biden’s aborted second term pursuit, and this section has nothing to do with V.P. Harris. My point should be clear: both the American people, and the American spirit, deserve better than Donald Trump. While some correctly point out that in the aftermath of Trump’s flailing presidency, our allies began to contribute more to our collective security, they miss the fact that this investment spike begins not with a leader’s inspiration, but with a dictator’s invasion, and an international lack of confidence in American support for American values abroad under a second Trump term. It’s time to end the nonsense, and reject Donald Trump not just for who he is — a hateful, vindictive philanderer, and a convicted criminal –– but for what he’s done, and what he’s likely to do if he is returned to the height of global power.
On the issues we have showcased in previous editions, we have possessed a variety of opinions, and demonstrated those both in line and in conflict with our own. On the matter of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, however, The Devil’s Advocate elects to present a united viewpoint. Both in spite and because of politics and policies, and with the understanding that our words here will be of negligible impact, if any, our intention below is to offer our own, shared view of this election.
The Case for Kamala Harris (Granahan)
When President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential election on July 21, I was immediately convinced that the 2024 election was over, and former President Donald Trump would return to the Oval Office in 2025. In my view, to replace a successful incumbent with his seemingly unpopular vice president, due to the bad faith agerelated arguments of the Trump campaign and the uncommitted votes of anti-Israel extremists, was an irreparable mistake. Although only time will tell whether or not former President Trump will win, I now believe my initial hostility towards Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy was shortsighted.
Although she has often stayed out of the limelight, one cannot decouple Vice President Harris from the achievements of the Biden administration. While vice presidents are generally not given the same credit as their superiors, they still play a role in developing the frameworks for presidential administrations. Since Harris was inaugurated as vice president, American infrastructure has received more funding than it has in decades thanks to bipartisan legislation. Same-sex and interracial marriage have been codified into federal law. LGBTQ+ men are no longer barred from assisting their communities by donating blood. Military veterans exposed to toxic burn pits now have expanded access to healthcare. Ukraine continues to endure against all odds despite Russia’s invasion. Six Americans, most notably Evan Gershkovich, Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, have been repatriated from Russian prison camps. Thanks to both a U.S.-brokered temporary ceasefire and a U.S.-assisted military operation, 117 Israeli, Thai, Nepalese and Filipino hostages in Gaza have been rescued from the clutches of Hamas. It would be irresponsible to ignore Vice President Harris’ ties to the success of her and President Biden’s administration. Even still, Vice President Harris’ influence has exceeded that of almost all who have held her position. During his tenure as vice president under former president Barack Obama, Joe Biden did not cast any tie-breaking votes in the Senate. Vice President Harris has cast more than any vice president in American history. Thus, she can claim direct credit for having passed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which is preparing the America of the future
The opinions expressed on this page are those of each article’s respective author and do not reflect the viewpoint of the Justice.
Fine Print
to run on clean energy sources like nuclear power, while allowing thousands of Americans to procure lifesaving prescription medications like insulin at affordable costs. Though she continues to be erroneously portrayed by some as a failed “border czar,” Harris has assisted the Biden administration in making some of the most meaningful progress on immigration reform in the last century. Since the Trump administration’s disastrous Title 42 order (which barred virtually all land entry to the U.S. at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic) was revoked, estimated “gotaways” have plunged. Given the opportunity to cross the border legally, fewer immigrants are choosing to evade law enforcement, instead opting to pursue the American dream through the legal asylum process. In contrast with a man who has repeatedly stated that “the American dream is dead,” Vice President Harris has outlined a platform that will go beyond her previous accomplishments in ensuring that the American dream remains alive and well. It contains bold, yet attainable proposals such as massively bolstering America’s high-speed rail infrastructure, implementing child tax credits and paid family leave, enforcing universal background checks on firearm purchases and putting American astronauts on the moon once again. As a breath of fresh air in modern politics, Harris’ platform also compromises with broadlysupported conservative positions, explicitly rejecting calls to defund police departments while supporting an increased security presence at the southern border to keep bad actors and deadly substances out of America.
Above all else, Vice President Harris has embraced a vision for this country that her opponent refuses to acknowledge — one in which all Americans can succeed and prosper. While there is no one-sizefits-all description of an American, there may be no ticket more representative of this country than a teacher, football coach and decorated Army veteran from middle America, behind a daughter of immigrants who dedicated her career as a prosecutor and a U.S. senator to serving America’s most populous state. A month ago, I was not particularly excited about Vice President Harris’ presidential candidacy. Now, I can enthusiastically say that I will be voting for Kamala Harris, a demonstrated American patriot and fighter for what is right.
ANNA MARTIN/The Justice
The authors of Devil’s Advocate endorses Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
The Gaza Health Ministry’s Modern Blood Libel:
Anti-semites have used the blood libel for over a millennium to falsely accuse Jews of murdering non Jews in order to terrorize and murder Jews and cast disapprobation on the Jewish people.
The first blood libel occured in 1174 in England with the murder of William of Norwich. (“The Murder of William of Norwich. The Origins of the Blood Libel in Medieval Europe, E.M. Rose, 2015).
The Damascus Affair in 1840 was another blood libel that encouraged antisemites to terrorize and murder in Jews. (“Blood Libel. The Damascus Affair. Ronald Florence, 2004).
Over the last century, however, antisemites have presented the blood libel with a new iteration: legitimate Jewish self defense being denigrated as a blood libel.
First one must remember that unfortunately and tragically civilians are killed in war. Sometimes thousands . Sometimes millions. The evil that initiates many wars often does not die easily.
After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor in which Imperial Japan murdered 2300 individuals, the United States and its allies defended themselves demanding Imperial Japan’s unconditional surrender. Imperial Japan continued to pursue its evil policies and did not unconditionally surrender until 500,000 -- 1,000,000 civilians were killed.
Similarly after the Nazis invaded Poland on 9/1/39 and began to maraud across Europe killing millions of civilians, the Allies defended themselves and demanded an unconditional surrender. However the Nazis refused to unconditionally surrender until nearly 40,000,000 civilians were killed .
These numbers are important to remember when one examines the blood libels that have been used to deny the fact of legitimate Jewish self defense in Mandatory Palestine and Gaza.
On November 29, 1947 the United Nations General Assembly created a two state solution( Partition) for the Jews and Arabs in Mandatory Palestine. The Jews accepted it. On November 30, 1947 the leader of the Arabs, Nazi war criminal the Grand Mufti Amin al- Husseini, when he rejected this two state solution simultaneously commanded the Arabs to: “Murder the Jews. Murder all of them”.
At that point the Arabs began to murder the Jews of Mandatory Palestine who had accepted Partition. The Jews defended themselves in what could be described as a civil war. Of course on May 14, 1948 five Arab armies invaded Mandatory Palestine promising the genocide of the Jews -- consistent with the Grand Mufti’s command.
On April 9, 1948 there was a battle at Der Yassin in which 107 Arabs died. As described by Professor Eliezer Tauber in his recent exquisitely detailed study of the events of April 9 in which he compared survivor testimony,
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
both Arab and Jew, and was able to detail the circumstances of practically every death:
“Seventy percent of the about 1,000 inhabitants of Der Yassin managed to escape the attack( because the attackers let them escape), twenty percent were taken prisoner, and ten percent were killed. As we have shown, the ratio between Arabs killed and injured ( about 100 each) did not suggest a massacre. Even more indicative is the fact that double the number of Arabs were taken prisoner than were killed. This is an even better metric, because the decision to take individuals prisoners was an intentional act on the part of the captors ( unlike when injuring people ). Finally the fact that the overwhelming majority, ninety percent, survived the attack is the clearest refutation of the accusation of a massacre. “ The Massacre That Never Was. The Myth of Der Yassin and the Creation of the Palestinian Refugee Problem”, Professor Eliezer Tauber, 2021.
Not only does Professor Tauber expose the “massacre” at Der Yassin as a blood libel, but just as importantly so does CONTEMPORANEOUS Muslim journalism which describes the Arab leaders’ modus operandi of screaming the blood libel of “massacre” to inflame the Arab populace against the Jews.
On April 9, 1953 the Jordanian daily “Al Urdan” reported: “For the flight and fall of the other villages it is our leaders who are responsible because of their dissemination of rumours exaggerating Jewish crimes and describing them as atrocities in order to inflame the Arabs..By spreading rumours of Jewish atrocities, killings of women and children etc., they instilled fear and terror in the hearts of the Arabs in Palestine, until they fled leaving their homes and properties to the enemy”. See: “The Palestinian Delusion. The Catastrophic History of the Middle East Peace Process”, Robert Spencer , 2019, page 83.
On October 7, 2023 , - there was a ceasefire on October 6 - Hamas and hundreds of its Gazan civilian willing executioners in a surprise attack not unlike Pearl Harbor murdered 1200 Jews including in a frenzy of antisemitic misogyny raped, murdered, eviscerated, disemboweled, cut off breasts and sliced wide open vaginas of hundreds Jewish women, girls, infants and Holocaust survivors.
See: “Screams Without Words’: How Hamas Weaponized Sexual Violence on Oct 7”, NY Times, 12/28/23); Evidence Points to Systemic Use of Rape and Sexual Violence by Hamas in Oct 7 Attacks,” Beth McKernan, The Guardian, 1/24/24; “U.N. Team Finds Grounds to Support Reports of Sexual Violence in Hamas Attacks”, NY Times, 3/5/24).
See also: “Screams Before Silence”, directed by Anat Stalinsky, produced by Sheryl Sandberg.
So just as the United States responded defensively to Pearl Harbor, Israel has responded defensively to October 7. Unfortunately there have been many civilian deaths
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
The Wonderful Life and Strong Policies of President Ebrahim Raisi Letter to the Editor - Mehdi Alavi The Justice Iran’s Helicopter Crash
On May 19, 2024, Iranian President Sayyid Ehrahin Raisi along with a few other Iranian officials were tragically killed in a helicopter crash in a mountainous region in the north of Iran near the border with Azerbaijan. Following Israel, the media conglomerate outlets reported the tragedy but demonized his person.
On 26 May 2024, ABC joined others and called Mr. Raisi the Butcher of Tehran. In 1988, Raisi was not the judge who ruled to execute some members of the Mujahideene Khalq (MEK) terror organization. He was just a judicial committee member overseeing political prisoners, including those associated with the MEK. The same media outlets are now silent about Benjamin Netanyahu who has caused the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians, mostly women and children. They avoid to call Mr. Natanyahu the Buctcher of Israel.
As usual, the media ignored Raisi’s accomplishments in advancing the domestic economy and international peace.
In Mr. Raisi’s last year, the United States government was arming Israel’s genocide against the Oppressed Palestinians. It was suppressing the student movements across the country in support of them. It was pour-
especially since Hamas has stolen over $1 billion in aid designated for roads, schools, hospitals, etc and used every dollar to build an underground electrified Pentagon under every square foot of Gaza as a base to murder Jews. In addition the civilians of Gaza have made clear their enthusiastic support for the atrocities of 10/7.
(See:” ‘Ordinary Gazans’ and October 7: Hatred Among the Population and the Massacre”, 11/14/23, Jeffrey Herbst, former President of Colgate University and Chair of the Department of Politics at Princeton University, New York Daily News).
Finally, the blood libels since October 7 of the Gaza Health Ministry, a propaganda arm of Hamas, of vastly exaggerating the number of civilian deaths in Gaza as well as blaming civilian deaths caused by Hamas or Palestine Islamic Jihad on the Jews are de rigueur to inflame the Arab populace and their supporters and fill the pages of antisemitic journalists and commentators across the globe with antisemitic calumny after antisemitic calumny .
The single clearest example of the blood libelous foundational purpose of the Gaza Heath Ministry occured on October 17, 2023 when it spewed the antisemitic calumny that the IDF was responsible for a rocket that had landed near the al Ahli hospital and had killed numerous civilians. This blood libel was repeated by every news service just as Hamas and the Gaza Health Ministry intended. Subsequent investigations with detailed telemetry by many independent organizations demonstrated that these deaths were caused by a misfired rocket by Hamas ( Palestine Islamic Jihad?) and that the Jews had nothing to do with it. This is nothing more than the blood libel that has its roots in many centuries of blood libels. Similarly every inflated civilian casualty figure released by the Gaza Health Ministry has now been shown to be nothing more than a blood libel. For months the Gaza Health Ministry has been spewing civilian casualty figures of 35,000 or more. This blood libel has been continually repeated by Hamas’ sycophantic journalists across the world. The New York Times has repeated this blood libel of 35,000 plus civilian casualties at least a half dozen times.
It has reached a point where even the United Nations cannot stomach the Gaza Health Ministry’s blood libels.
The latest statistics as of May 8 from the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs(OCHA) states that in Gaza a total of 7797 children and 4959 women have been killed in Israel’s defensive war against Hamas reducing the bogus casualty figure of 35,000 civilians killed in Gaza promoted by the Gaza Health Ministry by more than 1/2.
OCHA has stated that any higher fallacious numbers are attributed to the Hamas controlled Government Media Office.
In this regard, Colonel Richard Kemp, for -
mer Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan, and head of the international terrorism team at the British Joint Intelligence Committee has said:
“My experience of monitoring the IDF actions, is that Israel is taking absolutely unprecedented and extremely effective measures to minimize civilian deaths. Despite what many people proclaim, who know nothing about it, [is that] Israel has achieved what I estimate to be the lowest proportion of civilian to military casualties in any conflict in modern times” he said.
“Kemp estimates the IDF has probably killed around 0.8 civilians for every Hamas kill, while in Afghanistan and Iraq, the ratios were five to one and three to one.
“The measures they take have not been seen by any other army anywhere in history” he said. ( Australian Jewish News.com, 5/9/24).
Similarly, John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern Warfare Institute(MWI) at West Point, has said:
“The UN, EU and other sources estimate that civilians usually account for 80 percent to 90 percent of casualties, or a 1:9 ratio, in modern war (though this does mix all types of wars). In the 2016-2017 Battle of Mosul, a battle supervised by the U.S. that used the world’s most powerful airpower resources, some 10,000 civilians were killed compared to roughly 4,000 ISIS terrorists.” (“Israel Has Set A New Standard for Urban Warfare. Why Will No One Admit it?”, Newsweek, 3/25/24.).
Mr. Spencer has also written:
“The reality is that when it comes to avoiding civilian harm, there is no modern comparison to Israel’s war against Hamas. Israel is not fighting a battle like Fallujah, Mosul, or Raqqa; it is fighting a war involving synchronous major urban battles. No military in modern history has faced over 30,000 urban defenders in more than seven cities using human shields and hiding in hundreds of miles of underground networks purposely built under civilian sites, while holding hundreds of hostages.
“Despite the unique challenges Israel faces in its war against Hamas, it has implemented more measures to prevent civilian casualties than any other military in history.” (“ Israel Has Implemented More Means to Prevent Civilian Casualties Than Any Other Nation In History “, Newsweek com, 1/31/24.)
The bottom is that the medieval blood libel of 1174 has become today’s Islamic blood libel in which legitimate Jewish self defense has become “massacres” and “genocide” -- once again to inflame the antisemites both in the populace across the globe and in the main stream media and the academy.
Richard Sherman, POB 934853, Margate, Florida 33093(646)267-7904.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
ing fuel on fire in the Ukrainian War. It was meddling in other countries, most notably Afghanistan, Iran, Iran, Libya, and Syria.
To keep the Americans in the dark, it was blocking news from others, including Iran and Russia. It even tried to block TikTok. President Joe Biden was pursuing the rich to finance his re-election.
At the same time in Iran, President Raisi stood by the oppressed, particularly indigenous Palestinians. He met with regional leaders to promote better relations and peace. He improved relations with Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Uzbekistan. In particular, he solidified Iran’s friendship with Russia and China. He led Iran to join Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), an intergovernmental organization promoting non-interference, equality, and collaboration.
Mr. Raisi was a people president, routinely meeting with villagers and poor people. Millions of Iranians attended his funeral proceedings in different cities. At his funeral, officials from more than a hundred countries participated. Even the US, Iran’s worst adversary, felt obliged to send Iran a sympathetic message regarding his death.
Raisi was a great man. His legacy includes bringing our world one step closer to peace. As for us in America, we must be cautious taking the media conglomerates seriously, and checking their assertions against other sources.
To the editor, Any politician who sincerely cares about animal welfare should support increased public funding for cultivated-meat research. For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, cultivated meat is grown from livestock cells, without slaughter. There’s arguably no policy that could do more to reduce nonhuman suffering and premature death.
While the new protein has been approved for sale in the United States, it’s currently
too expensive to mass produce. This can be rectified with more government money for cellular-agriculture development. All compassionate legislators, at both the state and federal level, should aggressively back the effort.
Jon Hochschartner 41 Salmon Brook Street Granby, CT 06035 (703) 901-1011
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
RE: MEDIA MALPRACTICE: He should express concerns about all the media malpractice supporting all the legal malpractice and judicial chaos right here in his own backyard, during many elections and presidency. He is old enough to know better than to blame all the sins of the world on one political party or one presidency. We have governing officials and politicians in power for decades in the New England Region supporting all types of fraudulent and illegal conduct affecting children and fami-
lies hardships, due to no fault of their own. He should have focused on the reasons why he has resided in a state that is offered immunity and protection of any media coverage if Violations of laws becomes involved in how they govern in New Hampshire. Politics becomes more relevant than common sense and civil decency under many campaigns,elections and presidency. in the hands of both political parties. Sincerely, Elizabeth Rawnsley
Everything you need to know about the Formula 1 2025 driver lineup
■ What will the grid look like for the 2025 season? 18 drivers are confirmed for the 2025 grid with only two spots left available.
By ELIZABETH LIU JUSTICE EDITOR
As driver seats are being filled and contracts are being signed, the 2025 Formula 1 driver lineup is almost finished. There are 10 F1 teams, with each team having two drivers for a total of 20 drivers on the grid. Each driver competes individually for the Drivers’ World Championship and as a team with their teammate in the Constructors’ World Championship.
The 2024 season is more than halfway finished, with Red Bull’s team of Max Verstappen and Segio Perez in first place for the Constructors’ Championship.
In close second is McLaren with drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Ferrari is next with teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. In fourth is Lewis Hamilton and George Russell driving for Mercedes. Aston Martin is in fifth with drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. Yuki Tsunoda, Daniel Ricciardo and the Visa Cash App RB team — Red Bull’s junior F1 racing team — are in sixth, with Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen and the Haas team in seventh. Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are driving for Alpine in eight, and Alexander Albon and Franco Colapinto are driving for Williams in ninth. In last place for the Constructors’ Championship is Kick Sauber with teammates Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
This season was the first time that the driver and team pairings stayed the same for a second year. There were only two differences between the 2023 and 2024 lineups: Sauber’s official team name was changed from Alfa Romeo to Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber, and Red Bull's junior team name was changed from Alpha Tauri to Visa Cash App RB, also known as Kick Sauber and RB for short. This season, however, there is plenty of reshuffling across the board as drivers and teams must decide to either continue their ongoing contracts or renegotiate for the 2025 season.
Some teams are retaining both of their drivers for the 2025 season: Red Bull is keeping both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez for the fifth successive season, Aston Martin is re-signing Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll and McLaren is holding on to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
There are also teams reshuffling that will have one new driver and one returning driver for the 2025 season. At Ferrari, Charles Leclerc will stay for another year, but he will gain a new teammate: seven time Drivers’ World Champion Lewis Hamilton will leave his illustrious career at Mercedes and join the boys in red. Formula 2 driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli will be replacing Hamilton at Mercedes in what will be his debut season, alongside Mercedes driver George Russell in his fourth year with the team. Current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz will leave the team next year, as he has signed with Williams to join fellow appendix-less driver Alex Albon for his fourth year at Williams.
While nothing is confirmed yet regarding the 2025 season, Logan Sargeant will no longer be driving for Williams. Sargent has only scored one point on the F1 circuit since his debut in 2023. Williams has decided to part ways with Sargeant to try to “maximize every points-scoring opportunity” in the last nine races of the season, which can very possibly mark the end of Sargent’s F1 career. He will be replaced by Franco Colapinto, a current F2 driver, who will become the first Argentine driver on the grid in 23 years.
The current Alpine drivers are set to part ways, as Pierre Gasly is staying with the team while Esteban Ocon has signed with Haas. Meanwhile, Haas has filled their second seat with Oliver Bearman, a F2 driver, following his impressive seventh place finish at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix while filling in at Ferrari for an injured Carlos Sainz. Current Haas driver Nico Hulkenburg will be moving to the Kick Sauber team, and Jack Doohan will be replacing Esteban Ocon at Alpine as Pierre Gasly’s teammate in the driver lineup after being promoted from his current position as the team’s reserve driver. Both the Mercedes and RB teams have re-signed one of their current drivers for the next season: George Russell and Yuki Tsunoda respectively.
With so many seats filled, there is one spot left at each RB and Kick Sauber. However, there are five current F1 drivers with no contracts yet for 2025.
Both current Kick Sauber drivers Valterri Bottass and Zhou Guanyu, as well as Logan Seargant from Williams, Kevin Magnussen – who received a one race ban after reaching the maximum allowed 12 penalty points – from Haas, and RB driver Daniel Ricciardo, are left with no current spot secured for the next season.
These drivers will be competing for the dwindling amount of seats left on the grid and if not successful will be forced to retire, as there are only eight races left in the current season.
JURY DUTY: JUDGES IN ACTION
Rani Balakrishna ’25
■ In a new column featuring Brandeis Athletics seniors, Brandeis softball catcher and former Sports Editor at The Justice, Rani Balakrishna, reflects on her career at Brandeis.
By DIANE MEYER
JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Rani Balakrishna '25 grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts and played baseball for five years before turning to softball. After graduating from Winsor High School in 2021, Balakrishna walked on to the Brandeis softball team as a first-year. Now, as a senior, she is looking forward to her final season at Brandeis. Balakrishna expresses her gratitude to her coach, Dani Bishop, and credits her for the chance to extend her collegiate athletic career. Balakrishna says, “she took a chance on me and I’d like to think it really paid off.”
As the first senior to be highlighted by The Justice, Balakrishna has impressed and inspired the Brandeis community. She has not only contributed her talents as a catcher on the Brandeis softball team, but also serves as the current Student Union President, was the co-founder of the Student-Athletes of Color club and was the former Sports Editor for The Justice. She won the Athletic Director’s Award in 2023, which highlighted her contribution to the Brandeis community as a voice for equal treatment under Title IX.
As an underdog herself walking on to the softball team as a first-year, Balakrishna says that her favorite part of the sport is “how many
ELIZA BIER/The Justice
chances there are for underdogs to win.” Softball is an auspicious environment for taking risks and she affirms that “anyone can have a comeback.”
Balakrishna raves that her team is “upbeat, positive, and supportive,” and says that to her, “a team has your back and has loyalty, determination, group goals and balance.” Her favorite pre-competition ritual emulates this, as she enjoys listening to music — especially “Big Dawgs” by Humankind — in the locker room with her teammates before games. On a similar thread, Balakrishna says she finds her personal motivation in others: her team, her coach, her family and her friends.
Sharing a proud moment, Balakrishna recalls her first official hit last spring in a game against rival University Athetic Association team, New York University. As a reserve catcher, Balakrishna rarely goes up to bat, but she earned a technical 1.000 batting average with her true show of versatility last spring.
Versatile is a theme of Balakrishna’s career at Brandeis, which is even more evident in her fun fact: she also plays guitar!
Finally, Balakrishna has wise words to share for all Brandeis students: her mantra is “bit by bit, take everything little by little and you will get through it.” Balakrishna and the Brandeis softball team will take to the pitch again this upcoming spring, hoping to improve on last year’s 18-19 record.
The United States women’s gymnastics team wins gold in team final
■ A team of four returning gymnasts and one newcomer took to the 2024 Olympic games in Paris to reclaim the gold after winning silver in Tokyo in 2020.
By JULIA HARDY JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games were eventful for the United States women’s gymnastic team –with both the individual U.S. gymnasts and the collective team finding success during the summer games. The team secured a total of seven medals for the U.S. over the course of the artistic gymnastics competition.
The U.S. team was composed of five gymnasts: Hezly Rivera, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Simone Biles. Excluding Rivera all of the aforementioned athletes participated in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics where they won silver in the team all-around competition. This year the returning gymnasts, joined by Rivera, journeyed to Paris with the goal to capture the gold this time, deeming the 2024 games their “redemption tour.”
As a newcomer, Rivera made her debut appearance at the 2024 Paris games at the age of 16. She was the youngest U.S. athlete at the 2024 Olympic games, across all sports. She is from New Jersey and is the 2023 U.S. junior champion. In the Olympic Trials, Rivera joined the team after she won gold on the balance beam and came in fourth on the uneven bars. Rivera reported to the American Broadcasting Company’s “Good Morning America” that, "It feels incredible − this doesn't have to happen too often, so I'm very excited to be the youngest team member of the group." While she did not compete in the team all-around competition, Rivera did contribute to the team’s qualifying rounds. She competed in the uneven bars and achieved a 13.9, and on the balance beam she earned a 12.633. Perhaps due to her young age, she had not built up her gymnastics resume as much as her teammates, but Rivera brought valuable skills to the team nonetheless.
Sunisa Lee won the all-around championship in the 2020 Tokyo games, making her the reigning champion coming into the 2024 Olympics. She found great success in 2020, however, she was forced to take a temporary leave from the sport due to a kidney disease diagnosis. In an interview with the “Today” show, Lee expressed, “there were so many times where I thought about quitting and just giving up because I was so sick, and it was just so hard to stay motivated, watching everybody get better.” Due to her health struggles, Lee’s presence on this year’s team was anything but guaranteed. Nevertheless, even though Lee failed to retain her Olympic all-around title, she once again proved to be an invaluable member in this year’s competition and brought home the bronze medal for her uneven bars performance.
Jade Carey, another individual gold medal winner from the 2020 Olympics U.S. Gymnastics team, contributed her expertise in the floor and vault events. At the age of 24, Carey has competed at Oregon State University in addition to having competed in two Olympic games. In an interview with the National Broadcasting Company prior to the Olympics, Carey recognized that commentators had been burdening their team with something to prove – to her, “some sort of redemption” that people think they want. However for Carey, it was still about the excitement of the games and she said it was “just incredible to be. . . truly enjoying the gymnastics that [she’s] doing. . .” The U.S. team clearly has high expectations, but Carey brings her talent and positive attitude.
Jordan Chiles competed in the 2020 games and helped the U.S. team earn a silver medal in the all-around competition. Like Carey, Chiles also competed at the collegiate level for the University of California, Los Angeles. Chiles also won the all-around competition at the Winter Cup. Her win made her the first woman to even win the competition, as it was originally reserved for male gymnasts. Her dedication to the sport can be traced back to her early childhood, as she started competing for the U.S. National Team at the age of 11. In an interview with Elle magazine, Chiles said that she had “really bad Attention Defecit Hyperactivity Disorder” when she was young and that gymnastics was a way for her to get her energy out. “I don’t know what I would've done if I wasn’t in this sport,” Chiles said in the same interview with Elle. For Chiles, going into the 2024 Olympic games comes from a combination of talent and dedication to the sport.
As perhaps the most anticipated competitor, Simone Biles became the oldest female U.S. gymnast to compete at the Olympics since 1952 when she qualified for the team for the third time. At the age of 27, Biles is considered to be a senior gymnast, but age proved to be no obstacle for the champion. Biles had a wealth of experience coming into Paris: between the Rio and Tokyo Olympics, Biles has earned a total of seven medals, four of which were gold.
Despite her many years of experience, Biles showed that even the most experienced gymnasts can face challenges. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Biles was a heavy favorite to sweep competition based on her success at the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, she chose to withdraw from some of the competition due to a case of “the twisties.” The twisties is a term used by gymnasts and according to U.S.A Today’s Craig Meyer, “refer[s] to the psychological phenomenon a gymnast experiences when they encounter a disconnect between their body and mind while performing skills, like twists, in competition.” Not only can the twisties be physically dangerous to competitors who experience the phenomenon, it takes a toll on gymnasts’ mental health. Because of her experience, Biles began to raise awareness about the importance of taking care of athletes’ mental health as well as physical.
Based on their past performances, the U.S. team were heavy favorites to win the women’s team final competition for artistic gymnastics, which includes events on four apparatuses: vault, uneven bars, floor and balance beam. For the team competition, each country chooses three gymnasts per apparatus to contribute to the team’s overall score. Biles, Chiles, Carey and Lee all competed in at least one event, with newcomer Rivera supporting the team on the sideline.
The women's gymnastics team final took place on Aug. 1, starting with vault. Biles, Chiles and Carey were the three team members who participated in the event. Biles scored a 14.9, Chiles earned a 14.4, and Carey rounded out the team’s score with a 14.8. With solid vaults from all three, the U.S. score was 44.100, placing them at the top of the competition.
Moving onto the uneven bars, Biles, Chiles and Lee contributed a combined score of 43.332. Biles got a 14.4, Chiles earned a 14.366, and Lee ended with a 14.566. After the uneven bars, the team was propelled to an impressive 87.43.
Going into beam, the U.S. still had a comfortable lead and control over the competition. Chiles, Biles and Lee all participated in the event. Despite Chiles’ fall upon mounting the beam and her contribution of only a 12.73, Lee and Biles picked up the lost points with a 14.6 and a 14.366 respectively. The slight slip-up on Chiles’ part did not cost the U.S. a medal as the depth of the team’s experience saved the day
Heading into the final event, the U.S. continued to live up to their highly regarded reputation on the world stage. While the team found great success in the first three apparatuses, the floor exercise event was a particularly successful competition for Team U.S.A. Lee earned a 13.53, marking a strong start to the team’s score on the event. Chiles followed and earned a resounding 13.966. Biles closed the all team final for the U.S., earning an impressive score of 14.666.
When all the events were finished and all the points across the events were tallied, the U.S. won gold with an overall score of 171.296, making it the first of many medals to come in women’s gymnastics for Team U.S.A. in Paris. As one of the NBC Sports announcers said, “they [the U.S. team] set out on a mission and they got the job done here tonight.”
Italy received the silver medal with a 165.494, and Brazil took home the bronze for their country with a score of 164.497.
The all team final competition was just the beginning for U.S. women’s gymnastics. Over the next few days, Lee earned two bronze medals in women's artistic individual all-around and women's uneven bars; Carey won a bronze medal in the women's vault competition; and Biles earned a gold in both the women’s vault finals and the allround final, as well as a silver in the floor exercise finals. With a total of 11 medals, Biles is now the most decorated U.S. gymnast.
Heading into the 2024 Olympic games there were high expectations set for the U.S. women’s gymnastics team. Fortunately, their “redemption tour” proved to be just that as the gymnasts’ perseverance and hardwork made them the best in the world.
The Olympic Refugee Team finds success at the Olympic Games
■ Refugee Cindy Ngamba, a three-time national boxing champion in the United Kingdom, secured the team its first medal.
By ELIZA BIER JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR
After competing in the 2016 Rio Olympics and in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the International Olympic Committee Refugee Olympic Team competed in its third summer Olympic games at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Then president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, created the team in 2015 as a response to the global refugee crisis. The first refugee team was composed of athletes from four different countries: Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Since the Refugee Olympic Team’s creation, its mission has been to act as a symbol of hope for refugees around the world and to raise awareness of their challenges. The team gives refugee athletes a platform to compete on the Olympic level in their respective sports, despite being forcibly displaced from their country of origin. In the previous two games, the refugee team competed under the Olympic flag. This year, however, the Refugee Olympic Team will be competing for the first time under its own emblem. This emblem is made up of a “heart surrounded by various colored arrows.” This flag is meant to “represent a sense of belonging for the 100 million people who all share the story of displacement.”
In addition to providing the refugee athletes with a platform to compete internationally, the Olympic Refugee Foundation, the foundation that backs the Olympic Refugee Team, provides safe access to sports in displaced communities to almost 400,000 athletes and training for 1,600 coaches.
The 2024 Refugee Olympic Team was composed of 37 athletes. This Refugee Team is the largest to date, in which the athletes collectively represented 11 countries. These countries include Afghanistan, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cuba,
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and Venezuela.
During the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Refugee Team competed in 12 sports ranging from several disciplines. The sports they competed in included: judo, swimming, cycling road, canoe slalom, boxing, taekwondo, badminton, athletics, canoe sprint, shooting, wrestling, breaking and weightlifting.
One standout from the Refugee Olympic Team was boxer Cindy Ngamba, who secured the team their first medal. Originally from Cameroon, Ngamba left her home at the age of 11 and relocated to Bolton, England as an illegal immigrant. In 2020, Ngamba was granted refugee status due to her sexual orientation being oppressed in Cameroon, after being repeatedly denied United Kingdom citizenship.
In an Aug. 9 interview with National Public Radio, Ngamba expressed that if she was sent back to Cameroon she would be endangered due to her sexual orientation. As a result, she was “given refugee status to be safe and protected.”
Ngamba was 15 years old when she first discovered boxing. During this time, she was a “three-time national champion in three weight classes” in the United Kingdom. As a result of her ongoing struggles with the United Kingdom, Ngamba contacted the IOC refugee and was selected to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
By many, her win in the 2024 Paris Olympics is viewed not just as a victory for the refugee team, but also for all “120 million” people who have been forcibly displaced. After winning the bronze, Ngamba shared a similar sentiment. “I want to say to all the refugees all around the world and refugees that are not athletes, and mainly humans around the world, that you have to keep on working hard, keep on believing in yourself,” she said. “You can achieve whatever you put your mind to.”
Ngamba’s historic win set a new standard of success for all future athletes competing representing the Refugee Team.
This year’s Refugee Olympic Team beat the odds and found success in the 2024 Paris Olympics, breaking records with both the size of their team and the achievement of their first medal.
SHEALY MAKES HISTORY
Maggie Shealy Named Academic Second Team All American
■ Brandeis fencing phenom, Maggie Shealy, adds another award to a long list of accomplishments.
By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Maggie Shealy M’25 was named a Division III Second Team Academic All American by the College Sports Communicators for the second time in her career. Established in 1952, this award is the “longest running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports at all National Collegiate Athletic Association levels.”
This distinction comes after Shealy won the national collegiate title in women’s sabre at the NCAA Fencing Championships on March 22, 2024. Shealy is the University’s first national champion in fencing. She dominated the women’s competition as the tournament’s only Division III competitor, making her the second woman ever
from a Division III team to win a national title in fencing and the first in 20 years. Fencing, unlike most college sports, does not divide competition by division when it comes to its national championship, posing a unique opportunity for Division III athletes.
In addition to being named an Academic Second Team All American, Shealy was also named an All-American for the 2023-24 season. In 2023, Shealy was the third place winner in women’s sabre, was named to the All-American team while graduating summa cum laude from the University. In 2022 she was an All-American Second Team and in 2020 she received an AllAmerican Honorable Mention. Throughout her collegiate career, she was a 14 time University Athletic Association athlete of the week. Shealy’s victory in March as a first year graduate student was a testament to her hard work and dedication— not only to her sport but to her academic career. The College Sports Communicators aptly recognized Shealy’s legacy as a student athlete.
Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony sparked outrage due to drag performance
■ As Paris took the world stage, many were outraged as drag queens allegedly mirrored a visual from a famous religious painting.
By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHEIF
As anticipation built for the Paris 2024 Olympics, viewers tuned in from all over the world to watch the opening ceremony. While many were enthralled by the artistic and inclusive art performances, others expressed outrage at a perceived nod to the Last Supper.
The French LGBTQ+ community was represented at the games through a drag art performance. This performance began as a man representing the Greek God of Dionysus, who traditionally symbolizes celebration, fertility and new growth, was served on a platter surrounded by fruit and flowers. This platter was served in front of a line of drag queens, celebrating the art form’s rich history in the city of Paris.
While many enjoyed this performance and its inclusivity, the visual resemblance to the Leonardo DaVinci painting “The Last Supper” also attracted much negative attention. This painting is one of the most well known in the world and represents the final dinner that took place between Jesus and his disciples, which is an important symbol of the Christian sacrament of communion.
Anne Descamps, the spokesperson of the Paris 2024 Olympics, stated that “clearly there was no intention to show disrespect to any religious group,” apologizing to those who took offense and explaining that it was meant to display tolerance.
To provide further clarification, Artistic Director Thomas Jolly publicly stated that the scene was supposed to be a Pagan feast, and was not modeled after the religious painting.
Nevertheless, this performance had long lasting effects on the atmosphere and social percep-
tion of the Olympic Games. Social media personality Andrew Tate took to the streets with a group holding signs sporting messages such as “BOYCOTT THE OLYMPICS” and “CHRISTIANITY WILL NOT BE MOCKED.” Speaking to the press, he explained that this performance felt like an attack against the Christian religion.
Other well known personalities posted online platforms in order to share their feelings about the opening ceremony. Donald Trump Jr. took to X to share his feelings and discuss his love for the games. He claimed a connection to the games as his mother was a former Olympian, and stated that “it’s not only a shame, but a true disservice to some of the most talented and dedicated people on earth.” His dislike of the display was echoed by Elon Musk, who also took to X to state that the performance “was extremely disrespectful to Christians.”
Religious leaders were also not pleased by the performance. Bishop Robbert Barron of the Winona-Rochester Diocese in Minnesota posted a video discussing his opinions to X. He asked what he believed to be a rhetorical question: “Would they ever have dared mock Islam in a similar way?” Barron went on to compare this performance to mocking a scene in the Quran. His video has garnered almost four million views and a wide range of responses, as individuals expressed both outrage based on the religious comparisons and agreement regarding the disrespect that was felt. What was intended to be a jubilant drag performance celebrating French culture and inclusivity became a widely debated topic at an eventful Olympic games. When the Olympics come back to the United States in 2028 for the first time since 1996, the Los Angeles games will undoubtedly similarly serve as the subject of and sounding board for an ever changing social climate. All over the world, audiences have four more years to prepare their fingers to post on X, as athletes are preparing for the biggest athletic competition of their lives.
VICTORY: Maggie Shealy M’25 celebrates after securing a win at a fencing competition.
Photo courtesy of BRANDEIS ATHLETICS
PARIS: Reflecting on the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
CELTICS: Championship parade
CONTINUED FROM 16
ebrations got out of hand, resulting in two arrests made by Boston authorities. According to the police report, one individual climbed a 20 foot light post and stood on the banner holder stick. He refused to vacate the position, as officers approached with concern for both his safety and the safety of others. He ended up breaking the pole in his descent and was warned if this stunt was attempted again it would lead to arrest. After climbing a different pole and attempting to flee, the individual was arrested.
At 2 p.m., police approached a large
group of women fighting in front of the Boston Public Library. According to the police report, they had been peers at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where they had developed “beef.” They had already been separated by an officer earlier in the day due to a verbal altercation, however the second time they ran into each other the altercation became physical, resulting in affray as well as assault and battery charges. The Friday that the parade took place concluded a week with extremely high temperatures. According to the
Boston Herald, this led to more than 30 people being treated at local hospitals, many for heat related injuries. While no more arrests were made, the police had their hands full for the very long day. Videos went viral of people jumping into the fountain at the Boston Public Garden and there were reports of large crowds at all Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority locations until 4 p.m. No one celebrates success like Boston and fans are already betting on the Celtics bringing home another championship win this upcoming season.
The scene is set for the 2024-25 hockey season
surrounding Bedard is going well with the addition of this strong defenseman.
fell into place.
By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
The 2024 National Hockey League Draft was held on June 28 and 29 at the Sphere in Las Vegas. The Sphere is a unique performance venue ideal for both audio and visual spectacles, seating 18,600 people. The NHL took advantage of these capabilities, using the high quality light emitting diode screens to display custom graphics and get fans and players alike excited about this annual affair.
The first pick of the 2024 draft was Macklin Celebrini, who had turned 18 just 15 days before the draft. The Boston University student won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award following his first-year season, being the youngest recipient in history. Celebrini was drafted to the San Jose Sharks, following their last season finish with the worst record in the league. The team is in need of a rebuild and according to scout accounts. Celebrini is a strong player in every area.
The second pick of the draft was Artyom Levshunov, going to the Chicago Blackhawks. This Michigan State player comes from Belarus, and is commonly known as the best defenseman of this draft class. Levshunov will be joining last year’s first year draft pick, Connor Bedard. While Bedard is a star player, the Blackhawks had stripped their team of the opportunity to sign him to their line. The rebuild
Beckett Sennecke was the third pick of the draft, going to the Anaheim Ducks. Sennecke is known for his ability to get around defencemen and impressive forechecks. Fourth, Cayden Lindstrom went to the Columbus Blue Jackets. This is the first draft since 2012 without Jarmo Kekalainen as the general manager, following his dismissal from the position earlier this year. Their new general manager is Don Waddell, coming from the Carolina Hurricanes. According to Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, “the days of the Blue Jackets being the NHL’s donut — nothing in the middle — appear over.”
Fifth, the Montreal Canadians chose Ivan Demidov for their line. For the past few years they have focused on drafting strong defense players, meaning it was time to introduce a new foreword to the team. They fulfilled this objective with Demidov, ESPN projecting him to be “a top-six difference-maker in the NHL.” Demidov was followed by Tij Iginla who went to the Utah Hockey Club. Yet to be officially named, the club obtained all draft picks when purchasing the former Arizona Coyotes. Iginla is the first ever pick of the franchise, and in addition to his own talent he is known for his Hall of Famer father, Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames.
The seventh draft pick was Carter Yakemchuk to the Ottawa Senators. This pick was one that had eyebrows raising, as ESPN stated “it’s a bit of a bizarre dynamic for a franchise that’s been trying to shed the title of rebuild and transition into a playoff team, only to miss the postseason for the past seven campaigns.” Although he is excel-
lent at puck distribution, he is really known for his mean streak. Eighth, the Seattle Kraken took Berkly Catton for their line. Catton is known to be flawless with transitions. He is also known to be a very challenging player to guard for defenders. ESPN believes that he has the capability to fill the team’s scoring needs, due to his past records and skill set.
Zayne Parekh went to the Calgary Flames ninth, where he was categorized as the top offensive player of the draft. While Parekh is a very strong choice, many fans are upset that the team was unable to draft Utah Hockey’s Tij Iginla, due to his familial connection with the team. The final pick of the top ten went to the New Jersey Devils, who drafted Anton Silayev. Silayev is 18 years old and one year into his contract with the Kontinental Hockey League. He has been cited as having much potential and viewers are excited to see him grow into the lineup.
The rest of the draft followed these ten picks, with teams not being solidified until after the beginning of the season. The first game of the season will take place in Prague, Czechia with the New Jersey Devils playing the Buffalo Sabres.
While the season has yet to begin, projections have already been made. The NHL staff released their predictions for the next year. The two teams with the highest vote percentages were the Edmonton Oilers, with 46.9%, and the Dallas Stars, with 21.9%. The bracket for the championship’s runner up was separate. For the runner up slot the New Jersey Devils are in first with 31.3% of the votes, followed by the New York Rangers with 25%. While these numbers are just estimates, this season is already shaping
BASKETBALL: New coaches
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She also led her team there to a winning re--cord and earned American Collegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year honors in 2020.
Jessica Nichols-LaRosa, announced as the Judges’ recent assistant coach pick on Aug. 7th, graduated from Manhattanville College with her Bachelors of Arts in 2019 and Masters Degree in 2021. She started her coaching career first as an assistant coach and then as a head coach for one season each at her alma mater, Randolph High School. Last season, Nichols-LaRosa was
the assistant coach at Deans College, where even though the Bulldogs won only two games, the team was honored with the Great Northeast Athletic Conference institutional sportsmanship award.
As a player, Princhett was a star for the University of Southern Maine. She earned many accolades during her time there, including most notably a Women's Basketball Coaches Association All American Honor Roll title and a Little East Player of the Year award for the 1999-2000 season. She was also inducted into the New England Basket-
ball Hall of Fame in 2006. As a player, Nichols-LaRosa was a two-time MidAmerican Conference Academic Honor Roll recipient. The 2024-25 season for the Judges will start in November. The context in which the Brandeis women’s basketball team stood at the end of last year was rife with controversy and uncertainty; now, the team and its fans welcome rebuilding thanks to a young and hungry coaching staff with new perspective, motivation, and something to prove.
Beninda ’26 leads the team with 2 goals.
CHARGE: Henning Dierks '25 fights for the ball during last season's game versus Vassar College.
Sports just
Summer coaching turnover for the Brandeis women’s basketball team
■ Julie Princhett was named the new head coach for the Judges and Jessica Nichols-LaRosa was chosen as the new assistant coach.
By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Approximately two months after former head coach Carol Simon resigned, the search for the new Brandeis women’s basketball head coach found success this past summer. Julie Princhett was officially named the new head coach of the Brandeis women's basketball team by the new Brandeis Athletic Director, Jessica Chaplain, on June 24.
Simon’s retirement came after nearly a year of paid administrative leave while allegations from players citing a toxic team environment were being investigated. After allegations involving racist remarks made by Simon, negligence related to injuries and mental health and a litany of frustration over their losing record, several players announced their adamant refusal to play under her if she were to be reinstated.
Under pressure to revamp the coaching staff, Princhett was selected as an expe-
rienced and successful candidate with 15 seasons as a head coach under her belt. She left her most recent position as the assistant coach of the Babson College women’s basketball team where she helped lead three years of winning records, including two trips to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament and a berth to the quarterfinals in 2023 for the first time since 2011.
Prior to her time at Babson, Princhett started out at Regis College where she coached for eight years. At Regis, Princhett’s teams accumulated a 128-87 winning record and she ended her time there after leading the Pride to the NCAA tournament during the 2012-13 season. She then became the head coach for the women’s basketball team at Saint Anselm College where she took over a team with nine straight losing seasons. During her first season there, Princhett secured a 1512 record and wound up taking her team to the national tournament in the 2015-2016 season. The Hawks also made it to three conference tournaments under her coaching there. Princhett then served as the head coach of the Pine Manor College women’s basketball team for three seasons and was their athletic director before Pine Manor was absorbed by Boston College in 2020.
See BASKETBALL, 15 ☛
Boston fans gather in the city to celebrate Celtics victory
■ After the Boston Celtics’ championship win, city streets were full of fans celebrating their favorite players.
By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
The Boston Celtics won their 18th championship game on June 17, in game five against the Dallas Mavericks, cementing their status as the winningest team in National Basketball Association history.
Game five was held at TD Garden in Boston and fans flooded the streets as the game ended with a final score of 10688. The celebration continued as the city began preparations for a championship parade. Beginning at TD Garden at 11:15 a.m., the duration of the parade was a little over an hour. The procession of floats, full of Celtics players, passed by iconic city locations such as Boston City Hall and concluded in front of Hynes Convention Center. According to Boston City Officials, over a million people gathered on this Friday morning, filling the streets and watching from windows and rooftops. The parade consisted of the well known Boston Duck Boats, full of each player’s family and friends. Fans caught glimpses of stars such as Jayson Tatum, hoisting this year’s trophy, and Jaylen Brown, who was named the most valuable player of the championship game. Brown’s pride radiated as he held his NBA Finals Most
Valuable Player trophy high for all to see.
Other duckboats and parade vehicles carried the Celtics office team and Celtics sponsors, VistaPrint. The team recently announced that VistaPrint will not be featured on the jerseys moving forward as a new contract has been signed with Amica Mutual Insurance for this upcoming season. While championships are often a rare occurrence, this is the 18th parade for a Boston professional sports team in the last 22 years. Nevertheless, the air was thick with excitement as fans and government officials alike celebrated the success of one of the city’s biggest sports franchises.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey began the celebration at TD Garden by thanking the city of Boston “for honoring the Celtics Tradition.” She said “for this team in particular, we are in love with this team. Because this is a team that has given us so much. Today we’re going to party and celebrate the Boston Celtics.”
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu was also in attendance, showing her support for the team. “This team was willing to face challenging decision[s], face the non-believers, and work together to build something extraordinary. As a result, Boston is home to the undisputed greatest team in the NBA,” stated Wu. Celebrations continued after the conclusion of the parade as celebrating fans spread out through the city and filled bars and restaurants. In some cases, these cel-
See CELTICS, 15 ☛
BRANDEIS ATHLETE SUCCESS
The Justice Editorial Assistant Diane Meyer '26 discusses an award won by Brandeis fencing athlete Maggie Shealy M'25, p. 14.
New year, new recruits for Brandeis Athletics
classes or how to pick a meal plan, I always tell them, ‘Hey, I don’t go to school here,’ and I put them in contact with one of the kids on the team.
By MILES GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
Every year, over half a million student-athletes compete across over one thousand colleges, per the National Collegiate Athletics Association. Every year, each of Brandeis’ 19 sports teams seek to answer one main question for their prospective recruits: what makes Brandeis University special?
Brandeis is a Division III school in the University Athletics Association conference. Brandeis’ Division III designation is due to our relatively small enrollment size and athletics spending. As a Division III school, the University is subject to certain restrictions, such as not being able to use endowment spending solely for athletics. Still, coaches and staff at Brandeis Athletics believe they have just as much, if not more to offer than any other school.
Academic choice is a consistent theme in many recruiting pitches.
“In some schools, you can’t come to play sports and be pre-med,” Brandeis Fencing Head Coach Elif Soyer Sachs told The Justice. “But here, I tell my recruits, we have people on our team with double majors, minors, Dean's List, from a diverse background, from Biology and Theater to Anthropology and Business. You really can do it all and compete.”
Having teammates with overlapping academic interests can help in the transition period as new students get used to campus. This is especially important given the restrictions on team activities. Rules strictly police what types of activities can and cannot happen during the offseason, and Brandeis coaches are very limited in their ability to contact students until their deposit has been paid.
“If one of them has a question,” Coach Sachs joked, “be it choosing
That’s how I sort of get us all acquainted before the season starts.”
Diversity beyond just academics represents another pull to the Brandeis campus for coaches. “We have two new recruits: one from Puerto Rico and one from Madrid, Spain,” Brandeis Volleyball Head Coach Alesia Bennett told The Justice. The ability to recruit internationally provides more players the opportunity to get a college education at Brandeis and allows for stronger and more diverse teams.
Some new recruits aren’t even first years. Three of the five new members of the men’s basketball team are transfers, per Brandeis Athletics. Bringing in talent that already has experience at the collegiate level can boost a team’s ability to compete right away.
Regardless of where recruits come from, it all starts with the first contact. Every team has a recruiting form that interested students can fill out. Coaches also scout at national events and college fairs. While teams are prohibited from contacting student athletes until their junior or senior year, depending on the sport, students of all ages are permitted to reach out to Brandeis coaches on their own volition.
Brandeis uses an industry tool called Front Rush to view recruiting profiles, but alongside their high school or club level stats, coaches look at resumes, medical information and a recruit’s entire athletic history.
Just as important as their ability to compete, is their attitude while doing it.
“The reason I scout competitions, for instance,” Coach Sachs explained, “is to see, when you lose, are you screaming at your coach? Are you pouting? When something doesn’t go your way, I want you to want to win, but I need to see how you react when you lose.”
At some point, recruits might be offered an official visit, where they get to eat in the dining hall, sleep in the dorms and even attend classes. The University is allowed to provide one visit per recruit; additional visits have to be paid for by the recruits themselves. Visits are an important part of the recruiting process for many teams, but due to how difficult they can be to schedule, especially around NCAA rules, some coaches do not offer them.
According to Coach Sachs, a potential new rule concerning visits was recently shared with Brandeis Athletics coaching staff, though she could not confirm where the rule came from. The proposed change would require teams to pay out-ofpocket for a background check for the student hosting the visit. The associated cost and time investment has pushed some coaches to consider doing away with visits altogether. But above all else, there’s one challenge that can sometimes be too big to overcome – Division III schools, per NCAA bylaws, are not allowed to offer athletic scholarships. Coach Sachs shared an example of a fencing recruit: “She loved the school, she loved us, but if someone like [The Pennsylvania State University] offers you a full ride, it gets a little difficult.”
Still, Brandeis Athletics is able to make the case that the school is special. Maybe it is the athletics, the extracurriculars, the coaches, the people or the location, but unmistakable is the enthusiasm the entire department has to help 19 sports welcome new talent to bolster Brandeis Athletics. Up and down the halls of the Brandeis Athletics staff offices are people excited to talk about the new year and new recruits — even the staff who have nothing to do with the process.
“It’s the one thing I stress all the time,” Coach Sachs mused. “Everyone in this building wants to see you succeed when you walk through those doors.”
HUDDLE: Members of the Brandeis fencing teams join together before a competition.
GIANNA MORALES/The Justice
just Arts & Culture
Photo: Jonas Kaplin/The Justice. Design: Jonas Kaplin/The Justice.
Waltham, Mass.
S yne S the S ia : t he color of S ound
n An early look into a documentary exploring an artist’s experience of synesthesia
Visual art and storytelling are powerful tools for bridging the gap between our individual perspectives, offering unique ways to express, interpret and connect with shared human experiences. While many turn to artistic mediums to convey their own perceptions, Brandeis alumni Alissa Fagin ’20 utilizes documentary filmmaking to explore the subjective experiences of others. Fagin’s work is unique in that it blends science and art together through filmmaking, ultimately communicating “science in a way that’s nuanced and emotional” and capturing the subjectivity still prevalent in a concrete field.
Recently, The Justice had the opportunity to sit down with Fagin and learn about her current and first independent documentary project, “Sound & Color,” which explores the enigmatic world of synesthesia, revealing one artist’s specific experience of how sound can translate into color. Ever since she was a child, Fagin has been fascinated by the variable experience of synesthesia, a neurological condition in which the mind relays information through unrelated sensory pathways, causing some people to experience sensations on multiple levels. She explained “synesthesia is fascinating because it’s extremely real and also the sensations that come out of it feel as real as the rest of reality” to those who are synesthetic. So, when it came time to make her own independent documentary, Fagin knew this was the concept worth delving into.
Initially, Fagin’s approach to the project was more traditional, focusing on an essay format that would offer a broad, scientific overview of synesthesia. However, as she continued planning, her aim shifted towards capturing a more personal and unique perspective on the condi-
By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE EDITOR
tion. Consequently, the documentary evolved to center on the specific perceptions of synesthetic artist Sarah Kraning, allowing viewers to experience her world vicariously. Kraning, an American painter, uses her art to depict the distinctive visual way her mind processes sound. This raises the question: How can a filmmaker like Fagin effectively immerse the audience in Kraning’s subjective world?
For Fagin and her team, the solution lay in the visual. Fagin is crafting the documentary as a “process-driven” film in which Kraning’s independent artistry intertwines with Fagin’s journey to understand Kraning’s synesthesia. This culminates in a scene where animations illustrate Kraning’s perceptual response to a series of sounds. The documentary will feature interactions between Kraning and the animator, with Kraning walking against a black background while animations of her sensory responses illuminate the screen. Central to this exploration is the soundscape, composed by Brandeis alumnus Gavi Kutliroff ’19, which will accompany Kraning’s movements.
Defining the soundscape was a crucial step in the production process. Fagin explained that “sound is visual in this context, so the way Sarah experiences a given sound spatially will inform where the camera is positioned during each part of her interaction with the soundscape.” The goal was to artistically represent the corporeal experience of synesthesia, resulting in a soundscape that included elements like car honks and bustling crowds. However, due to the budgetary constraints typical of independent film projects, Fagin and Kutleroff had to regularly consult with Kraning to ensure that the sounds chosen would not lead to overly complex or costly animations.
Alongside creating the soundscape, Kraning collaborated closely with the documentary’s animator to translate her perceptions into visuals that could be understood by a non-synesthetic audience. Fagin described the process as, “Gavi is the input, Sarah is the formula, and Charlie [the animator] is the output.” Consequently,
Fagin, Kraning, Kutleroff and the animator engaged in an iterative process, continuously exchanging sounds and reviewing experiences to finalize the representation of Kraning’s world. The complex artistic nature of this documentary is ultimately a fascinating method of capturing the subjectivity of perception. However, beyond the technical complications present in translating Kraning’s experience into visuals for everyone, there were logistical issues that were necessary to consider for Fagin and her team. Fagin explained to The Justice, “as a creative, you want to be able to just create” but for film, a collaborative art, finances will always be a concern. She reflected on a crowdfunding campaign the production did in the past, as well as the grant applications and sponsorships they are still working to secure. In all of the work that goes into producing this film, in addition to working a regular job, it is inevitable that moments of uncertainty and doubt plagued Fagin. Despite this, she maintains that even if the project were to fall apart, the answer to the question, “Was it worth it?” would still be a resounding “yes.” Throughout every artistic and technical aspect of creating this film, Fagin believes she has gained valuable insights and skills related to putting oneself out there,
refining ideas and crafting a compelling story. Just as sharing Kraning’s experience is central to the documentary, the process of bringing Fagin’s own vision and curiosity about synesthesia to light has become significant in its own right.
As she will still be working on “Sound & Color” for at least another year, Fagin’s future projects are unknown. However, she expressed that she hopes to continue representing synesthetic artists through her future work. Synesthesia is an incredibly diverse trait that can manifest itself in a multitude of cross-sensory ways. While Kraning’s specific synesthesia is based on color, there are individuals who identify sound through everything from taste to numbers to space. Beyond “Sound & Color” and any future project being a valuable way of helping the individuals within the synesthetic community feel seen, Fagin aspires to help audiences question and consider their own subjectivity. By merging science and art, animation with documentary film, and not shying away from demonstrating her own artistic and communicative process, Fagin’s project stands to offer a profound exploration of what it means to perceive the world through a lens other than our own.
BACK TO SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
n Arts-focused students from all over campus gathered to share lunch on the first day of classes.
The first day of classes was full of music and art as students gathered in front of the Spingold Theatre center for the All-Arts Welcome Party. The event was open to all Brandeis students, from those who study and participate in the arts to those who appreciate the arts.
As the event got started, Ingrid Schorr, Senior Communications and Events Administrator, could be seen welcoming students and asking about their summers. When speaking with The Justice, Schorr outlined the importance of events such as this one, celebrating all of these small departments and giving the students opportunities to connect and enjoy one another’s company.
Students and faculty alike emerged to share a vegan and vegetarian meal around round tables across the lawn, talking and laughing. Friends welcomed each other back from semesters abroad, sharing stories and plans for the coming year. Faculty reconnected with past students, extending warm welcomes back to campus. When asked by The Justice, LaRue Vigil ’26 said that she was “having a blast!”
The music of the talented faculty from Brandeis’ music department accompanied attendees as they conversed and ate. The melodic tunes added to the warm atmosphere as everyone celebrated art and collaboration. The Creativity, the Arts and Social Transformation Department and the Rose Art Museum each tabled at the event, connecting with students and encouraging further engagement in the arts. Overall, the event was a great kickoff to the new year as students enjoyed the nice weather and bonded over common artistic interests.
Design: NEMMA KALRA/The Justice.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
24 Hour Musical
n The Justice interviewed the former Director of Arts Engagement and Communications, Ingrid Schorr, about end of the arts engagement program
During the early days of June, students took Sidechat, an anonymous forum app designed for college communities, to express anger regarding the rumored elimination of Brandeis Arts Engagement. Brandeis Arts Engagement had long been a vital resource for students involved in or interested in the arts. For years, it provided crucial support and opportunities for artistic growth and expression. As such, the Sidechat post caused quite a stir. At the time, many students were unclear about what the end of Arts Engagement meant, let alone if there was any concrete proof supporting the rumor. However, amidst news of numerous faculty layoffs and program cuts, the possibility of the program’s end was not out of the question.
In response to the rumor, on Sept. 4, The Justice interviewed Ingrid Schorr, the former director of arts engagement and communications, to gain insight into the future of arts engagement and support at Brandeis.
Schorr confirmed that, despite the University’s failure to issue a formal announcement, Brandeis Arts Engagement has been eliminated. She accepted a new position at the University as the Senior Administrator for Event and Commu-
By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE EDITOR
nications for the Creative Arts and Humanities; however, the programming and work she carried out in her former position, along with the funds allocated for those programs were cut. With the end of Brandeis Arts Engagement, a lot of the resources that students relied on are no longer available or have been allocated to other groups on campus. The Brandeis Art Club is running the well-loved craft fair this fall, and there will be one more group of students sharing their work on the Create @ Brandeis wall in the Usdan Student Center. However, some of the other programs — most notably the Black, Indigenous and People of Color creator grant — are currently on “hiatus” for an indeterminate amount of time. Schorr is currently working on having the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion re-start the BIPOC creator grant, but the future of this resource, used by so many artists of color in the past remains unknown.
When asked how she felt about all the changes that occurred over the summer, Schorr candidly shared, “I’m not real optimistic about Brandeis’ commitment to the arts. But I believe in the arts and I believe in the artists at Brandeis and that’s why I stayed. But it’s not a heartening direction.”
Since her time at Brandeis, Schorr recalled how 10 years ago, the University had a Masters of Fine Arts in Theater Arts that has since been discontinued, and the recent discontinuation of the doctorate programs in musicology and music composition, and how the University was supposed to build a new center for the arts, which never happened.
To Schorr, despite the history and legacy of art at Brandeis, the University does not seem to be offering much current support.
Although the 2024-25 academic year has just begun, it is evident that students are also already feeling the impacts of the University’s decision. Within the first few days of September, an Instagram account with the handles “Brandeis Protects Artists” posted a mission statement highlighting their goal to “foster a united front for artists from diverse backgrounds through unions, support groups, and initiatives that protect and promote creativity in every field.” The club is currently working on getting chartered, but their statement suggests that they may be seeking to bridge the advocacy gap left by the elimination of Brandeis Arts Engagement.
As of right now, the future of student art engagement at Brandeis outside of the academic classroom is unknown. Future programming central to the experience of the University, namely the Festival of the Creative Arts, will still happen; however how these events will function given the organizational changes across departments may change. In spite of these changes, Schorr still encourages students to reach out to their creative arts professors and faculty, who are “all artists in their own right” for support during their artistic pursuits. While she has her doubts about the program ever returning, Schorr believes that “if students speak up, that could make a difference.”
Top Ten STAFF’S
Top 10
Romantic Comedies
By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
1.“When Harry Met Sally” (1989): The soundtrack. A New Year’s Eve Confession of Love. 80s sweaters. 80s hair.
2. “Love Actually” (2003): Hugh Grant.
3. “Shrek” (2001): This is a rom com!
4.“How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days” (2003): Charmingly cringey and successfully saved by Shania Twain’s song, “You’re So Vain.”
5. “Notting Hill” (1999): Hugh Grant. And also Julia Roberts in cool sunglasses.
6. “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999): Used to be the best middle school sleepover movie, but now I only wake up for Julia Stiles’ speech at 1:29:29.
7. “Anyone But You” (2023): An unapologetic Shakespeare rip off, but also saved by a killer signature song in Natasha Beddingfield’s “Unwritten.”
8. “Enchanted” (2007): Unserious, whimsical, ditzy, but also clever: enchanting.
9. “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1987): Underrated young Patrick Dempsey and a riding lawn mower.
10. “Clueless” (1995): Docked points for too-close-to-incest activity.
STUDENT ART SPOTLIGHT
BRANDEIS IN SIENA
Jiayue (Cindy) Liu ’26 is currently majoring in anthropology and minoring in studio art. She is from China, and her journey with art started with doing Chinese calligraphy when she was six. She officially began learning studio art in 2022 during her first year at Brandeis when she took the introduction to painting class. In the past two years, she has decided to continue having art as an integral piece of her life. She considers herself a keen observer of life, always paying attention to the world around her and expressing it through drawing and painting. She believes that art allows her to act as an “organ” that could transform her observations into visible forms. She enjoys the process of seeing things, interpreting them in her mind and expressing her insights through visual art. This past summer, she participated in the Brandeis in Siena Program, spending time in Italy exploring art in a vibrant and historical setting. Many of the pieces she created were originally sketches created while traveling. Later on when back to studio, she applied the oil painting based on the sketches. She hopes these pieces keep personal records of the summer and always remind her of her thoughts in the moments she created these art pieces.
By DAHLIA RAMIREZ JUSTICE STAFF ARTIST
ARTFUL INSIGHTS :
By NEMMA KALRA JUSTICE EDITOR
When entering the creative arts field where many aspects of the industry can be unpredictable and unfamiliar to undergraduate students, the mentorship of those who have come before can be invaluable. Recently, The Justice had the pleasure of speaking with associate producer and independent documentary filmmaker Alissa Fagin ’20 about the advice she wished she had received as a Brandeis student starting out in the film world.
One overarching piece of advice; be persistent but do not bombard. When talking about networking, Fagin shared how it is important and beneficial to follow up on outreach emails after a couple of weeks, but constantly emailing everyday may not be the most effective.
When the time to graduate from college comes, Fagin advised “if you can afford it, do an internship after college at a company you want to work for.” While these internships may not always offer the best pay, they may lead to experience and connections that are useful in the long run.
Finally, make sure to stay in touch with your collegiate peers because they are your future collaborators. The individuals who are on your level artistically may be helpful connections to have when working on future projects.
If you’re interested in the field of filmmaking and production, feel free to email arts@ thejustice.org to be connected with Alissa Fagin for further insights and guidance.
BRYAN WOLFE/The Justice
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
Photo courtesy of CINDY LIU