‘It’s hindering the arts at Brandeis’: Clubs react to weekly rehearsal limitations
■ A new regulation restricting clubs to four hours of reserved rehearsal space per week has created a new obstacle for Brandeis’ performing arts community to surmount.
By ZOE ZACHARY JUSTICE EDITOR
For performing arts groups, the beginning of a new academic year is a time of excitement and novelty. Auditions bring in new members, and preparations for an exciting new set of performances are set into motion. this year, however, came with an unexpected obstacle: The University had decided to restrict the amount of time per week for which these groups could reserve rehearsal space. With a new four hour per week restriction, groups have been forced to adapt in order to continue their usual rehearsal schedules.
In a Sept. 27 interview with The Justice, Boris’ Kitchen Sketch Comedy members Phoebe Liss ’25 and Greg Roitbourd ’26 commented on their reactions and frustration with the new restriction. “I feel like there wasn’t enough transparent information of why [the University] is doing this,” Liss said. According to her, this regulation was surprising and confusing to many groups, and a satisfactory motive for its implementation had not been provided by the University.
Roitbourd, who is heavily involved in campus life, was able to share his understanding of why the restrictions were implemented. “Certain groups were utilizing certain spaces in the wrong way or overbooking spaces … it became unfair to the events office,” he explained. “There’s some logic behind it, but overall, it’s still not fair to student art groups.”
According to Liss and Roitbourd, Boris’ Kitchen uses a classroom in Shiffman Humanities Center for their evening rehearsals. “Who is actually using these rooms?” Liss asked, questioning whether Boris’ Kitchen’s usage of their room was actually preventing other activities from occurring there. The group would usually start their rehearsals around 6 p.m, so the building was usually empty at the time of their rehearsals.
Whatever the motive, the four hour restriction has proved to be a challenge for Boris’ Kitchen. The group puts on one to two shows per semester which typically comprise of 12-18 individual sketches, each requiring attention, practice,and creative revision. “We need 20 hours [per week],” Roitbourd stated. Four hours per week, he said, is “quite literally a fifth of our rehearsal time … that’s barely getting through four sketches.” Within four hours
per week, he explains, “there’s no room to explore, there’s no room to do anything.”
Liss and Roitbourd see these rehearsal restrictions as “probably the most restrictive thing [the University] [has] implemented on us,” one of the sentiments which the group expressed in an email to University Event Operations on Sept. 12. As of press time, the group has not received a response. Without support from Administration, Boris’ Kitchen and many other groups on campus have found alternative methods of extending their rehearsal hours. Some groups have considered using student living spaces, and some just use empty spaces without reserving them. “We were on the verge of doing that,” commented Roitbourd.
One of the most effective alternatives for performing arts groups has been reserving rooms through Spingold Theater. According to Roitbourd and Liss, understanding and accessing this route has “hinged very much on the theater members of the group,” as they were not given guidance on how to do so from Administration. As performing arts groups share their solutions among each other, several of Brandeis’ improv groups and a cappella groups have also begun reserving rooms through Spingold.
Natalie Omori-Hoffe ’25, a senior advisor from Company B A Cappella, described some of the issues in reserving space through Spingold Theater in a Sept. 27 comment to The Justice. “Priority is often given to theater groups or individuals, leading to sudden and unexpected cancellations,” she explained. Omori-Hoffe expressed a similar frustration to Liss and Roitbourd toward the restrictions, hoping for a more “accommodating and reliable” system for navigating space reservations.
Roitbourd also implied in his interview that reserving rooms through Spingold Theater was not a sustainable solution. “The theater department can’t physically hold every single rehearsal group on campus,” he commented.
Cole Simmons ’26, a member of the Undergraduate Theater Collective who is heavily involved in student theater, was also able to comment on the origins of the restrictions. “Last year was an incredibly crowded semester in student theater,” he described.
“There were not enough spaces for University Events and not enough spaces for clubs.” According to him, clubs were not booking spaces appropriate for their needs, leading them to overbook rehearsal spaces, which interfered with University events.
“I think this was misguided, and reckless in a sense,” Simmons commented on the restrictions.
Though he recognizes the legitimacy of Brandeis’s space issue, he still believes that the University
Author Q&A
Author Kate Risse discusses her summer release, "Inland."
MIRABELL ROWLAND
FACULTY MEETING
Faculty express dissatisfaction as budget cuts result in removal of Lydian String Quartet, and receive admissions updates
■ The faculty meeting on Oct. 18 reviewed recent admissions data, plans for the future, and recent budget and staff cuts.
By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
At 2:00 pm on Oct. 18, the Brandeis faculty met in Rapaporte Treasure Hall for their monthly meeting. The meeting opened with Chair of the Faculty Senate Prof. Jeffrey Lenowitz (POL) giving a welcoming address, informing the staff of a change in timing of the next meeting in order to be able to accommodate an address from Interim President Aurthur Levine, Ph.D. ’70. Additionally Lenowitz stated “Though leadership is changing at the University, the structural problems are not. So to this end, I want to assure you all that the senate remains dedicated to working with the administration to ensure that these are addressed in a manner that safeguards faculty interests.” He also discussed future plans to hear and address faculty concerns such as a survey and small group
meetings.
The floor was then ceded to the Dean of Admissions, Jennifer Walker. Walker presented data on the new freshman class, as well as future recruitment plans. She began by providing context for the past 10 fiscal years, starting with FY’16. Following COVID-19, enrollment dropped, with 750 students joining the Brandeis community in the fall of 2021. In the past 10 years shown, the only year that had lower enrollment than that was the fall of 2024 with 738 students, a stark contrast to two years ago with a matriculating class of 980. Walker explained that following the dip in enrollment during Covid, Admissions was tasked with working on gaining larger classes for the next two years in order to round out the size of the total undergraduate population.
Walker then expressed changes in the market, meaning that trends supported the idea that public institutions were becoming more favorable than private for many students, bringing some public schools into Brandeis’ “competitor set,” which has generally been private schools in the past. She went on to relate this to
the U.S. News and World Report ranking system, which has recently changed, now utilizing an algorithm that favors public schools. At its peak, Brandeis University was ranked 35 but has dropped down to tie with many other schools for 63 following these algorithm changes. Walker also outlined that admissions teams from across the country have seen a general increase in the number of schools that high school students are applying to since the pandemic, with 28% now applying to 10 or more institutions. This increase has caused challenges when deciding who to admit, as it is harder to tell which students are the most likely to choose to attend Brandeis. Walker then detailed the statistics of the first year class, something that has generated much conversation since the elimination of affirmative action this past year. She shared that 48% of domestic first-year students are students of color, that these students come from 36 states and 29 countries and that the majority of them attended public high schools. Walker then went on to discuss the transfer class, this
MEETING : Dean of Admissions, Jennifer Walker spoke at the most recent faculty meeting.
Photo courtesy of KATE RISSE
ELIZA BIER/The Justice
SENATE LOG
Student Union President nominates senate members for director seats
The Senate convened on Oct. 6, where they began with the Senate hearing from two different clubs about name changes. Additionally, the Senate voted on director seat confirmations.
The first club to appear before the Senate was BC3, which sought permission to change its name to the Chinese Student Association. This club promotes Chinese culture and brings events to the Brandeis community. They aim to spread Chinese culture through food and music and host events like the Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year Festival. Club members wanted to change their name to become more recognizable as a Chinese culture club. The Senate passed their name change.
The second club to present was Brandeis Animajors Club For All, by Mathew Chu ’27, the President and founder of the club. He founded the club last year to grow a community for people interested in anime. Chu wants to change the club’s name to Brandeis Anime Club for All using the same acronym to make the type of club clearer. The Senate passed the name change.
The Student Union President Rani Balakrishna ’25 presented her candidates for direc -
POLICE LOG
MEDICAL EMERGENCY
tor seats to the Senate as a part of the Student Union. According to the constitution, Balakrishna needs confirmation from the directors and Chief of Staff. She also advocates for two new positions - Director of Accessibility and Director of Sustainability. The Director of Accessibility would work to make the campus more accessible to students and the Director of Sustainability would work toward making the campus more sustainable in many ways. Both of these positions were passed.
Vickie Hsieh ’25, the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, was the first to get confirmed. In her speech, she talked about her experience as a freshman representative, president for two years, and now senior advisor for the Taiwanese Student Association. Hsieh wants to create signs and maps for the Gender and Sexuality Center so students know where each office is and help them find a community. She has also met with other centers, including the office of DEI at Brandeis. Hsieh was confirmed.
Fairooz Abida ’27 was nominated for the Director of Health and Wellness. In her speech, she discussed her goal of working with the Brandeis Health Center, Brandeis Counseling Center, Prevention Advocacy and Resource
Oct. 4—A party was transported to a nearby hospital for medical treatment.
Oct. 6—Medical emergency for a party having an asthma attack. Patient was transported for further treatment.
Oct. 8—A party called in for an eye injury. Patient refused further medical treatment.
Oct. 10—A two-year-old was reported to be unconscious after a motor vehicle accident that morning. Patient was transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
Oct. 10—Medical emergency for a party who fainted. Patient refused further medical treatment.
Oct. 10—Medical emergency for a student having difficulty breathing. Patient was transported for further treatment.
Oct. 11—Medical emergency for a party having an asthma attack. Patient refused further medical treatment.
Oct. 11—Medical call for an intoxicated party. Patient was treated by BEMCo and transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment
Oct. 13—An intoxicated party called seeking medical assistance. Patient was transported for further treatment.
Oct. 14—Medical emergency for a party with leg pain. Patient was transported for further treatment.
Oct. 14—Medical emergency for a party having an allergic reaction. They were treated by BEMCo and the patient refused further medical treatment.
Oct. 14—Medical call for a party who potentially had a concussion. Patient was treated by BEMCo and refused further medical treatment.
Oct. 15—A party experiencing a mental health crisis was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Oct. 17—Medical emergency for an intoxicated party. Patient was treated by BEMCo and transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment
AND CLARIFICATIONS
■ A photo was incorrectly attributed to Vaughn Ahot. It was corrected to Vaughn Alnot (October 1, page 3)
Justice welcomes submissions for errors that warrant correction or clarification. Send an email to editor@thejustice.org
Center, and Student Accessibility Services in the future. She wants to maintain health and wellness at Brandeis, especially regarding mental health. Abida was confirmed. Grace Toscano ’27 was nominated for the director of Accessibility. In her speech, she discussed how she wanted to recreate the Sunflower Lanyard initiative. The global intuitive was first introduced to Brandeis last year by former Senator Ria Escamilla-Gil ‘27 who was also co-chair of this Social Justice Committee. The initiative raises awareness of people with non-visible disabilities. Toscano also wants to take action on elevator inspections because she noticed a lot of codes are outdated. Additionally, she hopes to make the Intercultural Center at Brandeis more accessible, hear students’ concerns, and consider better tour routes for Brandeis that are mobile. She was confirmed.
Nayeli Naranjo ’28 was nominated for the Director of Public Relations. She talked about her time working with non-governmental organizations and her experience as a mentor and coach for campers. She is interested in graphic design and wants to work on more social media content to connect with the Brandeis community. Naranjo was confirmed.
Allie Ladjeva ’27 was nominated for the Chief of Staff position. She discussed her involvement in many clubs on campus and her leadership experience. She was a Global Fellow at Brandeis this past fall semester. She talked about her passion for leadership and communications and how she is looking forward to helping with logistics and planning events with executive board members. Ladjeva was confirmed.
Vivienne Scott ’26 was nominated for the Director of Sustainability. Last year, she was the chair of the sustainability committee on the Senate and worked closely with the Environmental Studies department to put on events. She previously worked to run the Turkey Shuttles around Thanksgiving. Scott wants to work on Brandeis’s energy consumption, specifically lighting and heat usage. Scott was confirmed.
The Student Union meeting ended with discussing how they plan to run office hours this semester.
Oct. 17—Caller stated their friend wasn’t feeling well and asked BEMCo to evaluate. Patient was treated by BEMCo and refused further medical care.
MOTOR VEHICLE
Oct. 5—The Area Coordinator on call reported a blue vehicle that drove past “One Way/Do Not Enter” signs and turned into Massell Quad. The vehicle was gone on arrival.
Oct. 10—The Waltham Police Department responded to a motor vehicle accident. One community member who was involved was transported to a nearby hospital for further treatment.
Oct. 13—A suspicious vehicle was reported at the Lemberg Children’s Center. The owner said that it belonged to a contractor who was there to work on the sinks.
MISCELLANEOUS
Oct. 5—An emergency phone was activated and BEMCo was requested for a verbal domestic conflict. One party was transported off campus via a ride share service and the other by a third party.
Oct. 7—A party at the parking office was creating a disturbance.
Oct. 7—A faculty member reported receiving harassing emails. Investigation to follow.
Oct. 9—A party reported someone had stolen their AirPods. Investigation to follow.
Oct. 10—A party reported harassment by phone. Investigation to follow.
Oct. 13—A community member reported receiving harassing online messages. Investigation to follow.
Oct. 15—Area Coordinator on call for Ziv reported finding drug paraphernalia in a room.
Oct. 16—A student was served with court paperwork issuing a restraining order.
— Compiled by Zoe Zachary
Autumn : Bright red leaves speckle the ground, providing a pop of color indicitave of the changing seasons.
— Kelsey Stevens
VAUGHN ALNOT/The Justice
Co-participating in Democracy: Dr. Danielle Allen rethinks community action
■ In a collaborative class visit open to the Brandeis community, Dr. Danielle Allen shared her unique approach to American politics, focusing on bridging disparities as an effective means towards strengthening civic engagement.
By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Throughout her work as a trailblazing political philosopher and a proponent of education and community action, Dr. Danielle Allen has remained grounded in her belief that people should always have the freedom to ask “how” instead of “if.” As a self-proclaimed lover of “how” questions, Allen has tapped into the power of building spaces for conversation where collaboration and connection are paramount. Protecting the agency of individuals and their communities invests power in them as co-creators of our shared democracy: this philosophy motivates Allen to base her career around the idea of “democracy renovation.”
Allen is the James Bryant Conant University Professor at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Ash Center, where she also directs the Allen Lab for Democracy Renovation. The Allen Lab “aims to reinforce democracy through strengthening institutions, building interpersonal and informational trust and reducing hyper-partisan affective polarization with research and field-building.” Allen is also the founder and president of Partners in Democracy, an organization that works “to drive democracy renovation nationally by working at the state level, state-by-state.” She also champions “holistic, ambitious and strategic agendas for change — leading to sustained progress for democracy” through this same organization. Additionally, Allen ran an ultimately unsuccessful, yet progressive and innovative, campaign for Massachusetts governor in 2022, hoping to implement her new model of policy agenda called “One Commonwealth,” which organized her platform into five interconnected goals for “housing, transportation, schools, good jobs, and justice.” In addition, Allen is the author of several books on politics and American civic engagement, including, “Our Declaration,” a renowned critical analysis of The Declaration of Independence.
The Brandeis community had the unique opportunity to learn more about Allen’s career and “democracy renovation” on Oct. 9, when she came to campus to talk with students. The night prior, Allen had been awarded the Joseph B. and Toby Gittler Prize by the University to honor and support her “profoundly important work in support of democracy and greater participation in American democracy by those who have been marginalized in democratic processes.”
Afterward, students had the chance to ask Allen questions about her work during a collaborative class visit in the Rapaporte Treasure Hall, which was co-hosted by the VoteDeis Campus Coalition and Prof. Daniel Kyrder’s (POL/HIST/ AAAS) Introduction to American Government class.
As an introduction to the collaborative class, Allen introduced herself in terms of her values rather than her career achievements. She described a childhood characterized by a “deep sense of civic responsibility and engagement,” and continued by saying that her career is “fundamentally a family story.” She elaborated that her “passion came from long traditions of activism,” rooted in her great-grandfather’s work as a founder of the first National Association for the Advancement of Colored People chapter in Florida and her grandmother’s work fighting for women’s suffrage. In response to a student question about what influenced her decision to pursue a career in political science, she expressed gratitude to her father — who was also a political science professor — for including her in conversations about political philosophy from a young age.
Allen described herself as a “complete nerd,” and said that it was “always the case… for [her] that the world of books and the world of reality intersected with each other.” Allen has staked her career on the intersection of education and community action, which inspired one of her first significant “how” questions. As a sophomore at Princeton University in a course on Ancient Athenian democracy, Allen began to realize the stark contrast between democratic ideals and today’s reality. Halfway through the semester, after reading countless records of prosecution and defense cases, she recognized that “nobody once mentioned prisons” in the Ancient Greek penal system. This revelation opened up the intellectual floodgates for Allen. Her resulting question — “How did punishment work in the ancient world?” — synthesized the historical development of the justice system, especially as it relates to the use of prisons in the penal system and what this might reveal about the shortcomings of the current legal system in the United States.
She explained that although Athenians did use prisons, they were not the highly visible feature of the penal system as they are today. By no means was the Athenian model “a mild system, [but it] relied on execution, exile and fines,” explained Allen. When exile came to an end in the 19th century, the result was an eventual over-reliance on the prison system that is recognizable today. Allen said that through this question about ancient punishment, and the studies that it inspired, she “register[ed] a real disconnect between [her] real life and life on the page.” Growing up, “incarceration was really booming in the [United States]” she recalled, and there were telling discrepancies between the democratic ideals that she was learning about and the reality she saw around her. Allen recounted how a couple years after she asked that question, her cousin was arrested. She said, “incarceration became a big part of my life — and not in a good way.” She developed “a lot of frustration with how … political institutions work” and explained that this guided her in finding it necessary “to bridge the academic world … and the real world.” Apart from problems relating to the American justice system, Allen found purpose in identifying greater problems in the overall function of American democracy. Registering the comparisons that she found between the ideals of political philosophy and reality was key for her in identifying how historical changes and the current political climate have created an environment deprived of civic power.
Going back to her family’s long history of civic engagement, Allen emphatically explained that she knows her great-grandparents cared about changing the system because they had the
“experience of being trapped in decisions made by others.” They, like many other disenfranchised Americans, wanted and needed agency over their lives. It is natural for people to “want to be in control over their circumstances,” and “this does not have to be [at a] super high level,” she explained. “Voting helps, paying attention to needs in your neighborhood — that counts,” she said. This “gives people an experience of freedom and empowerment” that is necessary for keeping democracy alive.
Empowering individual agency is crucial to sharing democracy, according to Allen. This revelation inspired Allen to explore democratic ideals and build a bridge to reality despite the obstacles that she sees. The “gap between ideal and reality” fuels her work, she stated. In response to a student question about her motivation for teaching, she shared that she was inspired by one of her own teachers and used this answer to highlight the cyclical nature of learning as “this democracy doesn’t keep itself alive,” she explained. “It has to be passed on from one generation to the next,” and education makes this happen. Learning to be “our best selves,” as Allen put it, comes from learning how to function correctly as democratic co-participants and this is the collective responsibility of society.
Given this elaboration on her background and career, Allen’s perspective on politics and community action began to take shape for her audience. Her explanation of how she figured out the role she was meant to play in her community and her belief that this kind of participation makes for “a healthy, full, … well lived life,” informs her sense of purpose. No one “wants to be trapped in a world where we have no control over our surroundings ... buffeted by the choices of others.” Allen believes that the “only solution to [disempowerment] is to become a co-creator of [the] shared world,” thus investing in everyone a sense of agency over their lives.
This idea of being a co-creator of the shared world is the hallmark of Allen’s definition of democracy as something alive, evolving and in the hands of the people. She elaborated on this as she described her work as the co-chair of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Commission, which was formed to explore responses to societal and institutional vulnerabilities in political and civic life. She related this to everyday life, exploring how creating common ground is necessary for political learning as it relates to effective community action. It has “to start with finding a person of a different political view, find[ing] a human connection and work[ing] on something,” she explained. This makes it possible to build spaces for productive discourse about complicated issues and problems instead of exacerbating tension. Working towards common goals, even if that baseline goal is just creating a space to have respectful discussion, is good practice for civic engagement and keeps democracy safe.
When having conversations with people of different backgrounds and opinions, Allen advised students to practice mirroring: “We have to learn [how] to talk with a person who disagrees with us.” Her model of this hinges on repeating and clarifying opinions, using key phrases such as “tell me if I’ve heard your right” and “here’s what I heard you say,” to reach an understanding of people’s opinions. Chances are, stated
bers of gateway cities — who are post-industrial minority communities — and members of labor unions. The learning communities work on policy recommendations and are meant for people to “bring their own immediate concerns [and] put them on the table.” Allen’s team works to “share information and knowledge” with these communities and to develop ideas about “what’s healthy and not so healthy in Massachusetts democracy.” Through collaboration between community members and team members with technical experience and expertise in politics, Allen says that Partners in Democracy “open[s] up solutions and help[s] deliberate about priorities,” based on the “intrinsic motivation and community perspective that people have.” Allen emphasized the importance of institutions as necessary components of democracy and understanding their roadblocks as well as the opportunities that they provide. She said that the “process of collective decision making depends on institutions and is similar to a tool box,” in that institutions have the power to operate in many ways. “But if nobody shows you how to use a drill, you won’t know how to use it,” Allen said. Answering a question about her observations about student engagement, Allen elaborated on the potential that institutions offer. She said that, herself included, “educators have done a poor job in recent years teaching students about all the tools in the tool kit.” Schools and institutions are tools for social change and “in that regard, there is insufficient use of school as an institution.” Specifically surrounding the protests regarding the war between Israel and Hamas that she witnessed on the Harvard campus, Allen stated that it is her “very blunt and direct opinion” that the protests have at times been problematic and notes that while “protest is an important tool, [it is] only one tool in the toolkit.” She believes that protest should be used as one tool as well as working with institutions for change. Something Allen would “like to see more of” from young people is the “adopt[ion] of two roles: as a student and an activist.” She identifies the power of aligning the rights and responsibilities associated with those roles as fundamentally fixed in prioritizing education as a tool for better understanding, and through this achieving effective social change.
Creating a balance between learning and activism is a work in progress, but extremely cultivable. Illustrating how learning and activism can find a powerful intersection, especially considering theory and practice, Allen shared more about her work examining the Declaration of Independence, which she wrote about in her book “Our Declaration, A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality.” In a response to a student question about how this work has shaped her own political perspective, Allen said that “one of the biggest things in her life” has been “talking about … and teaching about [the Declaration of Independence.]” While teaching at the University of Chicago, Allen recalled that it was her “students [that] introduced her to the power of the text,” which she admittedly “taught … because it was … short.” Reading the Declaration of Independence in class with her students changed her perspective and led her to start a “24 year long journey” engaging with the text.
Allen, that people are often wrong about the true content or root of someone’s beliefs, and viewing conversation as a productive process in which to come to a full understanding will aid in genuinely appreciating people’s values. Continuing to stress the theme of common ground, Allen said the understanding that “we are all equal in wanting to make tomorrow better than yesterday [and the] sense of purpose that goes with that” is critical. This recognition means “realizing that nobody else’s judgment is better than [yours] for [your own] circumstances,” and in turn applying this philosophy to every individual. Allen stood by her core belief that it is “always important to consider values [and] what motivates [people],” saying that even when she tries to advise others, she knows that she is not necessarily offering “the best judgment that [she has] as a fallible human being.” Instead, she knows that she can make recommendations “given the moral compass that [she has,] by virtue of understanding its source” in driving her own decision making. Being conscious of the nature of individual opinion, as well as realizing that the paradox of this shared ability to have individual opinions and make decisions, is actually what unites people. Above all the complicated and controversial discourse in the public sphere, the desire to make democracy better is the ideal that Allen strives to implement in reality. Allen’s organization, Partners in Democracy, draws upon the simple idea of cultivating conversation and in this way, is redefining community action. In its aim to drive democracy renovation, Partners in Democracy hopes to redesign institutions and policy through prioritizing the interests and voices of people, as well as making said institutions and policy more accessible. It “matters that we connect communities to the process that continues change,” explained Allen. Partners in Democracy uses Allen’s experience in education as a launching point for its mission to “help people recognize where change needs to happen and how to do this.”
As an organization, Partners in Democracy is rooted in education and conversation. Since April 2022, Allen and her team have been building “democracy renovation learning communities,” organized into groups for young people, mem-
philosophical and political registers, “we have developed an odd debate between the concept of a democracy or a republic,” citing that for example in Utah, “state law requires that students learn that the country is a republic, not a democracy.” She affirms that this is in fact a “red herring debate,” because “both terms were used at the founding” of the United States; the two terms, republic and representative democracy, were used together and directly contrasted with the direct democracy of Ancient Athens. As for the civic space, Allen said that “local democracy means showing up for your community,” and protecting this third register means protecting the safety and rights that people have in staying involved in their communities. “Changes in our political climate mostly affect the middle register,” Allen said. As for their interconnection, it is important to “protect the first register and keep its ideas sound and useful,” while still “protecting the third register [even as] debate happens in the second.” Touching on the importance of the philosophical register as an underappreciated perspective on civic engagement, she said that political thought and theory “belong to all of us — [it is] not partisan.” Essentially, education should be a tool shared and utilized by all citizens in a democracy. In regards to applying theory to practice, Allen fielded a couple of questions about her race for Massachusetts Governor and her agenda in doing so. Transitioning from political academia to active political campaigning during the COVID-19 Pandemic was a response to “the problem of disparity in society,” Allen explained. She recalled how “Harvard… [was] bubble wrapped,” with its citizens receiving testing and resources before many other people in Massachusetts. Chelsea, a neighboring city of Cambridge, was the “home of one of the highest mortality rates in the country,” which Allen described as an “abomination.” This failure to achieve an equal and equitable response to the COVID-19 outbreak motivated Allen’s race against the former Governor of Massachusetts Charlie Baker. “It didn’t look like anybody was going to run against him so I ran,” which she admitted “was a pretty crazy thing to do.” However, it felt necessary to stand up for what she believed could be done differently in government. She said she is “so grateful” that she had this opportunity, as often “political scientists have a lousy understanding of how political parties actually work,” and her experience has helped her direct her energy “towards more meaningful questions and problems.”
Reciting the entire second sentence of the Declaration, Allen explained how it moves “from individual rights to shared safety and happiness,” describing working on establishing this shared safety and happiness “through the means of the tools of institutions.” To Allen, what the Declaration of Independence implies about civic responsibility “is that we need to alter how we think about values and what we share as well as how we structure and organize power.” She asked students to think about if “our institutions [are] pointing us towards sharing power” and shared that the policy measures she is developing now focus on addressing this issue of aligning the current operations of institutions with the ideals outlined by the Declaration of Independence. In addition to revealing a deep textual understanding of the theories for democracy expressed in the Declaration of Independence, Dr. Allen revealed the positive impact of understanding theory and connecting this to practice in the political world.
Going deeper into what she distinguishes as the philosophical register, the political register and the civic register, Allen led an exploration into how the concept of democracy has evolved over time, responding to a student question about the recent drastic changes in the American political climate.
Tension between and within each register is how Dr. Allen characterizes the current political climate. She explained that in the philosophical register, “the concepts of democracy and liberalism have one meaning,” and looking at the origin of words, “liberalism means protection of rights.” Vocabulary confusion has strained the relationship between the philosophical and political registers. So, even though “someone committed to protecting the [Second] Amendment is [philosophically] liberal,” today, liberal has a different meaning in the political register than in the philosophical register. Providing another example, Allen said she has observed that often, “Republicans conflate democratic party with democracy,” showing that confusion about political philosophy can cause convoluted debate in the political register because of a lack of understanding. Allen also explained that between the
The experience of running for governor and organizing a campaign shifted Allen’s perspective as she applied her theoretical knowledge to the actual lived practice of democracy. In addition to her interest in improving Massachusetts’ response to the pandemic, she “built a democracy agenda at the state level,” galvanized by the idea of justice by means of democracy. This was an experiment of Allen’s in “trying to work out a new policy paradigm,” and her policy agenda was constructed “very differently” from the usual political habit. Allen expressed her belief that the “identity group approach to politics” is not the right one, as it “does not get us to the right policy [and is] not healthy from a social point of view.” Instead, she said that “we need a policy of building blocks: housing, transportation, schools, good jobs, [and] justice.” By virtue of investing in these pillars, her agenda would in turn support change pertaining to more complicated items like climate change and economic issues. Housing was at the top of the agenda as a result of the listening sessions Allen held. In using this opportunity to model a change in policy making, despite her eventual withdrawal from the race, Allen said that “a lot of what [her campaign] worked on has started to flow into the broader political landscape.” Her campaign agendas are archived on her website “because [of their] proactive effort to convert theory into practice,” and highlight the possibility of asking “how,” as opposed to “if” something is possible. Allen also asserted that she “knew before [she] started the race that communities of color feel disconnected from the government in Massachusetts,” and she was determined to help rectify this as well. She “was stunned,” by the level of disenfranchisement that she observed in her campaigning, disclosing that she “would chat with people who would give clear-eyed explanations of what was wrong in [their] communities,” and who could point at possible solutions, but declared that they “would not vote because it never worked.” According to Partners in Democracy, Massachusetts has below average voter registration for communities of color, and it “ranks 48th in the country for the gap between white and [Black, Indigenous, People of Color] voter turnout,” and “50th in the country for state legislature effectiveness.” This points to another goal of Allen’s in “trying to get to a place in Massachusetts where voter participation is at a higher rate,” which will happen by addressing local news desserts, encouraging community action and fostering collaboration between organizations of experts, such as Partners in Democracy and local communities in having their voices heard. Currently, Partners in Democracy is crafting a legislative agenda based on community input, which also lends itself to shaping community prioritization, in the form of fighting for policy measures such as enacting same-day voter registration, passing a local option bill, simplifying the process for getting on the ballot and updating the primary process in Massachusetts to a Top Five election system. Allen’s terms of democracy renovation resonated in a room full of students, most of whom were members of Prof. Kryder’s Introduction to American Government class. In a discussion that carried most of its weight in the theme of bridging the dynamic relationships between ideal and reality; theory and practice and expertise and education, Allen created a robust picture of how to focus democracy on sustaining collaborative community action.
“Nourishing democracy and keeping that alive over time,” is the greatest goal for people in being co-creators of “our shared democracy,” she assured attendees. This is true for all citizens of the United States, yet it calls to students uniquely to take advantage of education as essential to community action. Allen’s approach to democracy in terms of “the right to vote, the right to run and the right to see and shape,” are valuable tools for understanding democracy. Above all, they invoke the ultimate ideal in upholding the “certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” to which Dr. Allen has devoted her career.
Ending with a conclusion from VoteDeis representative, Maddie Leventhal ’26, who thanked Dr. Allen and the event attendees for “such a collaborative conversation,” and their active engagement in civic problems and issues, the discussion pointed towards the hope for a political future buoyed by strengthened community action.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
AWARD : Dr. Allen receiving the 2020 John W. Kluge Prize for Achievement in the Study of Humanity.
Brandeis professors discuss the upcoming U.S. Presidential election
■ Brandeis professors share insights on the role of gender, race and immigration in the 2024 presidential election.
By LIN LIN HUTCHINSON JUSTICE EDITOR
On Oct. 10, the Heller School for Social Policy and Management hosted a panel discussion, titled “Four Takes on the U.S. presidential Election: Gender, Diaspora, Class, Race.” In discussion were Prof. Faith Smith (AAAS/ENG), Prof. Anita Hill (SP/WGS), Prof. ChaeRan Freeze (NEJS) and Prof. Harleen Singh (GRALL/WGS). Each panelist had the opportunity to share their perspectives of the upcoming presidential election. The panel was moderated by Maria Madison, the Interim Dean of The Heller School for Social Policy and Management.
Smith, the Marta F. Kaufman Chair in African American Studies and a professor of English, delved into the dynamics of immigration and community identity, particularly focusing on how societal narratives can create or break down notions of belonging. She used Trump’s repeated false claim that Hatians in Springfield, Ohio are eating pets, as seen during the Sept. 10 Presidential debate, as an example of how racist sentiments about Hatians are not isolated remarks but part of a broader, historical pattern of discrimination against Haitians in the U.S. Several examples of this kind of discrimination against Hatians can be seen in the barring of Haitians from donating blood in the 1980s after the Centers for Disease Control claimed that Haitian immigrants were considered highest risk of contracting Human immunodeficiency virus; denying Haitians the right to remain in the U.S. and detaining them at the U.S. base in Guantánamo Bay, despite having been granted asylum in the 1990s and during the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti when some U.S. religious leaders blamed the disaster on Hatians for “their spiritual anatomy and as punishment for their courage, faith and military prowess and determination that gave birth to the Haitian revolution,” Smith said. “What does that make us, neighbors who welcome and who benefit from the city’s economic turnaround, but then who turn to rhetoric about how ‘those people’ with unnatural appetites are destroying ‘our’ way of life?” Smith asked, questioning how such harmful views can persist in society. “How do we transform ourselves into people who can be swayed by this rhetoric and who participate in turning our neighbors into political photos, rendering them vulnerable to symbolic and material attack. This is about claiming space and deciding that others are taking up space inappropriately.”
Although her examples focus on the Haitian community, Smith highlighted the concept of “Haitian adjacent,” which encompasses broader contexts where “Haitian” represents more than just the community itself and includes other groups and international dimensions.
However, Smith cautioned attendees:
“This is not just politicians. This demonization can also come from groups that are particularly adjacent,” she says, giving examples where longer-term immigrants, U.S. citizens or not, may adopt exclusionary attitudes towards newer arrivals, framing them as undeserving.
We can perpetuate the demonization and hold stories that connect us and shape us as political actors, even as we grapple with feelings of exclusion, explains Smith. She invited attendees to critically examine “what turns ‘me’ into the ‘we’ and ‘us’ against which they are pitted,” and continue to question both the conditions under which we feel safe and prosperous and at whose expense they arise.
Singh highlighted a significant paradox in the U.S. cc “oldest democracy,” which has yet to elect anyone but a cisgender male to its highest office, while many other countries have successfully done so. This observation raises the critical question: Does the presence of women in leadership roles necessarily equate to transformative politics? She argues that the focus on electing candidates based on identity categories, such as gender or race, often overshadows the need for genuine transformative policies. Singh cites the example of Indira Gandhi, who, despite being a woman in power, suspended democratic rights during the 1975 Emergency in India. This example illustrated for Singh that having women in leadership does not automatically lead to progressive change.
“To me, growing up in India, I never doubted that women can be leaders,” Singh said, “however women’s leadership to me in many ways was not any different than that of other leaders.”
She went on to share that she’d like to “implode this gendered progressive narrative that we have come to employ, as if simply putting someone in place is to redo everything we’ve had before.” Instead, Singh suggests that electing a leader should not solely be about ticking off all the boxes of social identities, but rather voters should pay more attention to “transformative politics in the world we live in.”
One issue that arises from the hyper-focus on a candidate’s identity, Singh highlights, is the division it creates among different communities. She notes that while the South Asian community has rallied around Harris and embraced her as their candidate, this support can serve as a way to divert attention from the deep-rooted anti-Blackness that is present within immigrant communities. Singh poses questions of whether they would accept a Black person or an African American as a son-in-law, daughter-inlaw, or simply as a family member, answering, “probably not.” She points to the model-minority myth — a stereotype that portrays certain racial or ethnic groups, particularly Asian Americans, as inherently successful and socially compliant, explaining that “they are happy to accept one as a candidate for their political choices because this is someone who seems to have gone beyond the racial and the cultural categories of either being South Asian or Black.”
Additionally Singh adds that women leaders are often held to unrealistic standards, primarily due to the century-long influence of a patriarchal leadership model. The current expectations of leadership are shaped by gender and race, and if Harris becomes the first women of color to be president, there will be a huge expectation of her to be the radical change. “Perhaps true equality will be achieved when women are allowed to fail just as much as men,” Singh said.
Continuing, Singh reminds us that “Our leader[s] will fail us. Our heroes fail us … The people we most look up to are human.” Singh asked attendees to “think about the profound sense of duty that we are actually endowed with in exercising our vote” and to reflect on not just the “perfect candidate” but about their character, qualities and values that would “restore our faith in the democratic process, in each other and in community.”
Freeze explored the concept of intimacy and how it goes beyond the private sphere and its relation to national politics. Drawing on cultural theorist Lauren Berlant’s definitions of intimacy, Freeze noted that the Harris campaign carefully crafted Harris’s narrative and image.
Intimate moments like glimpsing a picture of Harris’ Indian mother, hearing stories of Harris growing up in a middle-class household or Harris responding “Just don’t call me aunty” when asked by Mindy Kaling how she should refer to Harris in a cooking video all aim to get voters excited from seeing reflections of themselves in her story. Intimacy, Freeze points out, encompasses not just closeness, but also a shared understanding and the creation of a narrative that connects individuals on a deeper level.
However, Freeze warns of the potential negative impact of intimacy in the Harris campaign, elaborating that although intimacy can create a sense of familiarity, it can also soften Harris’ image for people who are uncomfortable with the idea of a woman becoming the president.
“The public’s need to see Harris in these intimate domestic spaces reveal deeply entrenched gender and racial expectations,” Freeze said. Specifically, she recalls earlier in May, when Drew Barrymore said on her show that Harris needs to be “Mamala of the country.”
While “Mamala” is an intimate nickname that Harris’s step-kids call her, Berrymore’s usage of the nickname in a broader context “perpetuates the stereotype of Black women as caregivers and domestics, evoking the stereotype of the mammy,” Freeze says.
Building on Singh’s insights, Freeze underlined that for marginalized communities, the cultivated intimacy has inspired hope that Harris’ priorities will resonate with their own experiences. “Hope,” Freeze says, is a “weak” word that “fails to capture our high expectations, our impossible demands.” She elaborates that it is not enough to simply see marginalized groups reflected in the high powerful positions. Traits of Blackness and womanness do
not guarantee trustworthiness if we allow ourselves to be placed in roles that uphold the oppressive status quo, she argues. Even though Harris has and can continue to shatter the highest glass ceiling, she still would have the “unspoken fantasies, implicit rules and hidden obligations” of being the face of American hegemony, capitalism and U.S. militarism that is expected of the highest office in the land.
Freeze did leave attendees of the panel with a sense of optimism, referencing Berlant’s idea that “intimacy is world-building.” While Freeze acknowledges Harris’ lack of perfection and the overall need for constructive feedback, she also asserted that electing Harris would “creates spaces, usurps places meant for other kinds of relationships [and] has the potential to destabilize” the current political environment.
Hill, the final panelist, began by discussing Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing in March 2022, which was marked by sexist and racist questioning. Despite Jackson’s accomplished record as a lawyer and judge, she was labeled by republican challengers as President Joe Biden’s “DEI candidate.” But critics of Jackson were unsuccessful at preventing her confirmation, and the Senate confirmed her on April 7, 2022 with a 53 to 47 vote. In that moment, Hill had hoped that the demoralizing tactics employed by Jackson’s detractors might finally start to wane.
“I thought we might be at a turning point,” Hill said while reflecting on the historic confirmation, and expressed her hopes that the U.S. would begin “moving away from the pervasive practice of applying sexism, racism, homophobia, and xenophobia against individuals.”
However, that has certainly not been the case, as Harris continues to be questioned and attacked based on her gender and racial identities. This pattern of sexism and racism reflects a deeper historical context rooted in a structural system like the Supreme Court, that has allowed for demoralizing rhetoric to thrive, as seen in cases like Johnson v. McIntosh , a case that established the precedent that Native Americans cannot directly sell land to private citizens without the consent of the federal government. Hill says the ruling ultimately resulted in the land theft and displacement of Native Americans and the establishment of Indian boarding schools, and that these kinds of cases involved racial and ethnic construction that was then used to justify the denial of constitutional rights to various marginalized groups. “It is a prime example of loathsome rhetoric that has been used to characterize indigenous people,” Hill said. “It is true evidence of the lawlessness of law and the lawlessness of the rhetoric that has been used to embody law.”
The dehumanization rhetoric continues beyond historical text, Hill says, and is reflected in Project 2025 — conservative blueprint for a second Trump administration — and how Harris is talked about.
Using Sarah Goldberg’s, MA ’24, categorization of gender bias, Hill explained how much of the rhetoric falls under perception bias, competence bias and electability bias. In Harris’ case, perception bias tends to focus on the tendency to define what it means to be a woman leader primarily through physical and intellectual traits associated with motherhood. Competence bias refers to the tendency to associate women’s competence primarily with soft skills like domestic, societal concerns rather than hard skills like economic or national security matters. It is also the “presumption of incompetence attached to most women who run for high office,” Hill adds. The final bias, electability bias, highlights the importance of likability or attractiveness in how Harris presents herself. Hill noted that there is a bias for the images pointed out by Freeze, which Hill argues portrays Harris as a “joyful warrior” instead of the stereotyped image of “angry Black women.”
Hill wrapped up her remarks by emphasizing that we should all take this personally as this type of rhetoric speaks about “us as a country.” What’s at stake here is personal, she argued, and each of us could face similar threats, dangers and aggression that Kamala Harris is experiencing.
With only two weeks until the Nov. 5 presidential election, Harris’ historic nomination and broader social issues of race, gender, immigration and class, which have shaped the careers of both Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, will undoubtedly influence voters’ decisions.
New “Moodle” management platform raises privacy concerns
■ Since switching from LATTE, students have noticed a bug in the new Moodle platform that allowed them to access their classmates’ information.
By BRIANNA EARLE JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
As Brandeis students return to campus for the new semesteIn September, Brandeis implemented the new learning management platform Moodle. LATTE, an extension of an already existing Moodle interface, was nearing the end of its efficiency span and the technology department began looking at other options.
Miles Goldstein ‘25, the current manager of the Information and Technology Services’ student-run Technology Help Desk, helped with implementing the new platform. “It was as painless as a new software launch can be,” he said. “Nothing really changed moving from LATTE to Moodle, the interface is different and a couple of the features were moved around.”
Yet despite the tech team’s confidence in the new platform, students encountered some difficulties at the beginning of its implementation. At the beginning of the semester, when students were given access to the platform, some students discovered there was now an option to view which other courses their classmates were enrolled in.
Jaiden Van Bork ’26 noticed that she was able to access her peers’ schedules. “[Privacy] wasn’t initially a concern, but I noticed that every user in Moodle has a profile that is easily accessed by clicking on their name, and part of [this] profile included a list of course pages that this user was also active in.” She explained that this meant she could click on a fellow student’s profile and “see that they’re also in this computer science class or this biology class.”
According to Ivan Nieves, the Associate Director of the Learning Management System Operations and Implementations at Brandeis, ITS, were initially unaware of the issue. He said, “if such a situation had occurred, it would have been immediately addressed by our technical and support teams to ensure data integrity and privacy were restored swiftly.”
Although ITS was unaware of the problem, the Help Desk did know there was an issue early in the new program’s implementa-
tion. “For the first week there was an issue where peoples’ classes were visible to others, but I imagine that was an issue that came from figuring out the configuration of the new system based on feedback. I don’t see any privacy concerns existing because it’s the same Brandeis servers and the same platform,” said Goldstein. Since the issue resolved itself, there has been little to no concern with the future of students’ privacy on Moodle. “User privacy is always a top priority, from [Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act] compliance, and an ethical perspective aligning with the University’s values.” Nieves said. “ITS has no concerns about the upgrade to Moodle 4. This was informed by an environmental scan of best practices, internal surveys of faculty and staff, and based on financial sustainability.”
As of press time, ITS has not directly addressed students’ claims about privacy.
— The Justice writer Miles Goldstein is employeed by Brandeis Information and Technology Services and did not contribute to this article
Something for everyone: A new high school opens in Waltham
■ The beginning of this academic year meant a new beginning for Waltham High School students.
By ANNA MARTIN JUSTICE EDITOR IN CHIEF
This fall, Waltham High School students stepped into their brand new building for the first time — a high school that combines traditional classroom learning and vocational programs. The state of the art building allows students to explore a wide range of educational options and decide which style of learning best suits their academic needs.
Still not fully completed, this five year long project was made possible by an approximately 400 million dollar loan, which according to the Columbia Broadcasting System is the “largest in Massachusetts history for a public school.” This new building replaces the previous high school facility that had been in use since 1968.
According to the Waltham High School Building Project website, “In 2005 Waltham High School was put on warning status by the New England Associates of Schools and Colleges, Inc. ... The warning related specifically to technology limitations, outdated science labs and handicap accessibility issues throughout the school.” Since 2005, the school has undergone small updates to improve the issues on this list, but the true fix to remove the warning status was building a new facility. In addition to solving the issues listed above, the facility allows for 1,830 students rather than the approximately 1,675 at the older building. The new campus also has the capacity to accommodate an expansion if deemed necessary in the future.
With the new build, the school district was able to expand its offerings under Chapter 74. Chapter 74, the Massachusetts standard for vocational education, “[outlines] rigorous standards for program approval, including curriculum, teaching, equipment, oversight, and review” according to the Massachusetts Association of Vocational Administrators.
On Oct. 15, Michael Grace, Director of Career & Technical Education, shared with The Justice: “We are expanding our offerings and will now have four new programs including; Cosmetology, Environmental Technology, Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC-R) Programming & Web Development,” The new
building also includes the original ten vocational programs offered by Waltham, consisting of Automotive Technology, Carpentry, Collision Technology, Culinary Arts, Early Education & Care, Electrical, Electronics, Graphic Communications, Health Assisting and Television Broadcasting.
In addition to engaging students who are interested in a more hands-on style of learning, the school has been built to optimize community engagement. The building is split into many color-coded wings with a large number of external exits specifically placed near technical program areas to allow members of the community to safely enter and exit.
The new cosmetology program is one that will soon be open to community members. With state-of-the-art facilities, walking into the classroom feels just like walking into a salon, complete with hair stations, nail stations and a spa room in the back. Once students receive appropriate training, individuals will be able to book appointments for services, allowing students to gain practical experiences with real clients without leaving the school.
The culinary arts shop is complete with what will soon be open as a fully functioning restaurant, allowing community and family members to be served a handmade meal and baked goods by students. The restaurant is complete with a large observation window into the kitchen, allowing restaurant goers to glimpse a peek at the cooking process and watch the students be taught in real time.
Early Education & Care is also located near an external door, as plans to open a childcare facility are in the works. Complete with its very own playground, the vocational shop has three classrooms suited for young children’s education. They have observation areas that will allow the high school students to view classroom operations without leaving the building. This also opens up opportunities for older high school students to participate in cooperative education positions within the classrooms. Grace informed The Justice that the goal for this facility is for it to be operational with a staff of teachers during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Automotive Technology and Collision Technology are also open for public services, meaning anyone associated with the school and all residents of Waltham are able to bring their cars to the school for both internal and external repairs. While not free of charge, the patrons are only asked to pay for parts and materials which can lead to large savings in labor costs.
In addition to on campus services, students are able to hold
off-campus positions in the form of cooperative education programs. Due to the scheduling of shop time, upperclassmen are able to leave campus for the second half of each day to gain practical experience working hands-on in their fields.
Waltham High School Principal Darrell Braggs told WBZ-TV, “Every kid doesn’t go to college. I think we are in a world and a state that’s accepting the fact that our kids do a lot of other jobs.” The integration of vocational education into a high school such as this one allows students to connect with their peers who have all different interests, encouraging them to learn from one another.
Waltham High School also offers the more traditional academic focused learning path for students interested in focusing on courses such as those associated with the Advanced Placement Program. However, these students are also able to take advantage of the state of the art facilities built for the technical programs.
Since all of the programs are not currently at capacity, other elective classes can be taught out of the spaces, allowing students to receive some of the experiences without committing to enrolling in a vocational program. The CTE Program Electives, many of which have their own spaces in this new school building, allow students to gain hands-on skills during their elective periods. Some examples of these classes include Fashion Design I, II & III, Introduction to the Healthcare Field, Animation & Motion Graphics, Bake Shop and Financial Literacy. Courses like these allow the school to maximize usage of spaces both in and outside of the shops, while equipping students with useful skills moving forward.
In addition to classroom and vocational spaces, the school has a brand new auditorium to be utilized for student performances, a new media center complete with a cafe and a turf field atop the parking structure for sports teams to utilize.
Waltham High School welcomed students at the beginning of this school year, and opened its doors on Oct. 6 and Oct. 15 to the community. Two guests per Waltham household were invited to take a 30 minute tour of the school and check out the new facilities.
Administrators expressed excitement regarding the future of this new school and the potential for program growth. Students have gone from an outdated building to a modern one, and their opportunities to engage in hands-on learning have widened. The school’s unique blend of vocational and traditional academic styles show promise, possibly becoming a model as more public schools embrace practical education in addition to college preparation.
REHEARSAL: One theater group forced to rehearse outside, due to scheduling limitations
could have done more for performing arts groups. He speculates that the restrictions could go back to budgetary issues, citing the recent turnovers in the Department of University Events: “University Events is understaffed, under supported, and going through turnover meaning that everything is being reevaluated.”
Simmons is currently on the board for FreePlay Theater Cooperative, who have experienced their own problems with the restrictions. While attempting to book Cholmondely’s Cafe for a performance, he received an email from University Events saying he wasn’t able to do so due to the weekly limit. He replied stating that this reservation was for a performance, not a rehearsal, and never received a response. In his own groups, the restrictions have been chaotic. “We don’t know where we are rehearsing until day-of,” he narrated. Simmons brought attention to another instance on campus — Hold Thy Peace was forced to rehearse outside. He elabo -
rates: “Julius Caesar had to rehearse outside on the field. Some of the production staff have mobility aids that were impacted negatively.” He adds, “It’s an accessibility thing. It’s a dignity thing. We can’t rehearse outside, but they refuse to give us anything else.”
Additionally, Simmons also speculated on the impacts of the weekly limitation in the context of the broader performing arts community. “I think this could kill more student theater groups. And if this policy stays in place, it will kill Liquid Latex. It could kill Adagio,” he stated. Fireside Theater Company at Brandeis had fallen apart over the course of his time at Brandeis.
A representative from the Department of Student Engagement commented in an Oct. 1 email to The Justice about some of this year’s changes. She began by clarifying that the department only assists in managing the Carl J. Shapiro Theater, which was designed to be the home of the Undergraduate Theater Collective. Though no changes have been made
for that specific space, DSE has also updated their website with more detailed guidance on how to reserve the theater. As of press time, the University Events Office has not submitted a comment to The Justice.
Simmons, Omori-Hoffe, Liss and Roitbourd all made it clear that the rehearsal restrictions are a community-wide issue. As was summarized, “The most relaxed a cappella group I know practices for four hours a week. Every other one practices for seven. Theater groups practice twenty hours a week, improv groups practice more than four.” Though not all groups are affected, it is clear that the weekly limits have become a negative presence and uniting issue for select performing arts groups.
— Justice editor Marina Rosenthal is employed by Brandeis University Events and did not contribute to the writing nor editing of this article.
FACULTY: Budget cuts cause a 25% faculty reduction to the music department
year’s being the largest in the University’s history with 83 students. Her guess was that all institutions across higher education have seen “a bit of a mass reshuffling,” and explained that 83 is twice the target of 40. Walker also shared that the outgoing students were 60 students beyond what they had anticipated, with a total of 120 students leaving Brandeis following last academic year.
Walker addressed the question of whether or not these enrollment deficits are specific to just Brandeis. She answered with the phrase “no, but,” meaning that while the issue is not exclusive to the University, that doesn't mean that it isn’t an area of concern. She addressed that the amount of students bound for college is “shrinking,” as well as the amount of college bound students in households with combined incomes of over $250,000. Walker expressed concerns about a drastic decline in applications from China over the past year. She explained that this is an issue in admissions because this applicant pool often fills many of the early decision admissions seats, as well as having a high general yield rate.
In order to solve some of these concerns, the University is creating a division of Enrollment Management. Additionally, they have shortened the information session and slightly lengthened the campus tour route to include entering more buildings. Admissions is also requesting specific cosmetic campus improvements specifically along the tour route seen by prospective students. They are working with an outside vendor regarding flexibility and prices and how Brandeis can optimize its financial aid. Budget dollars have also been relocated towards increasing digital marketing campaigns and stronger messaging regarding Brandeis’ guarantee of need-based aid will be pushed moving forward.
Additionally, Walker shared that faculty will be added back into admissions programming following their removal due to lack of participation on the weekends, without pay and without childcare incentives. Admissions is going to add back the faculty fair to admitted students days, allowing potential students to meet with faculty from each department and learn about course offerings and research opportunities. This is in addition to the current Fall for Brandeis days taught by faculty and virtual panels.
Walker also spoke to faculty regarding the need for good news and good press, calling upon them to share the positive things that are happening such as receiving grants or outstanding students. She asked everyone to “please say yes” when it comes to asks like being a part of videos, recordings and events. The ultimate goal of this positive media is to create a balance of five positive pieces of news media for every one negative, according to the new Vice President of Communications.
Following Walker’s presentation, University Provost Carol Fierke began her presentation by acknowledging the large amount of change that has taken place over the last year. She also spoke on the financial challenges currently being faced by the University, stating that the University has “taken a number of measures to cut costs.” Fierke explained that it would not be appropriate to lay out any concrete plans in the middle of this leadership transition.
Fierke called on the faculty for help regarding increasing revenue, stating that the most helpful thing they can do is to “recruit or retain one student.” Fierke explained that what is known to be the strongest part of Brandeis is the faculty and the academic offerings. She then highlighted the weaknesses of the University, stating “our campus infrastructure, physically, facilities are not competitive with peer institutions.” Fierke also explained that many students find the campus lacking in social options.
Fierke echoed Walker’s sentiment, explaining that Brandeis has not spent a lot of money on marketing, explaining that soon to be President Levine will lead a division of Enrollment Marketing that he plans to establish. She highlighted the joint marketing campaign that all graduate programs have worked on together in addition to the increase in undergraduate marketing.
Fierke discussed potential remedies for the issues previously discussed, including the plans for a new residence hall and general reorganization of residential life. This discussion also included the possibility of living learning communities, something that faculty would be involved in. Additionally, Fierke mentioned that the building of a new air conditioned residential building could lead to an increase in summer programming, which would increase revenue.
Parents have called for more career services for students, an area Fierke hopes to improve upon as well as increasing
marketing regarding the Hiatt Career Center. She adds that she has had conversations with Dean of Arts and Sciences Jeffrey Shoulson regarding what a potential cooperative education program at Brandeis would look like.
During her address, Fierke discussed the potential of adding first year seminars back into the core curriculum, in order to encourage meaningful relationships for students with tenure and tenure track faculty. Fierke shared that there were higher yields in last year’s admissions cycle for students who were involved in the Quantitative Biology Research Community and Humanities fellowship programs, and divisions such as the creative arts and business are considering implementing similar programs.
Following Fierke, Shoulson and Senior Assistant Provost Joel Christensen discuss faculty hiring and contracts. Shoulsen explained that due to limitations such as tenured faculty, the primary way to comply with budget restrictions is to review contracts once they are up for renewal and decide if the positions are still necessary or if they can be eliminated “in order to meet those budget expectations.”
Christensen shared that this year there were 25 OTS contracts up for renewal, and each of these positions were closely examined. “We didn’t find very many places that we could eliminate without significantly damaging undergraduate programming that we offer to our students, ”Shoulson explained. He adds that while he was not eager, they decided not to renew the contracts of the Lydian faculty, stating that it is “a savings of around $275,000 a year annually, and in order to reach that savings we would have to eliminate two to three OTS positions in some of the other programs.”
Christensen then explained that the process required all faculty who are not being renewed to be notified by Oct. 1, and explained that they have been working on figuring out how to comply with these new budget guidelines since February. This process includes looking at everything, from contracted hires to projected retirement plans. He explained that this is an ongoing process over multiple years, but stated “if anyone is up for reappointment now, you’re fine.”
The floor was then opened for questions, and multiple faculty members stepped forward in order to express their dissatisfaction regarding the elimination of the Lydian String Quartet. Head of the Music Department Prof. Yu-Hui Chang (MUS) took to the stand to express her anger as “a quarter” of her current faculty will be gone next year. She stated “I have to publicly question the wisdom of this kind of decision making,” following up by expressing that “[she feels] like this administration has greatly underestimated the value of the music department and what the department has done for Brandeis.”
Chang went on to describe what she believes is the purpose of the music department: “We are here to group everybody together. We are also a very public facing department. So what we do is be seen by hundreds and thousands of people.” She then discussed the prior presentations of the day, highlighting the importance that was placed on admissions. She explained that if members of the administration are so concerned about the Brandeis reputation, they should “stop making decisions that damage our reputation.”
The Lydian String Quartet was founded in 1980, becoming a staple of the Brandeis music program for the past 44 years. The current members are Prof. Joshua Gordon (MUS) who plays the cello, Prof. Julia Glenn (MUS) and Prof. Clara Lyon (MUS) who play the violin and Prof. Mark Berger (MUS) who plays the viola. Many artists have played with the quartet since its formation, with Lyon, a three-time Grammy nominated artist and the newest member, joining the group in September of 2024, less than a month prior to the announcement that the quartet will be dissolved.
According to the Lydian website, at the formation of the group, “the quartet studied repertoire with Robert Koff, a founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet who had joined the Brandeis faculty in 1958.” The group has gone on to perform all over the United States and in many different countries abroad in addition to performances at Brandeis. According to their website, “From the acknowledged masterpieces of the classical, romantic, and modern eras to the remarkable compositions written by today's cutting edge composers, the quartet approaches music-making with a sense of exploration and personal expression that is timeless.”
In addition to the quartet, the Lydian faculty work with Brandeis students. Chang spoke with The Justice on Oct. 19, detailing how her department will be affected by this loss. She began her statement by detailing “On 9/30, I was informed that both the Lydian and another member of my department will not have their contracts renewed next year, and that
they planned to notify them the next day. I was asked not to discuss the matter with these faculty beforehand. As this is a 25% faculty reduction to our department (or more than 33% if you count the number of faculty), it means my department is disproportionately shouldering the school’s financial burden when the upper administrators' goal was to reduce the faculty by 8% campus-wide.”
Chang then continued on to discuss the state of the music department in general, explaining “this is not to mention all the other losses we’ve had to deal with, including the freeze of our doctoral programs, and the loss of our concert production staff that we desperately need to function. At this moment the department still doesn’t know how we can handle the aftermath of this cut, as the Lydian is an integral part of our department’s programs and much more.” The Lydian plays a large part in the marketing of the Brandeis music department. Chang concluded her statement by saying “Given the Lydian’s national reputation, we dread the negative impact this will bring to Brandeis’ already tarnished public image.”
In a statement shared with The Justice on Oct. 21, members of the quartet shared the sentiment that this was as unexpected to them as Chang. Their statement began “On September 30 we were given 24 hours’ notice of a zoom meeting with Provost Carol A. Fierke and Senior Assistant Provost Joel Christensen, where we were informed that Brandeis University will not be renewing the contracts for the Lydian String Quartet. We are shocked and saddened by this decision, which will have a devastating impact on the arts culture of Brandeis and the quality of arts education for students.”
The quartet also chose to emphasize the impact that they have on the Brandeis community, stating “For more than 40 years, the Lydian Quartet has been the core music performance faculty at Brandeis, but our impact on the students reaches far beyond the lessons and chamber music coachings we provide.” In addition to class time, the Lydian has a larger reach in the department. They explained “As faculty members of the music department, we provide music major track advising, oversight of the Leonard Bernstein Fellows, administration of major gifts to the university (the Henri Lazarof Living Legacy, the Irving Fine Tribute Concert fund, the Lydian Quartet Commission Prize), and professional performances of Brandeis student compositions, as well as music major required course offerings and electives.”
Emphasizing Chang’s statement regarding the overall struggles of the music department and other additional losses, they stated “In this most recent round of cuts, which we were told are for purely budgetary reasons and had nothing to do with our performance or contributions to the university, the music department is being disproportionately gutted, eliminating 25% of the music faculty with no plans for replacement.” The quartet then went on to explain “This follows one year after the attempt to eliminate our PhD programs in musicology and composition, and continues a trend from a previous administration’s notorious attempt to sell off the Rose Art Museum’s collection.
The members of the group emphasized to The Justice that their group has an integral role in the history of the University. They stated “The Lydian Quartet is intimately tied up in the storied history of Brandeis, and we have embraced our role as artistic ambassadors with gusto, performing concerts around the globe, publishing over 30 studio albums, performing masterclasses and outreach wherever we travel, and making Brandeis a cultural destination for the Boston area music scene through our concert series on campus.” The members then went on to explain the effect that this decision will have on the overall music department, stating “The Lydian Quartet is a cultural jewel for Brandeis, a unique partnership that sets our university apart from other institutions. This decision to end the legacy of the Lydian Quartet is a huge blow to the culture and history of Brandeis, and will have devastating ramifications for the music department, whose rich history stretches back to the beginning when Leonard Bernstein and Irving Fine were faculty members.”
The quartet then concluded their statement with a call to action to members of the University community, stating “We hope the greater Brandeis community of students, faculty, alumni, award recipients, donors, and other friends and supporters will call upon the Brandeis administration to reverse this shortsighted decision.”
The faculty meeting concluded following statements of unhappiness and uncertainty from the faculty following these four speakers. The financial state of the University is still up in the air following the recent announcement regarding leadership transitions.
features
Why don’t you have a piece of bread and maybe you’ll calm down?
ON THIS DAY…
WikiLeaks released thousands of U.S. documents concerning the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2010.
FUN FACT
Hurricane Michael was the only tropical cyclone to hit the Florida Panhandle at stronger than Category 3 intensity.
Creativity never ends: Kate Risse on writing ‘Inland’ and thinking about the future of our planet
Author Kate
Risse
discusses writing her debut novel and the inspirations that shaped the story.
By MIRABELL ROWLAND JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
— Content warning: The following article discusses natural disasters and hurricane devastation.
The year is 2026 and Juliet is a mother who has been cut off from her 16-year old son Billy after catastrophic flooding on the eastern seaboard. With Martin, her neighbor who is also separated from his family, Juliet embarks on a harrowing journey to reunite with Billy. Billy faces his own challenges as he is stuck in the family’s sinking house in Boston. He is joined by Martin’s daughters, Lana and Agnes. The three friends are forced on a precarious journey as the home slides into the currents. When cellphones malfunction, a new layer of complexity is added to the mix as Juliet and Billy struggle to communicate. The mother and son duo are the foundational characters behind “Inland,” a 2024 summer release written by Kate Risse.
The Boston native is not just an author. She is also a professor of Spanish Language and Culture at Tufts University, with a course on Climate Justice.
On Oct. 2, The Justice spoke with Risse about the inspiration for her novel, the challenges she encountered while writing it and what she hopes readers will take away from the story.
Mirabell Rowland: “When did you first become interested in creative writing?”
Kate Risse: “I studied probably what is now called ‘Comp. Lit.’ When I was in college, I was already reading a variety of books … novels mainly, and some history from really all over the world. I was interested in writing when I got out of college, and I did do a little bit of writing in college. I did some short story classes and some poetry classes. And then I was very interested in writing out of school. Actually, I’m looking at them on my bookshelf. I published a couple of short stories and a poem in journals. And then I worked for a short while, maybe two or three years, and then I decided to go back to graduate school and get a doctorate. I was very interested in Hispanic language and culture, so I got a Ph.D from Boston College and did not do a lot
of fiction writing at that point. I’ve been teaching now for 20 years at Tufts. Believe it or not, I’ve belonged to a writing group for 35 years and I just came back two weeks ago from my week and a half that I spent with them on Cape Cod. So I have been involved in this writing group. It’s kind of like a community of writers. Sometimes we meet online, you know, at like six in the morning, and there’s no talking. But we can see each other on the screen, and that kind of inspires us. I do wanna say I started this novel just before Covid. And so I often think of it as a Covid novel because I spent a lot of time when we were all indoors writing the novel with the support of the writing community I’ve belonged to for so long.”
Mirabell Rowland: “Can you tell me about how you decided to merge into ecocriticism and climate justice in your writing, since that is something that you teach at Tufts.”
Kate Risse: “I had these kinds of two existential concerns, one was climate change. And also there’s a big part of this book that is actually [about] kids on social media. I made a visit to this island that my mother lives on in the Gulf coast, and it’s actually just where the hurricane was. So this has been, what they call, the hurricane corridor on the Gulf Coast, the Panhandle, the forgotten coast of Northern Florida. So in terms of how I started writing it, I was on the island, and I don’t know if you remember, in 2018 Hurricane Michael blew through the Gulf Coast in this very area. It was ranked as the highest category. It was the first and only category five hurricane on record in the Gulf, in the Panhandle. I was there probably two months before the hurricane hit, and then I returned a couple of months after the hurricane hit. So this is a category five hurricane on the Panhandle, and I saw the aftermath of it. I saw the devastation. I saw houses there one day, and then they were literally gone. So I think my mind just sort of started churning. I really felt I wanted to write about this and so that’s when I began it. That’s how
CLI-FI: Kate Risse’s new novel is a climate fiction set in a near-future world.
Mirabell Rowland: “Writing seems to have been something that you grew up doing. Did you ever see yourself as an author when you were younger?”
Kate Risse: “That’s a great question. I think, in the school that I went to [which was] an alternative school in Brookline High School, there was a good emphasis on writing and expressing yourself. We read a lot of world literature. When I was younger I probably did think about ‘oh, wouldn’t it be neat to be a novelist?’ I don’t think I ever thought that I would do that seriously.”
Mirabell Rowland: “What was the most challenging aspect of writing this novel?”
Kate Risse : “I would definitely say the structure. So the way it is now there are alternating chapters between Billy, the 16-year-old boy, and his mom, Juliet. But when I wrote it, it was written more like the first half was Juliet and the second half was Billy. It just really didn’t work. And so I did quite a lot of restructuring of this novel with the help of an editor, with the help of my publisher and then also a lot of help with my writ -
ing group. In fact, the woman I met [from my writing group] is this wonderful woman who’s like the muse and the sage. Her name is Sally. I remember her saying, ‘you’ve got to cut the beginning out.’
I think for writers, there is definitely a tension about how much backstory you want to have. You want to give the reader a sense that these are three dimensional people and they have lives and they have these pasts. And so you have to kind of sprinkle your novel with these kinds of details.
It’s hard to throw stuff out, you know, stuff you spend so [many] agonizing hours writing and then people come along. They say ‘you gotta get rid of that.’ You got rid of the first six pages, but you gotta do it.”
Mirabell Rowland: “I’m curious about the characters in ‘Inland.’ Were they inspired by people in your life?”
Kate Risse: “Yeah, it’s funny. I met with a bunch of people who had read the book the other day, and they were like, ‘I know that that person is this person’, and I was like ‘not really!’ The best way I can describe it is, these char -
acters have characteristics of people I have definitely known and met in my life. You know, there are two sons in this book. You really only hear from the 16-year-old one. But there’s also an 18-year-old who’s mentioned — that’s George, the older brother. I have two daughters, and I think some people think that I sort of modeled them after my daughters. But you know what? I think I’d have to say parts of them are almost more like my brothers. I grew up with older twin brothers. So the best thing I can say is each character is like a jigsaw puzzle with different pieces of multiple people I know.”
Mirabell Rowland: “Why do you think this story is so relevant right now?”
Kate Risse: “I really like this question because I just wrote an article about why ... we read climate fiction. I hadn’t read much climate fiction before I wrote this, but after I published it, I read a pretty good amount of climate fiction.
I wasn’t interested in writing dystopian apocalyptic fiction, where the world has completely come apart. I wanted people to feel the collapse happening in the here and now. I wanted it to be just a little bit beyond where we are. Going back to this question: Why do we read this fiction? There’s many answers for it. Is it motivational? Does it make us do something to thwart and slow down the collapse? Does it help us see these fictional characters in simi -
lar situations, say, with flooding and drought and extinction and collapse and think, How are they dealing with their predicament? Is that what we’re going to do?
But, you know, maybe this is just like any novel, and maybe [climate fiction stories] are just entertainment. The jury’s out. I’m still thinking about it. But I think it is a very interesting question.”
Mirabell Rowland: “What was your intention with this story? What do you want people to take away from your book?”
Kate Risse: “I do want people to meditate on where we’re going. I think that intrinsically, I feel the urgency. And so I’ve put it into fiction. You know, I’m not a scientist. Maybe if I were, I would run out to a glacier and work with some scientists and try to write a paper and say, ‘look, it’s melting!’ But I’m not. I’m a humanist. And I feel the urgency. I do believe in literature and the humanities. That’s what I teach, and I believe that it can make the world better.”
Risse seamlessly weaves together elements of technology, global warming and survival in her book. As a humanist, it is no wonder her book in its essence explores our humanity. Whether on a rainy morning or quiet afternoon, if you are looking for a good page turner, you can add “Inland” to your list.
HUMANIST: Beyond writing, Risse is a professor of Spanish Language and Culture at Tufts University.
Photo courtesy of KATE RISSE
EYE OF THE STORM: The environmental catastrophes written in “Inland” were inspired by Hurricane Michael.
Photo courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center/Flickr
HURRICANE CORRIDOR: Risse started writing “Inland” after witnessing the aftermath of Hurricane Michael in 2018.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Bray/Flickr
Justicethe
Anna Martin, Editor in Chief Eliza Bier, Managing Editor
Owen Chan, Sophia De Lisi, Julia Hardy, Dalya Koller, Mina Rowland, Madison Sirois, Associate Editors
Lil Lin Hutchinson, Zoe Zachary, News Editors
Grace Doh, Features Editor
Ariana Rich, Forum Editor
Nemma Kalra, Arts & Culture Editor
Jonas Kaplin, Bryan Wolfe, Photography Editors
Lily Chafe, Sara Samuel, Copy Editors
Marina Rosenthal, Layout Editor
Elizabeth Liu, Advertising Editor
Amanda Chen, Niámh Mullen, Social Media Editors
EDITORIAL
Rallying Brandeis votes
With the 2024 presidential election drawing near, several groups on the Brandeis campus have increased efforts to both register and go out and vote on election day. These groups include The VoteDeis Campus Coalition, The Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation and BRANDEIS VOTES events hosted and run by Brandeis library staff and faculty.
The VoteDeis Campus Coalition is a mix of students, faculty and staff who are “committed to supporting voter registration and participation among the Brandeis University community.” The coalition is run out of the Dean of Students Office. Their website provides detailed information on how to register to vote and also gives the Brandeis community details on what type of ballot they will need — in-person, absentee, early voting. Their webpage also provides students with opportunities to get involved with the democratic process, such as being a poll worker on election day.
Also detailed on the VoteDeis website is information about resources to send in voter registration forms and ballots. They encourage those with questions to reach out to the Brandeis Government Information Librarian, Aimee Slater.
Another organization heavily involved with voter initiatives on campus is the Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation. The primary function of ENACT is “to teach college students about democracy through engagement with the legislative process.” As such they have been a vital part of encouraging members of the Brandeis community and more to participate in the upcoming election.
ENACT Your Vote, supported by ENACT, is their “non-partisan initiative to encourage voter participation and civic engagement.” In the upcoming election five ENACT- affiliated schools are participating in the initiative: Brandeis University, University of Hartford, Utah State University, Siena College and the University of Maine. On the main ENACT your vote platform you can look at your next election, check your registration status and more.
BRANDEIS VOTES is also a helpful resource for navigating the upcoming election. The platform is hosted on the Brandeis Library
website. It gives broad voter registration information and resources including Vote While Trans, Rock the Vote, League of Women Voters, Federal Voting Assistance program and vote.gov. In addition to general voter information the site details specific voter information by state, a helpful feature for the large number of students who will vote via absentee ballot in the 2024 Presidential election.
BRANDEIS VOTES also hosted several voter registration help sessions. They would like to remind students that librarians can help and they can provide resources including envelopes, stamps and a notary service.
Other various programs and departments on campus have played an important role in encouraging students to vote. This has been both through promoting watching the presidential and vice presidential debates and voter registration initiatives on campus. Some of these departments include Journalism, Legal Studies, American Studies and Politics, as well as student organizations including the Brandeis Student Union and Brandeis Democrats.
College students have a significant role to play in the 2024 election, as they represent an increasingly engaged younger demographic. Voting allows us to have a say in issues that directly impact our future and shape the direction of our country. No matter who you vote for, we as an editorial board urge all who are able to go out and vote on Tuesday, Nov. 5 or vote by absentee ballot.
—Editor’s note: The Justice editor Nemma Kalra ’26 is employed by Brandeis’ Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation and did contribute to and edit this editorial.
—Editor’s note: The Justice managing editor Eliza Bier ’26 is employed by Brandeis’ Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation and did contribute to and edit this editorial.
—Editor’s note: The Justice editor Julia Hardy ’26 is on the executive board of Brandeis Democrats and did contribute to and edit this editorial.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Ending Legacy Admissions Nationwide as a Moral Imperative
College admission policies favoring legacy applicants represents an outdated practice undermining the meritocracy admissions practices should uphold. By favoring alumni children, colleges across America perpetuate an inequality rooted in early 20th-century biases, one favoring wealthy white families, while excluding immigrants, Jews, and minorities. Today, legacies make up a good chunk of most entering freshmen classes, while enjoying a considerably higher acceptance rate compared to everyone else.
Proponents of legacy admissions argue that it enhances alumni ties and donations. However, most colleges don’t rely on legacies to achieve financial stability. Many prestigious institutions like MIT, Caltech, John’s Hopkins, and Amherst have actually thrived after eliminating legacy admissions, demonstrating that merit can and should be prioritized over family connections.
Legacy admissions also hinders diversity. Despite efforts to increase racial and socioeconomic representation, legacy admissions predominantly benefits afflu -
ent white students, perpetuating a cycle of privilege contradicting the mission of broadening access.
Eliminating legacy admissions would also create more opportunities for underrepresented students, while restoring public trust in colleges facing scrutiny for perceived favoritism. By ending this practice, colleges could lead by example, reaffirming their commitment to fairness, transparency, and a merit-based admissions process. In today’s context, fairness is essential. Colleges must choose between maintaining privilege, or embracing a more equitable future. Ending legacy admissions is a vital step toward inclusivity and true meritocracy. Now is the time for colleges across America to demonstrate true visionary leadership by ending legacy admissions, once and for all.
John Hoffman, Founder, Oliver Scholars, 45 W 81st Street, NYC, NY (646)-595-6253, www.oliverscholars.org Oliver Scholars is a college access program which has placed over 1,500 students into leading independent schools and colleges across America, including many at Brandeis.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor,
With great disappointment I learned that Brandeis University has made a decision to discontinue @brandeis.edu accounts for alumni. The explanation that this discontinuation would align the university with best practices is completely bogus. I want to share with you that I have contacted the Alumni offices of New York University, Columbia University, Harvard University, and Yale University, and all of these schools I mentioned provide email accounts for their alumni. I also contacted a local community college and learned that the college does not provide email accounts for its alumni because of the costs associated with the service.
So, congratulations to Brandeis Univer-
sity for joining those community colleges that cannot afford to provide email accounts for the alumni!
For the university whose motto is “Truth, even unto its innermost parts” to give the wrong reason to the alumni community is inexcusable, and I am very upset about the University’s decision. It would be acceptable to me and to many other alumni if Brandeis University charges alumni for email accounts, but simply to discontinue the service is not something I would expect from such a well-known institution.
The decision is penny-wise but poundfoolish.
Sincerely,
Ilya Rubinstein,
The Devil’s Advocate by Jack Granaham and Stephen Gaughan: Debating court-packing
By JACK GRANAHAN and STEPHEN GAUGHAN JUSTICE STAFF WRITERS
Introduction: The last several years and decades have seen a dramatic shift in perceptions of the Supreme Court of the United States — supposedly the highest level of the nation’s least partisan branch — as it has entered the fray as a political issue in and of itself. Particularly with the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision in June 2022 that overturned Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey — the cases that had established and refined a constitutional right to an abortion — debates over the Supreme Court have raged. These debates were only inflamed this summer when the Court ruled in a closely followed case regarding former President Donald Trump that former presidents enjoy broad
For (Gaughan):
Across the world, dictators and state executives aspiring to become them, have spent the last several years engaged in a process familiar in the grand scheme of history: crushing the court, rolling back civil rights and seizing power unchallenged. With some cases more successful than others, it’s a process easily observable from Hungary and Poland to Israel — with last year’s attempted judicial overhaul — as of late. Given this context, proponents of court-packing must fully realize the irony of the position in which this situation places us: that we must pack the court to save our freedom.
Decades of intensely politicized court decisions and appointments have brought us to where we are now, in the midst of this trying debate. And decades of democracy-threatening court decisions and appointments are why it must be had. Almost a quarter-century ago, five conservative-leaning justices, appointed exclusively by Republican presidents, ordered an end to a Florida election recount in the contested 2000 presidential election, resulting in a victory for President George W. Bush. Subsequent investigations later concluded that the result was ultimately (likely) correct, but SCOTUS’s intervention in the case was nonetheless astonishingly inappropriate, especially given how closely divided their opinion was: 5-4.
Decisions on whether to uphold President Obama’s signature legislative achievement, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), have been equally scrutinized, and at times equally as close. As a result, Republican presidents and senators, particularly outgoing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), have carefully undermined the existing system to ensure Republican partisan dominion over the federal judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court.
Angered by McConnell’s filibusters of judicial appointees, the late Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) invoked the “nuclear option” in 2013, eliminating the filibuster for non-SCOTUS federal judges to allow the president and Senate to fill vacancies with just 51 votes. When Republicans took the Senate the next year, McConnell left the SCOTUS filibuster intact, and as the new Majority Leader, asserted his control of procedure to block a vote on Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland throughout 2016. He later eliminated the SCOTUS filibuster himself for thenPresident Trump’s appointee Neil Gorsuch in 2017. And so it went. In 2018, Justice Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed in a 50-48 vote, with one abstention, against the backdrop of sexual assault allegations. Two years later, overturning their own 2016 arguments against confirming election year Supreme
Court nominees, Senate Republicans confirmed Justice Amy Coney Barrett to fill the vacancy left by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg just days before the hotly contested 2020 election, which Trump went on to lose. In short, even without adding seats to the Court, Republicans have already packed it.
In the context of geopolitics, packing courts usually indicates a forthcoming rollback of individual and equal rights, and an expansion of executive powers. Today, the map reads: “You are here.” The 49-year right of reproductive freedom is gone across much of the country, returned to states to expand or destroy as they see fit. In that very decision, conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, whose nomination by Republican President George H.W. Bush amid sexual harassment allegations was equally as contested as those above, expressed interest in reevaluating other SCOTUS decisions that granted national rights to contraception and same-sex marriage in the U.S.
Meanwhile, the conservatives on the Supreme Court voted earlier this year to establish a broad standard of presidential immunity, which would protect future presidents from prosecution for any “official acts” while in office. When dissenting, liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor argued that this could create a presidential power so broad that it could allow for the killing of political opponents by federal agencies. Chief Justice John Roberts provided nothing but a snide rebuke in response.
Republicans have packed the Supreme Court. To fix it, and heal our democracy, it’s time to pack it back. More justices means more diversity of thought and more representation for the American people. The nine-member standard, after all, is hardly a constitutional principle, having been enacted by law, not by constitutional amendment, in 1869. Liberals could even argue, in their appointment of more justices, that this statute was as unconstitutional as the “Tenure of Office Act” passed just two years prior — a similar legal limit on constitutionally granted appointment powers, later overturned by SCOTUS.
“You are here.” Former President Trump, a convicted felon facing a litany of other charges, many of which include more than a shadow of contempt for democracy and incitement of political violence, may once again become president. Under the current Supreme Court’s immunity framework, he could effectively do as he pleases with the full power of the Executive Branch; Democrats and his so-called “RINO” (Republican in name only) enemies, beware. And while this settles in, don’t count on your personal rights and freedoms to stick around forever. This can be fixed, but Democrats need the political will to fix it.
immunity from criminal prosecution.
In the century before Roe was overturned, SCOTUS often found itself at the center of national debate. These recent decisions, however, and Democratic Party frustration by perceived Republican intervention in judicial appointment standards over the last several Court vacancies, have revived a debate largely abandoned almost a century ago: on whether Democrats should add more justices to the Supreme Court (to “pack” or “stack” it) to secure more favorable verdicts. While both Gaughan and Granahan oppose court-packing, Gaughan will argue in its favor below, while Granahan will argue against it.
Against (Granahan):
It is easy to focus on recent decisions made by the Supreme Court that we do not like, be they challenges to reproductive rights, administrative regulations or presidential responsibility. However, the independent judiciary, regardless of whether it aligns with popular opinion, has endured since the Supreme Court was first established. It may not be pretty, but the independent judiciary is not an institution America can afford to give up.
While there is no provision in the Constitution that explicitly sets a maximum number of justices on the Supreme Court, the concept of an independent judiciary within the federal government has a history that predates the creation of the Supreme Court itself. In “Federalist No. 78,” published in 1788, Alexander Hamilton wrote that the “complete independence of the courts of justice is peculiarly essential.”
Prior to the rise of American federalism, the judiciary was largely seen as an arm of the executive, particularly in the United Kingdom, where His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service operates as an agency under the authority of the prime minister to this day. But in the United States, the Founding Fathers (correctly) recognized the dangers of creating a judiciary that did not exercise separate powers from the executive branch.
The Supreme Court has not always had exactly nine justices, but the nine-justice precedent has lasted for over 150 years; this status quo dates back to the Judiciary Act of 1869, passed into law during the Grant administration. Since 1869, the Supreme Court has taken diametrically opposed positions on the same issues plenty of times. Race-based segregation was upheld in 1896, before being struck down in 1954. The right of a defendant to have legal counsel was found to not apply to states in 1942, until it did in 1963. And within the span of seventeen years, laws banning homosexual acts were found to be acceptable in 1986, before being overturned in 2003. This isn’t to say that all of these decisions were legally or morally sound — history has shown that many were far from that. But for every Supreme Court decision that a large number of Americans disagree with, there will always be an opportunity for reversal, even when the number of justices remains at nine.
Even during the particularly controversial Roberts Court, including after former President Donald Trump’s three appointments, the Supreme Court has made decisions that have changed America for the better. In 2019, the Court blocked the state of Indiana’s seizure of Tyson Timbs’ personal vehicle without due process following his drug possession arrest, allowing him to turn his life around by commuting to his new workplace. In
2020, the Court found that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ+ individuals from workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Also in 2020, the Court dismissed a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton seeking to invalidate the results of the 2020 presidential election, weakening former President Trump’s attempts to overturn his loss in the election. And in 2024, the Court upheld the federal government’s ability to prohibit perpetrators of domestic violence from owning firearms. The Roberts Court is far from perfect, but the independent judiciary has outlived far less hopeful times before.
The Great Depression was one such time, and it saw a notoriously indignant Supreme Court repeatedly overturn much of the progress that President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was making on the New Deal to help America recover from the global economic crisis. Fed up with the hampering of his efforts, President Roosevelt floated the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937. This law would have allowed the president to appoint up to six additional justices, bringing the total number of Supreme Court justices to fifteen. Justice Louis Brandeis, despite his avowed progressivism and support for the New Deal, slammed this court-packing proposal as a politically motivated attack on the independent judiciary in a letter co-authored with Chief Justice Charles E. Hughes. Roosevelt’s court-packing scheme was abandoned shortly thereafter, but the visceral reaction it prompted is enough of a demonstration of why court-packing proposals should not be entertained.
In his concurrence in the 1989 Supreme Court case of Texas v. Johnson, Justice Anthony Kennedy stated: “The hard fact is that sometimes we must make decisions we do not like.” In the same vein, we as citizens must also accept decisions that we do not like, because the alternative is far more dangerous. Herein lies the reason why President Joe Biden, who has been slighted on several occasions by the Roberts Court, nevertheless opposes courtpacking. In his words, packing the Supreme Court would “politicize it maybe forever in a way that’s not healthy.” If nothing else, we must consider that court-packing can also be utilized by opponents of American democracy. Should President Trump be elected once again in 2024 — a possibility that is, for all intents and purposes, a coin toss — he would be the one packing the Supreme Court. And while drastic changes can occur in just a couple of decades on a nine-justice Supreme Court, it is my belief that the same would not be possible under a Supreme Court with twelve Republicanappointed justices and three Democraticappointed justices.
ANNA MARTIN/The Justice
Beyond the ballot: Language, power and the 2024 election
By EVELYN BAGLEY JUSTICE CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As I sit down to write my first piece for The Justice, I can’t help but think about how to best introduce myself to you all — Brandeis students, my peers, who know a thing or two about dissecting the nuances of power, language and politics. This isn’t just my introduction to the student body; it’s also a preview of how I’ll approach political coverage as we roll toward the 2024 presidential election. Let’s face it — voting in this election will be more than just ticking boxes. It’ll be about power, language and who gets to claim both.
A bit about me: I’m a Politics and Anthropology double major with a focus on linguistic anthropology, which isn’t just a fancy way of saying I like theory. I came to Brandeis because I knew I’d have the space to blend the academic with the personal — to study how language shapes power, but also to understand why that matters for every single one of us. Because trust me, it does matter, and the 2024 election is going to put that front and center.
I’ve elected to weigh in on the upcoming presidential race, but if you’re reading this, I assume you don’t need me to remind you of its importance. Instead, I want to take a different approach: how does language — the everyday, the political, the exclusionary — interact with the power structures we’re voting on? What does it mean when certain voices get silenced, not just by policy but by the subtle ways we use language to shut them out? Stick with me. I’ll share some stories from my work, studies and personal experiences that
might make you think twice about the power dynamics at play in the lead-up to November 2024.
The TQNC Queer Policy Roundtable: Language in Action
Not too long ago, on Sept. 30, I found myself sitting at a roundtable in Boston featuring the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ+ Youth. Among the topics that came up? The rise of book bans — targeting LGBTQIA+ content, no less — and not just in places like Florida (classic) but right here in Western Massachusetts.
Representative Jack Lewis and Shaplaie Brooks, the Commission’s Executive Director, explained how these decisions were made by local school committees, meaning folks who could easily be your neighbors. That’s democracy at work, right? But it’s also the subtle erasure of voices before they even have a chance to speak — when books, knowledge, and language itself are deemed too “dangerous” for public consumption. This erasure is compounded by policies that allow parents to opt-out of curricula that include LGBTQIA+ topics. These “opt-out” provisions may sound innocuous, but they create an environment where certain identities and histories can be excluded from education altogether. When education on this subject becomes optional, what message does that send about the value of those lives and stories? This “optout” dynamic subtly reinforces the status quo and sidelines marginalized communities, depriving young people of
crucial knowledge about themselves. Here’s where it gets even more interesting: the students in the room were on fire. Two high school students from Milford asked how the Commission could create a queer space at the Boston Public Library for LGBTQIA+ youth, noting that Gay-Straight Alliances in their schools are literally being renamed to avoid the stigma attached to being seen as queer. Think about that for a second. It’s not just about book bans; it’s about how words get coded to push people out, how the politics of language shape public space and public identity. And these high schoolers? They’re finding ways to push back, to reclaim those spaces. It was powerful, but it also raised a critical question: when people — especially young people — are restricted or denied access to knowledge about their own identities, what does that do to their political agency? Who do they become, and who do they vote for?
And as Brandeis students, let’s ask ourselves: When was the last time we really thought about how our local politics are shaping the spaces we take for granted? When was the last time we asked ourselves who feels safe in those spaces? Who doesn’t have to think twice about whether their identity is accepted — and who is navigating public places on constant alert? My point is, the issues we face go deeper than just presidential platforms; they exist in the language of everyday life, and they will absolutely show up at the ballot box in 2024.
Language, Power and Voting: Our Everyday Reality
Sitting in that roundtable as a nonbinary person myself, I couldn’t help but think about how this conversation directly impacts the way I move through the world. When I travel for work with my colleagues, it’s not just about finding places to visit — it’s about checking whether a venue has genderneutral bathrooms, or if folx will face microaggressions just for showing up as themselves. The daily dance with language and policy is real, and trust me, it gets exhausting. Now, think about how those realities play out when we’re talking about something as monumental
as an election. What’s at stake when certain voices are already muted before they even get to the polls?
I’ll give you a real-life example: I recently went to the Student Union’s Presidential Debate watch party (where the snacks were on point, by the way). The energy in the room was palpable, and it reminded me of something we covered in Prof. Jill Greenlee (POL)’s class on Gender in American Politics — whether we vote based on our personal interests (pocketbook voting) or with the larger good in mind (sociotropic voting). So many of us are quick to claim that we’re voting for equality or to protect the marginalized, but are we really thinking about the sociotropic implications of those decisions? Because let’s be real: it’s easy to say “I’ll vote for progress,” but progress means something different when you’re in the margins. When your right to simply be is under attack, it’s not just about checking a box; it’s about survival.
Call to Action: Don’t Sleep on 2024 To bring this home, I want to point out something I recently heard from D’Angelo Wallace (a commentary YouTuber with some of the sharpest takes out there). He was reflecting on the idea that “both sides have issues” in this election, a sentiment that I’m sure we’ve all heard at least once. And Wallace, in his brilliant way, said this: “None of this is false. But shouldn’t I be compartmentalizing that energy for after the election?” Because the reality is, one side is actively trying to strip away the rights of marginalized communities — the right to access information, to vote freely, to live openly. So, yeah, we can criticize the system, but let’s make sure we’re showing up to protect what rights we still have first.
If you take nothing else away from this piece, take this: Language isn’t just a tool for communication. It’s political. It shapes how we see the world and who gets to participate in it. In 2024, we’re voting not just for policies but for the kind of world we want to live in — a world where everyone has the freedom to learn, to speak, to be. So, don’t just vote. Show up with intention. Think about who isn’t being heard — and what that silence means for the future.
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
PARTICIPATION: A voter submits their ballot
Graphics courtesy of CANVA and ELIZABETH LIU/The Justice
New York Liberty win overtime thriller, capture first championship title
■ Over a five game series that saw record veiwership, the New York Liberty bested the Minnesota Lynx.
By MILES GOLDSTEIN JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The Women's National Basketball Association season concluded this past Sunday Oct. 21 when the New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 in overtime to win the penultimate Game five of the WNBA finals. After losing in their last five trips to the finals, New York finally broke through to capture their first WNBA Championship in franchise history.
It was a clash of the top two teams in the league, though one of those teams exceeded expectations coming into this season. New York was the top team in the Eastern Conference Division in 2023 and lost in the WNBA finals to the Las Vegas Aces that year. The Lynx were a powerhouse in the 2010s, but had a slow start to the new decade. They were the sixth seed in 2023 and missed the playoffs the year before that.
Both the Liberty and Lynx cruised through their first-round matchups this year. In the semifinals, Minnesota faced a Connecticut Sun team that had knocked them out of the playoffs last year. The series went back and forth, but the Lynx prevailed in Game five behind a dominant 27 point, 11 rebound, and four block performance from star forward Napheesa Collier. The Liberty’s semi final opponents were the Aces, who were looking to win their third straight WNBA championship. Although New York were the favorites, few thought they would cruise past the Aces as easily as they did, wrapping up the series in four games to send them to the Finals.
This series has seen both teams battle back from the brink with stunning comebacks. In Game one, the Liberty led by as many as 17 points in the first half before the Lynx offense came alive. Minnesota guard Courtney Williams sank a three-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining to send the game to overtime, and Collier hit the go-ahead shot in overtime to hand the Lynx the opening win. New York bounced back in Game two. Although Minnesota pulled within two points midway through the fourth quarter, a 12-0 run to end the game sealed a 80-66 victory for New York. Game
three was a heavyweight fight, Collier scored 22 and broke the WNBA record for points scored in a single postseason and New York forward Breanna Stewart scored 30. However, it was Liberty sharpshooter Sabrina Ionescu who stole the show, hitting a game-winning three point shot from near half-court to give New York an 80-77 win and 2-1 series lead. Game four was close the entire time — Minnesota held a five-point lead heading into the final minutes, but New York went on a run to equalize in the final minute. Williams’ go-ahead attempt for Minnesota fell short with 10 seconds left, but Lynx forward Bridget Carlton was fouled on the put-back attempt. She sank her two free throws and Minnesota won Game four 82-80.
This all led to a winner-takes-all Game five. It was a low scoring affair, as neither team shot above 40% from the field. The Lynx paced the Liberty with around a 10-point lead for most of the first half, but New York rallied in the third quarter to take a 47-44 lead. The two teams jostled back and forth in the fourth quarter until Collier put the Lynx up 60-58. Echoing Game four, it came down to foul shots when New York’s Stewart was fouled with five seconds to go. She hit both to send the game to overtime, the first time a finals Game five had been to overtime in league history. Overtime was low scoring with seven combined turnovers. New York hit a three early in the period to take a 63-60 lead and made it 65-60 after a Nyara Sabally layup. Minnesota’s only points came from two free throws in the final two minutes to make it 65-62, the final score when the buzzer sounded, giving an embattled New York Franchise its first championship in six attempts on its home floor.
In keeping with the trend from the regular season, this year’s WNBA playoffs were the mostwatched in a long time. Viewership is up over 131% compared to 2023, per Sports Business Journal, averaging a little over one million viewers per game. In 2023, no playoff games eclipsed one million viewers. Ionescu’s Game 3 heroics drew 1.4 million viewers to the broadcast, peaking at two million. It was the most watched WNBA finals game in 23 years, according to the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, and the most viewed game ever on cable. Competing with the Major League Baseball World Series, National Basketball Association preseason and even National Football League Sunday, the WNBA has managed to pull good viewership numbers on its playoff broadcasts. It’s a capstone on a successful season --- the WNBA is ready to expand and fight
Brandeis men's and women's soccer recap: the Judges face conference rivals as the regular season comes to an end
■ It was a mixed bag of highs and lows for the Judges against string of University Athletics Association adversaries.
By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Following a two week break in sports coverage, there are a considerable amount of highs and lows to capture for the Brandeis men’s and women’s soccer teams. Both faced University Athletic Association foes Carnegie Mellon, Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Chicago for the first time this season. The men's team also faced the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Starting with the men’s team, their recent performances have been characterized by an upswing in momentum as their overall record has improved to 5-3-2 in conference play and 2-1 in the UAA.
The Judges faced Carnegie Mellon University at home in Pittsburgh on Oct. 5, and scored first in the 18th minute thanks to a well-placed shot into the upper corner of the net from Elan Romo ’26. This was Romo’s first goal of the season. The first half was controlled by the Judges, who outshot the Tartans 6-4, but Carnegie fought back, scoring in the 64th minute. This was no sweat off Eli Mones ’25's back, however, as he scored just 11 seconds later to put Brandeis back on top. Although the Tartans spent the second half outshooting the Judges 11-4, they could not equalize again and Brandeis walked away with their first victory of the season against a UAA rival.
Next up was MIT, who the Judges bested on Oct. 8 in the final non-conference match of the season. Scoring three times in the first half, the Judges decisively handled the Engineers. This game saw two Brandeis first-years score their first collegiate goals as Dylan Marzouca ’28 scored in the 21st minute following a corner kick from Rainer Osselmann-Chai ’26 and Kaden Collins ’28 nailed a header at 24:48. Unfortunately for MIT goalie Hernando Ardilla ’27, the Judges did not let up as Nico Benida ’26 made it a quick 3-0 bloodbath at 29:39. The Engineers made an attempt at a comeback in the 51st minute, scoring their one goal of the game, but Osselmann-Chai ’26 responded in the 61st minute to solidify the Judges’ lead. Despite the blowout score, the teams were nearly equal in shots taken and shots on goal, Brandeis narrowly outshooting MIT 15-14 and 7-6 respectively.
Quintin Wrabley ’25 and his six saves earned him UAA Defensive Player of the Week honors as he continued his impressive goalkeeping during the following game on Oct. 11 against WashU. Wrabley made eight saves against the Bears to hold the score to a 1-0 victory for the Judges. The Bears gave the Judges a tough battle and Brandeis was outshot 21-8, including 8-1 in shots on goal, truly making Wrabley the hero of the game. Mones as well had another career highlight with scoring under the pressure in the 88th minute.
Following their two decisive wins against Carnegie and MIT, as well as their hard-fought
but ultimately victorious game against WashU, the Judges’ streak of successes was broken by the University of Chicago Maroons on Oct. 19. Playing in Chicago, the Judges started off the contentious match with a goal by Maddox Yu ’27 in the sixth minute. Chicago answered with two goals at 11:40 and 40:53 to close the first half. Mones sought to salvage the game for the Judges, scoring from 40 yards out in the 59th minute to make it all three games against UAA opponents in which the senior has contributed points on the board. Despite valiant play from the Judges, the Maroons made it 3-2 at 76:02 and this became the final score in another tough game. As for the women, the Judges suffered three uncomfortable losses despite being ranked 21st in the nation heading into their game against Carnegie Mellon. In the women’s UAA opener against Carnegie, Brandeis controlled 61% of the possession but the Tartans outshot the Judges 7-1. Despite attempts from Rachel Watler ’25 and Ali Pennella ’27 in the 67th and 71st minute, the Judges were denied, and at 86:45, goalie Rachel Ross MSBA ’25, let in a wellplaced ball just under the crossbar. Ross made five saves throughout the game however, and overall the game signaled one of the first real challenges the Judges have faced this season.
Before their following game versus WashU, the Judges’ national ranking was lowered to no. 23, but the women put up a courageous fight against the top ranked Bears. The game was ultimately, and frustratingly, decided on a penalty kick in the 37th minute. Ross guessed correctly and dived to the right of the net, but was unable to make the stop. She kept up an impressive shut-out for the rest of the game however, making a career high eight saves. Again, Panella made a last-ditch attempt in the 86th minute with the Judges’ only shot on goal but was rejected. The game ended 1-0 with WashU outshooting Brandeis 18-7, including 9-1 in shots on goal, yet the game was another strong show of endurance and grit for the Judges. The women were rewarded with a season’s best national ranking of no. 20 heading into their game against unranked Chicago.
After two straight losses, the Judges headed to Chicago on Oct. 19 ready for a change. Sam Kipperman ’25 scored in the 13th minute, thanks to an assist from Watler. This was Watler’s eighth assist of the season, giving her the lead in the UAA and marking an impressive feat for a defensive player. Brandeis was in for a surprise, however, as 11 seconds later, Chicago scored an equalizer. The game was tied heading into halftime with Chicago outshooting Brandeis 8-6. The Judges were unable to come up with a response in the second half and instead let the Maroons score another three times at 58:29, 65:25 and 81:51. Despite another eight saves by Ross, the game ended with a tired 4-1 loss for the Judges, as they were outshot 27-9.
The Judges come home this week for a men’s and women’s doubleheader this Friday, Oct. 25 versus Emory University, another UAA team for the Judges to challenge. The women aim to earn their no. 20 ranking after christening it with a loss, and the men seek to build on their current winning record heading into the final games of the regular season.
Brandeis cross country at Connecticut College Invitational on Oct. 19
The men’s team placed 20th in the 8k out of 32 teams with 603 points and the women’s team took 26th in the 6k out of 37 teams with 732 points. There were 10 personal records set over the course of the day, with Anna Batelli ’25 leading the way for the women with 6K PR of 23:10.3. Lucas Dia ’25 earned himself an 8K PR of 26:01.2 as the fastest finisher for the men.
By DIANE MEYER
Photos: ELLE YUNG/The Justice Design: MARINA ROSENTHAL/The Justice
DANCE: Art and sport
CONTINUED FROM 16
described starting to dance at age five and continuing through middle and high school. The rest was history for her, as well as Stott, who started “taking ballet lessons at age three, as [her] mom had been a ballet dancer and was a dance teacher at the time.” Lin added that for her, dance is also a story of heritage and passing on generational passion. Lin said that she “started doing Chinese folk dance and classical dance when [she] was eight years old.”
Surendran expressed gratitude for the dedication that Brandeis dancers have shown in maintaining their love of dance and creating a space to continue to develop their skills. She says that “when [she] came to Brandeis, [she] wanted to continue [her] passion for dance,” and thankfully she “realized there was a Bollywood dance team on campus.” Because of this opportunity, she has been “able to keep [her] passion for dancing alive while also learning more types of dance styles.”
The leaders also contributed their perspectives on dance as “so much more than a sport,” using Jacobsen’s words. The nature of dance is dually athletic and artistic, which also gifts each dancer with a deeply personal experience while dancing as it fosters both creativity and challenge. Lin shared that in her opinion, dance is a combination of art and sport. As an art, she says “it allows dancers to tell stories through creative movement.”
In expressing how dance can be considered a sport, Lin draws inspiration from “an old Chinese idiom that says, ‘it takes ten years of practice for one minute on stage.’” This reveals “the challenge of dance, which requires endurance, commitment, and the ability to push physical boundaries,” which means to Lin that dance “fits into the category of sport as well.”
Jacobsen touched on the variety of dance styles as another factor in the exciting challenge that it presents as an athletic activity, saying that she “has always loved dancing in any form.” Both Jacobsen and Lin mentioned that since coming to Brandeis, they have expanded their experience and technical ability in different styles. Lin has “had the opportunity to explore different genres such as contemporary, modern and jazz,” and Jacobsen shared that she “had only done hip hop a few times before joining KAOS.”
In fact, many student dancers spread their talent across a variety of dance communities. Jacobsen said that in KAOS, there are “some members who are also in Adagio, and in the past [they] have had members who have been in Hooked on Tap, Chak De, and Wayster.” As for Ballet Club, Stott says they also have “many members that are in … Adagio and Hooked on Tap.” As the biggest dance group on campus, Lin shares that there is a wealth of dance experience in Adagio as she, as well as many of her members, are also part of Ballet Club. Other students participate in KAOS, the Brandeis Ballroom Formation Team, Hooked on Tap and various K-Pop dance groups. While Chak De does not currently have any dancers in other clubs, Surendran highlighted the supportive nature of the Brandeis dance community, saying that “everyone interacts with each other, ... invites everyone to their showcases and collaborates,” which she appreciates “because we are all able to share our art forms with each other in a creative and supportive space.”
Lin agreed with Surendran, stating “we always attend each other’s shows to support one another, which makes it feel like one big dance family.” She also highlighted the master class hosted by Adagio, Ballet Club and KAOS last semester, explaining that the opportunity to share in each other's unique energy “was such a joy,” as dancers “from all three companies collaborate[ed] and learn[ed] each other’s dance styles.” The three companies choreographed a dance combo, “smoothly combining three dance styles together,” which is a testament to the multifaceted talents of the dancers.
The presidents’ goals for their clubs find commonality in seeking to strengthen the interconnectedness of the Brandeis dance community and create a comfortable yet ambitious environment. Lin says that her “personal goal is to ensure that everyone feels welcome, regardless of their dance experience.” She aims “to foster a loving community where members can not only grow as dancers but also find a sense of ‘home,’” which she identifies as “a place to escape from the stresses of academic life.” Lin also says that for
members, she hopes that they are able to “discover a passion for dance, improve their skills and most importantly, build lasting friendships” within the club. “I want every Adagio dancer to feel proud of the work we create together,” she explained. Jacobsen says that the ultimate goal for KAOS is “pushing ourselves in new ways as dancers.” She hopes that “whether it’s through learning new choreography, taking classes outside of Brandeis or performing at a show,” she and her fellow dancers “are always trying new things together and learning and growing as individuals and a team.” Fellow KAOS e-board member, Sofía Wolf ’25, stressed the importance of collectivity, appreciating the opportunity for KAOS members to “improve and perform [their] dancing abilities with people who want to do the same.” Wolf elaborated on this, saying that it is “always really good to find other people who like to express themselves in the same ways. It’s something that brings everyone together and everyone feels better after practice.”
Working towards shared goals and drawing inspiration from their fellow dancers is a defining characteristic of the Brandeis dance clubs. Stott and Aspromonte explained that for Ballet Club, this also means going further in supporting the well-being of dancers. They “increased the accessibility of ballet to the greater campus community” by putting an end to the division between club and company members in deciding which dancers performed in their annual performance of Tchovsky’s “The Nutcracker” and their spring showcase. The presidents emphasized an all-around commitment to ensuring that “members … have the opportunity to participate and perform in a supportive, friendly and close-knit community of dancers.”
This means developing a broader range of costumes that are comfortable for our dancers and are accessible to different body types,” Stott said, for example.
Aspromonte also touched on the shared experience dancers have growing up in an intense and isolated environment. She said that “often people have experiences where dance was a stressor or bad experience, so [she] want[s] all … dancers to know that they are able to be a part of a caring community of people where they can dance in a recreational environment and feel supported every step of the way.” Jacobsen affirmed the significance of this commitment to make dance at Brandeis inclusive as possible, stating that “Brandeis has an incredible and inclusive environment for dancers to share a love for dance and bond through a shared love to dance.”
Jacobsen and the other presidents characterized dance as an opportunity for connection, an outlet for stress, a unique form of joy and even complicated in that it can be “bittersweet.”
In Lin’s words, “[dance] is intertwined with various emotions and memories.” Lin elaborated that dance serves as her “own little safe space,” where she feels “free to express [herself], explore [her] creativity, and connect with others when words are simply not enough.” Suredran feels this way as well, saying that to her, “dance is a creative outlet where there are no expectations” that she has to meet, and “no one else [she] needs to please other than [herself].” She says, “dance is something that I can do for myself where I can do what I want to do, and nothing will hold me back.” There is an sublime inability to completely sum up the power and freedom that dance offers, and Aspromonte chose to quote legendary American dancer and choreographer, Martha Graham, in the effort to put words to what dance means to her: “a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action.” Graham calls to dancers to let the art form and sport call to them personally: “there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique, and if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium; and be lost.” The balance of individuality and teamwork in dance is another interesting angle to considering dance as a highly elevated art form and sport. Describing what team means to her, Stott says that the word team “refers to a dedicated group of people working together toward a common goal.” Aspromonte says that she thinks a team “is there for each other through the good and bad,” and Lin agreed that teams are “built on mutual trust and support of each other.” Surendran says that as a team, dancers “can collaborate and
learn more from each other.” Jacobsen puts it all together, clarifying that for KAOS, the common goal “as a team is for our hard work and dedication, as well as our fun personalities to be shown through our dances.” She believes that “every member of our team works hard; success comes from the collective effort, trust, and dedication each person brings.” Drawing upon individual talent, personality and personal unique expression, when team performances come together, the vitality that Graham describes becomes remarkably amplified. However, despite all the diverse values and experiences that dance envelopes, as well as the incredibly vast student interest in not just participating but attending performances, dance organizations at Brandeis still face challenges. As student-run clubs, dance organizations have had difficulty securing adequate support from Brandeis administration. According to Lin, “there are areas where more support would be beneficial, such as securing practice spaces, increasing funding, and gaining exposure to showcase the incredible talent” of the clubs. Stott and the Ballet Club also struggle sometimes with “significant challenges … when attempting to book both rehearsal spaces and performance spaces,” sometimes “reaching out to several administrative members who were unable or unwilling to assist us.”
A notable hurdle that popped up for the dance clubs this year was the discontinued access to the Multi-Purpose Room in the Linsey Sports Center. Lin disclosed that “MPR1” is “a standardsize dance room with a wooden floor designed for dance and mirrors, [but] has been occupied by the school's cycling team.” This was frustrating for the dance clubs because “with a very limited number of safe dance spaces at Brandeis, [they] were angered by how a vital space for the arts was denied to all dancers.” Lin said that dancers were “disappointed with Brandeis’ actions.” She regrets that “despite the collective efforts of all dance groups to negotiate for access, we were still denied the use of MPR1.”
Suredran also shares that it is hard work maintaining the rigorous schedule that dance demands, saying that “the main challenge we face is really maintaining strict practice times and schedules since we usually have a lot to get through.” Finding rehearsal times that work for everyone is difficult because as college students, “everyone's schedules are always changing,” she says.
Lin also elucidated that one of the biggest challenges Adagio faces is balancing the diverse needs of their choreographers and dancers. “It’s often a dilemma,” she said. “On the one hand, we strive to be supportive and meet everyone’s requests, but on the other hand, ensuring fairness and remaining unbiased can be difficult,” she admitted. “We want to create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard, but it's not always possible to satisfy everyone equally given our large population,” Lin said. One of the hardest aspects of running the company has been “finding that balance between accommodating individual preferences and maintaining fairness.”
It is truly a tall task for students to take on in organizing, teaching and supporting themselves, but it’s one that these student dancers take on diligently and enthusiastically. The passion that goes into choreography, practices and shows is reflected back to the dancers by the always-impressive student turnout to any and all dance showcases at Brandeis. Stott marks this deep student commitment as an important value in making the dance presence on campus what it is: “a vital aspect of the Brandeis community.”
— Editor’s Note: The Justice editor in chief Anna Martin ’26 is a member of Adagio Dance Company, Adagio’s Dance Ensemble and a member of the Ballet Club’s executive board and did not edit nor contribute to this story.
— Editor’s Note: The Justice Managing editor Eliza Bier ’26 is a member of Adagio Dance Company, Adagio’s Dance Ensemble and a member of the Ballet Club executive board and did not edit nor contribute to this story.
— Editor’s Note: The Justice editor Elizabeth ’26 is a member of Ballet Club and a member of the Adagio Dance Company’s executive board and did not
nor contribute to this
Beninda '26 leads the team with 4 goals.
Sports just
Chronicling weeks five and six of the National Football League season
■ A look at the past two weekends of National Football League action, including a brief commentary on player health.
By EZEKIEL BLOOM JUSTICE STAFF WRITER
The National Football League season continues to progress, almost nearing its midway point with weeks five and six in the books — as well as week seven, which will be covered next week. Both weeks featured a variety of nail-biting matchups that pitted top teams against each other. However, there were a couple of games that resulted in blowouts so severe that some squads began to rethink their futures.
The 47-9 thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys by the Detroit Lions during week six on Oct. 13 was a major example of a blowout stifling a team with playoff hopes. The Lions further cemented themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders with a performance that both illustrated the strength of their offense and their stifling defense. Although they sustained the loss of stalwart defensive end Aidan Hutchinson with a broken leg, the Lions and their tough-as-nails look primed for postseason success. For the Cowboys, however, prospects were less bright. Quarterback Dak Prescott continued his less-than-desirable play under center and star wideout Ceedee Lamb faced the complete pressure of the Lions defense due to the Cowboys’ lack of depth as it comes to receiving talent. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seems particularly irate as a result of his team facing intense scrutiny, blowing up at a radio host who questioned his team’s aggressiveness during an interview.
Week five saw a matchup of the worst quality to date this season. I usually tend to provide more coverage on stellar play, but in this case I will detail the failings of organizations to remain competitive throughout the course of the season.
On Oct. 6., the Miami Dolphins faced the lowly New England Patriots in Foxborough, MA. The resulting 15-10 score indicates how mistake-prone and ineffective the offenses of these two teams were. However, their individual limitations are
due to two of the largest derailers of teams in the NFL: injuries and woeful offensive lines. For the Dolphins, their entire season has essentially been put on ice after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a scary concussion during week two. Without their proven starter at quarterback, the Dolphins’ replacements at the position have been unable to connect with star receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, leading to an extremely frustrating few weeks for the team.
On the other hand, the Patriots did not have high hopes for their season like the Dolphins, but their failures have been even worse than expected. First year head coach Jerod Mayo is flummoxed by his squad’s lack of resiliency, even calling them “a soft football team” after a week seven loss. The Patriots have struggled significantly to protect the quarterback, whether it be Jacoby Brissett or his replacement Drake Maye. Their offensive line has seen zero continuity, with the Patriots running different lineups every week thus far. For a team already largely devoid of offensive playmakers, a lack of quarterback protection signals disaster. The Patriots will unfortunately have to wait until next spring’s NFL draft to find a gem that will turn their franchise around.
However, I would be remiss not to mention the startling trend that has begun increasing in intensity during this most current week, week seven. That, of course, is that the injury bug has hit the National Football League once again. While this is expected in a contact sport, recent injuries to quarterbacks have been prevalent, notably including a rib injury to Washington Commanders rookie sensation Jayden Daniels, and a ruptured Achilles for Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns. Both of these injuries were suffered during week seven action, as the wear and tear of the season gets more arduous as time goes on. While the NFL has made an effort to reduce the physical toll on players due to advances in sports medicine, the addition of a seventeenth week to the regular season in 2021 definitely has not assisted these efforts. Revenue is admittedly the organization’s central pursuit, but prioritizing the health and safety of the athletes that manifest and create the sport’s value would greatly improve the attitudes of both players and fans alike.
BRANDEIS SOCCER RECAP
The Justice Editorial Assistant Diane Meyer '26 covers the recent men's and women's soccer games versus UAA opponents, p. 14.
VITAL COMMUNITY
Inside the vibrant student-run dance community at Brandeis
By DIANE MEYER JUSTICE EDITORAL ASSISTANT
For a school of less than 4,000 undergraduate students, Brandeis holds an impressive array of diverse dance clubs. Even more impressive is students’ palpable devotion to strengthening the already commanding presence that dance has on the Brandeis campus and creating a space for this unique form of physical activity and art.
In the words of Ballet Club Co-President Lilliana Aspromonte ’25, the ultimate “goal is to create an environment where everyone feels welcome and is able to dance.”
By collecting the personal reflections of executive board members from Adagio Dance Company, Brandeis Ballet Club, KAOS Kids and Brandeis Chak De, the wider University community can get a small taste of what has hooked Brandeis dancers on the art form and sport that many have dedicated the entirety of their young lives to.
Adagio Dance Company is a broadly based dance club catering to dancers of all levels and backgrounds with currently over 60 members. Christina Lin ’25, the copresident of Adagio, underscores that “there’s no need to worry about competitiveness — if you want to dance, everyone has a chance to join after attending our dancer placements.” Adagio also has “a sub-group called the Dance Ensemble that offers advanced dancers a more rigorous dance experience and rehearsal schedule.” Joining the DE is competitive, “as it requires a greater time commitment and focuses on providing more specialized training for those looking to elevate their skills.” Brandeis Ballet Club focuses specifically on ballet,
and is slightly smaller with around 40 members. CoPresident Emma Stott ’25 says that their mission is to “provide an inclusive and positive community … everyone is able to join regardless of their level and previous dance experience.” Some members “have been dancing throughout their life,” while “other members [have just begun] dancing in college. Similar to Adagio, “in order to join, dancers participate in a placement class so that they can be placed in the appropriate level dances.”
KAOS Kids is relatively more competitive, as it is the only hip-hop group on campus and holds auditions every semester to round out its crew, which sits right now at 18 members. Anna Jacobsen ’25, the president of KAOS Kids, explained that “the dance space at Brandeis is supportive, with various clubs catering to various levels of experience and types of dance.” She also applauded the “rich and diverse” dance community in Boston, “with many opportunities to engage with off-campus organizations including universities and professionals.” According to Jacobsen, members of KAOS “love watching and cheering on other dance groups, as it is inspiring and motivates us.”
Brandeis Chak De, which specializes in Bollywood fusion, also describes itself as more competitive, with a selective audition process. Captain Aishwarya Surendran ’26 says that currently “there are around 17 members … as we cannot take more than a certain number of people every semester.”
Sharing how they got started in the world of dance, members interviewed across the four clubs shared similar sentiments about the alluring power of the art form. Jacobsen recalled that she “began dancing when [she] was in elementary school, doing ballet, contemporary and jazz styles.” Surendran also got into dance when she was five years old and she has been doing Indian classical dance since that age, beginning to compete in middle school. Echoing Jacobsen and Surendran’s experience starting out in dance at a young age, Aspromonte also
■ Passionate members of Brandeis’ wide range of dance clubs share what makes the unique form of expression special to them.
ON STAGE: Members of hip hop crew, KAOS Kids, perform at a Brandeis student dance showcase.
BRYAN WOLFE/The Justice
Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS
>> p. 19
just Arts & Culture
Photos: Photo courtesy of CREATIVE COMMONS and SERENITY DIMATULAC/The Justice Design: BRYAN WOLFE/The Justice Waltham, Mass.
I guess the joke ’ s on me : ‘J oker ’ sequel goes mad , but not in a good way
By TIBRIA BROWN JUSTICE DEPUTY EDITOR
C ontent W arning : t his arti C le C ontains referen C es to instan C es of sexual assault
timization.
This film was a “hard watch” in the most literal of senses.
In “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the highly anticipated sequel to Todd Phillips’ 2019 film “Joker,” Joaquin Phoenix returns once again as Arthur Fleck, better known as the Joker. This sequel explores the next chapter in Arthur’s life, delving deeper into his chaotic descent into madness. The title, “Folie à Deux” — meaning “shared madness” — alludes to the toxic relationship between Arthur and Harley Quinn, portrayed by Lady Gaga.
The film introduces musical elements, which add an unconventional angle to the narrative, reflecting both the deteriorating mental states of the characters and the unsettling nature of Quinn and Fleck’s relationship. Like the first film, “Joker: Folie à Deux” strives to be dark, psychological and emotionally intense, focusing on themes of mental illness and society’s disregard for those it deems unworthy.
However, despite its potential for innovation, the film ultimately falls short in execution. From its disjointed narrative to its questionable portrayal of marginalized communities, “Joker: Folie à Deux” misses the mark. Many scenes that appear intended as satire or social commentary fail to land, leaving viewers unsure of what the film is truly trying to say. Instead of offering meaningful insights, the film feels shallow and disconnected from the weighty issues it seeks to address.
WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD
Before delving into the aspects of the film that I found disappointing, I want to highlight what I appreciated and found compelling.
To begin, the cinematography and color grading in “Joker: Folie à Deux” are visually stunning. The film features breathtaking shots, particularly within the court sequences and the musical scenes between Joker and Harley Quinn, which are beautifully vibrant and evoke a clear homage to Technicolor musicals of the 1950s and 60s. The costume design also deserves recognition — Joker’s constantly changing suits are striking, while Harley Quinn’s subtle evolution into a version of her iconic costume depicts the subtle evolution of her character.
I appreciated how the film’s visuals reminded me of classic Hollywood musicals centered around doomed romances, such as “One From the Heart” (1981), “The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964) and “La La Land” (2016). It appears Phillips aimed to use the visual language of musical sequences, often depicting characters dissociating from their bleak realities to escape into a fantasy to illustrate Arthur’s delusions of grandeur. While the film never fully commits to the fantastical musical numbers that the aforementioned films embrace throughout, it’s evident that the
director intended to use this style to signify Arthur’s growing detachment from reality and foreshadow the inevitable unraveling of his relationship with Harley.
This approach felt like a subversive and intriguing direction for this sequel. However, the film’s inability to fully commit to the musical elements ultimately undermines what could have been a unique vision. The sporadic musical numbers felt jarring, disrupting the movie’s momentum rather than enriching it. Instead of offering deeper insights into the characters’ thoughts or motivations, these scenes felt out of place, and at times, even disrespectful to Arthur’s trauma. Had the film fully embraced the musical angle, it might have salvaged some of the more questionable choices, elevating the story rather than leaving it muddled and half-hearted.
Now, onto elements I found problematic about “Joker: Folie à Deux.”
The filmmakers invest a significant amount of time shaping Arthur into a character audiences can empathize with — someone struggling with his mental health — only to break him down in the most appalling ways. It’s not just the cruel characters around him mistreating him, but a sense of cruelty from the filmmakers themselves in choosing to depict these scenes. The relentless humiliation Arthur endures feels excessive and exploitative, rather than insightful.
Throughout the film, there’s an uncomfortable tendency, both in dialogue and visual language, to ridicule those who are physically or mentally disabled. Arthur, a character suffering from severe mental illness, is never given the space for the audience to truly understand how his trauma and mental state inform his decisions, particularly those from the first film. Instead, the movie opts to show Arthur continually being humiliated, whether by the criminal justice system or those around him, for his poor grasp on reality and misunderstanding of others. While it seems like the filmmakers are attempting to comment on society’s mistreatment of the mentally ill, it never lands as social critique or even satire — instead, it comes across as ridiculing Arthur’s mental health struggles.
This disrespect extends to Arthur’s former co-worker, Puddles, played by Leigh Gill, a little person whose stature is repeatedly played for comedic effect, even in traumatic situations. Instead of addressing Puddles’ pain or acknowledging the impact Arthur had on him, the filmmakers exploit his stature for humor. There’s a particularly distasteful moment where the camera lingers on Puddles struggling to get into the witness seat, using a slow pan up from behind to emphasize his small size as he sits on a phone book — while the room giggles and Arthur mocks him for being small. This type of visual humor is not only inappropriate but undermines any serious exploration of trauma or vic -
Perhaps the most disturbing and egregious scene comes toward the end of the movie when Arthur, after fleeing from his trial, is captured by the police. In a horrifying moment of thinly–veiled sexual assault, the lead guard, played by Brendan Gleeson, offended by Arthur’s comments about him during the trial, orchestrates a brutal attack. He gathers his fellow officers to beat Arthur, strip him and drag him into the showers, where it is heavily implied they assault him. The next scene shows them dragging his limp, bruised body back to his cell, with Arthur staring vacantly ahead, completely broken. Despite the harrowing nature of this scene, there is no point in the film where the guards face any consequences for their
actions or have any room to unpack what happened. It feels as though the filmmakers are complicit in this constant humiliation and victimization of its characters, as they never address the abuses Arthur suffers, nor do they give these perpetrators any form of punishment, either direct or thematic.
Ultimately, “Joker: Folie à Deux” presents a dangerous misrepresentation of mental illness, portraying victims of trauma and mental health struggles as violent or deserving of punishment. In its attempt to comment on society’s failures in supporting these individuals, the film ends up failing them as well — turning their suffering into spectacle rather than offering any meaningful exploration or resolution.
BRANDEIS TO HOST FIRST-EVER ALBERTINE FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL
By DALYA KOLLER JUSTICE ASSOCIATE EDITOR
n By bringing together filmmakers, scholars and audiences, the festival aims to highlight the transformative power of cinema as a medium for social commentary.
This fall, Brandeis University is set to host the inaugural Albertine French Film Festival, bringing a rich selection of contemporary French films to campus. Through a series of screenings at the Wasserman Cinematheque, running from Oct. 25 to Nov. 19, the festival will showcase works that resonate with global audiences while also offering a glimpse into French perspectives on such issues.
The screenings will include English subtitles and will be both free and open to the public. In addition to the films, the festival will offer presentations and question and answer sessions with film critics, journalists, Brandeis faculty and directors. One such highlight includes a Q&A with guest director Alain Kassanda following the screening of his film “Colette et Justin,” which explores the lasting legacies of colonialism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This interdisciplinary approach encourages deeper audience engagement, offering opportunities for active discussion and intellectual exploration of the films’ themes.
Prof. Sophia Niehaus (FREN), received an Albertine Cinémathèque Festival Grant from the Albertine Foundation and Cultural Services of the French Embassy in the United States this past July. During an Oct. 4 interview with the Justice, Niehaus noted that despite their stylistic and thematic differences, all selected films “contemplat[e] the concept of justice and its sometimes elusive nature in times of social change.” Themes of the films include artificial intelligence, decolonization, political upheaval, the justice system, social unrest and worldwide health epidemics. This underlying thread of social change, as Niehaus pointed out, “resonates with Brandeis’ namesake and legacy, and with the pressing questions concerning law and order on college campuses that arose last year.”
French cinema has long been recognized for its rich intellectual and political contributions to global film culture. From the pioneering days of the Lumière brothers to the radical innovations of the French New Wave in the 1960s, French filmmakers have consistently pushed the boundaries of cinema as a medium for artistic expression and social commentary. Directors such as Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut revolutionized film narrative and form, while others like Agnès Varda and Claire Denis have used film to explore themes of identity, gender and colonialism.
Political engagement has been central to French cinema’s legacy, with filmmakers often responding to major social upheavals — whether the political unrest of May 1968, the Algerian War or the more recent debates over immigration, xenophobia and national
identity. As Niehaus remarked, “French films have the capability to speak to our current cultural moment in significant ways,” underscoring how contemporary French cinema continues this tradition of tackling pressing social issues. By addressing pertinent themes, the films selected for the Albertine French Film Festival reflect this enduring tradition of French filmmakers using cinema as a platform to provoke thought and inspire conversation.
The festival’s lineup includes “Colette and Justin (Colette et Justin),” a documentary that personalizes the complex legacies of colonialism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; “The Goldman Case (Le procès Goldman),” a courtroom drama that explores the political and ideological tensions of 1970s France through the controversial trial of activist Pierre Goldman; “Lumumba: The Death of a Prophet (Lumumba: la mort du prophète),” a documentary that investigates the assassination of Congo’s first Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba; “The Beast (La Bête),” a sci-fi romance that examines the implications of artificial intelligence on human emotion; “The Innocent (L’Innocent),” which follows a widower and his stepfather, an ex-con, as they navigate love and romance and “Animal Kingdom (Le règne animal),” an exploration of genetic mutations.
In an interview with the Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences, Niehaus reflected on the power of film: “A film that resonates with us can expand our consciousness. It can make us more aware of the world and of our place within it, help us understand ourselves as well as others.” Niehaus referenced Claire Denis, a great French filmmaker, who described films that move her as “the image of the world,” and said that once we see a film that really moves us, “[t]hey enter our memory; we cannot erase them from ourselves.” Niehaus added, “I don’t know that it could be said any better than this.”
Niehaus expressed her vision of cultivating a richer cultural atmosphere on campus and within the greater Waltham community. “We hope this festival brings something new to the cultural offerings at the University and in the local area,” she explained. She expressed hopes that the film festival could become a recurring event at the University, emphasizing that “the support of the Brandeis community will be essential in making this happen.”
Niehaus also expressed excitement about the “spirit of collaboration” surrounding the festival, which has drawn participation from students and faculty across various departments, as well as sponsorships from the Film, Television and Interactive Media Departments, the Division of the Humanities, the Division of Creative Arts, the College of Arts & Sciences, the Department of Romance Studies and the Mandel Center for the Humanities.
The full schedule of events can be found on the Department of Romance Studies website.
Light it up with ‘incendio’
Top 10 Kitchen Utensils
By ELIZA BIER JUSTICE MANAGING EDITOR
With no real reasoning, just purely based on vibes here are my top 10 kitchen utensils (disclaimer I have not used all of the utensils on the list)
1.
Honorable mention: spork (I was told by members of The Justice that it needed to be on my list)
